Search Results (4,250)

All rotating electrical machines are susceptible to vibrations arising from electromagnetic (EM) forces, electrical faults, mechanical defects, imbalance, and structural resonance. In Doubly Fed Induction Generators (DFIGs), such electromechanical vibrations are especially important because they can degrade reliability, increase noise, and lead to severe damage if resonance-prone operating conditions are not identified in time. Although fault diagnosis in DFIGs has been widely investigated using current, voltage, and flux signatures, comparatively fewer studies have examined fault-specific vibration behaviour under stator and rotor interturn faults (ITTFs), particularly through a coupled EM structural framework. In addition, prior vibration-based studies have not examined the influence of end winding ITTFs, its location, severity, and modal interaction investigating resonance risk. This paper considers vibration characteristics of a variable-speed 2.8 MW DFIG used in a grid-connected Type-3 wind turbine unit (WTU) at no-load operating condition. The DFIG is modelled in ANSYS Academic Research v 2022 R2 Maxwell for EM behaviour assessment for ITTFs in both stator and rotor windings along with modal analysis (MA) in ANSYS Workbench to examine the undamped stator and rotor modes over a range of frequencies. This coupled approach enables identification of vibration signatures associated with different ITTF types. The results show the magnetic flux density near faulty end-winding region increases with fault severity and ranges from 4.19 T to 4.39 T in proximity to faulty windings. A dominant modal frequency band of 60–65 Hz is identified, where stator and rotor modes coincide, creating probable resonance conditions. A severe vibration response is observed for single-phase stator ITTF, showing an amplitude of 2116 mm/s at 480 Hz for a larger number of shorted turns, indicating that asymmetric faults can produce stronger EM excitation than multi-phase faults. The main contribution of this paper is demonstration of a fault-specific, MA and vibration-based Condition monitoring system (CMS) implementation workflow for a DFIG. Unlike prior vibration-based studies that primarily focus on general machine vibration, mechanical faults, bearings, etc., this paper links stator and rotor ITTF induced EM excitation to modal characteristics, resonance behaviour, and measurable vibration signatures, establishing vibration analysis (VA) as a practical complementary technique for CMS of ITTFs in DFIGs. Full article

This study examines the relationship between emotional intelligence and enterprise risk management maturity among risk leaders in Indonesia’s financial services sector, adopting a workplace accountability perspective to explain how leadership behavioural competencies support effective risk ownership, risk communication, and accountable risk decision-making. Drawing on survey data from 280 board-level executives holding the Qualified Risk Governance Professional credential, the study measures emotional intelligence using the Bar-On EQ-i and enterprise risk management maturity using the RIMS Risk Maturity Model. The findings reveal a strong and positive association between emotional intelligence and enterprise risk management maturity, with interpersonal competence and adaptability exhibiting the strongest associations with ERM maturity, while no significant differences are observed across job roles or organisational size. By empirically examining the association between leadership emotional capabilities and the institutionalisation of risk governance, the study contributes to global management and the literature on risk by extending enterprise risk management research beyond technical frameworks and compliance models, particularly within emerging market contexts. The results suggest that emotional intelligence may represent a transferable governance capability that is relevant to organisations operating in complex, uncertain, and globally interconnected environments. Practically, the study suggests that emotional intelligence development may represent a useful complement to leadership and risk capability programmes aimed at supporting risk culture, cross-functional engagement, and accountability. Full article

