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Robust equalization of multi-lane electromechanical actuators: Comparative analysis of torque-summed and velocity-summed architectures
No full textThe increasing demand for energy-efficient, low-emission aircraft has accelerated the transition toward all-electric aircraft (AEA), driving the need for highly reliable electromechanical actuators (EMAs) in flight-critical systems. A major challenge in multi-lane EMA configurations lies in torque and velocity disparities caused by component mismatches, sensor drift, and mechanical tolerances. These discrepancies can result in force-fight, increased mechanical stress, and reduced control accuracy, necessitating robust equalisation strategies. This study investigates force equalisation and lane equalisation in torque-summed and velocity-summed EMA architectures to mitigate lane-torque disparities () and enhance system robustness. A four-lane redundant EMA system, originally designed to actuate the inboard aileron of the Sea Harrier aircraft, was modelled in MATLAB–Simulink with a proportional–integral–derivative (PID) controller and Monitoring–Voting–Averaging Devices (MVADs) for feedback processing. Three-phase motor models were included to capture torque-ripple effects, and simulations were conducted across a range of inertial and aerodynamic load conditions. The results show that force equalisation effectively reduces lane-torque disparities in torque-summed architectures, improving load sharing and resilience under tachometer and potentiometer drift. In contrast, the velocity-summed architecture is inherently torque-balanced (lane-torque disparity ΔT is approximately zero), so lane equalisation has limited effect on . A potentiometer bias appears as a steady tracking offset that equalisation alone does not remove. These findings highlight critical trade-offs between architectures and underscore the importance of advanced equalisation and adaptive control strategies to further optimise EMA performance in next-generation all-electric aircraft. Although framed by an aerospace EMA, the methods and conclusions are not domain specific. The closed-form equalisation laws, cross-monitoring, and analysis of sensor-bias mechanisms generalise to multi-lane system architectures in robotics, automotive drive-by-wire, industrial automation, wind-turbine blade-pitch control, marine actuation, and medical and assistive devices
Development and psychometric testing of the OCEAN-ICU instrument to optimise sedation use in intensive care
No full textExposing Russell Brand: navigating allegations of sexual misconduct and appealing to the manosphere
No full textOn 16 September 2023, Channel 4’s Russell Brand in Plain Sight: Dispatches aired allegations of the celebrity comedian’s sexual misconduct with women over the course of his career. The documentary, which was dramatically revealed in the schedule only the day before transmission, resulted in significant international press attention, several internal reviews of production company practices, and the opening of an ongoing police investigation His professional transition across the 2010s away from edgy sexually explicit stand-up comic to online wellbeing influencer gave Brand a platform, underpinned by a narrative of personal development, from which to distance himself from his past behaviour when allegations emerged.), This article scrutinises how Brand tried to take control of the exposé narrative by positioning himself as a victim of post-#MeToo cancel culture, and framing his suspension from certain monetised online platforms (without a trial) as a freedom of speech issue. Brand’s appeal to online manosphere communities, through his contemporary ‘conspiritual’ persona, is discussed in terms of being symptomatic of a wider crisis of contemporary masculinity
To measure the straight distance, by travelling the winding way
No full textThis text accompanies the performance A Foot, A Mouth, A Hundred Billion Stars , which premiered at the Lapworth Museum of Geology in the United Kingdom on 18 March 2023, as part of the Flatpack film festival. It includes both the text and a film version, developed during a residency at the museum. Over 18 months, I had full access to the collection and archives, selecting objects that served as prompts for stories about time and memory. A central theme of the work is slippage – misremembering and misunderstanding – as a generative methodology for exploring the connection between the collection, our past, and possible futures.
A Foot, A Mouth, A Hundred Billion Stars combines analogue media and digital technologies to examine our understanding of remembering and forgetting. I used a live digital feed and two analogue slide projectors to explore the relationships between image and memory. This article does not serve as a guide to the performance but instead reflects on the process and the ideas behind the work. My goal is to share my practice of rethinking memory through direct engagement with materials. In line with the performance’s tangential narrative, this text weaves together diverse references, locations, thoughts, and ideas, offering a deeper look into the conceptual framework of the work
Rapid Access: Towards More Accessible International Document Supply
No full textThis article outlines how Birmingham City University redesigned its document delivery workflows to produce consistently accessible scans for international resource sharing. Through collaboration between the Inter-Library Loans and Digitised Services teams, BCU moved from manual flatbed scanning to professional-grade digitisation, aligning local service improvements with global accessibility expectations. Drawing on insights from colleagues across the UK, U.S., Canada, and Australia—as well as vendor perspectives from Clarivate—the piece explores how regulatory change, shared standards, and community-led practice are shaping a more inclusive future for international document supply. Original publication: https://forumforinterlending.org.uk/rapid-access-towards-more-accessible-international-document-supply/ For this content and more from the Forum for Interlending, visit: https://forumforinterlending.org.uk/fil_articles
Pasinetti, debt sustainability and structural change in an era of global finance: an emerging and developing countries’ perspective
