The integration of generative AI into humanities research presents both new opportunities and significant methodological challenges. While generative AI enables more sophisticated textual, visual, and historical analysis than ever before, it also introduces novel methodological risks. Prompts now function as measurement instruments, construct validity is entangled with model fluency, the increasing abstraction and subjectivity of tasks challenge single-answer evaluations, small changes in prompt or model configuration can materially alter substantive conclusions, and model training encodes strong theoretical assumptions prior to human interaction. This article advances a theory-first framework for generative-AI-assisted humanities research that traces how theoretical commitments intervene across the research lifecycle. Drawing on examples from the computational humanities and social sciences, it argues that theory operates as methodological infrastructure that constrains degrees of freedom, supports reproducibility, and enables principled iteration. By reframing generative AI as a site of theoretical inscription, the article outlines practical strategies for building robust and theoretically grounded humanities research in the era of generative AI.

The tail behavior of aggregates of heavy-tailed random vectors is known to be determined by the so-called principle of ‘one large jump’, be it for finite sums, random sums, or Lévy processes. We establish that, in fact, a more general principle is at play. Assuming that the random vectors are multivariate regularly varying on various subcones of the positive orthant $[0,\infty)^d$, first we show that their aggregates are also multivariate regularly varying on these subcones. This allows us to approximate certain tail probabilities rendered asymptotically negligible under classical regular variation. Second, we discover that depending on the structure of a particular tail event, the tail behavior of the aggregates may be characterized by more than a single large jump. Finally, we illustrate a similar phenomenon for regularly varying multivariate Lévy processes, establishing as well a relationship between regular variation of a multivariate Lévy process and multivariate regular variation of its Lévy measure on different subcones. The applicability of these results in financial and insurance risk management is discussed.

Trichuris muris infections in laboratory mice underpin current understanding of host-parasite interactions, yet the extent to which these insights apply to natural systems remains largely untested. In this study, we experimentally infected wild-caught Mastomys natalensis with Trichuris mastomysi under controlled conditions. Mice were assigned to either a single high-dose infection or repeated low-dose exposure. Larval infection success and intensity were assessed 21 days post-infection. Infection success was high in both exposure groups, and infection dose strongly influenced parasite burden, with high-dose animals carrying significantly more larvae than low-dose animals. These results demonstrate that T. mastomysi readily establishes in wild-caught M. natalensis and that exposure dose primarily affects early larval burden rather than infection success. By experimentally infecting a natural rodent host under controlled conditions, this study links mechanistic laboratory approaches with ecologically relevant host-parasite dynamics in the wild.

Introduction to the Special Issue ‘Trajectories of Democratic Innovations’.

As artificial intelligence (AI) systems rapidly develop in biomedical research, bioethical frameworks focused on human subjects research are often limited in their capacity to address ethical concerns related to data-driven and black-boxed AI algorithms. Calls to embed Ethical, Legal and Social Implications research into large research consortia focused on AI seek to address the challenges of applying models developed in the context of genomics research to AI projects. Foundational questions related to the conduct of such embedded ethics work include: what are the goals of this work, what counts as “ethics,” who qualifies as an ethics expert and what mechanisms, including organizational structures, can ensure success in achieving ethics goals alongside scientific goals by multidisciplinary research teams? We draw on empirical case studies (including semi-structured interviews and document analysis) of large, federally funded AI research projects in the US that required embedded ethics. Notable findings include the lack of consensus among key players regarding the definition of AI ethics and conflict over the scope of ethics work, which impedes the implementation of ethics-related goals in research practices. These conflicts highlight the differences in disciplinary cultures, contentious boundaries between technical and ethical expertise and the lack of power and impact of the ethics team. Our findings underscore that effective ethics integration depends on trust and respect for ethics scholarship through leadership and relationship-building. We argue that building long-lasting, equitable relationships requires institutional commitment through organizational frameworks and funding mechanisms that prioritize deliberation about ethical concerns, shared values and shared power, as well as co-developing ethics goals alongside science goals. A horizontal approach is needed to nurture joint relationships for fostering ethical and just biomedical AI research and development.

This article examines the longevity of interpersonal ties in late eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century Britain, and their impact on the structure of social networks incorporating individuals separated by rank. Using the example of a protracted patronage relationship involving the explorer James Cook, his family, and the wealthy naturalist and president of the Royal Society, Sir Joseph Banks, it shows how social ties formed in life continued to exert an influence on behaviour when a key member of a network was dead. Cook, who died in 1779, remained associated with Banks many years later, the consequence of a powerful and recognized bond combining qualities of friendship and patronage. This bond motivated appeals to Banks to assist Cook’s impoverished family, initiating an affair with which this article is concerned, and whose granular study illuminates the operation of genteel norms conditioning lasting interpersonal ties. In showing the representative value of this case, the article tracks actions motivated variously by friendship, kinship, and patronage, demonstrating how they unfolded across time and in surrogate fashion.

The conflict that erupted in Sudan in mid-April 2023 has had a profound impact on scholars, university staff, academic institutions, and academic freedom in the country. It also has had a deep impact on scholars displaced because of war or political repression since the 1990s, who now constitute a significant part of the Sudanese diaspora. The war has devastated the country’s population, landscape, services, and infrastructure, including both general and higher education sectors. In the half-decade that preceded the current conflict, Sudan witnessed an uprising in 2018, in which students, academics, and academic associations played an important role, followed by a short transitional period (2019–21) and a subsequent coup (2021). The latter consolidated the power of the army and its allies and narrowed the space for academic freedom that had expanded during and after the uprising. Although an incident that occurred at the University of Khartoum toward the end of 2025 shows that there may be a degree of freedom of intramural expression (the right to challenge the workings of the university), other events in Sudan suggest little respect for freedom of extramural expression (the right to engage in public expression without negative repercussions), because of the nature of governance arrangements, among other factors. This particularly affects academics and professionals currently in Sudan who call for peace.

