Trade Space Research Articles

Effects of Market Upgrading Temporary Relocation on Livelihoods of PAPs in Juja Market in Kiambu County, Kenya

This paper utilizes data from an MA Thesis on the effects of market upgrading temporary relocation on the livelihoods of Project Affected Persons (PAPs) during the construction of Juja Market in Kiambu County, Kenya. The study is driven by the idea that proper relocation and resettlement of PAPs can mitigate livelihood losses during infrastructural projects, which are vital for economic growth. Kenya is actively enhancing policies and legal frameworks to protect PAPs' interests during resettlement. The study had three objectives: to analyze the effects of market upgrading temporary relocation on PAPs' livelihoods in Juja Market, to examine PAPs' participation in relocation plans, and to assess the impact of relocation restoration packages on minimizing livelihood losses during the market's construction. It was grounded on Sustainable Livelihood Theory and the Impoverishment Risk and Reconstruction Model, involving 124 respondents selected through simple random and purposive sampling. Data analysis used descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings indicate that PAPs faced decreased sales, insufficient trading space, and disrupted networks due to relocation. The primary reason for increased livelihood losses was the government's inadequate preparation and lack of thorough engagement with affected individuals. The study suggests the county government should establish well-equipped, strategically located temporary sites to support traders, enhance transparent communication channels for stakeholder participation, and create participatory forums for co- designing and implementing restoration strategies.

Characterizing the Impact of Emergent Technologies on Earth Communications Reliance for Crewed Deep Space Missions

Future human expeditions into deep space will encounter unique design challenges posed by the increasing distance from Earth, one of which is the inability to maintain near-continuous communication with ground support teams. As a result, the habitat and crew will require a higher level of operational self-sufficiency informed by onboard self-awareness and decision-making capabilities to accomplish functions that have historically involved extensive support from mission control personnel. These include, for example, task planning and anomaly detection, diagnosis and correction, as well as monitoring of consumable usage rates and system performance. Novel emergent technologies in the domain of ‘smart’ systems and digital twins can be employed to enable the onboard capabilities needed to function with minimal Earth communication. However, these technologies are generally low-TRL and difficult to incorporate through traditional systems engineering methods.This work proposes an extension of utility theory to assess the potential reduction in Earth communication reliance between baseline and emergent technologies, scored through a summation of weighted attributes and evaluated against future deep space mission needs and constraints. Case studies are defined from technology under development in the NASA Habitats Optimized for Missions of Exploration (HOME) Space Technology Research Institute (STRI), a project charged with developing and evaluating technologies to enable highly autonomous deep space habitats, and compared to the current baseline technologies used onboard the International Space Station. Notional deep space mission needs and constraints are informed from current NASA plans for the Moon and Mars. These in turn are broken out into higher resolution attributes that are used to assess the operational capabilities of each emergent technology and whether it offers a potentially viable solution for deep space. These technology attributes are scored through a series of semi-structured subject-matter interviews and compared to notional deep space mission constraints. Additional considerations for technology maturation and integration are also discussed. The design analysis paradigm described and demonstrated here can be adapted to assess the degree to which other emergent technologies rely on Earth-based communication, and is intended to provide trade space considerations for future research and development towards deep space habitat self-sufficiency.

Trade Policy Space, Aid for Trade and, Intra-African and External African Manufactured Exports

Boosting intra-African manufactured exports is a critical objective of African leaders. The present analysis examines whether trade policy space and Aid for Trade (AfT) flows can contribute to achieving this objective. The analysis covers an unbalanced sample of 36 African countries over the period from 2004 to 2020, and uses estimators that allow obtaining the short-term (i.e., within-country effect) and long-term (i.e., between-country effect) effects of each regressor. The estimators are the combination of the feasible generalized least squares estimator on the one hand, and the Seemingly Unrelated Regression on the other hand, in the context of a hybrid model. The findings indicate that both trade policy space and AfT flows can help promote - including in a complementary way - African manufactured exports, especially intra-African manufactured exports. In this regard, trade policy space and AfT flows are instrumental in meeting African leaders’ objectives of promoting intra-African trade. The implications of the findings are discussed.

