diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 4f122dc5..d14c2c6d 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -9,13 +9,8 @@ python:
 env:
   - UPGRADES="-U --only-binary 'pint,pandas' pint pandas"
   - UPGRADES=""
-jobs:
-  exclude:
-    - python: '3.12'
-      env: UPGRADES=""
 install:
   - pip install --only-binary ':all:' -r requirements.txt
-  - test $TRAVIS_PYTHON_VERSION != "3.12" || perl -pi -E 's/^.*(?:pandas|flake8-docstrings).*$//' test_requirements.txt
   - pip install --only-binary ':all:' -r test_requirements.txt
   - pip install $UPGRADES -e .
 script:
diff --git a/doc_requirements.txt b/doc_requirements.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0a0a47d2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc_requirements.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+sphinx==5.0.0
+sphinx-rtd-theme==1.0.0
+sphinxcontrib-apidoc==0.3.0
diff --git a/gemd/__version__.py b/gemd/__version__.py
index 4bd6f7be..e2f88eea 100644
--- a/gemd/__version__.py
+++ b/gemd/__version__.py
@@ -1 +1 @@
-__version__ = "1.18.2"
+__version__ = "1.18.4"
diff --git a/scripts/build_docs.sh b/scripts/build_docs.sh
index e42c72bc..97bd975c 100755
--- a/scripts/build_docs.sh
+++ b/scripts/build_docs.sh
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+pip install -r doc_requirements.txt
 cd docs
 make html
 touch _build/html/.nojekyll
diff --git a/scripts/validate-version-bump.sh b/scripts/validate-version-bump.sh
deleted file mode 100755
index 318acee7..00000000
--- a/scripts/validate-version-bump.sh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,59 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/bash
-
-set -eu
-
-extract_version() {
-  sed -En "s/.*version='([0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+).*/\1/p" <<< "$@"
-}
-
-extract_major() {
-  sed -En "s/([0-9]+).*/\1/p" <<< "$1"
-}
-
-extract_minor() {
-  sed -En "s/.*\.([0-9]+)\..*/\1/p" <<< "$1"
-}
-
-extract_patch() {
-  sed -En "s/.*\.([0-9]+)/\1/p" <<< "$1"
-}
-
-trap "$(set +eu)" EXIT
-
-CURRENT="$(extract_version $(cat setup.py))"
-MAIN="$(extract_version $(git show main:setup.py))"
-
-CURRENT_MAJOR="$(extract_major ${CURRENT})"
-CURRENT_MINOR="$(extract_minor ${CURRENT})"
-CURRENT_PATCH="$(extract_patch ${CURRENT})"
-
-MAIN_MAJOR="$(extract_major ${MAIN})"
-MAIN_MINOR="$(extract_minor ${MAIN})"
-MAIN_PATCH="$(extract_patch ${MAIN})"
-
-if [ "${CURRENT_MAJOR}" -gt "${MAIN_MAJOR}" ]; then
-  echo "major version bump"
-  exit 0
-elif [ "${CURRENT_MAJOR}" -lt "${MAIN_MAJOR}" ]; then
-  echo "error - major version decreased!"
-  exit 1
-else
-  if [ "${CURRENT_MINOR}" -gt "${MAIN_MINOR}" ]; then
-    echo "minor version bump"
-    exit 0
-  elif [ "${CURRENT_MINOR}" -lt "${MAIN_MINOR}" ]; then
-    echo "error - minor version decreased!"
-    exit 2
-  else
-    if [ "${CURRENT_PATCH}" -gt "${MAIN_PATCH}" ]; then
-      echo "patch version bump"
-      exit 0
-    elif [ "${CURRENT_PATCH}" -lt "${MAIN_PATCH}" ]; then
-      echo "error - patch version decreased!"
-      exit 3
-    else
-      echo "error - version unchanged!"
-      exit 4
-    fi
-  fi
-fi
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index a127cd1c..4954131f 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -41,13 +41,14 @@
       ],
       extras_require={
           "tests": [
-              "pytest>=7.3.1,<8"
+              "pytest>=8.0.0,<9"
           ],
           "tests.demo": [
-              "pandas>=1.3.5,<3"
+              "pandas>=2.0.3,<3"
           ],
           "tests.entity.bounds": [
-              "numpy"
+              "numpy>=1.24.4,<2",
+              "pandas>=2.0.3,<3"
           ]
       },
       classifiers=[
diff --git a/test_requirements.txt b/test_requirements.txt
index c27fa53b..cd3f154c 100644
--- a/test_requirements.txt
+++ b/test_requirements.txt
@@ -1,10 +1,6 @@
-flake8==6.1.0
+flake8==7.0.0
 flake8-docstrings==1.7.0
-pytest==7.3.1
-pytest-cov==4.0.0
-pandas==1.5.0
-toolz==0.12.0
+pytest==8.0.0
+pytest-cov==4.1.0
+pandas>=2.0.3,<2.2.0
 derp==0.1.1
-sphinx==5.0.0
-sphinx-rtd-theme==1.0.0
-sphinxcontrib-apidoc==0.3.0
diff --git a/tests/entity/bounds/test_categorical_bounds.py b/tests/entity/bounds/test_categorical_bounds.py
index 40b34d02..92b1830a 100644
--- a/tests/entity/bounds/test_categorical_bounds.py
+++ b/tests/entity/bounds/test_categorical_bounds.py
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ def test_numpy():
         np_copy = loads(dumps(np_bounds))
         assert np_copy == np_bounds
 
