Space Communication Research Articles

Restorative and regenerative green spaces for vulnerable communities in social housing: The impact of a community greening program

Vulnerable communities represent the most at-risk populations facing inequities and negative health, economic and social wellbeing outcomes. Community gardening has emerged globally as a community-based remedy to reduce these inequities and enhance wellbeing. This paper examines the psychological, socio-cultural and health impact of social housing design that includes access to, and engagement with green spaces. The project was multi-disciplinary and used mixed-method research to examine the impact of community gardening for people in social housing. Two interrelated studies were conducted; study 1 involved 33 social housing gardeners in a pre-post program survey. Statistically significant improvements were found in participants' satisfaction with personal wellbeing, health, and community connectedness; as well as increased gardening skills, positive social experiences, and time spent in nature. Study 2 involved 34 semi-structured interviews conducted with program facilitators and partner organisation staff. Results uncovered that participant's engagement with gardening was restorative and regenerative. Four salient themes emerged from our mixed methods study: 1) connection to self; 2) connection to others, 3) connection to place; and 4) connection to purpose. The findings showcase some of the key principles of a successful social and nature prescription intervention for vulnerable people. Community gardening was shown to amplify civic pride and bolster community resilience. Our research suggests the broad impact of community gardening on participant outcomes for vulnerable populations and enhances the capacity of practitioners to translate research into policy and practice for sustainable, restorative residential communities.

Max-Min-Sliding-Window Based Doppler-Shift Acquisition for Space Communications

Max-Min-Sliding-Window Based Doppler-Shift Acquisition for Space Communications

Silicon Germanium Spins Cellular and Space Communication Networks

Silicon Germanium Spins Cellular and Space Communication Networks

Channel Estimation for Deep Space Communications Under the Effect of Solar Scintillation

AbstractDuring probe‐to‐Earth superior conjunction, deep space communication channels will suffer from solar scintillation, leading to amplitude attenuation of received signals. This study aims to obtain the channel state information (CSI) on deep space channels affected by solar scintillation. Classical least squares (LS) and minimum mean squared error (MMSE) methods are adopted to perform channel estimation and compensate for the channel fading. Simulation results indicate that under the effect of solar scintillation, performing channel estimation technology can significantly improve bit error rate (BER) performance compared to systems without CSI, and the MMSE algorithm outperforms the LS for both BER and normalized mean squared error (NMSE). In addition, we also find that pilot density, geometric parameters, and the outer scale of solar wind turbulence has great influence on the estimation performance.

Control-Oriented Deep Space Communications for Unmanned Space Exploration

Control-Oriented Deep Space Communications for Unmanned Space Exploration

도시형 집합주택의 교육환경 커뮤니티공간 선호도 연구

As interest in children's education grows in densely populated urban residential environments today, community spaces that meet the efficient educational environment needs of collective housing have become a key issue. This study examines domestic and international exemplary cases to review trends and current situations, and explores how cultural and social characteristics related to educational environments and community spaces are being applied in domestic cases and collective housing. Based on publicly available data, a literature review was conducted, followed by a survey analysis for frequency analysis. The results reveal that in order to enhance residential satisfaction through educational approaches, there is a necessity and importance for the design of educational community spaces that reflect local cultural and social needs. This highlights the demand for sustainable designs that can respond to contemporary needs.

ABOUT THE PROTOTYPOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF THE EVOLUTION OF THE DWELLING

Throughout human history, housing has been crucial for human existence, serving as shelter, a symbol of social status, economic prosperity, and cultural identity. Studying archaeological data from different times and peoples has enabled the analysis of the main stages of the development of one of the fundamental values of human material culture - housing. Housing stands as concrete evidence supporting hypotheses and scientific discoveries, offering insights into the life, culture, and traditions of specific epochs. Its extensive evolutionary journey has been shaped significantly by advancements aimed at optimizing living conditions, influenced by societal norms, domestic practices, and scientific advancements. This ongoing evolution has defined housing's architectural characteristics, including differentiation of family, household, functional planning, work, and communal spaces, alongside spatial and expressive architectural elements. It encompasses the development of individual housing units within broader building and settlement frameworks, encompassing diverse housing types and their typological classifications, as well as applying construction and technical methods. This study examines the distinctive typological groups of housing, characterized by their structural underpinnings. These groups are delineated by key factors influencing the inception of formative architectural techniques, such as the early development of functional-planning solutions rooted in familial and regional contexts, and cultural traditions. Additionally, the article explores the architectural evolution of housing, analyzing how prototype components have shaped the phased development of residential functional-planning structures over time. This research contributes to a broader series of investigations into typological evolution of housing, aiming to deepen our understanding of its transformative journey across different historical periods.