Higher-Order Statistical Metrics for Characterizing Multirotor Acoustics

Several higher-order statistical metrics are used to evaluate the significance of waveform nonlinearities in the sound field of a laboratory-scale coaxial, corotating rotor in hover. These comprise the magnitude-squared coherence, skewness, and kurtosis of the pressure waveform and its time derivative, number of zero crossings per rotation, a wave steepening factor, and the quadrature spectral density and its integral. A unique feature of this rotor setup is the constructive and destructive interference of sound waves produced by neighboring blades, which are incubators for signal distortion effects. Waveform distortions are evaluated for changes to rotor index angle, the separation distance between the upper and lower rotors, as well as changes to rotor speed for different observer positions. Significant sensitivities in the kurtosis of the pressure waveform and its time derivative, the number of zero crossings, and the integral of the quadrature spectral density are shown for changes in rotor index angle, observer position, and rotor speed; stacking distance appears less important at affecting changes to these metrics. The trade space between these metrics and rotor figure of merit demonstrates how changes to the rotor index angle can invoke relatively small changes in rotor performance while generating large changes in acoustic waveform nonlinearities.

Raman amplifier based on stimulated Raman scattering in a methane-filled hollow core fiber.

This article reports on a single pass amplifier based on stimulated Raman scattering in a methane-filled negative curvature hollow core fiber (HCF) to transition 1.06 μm power to 1.54 μm. The researchers measured the highest average Raman power at a single frequency in a methane filled HCF to date of 4.92 W (246 μJ/pulse), with a high average quantum efficiency of 95.9%. A numerical model for the system was developed and shows good agreement with measured thresholds and efficiencies. Model results from a trade space study indicate configuration regimes necessary to maximize 1.54 μm power while avoiding power loss from the secondary shift.

Tailoring of NASA‐STD‐3001 to Lunar Gateway Program Requirements

AbstractThe Gateway Program must meet NASA's Agency‐level human rating requirements, which are intended to accommodate human capabilities and limitations while protecting the safety of the crew, and providing to the maximum extent practical, the capability to safely recover the crew from hazardous situations. Human systems integration represents a key human rating component of Moon to Mars systems to support the execution of Artemis missions, including compliance with mandatory standards for Health and Medical, Safety and Mission Assurance, and Engineering. The human system requirements, together with the human systems integration plan, medical operations requirements, and Gateway subsystem specifications, represent the flow‐down of NASA Health and Medical Standards (NASA‐STD‐3001, Volumes 1 and 2) into the Gateway system. This paper discusses how these documents and other human systems integration activities provide full consideration of human capabilities and limitations as part of the total system design trade space, serving as an example on how the human must be effectively integrated as part of the system in order to achieve mission success. At a bigger scale, the paper contributes to the application of systems engineering standards to cutting‐edge space exploration initiatives and to the dialogue on how systems engineering can continue to evolve to meet the needs of such ambitious projects.

Naming the Zones of Sexual Commerce

Abstract This article examines the historical origins of the term red-light district. It argues that red lights became associated with prostitution in the United States not only because of red’s popularity in the decor of nighttime businesses but also because of color symbolism popularized by the transportation revolution. As red signal lights on railroads came to indicate “stop—danger,” people accustomed to viewing prostitution as a moral and physical threat read that symbolism onto nighttime businesses’ existing practices of display. Meanwhile, places of prostitution that were located near railroad tracks in the American West embraced the red light as a form of advertising. The red light’s simultaneous status as a lure and warning captured ambivalent responses to prostitution. As a result, it became a potent symbol of late nineteenth-century efforts to keep the sex trade at arm’s length while also treating it as ineradicable. When city officials tried to control the harms of prostitution by segregating it, the products of their efforts came to be known as “red-light districts.” Although the term has in some ways transcended its roots, scholars should be conscientious about their use of it given its implicit moralization of both the sex trade and urban space.

