Small Space Research Articles

Implementation fidelity of a multisite maternity waiting homes programme in rural Zambia: application of the conceptual framework for implementation fidelity to a complex, hybrid-design study

BackgroundImplementation fidelity measures are critical for understanding complex interventions. Though maternity waiting homes (MWHs) are recommended by the WHO and have been used to help pregnant women access health facilities...

Evaluation of sectional anatomic, micro-computed tomographic, and magnetic resonance imaging features of the thorax in Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus).

Clinically, the rodent thorax is important because of the variety of problems that may affect the heart, lungs, and other thoracic structures. Syrian hamsters are the most common pet and experimental hamster species. Sectional imaging of small mammals is widely increasing in use for clinical and research settings; however, no reports on the thoracic sectional imaging anatomy in this species have been made. Therefore, this study aimed at evaluating micro-computed tomography (MCT), magnetic resonance image (MRI), and gross sections of the Syrian hamster thorax. Eight healthy adult male and female Syrian hamsters were examined. Anesthetized hamsters were evaluated by MCT and 3 Tesla MRI. After imaging, the frozen slab sections were photographed, and identified anatomic structures were matched with structures on corresponding MCT and/or MRI images. Clinically relevant anatomic features of the Syrian hamster thorax that were identified on transverse and sagittal anatomic sections could be discerned on the corresponding MCT and MRI scans. The three matched images were exhibited the following features: (1) the narrow thoracic cavity and small lung space, (2) the heart positioning ventral and medial to lung, (3) heart ventricles locating towards the left side, and (4) parallel cardiac position relative to the sternum. The obtained results were similar to those have only been reported in rabbits, regardless of heart orientation and lung lobe covering the heart. The results of this study support the use of MCT and MRI as diagnostic tools in Syrian hamsters and provide reference values for the clinically relevant anatomic structures of thorax.

Perancangan Ulang Tata Letak IKM Tahu Sehat Sari untuk Mengurangi Jarak Material Handling

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) typically operate within limited or small spaces, with production activities that are sometimes mismatched with their available conditions. This includes the Tahu Sehat Sari SME case, where the existing product layout results in significant material handling movement, leading to high operational costs. This research designs a facility layout tailored to the SME’s needs. The layout is developed considering various constraints such as cost, available area, and other resources. The goal of this design is to create a new production layout for Tahu Sehat Sari SME, accommodate its relatively high daily production capacity, to minimize operational costs, reduce material handling distances, and increase productivity. Based on the initial layout of the SME, proposed layouts using methods such as Modified Spanning Tree (MST) and Simulated Annealing (SA) are compared. From the layout designs using single-row Simulated Annealing, double-row Simulated Annealing, and Modified Spanning Tree, the total material handling distances calculated are 8,590, 1,950, and 1,695, respectively, with the total material handling distances in the current layout 2,600 m. The most suitable layout design is determined based on the minimization of total travel distance, directly correlating to the optimization of material handling and the elimination of waste. Keywords: Double Row, Layout Planning, Modified Spanning Tree, SimulatedAnnealing, Single Row

The Physicochemical and Rheological Properties of Green Banana Flour–Wheat Flour Bread Substitutions

Functional foods are currently receiving increasing popularity in diet modification. Green bananas contain far more dietary fiber (DF) and resistant starch (RS) than mature bananas. The potential for integrating these vital components into food, such as bread, has expanded. Thus, this study aimed to examine the physicochemical and rheological behavior of wheat flour dough after the addition of varying amounts of Australian, green banana flour (GBF) substitutions (5, 10, 15, 25, and 30%). Using MixoLab 2, we recorded the rheological parameters of the dough that had GBF substitutions. Additionally, the flour color (‘L*’, ‘a*’, and ‘b*’ value) and crumb cell structure analysis were evaluated. Although increasing the amount of GBF replacement generally improved dough quality with all banana cultivars, GBF from Cavendish and Ladyfinger showed a greater improvement than Ducasse. Improved dough mixing stability and increased viscosity, starch gelatinization, and retrogradation were all predicted to contribute to longer bread shelf life. RS content of the enriched bread increased significantly with both Ladyfinger and Ducasse (2.6%), while Ladyfinger bread had the highest DF (9.1%). With increasing GBF, L*, a*, and b* values were changed considerably with a strong linear correlation. A MATLAB analysis indicated substantial variations across samples regarding the small, medium, and total air space counts based on 10% banana flour as a standard level of addition. In conclusion, the processing properties and nutritional value of wheat flour can be enhanced by replacing specific proportions of wheat flour with green banana flour without major detrimental effects on dough processing attributes and thus highlight the possibility of utilizing GBF from different banana varieties for use in fine-tuning composite flour developments.