Evolution of Single Photon Lidar: From Satellite Laser Ranging to Airborne Experiments to ICESat-2

In September 2018, NASA launched the ICESat-2 satellite into a 500 km high Earth orbit. It carried a truly unique lidar system, i.e., the Advanced Topographic Laser Altimeter System or ATLAS. The ATLAS lidar is capable of detecting single photons reflected from a wide variety of terrain (land, ice, tree leaves, and underlying terrain) and even performing bathymetric measurements due to its green wavelength. The system uses a single 5-watt, Q-switched laser producing a 10 kHz train of sub-nanosecond pulses, each containing 500 microjoules of energy. The beam is then split into three “strong” and three “weak” beamlets, with the “strong” beamlets containing four times the power of the “weak” beamlets in order to satisfy a wide range of Earth science goals. Thus, ATLAS is capable of making up to 60,000 surface measurements per second compared to the 40 measurements per second made by its predecessor multiphoton instrument, the Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (GLAS) on ICESat-1, which was terminated after several years of operation in 2009. Low deadtime timing electronics are combined with highly effective noise filtering algorithms to extract the spatially correlated surface photons from the solar and/or electronic background noise. The present paper describes how the ATLAS system evolved from a series of unique and seemingly unconnected personal experiences of the author in the fields of satellite laser ranging, optical antennas and space communications, Q-switched laser theory, and airborne single photon lidars.

자계 이방성 축 방향에 따른 안테나 공진 주파수 특성

The main theme of the 2024 Mobile World Congress (MWC), held annually in Barcelona, Spain, is ‘5G and Beyond.’ Extensive research and activity focus on 6G (IMT-2030) technology, which is expected to become the core infrastructure of the mobile industry by 2030, representing the future of wireless communications. This necessitates the support of more wireless frequency bands for terminals to be compatible with the upcoming Beyond 5G (B5G) and 6G technologies. The antenna mounting space for B5G wireless communication, with various form factors for hardware, such as smartphones, smartwatches, and smart rings, is limited, as these devices become increasingly slimmer and lighter. Several methods have been studied to reduce antenna size while maintaining performance in a limited space. Representative examples include integrated-structure, metamaterial, and magnetodielectric antennas. In this study, it is analyzed for the effect of the resonance frequency characteristics of antennas based on the arrangement direction of the anisotropic material in the limited antenna mounting space of communication terminals. Aiming to reduce antenna size in the B5G era, it is proposed for the necessity of optimal design that focuses on the axial direction of the magneto-dielectric materials when designing antennas using anisotropic materials for antenna miniaturization.

중국 3대 가족의 소통을 위한 주거공간 및 행위 특성에 대한 관찰 연구

중국 3대 가족의 소통을 위한 주거공간 및 행위 특성에 대한 관찰 연구

고독사 위험군의 심리적 활력을 위한 활동이론 기반의 커뮤니케이션 공간 연구 - 북유럽 코하우징 사례를 중심으로 -

고독사 위험군의 심리적 활력을 위한 활동이론 기반의 커뮤니케이션 공간 연구 - 북유럽 코하우징 사례를 중심으로 -

집합주택의 공간계획을 위한 교육콘텐츠 선호도연구

This study investigated and analyzed literature and precedent cases of Korean and foreign multi-family housing to study the impact of integrating educational contents and space planning in collective houses on residents' lives. Based on the results, this study suggests directions for improving the educational environment in Korean multi-family housing that can increase residential satisfaction. The research methods used were surveys and in-depth interviews with experts. The collected data were subjected to frequency analysis using SPSS 28.0. The results of the survey, which was conducted through a structured online questionnaire, confirmed that resident demand-driven Educational program management can increase resident engagement and housing satisfaction, and highlighted the importance of building sustainable multi-family housing and educational community spaces.

Risk and Resistance: Ageing in the Charity Retail Sector

Abstract Background Charity shops have long been found to promote sociability, nurture experiences of belonging and act as spaces for community, caring and well-being. Older people remain likely to participate in this setting and charity shop volunteering is typically associated with events of positive ageing. However, the sector's growing emphasis on professionalism and profit raises questions about the potential impact of organisational change on this group. This research seeks to address this gap by exploring how older volunteers experience their roles within the evolving context of the modern UK charity shop. Methods This PhD study employed an ethnographic approach, involving 268 hours of immersive fieldwork across 3 charity shops in Greater Manchester. Ethnographic data was complemented by 17 semi-structured interviews with volunteers and store managers. Results Ageist discourses have been embedded into the sector, which work to reconstitute older volunteers as a type of ‘risky subject'. Such discourses manifest in unique ways on the charity shop floor and comprise of a range of practices, both subtle and overt, that are driven by the organisations focus on an intensified form of productivity. This prompts diverse forms of resistance from older volunteers, which are underpinned by the aim to not only counter negative perceptions of ageing but be just ‘visible’ enough in order to get by. Conclusion This paper unpacks the multifaceted nature of ageism in the charity retail sector. Whilst it is not as simple as suggesting that charity shops are solely characterised by ageism - especially considering the volunteer experience varies considerably across different contexts and places - age-related tensions are nonetheless more prevalent in the everyday. Older volunteers are not passive in the face of such change and continually work to avoid exclusion and remain integrated in this space in diverse ways.

