The American War for Independence scrambled the concept of political allegiance and belonging. In James H. Kettner’s apt phrase, “subjects became citizens.” Where British law denied the possibility that a subject could renounce the obedience owed to their sovereign, Americans asserted through force of arms “the right to choose their allegiance.”1 Influenced by a contractual notion of political compact and by the mayhem of a violent civil war, people shuffled and sometimes reshuffled into camps of revolutionaries, loyalists, and neutrals.2

Saissetia oleae (Oliver) (Hemiptera: Coccidae) is a major pest of olive trees that requires effective biological control methods. This study evaluated the predatory mite Amblyseius swirskii Athias-Henriot (Acari: Phytoseiidae) for its predation efficiency against S. oleae eggs and nymphs under laboratory (25 ± 1 °C, 60 ± 10% RH) and screenhouse (25 ± 4 °C) conditions. Two laboratory trials were conducted over 6 days: Trial 1 assessed predation on S. oleae eggs, and Trial 2 on nymphs. Additionally, screenhouse trials tested four predator–prey ratios (T1: 1:2, T2: 1:4, T3: 1:8, T4: 1:10, adult A. swirskii to S. oleae eggs), with weekly observations over 10 weeks. Under laboratory conditions, A. swirskii caused significantly higher mortality in eggs (17.9 eggs consumed) than in nymphs (10.2 nymphs killed) by day 6, while mortality in control groups remained low (1.5 eggs, 2.0 nymphs). In screenhouse trials, A. swirskii significantly reduced S. oleae populations at all predator–prey ratios, with the 1:2 ratio achieving the greatest suppression, reducing densities to 0 eggs and 6 nymphs per plant by week 10, compared to 30 eggs and 110 nymphs in untreated controls. Predator populations increased in a density-dependent manner (T1 > T2 > T3 > T4). Treated plants maintained a high visual quality score (≥9.5 at week 10), whereas untreated plants showed a severe decline (0.9 at week 10). These results demonstrate that A. swirskii effectively suppresses S. oleae and holds promise as a sustainable biological control agent in integrated pest management for olives.

The period between 450 and 350 BC is regarded as a time of significant social change during the European Iron Age, with numerous processes of transformation, instability, conflict, and mobility unfolding across the European continent. However, in contrast to other episodes of abrupt social transformation, this period has received considerably less attention: it has been understood as a starting point or a sudden change but not usually researched in its own right.

The present study begins by reviewing different European archaeological contexts, exploring how this century is usually interpreted as a significant break. Next, the focus will shift to a specific region, north-west Iberia, in order to identify changes in patterns of occupation and social dynamics. The primary objective is to examine the shift that occurred around 400 BC, identify any common pattern or trend across different regions, and assess long-term consequences. Finally, I propose a series of interpretations at different scales, aiming to raise some possible hypotheses for understanding the development of this brief yet eventful period.

Recently, Donoso, Le, Moreira, and Sun studied the asymptotic behaviour of the averages of completely multiplicative functions over the Gaussian integers. They derived Wirsing’s theorem for Gaussian integers, answered a question of Frantzikinakis and Host for the sum of two squares, and obtained a variant of a theorem of Bergelson and Richter on ergodic averages along the number of prime factors of integers. In this paper, we will show the analogue of these results for co-prime integer pairs. Moreover, building on Frantzikinakis and Host’s results, we obtain some convergences on the multilinear averages of multiplicative functions over primitive lattice points.

China accounts for over 90% of global alveolar echinococcosis (AE) cases caused primarily by Echinococcus multilocularis. If left untreated, AE can have a 10-year mortality rate of 94%. Understanding its epidemiological patterns is essential for targeted control strategies. Surveillance data from 2006 to 2020 were obtained from the Public Health Scientific Data Center, and spatial and temporal trends were analyzed using spatial autocorrelation, hot spot analysis, and centroid migration techniques. A total of 51,403 echinococcosis cases were reported from 2006 to 2020, with an average annual incidence of 0.25 per 100,000. Most cases (71.33%) occurred in individuals aged 20–60 years. High-incidence areas centred in western/northwestern provinces, including Qinghai, Xinjiang, Xizang, Gansu, and Ningxia. Incidence and cases increased until 2017, then declined steadily. Spatial autocorrelation revealed persistent High-High clusters in Gansu and Ningxia (2008–2018) and Xizang (2010–2020), while Low-Low clusters persisted in central/eastern China. Hotspot analysis confirmed sustained high-risk zones in western/northwestern regions. Trend surface and centroid migration showed a southward disease shift within Qinghai. Echinococcosis remains endemic in western/northwestern China, with a trend of southward expansion. Strengthened, tailored interventions are urgently needed, particularly in high-burden areas like Xizang and Qinghai.

This article presents the first quantitative study into coronal stop deletion in Surinamese Dutch. It maps the frequency and conditioning of word-final [t]-deletion in the Dutch spoken by 22 Creole women in five speech settings and compares these data to results of previous studies on European Dutch. A multivariate analysis of 7,418 tokens of word-final /t/ preceded by an obstruent indicates that [t]-deletion is a highly frequent phenomenon in Surinamese Dutch, strongly influenced by both the segment following the final stop and the formality of the speech setting. The age of the speaker, the morphological status of /t/, the segment preceding the final stop, the frequency of the word containing the final stop, and the cluster length are also observed to be relevant, but the impact of these factors is much smaller and highly dependent on the phonetic context. Interestingly, the conditioning of [t]-deletion diverges from the one observed in European Dutch in some respects, which, along with the observed age effect, substantiates the idea that an endoglossic Dutch norm is developing in Suriname and that there are fundamental differences between Surinamese and European Dutch.*