The widespread use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has introduced significant security challenges, including unauthorised intrusions and privacy breaches. Conventional identification methods, such as radar and visual surveillance, often struggle to accurately distinguish between different UAV types or individual devices, limiting their effectiveness in countering these threats. To address these concerns, an enhanced empirical mode decomposition method has been developed. This method employs the Welch algorithm to extract power spectral density (PSD) features, which are then used to form the radio frequency fingerprint (RFF). Finally, a statistical classifier is employed to recognise and classify UAVs. The results of experimental studies indicate that this technique yields an average precision of 97% in binary classification (drone vs. no drone) and 84.7% in quaternary classifications (identifying four drone models). A comprehensive performance evaluation, conducted using confusion matrices and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, demonstrates that the classifier performs well across all categories, with low misclassification rates.

The maximum take-off weight (MTOW) affects many aspects of aircraft design, such as performance, stability and control. It is the first and most important design variable that affects numerous aircraft design decisions. Understanding how parametric changes to the major design variables would likely affect the MTOW in the early stages of the preliminary design phase is crucial. This research introduces a ground-breaking approach to precision weight estimation in light aircraft design. Employing a statistical approach, specifically multilinear regression alone and coupled with p-value analysis, the study focuses on predicting the MTOW using datasets from aircraft still ‘in production’ and/or ‘in service’. The aircraft are categorised by landing gear arrangement and number of engines. Eight crucial design parameters that influence aircraft weight are used to determine the empirical models. The developed models successfully predict the MTOW with an error of less than 5% and outperform existing weight estimation techniques, empowering designers to conduct parametric studies that include essential design parameters at the early stages of aircraft design. The proposed methodology represents a paradigm shift in the field, offering a reliable and practical means of achieving precision in light aircraft weight predictions.

This article critically examines the broad claims of the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Parties (ATCPs) that the Antarctic Treaty System (ATS) is the ‘competent’ and ‘comprehensive’ framework for governing marine biodiversity in the area covered by its constituent instruments, implying that the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement) is therefore inapplicable within that same area under the ‘not undermine’ clause in its Article 5(2). Focusing on the specific topic of marine bioprospecting governance, our analysis breaks down ‘competence’ into spatial (where the ATS has legal authority to govern) and functional (the activities or subject matter it is empowered to regulate) dimensions and evaluates whether existing competences, as exercised, result in ‘comprehensive’ governance. We find the ATCPs’ claims to be legally and practically unsubstantiated to justify the complete or de facto exclusion of the BBNJ Agreement’s application in the area covered by the constituent instruments of the ATS: the jurisdictional competence of the ATS is fragmented, its functional competence is narrowly confined to the early, in situ dimensions of bioprospecting regulation, and its operational record of governing marine bioprospecting is negligible, relying on generic, non-tailored rules long recognized as inadequate. As such, the Antarctic marine bioprospecting case illustrates that a regime’s exclusionary claims regarding the BBNJ Agreement should be viewed with scepticism. Failing to do so may conceal the very gaps that the BBNJ Agreement was created to address.

We consider a smooth fibration equipped with a flat complex vector bundle and a hypersurface cutting the fibration into two pieces. Our main result is a gluing formula relating the Bismut-Lott analytic torsion form of the whole fibration to that of each piece. This result solves a conjecture proposed at a conference in Göttingen in 2003. This result also leads to a higher Cheeger-Müller/Bismut-Zhang theorem. Our approach combines an adiabatic limit along the normal direction of the hypersurface and a Witten-type deformation on the flat vector bundle.

This article explores the economic and aesthetic dimensions of Resurrección María de Azkue’s (1864–1951) Basque operas, focusing on the tension between artistic ambition and financial constraints in the early twentieth-century Basque Country. Drawing on the example of the operas Ortzuri (1911) and Urlo (1914), this article explores how industrialisation and bourgeois interests influenced the definition of Basque opera. It also assesses the viability of this project by analysing its internal infrastructure, including the theatre landscape and repertoire, while underscoring the role of critics in shaping aesthetic norms for composers. By integrating both local and transnational perspectives, this article situates Azkue’s Basque operas within a broader context, relating it to contrasting models of modernity represented by Italian opera and Wagnerism, and demonstrating how peripheral regionalist and nationalist movements navigated these trends to try to assert a position of centrality.

Let $\Omega$ be a lattice in $\mathbb C$ with invariants $g_2,g_3$ and let $\wp(z), \zeta(z)$ be the associated Weierstrass elliptic and zeta functions, respectively. In this paper, we prove that if $\omega$ is any non-zero period of $\wp(z)$ and $u_1,u_2$ complex numbers such that $u_1,u_2, \omega$ are $\mathbb{Q}$-linearly independent with $({\mathbb{Z}} u_1+{\mathbb{Z}} u_2)\cap\Omega=(0),$ then at least two of the numbers

\begin{equation*}g_2,g_3,\omega, \eta,u_1,u_2,\wp(u_i),\zeta(u_i)~~(1\leq i\leq 2)\end{equation*}

$\mathbb{Q},$

$\eta$

$\zeta(z)$

$\omega.$