During the Mamluk period (1260–1516), Gaza developed from a minor town into an important city in southern Bilād al-Shām, the capital of an administrative province. This prosperity was the product of substantial and continuous Mamluk investment in the town, the security and stability maintained by this regime, and Gaza's strategic location as the bridge connecting Egypt and Bilād al-Shām. This article will trace the concomitant development of Gaza as a provincial intellectual centre within this context. Combining narrative sources with epigraphic and material evidence, it will show how the growth of Gaza as an administrative centre instigated a flourishing—albeit modest—scholarly scene in the town, which, while strongly connected to and integrated with wider social and intellectual networks within the Sultanate, retained its unique character.

The “Critically Endangered” Alagoas Antwren Myrmotherula snowi is found only in the Atlantic Rainforest of north-east Brazil. We surveyed all sites where the species has been recorded, as well as 15 other potential sites. We summarise all observations of the species, focusing on the period from 2016 onwards, and including systematic censuses in three breeding seasons (October–March 2018/19, 2019/20, and 2020/21) at the type locality, Murici, where we also searched for nests of the species. We did not locate any individuals at sites other than Murici. The number of apparent individuals detected declined by 67% over seven years (a decline of 50% over the three years in which standardised systematic counts were made), and only six adults were observed in the most recent breeding season. The global population is now likely to be in single-digit figures. Of five nests found, four failed, through predation by snakes and opossums, and abandonment. We installed protective barriers to protect two of these nests from predators, which may have contributed to the single successful fledging. Such methods offer most hope for now of stalling the decline. Efforts to develop captive breeding methods with model species have been underway since 2019 but face many difficulties. Improving habitat protection and restoration is crucial but will only take effect in the long term.

Development of large-scale quantum computing systems will require radio frequency (RF) and microwave technologies operating reliably at cryogenic temperatures down to tens of milli-Kelvin (mK). The quantum bits in the most promising quantum computing technologies such as the superconducting quantum computing are designed using principles of microwave engineering and operated using microwave signals. The control, readout, and coupling of qubits are implemented using a network of microwave components operating at various temperature stages. To ensure reliable operation of quantum computing systems, it is critical to ensure optimal performance of these microwave components and qubits at their respective operating temperatures, which can be as low as mK temperatures. It is, therefore, critical to understand the microwave characteristics of waveforms, components, circuits, networks, and systems at cryogenic temperatures. The UK’s National Physical Laboratory (NPL) is focussed on developing new microwave measurement capabilities through the UK’s National Quantum Technologies Programme to address various microwave test and measurement challenges in quantum computing. This includes the development of various measurement capabilities to characterize the microwave performance of quantum and microwave devices and substrate materials at cryogenic temperatures. This paper summarizes the roadmap of activities at NPL to address these microwave metrology challenges in quantum computing.

The role of mental health review tribunals is to oversee that standards of care and treatment are maintained for involuntary patients and for those on community treatment orders. This article considers some ways in which the basic principles of psychotherapy can be applied by tribunal members to offer patients a sense of hope, encouragement and optimism and reduce the emotional challenge of the tribunal review.

In this paper I analyze the work on exchange rates and external imbalances by University of Chicago faculty members during the university’s first 100 years, 1892 to 1992. Many people associate Chicago’s views with Milton Friedman’s advocacy for flexible exchange rates. But, of course, there was much more than that, including the work of J. Laurence Laughlin on bimetallism, Jacob Viner on the balance of payments, Lloyd Metzler on transfers, Harry Johnson on trade and currencies, Lloyd Mints on exchange rate regimes, Robert Mundell on optimal currency areas, and Arnold Harberger on shadow exchange rates, among others. The analysis shows that, although different scholars emphasized different issues, there was a common thread in this research, anchored on the role of relative prices’ changes during the adjustment process.

We solve the problem of finding the inverse connection formulae for the generalised Bessel polynomials and their reciprocals, the reverse generalised Bessel polynomials. The connection formulae express monomials in terms of the generalised Bessel polynomials. They enable formulae for the elements of change of basis matrices for both kinds of generalised Bessel polynomials to be derived and proved correct directly.

