This paper argues that, while the famous “first shot formula” represents the dominant interpretation for the application of common Article 2(1) of the Geneva Conventions, its application in the case of unilateral use of lethal force for the targeted killing of military personnel in the territory of a third state is not compatible with the requirements of humanity and the object and purpose of these treaties. The paper contends such an operation will not ipso facto trigger an international armed conflict between targeting state and the state of the targeted person. By examining the elements that constitute an international armed conflict, the paper proposes a new criterion for determining the beginning of such a conflict in cases of targeted killing of military personnel in the territory of a third state.

Although battles have usually been analysed to study state formation, they can also be examined to understand socio-cultural processes in the empire. The Battle of Dharmat (26 April 1658), which occurred during the famed Mughal War of Succession (1657–1659) that led to the accession of Aurangzeb Alamgir (r. 1658–1707), was a landmark moment in Rajput history and memory. Rajput clans serving in the Mughal army at Dharmat commissioned vernacular literary-historical works to put forward competing claims to martyrdom, bravery, clan, and caste pride. Particularly, Dharmat provided an opportunity for minor clans to establish their fallen leaders, like Ratan Rathor, as heroes, especially after the prominent Rajput king Jaswant Rathor fled the battlefield. The Rajput retellings of the battle deliberated questions surrounding masculinity, loyalty, sacrifice, and qualities underpinning the ideal martial Rajput identity. The contrasting portrayals of the ‘martyr’ and the ‘deserter’ at Dharmat represented a conflict between personal virtue and failure, capturing the chasm between honour and disgrace in the Rajput socio-political and cultural sphere. By drawing on Dingal poetry, Marwari chronicles, Persian literature, and the accounts of foreign travellers, this article unravels how a Mughal battle became a site for rehearsing normative Rajput caste ideals in seventeenth-century India.

This article presents an analysis of two sheet gold ornaments of the Mycenaean post-palatial period (twelfth–eleventh centuries bc) found in two cemeteries on the island of Kefalonia. These unusual ornaments bear solar symbols of Nordic and central European type, the closest parallels being those on the contemporary gold discs from votive deposits on the Italian peninsula. The study considers the technological, morphological, and iconographic particularities of the Kefalonian ornaments and how they differ from each other and from other finds. The ornaments’ use in a funerary context is examined against Aegean practices, burial rites, and ideology. The examination of their iconographic and conceptual antecedents in the Aegean cultural sphere reveals that the exogenous input in their creation—linked to transcultural exchange within the Adriatic—was matched by indigenous engagement with aspects of cosmology.

This paper invites reflection on the nature and role of visual illustration in economics, through a historical account of the “Hayekian triangle,” a graphical representation devised by Friedrich A. Hayek to depict the structure of production and introduced in his 1931 book Prices and Production. Tracing its origins back to Hayek’s earlier “schemes” in 1929, the paper then examines the triangle’s evolution and its applications in visualizing economic phenomena such as capital accumulation and business cycles. The paper also highlights key developments by contemporaries and successors, such as Evan F. M. Durbin, Murray N. Rothbard, and Roger W. Garrison, as well as more recent formalizations that integrate mathematical precision.

This paper examines the morality of medical assistance in dying (MAID) in Kantian ethics. I argue that it is much harder than is often acknowledged to rule MAID out, even given Kant’s prohibition on suicide. Kant’s non-consequentialism entails that providing MAID does not aid the patient’s duty violation. Moreover, Kant’s distinction between public and private reason provides resources for arguing that those who provide MAID are not complicit with that violation either, at least in jurisdictions in which there is a public mandate. On my reading, the ethical permissibility of providing MAID is largely determined by its legal status.

This article examines the Tangchaodun bema—a liturgical structure dating to the Gaochang Uyghur Kingdom in Xinjiang—as a regional manifestation of the architectural and theological tradition of the Church of the East, shaped over centuries of transmission and adaptation. Through comparative analysis of archaeological remains and liturgical texts from Syria, Mesopotamia, and Central Asia, the study argues that the Tangchaodun bema follows the ‘eastern-type bema’ model rooted in the East Syrian tradition. Its spatial configuration and ritual function reflect established Mesopotamian patterns, particularly in the mirroring of bema and sanctuary, while also incorporating localised features shaped by visual adaptation and intercultural contact. Bilingual inscriptions and iconographic traces further attest to this integration of tradition and regional context.

Rather than existing in isolation, the Tangchaodun bema forms part of a broader historical development in East Syriac ecclesiastical architecture. By positioning the site within this extended line of transmission, the article shows how sacred space operated as a medium of both theological continuity and cultural dialogue across Asia. In so doing, it offers new perspectives on the role of Christian architecture in the Tang to Yuan Dynasties and contributes to a more integrated understanding of the Church of the East in its easternmost reaches.

