This article analyses the Niobe allusion of Iliad 24 (599–620), providing solutions to grammatical, structural, and narratological problems therein. I show how attention to an often-overlooked and universally misinterpreted occurrence of τε in line 602 paves the way to a new understanding of the passage as a whole. In addition, a supposed problem with the ring structure of the passage is resolved without the need of editorial intervention.

Individual loss reserving methods have undergone substantial development in the past decade, driven by increased accessibility to granular-level insurance claims data. This paper presents a micro loss reserving model tailored for multi-coverage insurance policies, where a single insurance claim might trigger payments from multiple coverage types. We employ a copula-based multivariate regression approach to jointly model the settlement time and loss amount, effectively capturing the dependence among various types of loss amounts and their correlation with the settlement time. We stress the importance of considering both types of dependence for accurate reserving prediction and uncertainty quantification. Furthermore, we propose computationally efficient algorithms for parameter estimation and dynamic prediction. Through numerical experiments and real data analysis, we demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed multivariate predictive model in loss reserving applications.

Mussel cells from three age groups (i.e., 2–4, 5–6, and ≥ 10 years) were tested for lysosomal membrane stability (LMS – membrane permeability and proton pump function), autophagic rate, and intralysosomal reactive oxygen species (ROS). LMS was significantly reduced in haemocytes and digestive cells of the hepatopancreas (digestive gland) in the two older groups of mussels, while autophagy in haemocytes was reduced in the oldest age group. ROS generation was measured in digestive cells and was reduced in the oldest age group. Age-related decline in LMS and autophagy may be related to dysfunction of the PI3P-Akt-mTOR signalling pathway. Lysosomal autophagy can also be a source of ROS generation as the degradation product lipofuscin (age/stress pigment) accumulates in autolysosomes and residual bodies; and lipofuscin-associated iron can generate ROS. Previous investigation found age-related increased lipid peroxidation in digestive gland cells, whereas this study only assessed ROS generation in the lysosomal compartment of digestive cells and may reflect increased lysosomal and autophagic dysfunction. Principal component analysis, multidimensional scaling, and cluster analysis showed that the three age groups were significantly different from each other, with the oldest mussels showing the greatest degree of cellular dysfunction. The anti-oxidative protective role of autophagy and possible links to lysosomal and autophagic dysfunction in ovarian oocytes and fecundity reduction with age are discussed in the context of increased fragility in health of older animals (e.g., digestion, autophagic recycling and repair & innate immunity). Consequently, it is recommended that young mussels should be used in environmental biomonitoring with LMS.

Compensatory policies for the losers of trade are a key feature of the liberal economic order established after the Second World War. Legislators have a variety of policy options to choose. But do political elites and the public have the same attitudes toward compensatory policies? We expect an elite–public gap with the public relatively less supportive of spending policies and more supportive of tax cuts and trade restrictions than political elites. Moreover, we reason that ideology should matter more for elites than the public. Unique data from a survey with legislators in 19 European countries and public opinion surveys in three countries allow us to test this argument. We find that elites and the public indeed differ in their attitudes toward compensatory policies. However, these differences pale in comparison to variation in support for various compensatory policies. These findings shed light on the politics of compensation and on the political attitudes of elites and the public more broadly.

Fast sampling photometry is a key observable for characterising fireballs, particularly their fragmentation episodes, which are strongly connected to the internal structure of the meteoroid and its physical properties. Accurate photometric measurements remain a challenge due to the large dynamic range required (upwards of 10 stellar magnitudes), driving operational complexity and cost. We have developed a system using an all-sky camera operating at up to 500 frames per second (FPS), featuring a novel implementation of detection localised auto-brightness control. The large data throughput is managed by custom software that performs transient detection, region-of-interest saving, and real-time photometry. We present results from two field deployments: the first validates the system’s photometric accuracy against conventional 30 FPS cameras, while the second demonstrates the successful implementation of detection localised auto-brightness control in capturing a bright, magnitude $-15$ fireball with minimal saturation. With the detection localised auto-brightness control, the system achieves an effective dynamic range between apparent magnitudes of approximately $-3$ to $-17$, allowing it to capture light curves with minimal saturation for most fireballs, excluding rare superbolides. The resulting high-quality light curve enabled a successful semi-empirical fragmentation analysis verifying the system’s ability to provide data for detailed physical modelling. The primary application for this validated system will be as a core component of the Global Fireball Observatory’s next-generation instrumentation. The intention is to deploy it in a hybrid observatory, operating alongside a dedicated high-resolution astrometric camera. This configuration will allow the network to simultaneously capture precise trajectory data for orbit and fall-line calculations and acquire complete, unsaturated high dynamic range light curves at high temporal resolution for detailed physical analysis, combining the strengths of both systems.