Committing to diversity in participants, participation and knowledge production: place-based insights from the community science of Soilsafe Aotearoa

Researchers have an obligation to study aspects of our world that have meaning for society. This means recognising a place-based diversity of society, of potential participants, of types of participation and of knowledge production. Therefore, developing a successful community science (CS) programme that engenders a sense of ownership for a diversity of public participants requires the prioritisation of getting to know what diverse participants value and the context of that valuation. This paper describes the necessary rigour of considering the launch of the CS programme Soilsafe Aotearoa (SA) in 2021, and its subsequent implementation and evolution based on a project commitment to diversity of social values of soil in Aotearoa New Zealand (Aotearoa NZ), delivering on public demand. We discuss how SA engages with the community by scientific screening soil metal contaminants in participants’ backyards, as well as through inclusive education and knowledge co-production in schools and community spaces. The objective in this work is to generate wider participation and dialogue on a diversity of soil value(s) so that communities in Aotearoa NZ are cognisant of what soil might represent to others, and to contextualise what a lack of soil care might mean for them and society more broadly. Here we argue that a diversity of participants and participation can support a more inclusive and contextual, place-based CS approach. We illustrate how that might be achieved through bridging arts, Indigenous knowledge production, and social, as well as conventional sciences. Through an approach that recognises that values about the world are tied to participants’ geographic, demographic and cultural contexts as well as the sectors of society they work and live with, we demonstrate the importance of researchers’ attention to not just scientific enquiry, but intersections of different knowledge production and communication for better societal and science outcomes.

The effect of dwelling size on the mental health and quality of life of female caregivers living in informal tiny homes in Hong Kong

BackgroundAlthough the adverse impact of substandard informal housing has been widely documented, most studies concentrated on developing societies, thereby leaving informal housing in developed regions underexplored. This study examines Hong Kong, where limited dwelling size is a distinctive feature that characterises informal housing, to explore the impact of housing informality on mental health, with a particular focus on dwelling size. It centers on subdivided units (SDUs), which are tiny compartments partitioned from a large domestic quarter, to understand how housing informality and housing size affect the mental well-being of female caregivers, who typically bear the brunt of the housework.MethodsIn partnership with nongovernment organisations in three SDU-abundant districts, this mixed-methods study conducted a survey on 413 female caregivers aged 18—65 and qualitative research combining ethnographic observations and in-depth interviews on 36 families living in SDUs in Hong Kong between 2021 and 2023. The mental health outcomes and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of the participants were assessed by using the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 and a EuroQol-5 Dimension-5 Level questionnaire.ResultsDepression, anxiety and stress were prevalent across the female caregivers living in SDUs (12.4%), as well as a significantly lower HRQoL compared with that of the general population (0.882 vs. 0.919). Findings showed that a total floor area smaller than 13.0 m2 was associated with increased likelihood of experiencing anxiety and depression and reduced HRQoL. Cramped living space adversely affected the caregivers’ well-being through the 1) physical, 2) relational and 3) personal aspects of home experiences. Negative experiences at home can cause housework burnout, exacerbate family conflicts and lead to feelings of repression and low self-efficacy.ConclusionsThis study contributes to the understanding of the consequences of housing informality in diverse geographical contexts and illuminates the effect of dwelling size by identifying the mechanisms through which housing size can affect the mental well-being of residents, which may vary depending on their family status. The findings yield important policy implications, including the need to establish a minimum space standard for subdivided residential dwellings and ensure equitable access to community spaces for deprived families.

[Inter]play: Interiority and designing the learning commons

[Inter]play is a collaborative project that reimagines the central courtyard of a local public elementary school in Knoxville, TN as a dynamic learning commons through the principles of interiority and commoning. By prioritizing user experiences and community engagement, the design integrates flexible, interactive, and sensory-rich elements, transforming the previously dormant 8,000-square-foot space into a vibrant educational environment. Speculative thinking seeded a creative process that fueled the project’s evolution and empowered the elementary school community to employ the design proposal toward negotiating the project’s paths to realization. The ongoing multi-phase design process emphasizes collective ownership and agency, ultimately resulting in a model for the learning commons that encourages exploration and fosters a sense of community. This approach highlights the crucial role of interior architecture in developing communal and responsive educational spaces.

