Unique Space Research Articles

Research advances of cardo fluorene-based polymer based membranes for gas separation

Gas membrane separation has become one of the technologies to solve major problems in energy, environment and other fields. As the foundation and core of membrane separation technology, high performance membrane materials have always been the focus of research. Membranes based on organic polymer materials are the main commercial gas separation membranes due to their advantages of high design freedom, easy membrane formation and low cost. However, the application of most membranes based on polymer materials are limited by the mutual restriction between permeability and selectivity. The introduction of large volume and twisted groups into the polymer chain can effectively improve gas separation performance. Fluorenyl shows unique large space volume and rigid twisted structure, the introduction of which in polymers will limit the free rotation of the polymer backbone, forming loose accumulations of chain to increase the free volume, eventually improving the gas separation performance of the membranes. Therefore, fluorenyl is favored in the field of gas separation membranes. In this paper, the recent studies on membranes based on fluorene-based polymer materials in the field of gas separation are reviewed. These researches are classified by the structure of polymer materials that make up the membranes and introduced in terms of synthesis, separation mechanism and performance. Finally, the future research directions of fluorene-based polymer gas separation membrane is prospected.

Wastewater surveillance for COVID-19 in shelters: A creative strategy for a complex setting.

People experiencing homelessness experience disproportionate rates of morbidity and mortality from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) compared to the general population and shelters for people experiencing homelessness are a major contributing factor to these negative outcomes. As a result of their unique structure, population and physical space, these settings pose several challenges to the prevention of COVID-19 infection that are not adequately addressed by conventional non-pharmaceutical public health interventions. Wastewater surveillance for COVID-19 is a viable strategy for health protection in shelters due to its ability to meet these unique challenges. Its passive nature does not depend on individual health-seeking behaviours, and it can provide useful epidemiological information early on in an outbreak setting. In this commentary, the authors examine a recent application of wastewater surveillance of COVID-19 in a men's shelter in Toronto. Further applications of wastewater surveillance for other infectious diseases of concern in shelters are proposed, and the need for the development of ethical frameworks governing the use of this technology is discussed.

Queer Asian American Belonging and Narrative in Everything Everywhere All At Once (Kwan & Scheinert, 2022) and Sewing Patches Through Performance (D’Lo, 2021)

This paper aims to outline how ethnicity and sexuality intersect for second-generation queer Asian Americans. I delineate three difficulties that second-generation queer Asian Americans may face in the process of coming out and reckoning their own identity: 1. The influence of traditional Asian cultures on queer attitudes of parents, 2. Acculturation complicating communication between parent and child, and 3. The intersection of being queer and ethnic at the same time in a heteronormative, white society. Within this framework, I will conduct a comparative critique of how the movie Everything Everywhere All At Once and the essay Sewing Patches Through Performance portray the conflict and resolution between a first-generation Asian immigrant and their queer child. These two works showcase the importance of understanding the unique space that queer Asians occupy in extending support toward them and the significance of personal narratives in shaping queer lives.

Operator Space Complexification Transfigured

Abstract Given a finite group $G$, a central subgroup $H$ of $G$, and an operator space $X$ equipped with an action of $H$ by complete isometries, we construct an operator space $X_{G}$ equipped with an action of $G$ that is unique under a “reasonable” condition. This generalizes the operator space complexification $X_{c}$ of $X$. As a linear space $X_{G}$ is the space obtained from inducing the representation of $H$ to $G$ (in the sense of Frobenius). Indeed a main achievement of our paper is the induced representation construction in the category of operator spaces. This has been hitherto elusive even for Banach spaces since it is not clear how to norm the induced space. We show that for a large class of group actions the induced space has a unique operator space norm.

