Search Results (3,565)

Buying local food can support local economies, but the factors that drive these purchases in specific retail settings, such as local shops, are still not well understood. Research that considers sustainability alongside factors such as trust and perceived retail access remains limited. This study examines how dimensions of sustainability, trust, and perceived retail access influence purchase intention, using the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB). Data were collected via an online survey in Međimurje County, Croatia (n = 303), and analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM), which explained 55% of the variance in purchase intention. The results show that, in addition to attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioural control, only the environmental dimension of sustainability significantly influences purchase intention. These findings suggest that consumer decision-making in local shops is more strongly shaped by internal evaluations and perceived environmental benefits than by trust or access. The study provides channel-specific evidence from an intermediated short food supply chain (SFSC) format and shows that the relevance of extended TPB predictors varies across retail contexts. Full article

This paper examines the rotational motion of a compound mechanical system comprising a rigid carrier body equipped with internal gyroscopic devices and a point mass that moves along a prescribed trajectory relative to the body. The system undergoes free motion in a uniform gravitational field. We derive the complete equations of motion accounting for the constant gyrostatic torque (GT) generated by internal rotors. Using asymptotic methods, we develop approximate dynamical equations valid under two distinct physical scenarios: (i) when the moving mass is small relative to the carrier mass and executes rapid oscillations and (ii) when the mass oscillates with small amplitude near a fixed location within the body, regardless of mass ratio. The accuracy and validity range of these approximations are rigorously established. For the first scenario, we have approached the idea that gyrostatic coupling fundamentally alters the system’s integrability properties while introducing beneficial stabilization mechanisms. We characterize families of permanent rotational states and analyze their stability using linear perturbation theory. The second scenario reveals that the approximate dynamics correspond to gyrostat motion rather than the classical Euler–Poinsot case. Comprehensive numerical simulations validate theoretical predictions and demonstrate applications to spacecraft attitude control problems. The results provide practical design guidelines for gyrostabilized systems with internal moving components. Full article

Background and objectives: Intolerance of uncertainty (IU) is a well-established transdiagnostic process in anxiety (ANX) and major depressive disorder (MDD), and has been increasingly implicated in anorexia nervosa (AN). However, most previous research including patients with AN has relied on total or subscale scores from eating disorder measures, which obscures how specific eating attitudes and body dissatisfaction symptoms relate to distinct facets of IU. The primary objective of the present study was to characterize item-level networks linking eating attitudes, body dissatisfaction, and IU in a pooled clinical mental health sample, alongside a control group (CG). Methods: Data were drawn from a sample including individuals with symptoms related to AN (N = 105), MDD (N = 97), and ANX (N = 240), a comorbid group (N = 84) with symptoms of two or more of these conditions, and a CG (N = 842). Separate item-level networks were estimated for clinical and control groups, and network structure and centrality indices were compared. Results: Network analyses revealed distinct organizational patterns between the clinical and control subsamples. Although both networks showed identical diameters, the clinical network exhibited a shorter average path length and higher clustering, indicating stronger local connectivity, whereas the control network showed higher modularity. In the clinical subsample, nodes related to binge eating, post-eating guilt, and IU emerged as the most central and acted as key connectors between clusters. In contrast, the control network displayed a more distributed centrality pattern, suggesting a more integrated and homogeneous network organization. Conclusions: This study provides new evidence to refine our understanding of how IU relates to eating attitudes and body dissatisfaction across diagnostic mental health boundaries. Identifying highly influential psychopathological symptoms across eating, mood, and anxiety disorders, as well as bridge nodes linking these mental health domains, is important for understanding transdiagnostic symptom dynamics. These insights may inform the development of more sensitive screening and diagnostic tools, as well as targeted intervention points to support more personalized and mechanism-focused treatments. Full article

