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Inclusive refugee policies -- granting refugees the right to work, use public services, and move freely -- benefit both refugees and host countries' economies. Yet many governments hesitate to liberalize such policies, fearing electoral backlash. Can governments minimize backlash by pairing expansions of refugee rights with policies that reduce burdens on host communities? We examine this question in Uganda, Africa's largest refugee hosting country. Alongside refugee policy liberalization, Uganda mandated reallocating a share of refugee aid to communities near refugee centers. Combining refugee settlement data with election returns (2001--2021) and a generalized difference-in-differences design, we show first that the vote share of the incumbent president was significantly lower in areas with high refugee presence before the 2010 reforms. Afterwards, a one standard deviation increase in refugee presence was associated with a four percentage point increase in the vote share of the incumbent government. Using public goods data, public opinion surveys, newspaper data, and parliamentary speech records, we find that infrastructure investments in hosting communities and the reluctance of opposition parties to rally against popular policies account for our findings.

The present article explores the employment challenges individuals who deal with Substance Use Disorder (SUD) in Türkiye perceive. To do so, we conducted interviews with 18 individuals with SUD as well as 16 of their relatives. The findings of the study indicated four main groups of challenges faced by individuals with SUD: i) challenges in working at a job (e.g., symptom-related limitations), ii) challenges in finding employment (e.g., hiring discrimination), iii) job loss, and iv) limited institutional support. A particularly interesting insight was the common self-stigmatization with individuals viewing themselves as inadequate and incompetent, mirroring wide-spread stigmatizing narratives about SUD. Further, interviews with relatives revealed that relative’s shoulder significant financial and emotional burdens in supporting individuals with SUDs. The study underscores the need for institutional support, legal protections, and efforts to combat stigma to facilitate the successful employment and well-being of individuals with SUDs in Türkiye.

Are biological self-organising systems more `intelligent' than artificial intelligence (AI)? If so, why? I explore this through a mathematical lens which frames intelligence in terms of adaptability. I model systems as stacks of abstraction layers (\emph{Stack Theory}) and compare them by how they delegate agentic control down their stacks, illustrating with examples of computational, biological, human military, governmental and economic systems. Contemporary AI rests on a static, human-engineered stack in which lower layers are static during deployment. Put provocatively, static stacks resemble inflexible bureaucracies, adapting only top-down. Biological stacks are more `intelligent' because they delegate adaptation. Formally, I prove a theorem (\emph{The Law of the Stack}) showing adaptability in higher layers requires sufficient adaptability in lower layers. Generalising bio-electric explanations of cancer as isolation from collective informational structures, I explore how cancer-like failures occur in non-biological systems when delegation is inadequate. This helps explain how to build more robust systems, by delegating control like the military doctrine of mission command. It also provides a design perspective on hybrid agents (e.g. organoids, systems involving both humans and AI): hybrid creation is a boundary-condition design problem in which human-imposed constraints prune low-level policy spaces to yield desired collective behaviour while preserving collective identity.

Previous research conducted in closed autocracies indicates that government propaganda can deter opposition, shift political attitudes, and influence emotions. Yet the specific mechanisms and contextual factors influencing how and when propaganda works remain unclear. We theorize how power-projecting government propaganda works differently for government supporters and opponents in polarized electoral authoritarian regimes, focusing on emotional reactions, sense of societal belonging, and downstream effects on contentious political behavior. Through two pre-registered surveys in Turkey (N=6,286), we find that supporters exposed to propaganda videos feel greater sense of belonging and are more susceptible to engage in pro-government activities. Opponents report heightened anger and anxiety and seem deterred from protesting. However, the latter effect weakened during the highly contested 2023 electoral campaign. These results indicate that propaganda can help electoral authoritarian regimes deter anti-government action and encourage pro-government action, but that its deterrent effects may weaken during periods of high mobilization and contention.

