Abstract
The 2025 blackout across the Iberian Peninsula marked a paradigm shift in the nature of power system failures, revealing how modern grids-dense with inverter-based resources and automated controls-can exhibit emergent instabilities that traditional design frameworks may not fully anticipate. This review examines the event through the lens of complex systems engineering, drawing on publicly available information and prior research to illustrate why a well-instrumented, high-renewables grid might still struggle to contain rapidly evolving disturbances. We begin by highlighting structural features-such as bottlenecks and asymmetric interconnections-that have been shown in the literature to influence the propagation of instability in transmission networks. Network-science tools, including algebraic connectivity, spectral radius and betweenness centrality, are discussed as methods used in previous studies to reveal latent fragilities. Attention then shifts to synchronization dynamics, where low-inertia conditions can amplify frequency deviations and interact with heterogeneous inverter response characteristics. Using models of cascading failures and percolation-type transitions, we outline how disruptions can propagate nonlocally, highlighting mechanisms identified in analytical and simulation studies. The analysis extends to fragility scoring systems, modular segmentation strategies and the spatial deployment of virtual inertia and fast-response resources-approaches proposed in prior research as part of a resilience toolkit aimed at containment and stabilization. Finally, we summarize emerging redesign directions emphasizing harmonized protection logic, regional operational cells and complexity-aware digital twins as increasingly important under conditions of uncertainty.

Abstract
A percepção temporal é frequentemente comprometida em distúrbios neuropsiquiátricos, impactando a qualidade de vida. Este artigo apresenta o desenvolvimento do ‘Chronos: Odisseias Alternativas’, um jogo sério híbrido e imersivo para reabilitação da percepção temporal. Objetivos: Descrever o processo de co-design e os resultados, destacando a importância da colaboração interdisciplinar na criação de soluções tecnológicas para a saúde. Métodos: O desenvolvimento seguiu uma metodologia de co-design em dois workshops com uma equipe multidisciplinar formada por clínicos e profissionais de Tecnologia da Informação. O jogo integra tarefas cognitivas, treinamento da percepção temporal e autorrelatos emocionais, utilizando uma arquitetura de Metaverse as a Service para modular a percepção do tempo por meio de estímulos multimodais. Resultados: O co-design indicou ampla aceitação interdisciplinar e validação conceitual. Os participantes destacaram o engajamento, o potencial terapêutico para Alzheimer, Parkinson e TDAH, e a inovação da abordagem multimodal. Conclusão: O Chronos demonstra viabilidade técnica e metodológica, configurando-se como um ambiente digital multimodal promissor.

Abstract
Complex Operations Environments (COEs), found in domains such as manufacturing, logistics, and healthcare, are characterised by structural and behavioural complexity, interdependence, and unpredictability. Managing these environments requires a clear understanding of their characteristics, which is important for implementing emerging technologies such as Digital Twins (DTs). While DTs hold significant potential in COEs, their effective deployment depends on identifying and aligning with the specific traits of these environments. Drawing on a systematic literature review (SLR), this study refines a hierarchical conceptualisation of COEs, categorises their characteristics as functional and non-functional, and assesses their applicability to DT implementation. A conceptual mapping illustrates how DTs can address these characteristics to support COE management. The research is conducted in two phases. First, iterative practitioner engagement in an industrial manufacturing context is used to examine and refine the conceptualisation through empirical insights from experts holding cross-functional and strategic responsibilities across different business units. Second, DT experts assess these characteristics in terms of their applicability to DT implementation, classifying them as Possible, Hard, or Very Hard. The findings highlight both the potential and challenges of applying DTs in COEs. The resulting framework provides structured guidance for DT developers, system architects, and managers by supporting DT scoping and implementation planning, while linking theoretical and practical perspectives to inform adaptive DT architectures that enhance visibility, interoperability, and resilience. 