Understanding how users perceive assistive robotic systems is critical for their successful adoption, particularly in rehabilitation settings where both patients and clinicians influence decision-making. While prior work has focused on technical performance and overall usability, affective responses such as trust, control, and perceived independence are often captured using coarse, single-score measures that overlook important nuances. This study analyzes focus group discussions with individuals with spinal cord injury to examine how users evaluate different aspects of assistive robot design. A hybrid aspect-based sentiment analysis approach is applied, combining lexicon-based and transformer-based methods to capture both interpretable and context-sensitive sentiment. The analysis separates sentiment across key dimensions, including independence, functionality, safety, control, cost, and data sharing. Participants expressed consistently positive views toward independence and functional support, while responses related to safety, control, and data sharing were more conditional. In particular, trust emerged as something that depends on transparency, user control, and the ability to override system behavior, rather than a fixed attitude toward the technology. These findings suggest that successful assistive robotic systems must balance autonomy with user authority and provide clear, adaptable mechanisms for control and data governance. Full article

This study examined whether attitude toward sport moderates the association between attitude toward violence and attitude toward sexual harassment among university students. Based on evidence that harassment-supportive beliefs are embedded within broader violence-supportive orientations, sport-related values were tested as a conditional factor. A cross-sectional correlational design was used with 350 undergraduates (45.1% female; M_age = 21.81, SD = 2.57) from a public university in Türkiye. Participants completed validated measures of attitudes toward sexual harassment, violence, and sport. Moderation analysis was conducted using Hayes’ PROCESS Macro (Model 1) with 5000 bootstrap resamples and HC3 standard errors. Gender was included as a control variable; male participants reported significantly higher tolerance toward sexual harassment (β = 7.258, p < 0.001). Attitude toward violence was positively associated with attitude toward sexual harassment (B = 0.271, p < 0.001). Attitude toward sport showed a small negative main effect (B = −0.199, p < 0.001) and significantly moderated this association (B = −0.010, p = 0.0008). The model explained 26.06% of the variance (R² = 0.261, F (4, 345) = 33.607, p < 0.001). The association weakened at higher sport attitude levels but remained significant, indicating a pattern of conditional attenuation. Full article

Artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques can be used for performing magnetic testing on spacecraft that has historically been difficult and risky to perform. Some of the difficulty arises from the need to take these measurements from within the turbulent near-field area of the spacecraft. Some methods of testing require the spacecraft to be hoisted in the air and swung while the measurements are being taken so that any magnetic signatures in the test area can be removed. These new artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques can be used to determine the magnetic torque of complex magnetic systems. Here we will describe a test method that collects such data and poses much less risk to the spacecraft. We will also show some combinations of hyper-parameters that can be used to increase the speed and accuracy of the models. Some models were able to achieve over 96.6% accuracy of multipole determination on simulated data and over a 99.99% accuracy of dipole moment determination on simulated data. Applications include attitude control systems (ACS), science instrument locations, and data analysis. Full article

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) tracking of ground moving targets holds significant applications in domains such as intelligent transportation, logistics distribution, and environmental monitoring, placing greater demands on efficient and stable path-planning methods for vehicular tracking. This study investigates a UAV path tracking approach based on a deep reinforcement learning algorithm, Proximal Policy Optimization (PPO). Starting from the kinematic characteristics of UAVs and ground vehicles, a 3D path planning model was constructed that considers spatial coordinates, velocity, and attitude constraints. A well-designed objective function—including tracking error minimization, energy optimization, and safety distance constraints—was incorporated. By designing the state space, action space, and reward function, the PPO algorithm is capable of adaptive learning in complex environments. Compared with traditional Artificial Potential Field (APF), Q-learning, and TD3 algorithms, PPO better balances exploration and exploitation and demonstrates stronger learning stability and global optimization capability in dynamic multi-obstacle scenarios. Simulation results show that PPO-based UAV path planning outperforms Q-learning and other comparative algorithms in terms of tracking accuracy, convergence speed, and robustness. In specific scenarios, Q-learning achieves a trajectory error of approximately 1 m, TD3 and APF exhibit errors around 0.3 m with noticeable oscillations, and PPO achieves an error of about 0.2 m. The UAV can follow the vehicle trajectory smoothly, with a more continuous path and rapidly converging, stable error curves, indicating the promising application potential of PPO in intelligent UAV control. The PPO-based UAV-tracking path planning method effectively enhances the UAV’s intelligent decision-making and path optimization capabilities, providing new technical approaches and a research foundation for intelligent UAV traffic and cooperative control systems. Full article