Design of Direct Current Microgrid Converter with Cost-Effective Low-Voltage Battery Storage System

Battery storage systems are becoming very popular around the world. However, they are mainly used in industry for high-performance applications. Domestic use is still sporadic due to size and cost issues. This work overviews basic conceptual designs for a cost-effective battery storage system. The main specificity of the proposed systems is the use of commonly available recycled batteries from household appliances such as laptops and backup power supplies. The circuit topology considered is a 3S (three cells in series) configuration. This is because such wiring arrangements are those that are most often found in the home appliances described here. The technical solutions of the device itself focus on the ratio of the efficiency of the whole system to the production cost. Given the above, attention was paid to the simulation analysis of the operating modes, which directly influenced the components’ price. Changing the switching control scheme of the power transistors makes it possible to reduce the requirements for the driving components used with minimal impact on the power conversion efficiency (Δη 1–4%). According to the established findings, a prototype was made on which the simulation findings were verified; then, we further focused on the experimental measurement of the efficiency of the MPPT converter and conducted an analysis of a methodology in which we measure the deviation from the actual point of maximum power. The simple possibility of parallelizing the individual storage devices will again help improve the system’s overall efficiency. This makes the system suitable for use in small spaces such as houses, garages, cellars, etc.

Cooperative Optimization Design Method of Multitrajectory Profile in “Well Factory” for Oil and Gas Development

Summary A “well factory” refers to the arrangement of multiple or even a large number of similar wells on the same platform and the drilling and completion of these wells with standardized equipment and a similar operational approach. The well factory mode can effectively handle the challenges posed by complex terrains in oceans and mountainous areas and achieve economical and efficient development of oil and gas resources. Conventional studies mainly focus on the optimization of a single trajectory or the sequential optimization of multiple trajectories. However, there is a lack of cooperative optimization of multiple trajectories, making it difficult to obtain better design results for well trajectories of the well factory mode. Owing to the complicated interdependencies among the design variables of each trajectory (such as the kickoff point, target section length, well inclination, azimuth, and buildup rate), traditional methods struggle to directly address the cooperative optimization problem. This problem involves collaboration and interaction between different trajectories to achieve common objectives and enhance the overall optimization effectiveness. This study established a multitrajectory profile cooperative optimization design model with the objective of minimizing the overall drilling footage, trajectory complexity, trajectory similarity, and collision risk. Next, a cooperative coevolution (CC) approach was introduced and combined with a directed artificial bee colony (DABC) algorithm to develop a collaborative update strategy for multitrajectory optimization. Finally, the CC-DABC algorithm was tested, and a case study was conducted using the new design method. The results indicated that the new method could effectively handle multitrajectory profile cooperative optimization design for various well layouts, including single-layer, multilayer, and extremely small well-spacing scenarios. The CC-DABC algorithm significantly outperformed other combined algorithms in terms of optimization effectiveness, robustness, and overall search efficiency and exhibited excellent performance under small well spacing conditions. In the case study, the trajectories optimized with the new method had less drilling footage and smaller trajectory complexity than the original designs. Additionally, the anticollision risk and staggered arrangement of the kickoff points between adjacent wells effectively met the engineering requirements, demonstrating the application potential of this new method.