How Does Cultural Planning Empower Historic District and Urban Regeneration ----Case in the China Baroque Historical Street in Daowai District, Harbin

The historical culture of the city is the unique soul of the city. Facing the situation of "one side of a thousand cities" and the commercial and cultural blocks with serious homogenization in various cities, people began to re-emphasize and think about the protection of historical and cultural blocks. For the protection and development of historical and cultural blocks, it can not only promote the development of the urban tourism economy, but also benefit greatly the urban cultural atmosphere and urban regeneration, which makes urban residents feel more involved and belonging, and participate in urban cultural activities together. Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province, China, has always attached importance to urban development through cultural planning empowerment. The planning department several times, sub-plots on the Daowai Chinese Baroque Historic District for scientific overall planning led to the protection and promotion of regional historical and cultural heritage, to create a unique historical and cultural space, promoting the development of urban tourism economy, while enhancing the city's cultural heritage and cultural soft power, creating a successful model for land planning for urban development. China Baroque Historical Street with rich and unique cultural resources, is a successful case to answer how cultural planning empower historic district and urban regeneration.

‘How do you want to do this?’: table-top role-playing games and academic identity

ABSTRACT This paper aims to explore the intersection of academia and Table-Top Role-Playing Games (TTRPG) with the development of identity through both character creation and maps; these two features are key features within TTRPG games, adding depth and richness to the world of play. The author suggests that TTRPGs provide a unique space for introspective academic inquiry and potential personal growth, as players are able to explore and experiment with different identities and roles within a collaborative storytelling framework. Used as a reflective process, academics can explore how their academic working lives look, and their experience of living them, and consider the impact on their actions including areas which they may need to develop or how to best utilise their academic identity for the varying aspects of their work. This may include a deeper undertanding of both who they are and how they interact with others they meet in their professional lives. Through an autoethnographic reflection on both TTRPGs and academic identity, the author proposes that the two worlds have much to offer each other in terms of personal development. Specifically, how the creation of a character based on the academic’s identity can be ‘played’ within a map representing the reality of their academic working life to enhance their personal and professional development.

Improvement and optimization of spacecraft environmental control and life support systems

Environmental control and life support systems (ECLSS) are essential for the triumph of human spaceflight missions, furnishing astronauts with crucial resources like breathable air, purified water, nourishment, and protection from radiation. The unique and challenging space environment, coupled with the critical nature of ECLSS components, necessitates a high degree of reliability to prevent catastrophic failures. This paper conducts a comprehensive examination of various ECLSS subsystems, including air revitalization, water processing, food storage, waste management, and radiation shielding. Gaining perspectives from historical missions like Apollo, Skylab, and the International Space Station (ISS), the research outlines strategic approaches to improve the fault tolerance of ECLSS. The implementation of advanced simulation modeling, strategic component redundancy, and improved subsystem interconnectivity are posited as pivotal measures to bolster the reliability of ECLSS. These improvements are vital to guarantee the safety and viability of prolonged space missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond, thereby facilitating humanitys ongoing exploration of the universe.

Label-Free Optical Technologies for Middle-Ear Diseases.

Medical applications of optical technology have increased tremendously in recent decades. Label-free techniques have the unique advantage of investigating biological samples in vivo without introducing exogenous agents. This is especially beneficial for a rapid clinical translation as it reduces the need for toxicity studies and regulatory approval for exogenous labels. Emerging applications have utilized label-free optical technology for screening, diagnosis, and surgical guidance. Advancements in detection technology and rapid improvements in artificial intelligence have expedited the clinical implementation of some optical technologies. Among numerous biomedical application areas, middle-ear disease is a unique space where label-free technology has great potential. The middle ear has a unique anatomical location that can be accessed through a dark channel, the external auditory canal; it can be sampled through a tympanic membrane of approximately 100 microns in thickness. The tympanic membrane is the only membrane in the body that is surrounded by air on both sides, under normal conditions. Despite these favorable characteristics, current examination modalities for middle-ear space utilize century-old technology such as white-light otoscopy. This paper reviews existing label-free imaging technologies and their current progress in visualizing middle-ear diseases. We discuss potential opportunities, barriers, and practical considerations when transitioning label-free technology to clinical applications.