Analyzing the Implications of the Growing Street Vendor Population in Gweru, Zimbabwe: A Risk Assessment

This study investigates the consequences of the growing number of street vendors in Gweru, Zimbabwe, and offers a risk evaluation. The prominence of street vending can be attributed to several factors, including limited formal employment possibilities, poverty, inadequate education or skills, restricted job prospects, and exorbitant leasing expenses. The presence of restricted trading spaces also exerts a substantial influence. Although street selling is thought to have a positive effect on Zimbabwe’s economy, it is recognized that there are possible adverse consequences, such as noise pollution and overcrowding in public areas. Street selling is accompanied with several risks, such as concerns regarding sanitation, competition with established enterprises, traffic congestion, and potential safety dangers. In order to tackle these concerns, it is imperative for policymakers and urban planners in Gweru to enact efficacious laws and regulations that guarantee the establishment of secure, hygienic, and controlled street vending settings. It is essential to strike a balance between the requirements of various groups and to minimize any adverse effects. It is imperative to implement education and awareness initiatives aimed at promoting effective waste management practices. Gweru has the capacity to allocate specific areas for vending, enforce regulations regarding sanitation, control the quantity of traders and their operating hours, offer training and assistance to vendors, facilitate their transition into formal businesses, establish a structured market system, and engage in communication with the informal sector. This study highlights the significance of tackling the problems associated with street vending in order to promote sustainable development and enhance the quality of life for people. Efficient tactics are required to alleviate adverse consequences and foster a cohesive urban milieu.

БИРОБИДЖАН: ИСТОРИЧЕСКИЕ ПРЕОБРАЗОВАНИЯ ТОРГОВЫХ ПРОСТРАНСТВ ГОРОДА-СПУТНИКА

A number of studies are devoted to the urban development of settlements in the Far East, but they do not consider trade spaces as structureforming spaces, whereas they often form the framework of the city. After studying the cadastral maps of Birobidzhan, topographic survey materials, online maps and other documents, we identified five historical periods of formation of outdoor trade spaces in Birobidzhan and their architectural and planning features. The first stage was 1928-1933: the period of free development of the territory, when the trade environment was an instrument of social adaptation of the developed space. The second was 1932-1937, when professional architects were invited to the planning and development of the city, and the market square received its official status. The third stage was 1937-1990: the period of planned development of the territory, when the planned trade environment was formed. The fourth was in the 1990s: it was the time of post-socialist transformation, the typical feature of which was self-organization of market space, the trade street reflected the crisis phenomena in the urban system. The fifth stage lasts from 2000 to the present and includes reorganization of trade spaces: demolition of old pavilions and stalls in the Central Market area, emergence of seasonal fairs as a new form of open trade in the city, concentration of small open trade spaces near the existing markets at the same time with separate functioning of large shopping centres that close the adjacent territories from street trade. The comprehensive programme for the implementation of the concept "Compact competitive city with jewish colour on the border with China" (master plan of Birobidzhan until 2030) envisages, among other things, the renovation of trade spaces. It should take into account trade as a social phenomenon.