Aims: This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of communication strategies used by two prominent mHealth apps—Lao Health Care and Wellness Lao—in enhancing user engagement and improving health outcomes in Laos. Study Design: A qualitative content analysis design was employed to analyze the communication strategies of the mHealth apps. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted using data from Lao Health Care and Wellness Lao apps, focusing on user interactions and health outcomes from January 2023 to June 2023. Methodology: The analysis involved examining the communication methods of both apps, including personalized messaging, reminders, and gamification features. Data were collected through in-app user feedback, usage statistics, and health outcome metrics. Comparative analysis was performed to assess the effectiveness of each strategy. Results: Lao Health Care's formal communication approach, which emphasized reminders and structured messaging, was found to significantly improve treatment adherence and preventive health practices. Conversely, Wellness Lao's use of gamification and conversational tactics fostered greater user engagement and encouraged sustainable wellness behaviors. Notably, Lao Health Care users demonstrated a 25% increase in adherence rates, while Wellness Lao users exhibited a 30% increase in long-term wellness activities. Conclusion: The study highlights the importance of adapting communication strategies to fit the local context and user preferences. Effective integration of personalized, reminder-based, and gamified approaches can enhance user engagement and health outcomes. Future research should explore the long-term impact of these strategies and their potential for broader application in similar settings.

The digital transformation of scientific publishing is rapidly evolving through the integration of blockchain technology, big data analytics, and open data initiatives. This paper investigates the economic, social, and cultural implications of combining these three models into a hybrid digital publishing ecosystem. By analyzing open-access sources and preprints from 2023-2025, we explore transparency in peer review, ethical authorship validation, data-driven decision-making, and enhanced accessibility. The research proposes a unified framework and evaluates potential challenges, opportunities, and future scenarios.

A stimulating and supportive home learning environment helps children to be cognitively and emotionally ready to learn by age 5. Despite the increased availability of parenting information, the attainment gap between rich and poor continues to widen in many developed nations. Tips by Text is a 12-month text-message programme developed in the US, and designed to integrate developmental activities into everyday tasks that parents and children do together. The messages aim to enhance language, literacy, numeracy, and socioemotional skills in 4-year-olds. The programme was adapted and tested in a large-scale randomised controlled trial involving 109 schools in England from 2019 to 2021 (n=3,600). Post-intervention data collection was impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, resulting in approximately 70% random attrition on the primary outcome measure and a final analytical sample of n=753. This sample is comparable to the US-based sample in which the efficacy of Tips by Text was originally assessed, and so we proceed with analysis. In this study, we conduct secondary data analysis to examine the effectiveness of the programme on the sample that could be obtained. We explore whether students facing various challenges, including economic and neighbourhood disadvantage, English as an additional language, special educational needs, and multiple simultaneous challenges, were differentially impacted by the programme.

Many researchers in cognitive science and linguistics now recognize that iconicity – perceived resemblance between the form and meaning of a signal (e.g., a word, sign, or gesture) – is an essential property of language, playing vital roles in its processing, learning, and historical development. Iconicity is also fundamental to the human ability to create meaningful new signals without reliance on convention. This “iconic turn” raises a critical question for the study of language origins: Do great apes use iconic gestures? Apes are well documented to use a flexible and wide-ranging repertoire of gestures, and many appear to be iconic representations of actions, including directive touches, visual directives, and pantomimed actions. However, the most widely accepted theories – ontogenetic ritualization and biological inheritance through phylogenetic ritualization – argue that this apparent form-meaning resemblance is not psychologically real to the apes using the gestures. They argue instead that effective actions are channeled into gestures through repeated use, either through an individual’s experience or over generations of evolution. Yet, it is increasingly recognized that these theories cannot account for the variability and contextual tuning of ape gestures. Alternatively, reasoning from cognitive theories of human gesture and iconicity as rooted in sensorimotor simulation and mental imagery, apes may use a range of gestures that appear homologous to the iconic gestures of humans, even if comparatively restricted in imaginative scope and anchored heavily in a here-and-now context. This fundamental capacity for iconic gesturing may have been a critical precursor to the evolution of language.

Recent research documents that many research designs in the social sciences are underpowered: they can detect only extremely large - often implausible - effects. I show that this problem is structural in the workhorse approach to studying the immigration-crime link: regressing changes in aggregate crime rates on exogenous shifts in local immigrant shares. While this design may identify changes in native criminal behavior, I demonstrate that it is largely uninformative regarding the difference in crime propensities between immigrants and natives. Because immigrants typically comprise a small fraction of the population, even large group-level differences are mechanically diluted. I formalize the minimum detectable gap - the smallest immigrant-native crime difference these regressions can reliably distinguish from zero given standard design parameters. Using Monte Carlo simulations calibrated to real-world immigration and crime data, I demonstrate that conventional designs only achieve adequate statistical power with implausibly large crime differentials and extreme immigration shocks.