This paper studies a time-switching advection-diffusion system modelling the competition between Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in heterogeneous environments. The switching mechanism is induced by periodic releases of sterile Ae. albopictus mosquitoes, which are active only during their sexual lifespan within each release period. By defining a minimal release amount and four critical release period thresholds, we establish the periodic dynamics of the system, providing new insights into optimal control strategies of mosquitoes. Specifically, the trivial steady state is globally asymptotically stable if sterile releases are sufficiently frequent and abundant, which ensures the eradication of both Aedes species. For less frequent sterile releases, we prove the global asymptotic stability of the two semi-trivial periodic solutions and demonstrate the existence of a coexisting periodic solution, indicating cases where mosquito control fails. Numerical simulations are presented to validate our theoretical findings.

The UK has recently introduced regulations to prevent design features of online gambling products that may ‘encourage problem gambling behaviour’. One change has been to prohibit win-associated and celebratory audiovisual effects following monetary losses in online slots, intended to disable a misleading design feature known as ‘losses disguised as wins’ (LDWs). We assessed 26 popular online slots available to UK consumers. Contrary to regulatory guidance, 17 used win-associated sounds following LDWs, and 18 used sound effects following LDWs that we judged as ‘celebratory’. To independently validate our appraisal of these sound effects, we asked 400 UK-based gamblers to assess whether a selection of sound effects recorded from commercially available online slots communicated a positive outcome. In every case, the average consumer classifications of the recorded sounds were consistent with our own, validating our initial assessments. These results suggest that the misuse of celebratory sound effects in online slots still occurs in the UK market, despite this regulation. We argue that this is in part due to ambiguities in regulatory guidance that have enabled operators to technically comply with the regulation while circumventing its intended effect. We conclude by offering suggestions to amend and improve this regulation.

We present a multiphase study of the star-formation-driven outflow in the Virgo galaxy NGC 4383, combining ALMA CO(2–1) data with deep MeerKAT Hi imaging and MUSE spectroscopy obtained as part of the Multiphase Astrophysics to Unveil the Virgo Environment (MAUVE) program. Our previous work revealed a spectacular ionised outflow, but the effect of the outflow on the cold phase remained unclear. Our analysis shows that potentially outflowing molecular gas is detected only within the inner $\sim$1 kpc above the disc, where CO clouds exhibit disturbed kinematics and spatial correspondence with the ionisation cone. At larger heights, the CO surface brightness rapidly drops, indicating that the molecular phase contributes little to the mass of outflowing gas. In contrast, the Hi distribution shows plumes a few kiloparsecs above the disc that are aligned with the ionised cone, and complex kinematics suggestive of parts of the atomic phase being entrained in the outflow. However, the extended and warped Hi disc associated with NGC 4383 complicates the unambiguous identification of outflowing atomic gas and, most importantly, the quantification of outflowing mass and loading factor. Independent support for a cold component in the outflow comes from dust extinction features associated with the outflow and coincident with Hi plumes. Despite significant uncertainties in the estimate of the mass of cold gas associated with the outflow, these results suggest that the atomic phase likely dominates the cold outflow above $\sim$1 kpc. The observed cold gas velocities remain below the velocities of the ionised phase, suggesting that NGC 4383 does not host a large-scale escaping wind but more likely a galactic fountain, in which feedback redistributes material within the halo and regulates ongoing and future star formation.

This commentary is part of a series of responses to Michele Goodwin’s 2025 LSA presidential address.

The Niagara Escarpment in Hamilton, Ontario, presents significant geohazards, such as block failure, threatening human safety and infrastructure. Despite thorough documentation of the stratigraphy exposed along the escarpment, there remains a lack of quantitative assessment of the rock mass characteristics. This study addresses this gap and offers practical approaches to documenting rock mass characteristics by investigating rock strength properties. The Schmidt hammer (SH), a non-destructive tool widely used in geotechnical and geomorphological research, was used to compare the strength values of rock units exposed along the Niagara Escarpment in Hamilton. Systematic field investigations across selected sites used scanline surveys to measure weathering, fracture continuity, groundwater presence and SH values. The SH rebound values were qualitatively compared with those reported in previous literature and align with lithological expectations. Findings indicate that SH values are significantly influenced by both geographic location and geological formation, with a significant interaction effect. Comparative analysis of rock units in the Ancaster Member of the Goat Island Formation, the Gasport Formation and the Irondequoit Formation showed significant differences (p < 0.005) in rock hardness, with mean SH values of 32.8, 42.2 and 49.1, respectively. These findings demonstrate the necessity of integrating stratigraphic and site-specific geological data into hazard mitigation strategies, as rock hardness influences the stability of the escarpment face. The data reported here demonstrate rock strength variation along the Niagara Escarpment and contribute to the modelling and prediction of geohazards, thereby enhancing geohazard management strategies in similar regions.

