Parasitoid–host interactions are key drivers of insect community structure, and host concealment is known to influence both parasitoid diversity and parasitism rates. However, the effectiveness of different host defence strategies in mitigating parasitism remains insufficiently understood. In this study, we examined how the level of host concealment affects parasitoid communities and parasitism rates in two microlepidopteran species living on hops (Humulus lupulus L.): Caloptilia fidella, which employs a leaf-rolling strategy, and Cosmopterix zieglerella, a strict leaf-miner. We collected a total of 774 and 150 host-infested leaves for C. fidella and C. zieglerella, respectively. Parasitism rates were calculated as the proportion of leaves from which parasitoids emerged and were averaged across three years. We combined traditional morphological identification with molecular species delimitation based on ITS2 and CO1 markers, employing ASAP (Assemble Species by Automatic Partitioning) and Bayesian Poisson Tree Processes (bPTP) methods to refine parasitoid taxonomy and detect cryptic species. Our results showed that semi-concealed C. fidella larvae in leaf rolls experienced significantly higher parasitism rates than their mining stages, while fully concealed C. zieglerella larvae exhibited generally lower parasitism. Molecular analyses confirmed idiobiont strategies in several parasitoid species, including Sympiesis acalle, S. sericeicornis, and Elachertus fenestratus, and bPTP outperformed ASAP in detecting cryptic diversity. These findings suggest that, in the studied system, leaf-mining offers more effective protection from parasitoids than leaf-rolling. Additionally, the study highlights the value of molecular tools in species delimitation and underscores their importance for improving parasitoid taxonomy and advancing our understanding of host–parasitoid dynamics.

We report the case of a 10-month-old infant presenting with dilated cardiomyopathy caused by septal dyssynchrony linked to a right septal accessory pathway-mediated pre-excitation. No atrioventricular reciprocating tachycardia was reported, but this pre-excitation resulted in left septal dyssynchrony. After the introduction of flecainide therapy, the antegrade pre-excitation disappeared on ECG, leading to normalisation of left ventricular function.

This paper makes a twofold contribution to the study of expressivity. First, we introduce and study the novel concept of conditional expressivity. Taking a universal logic perspective, we characterize conditional expressivity both syntactically and semantically. We show that our concept of conditional expressivity is related to, but different from, the concept of explicit definability in Beth’s definability theorem. Second, we use the concept to explore inferential relations between collective deontic admissibility statements for different groups. Negative results on conditional expressivity are stronger than standard (unconditional) inexpressivity results: we show that the well-known inexpressivity results from epistemic logic on distributed knowledge and on common knowledge only concern unconditional expressivity. By contrast, we prove negative results on conditional expressivity in the deontic logic of collective agency. In particular, we consider the full formal language of the deontic logic of collective agency, define a natural class of sublanguages of the full language, and prove that a collective deontic admissibility statement about a particular group is conditionally expressible in a sublanguage from the class if and only if that sublanguage includes a collective deontic admissibility statement about a supergroup of that group. Our negative results on conditional expressivity may serve as a proof of concept for future studies.

Canola (Brassica napus L.) is an important oilseed crop with notable economic and nutritional value; however, its productivity in newly reclaimed soils is hindered by nutrient deficiencies and complex soil conditions. This study examined the combined effects of magnesium (Mg) fertilisation and zinc (Zn) foliar applications on the growth, yield and oil quality of canola in newly reclaimed soils in Egypt during the 2021/2022 and 2022/2023 growing seasons. A split-plot experimental design was utilised, featuring Mg rates (12, 24, 48 and 72 kg/ha) as main plots and Zn foliar applications (0, 3, 5 and 6 g/L) as sub-plots. The results indicated significant improvements in plant growth characteristics, yield components and oil parameters with elevated levels of Mg and Zn. The treatment combination of 72 kg Mg/ha and 6 g/L Zn consistently improved plant height, number of primary branches, siliques per plant and 1000-seed weight in both seasons. Seed yield increased by 71%, achieving 3.50 t/ha, while oil yield exhibited a 134.9% rise, reaching 1,377.43 kg/ha. Principal component analysis revealed that the increased application of Mg and Zn significantly enhanced agronomic performance, with the first two principal components accounting for 90.7% of the total variance. Correlation and path analyses revealed intricate interactions among traits, with the number of siliques per plant and oil content demonstrating the most significant direct effects on seed and oil yields. This study highlights the significance of balanced nutrient management for optimising canola productivity.