The occupation of self-employment in South African informal micro-enterprises

Introduction: Self-employment, in which individuals work for themselves in a small business or microenterprise to earn an income or generate a salary, has been encouraged to facilitate employment opportunities in South Africa. However, participation in self-employment within the community served by professionals such as occupational therapists is limited by many factors, including effective government initiatives, such as implementing the Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA) policies. To enable individuals and community participation in this type of work for those with occupational dysfunction, mainly persons with disabilities, professionals such as occupational therapists need to understand the structural, contextual and occupational outcomes related to self-employment. Based on the Framework for Occupational Justice, this study explored the occupation of self-employment in microenterprises in the low-resourced urban community of Alexandra Township.
 Method: A quantitative descriptive non-experimental design study was used to identify informal microenterprises in the community using a transect walk and community mapping. Structured interviews were conducted to complete a questionnaire with key informants (service providers and business owners) who provided perceptions on factors that impacted the occupational outcomes of microenterprises.
 Results: Structural and contextual factors from the participants' experience resulted in unjust occupational outcomes, which indicates that occupational rights, particularly participation, choice and balance, were negatively affected by the lack of opportunities, such as jobs. Occupational marginalisation and imbalance were reported since many businesses lacked adequate and appropriate space for trade. Some business owners, however, reported just occupational outcomes related to the occupational right for meaningful occupation in providing a service to the community and financial income to support themselves and their families.
 Conclusion: Occupational therapists need to play various active roles in raising the consciousness of unjust occupational outcomes and support for just occupational outcomes that are achieved in engagement in self-employment in informal microenterprises.
 Implications for practice
 Occupational therapists should take note of the factors and occupational outcomes of being self-employed identified in this study and consider the roles they could play in expediting success in this occupation for clients. Occupational therapists could assume:
 
 A collaborative role, such as referring and working with various key role players or sectors in the interest of sourcing and providing opportunities for skills development for those entering self- employment, particularly in entrepreneurial training. This may include working with the government (e.g., Department of Labour and Small Enterprise Development Agency), private sector (e.g., yes4youth), other professions (social workers and industrial psychologists) and organisations for persons with disabilities (e.g., Disabled People, South Africa
 

Extravehicular activity on the lunar surface: Mapping mitigation risk consequence for crew needing assistance or rescue

The lunar environment presents unique challenges for human health and safety over the course of performing Extravehicular Activities (EVAs) during early Artemis missions. Medical conditions leading to an injured EVA crewmember needing assistance or rescue were analysed and correlated to established, defined consequence categories. Catastrophic conditions were identified, and three mitigation strategies were analysed to determine if there was a potential change in consequence with their application. Risk consequence across the mitigations were compared with each other and the original risk without mitigations. Mitigations were further evaluated in a broader context with prospective preventions to understand the design and risk trade space associated with an early Artemis EVA.

Formation of trade spaces in Khabarovsk: from the Chinese bazaar to the socio-cultural field

The publication provides a detailed presentation of historical transformation of the retail street spaces in Khabarovsk since its foundation. The authors define local zones, provide a typology of retail facilities within the city, and identify current trends in the formation of retail trade zones arising the course of historical development. A cartographic analysis of open-air retail trade spaces is carried out. An attempt is made to classify historical stages in the evolution of the city’s retail environment supported by a typological and cartographic analysis of the objects under study. It is claimed that problems associated with the location of shopping zones, caused not only by the city's planning structure but also by the conceptual treatment of retail facility forms, determine the current state of the built environment and require solutions using urban planning modeling of retail trade organization in the city.

Towards Robustness to Natural Variations and Distribution Shift (Student Abstract)

This research focuses on improving the robustness of machine learning systems to natural variations and distribution shifts. A design trade space is presented, and various methods are compared, including adversarial training, data augmentation techniques, and novel approaches inspired by model-based robust optimization formulations.

A sentiment analysis approach for understanding users’ perception of metaverse marketplace