-    if len(array_like()) > 3:  # Test numpy
+    if len(array_like()) > 3:  # Test pandas
         import pandas as pd
         pd_bounds = CategoricalBounds(pd.Series(["spam", "eggs"]))
         pd_copy = loads(dumps(pd_bounds))
diff --git a/tests/test_examples.py b/tests/test_examples.py
index 05052a0d..1ba913cd 100644
--- a/tests/test_examples.py
+++ b/tests/test_examples.py
@@ -1,16 +1,13 @@
 """Test of a complicated set of interlocking data objects."""
 import json
 
-from gemd.entity.object.ingredient_run import IngredientRun
-from toolz import keymap, merge, keyfilter
-
 from gemd.json import dumps
 from gemd.entity.attribute.condition import Condition
 from gemd.entity.attribute.parameter import Parameter
 from gemd.entity.attribute.property import Property
 from gemd.entity.bounds.real_bounds import RealBounds
 from gemd.entity.object import MeasurementRun, MaterialRun, ProcessRun, ProcessSpec,\
-    MeasurementSpec, MaterialSpec
+    MeasurementSpec, MaterialSpec, IngredientRun
 from gemd.entity.template.condition_template import ConditionTemplate
 from gemd.entity.template.material_template import MaterialTemplate
 from gemd.entity.template.measurement_template import MeasurementTemplate
@@ -45,13 +42,13 @@
 
 def make_data_island(density, bulk_modulus, firing_temperature, binders, powders, tag=None):
     """Helper function to create a relatively involved data island."""
-    binder_specs = keymap(lambda x: MaterialSpec(name=x), binders)
-    powder_specs = keymap(lambda x: MaterialSpec(name=x), powders)
+    binder_specs = {MaterialSpec(name=k): v for k, v in binders.items()}
+    powder_specs = {MaterialSpec(name=k): v for k, v in powders.items()}
 
-    binder_runs = keymap(lambda x: MaterialRun(name=x.name, spec=x), binder_specs)
-    powder_runs = keymap(lambda x: MaterialRun(name=x.name, spec=x), powder_specs)
+    binder_runs = {MaterialRun(name=k.name, spec=k): v for k, v in binder_specs.items()}
+    powder_runs = {MaterialRun(name=k.name, spec=k): v for k, v in powder_specs.items()}
 
-    all_input_materials = keymap(lambda x: x.spec.name, merge(binder_runs, powder_runs))
+    all_input_materials = {k.spec.name: v for k, v in binder_runs.items() | powder_runs.items()}
     mixing_composition = Condition(
         name="composition",
         value=NominalComposition(all_input_materials)
@@ -161,9 +158,7 @@ def test_access_data():
 
     # read the quantity of alumina
     quantities = island.process.ingredients[0].material.process.conditions[0].value.quantities
-    assert(list(
-        keyfilter(lambda x: x == "Al2O3", quantities).values()
-    )[0] == 0.96)
+    assert quantities.get("Al2O3") == 0.96
 
     # check that the serialization results in the correct number of objects in the preface
     # (note that neither measurements nor ingredients are serialized)