Electricity supply operators offer financial incentives to encourage large energy users to reduce their power demand during declared periods of increased demand from energy users such as residential homes. This demand flexibility enables electricity system operators to ensure adequate power supply and avoid the construction of peaking power plants.

Railway operators can sometimes reduce their power demand during specified peak demand periods without disrupting the train schedules. For trains with infrequent stops, such as intercity trains, it is possible to speed up trains prior to the peak demand period, slow down during the peak demand period, then speed up again after the peak demand period. We use simple train models to develop an optimal strategy that minimizes energy use for a fleet of trains subject to energy-use constraints during specified peak demand intervals. The strategy uses two sets of interacting parameters to find an optimal solution—a Lagrange multiplier for each energy-constrained time interval to control the speed of trains during each interval, and a Lagrange multiplier for each train to control the relative train speeds and ensure each train completes its journey on time.

Ulbe Bosma’s book on the global history of sugar offers fundamentally new insights into the nexus of technology, corporate capital, government policies, and ideologies of progress in the making of commodity frontiers. From the perspective of historical materialist anthropology, it is important to broaden the research agenda even further. With reference to Maussian historical personae in the making of global capitalism, for example, a long history of raiders of state budgets emerges from Bosma’s work. Incorporating Sidney Mintz’s work on Sweetness and Power on a critical extension of world-system theory reveals, for the case of colonial and postcolonial Mauritius, that economic subsystems and local responses to slavery and indenture have a permanence for kinship structures, social policies, real estate markets, trade union legislations, and postcolonial development policies in special economic zones. Such a widened focus allows for the incorporation of the Caribbean Plantation School theorists into our analysis of sugar commodity chains within a comprehensive world systems perspective beyond the commodity frontiers agenda.

Indicators of environmental impact can be used to inform the production, promotion and consumption of sustainable diets. Most environmental impacts associated with food production occur on farm; thus, sustainable diets are reliant on sustainable agricultural practices. In this paper, we review the current use of environmental indicators and metrics from global to local scales and highlight the need for locally relevant definitions to inform sustainable diets. Using Australia as a case study, we show that the diversity of food production systems is accompanied by a diversity of environmental issues, including climate change, land scarcity, nutrient pollution, water scarcity and biodiversity loss, each uniquely affecting different systems. However, while global datasets and indicators provide a consistent basis for estimating impacts and enabling country and food product comparisons, they often fail to capture the nuances of food production at national and sub-national scales. For example, land use may be a poor indicator of biodiversity loss when grazing a natural, low-input rangeland. Similarly, water use is only relevant where there is competition for the resource and eutrophication only where there is an adjacent water system to pollute. Thus, reporting frameworks used to inform sustainable diets need to be based on indicators that consider the context of local systems to demonstrate the clear linkage and how specific farming systems can drive sustainable diets. The development of provenance and traceability systems means the tools are already available to track impacts at a regional, or even individual farm, level.

Acoustic variability refers to variations in speech that do not alter linguistic content. Previous studies have demonstrated that acoustic variability improves second language (L2) word learning when varying talker, speaking style, or speaking rate but not amplitude or fundamental frequency (Barcroft & Sommers, 2005; Sommers & Barcroft, 2007). The current study examined the effects of region-based sociophonetic variability. In Experiment 1, English speakers attempted to learn German nouns while viewing pictures and listening to the words with low sociophonetic variability (six speakers of one regional variety, one repetition per speaker) and high sociophonetic variability (six speakers of each of six different regional varieties, one repetition per speaker). Participants completed picture-to-L2 and L2-to-first language (L1) posttests. Experiment 2 replicated Experiment 1 while counterbalancing word groups and learning conditions. Results of both experiments revealed increased accuracy for high over low variability, suggesting that regionally varied exemplars of words lead to more robust developing lexical representations.