We prove under certain conditions that any stable unfolding of a quasi-homogeneous map-germ with finite singularity type is substantial. We then prove that if an equidimensional map-germ is finitely determined, of corank 1, and either it admits a minimal stable unfolding or it is of multiplicity 3, then it admits a substantial unfolding if and only if it is quasi-homogeneous in some coordinate system. Based on this, we pose the following conjecture: a finitely determined map-germ is quasi-homogeneous in some coordinate system if and only if it admits a substantial unfolding.

Newton famously rejected the use of hypotheses in natural philosophy, in stark contrast to many of his contemporaries, such as Descartes, Huygens, and Leibniz, who employed hypothetical methods. This disagreement is often framed as one concerning the Hypothetico-Deductive (HD) method, but I argue that this is mistaken. The relevant hypothesis-based methods at issue were what I call inference to the best hypothesis and its stronger version, inference to the only plausible hypothesis. These methods were far more nuanced and plausible than HD, and they enjoyed widespread popularity among early modern thinkers, even among prominent experimental philosophers. Newton rejected them, nonetheless.

The ability of multirotor unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to perform accurately in windy environments is crucial for extended use in outdoor applications. To design UAVs to operate in these environments, most studies have focused on static performance metrics such as thrust-to-weight ratio and endurance, without directly considering closed-loop control performance. This work develops a simplified metric that serves as a predictor for achievable disturbance rejection performance, enabling efficient UAV design selection without requiring full-scale nonlinear simulations. A reduced-order model is introduced to capture key aerodynamic and actuation characteristics, allowing for rapid evaluation of UAV configurations. The metric is validated against high-fidelity nonlinear simulations, demonstrating strong correlation with actual control performance. By bridging the gap between UAV structural optimization and closed-loop control behavior, this approach provides a practical tool for integrating disturbance rejection capabilities into UAV design processes. The practical utility of this metric is supported by experimental findings from related wind tunnel studies of fully-actuated UAVs, which demonstrate that actual disturbance rejection performance aligns with the trends predicted by the simplified correlation function.

Research syntheses have demonstrated that pronunciation instruction works, which means that whether instruction is effective is no longer an open question. Instead, contemporary intervention research has shifted to investigating how instruction can be further optimized, asking targeted questions about the instructional features that catalyze learning. In this paper, I examine the concept of instructional optimization, focusing on anticipated effect sizes (gains). I outline a four-pronged empirical approach to provide robust data for designing optimal pronunciation interventions. First, I describe the need for replication studies, which provide insight into the precision and stability of effects across distinct research samples and contexts. Second, I advocate for a systematic approach to study design. In such an approach, which is closely tied to the principles of replication, one or two variables are manipulated at a time, leading to a set of maximally comparable studies that lend insight into the impact of specific variables. Third, I explain the need to situate instruction within a longitudinal perspective to examine how robust and durable instructional gains are. Finally, I turn to adaptive approaches, where the surface format that instruction takes is highly variable and responsive to learner needs while the adaptive decision tree that generates the form is fixed and replicable.

This is a study of how opposing cultural values influence support for minorities’ civil liberties. We build on a rich body of work, which establishes that culturally liberal Europeans are more likely to value diversity and favor minority rights than are cultural conservatives. Our contribution is to bring attention to how a second dimension of value conflict upends this established pattern. If a religious minority, in this case Muslims, wants to use their religious freedom to call on Muslims to adhere to conservative Islamic values – to preach them – support for their civil liberties plunges. We report substantively large and remarkably consistent results from seven classical tolerance experiments conducted in three European countries. In each trial, we observe the tendency of non-Muslims to deny Muslims their right to freedom of religion. We consistently observe that culturally liberal citizens join cultural conservatives in turning against Muslims’ right to hold a public rally when Muslims intend to exercise their right to freedom of expression to preach (the speech-act dimension) culturally conservative ideas in Islam (the substantive dimension). Preaching is a performative utterance, an instance of when saying something is doing something. What is being done, in addition to what is being said, is to call for compliance. This study finds that conflicts with religiously grounded values in contemporary European liberal democracies often have an additional order of intensity, because stating religious beliefs in the form of performative utterances is an integral part of religious practice.