Collective urban green revitalisation: Crime control an sustainable behaviours in lower-income neighbourhoods

The growing need to increase green spaces in highly urbanised cities has become more prominent recently. Special attention is paid to involving communities in the design process to enhance societal changes for a meaningful appreciation of the natural environment. Urban green collective initiatives in lower-income neighbourhoods have the potential to promote meaningful relatedness to the natural environment, agency, and stewardship. These initiatives contribute to new spatial collective norms that help decrease crime and violence. This study analyses a unique communal green space in Medellin, built and maintained by residents of the Villatina neighbourhood after a catastrophic landslide. After the disaster, residents exhibited self-organisation and collective efficacy to protect the space from being used by criminal actors. In 2010, the garden underwent renovations to be part of the ecosystem services network of the Circumvent Garden project. Although participatory strategies were implemented, the new social dynamics hindered collective actions in the space. This study contends that urban green collective initiatives in lower-income neighbourhoods introduce a unique form of communal action in urban green spaces, resulting in long-term societal changes. By integrating the collective placemaking strategies and key spatial elements in participatory design protocols, balanced social-environmental dynamics may be introduced to foster sustainable consciousness and minimise criminal behaviour.

Climate Smart: geography, place and climate change adaptation education

ABSTRACT Geographical education provides a unique space for supporting climate literacy and action. In this article we present a novel place-based online educational resource platform – Climate Smart – which seeks to expand the capacity of young people to engage in one dimension of climate action: adaptation planning. The Climate Smart platform comprises a set of six online student workshops containing videos and quizzes and ends with a serious game: iAdapt. We outline the drivers and process behind the development of the platform, outlining the results of prototype testing and setting out how the platform is evolving. Positive results have been revealed through evaluative analysis and novel extensions of the platform are ongoing, although challenges remain regarding the longer-term sustainability of the platform.

The existence of solutions of Hadamard fractional differential equations with integral and discrete boundary conditions on infinite interval

<abstract><p>In this article, the properties of solutions of Hadamard fractional differential equations are investigated on an infinite interval. The equations are subject to integral and discrete boundary conditions. A new proper compactness criterion is introduced in a unique space. By applying the monotone iterative technique, we have obtained two positive solutions. And, an error estimate is also shown at the end. This study innovatively uses a monotonic iterative approach to study Hadamard fractional boundary-value problems containing multiple fractional derivative terms on infinite intervals, and it enriches some of the existing conclusions. Meanwhile, it is potentially of practical significance in the research field of computational fluid dynamics related to blood flow problems and in the direction of the development of viscoelastic fluids.</p></abstract>

The Ultimate Metaverse Match: An Analysis of First Amendment Protections and Unauthorized Trademark Use in Non-Fungible Tokens

The First Amendment has long provided protections for artists’ creative expression and is a fundamental right for all United States citizens. However, with the rise of a predominantly digital world, those protections begin to blur with the introduction of non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Artistic creation often stems from an inspired source, and sometimes, that inspiration may come from registered intellectual property, specifically trademarks. Trademarks are everywhere we look, so it is not unusual for artists to be inspired by the logos, images, colors, figures, or symbols that are featured on billboards, magazine covers, or everyday items. When these trademarks are used in third-party artistic works, the situation often results in trademark owners gearing up to protect their marks and artists invoking their First Amendment rights to protect their creations. NFTs have become an extremely lucrative market, presenting a new route for artists to explore their creative ideas and an appealing business opportunity for luxury brands to enter into a unique space. Courts and practitioners must focus their attention on the rise of NFTs and trademark-related issues as litigation gradually increases. There has been a longstanding precedent formed by Rogers v. Grimaldi that gives courts some guidance on how to balance First Amendment protections and trademark rights, but with the introduction of NFTs, circuit courts are interpreting and applying the Rogers test in various ways resulting in inconsistent outcomes. This calls for another look at the Rogers test and a reconsideration of its design to balance First Amendment and trademark interests. This Article examines the nuances of First Amendment and trademark law to determine the effectiveness of the traditional Rogers test. This Article concludes that while courts have applied Rogers in unique ways, the emergence of NFTs requires a uniform approach that can only be accomplished by reconsidering Rogers’s application to the digital world. This Article encourages courts to include a more fact-intensive analysis in Rogers cases so fact finders can distinguish between expressive artistic works and ordinary consumer products while discerning the works’ true motives.

