Robot grippers have drawn a lot of attention due to their various applications in the fields of manufacturing, agriculture, etc. The shape and mass of the workable objects have been considerable issues. For effective gripping, many studies have sought to control gripping forces; however, force control often requires complex external control structures. Here, it is aimed to develop a gripper of simple structure that resists moments, grasps object edges in the absence of complete object envelopment, and does not tilt the object. Moment resistance and edge grasping are key capabilities in ensuring stable object gripping. To ensure an energy-efficient, simple structure, a mechanical trigger and a variable torque joint link the output torque to the finger actuation angle without electrical sensing. The variable torque joint creates different torques for each finger, thus ensuring the sufficient reactive moments required for stable gripping without tilting the object. To implement the output torque profile, a mechanical cam was designed and utilized in the torque joint. The developed gripper effectively resists moments and grasps object edges without the need for electrical components such as sensors, wires, or batteries. This study shows that form-sensing data can be used in various scenarios to ensure successful gripping.

Linguistic alignment that occurs during interaction has been found to be a useful language learning mechanism. Recent second language (L2) research on alignment has primarily focused on syntactic alignment in face-to-face oral interactions (Kim & Michel, 2023). This study expands the scope of L2 alignment research by examining pragmatic alignment in group mobile text-chat tasks conducted in Korean. Furthermore, it investigates how the source of alignment (i.e., prime, recast) and learner factors (i.e., L2 proficiency, prior knowledge of the target feature, mobile literacy, and Korean typing skills) influence the extent of L2 alignment and subsequent alignment-driven language learning. Over a period of six days, 87 Korean language learners were randomly distributed across either a prime, recast prime, or control condition and completed the following: a background survey, a pretest, four alignment tasks, two posttests, and a Korean proficiency test. During the alignment text-chat tasks, learners used the KakaoTalk mobile text-chat application to interact with two native Korean speakers who elicited Korean honorific request-making expressions in specified scenarios. The prime group received model examples prior to their production, while the recast prime group received recasts in response to non-target-like production. The learners’ use of honorific expressions was evaluated for both suppliance and accuracy across the pretests, alignment task performance, and posttests. The results revealed evidence of pragmatic alignment, with the recast prime condition demonstrating greater effects on honorific request head acts compared to the prime condition. Additionally, prior knowledge of request-making strategies facilitated L2 alignment. The implications of pragmalinguistic development through alignment-driven text-chat tasks are further discussed.

Scholars of nationalism in the Arab Middle East in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries have focused mainly on its spokespeople from among state officials, military officers, and intellectuals. These groups were shaped by European colonialism, modernization, the expansion of education, and state formation, and aspired to achieve national independence and constitutionalism. Little attention was paid to religious scholars (ulema) because they were largely perceived as gatekeepers of the traditional imperial order who had, in the modern era, lost their influence and status. Focusing mainly on Egypt and Syria, this article seeks to contest the prevailing paradigm by highlighting the contribution of ulema to the fostering of ethnic identities in premodern times, and re-examining their place in the emerging national discourse in the Arab Middle East.

The family Yoldiidae encompasses protobranch bivalves with notable diversity in deep-sea habitats, with Yoldiella Verrill and Bush (1897) as the most speciose genus. In Brazilian waters, 11 species of Yoldiella have been recorded, including Yoldiella lapernoi Benaim and Absalão (2011) and Yoldiella paranapuensis Benaim and Absalão (2011), two species with similar shell morphology and overlapping geographical distributions. This study re-evaluated the taxonomic distinction between these two Yoldiella species using a combination of morphometric approaches. Size and growth rate comparisons were conducted using analysis of covariance and Bayesian model selection. The shell outline was compared using elliptical Fourier descriptors. The results did not support the current separation of these taxa. Instead, they reveal that the observed morphological differences are attributable to ontogenetic variation, indicating Y. paranapuensis as a juvenile stage of Y. lapernoi. This finding supports the synonymy of these two nominal species and highlights the importance of ontogenetic context in taxonomy.

On March 28, 2025, a 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck the Sagaing region of Myanmar, resulting in 3,816 deaths and 5,104 injured, with Mandalay Region sustaining the most severe damage. Singapore Emergency Medical Team (SGEMT), verified by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2024 as a Type-1 fixed Emergency Medical Team (EMT), was deployed in response. This mixed-methods study reports on the patient case mix and operational challenges encountered during the deployment. Data were derived from daily situation reports, clinical health records consistent with the WHO minimum data set (MDS), post-deployment review proceedings, and unstructured interviews with administrative, clinical, and logistics leads.

Deployment was delayed by diplomatic complexities and logistical challenges in freight transport. Clinical operations commenced on April 8, 2025 at Bahtoo Stadium, Mandalay, where SGEMT managed 1,803 patients over eight days. Quantitatively, 21.6% presented with direct earthquake-related injuries, 7.9% with conditions indirectly related to displacement, and 70.5% with chronic or unrelated conditions, reflecting patterns observed in other post-earthquake responses. Acute respiratory infections were the predominant infectious disease. Most patients were female, underscoring the importance of gender-sensitive approaches. The integration of a physiotherapist in a Type-1 facility, beyond WHO EMT minimum standards, enhanced clinical efficacy and rehabilitative capacity.

Qualitatively, thematic analysis guided by the 4Cs of disaster partnering –coordination, cooperation, communication, and collaboration – revealed critical enablers and constraints within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) humanitarian framework. Findings highlight the need to reinforce regional coordination mechanisms to strengthen future disaster response in complex geopolitical situations.

While a postwar consensus largely upheld the legitimacy of the administrative state, the past two decades have witnessed a surge of critiques not seen since the 1930s. This review essay traces the evolution of these attacks from libertarian legal scholars decrying the administrative government’s alleged constitutional violations to lesser-known populist conservative figures like John Marini and Ned Ryun who frame the same developments as a subversive plot against the executive branch. Contrasted with them are defenders of the regulatory state like William Novak, who argue both for the historical precedent of state intervention as well as for its democratic legitimacy. The essay closes with a review of liberal concerns about the administrative state—exemplified by Alan Brinkley’s critique of the New Deal—and considers how defenders and critics might be speaking past one another. The debate reveals deeper fractures in American political thought and potentially new avenues for research into the politics of the administrative state in the latter half of the twentieth century.

The first report of Ophiophragmus luetkeni occurred in the British Virgin Islands; however, it was also recorded in Brazil, the United States Virgin Islands, and Trinidad and Tobago, yet its occurrence in Colombia was previously lacking. Between 2023 and 2024, four specimens were collected from sandy and muddy substrates in Cispatá Bay, Colombian Caribbean. Taxonomic identification was conducted through morphological observations and microstructural analysis using Scanning Electron Microscopy. A comparative table for Ophiophragmus species recorded in Colombia are also provided. This new record increases the number of Ophiophragmus species in Colombia to three, contributing to the country’s marine biodiversity and expanding the knowledge of O. luetkeni distribution.