The trap vowel /æ/ is known to display a complex variable duration in many English dialects, but this phenomenon is understudied in Australian English. Previous analyses suggest that trap duration is sensitive to the effects of following phonetic environments in complex ways, but that a lexically specific effect may also operate in determining duration. This study aims to investigate phonetic and lexical effects through an acoustic analysis of trap duration in Australian English. Speakers from a range of areas in Sydney that vary in their ethnic and linguistic diversity produced the trap vowel in select phonetic contexts. Results suggest that trap exhibits a complex hierarchy of durations which are conditioned by the characteristics of the following coda, as well as a notably long duration in the affective adjectives mad and sad compared to other words with coda /d/ that were tested. However, these effects were found to be relatively less pronounced among speakers from more ethnically and linguistically diverse regions of Sydney. This may be attributed to high levels of language and dialect contact occurring in more diverse areas resulting in a gradual reduction in the degree of trap durational variability.

This letter discusses the complex nature of plastics, why regulating plastics is a ‘wicked problem’, and the implications of a life cycle approach. The draft Global Plastics Treaty attempts to address two key problems: the cap on production and the problem of chemical additives in plastics. As a ‘wicked’ problem with many conflicting interests, dealing with plastics requires a holistic life cycle approach completely different from the Montreal Protocol. Strict and enforced limits on polymer production would reduce plastics pollution and also encourage a reduction in the range of additives, as limiting production would make mechanical or chemical recycling more viable. Used plastics need to be turned into a commodity rather than a waste, and reducing and standardising the number of different chemical formulations would help by reducing the number of chemicals to be regulated. To achieve these objectives, this letter argues for a regulatory approach based on a forensic analysis that applies extended environmental systems analysis to all the life cycle stages of the plastics value chain.

Recent advancements in wearable robots have focused on developing soft, compliant, and lightweight structures to provide comfort for the users and to achieve the primary function of assisting body motions. The interaction forces induced by physical human-robot interaction (pHRI) not only cause skin discomfort or pain due to relatively high localized pressures but also degrade the wearability and the safety of the wearer’s joints by unnaturally altering the joint reaction forces (JRFs) and the joint reaction moments (JRMs). Although the correlation between excessive JRFs/JRMs and joint-related conditions has been reported by researchers, the biomechanical effects of forces and moments caused by the pHRI of a wearable robot on the wearer’s joints remain under-analyzed. In this study, we propose a method of measuring and analyzing these interactions and effects, using a custom-designed soft, three-degree-of-freedom (DOF) force sensor. The sensor is made of four Hall effect sensors and a neodymium magnet embedded in a silicone elastomer structure, enabling simultaneous measurement of normal and two-axis shear forces by detecting the distance changes between the magnet and each Hall effect sensor. These sensors are embedded in contact pads of a commercial wearable robot and measure the interaction forces, used for calculating JRF and JRM. We also propose a modified inverse dynamics approach that allows us to consider the physical interactions between the robot and the human body. The proposed method of sensing and analysis provides the potential to enhance the design of future wearable robots, ensuring long-term safety.

English-language alchemical manuscript texts remain under-studied despite their potential for providing new insights into the textual histories of alchemy. In this article, I use close reading of one such Middle English alchemical text, which I name The Gracious Work, to examine how its alchemical metaphors create cohesion among a fragmented whole. This nameless and previously unstudied work, formerly attributed to Roger Bacon (c.1214–92?), is extant in four English-language manuscript witnesses. Three of them are from the late fifteenth century (Cambridge, University Library MS Dd.4.45; Cambridge, Trinity College MS R.14.45; Oxford, Bodleian Library MS Ashmole 1451) and one is from the seventeenth century (MS Ashmole 1452). On the surface, The Gracious Work looks like a typically ‘incoherent’ alchemical text; indeed, although exploring this work’s textual history is beyond the scope of this article, it was probably compiled from several sources. However, the coherence in The Gracious Work comes from its central metaphors – core alchemical metaphors drawn from family life. Metaphors linking alchemical processes and substances to concepts of daily life such as weddings and parenthood ease information transmission in this fragmentary work; in addition, the vagueness of the language acts as a marker of in-group language use.

This paper provides practical guidance to UK-based financial institutions (UKFIs) that are subject to the “operational resilience” guideline requirements of the Bank of England (BoE), Prudential Regulatory Authority and Financial Conduct Authority, issued in 2021, and fully effective for 31 March 2025. It contains practical suggestions and recommendations to assist UKFIs in implementing the guidelines. The scope of the paper covers issues related to (a) overviewing the latest equivalent operational resilience guidance in other countries and internationally (b) identifying key issues related to risk culture, risk appetite, information technology, tolerance setting, risk modelling, scenario planning and customer oriented operational resilience (c) identifying a framework for operational resilience based on a thorough understanding of these parameters and (d) designing and implementing an operational resilience maturity dashboard based on a sample of large UKIFs. The study also contains recommendations for further action, including enhanced controls and operational risk management frameworks. It concludes by identifying imperative policy actions to ensure that the implementation of the guidelines is more effective.