This research explores the user perceptions of the Metaverse Marketplace, analyzing a substantial dataset of over 860,000 Twitter posts through sentiment analysis and topic modeling techniques. The study aims to uncover the driving factors behind user engagement and sentiment in this novel digital trading space. Key findings highlight a predominantly positive user sentiment, with significant enthusiasm for the marketplace's revenue generation and entertainment potential, particularly within the gaming sector. Users express appreciation for the innovative opportunities the Metaverse Marketplace offers for artists, designers, and traders in handling and trading digital assets. This positive outlook is tempered by notable concerns regarding security and privacy within the Metaverse, pointing to a critical area for development and assurance. The study also reveals a substantial neutral sentiment, reflecting users’ cautious but interested stance, particularly regarding the marketplace's role in investment and passive income opportunities. This balanced view underscores the evolving nature of user perceptions in this emerging field. Theoretically, the research enriches the discourse on technology adoption, particularly in virtual environments, by highlighting perceived benefits and enjoyment as significant adoption drivers. These insights are invaluable for stakeholders in the Metaverse Marketplace, guiding the development of more secure, engaging, and user-friendly platforms. While providing a pioneering perspective on Metaverse user perceptions, the study acknowledges its limitation to Twitter data, suggesting the need for broader research methodologies for a more holistic understanding.

Multi-Objective Robust Trajectory Design for Powered Descent and Landing

A robust trajectory optimization approach for guidance algorithm gain and target vector selection for powered descent and landing is developed. A genetic algorithm is used to determine optimized guidance algorithm parameters to minimize the impact of initial condition, environment, navigation, and vehicle property uncertainty on flight performance for a given sensor suite. Vehicle state uncertainties are computed efficiently using linear covariance analysis techniques. When implemented in the guidance algorithm, the optimized gains and target vectors shape a trajectory that has more favorable conditions for a given navigation sensor suite, resulting in improved flight performance. As a demonstration of this method, the optimized guidance parameters are found for a multiphase trajectory from powered descent initiation to touchdown for a robotic lunar landing mission. Single-objective optimization results demonstrate a reduction in uncertainty and an improvement in nominal performance. Multi-objective optimization results showing the tradeoff between terminal position uncertainty and total propellant usage are presented for multiple sensor suite compositions. Further, guidance parameters selected using the developed robust trajectory design approach may enable acceptable flight performance with fewer and/or lower-quality sensors. The resulting Pareto fronts present the optimal trade space early in the mission design process to enable informed decision-making.

열린 ‘죽의 장막’과 닫히는 개혁개방 시기의 국경

This paper aims to explore the changes in border management in China and the reasons behind them. Prior to the reform and open door policy, China was a closed country, known as the “Bamboo Curtain”. China was a forbidden land for many foreigners, but the situation on China's margins, comprising mainly “cross-border” ethnic minority regions, was different from macro international relations and our perceptions. China's borders had no barriers to cross, and ethnic minorities moved freely across borders.
 After China's opening and the international movement of foreigners and Chinese people became freer, the management and control of the border was actually tightened. Since the mid-1990s, border areas have been equipped with barbed wire fences to prevent movement, and some areas have been militarized. China's borders have become increasingly controlled during the reform period. Since the reform, China's borders have become a space for international movement, exchange, and trade. At the same time, border areas have also become places where smuggling, illegal crossings, and international problems such as North Korean defectors.

Concurrent Value-Driven Decision-Making Process for the Aircraft, Supply Chain and Manufacturing Systems Design

The integration of product design and supply-chain management can lead to an increase in the profitability and efficiency of companies. However, considering manufacturing, supply chain, and aircraft criteria in the early design phase increases the size of the solutions’ trade space and, thus, the complexity of performing the decision-making process. This paper demonstrates how to leverage value-model theory to simplify the decision-making process when multiple criteria related to multiple systems are considered at the same time. The proposed concurrent approach is formalized from a systems-engineering perspective, considering the interactions between the lifecycle stages of the System of Interest, i.e., the aircraft, and Enabling Systems like the supply chain and manufacturing. A value-based interactive dashboard, called VALORISE, is developed to automatize the process, support decision-makers in modeling their expectations, analyze real-time strategic scenarios, and easily explore the value-driven trade space for best-solution identification. An aeronautical application case highlights the advantages of leveraging the proposed concurrent approach to overcome the limits of traditional approaches, in which decisions about supply chain and manufacturing are addressed once the aircraft configuration is decided.