Deepfakes are synthetic media created by deep-generative methods to fake a person’s audio- visual representation. Growing sophistication of deepfake technology poses significant challenges for both machine learning (ML) algorithms and humans. Here we used real and deepfake static face images (Study 1) and dynamic videos (Study 2) (i) to investigate sources of misclassification errors in machines, (ii) to identify psychological mechanisms underlying detection performance in humans, and (iii) to compare humans and machines in their classification decision accuracy and confidence. Study 1 found that machines achieved excellent performance in classifying real and deepfake images, with good accuracy in feature classification. Humans, in contrast, experienced challenges in distinguishing between real and deepfake images. Their classification accuracy was at chance level, and this underperformance relative to machines was accompanied by a truth bias and low confidence for the detection of deepfake images. Using video stimuli, Study 2 found that performance of machines was near chance level, with poor feature classification. Further, the machines showed greater truth bias and low reduced decision confidence relative to humans who outperformed machines in the detection of video deepfakes. Finally, the study revealed that higher analytical thinking, lower positive affect, and greater internet skills were associated with better video deepfake detection in humans. Combined, findings across these two studies advance understanding of factors contributing to deepfake detection in both machines and humans and could inform intervention toward tackling the growing threat from deepfakes by identifying areas of particular benefit from human-AI collaboration to optimize deepfake detection.

Do we make gendered associations with objects whose linguistic labels have masculine/feminine grammatical gender? This question derives from the neo-Whorfian view that language shapes our conceptualizations of the world. Previous research has provided mixed answers. Here, we present three experiments where we tested for the gender effect on object conceptualization using a word association approach: a first group of participants generated adjectives for nouns referring to objects and a second group subsequently rated those adjectives for masculinity/femininity. In Experiment 1, with native French speakers, we tested semantically related object nouns that have opposite grammatical gender (masculine vs. feminine) in French; in Experiment 2, with native French and German speakers, we tested translation equivalents having opposite grammatical gender in the two languages. Results from both experiments showed the absence of a gender effect in French, while a small gender effect was found in German. In both experiments, nouns had been presented with a gender-marked determiner. In Experiment 3, we tested a new group of German participants on the same items, which were now presented without determiner; we again observed a small gender effect. Consistent with previous findings, we also found that people ascribe more feminine qualities to natural entities and masculine qualities to artificial entities. Taken together, we conclude that the influence of grammatical gender on object conceptualization is weak and dependent on language.

The features of depression vary across different life stages due to different social and developmental factors. Utilizing two nationally representative samples (total N=51,970), moderately depressed residents were identified using the PHQ-9 scale (cut-off ≥ 10), and 10,181 residents (5,167 males; agerange =11.63-94.48 years) were finally included. Participants were categorized into 13 age groups and five life stages. A Gaussian graphical model examined the depressive network structure, global network strength, and central symptoms, with network comparison tests performed to identify differences. The prevalence of moderate depression varied between 16.57% and 25.12% across age groups. Significant differences in network structure were found in 28 of 78 pair comparisons (p.s < .045). Global network strength exhibited a distinctive trajectory: increasing from under 18 to 30-34 years, decreasing at 60-64 years, increasing again at 65-69 years, and finally decreasing at 75+ years. Similar to previous research, sadness emerged as the central symptom in almost all stages, and central symptoms varied across life stages (p.s < .048). Unique central symptoms were identified in different developmental stages: sadness and fatigue in adolescence/emerging adulthood, failure and sadness in young adulthood, suicidality and sadness in middle adulthood, and disturbed appetite in older adulthood. These findings underscore the importance of considering a life course perspective when developing interventions for depression, as central symptoms and network metrics of depression vary significantly across different life stages.

Although the Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) scale has been widely used, its French adaptation has not been validated and its psychometric properties have not been tested. Addressing this literature gap, we propose a French validation of the measure, investigating its factorial structure and testing its invariance regarding age, sex, education, and timepoints. Using an online longitudinal study (2-waves) with a lifespan sample (N = 543, age range18 to 98 years, M = 46.8), the results showed that the French version had a different factorial structure than the original scale, identifying three subfactors that loaded to one superfactor, using 8 out of 10 original items. Measurement invariance testing revealed that the scale can be used for mean level comparisons between sexes, educational levels, and timepoints, while caution is suggested regarding age-groups. Thus, the French version of the FoMO scale is a reliable measure that can be used in French-speaking populations with various characteristics.