From the 1960s, the rising volatility of financial markets in the US troubled econometricians and bank managers alike. Both found it increasingly difficult to forecast savings deposit flows. This article explores these challenges by focusing on two developments. First, it analyzes the adjustment process among econometric models of the savings deposit market. I combine the analysis of the FMP model used by the Fed since 1970 and the deposit model of the Philadelphia Saving Fund Society (PSFS), thereby pioneering the historical analysis of econometric models built by private financial institutions. I find that economists failed to discover timeless determinants for deposit flows. Second, I explore how the conditions of the savings deposit market shaped the demand for macroeconomic forecast models, using the PSFS as a case study. I show that while the rising volatility led bank managers to seek sophisticated tools to predict deposit flows, the deregulation of the banking industry put the forecasting quality of macroeconomic models for individual banks to the test.

Hydrogen is a leading candidate for zero-emission propulsion in aviation, particularly when stored and utilised in its liquid form. However, key components such as composite cryogenic pressure vessels remain at low Technology Readiness Levels (TRL), requiring further investigation into their structural performance under realistic operational conditions. The present work aims to provide a validated numerical methodology for simulating the thermomechanical behaviour and the progressive damage evolution of composite cryogenic hydrogen tanks. The finite element framework incorporates ply-level failure criteria and stiffness degradation laws to capture intra-laminar damage mechanisms under combined pressure and temperature loads. The modelling approach is validated against experimental data from coupon-level open-hole tension tests and subcomponent-scale composite pipes burst tests, demonstrating strong correlation in terms of failure onset and progression.

The validated methodology is subsequently applied to a demonstrator, comprising a composite liquid hydrogen tank, subjected to three representative loading scenarios: internal pressure, cryogenic temperature and combined cryogenic-mechanical loading. Results reveal that matrix-dominated damage initiates near the cylinder – dome interfaces of the tank and propagates across the laminate, while fibre failure is not observed in the investigated load cases. This suggests that potential hydrogen leakage is the initial critical failure condition that occurs before any other important structural damage of the tank, highlighting the need for appropriate tank design. The performed study contributes to the understanding of structural integrity of composite cryogenic tanks and offers a computational basis for future design and certification efforts in hydrogen aviation systems.

This research communication aimed to describe the concentrations of major bone metabolic markers in colostrum from dairy cows on the day of calving and to clarify their associations with parity and the incidence of milk fever (MF). Forty-five Holstein cows were categorized into three groups based on parity: P1 (first calving; n = 18), P2 (second calving; n = 11) and P3 (third to sixth calving; n = 16). Within the P3 group, 6 cows developed MF within a few hours after calving (MF cows), whereas 10 showed no signs of MF (non-MF cows). Concentrations of osteoprotegerin (OPG), tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase isoform 5b (TRAP5b), cross-linked N-telopeptide of type I collagen (NTx), bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BAP or ALP3) and calcium (Ca) were measured. With increasing parity, serum concentrations of Ca, ALP3 and TRAP5b significantly declined (P < 0.001–0.05). Parity also significantly influenced colostral bone markers: colostral BAP was highest in the P2 group (P < 0.01). Among P3 cows, serum Ca concentrations were significantly lower in MF cows than in non-MF cows, although no significant differences were observed in colostral Ca concentrations. Although no statistically significant differences were detected in other colostral bone metabolic markers between MF and non-MF cows, colostral OPG concentrations tended to be higher in MF cows (P = 0.088). Across all 45 cows and within the P3 group, colostral OPG was moderately and positively associated with serum OPG, as well as with both colostral and serum NTx concentrations. In conclusion, colostral OPG concentration in parturient cows with three or more parities may serve as a useful indicator for reflecting the bone metabolic status of dairy cows with and without MF.

The design of a hexagonal six-ridged waveguide (H6RWG) phased array antenna (PAA) element featuring a wide scan angle matched slotted horn aperture is presented for Ka-band satellite downlink in low Earth orbit non-terrestrial network applications. The proposed PAA element is evaluated against an open-ended waveguide (OEWG) PAA element and achieves a very low active reflection coefficient (ARC) of less than -18 dB and a total antenna efficiency greater than 84% over a wide bandwidth from 17.3 to 20.2 GHz with a $\pm$ 50$^\circ$ scan range. Specifically, the aperture of the H6RWG was designed to limit the variations in ARC during scanning, thereby minimizing load pulling of integrated active devices, as demonstrated with a power amplifier (PA) in a co-simulation. As a result, the power-added efficiency, output power, and linearity of the PA remained stable over the bandwidth and scan range. Compared to the OEWG PAA, the co-polarized system efficiency and equivalent isotropic radiated power are improved for most scan angles within the bandwidth, especially at high scan angles.

