Who is the public? For a scholar, the public is anyone outside of one’s discipline. This is true within academia or without, but cross-disciplinarity as an individual means of academic scholarship tends not to be an explicit part of conversations about how to practice public humanities. This essay critically reflects on how we think about cross-disciplinary scholarship in relationship to public writing and centers mobility as a core tenet of both.

Asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars play a significant role in our understanding of the origin of the elements. They contribute to the abundances of C, N, and approximately 50% of the abundances of the elements heavier than iron. An aspect often neglected in studies of AGB stars is the impact of a stellar companion on AGB stellar evolution and nucleosynthesis. In this study, we update the stellar abundances of AGB stars in the binary population synthesis code binary_c and calibrate our treatment of the third dredge-up using observations of Galactic carbon stars. We model stellar populations of low- to intermediate-mass stars at solar-metallicity and examine the stellar wind contributions to C, N, O, Sr, Ba, and Pb yields at binary fractions between 0 and 1. For a stellar population with a binary fraction of 0.7, we find $\sim$20–25% less C and s-process elements ejected than from a population composed of only single stars, and we find little change in the N and O yields. We also compare our models with observed abundances from Ba stars and find our models can reproduce most Ba star abundances, but our population estimates a higher frequency of Ba stars with a surface [Ce/Y] > $+0.2\,$dex. Our models also predict the rare existence of Ba stars with masses $ \gt 10\,\textrm{M}_{\odot}$.

In the last two decades the study of random instances of constraint satisfaction problems (CSPs) has flourished across several disciplines, including computer science, mathematics and physics. The diversity of the developed methods, on the rigorous and non-rigorous side, has led to major advances regarding both the theoretical as well as the applied viewpoints. Based on a ceteris paribus approach in terms of the density evolution equations known from statistical physics, we focus on a specific prominent class of regular CSPs, the so-called occupation problems, and in particular on $r$-in-$k$ occupation problems. By now, out of these CSPs only the satisfiability threshold – the largest degree for which the problem admits asymptotically a solution – for the $1$-in-$k$ occupation problem has been rigorously established. Here we determine the satisfiability threshold of the $2$-in-$k$ occupation problem for all $k$. In the proof we exploit the connection of an associated optimization problem regarding the overlap of satisfying assignments to a fixed point problem inspired by belief propagation, a message passing algorithm developed for solving such CSPs.

This manifesto addresses the global decline in humanities investment by way of one of its relatively novel but underfunded sectors: “immersive” or playable theatre. While traditional, proscenium-based theatre faces a cultural crisis, immersive experiences and playable theatre continue to suffer from a lack of legitimacy. The manifesto emphasizes how pivotal such productions are to re-kindling passion for drama and literature among a new generation of theatre-goers accustomed to playable media. The time for long-term institutional support for the large tent called “immersive” is now.

This article discusses the EU supply chain legislation, by virtue of the recently adopted Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) which aims to reduce negative sustainability impacts in global supply chains with regard to a list of human rights and environmental standards specified in its Annex I of the CSDDD.

We argue that the CSDDD marks a fundamental change on the EU level, from disclosure duties to mandating prevention of, and compensation for, adverse sustainability impacts in supply chains.

We further find that the CSDDD is a legal transplant combining the principles laid down in the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business and those of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, along with elements of French supply chain legislation from 2017 (which relies on a private enforcement model) and the German supply chain law from 2021 (which is based on a public enforcement model). Like all legal transplants, the resulting legal text generally prompts questions about consistency and specifically raises doubts as to whether combining all of the components of a private and a public enforcement model is proportionate for the purpose of the CSDDD which is to ensure that companies take effective steps to counter violations of human rights and environmental standards in global supply chains. The scope provisions (including smaller in-scope EU firms while leaving non-EU peers of a similar size aside) paired with significant high compliance burden provide grounds to argue that the CSDDD impacts on the competitiveness of these smaller in-scope EU companies, and thus the EU economy at large.