Abstract
In the pharmaceutical industry, noncompliance with any good manufacturing practice (GMP) leads to deviation, resulting in potential retention of finished product batches, reprocessing, or rejection-consequently increasing lead time and cost. This study aimed to outline a strategy to define, classify, and mitigate recurrent deviations occurring more than once within 12 months. This research followed an action research methodology, carried out within a Portuguese pharmaceutical company. A transversal analysis of the deviation management process was conducted across three phases: recording, investigation, and conclusion. The intervention included defining objective recurrence criteria, developing investigation models based on structured problem-solving, and redesigning the deviation management information system. The implementation decreased recurrent deviations by 78 percent, and a new process was established, facilitated by the participation and involvement of everyone in the organization. This article introduces pioneering contributions to the pharmaceutical industry by presenting novel criteria for assigning recurrence to recorded deviations and integrating Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) with big data and analytics. Our approach enhances decision-making and manufacturing processes by structurally incorporating all types of causes beyond the human factor, emphasizing recurring deviations over extended periods. It defines conditions for correct deviation classification and constructs a decision matrix for investigation models. Additionally, it presents workshop management, providing analysis templates and a prototype information system, and outlines key steps to mitigate deviations, highlighting research limitations and future directions.

Abstract
Background: Post-Intensive Care Syndrome (PICS), comprising physical, cognitive, and psychological impairments, affects 50-75% of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) survivors and leads to long-term deficits. Virtual Reality (VR) has emerged as a tool to reduce ICU-related stress and support recovery, yet evidence remains fragmented and heterogeneous. Objective: To systematically review the safety, feasibility, and effects of immersive VR interventions targeting PICS-related outcomes in ICU and post-ICU populations, and to introduce a standardized taxonomy to classify and compare VR interventions in critical care contexts. Methods: This systematic review followed PRISMA 2020 guidelines and was registered in PROSPERO (CRD420251174623). Seven databases (Cochrane Library, PubMed, ScienceDirect, IEEE Xplore, ACM Digital Library, SpringerLink, and Scopus) were searched from inception to 2 August 2025. Eligible studies included ICU patients receiving immersive VR via head-mounted displays and targeting at least one PICS domain. Two reviewers independently screened studies and extracted data. Methodological quality was assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT, 2018). Due to substantial heterogeneity, findings were synthesized narratively. Results: Eleven studies were included. The most consistent effects concerned acute psychological outcomes, with 63.6% of studies reporting reduced anxiety or distress. Evidence for physical, cognitive, or long-term outcomes was limited and inconsistent, largely due to small samples, non-randomized designs, and brief intervention dosing. Conclusion: Current evidence supports VR as a feasible adjunct for acute psychological support in ICU settings. However, meaningful rehabilitation effects remain underexplored. The Five-Axis VR-PICS taxonomy clarifies intervention heterogeneity and provides a structured framework to guide rehabilitation-oriented VR research in critical care.

Abstract
This study examines the relationship between quality of financial information (QFI) and the probability of corporate decline in the food manufacturing sector within the European Union (EU) controlled by a set of internal (age, size, liquidity, return on assets, and debt) and external (gross domestic product and unemployment rate) determinants. The study employs a logit regression model applied to a balanced panel dataset of 335 large food manufacturing firms in the EU from 2011 to 2021. Quality of financial information is estimated using discretionary accruals, based on the Jones model (1991), while corporate decline is measured by fluctuations in sales. The findings indicate that low-quality financial information (high discretionary accruals) is positively associated with corporate decline, highlighting the role of financial transparency in business sustainability. The results suggest that earnings management practices can increase business vulnerability, reinforcing the importance of accurate financial reporting in mitigating corporate failure. The study underscores the need for enhanced regulatory oversight and financial reporting transparency in the food manufacturing industry. Policymakers and stakeholders should strengthen financial disclosure requirements to curb earnings management practices and ensure better resource allocation for long-term sustainability. This research contributes to the limited literature on quality of financial information and corporate decline, particularly in the food manufacturing sector, which is crucial for economic stability and public welfare. By integrating financial reporting quality into corporate failure analysis, this study provides new insights into the role of earnings management in business deterioration.