Historic urban districts are increasingly exposed to rapid urban transformation, resulting in the deterioration of heritage fabric, weakening of spatial identity, and disruption of everyday patterns of use. Although participatory approaches are increasingly recognised in heritage-led regeneration, many applications remain limited by the lack of analytical mechanisms capable of connecting community perspectives with spatial and behavioural evidence in a structured and practical manner. This study develops and applies a participatory decision-support approach based on the People–Place–Behaviour (PPB) framework within the historic district of El-Mokhtalat in Mansoura, Egypt. The study combines spatial documentation, behavioural observation, and stakeholder consultation to examine how everyday urban practices, adaptive reuse, informal interventions, and local perceptions collectively influence regeneration priorities within the historic environment. The findings indicate that regeneration priorities emerge through the interaction between spatial conditions, community perceptions, and behavioural patterns rather than through isolated physical conditions alone. Based on stakeholder consultations (n = 30), the analysis identifies a prioritisation gradient in which architectural conservation and environmental enhancement represent the most immediate intervention priorities, while adaptive reuse and public-space improvements remain dependent on contextual compatibility and local acceptance. The study also demonstrates the analytical value of behavioural evidence in revealing recurring spatial pressures, identity-related transformations, and everyday interaction patterns affecting the continuity of the historic urban fabric. By integrating participatory, spatial, and behavioural evidence within a unified evaluation process, the study proposes a context-sensitive analytical approach capable of supporting more informed and locally responsive heritage-led regeneration strategies. Full article

Experimentation in science education faces significant access limitations, both in face-to-face and distance learning settings; in light of this situation, remote laboratories are emerging as a strategic solution. The aim of this study is to present the design and development of an ultra-concurrent remote laboratory focused on the study of projectile motion. Using the Design-Based Research methodology, the resource has been structured around an iterative five-phase approach: design, data capture, development, test and improvement, and integration. The data acquisition system was developed using a hardware setup comprising a projectile launcher, photo gates, a digital interface and a time sensor, implemented and managed via the LabsLand platform. The laboratory integrates semi-parabolic and full-parabolic configurations via an interactive interface that guides the user from connecting components to the multimedia observation of real experimental data. The results of the experimental validation confirm the system’s viability, as the data obtained compare with ideal kinematic equations and reflect, as expected, the behaviour and physical limitations of the real-world environment. This laboratory offers a potential pedagogical advantage, reporting percentage errors around $3$–$11\%$, as it exposes students to experimental uncertainty whilst simultaneously ensuring simultaneous and free access for multiple users in science education. Full article

High-fidelity motion cueing in driving simulators is essential for delivering a realistic and immersive user experience. However, the trade-off between motion accuracy and computational efficiency often hinders achieving this. Fixed-horizon Model Predictive Control (MPC)-based Motion Cueing Algorithm (MCA) frameworks frequently struggle to adapt to rapid dynamic changes in vehicle behaviour, resulting in suboptimal simulator responses. Their reliance on worst-case horizon tuning can result in inefficient platform usage and increased computational load, limiting computational efficiency and practical deployment. This study presents an adaptive MPC-based MCA designed to enhance the fidelity of motion platforms used in vehicle dynamic simulations. The proposed method dynamically adjusts the MPC prediction horizon to improve overall simulation performance while minimising motion sensation error. Within the simulation environment, the prediction horizon is adaptively updated at each simulated control step according to recent tracking-performance metrics, enabling responsiveness to varying vehicle dynamic models and driving scenarios. The system was developed and implemented using Python and MATLAB environments, with Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks employed to enhance the adaptability and precision of prediction horizon adjustments. Due to safety constraints, the proposed framework was evaluated exclusively within a simulation environment and compared against both classical MPC-based MCA and RL MPC-based MCA. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed adaptive framework improves workspace utilisation and substantially reduces computational load compared with the classical and RL-based MPC-based MCA approaches, while maintaining competitive motion cueing tracking performance. The adaptive system effectively enhances linear displacement (LD), ensuring better alignment of motion cues with platform constraints. While minor trade-offs were observed in root mean square error (RMSE) and correlation coefficients (CCs) for sensed angular velocity (SAV) and sensed specific force (SSF), the framework improves workspace utilisation and computational efficiency while maintaining competitive motion cueing performance. Furthermore, the adaptive LSTM-MPC framework substantially reduces computational load, achieving approximately 44.26 times faster execution compared with the classical MPC-based MCA and approximately 30.03 times faster execution compared with the RL MPC-based MCA. These findings highlight the potential of integrating deep learning (DL) with MPC to optimise the trade-off between motion cueing performance, platform utilisation, and computational efficiency in driving simulators. Full article