Some Americans prepare for unanticipated adverse economic events, plan for the future, and keep their debt at manageable levels, but others do not. Using four waves of the Understanding America Study during the pandemic period, we compare middle-aged and older Black, Hispanic, and White Americans’ financial resilience from 2020 to 2024. After uncovering significant initial differences in their financial preparedness at the outset of the pandemic, we confirm that greater financial resilience enhanced peoples’ chances of realizing better economic outcomes when confronting adverse economic shocks. The 2024 wave shows systematic differences in financial resilience across the demographic groups and indicates how greater resilience affects financial satisfaction.

Cheilopogon arcticeps (Günther, 1866) is recorded for the first time from the Indian coastal waters. Two specimens of C. arcticeps (158–167 mm SL) were collected from the Petuaghat fishing harbour of Purba Medinipur, West Bengal, India. The present paper reports the species for the first time from Indian waters and thus, the distributional range of the species is extended from Western Pacific Ocean to the Bay of Bengal, Indian Ocean. This paper provides more detailed information on the taxonomy and morphometric of the poorly known species.

Agricultural intensification has led to significant species losses and has been associated with a decline in ecosystem services provided by insects. In Asia, particularly in Lao PDR (Southeast Asia), biodiversity-friendly agricultural practices such as the production of organic crops have been promoted to address these challenges, although intensification has continued. In this study, we examined beetle community composition in three organic farms (using, for example, manure and compost and not employing synthetic fertilizers and pesticides) and three conventional farms (using, for example, synthetic fertilizers and insecticides) in Vientiane (Lao PDR). Our results indicate that total beetle abundance was similar between farm types, while species richness was greater, predators were over 18 times more abundant and insect pests were 9 times less abundant in organic compared to conventional farms. These findings can inform government organic farming policy in Lao PDR and the promotion of sustainable agriculture in Southeast Asia generally.

The safety of human-collaborative operations with robots depends on monitoring the external torque of the robot, in which there are toque sensor-based and torque sensor-free methods. Economically, the classic method for estimating joint external torque is the first-order momentum observer (MOB) based on a physic model without torque sensors. However, uncertainties in the dynamic model, which encompasses parameters identification error and joint friction, affect the torque estimation accuracy. To address this issue, this paper proposes using the backpropagation neural network (BPNN) method to estimate joint external torque without the delicate physical model by utilizing the powerful machine learning ability to handle the uncertainties of the MOB method and improve the accuracy of torque estimation. Using data obtained from the torque sensor to train the BPNN to build up a digital torque model, the trained BPNN can perceive force in practical applications without relying on the torque sensor. In the end, by contrast to the classic first-order MOB, the result demonstrates that BPNN achieves higher estimation accuracy compared to the MOB.

This paper aims to identify and analyze geographical patterns of (morpho)syntactic variation in traditional Austrian dialects using non-aggregative dialectometric methods (factor analysis). Based on a comprehensive dialect corpus obtained by direct dialect interviews including 163 speakers from 40 locations throughout Austria, our analyses of 79 variants of 30 (morpho)syntactic variables not only show geographical patterns in Austria’s dialects, but also address the linguistic basis of the geographical structures revealed. In particular, the results show that variables at the morphology–syntax interface contribute most to geographical structuring. We argue that this finding is related to structural conditions of these variables and the historical development of the respective variants.

Despite the blaze of advancing knowledge on its complex genetic architecture, hypertension remains an elusive condition. Genetic studies of blood pressure have yielded bitter-sweet results thus far with the identification of more than 2,000 genetic loci, though the candidate causal genes and biological pathways remain largely unknown. The era of big data and sophisticated statistical tools has propelled insights into pathophysiology and causal inferences. However, new genetic risk tools for hypertension are the tip of the iceberg, and applications of genomic technology are likely to proliferate. We review the genomics of hypertension, exploring the significant milestones in our current understanding of this condition and the progress towards personalised treatment and management for hypertension.