Cover Image:

A soybean shoot with emerald‐green leaves and full pods stands gracefully at the center of a wreath of small, light purple flowers, symbolizing soybean's place as a shining star on the world agricultural product stage. In the featured article, Zhao et al. (pages 3–6) expressed GROWTH‐REGULATING FACTOR3 and GROWTH‐REGULATING FACTOR‐INTERACTING FACTOR1 from a single construct separated by a small intergenic spacer, during soybean transformation. This construct enhanced the transformation efficiency, opening up a new avenue for soybean research and crop breeding.

Design Flexibility as an Approach to Interior Design for Small Spaces: A Case Study of the Halls of the Faculty of Applied Arts, Damietta University

Design Flexibility as an Approach to Interior Design for Small Spaces: A Case Study of the Halls of the Faculty of Applied Arts, Damietta University

Using ex-core detectors and deep neural networks for monitoring power distribution in small space reactors

Ex-core detectors have the potential to monitor the power distribution in small space reactors. However, there are still considerable challenges remain in their practical implementation. To address this gap, this paper proposes a novel method to monitor power distribution utilizing ex-core detectors and deep neural networks. A small space reactor model simplified from TOPAZ-II was constructed based on the assumption that 12 ex-core detectors could be applied. New neural network models were established to consider the differences of pin power at different positions in the core by independently modeling the inner and outer fuel pins. This method was extensively validated across a wide range of operational conditions. The deep neural network method also exhibits reduced sensitivity to noise. By training on datasets containing noisy signals, the neural network method can handle signals containing ± 1 % noise while the accuracy of power distribution predictions is maintained. In addition, the deep neural network method is capable of monitoring asymmetric power distribution. By learning the characteristics of signals from asymmetric detectors, this method can accurately predict core power distribution even under abnormal operational conditions.

Impact of Studio Spaces on the Academic Performance of Architecture Students: A Case of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA)

Due to the peculiarity of the architecture profession, architecture students usually work within environments that require specific spaces to function within design studios. Adequate spaces within a studio environment consist of drawing boards, sitting stools, drawers/lockers where drawings and other instruments are kept, and ample circulation space. The aim of this study was to investigate if the spaces provided for in architecture studios are adequate, based on the number of students per studio, and if these spaces are adequate, whether they have positive or negative impacts on the academic performance of the architecture students. The methodology involved gathering data on final year students’ academic performance for three different sessions involving three different studio spaces on ARC 501 (Advanced Architectural Design), which is a core course and the final design course of final year students before graduating with a bachelor’s degree from the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA), Nigeria. Findings from the study revealed that with the increase in the floor area of the studio spaces per student, there was no significant increase in their academic performance; rather, there was a gradual decline in the students’ academic performance. This study has proven that studio spaces may not have corresponding positive effects on the academic performance of architecture students, but rather have somewhat negative effects, and probably there are other factors not considered in this study that may be responsible for better academic performance of architecture students in universities besides spacious studio spaces. The study also found that while small studio spaces tend towards better academic performance, large studio spaces tend towards low academic performance in architecture design courses.

The School Garden As A Tool in the Teaching-Learning Process of Environmental Education in A Riverside Community on The Bank of The Iguaçu River

Objective: This article aimed to promote actions and investigate aspects about caring for the environment in a public school in a community on the banks of the Iguaçu River through Environmental Education. Theoretical Framework: To this end, the garden was used as a tool in the teaching-learning process of environmental themes, bringing topics such as care for the environment, society-nature relationship, sustainable societies and food sovereignty into this discussion. Method: The methodology of this work was carried out through a university extension workshop developed by the Sala +Verde project in the waves of the Iguaçu river in partnership with the Hortas project in small school spaces, spread throughout the community of the Foz do Chopim district in the municipality of Cruzeiro do Iguaçu – Paraná, being held at the Foz do Chopim Municipal School, with students of Elementary School. Results and Discussion: However, it was identified that the workshop for the construction of the school garden with the aim of awakening a reflection on the society-nature relationship and the promotion of food sovereignty, provoked in the subjects involved a feeling of belonging and care for that space Research Implications: Consequently, the workshop provided information that students can take home, promoting practices that allow us to move towards a better quality of life and care for our common good Originality/Value: This study contributes to the literature by promoting teaching and learning actions on environmental topics. The relevance and value of this research are evidenced by highlighting aspects of care for the environment.