The Arctic, once a climate victim, is now becoming a climate stressor. The melting ice has brought us closer to climate tipping points and, simultaneously, has made oil reserves in the Arctic more accessible. As a result, a clash has emerged between scientific warnings and climate change obstruction (CCO) discourses that prioritise economic ambitions over climate concerns. This study investigates whether, despite scientific warnings, Norway defends further oil extraction in the Arctic, thus aligning with CCO discourses by prioritising economic interests over climate urgency. Based on a qualitative inductive approach, we analyse four official White Papers from the Norwegian government, identify their discursive patterns and contrast them with CCO discourses found in the literature. We found that the Norwegian government exhibits an affinity with six CCO discourses: 1) Non-Transformative Discourse, 2) Responsibility Deflection Discourse, 3) Discourse of the Common Good, 4) Discourse of Higher Priorities or Loyalties, 5) The Legal Discourse, and 6) The Discourse of Good Intentions. We conclude that the Norwegian government has constructed a narrative where the recognition of climate urgency does not mean the renouncement of its long-term petroleum interests and further oil extraction in the Arctic. This narrative, named here as the “green oil” narrative, uses renewable energies to electrify the oil industry, thus presenting renewables as an ally of oil expansion rather than a step toward a fossil fuel phase-out. Overall, Norway’s current narrative fails to address oil dependency, defending and justifying oil extraction in the Arctic.

With the Directive on Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence, the European Union strives to address the negative externalities of companies that arise in the global economy. The new Directive follows the example of national lawmakers by requiring large companies operating in their own jurisdiction to manage adverse impacts on human rights and the environment. These due diligence laws affect companies beyond European borders by cascading due diligence standards down transnational ownership ties and value chains. They are shifting gears in the complex engine of the global economy and have considerable impacts on stakeholders in third countries. These extraterritorial implications raise the question of what limits international law places on relevant unilateral legislation. This article assesses the Directive against the law of jurisdiction and international comity arguing that unilateral due diligence laws are an appropriate way to address transnational sustainability challenges, provided lawmakers take adequate precautions.

This note establishes sharp time-asymptotic algebraic rate bounds for the classical evolution problem of Fujita, but with sublinear rather than superlinear exponent. A transitional stability exponent is identified, which has a simple reciprocity relation with the classical Fujita critical blow-up exponent.

This article examines the crucial yet underexplored role of indigenous peasant women in the struggle for agrarian reform and peasant liberation during the second half of the twentieth century in Latin America. Focusing on and re-examining the peasant movement of La Convención (Peru) and employing historical and anthropological methods, it argues that these women were far from peripheral actors. They actively engaged in unions, collective actions and even armed militias, performing both traditional and non-traditional gender roles to challenge the exploitative hacienda system and gender hierarchies. The article also analyses the impact of the Cold War on their rhetoric, alliances and broader struggle for social justice.

What is the relationship between Chinese migrants and China? Can modern Chinese migration be compared to colonization? This article examines how Chinese intellectuals in the first half of the twentieth century grappled with these questions through their writings in Dongfang zazhi (东方杂志, 1904–1948) and Nanyang yanjiu (南洋研究, 1928–1944). It shows that although these intellectuals acknowledged the territorial dimensions of Chinese migration—particularly in Southeast Asia—they defined colonization through the European model and stressed the fundamental differences between Chinese migration and Western or Japanese colonialism. Their perspectives also evolved over time, from initially advocating colonization and racial vitality in the early twentieth century, to proclaiming a different path after the Republican Revolution in 1911, and later to reimagining post-Second World War Chinese migration as not just a nationalist project but also a movement of decolonization and localization. The article highlights the case of Li Changfu, a pioneering scholar whose writings epitomized these evolving perspectives and illustrated the efforts among Chinese intellectuals to move beyond both the Western colonial framework and the China-centred national model in formulating a world-historical approach. Yet their attempts also revealed enduring tensions, including the tendency to essentialize Chinese identity even as they sought to break from colonial and national paradigms and construct new narratives. Their engagement with the ‘colonial question’ offers fresh insight into contemporary historiographical debates over the role of colonialism and empire-buiding in Chinese history.

Iodine deficiency is now a significant public-health concern in the UK. Data from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS; 2019–2023) shows that several population groups are now classified as mildly iodine deficient, including women of childbearing age. This is a change from previous NDNS data where these groups were iodine sufficient. As iodine is needed for thyroid-hormone production, which are essential for brain development, iodine deficiency prior to, and during, pregnancy may have implications for child cognition – including lower IQ. However, the evidence base for the health effects of mild deficiency is not as strong as in severe deficiency. The WHO recommends salt iodisation to control iodine deficiency in a population, but such a policy was never introduced in the UK and iodised salt is not widely available. While UK milk is rich in iodine and is the principal source, the rise in popularity of plant-based milk alternatives may increase the risk of iodine deficiency. It may be necessary to give personalised advice to those with low iodine intake, but identify those at risk is challenging owing to a lack of a biomarker for iodine in an individual. Population-wide approaches may be required in the UK – for example, fortification of bread with iodised salt or mandatory iodine fortification of plant-based dairy alternatives. This review will critically discuss (i) the data on iodine deficiency in the UK (ii) the evidence base for the health implications of mild deficiency and (iii) the potential public-health solutions.