In his work on modularity of elliptic curves and Fermat’s last theorem, A. Wiles introduced two measures of congruences between Galois representations and between modular forms. One measure is related to the order of a Selmer group associated to a newform $f \in S_2(\Gamma _0(N))$ (and closely linked to deformations of the Galois representation $\rho _f$ associated to f), whilst the other measure is related to the congruence module associated to f (and is closely linked to Hecke rings and congruences between f and other newforms in $S_2(\Gamma _0(N))$). The equality of these two measures led to isomorphisms $R={\mathbf T}$ between deformation rings and Hecke rings (via a numerical criterion for isomorphisms that Wiles proved) and showed these rings to be complete intersections.

We continue our study begun in [BKM21] of the Wiles defect of deformation rings and Hecke rings (at a newform f) acting on the cohomology of Shimura curves over ${\mathbf Q}$: It is defined to be the difference between these two measures of congruences. The Wiles defect thus arises from the failure of the Wiles numerical criterion at an augmentation $\lambda _f:{\mathbf T} \to {\mathcal O}$. In situations we study here, the Taylor–Wiles–Kisin patching method gives an isomorphism $ R={\mathbf T}$ without the rings being complete intersections. Using novel arguments in commutative algebra and patching, we generalize significantly and give different proofs of the results in [BKM21] that compute the Wiles defect at $\lambda _f: R={\mathbf T} \to {\mathcal O}$, and explain in an a priori manner why the answer in [BKM21] is a sum of local defects. As a curious application of our work we give a new and more robust approach to the result of Ribet–Takahashi that computes change of degrees of optimal parametrizations of elliptic curves over ${\mathbf Q}$ by Shimura curves as we vary the Shimura curve. The results we prove are not attainable using only the methods of Ribet–Takahashi.

Late-life divorce is a growing phenomenon in the Western world, likely to expand due to increasing expectancy and changes in marital and family values. However, existing research on divorce and its consequences for offspring focuses on young and middle-aged adults, analysing individual rather than familial/dyadic perspectives. Accordingly, our study employs a holistic perspective on the family unit following late-life divorce which is especially relevant to societies that value familism as an essential element in individuals' lives. Coincidingly, the term familyhood expresses an atmosphere of closeness and unity among family members and is a commonly used expression in Israel. Using family systems as a framework, our aim was to examine how, if at all, familyhood is experienced after divorce considering how it was experienced prior to divorce from a long-term marriage in Israel. Semi-structured, in-depth qualitative interviews (N = 72) were conducted separately with divorcees aged 60–81 who divorced at age 56–68 (N = 44), and with their adult children aged 19–40 at the time of their parents' divorce (N = 28). Interviews were given thematic analysis and dyadic qualitative analysis. The findings reveal the meaningfulness of familyhood following late-life divorce via a fourfold typology of familyhood continuity/change experienced as present or lacking, before or after divorce. The typology addresses key elements of when, where, by whom and how familyhood is reconstructed, along with strategies to maintain familyhood. Paradoxes inherent in the intersection of divorce and familyhood, discussed within the Israeli sociocultural context, are located between self-determination and familism. Implications are presented.

This paper develops the concept of transience of (in)formality to refer to the intersection of formal and informal negotiating procedures in the WTO decision-making system. It argues that both formal and informal negotiating processes are essential for delivering negotiating outcomes in the WTO. Particularly, the article assesses how informal negotiating practices emerge within the WTO formal framework and align with it. The analysis highlights how negotiating practices (re)shape existing norms, both formal and informal, adapting the WTO to overcome challenges and meet current needs. It also disputes legal formalistic perspectives that permeate trade literature and offer limited accounts of Members' agency in the WTO. The paper uses the Joint Initiatives as a case study to illustrate the convergence between formality and informality and a possible way ahead for the WTO negotiations. By broadening the understanding of law-making, it contributes to the discussion on WTO reform. It provides alternatives that reflect the reality of WTO negotiations and underlines the institution's relevance.

In Communications in Contemporary Mathematics 24 3, (2022),the authors have developed a method for constructing G-invariant partial differential equations (PDEs) imposed on hypersurfaces of an $(n+1)$-dimensional homogeneous space $G/H$, under mild assumptions on the Lie group G. In the present paper, the method is applied to the case when $G=\mathsf{PGL}(n+1)$ (respectively, $G=\mathsf{Aff}(n+1)$) and the homogeneous space $G/H$ is the $(n+1)$-dimensional projective $\mathbb{P}^{n+1}$ (respectively, affine $\mathbb{A}^{n+1}$) space, respectively. The main result of the paper is that projectively or affinely invariant PDEs with n independent and one unknown variables are in one-to-one correspondence with invariant hypersurfaces of the space of trace-free cubic forms in n variables with respect to the group $\mathsf{CO}(d,n-d)$ of conformal transformations of $\mathbb{R}^{d,n-d}$.