The control of shipborne stabilisation platforms is challenging due to the effects of platform dynamic characteristics and unpredictable wave disturbances in operational environments. This paper proposes an integrated control strategy that combines dynamic feedforward and fuzzy gain control. Based on the derived dynamic model of the shipborne stabilisation platform, a dynamic feedforward controller is designed to mitigate the effects of platform dynamics on motion accuracy. In the fuzzy gain control design, scaling modules are proposed to enhance the fuzzy controller’s adaptability to varying operating conditions and unpredictable wave disturbances. The motion of the stabilisation platform is simulated by taking the motion of the lower platform calculated based on the wave fluctuations in marine environments as the input. The prototype experiment is conducted by using a large-scale parallel mechanism to simulate the wave environments. Simulation and experimental results indicate that the proposed control strategy achieves real-time disturbance compensation without precise mathematical modelling or pre-training, and demonstrates good adaptability.

Panonychus citri is a significant pest of Rutaceae plants. Chitin deacetylase is a key gene in chitin metabolism and the insect molting process. In this study, The PcCDA1 and PcCDA2 genes of P. citri were cloned and identified. The expression of PcCDA1 was higher during the egg stage, while PcCDA2 exhibited the highest expression during the larval stage, with their expression levels showing a clear periodicity. Using RNAi technology to silence the expression of the PcCDA1 and PcCDA2 genes in the mite, the results indicated that only 20.85% successfully molted, while the deformity rates were 78.81% and 85.44%, respectively. HE staining and microscopic observation revealed that silencing PcCDA1 and PcCDA2 caused an increase in the epidermal thickness of P. citri by 1.87 μm and 5.706 μm, respectively. Additionally, silencing PcCDA also significantly reduced the relative mRNA expression levels of chitin synthesis genes (PcCHS1 and PcCHS2) and degradation genes (PcCHT1, PcCHT2, and PcCHT4). These results suggest that the PcCDA gene is crucial for normal molting and epidermal development, providing new scientific evidence for molecular target-based green pest control strategies.

Crop establishment system choice is crucial for growers, with various options differing in tillage type, depth and intensity. In Ireland, plough-based establishment dominates, but interest in and adoption of non-inversion systems is growing. These systems have proven successful in drier climates, where they evolved, but their performance under wetter Atlantic-influenced conditions is less studied. Limited research indicates challenges such as increased grass weed pressure, inconsistent yields, poorer crop establishment and reduced suitability for spring cropping. Additionally, the suitability of conventional replicated trials for extrapolating performance to farm level is frequently questioned for systems-type research. This research combines two complementary studies: a replicated field trial and detailed on-farm studies. The performance of wheat grown following a break crop in plough, min-till and direct drill systems was evaluated using both methods over three seasons. In the replicated trial, where management and input use were consistent across treatments, variation was recorded in plant densities and growth with only minor effects on yield. In contrast, the on-farm study, where management and input use varied between systems, showed no variation in plant densities and growth but did reveal significant yield differences. These were associated with input use and establishment system. The on-farm study provided valuable insight into the range of performance of these systems in commercial settings. However, it was less effective at isolating which specific components were responsible for the observed performance differences between systems.

This study examines gender bias in the investigative work of medieval inquisitors, focusing on Albert of Castellario’s trial of the Waldensians in Giaveno, Italy, in 1335. Drawing upon advancements in sociological and criminological literature, we conceptualize an inquisitorial trial as a discretionary information-gathering endeavor contingent upon the inquisitor’s judgment in deciding which leads to pursue. Employing social network analysis and survival methods, we evaluate whether Albert demonstrated gender biases in his investigative decisions, particularly regarding the weight assigned to testimonies from men versus women. Our findings demonstrate that Albert was more inclined to investigate men and prioritize their testimonies, even where similar levels of incriminating evidence were present for both genders. These results highlight the influence of societal attitudes toward gender on inquisitorial practices, on the representativeness of historical records, and on prevailing understandings of heretical groups. Furthermore, this study underscores the broader utility of our methodological framework for addressing related historical inquiries, including the political motivations behind the medieval inquisition.

Advance market commitments (AMCs) are gaining increasing attention as an alternative science funding mechanism to promote innovation in medicine. In this paper, we first review the theory underlying AMCs, before analyzing two case studies of prior AMCs: the Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance pneumococcal conjugate vaccine AMC launched in 2007 and the use of AMC-like mechanisms in Operation Warp Speed in the US. We identify the empirical successes and limitations of AMCs in promoting research and development into new therapeutics and vaccine candidates, highlighting both the strong promise of AMCs and the need to complement them with other science funding mechanisms to promote innovation. We conclude with a series of recommendations to inform science policymakers.