In this paper we adopt the probabilistic mean value theorem in order to study differences of the variances of transformed and stochastically ordered random variables, based on a suitable extension of the equilibrium operator. We also develop a rigorous approach aimed at expressing the variance of transformed random variables. This is based on a joint distribution which, in turn, involves the variance of the original random variable, as well as its mean residual lifetime and mean inactivity time. Then we provide applications to the additive hazards model and to some well-known random variables of interest in actuarial science. These deal with a new notion, called the ‘centred mean residual lifetime’, and a suitably related stochastic order. Finally, we also address the analysis of the differences of the variances of transformed discrete random variables thanks to the use of a discrete version of the equilibrium operator.

This commentary examines how early health technology assessment can mitigate risks during the development of innovative technologies.

This study investigates heritage speakers (HSs) of Spanish in the U.S. and potential areas of divergence in speech from homeland speakers. To examine the relative contribution of prosody and segments in perceived heritage accent, we conducted an accent rating task with speech samples of second language learners (L2s), HSs and homeland speakers presented in three conditions: original, prosody-only and segments-only. The stimuli were rated by two groups: HSs and homeland speakers. The results revealed that HSs and homeland speakers had similar global accent perceptions, rating HSs as more native-like than L2s but less native-like than homeland speakers. We found that both rater groups aligned with a dominant language ideology of Spanish; speakers who were judged as more native-like were perceived as residing in a Spanish-speaking country. Our findings also demonstrate that prosody contributes more to perceived heritage accent than segments, while segments contribute more to L2 foreign accent than prosody.

Comprehend, Cope and Connect (CCC) is a trauma-informed, transdiagnostic and evidence-based psychological intervention for mental health crises that can be applied cross-culturally. CCC has been implemented in acute and crisis mental health settings across the South of England and in services elsewhere in the UK. More recently, it has been taken up and adapted for specialist community settings, including perinatal services, addiction services and primary care settings. A continuously growing evidence base indicates that CCC could be the next step towards solving the national problem of mental health crises. It is now time for CCC to be piloted and researched nationally.

Spectroscopic observations are essential for confirming associations, measuring kinematics, and determining stellar populations in dwarf galaxies. Here, we present Keck Cosmic Web Imager spectra for 12 MATLAS survey dwarfs. For 9, we confirm recession velocities consistent with their literature-assumed host galaxies. We propose revisions of the host galaxy associations for MATLAS-631, 1494, and 1938. For MATLAS-1494, our measured redshift reclassifies it from an ultra-diffuse galaxy candidate to a dwarf galaxy that is of smaller physical size and places it in the field. It also appears old and passive, providing a challenge to models that invoke quenching by tidal effects. Additionally, we measure stellar population estimates for 7 of the 12 galaxies, finding a ‘mixed bag’ of old quenched galaxies and those that are currently forming stars. Compared to the literature we find generally younger ages and higher metallicities. This result may help reconcile the observed offset of MATLAS survey dwarf galaxies from the universal stellar mass–metallicity relationship reported by Heesters et al. (2023).

Single-crystal synchrotron X-ray diffraction data were collected up to 10 GPa at room temperature on a natural omphacite with composition close to Jd43Di57, at the Xpress beamline at Elettra Synchrotron, using a diamond anvil cell. A second-order Birch-Murnaghan equation of state (EoS) fit to the unit-cell volumes determined at 20 pressure points yielded V0 = 422.85(15) Å3, and K0 = 121.3(1.2) GPa. These elastic parameters are consistent with the general trend of the diopside–jadeite join. The structural evolution with pressure was determined from both ab initio simulations and structure refinements to the X-ray intensity data. The consistency between experimental findings and local geometrical distortions identified through ab initio calculations is discussed. A distortion variation at the M1 polyhedron occurs at ∼3 GPa, which correlates with the TILT angle of the T2 tetrahedron which stabilises at a similar pressure, coinciding with a decrease in the rate of M1 deformation under pressure.

These results revealing the structural evolution with pressure correlate with changes observed previously in some Raman shifts in the same pressure range in the same material.

We explore debt and debt management among older Americans (ages 51–61 years) using the 2018 National Financial Capability Study. Though these individuals should have been at the peak of their retirement savings, we show that many were heavily indebted, often due to unpaid medical bills and student loans. Additionally, fewer than half (43%) could correctly answer three basic financial literacy questions; importantly, less financially literate people were more likely to hold excessive debt, be contacted by debt collectors, and carry medical debt or student loans. Our findings show that, even before the pandemic, a sizable proportion of older Americans was financially distressed, underscoring the need for researchers and policymakers to devote attention to specific types of debt that burden the older population. Particularly vulnerable groups include African-Americans, women, and the least-educated.

Unlike many other industrial societies, the partisan fights on the vaccination against COVID-19 in Taiwan centred on its brand choice rather than acceptance. Did the incumbent DPP supporters adhere to their party line of Medigen to vaccinate against COVID-19 during the pandemic? We argue that individual COVID-19 vaccine brand choices as gradually updated judgements during the pandemic were not solely determined by the party line, but jointly shaped by the strength of party affiliation and the level of government trust to facilitate decision-making in the highly uncertain information environment at the early stage of the pandemic. More specifically, when choosing COVID-19 vaccine brand, the incumbent DPP supporters, particularly weak ones, were more likely to adhere to their party line of Medigen as they trusted government more; however, this was only for the highly uncertain first shot, due to the absence of reliable information for making informed judgements about COVID vaccine brand choice at the early stage of the pandemic, not for the informationally rich booster shot. We report empirical findings consistent with our argument from statistical analyses of original data from a survey of 1642 Taiwanese adult respondents conducted in the fall of 2022.