Р ОЛЬ ТВОРЧЕСКИХ ИНДУСТРИЙ В КРЕАТИВНОЙ ЭКОНОМИКЕ САНКТ-ПЕТЕРБУРГА В НАЧАЛЕ 2020-Х ГОДОВ

The development of the “creativity economy” of St. Petersburg in the early 2020s reflects the significant potential of the city’s creative space, which has been emerging since the 2000s in various spheres of modern culture – design and architecture, art and fashion, cinema and television, music and exhibition business, advertising and marketing, interactive media and video games – which will allow the city on the Neva in the foreseeable future to become a leader in the creative industries of Russia in order to serve as a resource influencing modernization processes, both in the economy and in culture. The legislator generates favorable opportunities for this, in particular, the Fundamentals of State Cultural Policy notes the importance of interconnected processes to “create conditions for the development of creative industries”, the production of “economic values in the process of creative activity”, which are focused on “capitalization of cultural products and their presentation on the market”. Legal deci- sions in St. Petersburg comprehensively support the spheres of creative industries, influencing their innovative soil, communication and information space, stimulate the environment, influence the market and modernize the principles of social partnership with- in the boundaries of government, business and culture in order to improve the quality of life of Russian society.

Interfacial modification of CuO/Ga2O3 by plasmonic Pt for high performance self-powered solar-blind UV photodetector

Applications for solar-blind photodetectors (PDs) vary widely and include space communications, ozone monitoring, and more. In this study, pulsed laser deposition (PLD) and ion sputtering were employed to develop an unusual self-powered deep ultraviolet (UV) photodetector based on CuO/Ga2O3 with a Pt nanoparticles (NPs) interface. The Pt NPs interface transforms the device design from heterojunction to Schottky junction. The device features a low dark current of 83.2 fA and performs a high photo-to-dark current (Iphoto/Idark) ratio of 1.72 × 104, a specific detectivity (D*) of 9.98 × 1011 Jones, and a quick decay time of 56 ms upon 254 nm UV light at 196.5 μW/cm2 without any power supply. The CuO/Pt/Ga2O3 Schottky junction-based device outperforms the CuO/Ga2O3 heterojunction-based device in terms of detection capabilities in both biased and non-biased settings. This is explained by the Schottky barrier creation mechanism with both Ga2O3 and CuO films, as well as how the plasmon resonance effect (PR effect) balances the barrier on the Ga2O3 side. Furthermore, Pt NPs serve as a potential well, offering an additional recombination channel that accelerates the decay process when the light is turned off. Our findings pave the way for more optoelectronic uses of Ga2O3-based solar-blind UV photodetectors in the future.

Social workers’ core components for mitigating problematic school absenteeism: the case of school social teams in Sweden

ABSTRACT Problematic school absenteeism is increasing in most advanced welfare countries. As school success is a well-established factor for improving children’s social, mental, and physical development, it represents a fundamental challenge for welfare states. To counteract this development, a variety of different methods and interprofessional collaborations have been developed recently. Despite this, there is little research to date on the roles social workers adopt in mitigating problematic absenteeism. This article presents a study that explored the roles of social workers in a newly developed and rapidly spreading Swedish method, School Social Teams. This study aimed to explore the roles adopted by school social workers in these teams and the core components associated with decreased problematic school absenteeism. The study found empirical evidence for three roles and six associated core components: the mediator (creating a communicative space and fostering an understanding of underlying problems); the advocate (establishing a student perspective and advocate at meetings); and the available adult (being available and having endurance). Compared with the existing literature, the mediator and advocate are more theoretically anchored in the literature, whereas the available adult role are related to stronger evidence for mitigating problematic school absenteeism. One conclusion is the importance of deliberate choices of various roles associated with school social work roles as its core components are related to different outcomes.

Three exemplars of Church and agency partnerships growing hope in uncertain times: a practical theology conversation

ABSTRACT Disruptive social, health and environmental changes are currently creating global uncertainty. In response, the two authors – an ordained Minister and a Christian social worker – undertook a multidisciplinary cooperative inquiry into the research question: With a focus on three exemplars, how do churches and associated care agencies create communities of hope in the current uncertain times? This research involved reflecting on three case studies, from two Anglican Dioceses of Australia. The case studies illustrate the practical and transformational nature of church and agency partnerships that can create Christian communities of hope. The key themes regarding creating communities of hope are sacrificial volunteering that promotes the well-being of others, engaging First Nations people’s leadership and local knowledge, and hearing the need and partnering to equally promote physical and spiritual flourishing. We propose creating inclusive, loving and kind communities of hope for every individual that holistically meets the needs of people, to be consistent with Christ’s ministry in these current times. Hope can grow when people have the option of an empowering community space where they can choose or be invited to explore questions regarding faith in Jesus and identity whilst having their practical needs fully met.