Региональная культура как потенциал развития туризма в российско-китайском приграничье: от теоретической объективации к вопросам новых реалий

The article focuses on cultural and civilizational potential of Russian eastern borders and China border regions. The subject of this article today seems to be particularly relevant in the context of two circumstances: firstly, tourist contacts have undergone significant transformations in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, and secondly, the aggravating situation with the emergence of barriers to entry into the European tourism space makes China one of the most attractive regions for tourism development. The very concept of "border", regardless of the above, appears here not as a certain outpost, but as a unique sociocultural space where regional culture functioning is mediated by the influence of three cultural dimensions (national, local, foreign). The case of border regional pair the Transbaikal Region, Russia and North-East China shows the features of their culture’s interaction, which are of interest for integration into the processes of border tourism formation and development. The identified problems in the border tourism sector development are proposed to be solved, among other things, by updating the work on online platforms, which act as a modern space for the concentration and accumulation of tourist content in the era of digitalization. A possible solution to the above issues on the basis of the original "dialogism of border area regional cultures" model, its integration into the concept of tourism development in the border areas is indicated, as well as the vector of modern state policy regarding the development of tourism initiatives in the Russian-Chinese border area.

The Geocultural Image of the Vygovsky Region in the Mikhail Prishvin’s Works: Specifics and Factors of Change

In the article the authors analyze the geocultural image of the Vygovsky region, its transformation in the works by Mikhail M. Prishvin in his early books “In the Land of Fearless Birds”, “Behind the Magic Bun” and in the final novel “Tsar’s Road”. In the first works, the idea of the unique geocultural space in the region is presented through acquaintance with the life style, cultural traditions, values and worldview of people who were born and live in this region all their lives. In the fairy tale novel “Tsar’s Road”, in contrast to the earlier works, deep philosophical reflections on the meaning of Russian history are added to Prishvin’s impression of the special natural and human “content” in the region, so the deciphering of an autonomous geocultural image, a unique complex subculture becomes the context for the writer to comprehend the multi-layered cultural, historical and socio-political space of the Russian North and Russia as a whole. The traditional contradiction of “necessity” and “freedom”, as a result of collision between state power and the original Russian people, according to the writer, on the territory of the Russian North has its own features and gives rise to other forms of compromise. The authors of the article explore these attributes of the transformation of cultural space in specific historical circumstances, its connection with geographical, political and socio-economic conditions, in the way Prishvin saw it, with the aim of further extrapolating conclusions to the historical and modern realities of Russian peoples. Views of Prishvin, which were not objectively assessed during the writer’s lifetime, today again attract the attention of the thinking part of humanity, since they raise to a very high level the problems of preserving the uniquenessof not only the natural-cultural system of the Russian North, but also of any ethnocultural subject.

Transnationalism and mental spaces: a perspective on the global mind

The concept of transnationalism has become increasingly relevant in today's globalized world, as people and ideas move across borders more freely than ever before, developing a unique mental space that is influenced by their diverse experiences and interactions with different cultures. Understanding transnationalism and mental spaces is crucial to comprehending the complexities of identities, as it sheds light on how individuals negotiate their multiple cultural identities, in a world that is constantly changing and interconnected.

Біографії українських емігрантів міжвоєнної Чехословаччини: замовчування та містифікації (1919 – 1939)