A Study on the Design of Gel Nail Art Using the Visual Texture of Architectural Exterior and Playability in the New Deconstructivism

Although the nail beauty industry is showing a wide range of growth by applying various materials and colors, it reached the limit of design, dismantled elements limited to various shapes and textures in the small space of the nail, and sublimated them into artistic trends to express new aesthetic values by adding individual tastes and autonomy. Therefore, a total of eight gel nail art pieces were produced and presented by fusing the playfulness characteristics of neoclassicism and eight visual textures of architectural exterior materials through literature review. The design applying bricks was expressed as an active attitude amid anxiety caused by rapid social changes by destroying another rule and order with a repeated structure. The design applying stone expresses the shape of the design in a design that achieves a harmony of symmetry and asymmetry by using dots, lines, and planes, and the surface is expressed as a design that realizes a rough texture. The design applying metal materials was expressed in a soft balance and a stable design by making metal materials, which are iron materials, curved. The design applying paint was expressed as a design that induces interest by creating a complementary relationship by adding a bumpy surface to the flat design. The design applying tiles expressed a satirical image in simplicity with a repeated structure while maintaining balance by connecting horizontally and vertically to planes and curves. The design applying exposed concrete expresses the dismantling of rules in simplicity and expressing ideas and thoughts through an autonomous design. The design applying wood was expressed as a design that induces humor by reconstructing and combining toothpicks that are common in everyday life. The glass-applied design is expressed as a design that stimulates interest by amplifying the curiosity inside the translucent by connecting the vertices of the square surface of the film and attaching them three-dimensionally on the nail. Therefore, this study presented a design that can advance with the present era with infinite possibilities of nail art design by providing a category of innovative ideas rather than creating them as motifs by approaching neo-deconstructionist playfulness characteristics and architectural exterior materials. It is expected that various gel nail art designs will be developed with creative artistic trends by predicting the trend of gel nail art design in the future and presenting it as basic data for subsequent studies related to acid dismantlementism and architectural exterior materials.

A Comprehensive Study on the Impact of the Scale of Learning Spaces on Happiness and Well-Being of Preschool Children with reference to two selected cases from Colombo, Sri Lanka

Childhood is concerned as the foundation of an adult. Therefore, providing of psychologically inspiring spaces for children is vital. The previous studies have been done related to happiness and well-being of preschool children, mostly focusing on the usage of colors, indoor environment quality, outdoor play spaces etc. But there is very limited evidence for studying the inter-connection between the scale of learning spaces and happiness and well-being of preschool children. Considering the research gap in the context of architectural design, this study was first of its kind to investigate the impact of scale of learning spaces, on the happiness and well-being (i.e., In related to PERMA profiler) of preschool children. Mosaic approach from Professor Allison Clerk was used to collect data for the research. Results revealed that large scale learning spaces generates high levels of PERMA profiler than small scale learning spaces. Large scale learning spaces support in generating engagement (79.3%), relationships (78.2%) and accomplished (74.3%) components in related to PERMA profiler. Small scale learning spaces aid in generating positive emotion (79.3%) and meaning (65.3%) components when considered in related to PERMA profiler. The recommendations provided based on the findings can be utilized to design future preschool learning spaces that promote high levels of happiness and well-being in preschool children.

Multifunctional Space Conversion and Environmental Design in Modern Interior Design

In order to solve the contradictory nature of the limitations of small house space and multiple functional needs, this paper actively explores the variable space planning strategy in interior design. The environmental design scheme is proposed to realize the indoor ecological functional needs by utilizing space design with minimum energy consumption. The analysis of the functional needs of residential users reveals that it is feasible to meet the functional needs of different groups and different stages of residential use by dividing and combining indoor functional spaces. According to the results of a survey in a first-tier city, the average expectation of bedroom and living room area for 30-70m² houses is 20.7m² and 15.8m² respectively, which means that when small houses are designed, the important functional spaces such as bedrooms and living rooms under the limiting dimensions are prioritized to be combined. The results of the case study of four local houses of different sizes verify the effectiveness of the proposed strategy. 92.28% and 94.54% of space utilization is achieved in house 1 and house 2 respectively, while the energy efficiency of house 4 reaches 61.42%.