Introduction: Understanding the movement ecology of invasive species such as the European catfish Silurus glanis, with documented strong impacts on freshwater fish communities, is essential to improve the effectiveness of management and containment actions, as detailed knowledge of species spatio-temporal habitat use strongly influences the success of control strategies. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the spatial and temporal behaviour of the S. glanis in a river–reservoir system in Portugal, including the Ponsul River and part of the Tagus River within the Cedillo reservoir, and to provide ecologically relevant insights to support targeted management strategies. Methodology: Acoustic telemetry was used to monitor 27 tagged individuals equipped with depth sensors. Fish movements were tracked using an array of 17 acoustic receivers over one and a half years. Results: Three behavioural profiles were identified: a resident group in the lower Ponsul (n = 4), a group moving between the Tagus River and the lower Ponsul (n = 6), and a larger group primarily migrating within the Ponsul River (n = 12). The remaining five individuals were considered dead, due to illegal fishing in this protected area. Migratory individuals showed a clear seasonal pattern, moving downstream to deeper waters during early winter and returning upstream to shallower areas as temperatures increased in early spring, likely in response to thermal gradients. Distance-based analyses confirmed this trend, with minimum inter-individual distances occurring in winter and early summer. Vertical behaviour supported this pattern, with individuals occupying shallow waters (≤7 m) for most of the year and reaching depths of up to 30 m in winter. Conclusions: The observed preference for shallow habitats during warmer periods and downstream migration in winter indicates that eradication efforts should be spatially and temporally targeted. Control actions should prioritize upstream sections during warm seasons and downstream areas of the Ponsul during winter migration, focusing efforts on traditional methods such as large-mesh multimesh gillnets or new longline techniques. Overall, this study highlights the value of telemetry in supporting targeted, evidence-based management of invasive species. Full article

Introduction: Chemical pollution of water bodies constitutes a global problem with huge impacts on fish populations. Consequently, the assessment of the effects of contaminants, especially on the nervous system, has become essential. The zebrafish (Danio rerio) has emerged as a prominent vertebrate model in ecotoxicology and neuroscience, in large part owing to the availability of genetic resources, including a high level of genome sequencing and annotation, plus the similarity of its neuron types and neurotransmitters to other vertebrates, including humans, and its stereotyped behaviour. Objective: The main objective of this mini-review is to present a synthesis of the key behavioural assays used in zebrafish larvae to assess neurotoxicity, focusing on developmental neurotoxicity. Methodology: A literature review was conducted based on the ScienceDirect and PubMed databases, covering publications between 2000 and 2025, selecting relevant studies on larval (up to 120 hpf) behaviour and contaminant exposure. The methodology was based on the analysis of behavioural tests applied to larvae, which evaluate responses to various stimuli, including visual, acoustic, tactile, and social stimuli. Results: Established, commonly used key assays include the light/dark test and locomotor, touch, photomotor, acoustic, and social response tests. The literature results confirm that zebrafish larvae exhibit complex behavioural patterns comparable to those of higher vertebrates, making them suitable for neurobehavioural studies. Changes in locomotor behaviour, responses to stimuli, or social patterns are extremely sensitive indicators of early neurotoxic effects, often before morphological changes are observed. Furthermore, the developing nervous system is particularly sensitive to chemicals, with high potential for irreversible effects, even with short-term exposures. Conclusions: Overall, our findings demonstrate that behavioural assays in zebrafish larvae constitute an effective, sensitive, and economically viable tool for assessing the neurotoxicity of compounds, contributing to a better understanding of the mechanisms of action and advancing environmental protection and public health strategies, considering also the “one health” approach. Full article