Childhood obesity represents a significant global health concern and identifying its risk factors is crucial for developing intervention programs. Many “omics” factors associated with the risk of developing obesity have been identified, including genomic, microbiomic, and epigenomic factors. Here, using a sample of 48 infants, we investigated how the methylation profiles in cord blood and placenta at birth were associated with weight outcomes (specifically, conditional weight gain, body mass index, and weight-for-length ratio) at age six months. We characterized genome-wide DNA methylation profiles using the Illumina Infinium MethylationEpic chip, and incorporated information on child and maternal health, and various environmental factors into the analysis. We used regression analysis to identify genes with methylation profiles most predictive of infant weight outcomes, finding a total of 23 relevant genes in cord blood and 10 in placenta. Notably, in cord blood, the methylation profiles of three genes (PLIN4, UBE2F, and PPP1R16B) were associated with all three weight outcomes, which are also associated with weight outcomes in an independent cohort suggesting a strong relationship with weight trajectories in the first six months after birth. Additionally, we developed a Methylation Risk Score (MRS) that could be used to identify children most at risk for developing childhood obesity. While many of the genes identified by our analysis have been associated with weight-related traits (e.g., glucose metabolism, BMI, or hip-to-waist ratio) in previous genome-wide association and variant studies, our analysis implicated several others, whose involvement in the obesity phenotype should be evaluated in future functional investigations.

The Nottebohm judgment from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has recently come under attack in the context of the European Commission's position on “golden passports” programmes. The judgment has long received intense criticism from a consensus of scholars. This article challenges the conventional wisdom of Nottebohm. The ICJ did not, as critics argue, depart from international law on nationality, nor did it seek to create an international rule based on a “genuine link” requirement. A closer look at the majority's reasoning reveals that the ICJ's conception of nationality as something more than a mere formal classification was prompted by problems that can arise precisely from the phenomenon of globalization, including the instrumentalization of nationality. It further shows that the “substance-over-form” approach adopted by Nottebohm may, or already does, operate in more contemporary contexts.

Choosing ${\kappa }$ (horizontal ordinate of the saddle point associated to the homoclinic orbit) as bifurcation parameter, bifurcations of the travelling wave solutions is studied in a perturbed $(1 + 1)$-dimensional dispersive long wave equation. The solitary wave solution exists at a suitable wave speed $c$ for the bifurcation parameter ${\kappa }\in \left (0,1-\frac {\sqrt 3}{3}\right )\cup \left (1+\frac {\sqrt 3}{3},2\right )$, while the kink and anti-kink wave solutions exist at a unique wave speed $c^*=\sqrt {15}/3$ for $\kappa =0$ or $\kappa =2$. The methods are based on the geometric singular perturbation (GSP, for short) approach, Melnikov method and invariant manifolds theory. Interestingly, not only the explicit analytical expression of the complicated homoclinic Melnikov integral is directly obtained for the perturbed long wave equation, but also the explicit analytical expression of the limit wave speed is directly given. Numerical simulations are utilized to verify our mathematical results.

This paper develops a multivariate filter based on an unobserved component model to estimate the financial cycle. Our model features: (1) a dynamic relationship between the financial cycle and key variables; (2) time-varying shock volatility for trend and cycle components. We demonstrate that our approach not only exhibits superior early warning properties for banking crises but also outperforms commonly used indicators in terms of data fit for decomposition exercises, as evidenced by the higher marginal likelihood. We document three important properties of the financial cycle. First, the sensitivity of the financial cycle to changes in real estate valuations increased during the post-90s period. Second, the sensitivity of the cycle to changes in financial conditions displays volatility and country specificities. Finally, our reduced form estimates suggest that the banking crisis of 1988 was preceded by positive contributions from the risk appetite shock, while the primary source of vulnerabilities emanated from the housing market in the run-up to the Global Financial Crisis.