When formalizing and verifying both published and unpublished biographical data of public and political figures, scientists, and specialists, it turns out that many elements of their biographies (dates of birth and death, place of birth, social or professional status, citizenship, etc.) come from sources of personal origin – obituaries, memoirs, research publications and even Curriculum Vitae written by emigrants themselves) are strikingly differen. The network of biographical inconsistencies is explained by two reasons. Firstly, due to the natural errors of human memory, which is capable of displacing and forgetting information, and therefore, constructing one's own, i.e., a new biography. For ideological (motivated) Ukrainians who left Ukraine due to the defeat of the National Liberation War of 1919–1921, there was no question of changing or actualizing a new cultural, linguistic or professional identity abroad. Until 1925, this category of immigrants expected the fall of the Bolshevik regime and dreamed of a triumphant return home, so they did not try to integrate into the new cultural or professional environment. That is how she formed, wrote out, a unique parallel space – a wide national, public-political and cultural-educational infrastructure (professional societies, scientific institutes, educational institutions, publishing houses, magazines, etc.) – all that is identified with the Ukrainian emigration in general. Another category of Ukrainian immigrants, on the contrary, was or became apolitical and, taking advantage of the circumstances, built an individual professional career in both scientific and professional institutions of the host countries with minimal or no support from emigration organizations. So, for this category of Ukrainian natives, the «trial of emigration» became a positive impulse, because if it remained within the institutional and linguistic boundaries of Ukrainian science, politics, culture, and economy, it would not have been able to achieve such a status and level. Secondly, due to the biological mechanism of interest in this or that knowledge or the right to receive and hide information in general, in particular, and personal information in particular. If obtaining information is somehow understandable, then hiding it is another, because hiding information is a social norm of human life. A person who does not hide anything causes legitimate fears about his mental health and suspicions of a high-quality conspiracy, professional legend (legendarity). It is also important that the higher a person is on the social ladder, the more he has to hide. (Otherwise, how would she have gotten there at all?) Accordingly, the secrets of each of the social/political/professional emigration hierarchies are innumerable, like Polubotka's gold. The biography of Trokhym Pasichnyk belongs to the category of so-called mystified biographies. Among those silenced are the biographies of Petro Savytskyi, Fedir Sumnevych and Nina Dyachenko‑Hordash, Mykola Tymchenko and Mykola Skydan. The first three are silenced due to apoliticalness, a conscious attempt to take advantage of the circumstances. While the biographies of the last two are kept silent mostly due to a number of life circumstances and much less due to political cautions.

Building a Meaningful Bridge Between Indigenous and Western Worldviews: Through Decolonial Conversation

In this paper, Indigenous and non-Indigenous scholars used a decolonial conversation framework to build a meaningful bridge between Indigenous and Western worldviews. Our decolonial conversations approach is a unique and transformative space where Indigenous and Western knowledge systems intersect, facilitating a rich exchange of valuable insights for fostering intercultural dialogue and breathing new ways of knowing and acting into Indigenous cultures. The decolonial conversation provides a platform for transmitting Indigenous knowledge and cultural practices across generations by uniting Indigenous land-based knowledge, community members, and Western researchers. Integrating Indigenous and Western knowledge systems in these environments fosters collaboration, dispels stereotypes, and forges partnerships grounded in reciprocity and trust. Through this collaborative process, traditional cultural camps emerge as potent catalysts for instilling cultural pride, fostering community resilience, and co-creating knowledge. This collaborative approach aligns with the broader objectives of decolonization and cultural revitalization. In our exploration following the decolonial learning conversation, we, comprising an Indigenous woman land-based educator and a racialized academic scholar, focused on the transformative potential and synergies realized by integrating these knowledge systems within the context of traditional cultural camps.

A study on Bernard Herrmann’s science fiction film music

The early sound film and “classical-style” Hollywood film periods were important representatives in the history of Hollywood films, producing many classic films as well as many famous film music composers. Among them, Bernard Herrmann was a unique and distinctive representative with his own personal compositional style, and was also the representative composer for thriller, horror, mystery and science fiction films during this period. When analyzing film music, especially Bernard Herrmann’s works, using tonal music analysis, many harmonic progressions cannot be accurately expressed. Harmonic function analysis emphasizes the principles of tonality, while neo-Riemannian theory breaks away from the framework of tonality and harmonic functions, emphasizing the spatial progression between chords. For Bernard Herrmann’s music, using neo-Riemannian theory can reasonably analyze the characteristics and patterns of musical progression, and explain many chord progressions that harmonic functions cannot. One of the films that can be given as an example of this situation is The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951). The Day the Earth Stood Still is a Hollywood science fiction film made in 1951. This work played an important role in the development of later science fiction films. Bernard Herrmann chose to abandon the traditional orchestral instrumentation and used a specific instrumental ensemble to form Herrmann’s unique science fiction film music space. Transformational analysis shows that the music uses modes, hexatonic scales and octatonic scales to form melodies and harmonies with ambiguous characteristics, and the use of these modes and scales also provides important color elements for film music of specific styles. Neo-Riemannian theory has been around for less than 50 years. As an emerging music theory system, it is not yet mature and complete, and is still expanding and improving. However, as an analysis tool for nonfunctional tonal film music, it can provide a brand new perspective. This researcher also believes that neo-Riemannian theory can provide theoretical basis for analyzing various styles of film music as an analytical tool.