The eruption of the Tajogaite volcano (Cumbre Vieja) on La Palma Island (Spain) generated a significant amount of volcanic ash (VA). This study evaluates the valorisation of VA, considered a “natural waste,” as a partial substitute for Portland cement or in combination with lime. By using this waste, this study aims to promote its valorisation and contribute to the circular economy on the island and in nearby areas. After the ash undergoes a drying and grinding process, various tests are conducted to assess its physical, mineralogical, and chemical properties. These tests include particle size distribution, powder X-ray diffraction, and field emission electron microscopy, among others. Methods such as the Frattini test, the R³ method, thermogravimetric analysis and calorimetry are used to measure pozzolanic reactivity. The values obtained using the Frattini and R³ methods indicate that VA has low-moderate reactivity. The mechanical properties of mortar specimens based on Portland cement blends and hydrated lime are analysed, where a portion of these binders is replaced with VA. It has been observed that the compressive strengths of the specimens with 15%, 25%, and 35% of cement replaced by VA in cement blends show favourable results after 90 and 365 days of curing. Mortars with a 25% replacement reach compressive strengths exceeding 40 MPa versus 57 MPa of the control after 28 days of curing, which is adequate for many applications in civil engineering. The study highlights the importance of exploring eco-friendly materials and believes that the addition of VA can be a valuable and effective enhancement for mortars. This research marks a significant endeavour in exploring the volcanic ash produced by the Tajogaite Volcano eruption, particularly in relation to its mechanical behaviour in lime-pozzolan mortars. Full article

Background: Type II workplace violence by patients, relatives, or visitors is an occupational health and patient-safety concern in primary care. Cranston Ridge Medical Clinic (CRMC), a single urban family medicine and walk-in primary care clinic in Calgary, Alberta, plans to implement a universal, risk-informed workplace-safety bundle that is based on observable behaviour, situational risk, and documented safety concerns rather than demographic profiling. Methods: This article describes a single-site internal quality improvement and workplace-safety evaluation protocol. The comparison is CRMC usual practice during the pre-implementation baseline period; there is no concurrent external control group. The planned evaluation will use aggregate, de-identified operational data from a 12-month pre-implementation baseline, a four-week implementation period, and 12 months of post-implementation monitoring. All clinic staff will receive workplace-safety training as part of routine implementation. No staff, patients, or visitors will be recruited as research participants, and the evaluation will not use individual-level staff survey, interview, or focus-group data. Patient/visitor information will be used only as aggregate operational monitoring data when needed to assess safety, access, patient flow, and complaints. Intervention and analysis: The bundle includes worksite analysis, staff training, a brief arrival safety screen, a response algorithm, standardized reporting, monthly safety huddles, and post-incident support. The primary metric will be the Type II workplace-violence incident rate per 1000 clinic visits. Planned analyses include run charts, pre–post rate ratios, and Poisson or negative binomial segmented regression if monthly counts are sufficient. Implementation learning will be summarized from routine training records, safety-huddle summaries, post-incident debrief themes, and other aggregate de-identified operational indicators. Expected contribution: The protocol contributes a transparent, equity-sensitive, and operationally feasible model for balancing staff safety with patient access in primary care. Full article

Background/Objectives: Household food insecurity is a modifiable social determinant of health with important implications for diet quality and health outcomes. Dietitians are well positioned to identify and respond to food insecurity; however, little is known about how this is addressed in routine dietetic practice across Europe. This exploratory study examined food insecurity screening and response practices among dietitians practicing in Europe and examined associated correlates using the Capability, Opportunity, and Motivation Model of Behaviour (COM-B). Methods: An online cross-sectional survey informed by the COM-B framework was distributed through the European Federation of Associations of Dietitians’ institutional communication channels between February and June 2024. Participants were recruited using a voluntary, convenience-based sampling strategy through professional networks and social media dissemination. A total of 148 dietitians practicing in European countries responded. The questionnaire assessed routine food insecurity screening practices, COM-B correlates, perceived barriers, actions taken following identification, and learning needs. Quantitative data were analysed descriptively, and open-ended responses were used illustratively to contextualise reported practices. Results: Food insecurity screening was not systematically embedded in routine dietetic practice, with 11.6% of respondents reporting routine screening and 30.2% not asking about food insecurity. Identification of food insecurity did not consistently translate into follow-up action, and responses were predominantly referral-based rather than involving direct material support. While capability and motivation to address food insecurity were generally high, opportunity-related factors—such as time constraints, limited organisational support, and unclear referral pathways—emerged as the main barriers shaping professional behaviour. Substantial heterogeneity was observed across practice settings. Conclusions: In this sample of dietitians practicing in Europe, food insecurity screening and response were variable and often constrained by organisational and contextual factors. These findings highlight the need for system-level support and practice-oriented training to facilitate the integration of food insecurity into routine dietetic care. Full article