This study examines Luciano Berio's integration of twentieth-century linguistic and semiotic concepts in his works Sinfonia and Coro, focusing on the interplay between sound, meaning, and structure. It highlights Berio's exploration of the unconscious mind and the idea of ‘universality of experience', suggesting that humans may possess an innate musical ability similar to that of language. The article also discusses the concept of the ‘theatre of the mind', where Berio combines musical and textual elements to evoke images or situations for the audience's interpretation. Through an analysis of the third movement of Sinfonia and Coro, the study illustrates how Berio implicitly develops a system of signification that evokes meaning, showcasing both musical and textual productivity, along with the notion of ‘the infinite use of finite means’. This exploration contributes to understanding how twentieth-century linguistics and semiotics can inform contemporary music and signify meaning within it.

This article analyses how the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) created and spread new forms of subjectivity and social belonging in the formative years of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) (1949–present). Specifically, it examines how the CCP blended medical and emotional discourses to foster communal hatred of narcotics users and promote social cohesion. Building on scholarship that conceptualizes hatred as a way of producing and animating subjectivity, the article argues that the CCP saw it as a key tool of unification, bringing people together to commit acts of emotional and physical violence against drug users and traffickers. Propaganda officers and police forces worked hard to persuade people to hate drug users and traffickers, writing anti-narcotics songs, plays, and skits to make hating an entertaining and interesting activity for audiences. The article underscores how the CCP encouraged mass participation in the ostracizing and killing of narcotics producers, consumers, and traffickers to spawn a shared social hatred of them, and shows how people responded to state efforts to incite hate. To conclude, the article considers the unlikely agency of some accused drug criminals who resisted the tides of public and state pressure, and challenged their accusers.

According to the “miracle of aggregation” principle, in the absence of systematic biases, errors in individual judgments within a population should cancel each other out and lead to a correct decision at the aggregate level. This article explores potential individual- and group-level correlates of the accuracy of citizens’ electoral expectations and investigates how potential markers of political sophistication—namely, educational attainment and political interest—could be used to improve upon the raw aggregation of citizens’ forecasts using massive survey datasets collected during six Canadian national and provincial election campaigns between 2011 and 2022 (n = 279,003). We find that while educational attainment and interest increase the probability of a correct forecast at the individual level, delegating the forecasting task based on these variables does not necessarily lead to improvements in the accuracy of aggregate-level predictions. At the group level, we fail to uncover any evidence that sociological or informational diversity increases forecasting accuracy.

Critical approaches to research on war-affected societies emphasize the necessity for a more empirically grounded approach to the production of knowledge. Presently, research on war-affected societies is undergoing a shift toward localization with a call for more “voices” with local knowledge and expertise. This research is an attempt to analyze the challenges of reliable knowledge production in war-affected societies and their circulation in academia, the policy-making community, and feeding media discourse. The research focuses on the Russian war against Ukraine since 2014 as a prism through which to examine the main challenges for localized knowledge production. We consider several aspects of knowledge production including the problems and issues of framing and wording that define the character of the conflict, challenges of research design and data collection, researchers’ positioning dilemmas, participants’ responses, differences between policy and academic research, and the role of the media. The purpose of this study is to engage with and attempts to advance the literature on knowledge localization. We argue that a move toward the localization of fieldwork requires a more sensitive and transdisciplinary approach to knowledge production. Based on our own experience of fieldwork during wartime, we point out possible ethical and methodological challenges and offer workable responses to them.

This scoping review synthesizes existing literature on the application of the capability approach (CA) to address the health and well-being of Indigenous Peoples across the globe. Academic and grey literature searches led to the identification of 20 papers for inclusion in the review. Findings reveal a growing interest in applying the CA to Indigenous health and well-being research, highlighting its potential to guide interventions and policies. The included studies indicate that the CA has been applied to individual capabilities such as facilitating access to services and collective capabilities linked to identity and traditional knowledge preservation. A key finding across the reviewed literature is the importance of incorporating Indigenous values into defining programmes and policies aimed at improving Indigenous Peoples’ well-being. The review underscores the varied application of the CA by researchers aligning with the position of either Sen or Nussbaum, leading to contrasting methodological approaches. Results underscore the CA’s potential as a culturally sensitive framework for participatory and locally embedded development of well-being interventions and policies.