Social sciences, psychology, economics and the humanities.
A systematic review of 18 quantitative studies found that responsiveness was the governance practice most consistently associated with public trust in local governments. Transparency and formal accountability had more conditional relationships, with service delivery, perceived performance and effectiveness helping shape how people judged local authorities.
An interactive music tablet reduced preoperative anxiety in children aged 3 to 11 who were preparing for elective surgery. The effect was strongest in children aged 3 to 6 and in those with high anxiety before the intervention.
A study of migrant services in an eastern German city during the arrival of Ukrainian migrants identifies five underlying logics of humanitarian aid provision. The researchers argue that these services can turn support systems into forms of governance tied to labor extraction and the accumulation of capital.
A new historical analysis examines an 18th-century physician’s detailed account of illness among mercury miners and smelter workers in Idrija, present-day Slovenia. The study argues that his workplace-based approach linked toxic exposure, working conditions and prevention before modern industrial toxicology emerged.
A review of recent studies finds that generative AI tools may make mental-health support more accessible and provide personalized help around the clock. It also identifies risks including emotional reliance, misinformation, privacy concerns, bias and limited clinical validation.
A systematic review of 87 studies finds that emergency volunteers are more likely to remain when they feel connected to their teams, prepared for their roles and treated fairly. Chronic overload, burnout, poor communication and a lack of recognition were linked with demotivation and withdrawal.
Across 11 U.S. surveys involving 183,000 adults, higher social media use was consistently associated with self-reported depression. The association in the researchers’ models shifted from neutral to positive at about 150 minutes of daily use, highlighting a question for future longitudinal and experimental studies.
A quasi-experimental study of 24 European Union member states found that adopting carbon taxes was associated with lower energy intensity, greater renewable energy use and higher Human Development Index scores. The gains were strongest in countries that had maintained the policies for more than two decades.
A study of Freedom of Information Act requests to the Securities and Exchange Commission finds that the type of requester is linked to different signals about a public company’s future stock returns. The analysis also finds evidence that institutional investors and short sellers trade on information obtained through these requests.
Gond painting has moved from household walls and floors into exhibitions, digital marketplaces and online platforms. Based on 96 interviews and qualitative fieldwork, researchers found that technology expands markets and strengthens the art form’s public status, but unequal access to digital resources continues to exclude some artists.
A study of 147 federally incarcerated people in Western Canada examines how they picture life after release. Many described work, health care, technology and housing as sources of uncertainty, making prison seem more predictable than life outside it.
In a study of 219 people, human authors were judged more competent than AI authors when presenting technical information about large language models. Attitudes toward AI shaped those judgments and were also linked to differences in how credible participants found texts attributed to male and female authors.
Online retailers often face a choice between ranking products to increase revenue, transactions or consumer welfare. A study found that alternative rankings designed around each goal all improved shopper welfare, transactions and platform revenue relative to neutral and existing rankings, with limited differences between the approaches.
This narrative review examines radium from its discovery through its current, limited medical uses. It describes human health risks linked with exposure, while noting that some radium isotopes are used in selected cancer treatments. The review is not a new study of patients and does not establish the effectiveness of any treatment.
Women’s empowerment in Nigeria varied with region of residence and migration status, alongside education and ethnicity, a study of national survey data found. The analysis examined household and financial decisions, sexual rights and attitudes toward or experiences of wife beating.