Quadrotor UAVs present a significant control challenge due to their underactuated nature; strong coupling effects; nonlinear dynamics; and high sensitivity to unknown effect parameters, external disturbances, and uncertainties. To address this issue, this study proposes a Lyapunov-based backstepping (LYP) controller that ensures robust stability and precise trajectory tracking. The controller employs an inner- and outer-loop architecture for coupled position and attitude control. Its performance is compared with Proportional–Integral–Derivative (PID) and Fractional-Order PID (FOPID) controllers under three scenarios: nominal conditions, external disturbances, and model parameter uncertainties. All controller gains are optimized using Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO). Simulation results, which are evaluated using time-domain metrics and root mean square error (RMSE), demonstrate that the proposed LYP controller achieves superior robustness, faster disturbance rejection, and improved tracking accuracy compared to both PID and FOPID controllers. Full article

Upcycled foods, produced from edible side-streams that would otherwise be discarded, offer a promising pathway toward circular and sustainable food systems. However, consumer acceptance in China remains limited. Drawing on the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) and integrating eco-wellness awareness and cultural values, this study examines the drivers of Chinese consumers’ acceptance of upcycled foods. Survey data from 612 consumers across multiple provinces were analysed using structural equation modelling. The results show that attitude is the strongest predictor of purchase intention, followed by subjective norms and perceived behavioural control. Health awareness and consumer innovativeness significantly enhance both attitude and perceived behavioural control, while environmental awareness primarily strengthens perceived behavioural control. Collectivism positively influences all TPB components, whereas frugality strengthens attitude and subjective norms only. Perceived risk plays a limited role. The findings highlight the importance of health-oriented and culturally grounded communication strategies for promoting circular food consumption in China. Full article

This work investigates the attitude stabilization and synchronization problem for multi-combined spacecraft with time-varying inertia parameters, external disturbances, and input constraints. First, the comprehensive disturbance is reconstructed considering the influence of inertia uncertainties for controller system design. And then, a novel disturbance observer is developed, and a state feedback controller developed through comprehensive disturbance estimation is proposed. The characteristic of uniform ultimate boundedness for the closed-loop attitude system is proved according to Lyapunov stability analysis, producing the sufficient linear matrix inequality (LMI) condition for the disturbance observer and state feedback controller designs. It is worth noting that the observer and controller gain matrices are solved simultaneously. The feasibility of the attitude stabilization control strategy is demonstrated through numerical simulations. Full article

Background/Objectives: Sarcopenia and age-related muscle weakness pose significant global health challenges, highlighting the need for innovative and sustainable exercise interventions for older adults. This study developed and evaluated an Interactive Smart Mirror Exercise Program and investigated the factors associated with older adults’ usage intention toward the program based on the Decomposed Theory of Planned Behavior (DTPB). Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 92 community-dwelling older adults in northern Taiwan. Structural equation modeling was applied to test the proposed framework and examine the relationships among the study variables. Results: The results showed a satisfactory model fit (SRMR = 0.071). Attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control together explained 41.6% of the variance in usage intention. In addition, perceived usefulness, perceived compatibility, interpersonal influence, and self-efficacy were identified as factors significantly associated with usage intention, both directly and indirectly. Conclusions: These findings might support the applicability of the DTPB framework in explaining older adults’ usage intention toward technology-assisted exercise programs and provide insights for the design and implementation of digital exercise interventions in community settings. Full article

Point-the-bit rotary steerable systems (RSSs) achieve trajectory build-up through the coupled action of internal steering offset, bit attitude change, bottom hole assembly (BHA) flexure, and nonlinear wellbore interaction. Unlike conventional rigid or quasi-static BUR models, this study developed a 3D dynamic finite element model for point-the-bit RSS. The drill string was discretized using Euler–Bernoulli beam elements, with an equivalent “hinge-deflection angle” constraint introduced at the steering unit. Relative angle loading was imposed using the penalty function method, with nonlinear boundary conditions (bit–formation interaction and borehole friction) coupled into the model. Based on the established model, the effects of deflection angle, weight on bit (WOB), and rotary speed were systematically quantified. The results show that when the deflection angle increases from 0.5° to 1.5°, the average BUR rises from 1.452°/30 m to 4.251°/30 m; when the WOB increases from 60 kN to 100 kN, the average BUR increases from 2.281°/30 m to 2.814°/30 m. Within the range of 50–90 r/min, rotary speed has a limited effect on the average BUR, but it can alter the characteristics of transient fluctuations. This approach provides a robust theoretical basis for BUR evaluation, parameter optimization, and control strategy design for rotary steerable tools. Full article