Advertising in Commercial and Industrial Journals Issued in the Tomsk Province in 1894–1903

Advertisements are an important source on the history of regional entrepreneurship and trade. The article considers the development of advertising in the Tomsk Province in the context of local modernization processes. Trade and industrial journals highlighted the socio-economic development of the region. They also revealed public interests and attitude to commerce, as well as pointed at the systemic changes that took place in Siberia in the late XIX – early XX centuries. The author used the methods of historical-systematic and content analyses to classify advertisements published in 1894–1903 by goods and services, territorial affiliation, and design. Local, metropolitan, nonresident, and foreign entrepreneurs offered the Tomsk population a diverse range of non-food, food, medical, and agricultural goods and services. The ads provided information on sale details, products, current prices, new offers, sales, and discounts. The growth of business activity in the Tomsk province in the late XIX – early XX centuries boosted the development of a single trading space, both on the provincial and domestic market.

Evaluating Different Power Solutions for Medium Caliber, Counter-Drone Rounds

Drones are a growing part of the battlefield; they are becoming easier to produce and have growing capabilities that make them dangerous. There are many different ways to counter drones and a new medium caliber round may prove to be the best solution. The biggest issue in building this round is finding a power source that is cost-effective while also meeting stakeholder requirements. This study seeks to solve this issue by using a value modeling approach that scores each power source alternative based on metrics that are key to the stakeholder. The first step was to research power source alternatives that met stakeholder requirements. Each alternative was then given a value score based on their respective characteristics. The next step was to create a value versus cost trade space analysis, which provides insight into the tradeoff between value and cost. The analysis shows four feasible alternatives with low costs, and one alternative with a significantly higher cost and value.

WAYS OF IMPROVING SERVICE QUALITY IN NETWORK RETAIL

The article examines the ways to increase the efficiency of the retail network by involving consumers in making purchases in retail stores and a high level of their loyalty as a determining factor in the growth of turnover in the conditions of martial law. Methods of assessing the quality of service in trade enterprises have been established depending on the specifics of their activity and the degree of adaptation to changes in the external environment for the purposes of attracting and maintaining consumer loyalty. General trends in the development of modern retail, features of the sales funnel are considered. The most influential factors on the organization of business entities in the field of trade are identified, in particular: digitization of trade and technological processes and customer retention thanks to artificial intelligence; expansion of the virtual trading space and automation of internal processes; personalization of customer service. The identification of modern trends in the development of trade determines the needs of consumers, their behavior, and the choice of a sales system at a particular enterprise. It has been established that the use of generally accepted approaches to the formation of the sales funnel in the practice of trade enterprises allows to increase the volume of sales of goods and the level of profitability of the activity. According to this approach, the tasks of the staff are determined in relation to interaction with customers, focusing on their motivation to make a purchase. A study of the degree of consumer satisfaction was carried out and the level of service was determined for the purposes of further choosing the model of motivation of sales staff in the chain of stores «Yves Rocher» using the Mystery Shopping method. To calculate the level of service, a questionnaire developed by Yves Rocher was used, consisting of the following blocks: general impressions; subjective impressions; evaluation of sales processes; working with objections; assessment of the work of cashiers and external factors. The point system and evaluation method were defined. Based on the Harrington scale, a modified mystery shopper evaluation matrix was developed. The characteristics of each evaluation are highlighted to clarify the degree of performance of functional duties by personnel and to identify key areas of improvement. The level of service was established for seventeen stores of the Yves Rocher chain, with information on the subjective impression of a mystery shopper from a visit to the stores, which was evaluated on a ten-point scale. Based on the results of the Mistery Shopping evaluation, it was found that 6 stores have an excellent level of service, 4 are good, 2 are satisfactory, and 5 are acceptable. The conducted studies are of a universal nature, and the involved approaches can be used by retail enterprises to identify reserves for improving the level of service quality.