Multimodal Flexible Sensor for the Detection of Pressing-Bending-Twisting Mechanical Deformations.

Flexible sensors are increasingly significant in applications such as smart wearables and human-computer interactions. However, typical flexible sensors are spatially limited and can generally detect only one deformation mode. This study presents a novel multimodal flexible sensor that combines three sensing units: optoelectronics, ionic liquids, and conductive fabrics. It employs a sophisticated superposition and combination of the three sensing methods to achieve up to eight mechanical deformations, including pressing, bending, twisting, and combinations thereof, all within a very small sensor space. This sensor has excellent detection performance, high sensitivity (optoelectronics 4.312, ionic liquid 8.186, conductive fabric 2.438), a wide measurement range (pressing 0-75 kPa, bending 0-90°, and twisting 0-180°), and good consistency and repeatability. To address the signal coupling problem in multimode sensors, a deep learning method based on the Transformer is combined to provide precise decoupling of multimode signals and high-precision characterization of each mechanical deformation. Finally, the wrist joint experiments demonstrate the sensor's versatile uses in human-computer interaction.

The First Protocol for In Vitro Propagation of Kalanchoe beharensis Through Adventitious Shoots, a Preliminary Study

Kalanchoe beharensis, a vulnerable species according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, is highly prized for its ornamental value and medicinal properties. Therefore, an efficient methodology to propagate this ecologically significant species would be of particular interest. The propagation of K. beharensis has traditionally been achieved by seed or cuttings, but these methods are limited in efficiency. Micropropagation provides a more efficient and controlled alternative by enabling the in vitro production of numerous plants in a small space and in a short period of time. Despite its advantages, no micropropagation protocol for K. beharensis has been reported in the literature. In this study, we report an efficient in vitro regeneration protocol for K. beharensis. In order to implement this, we evaluated the morphogenetic response of leaf and root explants in media supplemented with auxins, cytokinins, or a combination of both growth regulators. Surprisingly, the best results were observed in indole-3-acetic acid-supplemented media. Adventitious shoots were rooted in either hormone-free or auxin-supplemented media, with indole-3-acetic acid yielding the best results. Rooted plants were acclimatized in the greenhouse, achieving over 80% survival during acclimatization. This protocol improves multiplication rate, space utilization, and uniformity, providing a viable alternative to conventional propagation methods.

Research into the Influence of Filtration Media Microstructure on Oil-Water Separation Performance.

Oil-water separation materials with specialized wettability have garnered significant attention in the field of oil-water separation due to the advantages of simple use and no secondary pollution. However, the adsorptive contamination of the filter surface by impurity phases and surfactants can cause a shift in the wettability of the filter surface. For efficient oil-water separation and improved resistance to adherent contamination on the oil-water separation membrane surface, herein, superwetted Cu nanofilms and smooth hydrophobic surfaces were prepared on SSM substrates by one-step electrodeposition and immersion methods, respectively. For water-in-oil/oil-in-water emulsions, nano-Cu has high separation efficiency. Experimentally, it was analyzed that the smaller spacing between the pores of the mesh membrane and the micro-nanostructures makes the separation effect better, but the flux will be reduced accordingly. By studying the separation images during the actual separation process through optical microscopy, it was found that the increase in the efficiency of the mesh membrane during the oil-water separation process and the decrease in the flux were due to the impurity phases aggregating and clogging the pores during the separation process to achieve a reduction in the pore size and the spacing of the micro-nanostructures. And further verification of the stability and mechanism correctness of the nano-Cu mesh film was conducted using cyclic experiments. The surface adhesion mechanism of filtration materials was analyzed by studying the phenomenon of water droplet adhesion on different mesh membranes and the ratio of adhesion. The research findings provide a comprehensive analysis of oil-water separation materials, focusing on both separation effectiveness and antiadhesion properties. This study offers new insights into the design of efficient oil-water separation materials and holds significant implications for advancing the practical application of oil-water separation membranes.