How do social hierarchies affect patterns of discrimination in democratic contexts? While studies of identity politics in diverse societies often focus on relations between groups formed around parallel identities like ethnicity, these same societies often feature hierarchical identities that rank individuals into stratified groups. This paper examines how culturally embedded caste identities, inherited at birth, continue to shape everyday life. Drawing on an original survey of 2,160 Senegalese citizens, we show that caste remains a salient axis of perceived discrimination despite its formal abolition over a century ago. Individuals from occupational caste and slave-descended backgrounds are significantly more likely to report experiences of exclusion such as the denial of basic services. Most respondents attribute caste-based discrimination to cultural norms rather than economic competition, religious instruction, or biological differences. Moreover, we find that high-status individuals systematically overreport tolerant attitudes in face-to-face interviews with lower-status enumerators, suggesting that social desirability can obscure the extent of status-based attitudes. These findings shed light on the persistence of caste hierarchies and their impact on citizenship in societies otherwise considered tolerant and democratic. These findings contribute to research on identity politics by highlighting the need to distinguish between ranked and unranked forms of social difference.

Based on morphological and molecular data, we describe a new species of Diaphorocleidus parasitizing the nasal cavities of Tetragonopterus argenteus from the Lima Campos weir, municipality of Icó, state of Ceará, Brazil. Diaphorocleidus radius n. sp. resembles other congeners in the morphology of the accessory piece, all by having a bifurcated accessory piece (pincer-shaped), composed of two subunits articulated. However, the new species can be easily distinguished from all congeners by the morphology of the sclerotized structures of the haptor (ventral anchor with well-developed superficial root, ornamented deep root, recurved blade, elongated and lightning-shaped tip; and ventral bar robust, plate-shaped, truncated in lateral ends). Phylogenetic analyses of LSU rDNA and COI mtDNA sequences, conducted using Bayesian Inference and Maximum Likelihood, placed Diaphorocleidus radius n. sp. within Diaphorocleidus, grouping it with species parasitizing acestrorhamphid hosts. Genetic distances between Diaphorocleidus radius n. sp. and other congeneric species such as D. armillatus and D. forficata showed clear differentiation. Both molecular markers support the distinctiveness of Diaphorocleidus radius n. sp., consistent with its recognition as a new taxon.

This study examines how Americans conceptualize democracy and whether their support for democratic principles remains consistent across different trade-offs. Using a conjoint experiment, we test whether citizens act as principle holders—maintaining support for democratic norms regardless of circumstances—or benefit seekers who prioritize material outcomes over liberal democratic norms. Our findings reveal that while respondents generally prefer democratic principles including rule of law, political equality, and freedom of expression, these preferences are moderated by economic well-being. When presented with scenarios featuring economic disadvantage, support for traditional democratic principles declines markedly. This context dependency challenges conventional survey measures of democratic attitudes, as we observe substantial divergence between participants’ self-reported understandings of democracy and their revealed preferences when forced to navigate trade-offs. These results help to explain why campaign appeals framing democracy as “on the ballot” proved ineffective in the 2024 US presidential election, as voters facing economic hardship privileged material concerns over abstract democratic principles. Our findings contribute to debates about democratic backsliding by demonstrating that economic conditions play a crucial role in shaping citizens’ commitment to democratic governance, with implications for understanding populist mobilization and the resilience of democratic norms during periods of economic uncertainty.

One of the most significant engineering accomplishments of Maya civilization is Sacbe 1, a raised road connecting the ancient urban centers of Yaxuna and Coba. Using new lidar data in concert with excavation, epigraphic inscriptions, and landscape reconnaissance, we show that settlement and an urban experience emanated westward from Coba along the sacbe. The leaders of Coba—in particular, an ambitious seventh-century queen—used the sacbe to expand the political and cultural influence of their dynasty into the center of the peninsula while securing territory and resources. Gaps in the sacbe, precise delineation of its many curves, and examination of features near these curves call to mind several possible intentions governing its construction and use. Sites located along the causeway did not present significant barriers to the expansion of Coba. Sacbe 1 represents a uniquely urban space that expanded urban social networks into a rural hinterland while advancing state interests for territory and influence.

Judith Shklar’s negative brand of liberalism is sometimes thought to have little to say about the ethical character required of citizens in liberal democracies, beyond the injunction to avoid cruelty. In this article, however, we argue that Shklar’s negative liberalism prescribes four distinctively political virtues—rational empathy, a healthy apprehension of state power, self-restraining tolerance, and being a good loser—that, taken together, constitute an ethos of skeptical vigilance. We survey Shklar’s criticisms of republican and communitarian accounts of civic virtue to clarify her concerns about attempts by the liberal state to cultivate these virtues and analyze the case of passive injustice to highlight tensions between active citizenship and liberal values. We conclude with some reflections on how Shklar’s political theory attempts to persuade her readers of the importance of adopting and practicing an ethos of skeptical vigilance.

South Africa’s democracy is 30 years old, and for 30 years the courts have been interpreting the right of access to adequate housing found in section 26 of the Constitution. Many parts of this right have been developed; one such development is that courts have found that the right includes a duty on the state to provide (temporary) emergency alternative accommodation in eviction matters to those facing homelessness. Throughout the years, courts have grappled with the suitability of this alternative accommodation; it finally seems like some clarity has been reached regarding when alternative accommodation would be considered suitable, due to the courts’ recent acceptance of alternative accommodation offered by the state as suitable. This article considers how the courts currently determine the suitability of emergency accommodation and what types of alternative accommodation has been accepted; it further explores the issues arising from these findings.