Based on an extended Theory of Planned Behavior (ETPB), this study investigated how perceived social sustainability shaped individuals’ intentions to use fitness facilities. Specifically, it examined the moderating role of social sustainability in the relationships between key TPB determinants and fitness facility use intention. Survey data were collected from 195 adults living in metropolitan areas and were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The results revealed that perceived social sustainability exerted a dual moderating influence on intention formation by strengthening the effect of subjective norm while attenuating the effect of perceived behavioral control on use intention. Higher levels of perceived social sustainability (SS) strengthened the relationship between subjective norm (SN) and fitness facility use intention with a medium effect size, while attenuating the relationship between perceived behavioral control (PBC) and use intention with a small effect size. In contrast, no significant moderating effect was observed in the relationship between attitude and use intention. These findings suggest that value-oriented considerations related to social responsibility and community well-being enhanced socially driven motivations while reducing the relative influence of control-based factors. By demonstrating the conditional effects of perceived social sustainability within the TPB framework, this study extended existing research on health-related behavioral intentions. The findings further highlight the importance of incorporating community-oriented and socially responsible practices into fitness facility management to foster sustainable user engagement. Full article

Micro-public space (MPS) regeneration is typically evaluated at the point of delivery, yet long-term performance depends on whether everyday stewardship can be sustained thereafter. This study reframes neighbourhood social capital as a governance–environment signal reflecting coordination capacity and examines whether residents’ willingness to participate in post-regeneration co-management is primarily appraisal-driven (perceived value, attitude, and perceived behavioural control) or coordination-driven via a residual direct channel consistent with routine governance. A cross-sectional survey of adults residing within walkable catchments of five regenerated MPS sites in Nan’an District, Chongqing, China ($N=477$), was conducted. An integrated Stimulus–Organism–Response × TPB model was estimated using WLSMV with ordered categorical indicators; indirect effects were assessed via bias-corrected bootstrap confidence intervals. Coordination capacity was strongly associated with perceived value, participation attitude, and perceived behavioural control. In the joint model, only perceived value retained a statistically reliable positive association with stewardship willingness, whereas the incremental contributions of attitude and perceived behavioural control were negligible once the stimulus was included. A residual direct association from coordination capacity to willingness persisted beyond the appraisal block, supporting a direct-dominant interpretation; bootstrap analyses yielded no robust evidence for mediation (BCa 95% CIs crossed zero). These findings suggest that sustaining regenerated micro-spaces requires low-friction governance designs that minimise coordination costs, reinforce soft accountability, and render institutional responsiveness visible to residents. Full article

Entrepreneurship education has been promoted as a pathway for strengthening entrepreneurial orientation among university students; however, uncertainty remains regarding the mechanisms through which it influences entrepreneurial intention, particularly in emerging economies. This study examines whether entrepreneurship education influences the entrepreneurial intention of university students in Honduras indirectly through entrepreneurial self-efficacy and entrepreneurial motivation. A quantitative, cross-sectional, and explanatory study was conducted with a sample of 431 university students. Data were collected using a structured 56-item questionnaire with a seven-point Likert scale. The analysis was carried out through confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling using the WLSMV estimator. The results show that entrepreneurship education positively influences all dimensions of entrepreneurial self-efficacy and entrepreneurial motivation included in the model. Personal attitude emerged as the strongest predictor of entrepreneurial intention, followed by subjective norms and specific dimensions of self-efficacy related to business planning and management and entrepreneurial leadership. In contrast, the innovation and problem-solving dimension did not show a significant direct effect on entrepreneurial intention, while perceived behavioral control showed a marginal effect. The parsimonious model explained 75.9% of the variance in entrepreneurial intention. Overall, the findings suggest that entrepreneurship education exerts its influence primarily through indirect pathways by strengthening capability beliefs and motivational appraisals that are proximal to action. Full article