Quasi Gelfand Triples

We generalize the notion of Gelfand triples (also called Banach-Gelfand triples or rigged Hilbert spaces) by dropping the necessity of a continuous embedding. This means in our setting we lack of a chain inclusion. We replace the continuous embedding by a closed embedding of a dense subspace. This notion will be called quasi Gelfand triple. These triples appear naturally, when we regard the boundary spaces of spatially multidimensional differential operators, e.g., the Maxwell operator. We will show that there is a smallest space where we can continuously embed the entire triple. Moreover, we will show density results for intersections of members of the quasi Gelfand triple. Finally, we show that every quasi Gelfand triple can be decomposed into two “ordinary” Gelfand triples.

Aerodynamic Drag Coefficient Analysis of Heavy-Duty Vehicle Platoons: A Hybrid Approach Integrating Wind Tunnel Experiments and CFD Simulations

Heavy-duty vehicle (HDV) platooning, facilitated by vehicle-to-vehicle communication, plays a crucial role in transforming logistics and transportation. It reduces fuel consumption and emissions while enhancing road safety, supporting sustainable freight strategies and the integration of autonomous vehicles. This study employs a hybrid approach combining wind tunnel experiments and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations to analyze HDV platoon aerodynamics. The approach has two sequential phases: single-HDV simulation validation and multi-HDV platooning simulation. In the first phase, a single HDV CFD simulation is validated against NASA’s benchmarks, with optimized mesh generation, proper models, and conditions, and errors minimized below 1%. In the second phase, the validated model is used for multi-HDV platooning simulations, maintaining consistent mesh structures, physical models, and boundary conditions. Various platoon configurations are explored to assess the effects of speed, inter-vehicle spacing, and platoon size and position on aerodynamic drag, with virtual wind tunnel simulations evaluating drag coefficients. Our findings reveal that inter-vehicle spacing critically influences drag. An optimal range of 0.25 to 0.5-times the HDV length is identified to achieve an effective balance between safety and fuel efficiency, reducing platoon aerodynamic drag by 13–44% compared to single HDVs. While platoon speed is generally limited to impacting drag, it becomes more pronounced when an HDV platoon has very small inter-vehicle spacings, or in platoons exceeding five HDVs. Moreover, as the platoon size increases, the overall aerodynamic drag coefficient diminishes, particularly benefiting the rear HDV in larger platoons with smaller inter-vehicle spacing. These insights offer a comprehensive understanding of HDV platoon aerodynamics, enabling logistics enterprises to optimize platoon configurations for fuel savings, improved traffic flow, larger platoon formation, and enhanced transportation safety.

A new color image encryption scheme based on DNA sequence operations and novel hyper-chaotic system

Abstract Aiming at the problems of weak key sensitivity and small key space of
image encryption algorithm,in this paper,we propose an image encryption algorithm
based on four-dimensional memristive hyperchaotic system and DNA operation. The
algorithm first calculates the initial value of the image information by Secure Hash
Algorithm 512(SHA-512) hash algorithm, substitutes it into the four-dimensional
memory-damped hyperchaotic system to generate a sequence, and then obtains the key
map by Logistic mapping and Sine mapping.The preprocessed image matrix is obtained
by dot-multiplication operation of the plaintext image with the square matrix generated
by Sigmoid algorithm after Arnold permutation.Then DNA encoding,DNA row-by-
row operation and DNA decoding are performed on the key map and preprocessed
image, and at the end, the encrypted image is obtained after rotating the first round
encrypted image and the key map by 90° for the second encryption.Experiments such as
robustness analysis,anti-differential attack,and adjacent pixel correlation analysis show
that the algorithm has a large key space,strong key sensitivity and the encrypted image
has a small adjacent pixel correlation.It is shown that the algorithm can effectively
protect the communication encryption of digital images.