This study investigates potassium-L zeolite (K-L) as an adsorbent for the removal of thallium (Tl⁺) from aqueous solutions, focusing on the relationship between cation exchange and framework structural response. X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), thermal analysis, and Rietveld refinements were employed to monitor structural modifications upon Tl⁺ uptake, combined with batch adsorption experiments to evaluate the removal performance. At low Tl⁺ uptake, only minor structural perturbations occur, mainly involving slight shifts in extra-framework cation positions and limited rearrangement of channel water molecules. At higher Tl⁺ concentrations, a measurable anisotropic expansion of the zeolite framework is observed, consistent with partial substitution of K⁺ by Tl⁺ and progressive modification of the hydration environment within the pores. Moreover, the crystallographic distribution of Tl⁺ differs from that of the original K⁺ cations, suggesting a specific site preference during the uptake process. Batch experiments reveal rapid uptake kinetics, with equilibrium reached within minutes, and high removal efficiency up to 99.5%. The adsorption behaviour is well described by the Langmuir model, with a maximum adsorption capacity of 631 mg g⁻¹. These findings highlight the coupling between ion exchange and structural flexibility in K-L zeolite and support its potential application for efficient thallium removal from contaminated water. Full article

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a key regulator of neural development, plasticity, and behaviour. Recent work has enabled the generation of a viable adult bdnf^−/− zebrafish line, which provides a unique opportunity to investigate how complete loss of bdnf affects social behaviour. Here, we examined three-dimensional shoaling behaviour in adult male and female AB wild-type and bdnf^−/− knock-out zebrafish to determine whether the extensive molecular and behavioural alterations previously observed in individual-based assays extend to collective contexts. The bdnf^−/− shoals showed no differences in group structure, as inter-fish distance, shoal volume, shoal area, distance to the centroid, and homogeneity index were comparable to wild-type groups. Vertical spatial distribution was also largely preserved, although bdnf^−/− fish shifted toward the upper regions of the tank earlier during the trial. By contrast, horizontal distribution revealed a clear genotype effect: bdnf^−/− shoals spent more time in peripheral regions and displayed a pronounced early peak in peripheral occupancy. These findings indicate that bdnf loss does not impair shoal formation or cohesion but selectively modulates specific components of spatial exploration. The results also highlight a dissociation between the vertical and horizontal axes of behaviour, as well as between individual- and group-based phenotypes, underscoring the importance of social context in shaping the behavioural consequences of BDNF deficiency. Full article