What is in a space? Exploring experiences providing or receiving patient care in unique spaces for patients waiting to transition to their next point of care in Ontario, Canada

Introduction: Delayed discharge is a key challenge for health systems globally. Pandemic-related capacity pressures on hospitals have increasingly led to patients being moved to unique spaces (overflow units, hotels) while they wait to transition to their next point of care. However, it is unclear how patient care is managed and coordinated in these spaces or how patients and caregivers experience care in these environments.
 Rationale/Objective: Our study aimed to understand how to optimize care experiences and outcomes for patients with a delayed discharge, their families and care providers. The purpose of our study was to learn about people’s experiences in unique spaces, including what works well and what needs to improve. 
 Methods: Using a qualitative descriptive design, we conducted in-depth, semi-structured interviews with patients/caregivers (n=9) and care providers (n=20; e.g., nurses, rehabilitation therapists, physicians, discharge planners) who had experience with receiving or providing care in a unique space. We interviewed participants from three different unique spaces associated with a hospital across rural and urban health regions in Ontario, Canada: a hotel previously used for patient and caregiver accommodations while receiving care away from home (beside hospital), a structured, heated tent (hospital parking lot) and a clinical building (1 hour away from hospital). Interviews were transcribed and a codebook was developed and applied to all transcripts. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the transcripts, specifically focusing on key challenges and opportunities.
 Results: Patient, caregiver and care provider experiences in these unique spaces included positive aspects, such as care teams focused on facilitating integrated care transitions, the opportunity to develop a collaborative team culture from the ground up and having increased interdisciplinary patient assessments. Areas of improvement were also described across interviews, such as the need for adequate space and infrastructure for optimal patient care and safety, more integration of information sharing about patient care and journeys between and across providers, patients and caregivers, more resources and support from the associated hospital and clear patient eligibility criteria for care provider referrals.
 Lessons learned: Unique spaces have the potential to be alternate care settings when hospitals are managing capacity pressures now and in the future; however, hospitals considering moving patients with delayed discharge to these spaces should consider both the opportunities and benefits of providing care within these environments compared to traditional hospital units. It is also important for hospitals to understand the challenges associated with providing care in these settings and develop plans to mitigate these challenges. 
 Next steps: These findings provide learnings to inform a co-design initiative with patients, caregivers and care providers to identify best practices and resources for providing or receiving care in unique spaces that responds to patient needs as the health system continues to look to alternate care settings to ease pressures. This work will have implications on how integrated health care services are implemented in unique spaces so that patients experience a continuum of care both while they wait and as they transition to new points of care.

THE ROLE OF SOCIAL ENTERPRISE ORGANIZATIONS IN SUPPORTING FAMILY CARERS OF OLDER PEOPLE LIVING WITH DEMENTIA

Abstract This paper aims to present findings from a primary qualitative study that explored the role of social enterprise organisations (SEOs) in delivering co-produced support for family carers of older people living with dementia (PLWD). Defined in the UK, as businesses with a social or environmental purpose, SEOs are increasingly recognised as occupying a unique space in the landscape of adult social care delivery. In Wales, devolved legislation requires public bodies to collaborate with SEOs - this provision is intended to create a mixed economy of care with co-produced user-led services. To date, however, there is little firm evidence of SEOs delivering co-produced care solutions within the policy framework in Wales, which can be understood to be particularly permissive of SEO involvement, or of how the sector is involved in the delivery of support for family carers of older PLWD. Findings gathered through five focus groups with a purposive sample of family carers, and SEO care providers in South Wales, show how co-produced family carer support programmes are navigated and enacted, as well as how the individual agency of service providers, PLWD, and their carers are involved in these processes. Adopting an ethics of care approach, and utilising reflexive thematic analysis, key themes identified include competition between and within organisations, parochialism, capacity, and organisational barriers. This study highlights implications for policy and practice related to the rhetoric of co-produced support services for family carers, SEOs’ views on delivering that support, and family carers’ experiences of navigating and receiving SEO-delivered services.