No full textThis paper studies the relationship between financial integration, external debt sustainability and fiscal balance in emerging and developing economies (EDEs). We do so by applying Pasinetti’s ‘geometry of debt sustainability’ to EDEs and analysing how it is shaped by exposure to global financial cycles. Through the lenses of Pasinetti’s theoretical framework, we study whether global finance opens ‘windows of opportunities’ or creates more constraints for EDEs in offering fiscal support for structural change, including green structural transformations. We suggest EDEs may face a ‘gridlock’. Global finance and pressures to keep external debt sustainable make them struggle to maintain vital public investment and enact counter-cyclical fiscal actions. This, in turn, exacerbates technological backwardness, which feeds back in the form of more binding external constraints and tighter ‘surveillance’ by international creditors. We support our theoretical analysis with an econometric study over a sample of 55 countries from 1980 to 2018. Capital controls and external macroprudential policy emerge as fundamental policies enabling EDEs to adeptly manoeuvre through debt challenges without falling into the pitfalls of stagnation and enduring technological underdevelopment
Humble leadership and creativity in SMEs: A pathway to achieve SDG 8 and SDG 9 in the industry 4.0 era
No full textThe research explores how SME employee creativity develops under humble leadership (HL) in the context of Industry 4.0. This research applies the Job Demands-Resources theory to study direct HL effects on creativity and examine indirect relationships through employee vitality and peer support as well as the moderating impact of polychronicity. The research data shows that HL creates creativity directly and indirectly through employee vitality and peer support among 418 UK-based SME employees and supervisors, as analyzed through structural equation modeling. Moreover, the study demonstrates these effects increase when employees show polychronicity. The effects become stronger for people who possess effective multitasking abilities
An Exploration of Mindfulness-Based Concepts, Maternal-Fetal Attachment, Body Image and Health Behaviour in Pregnancy
No full textPregnancy has been posited as a ‘teachable moment’ for health behaviour change because women may be more motivated to change their health behaviours and have more contact than usual with healthcare professionals, who can impart healthy behaviour messages. Excessive gestational weight gain can impact on pregnancy and birth outcomes for mother and baby. It can also lead to a higher BMI in subsequent pregnancies and other longer-term health conditions, such as diabetes and obesity in later life. The existence of pregnancy interventions is evidence that pregnancy alone for some women is not sufficient to drive behaviour change to help manage weight gain. Clinical interventions can limit excessive weight gain, but they have faced challenges when translating into community-based programmes. Mindfulness-based concepts have a strong association with well-being, body image and weight-related eating behaviours during pregnancy. This thesis investigated mindfulness-based concepts, maternal-fetal-attachment, body image and weight-related eating behaviours to examine their potential application for future intervention development. Chapter 1 provided an overview of the literature regarding the impact of pregnancy on psychological well-being, body image and eating behaviours, and the role mindfulness-based constructs may play in weight-related health behaviours. Chapter 2 covered the methodological approaches used in this PhD project. Chapters 3, 4 and 5 examined the associations between mindfulness-based concepts, maternal-fetal attachment with well-being, eating behaviours and body image, respectively. Chapter 6 investigated women’s pregnancy experiences in relation to body image and eating before, during and after pregnancy. Chapter 7 investigated midwives’ experiences of discussing weight and healthy eating with pregnant women, and what training they have received to support these interactions. Chapter 8 integrated and discussed the current findings from across all five studies. The findings from this thesis conclude that self-compassion may be an effective target for intervention to improve well-being, body image and eating behaviours during pregnancy, especially for women at greater risk of excessive GWG. Whilst women want healthy eating information, midwives are not being provided with adequate training to engage effectively in these discussions. Finally, going beyond BMI, by also assessing women’s history of eating behaviours, weight and body image issues prior to pregnancy, may also provide additional information to identify women in need of additional support during pregnancy
Can Entrepreneurship Education and Training Assist Women Entrepreneurs to Make Agritourism a Success Story in India
No full textPurpose: The paper explores the role of entrepreneurship education and training amongst women entrepreneurs to promote the agritourism sector of the Indian economy.
Methodology: We used mixed methods to examine the linkages between traditional farming, agritourism and the role of entrepreneurial education to innovate and exploit strategic opportunities. The qualitative and quantitative data were collected using the questionnaire survey and in-depth face-to-face semi-structured interviews. The research involved a matched sample of 10 registered farmers (from the Punjab Heritage Tourism Promotion Board) and 200 unregistered male and female farmers selected randomly from the Indian State of Punjab. Semi-structured interviews were transcribed and quantitative responses were analysed using descriptive statistical methods, to examine the linkages between the EET and its impact on women-owned agritourist businesses.
Findings: Access to EET has a significant impact on the management, efficiency, and use of farming land. EET has positively impacted agritourism and attracted the urbanised population to experience rural culture, supports women's enterprises and enhances their socio-economic positioning. Therefore, EET enables farmers, especially women, to sustain themselves through increased income, enhanced farming practices and develop innovative agritourism enterprises. Moreover, this study underscores the importance of EET for the growth and success of agriculture in general, and agritourist firms, amongst rural farming communities in India.
Originality/values: Whilst most farming-based studies have focused on access to finance and issues related to the agricultural sector in India, this research makes an original contribution towards female participation in the agritourism sector. The nuanced, synthetical analysis of women's agri-tourism provides a new insight into the sector and the impact of EET to empower women entrepreneurs.
Practical implications: EET has the potential to promote agritourism to supplement women's income using innovative approaches and improve the flow of quality information to enhance access to external finance. The implications are that policymakers should provide targeted EET for male and female entrepreneurs is essential to promote agritourism in India and other developing economies