This study evaluated whether stable first- and last-entry behaviour into the milking parlour is associated with behavioural traits, milk production, udder health, and milk quality in Lacaune dairy ewes. A total of 246 ewes were monitored during lactation, and animals showing highly consistent first- or last-entry behaviour across six observations were selected. The final dataset included 18 first-entry ewes (FG) and 23 last-entry ewes (LG). FG ewes were heavier than LG ewes (62.11 ± 5.25 vs. 56.83 ± 4.94 kg; p = 0.002) and had higher temperament scores, indicating calmer behaviour (4.00 ± 1.08 vs. 2.96 ± 1.26; p = 0.011). In unadjusted comparisons, FG ewes showed higher daily milk yield (1.20 vs. 1.04 kg/day), lactation milk yield (200.31 vs. 147.30 kg), and longer lactation length (167.78 vs. 143.96 days; p < 0.05). After adjustment for body weight, age, parity, and temperament, these differences were no longer significant, suggesting that they mainly reflected animal-level characteristics. Among udder health indicators, electrical conductivity remained lower in FG ewes after adjustment (3.72 ± 0.08 vs. 4.03 ± 0.07 mS/cm; p = 0.012), whereas log₁₀-transformed somatic cell count (LSCC) differed only numerically. FG milk samples also showed fewer udder pathogen-positive results than LG samples (4.6% vs. 16.7%; p = 0.012), although these findings should be interpreted as exploratory sample-level associations. Milk fat and protein percentages did not differ between groups. Fatty acid differences were nominally significant but not after multiple-testing correction. Overall, stable entry behaviour reflected temperament and selected udder health indicators, whereas its relationship with milk production was mainly explained by animal-level characteristics. Full article

M8OI is a cytotoxic methylimidazolium ionic liquid solvent through its binding to the ubiquinone binding site on complex I of the mitochondrial electron transport chain. Given the overlap in terms of toxic mechanism of action with the pesticide rotenone, the potential neurotoxic effects of M8OI were examined. In vitro, cytotoxicity and mitochondrial function were assessed in SH-SY5Y cells by measuring MTT reduction and oxygen consumption/extracellular acidification using a Seahorse analyser. SH-SY5Y cells were sensitised to M8OI toxicity by replacing medium glucose with galactose. Glucose protected the cells from M8OI toxicity, whereas galactose showed no clear dose–response protection. M8OI induced a dose-dependent reduction in oxygen consumption rate with a compensatory increase in extracellular acidification rate, consistent with inhibition of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation and a shift toward glycolysis. In vivo, rats were orally exposed via drinking water for 20 weeks and assessed using behavioural tests. In addition, the concentrations of M8OI and its metabolites were quantified by LC–MS in rat brain and other tissues. In rats, M8OI concentrations were ~30-fold higher in kidney than brain, and brain levels were at least 100-fold lower than the concentrations that affected SH-SY5Y cell viability in vitro. However, based on open field tests, M8OI exposure suppressed motor activity without any anxious behaviours. The cytotoxicity of M8OI in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells was associated with metabolic mitochondrial dysfunction. However, the neurobehavioural changes observed in orally exposed rats occurred at significantly lower brain concentrations than would be predicted to lead to neural cell death. Nevertheless, direct comparisons between acute in vitro exposures and chronic in vivo outcomes should be interpreted cautiously. Full article

Shannon entropy is the most common measure that one could use to check if a data source has random behaviour or not. A value close to the maximum is usually considered as evidence that the source is “random enough”. The present paper shows that this criterion alone is not enough. A deterministic logistic map driven at $r=3.9999$ reaches 94.97% of the Shannon maximum, yet it is fully predictable once we look at the built-in patterns: its permutation entropy drops to 77.01% of the maximum and its sample entropy falls to 0.67, against 2.33 for a high-quality pseudo-random generator (PRNG). Building on this observation, we combine four entropy measures—Shannon, Rényi, permutation, and sample—into a single diagnostic profile of the analyzed source. In order to validate our approach with practical, real life data, we test it on 2538 official draws of the Romanian Loto 6/49 lottery, recorded between August 1993 and April 2026. The lottery historical data set is very close to a high-quality PRNG (pseudo-random number generator) from the point of view of all four measures. We also observe that the entropy deficit of both the lottery and the PRNG decays as a power law with exponent $\alpha \approx -0.96$; in contrast, the logistic map sits at $\alpha \approx -0.07$. A Random Forest classifier trained only on the entropy profile reaches 78% accuracy on the analyzed four-way classification task (lottery, PRNG, logistic map, biased distribution), but scores 55.7% on the binary lottery-versus-PRNG task, consistent with chance. The method introduced in this study is domain-independent and applies directly to RNG certification, cryptographic key auditing, and any setting where structured pseudo-randomness has to be ruled out. Full article