Saccadic choice studies have shown that humans initiate faster saccades towards faces than other visual categories. Here, we tested whether the saccadic advantage for faces observed in past studies is partly due to stimuli being typically presented along the horizontal meridian (HM). Our previous work suggests that the radial bias along the HM facilitates access to the horizontal structure of faces, which optimally drives human face-specialized processing. We expected to corroborate the saccadic advantage for faces along the HM, where the radial bias facilitates access to horizontal content, and to observe a reduction of this advantage along the vertical meridian (VM), especially in participants showing a strong horizontal tuning for face recognition. Fifty participants performed a saccadic choice task targeting faces or vehicles presented at 15° eccentricity along the HM and VM. We also assessed the strength of the radial bias and the horizontal tuning for face identity recognition in each individual. As expected, saccades were faster and more accurate towards faces than vehicles; they were also faster along the HM than the VM. Contrary to our hypothesis, the saccadic face advantage did not differ between meridians, suggesting the robustness of face saccadic advantage. However, the saccadic face advantage along the VM correlated with the strength of the horizontal tuning of face identity recognition. Additionally, the radial bias predicted saccade latency towards faces along the HM. These findings indicate that low-level radial biases and high-level face-specialized mechanisms independently contribute to distinct functional aspects of the ultra-fast saccadic responses towards faces.

Listeners vary in the perception and interpretation of speech prosody (the variations in intonation, loudness, and rhythm of spoken language). The source of this variability is unknown. We investigated whether the ability to recognise and classify prosodic structure is related to working memory (WM) capacity. This hypothesis stems from the tight connection between prosodic and syntactic (grammatical) structure, while processing syntax is known to relate to WN capacity. Healthy adult speakers of Dutch judged prosodic structures in a gating paradigm. The phrases contained early and late intonational cues that signalled whether the phrases contained an internal grouping or not. Listeners also took part in WM (digit span) and processing speed (letter comparison) tasks. There was an interaction between performance in the prosody judgement and WM tasks: high-WM listeners were better at classifying prosodic structure and required less prosodic information to detect the correct structure. There was no interaction between prosody processing and processing speed, suggesting that the interaction between prosodic judgement and WM capacity was not due to motivational or attentional differences. The results demonstrate a close relationship between prosody processing and WM abilities, implying that WM is an important component of prosody processing.

We discuss approaches to the study of the evolution of music (sect. R1); challenges to each of the two theories of the origins of music presented in the companion Target Articles (sect. R2); future directions for testing them (sect. R3); and priorities for better understanding the nature of music (sect. R4). [in press, Behavioral and Brain Sciences]

Objectives. Late-life suicidality is rapidly increasing; psychotherapy may reduce suicidality, but trajectories of change in suicidality remain unclear. A strong therapeutic alliance may protect against persistent suicidality. We examined the association of alliance with suicidality trajectories during brief, remote interventions for depression. Methods. Sixty middle-aged and older adults with major depression were randomized to brief remote psychosocial interventions. Suicidality and alliance were assessed during treatment. Patients’ suicidality trajectories were classified as: a) absent; b) improved; c) persistent, based on pre- to post-treatment changes. All three groups were included in mixed-effects models to examine the association between suicidality and alliance. Results. At baseline, 53% of patients endorsed suicidality, with 45% in the absent group, 45% improved; and 10% persistent. Patients in the absent and improved groups showed stable, strong alliance while the persistent group showed worsening alliance. Conclusion. Simple, remote psychosocial interventions are promising first-line treatments for late-life suicidality. A strong alliance may reduce suicidality and enhance outcomes, guiding timely, personalized interventions.

Laboratory studies suggest that high concentrations of particles matter (diameter<2.5 mm [PM2.5]) and ozone (O3) may reduce sport performances at short term. However, a systematic review of literature examining whether air pollution has an effect on sport performances in real situations is missing. Seven databases were searched for articles which examined the association between particulate (PM2.5, PM10, PMCoarse), gaseous (O3, sulfur dioxide [SO2], nitrogen dioxide [NO2], carbon monoxide [CO], and index (Air Quality Index [AQI]) of air pollutants and sport performances in real context. We included observational studies with objective measures of air pollution and performances. They were categorized into endurance, power/speed, technical performances. Harvest plots were used to summarize the findings. When appropriate, meta-analyses were completed to evaluate the strength of the associations. Over 200 reported associations from 23 articles were examined. Participants were primarily elite athletes. The majority of studies examined football (n = 9), and endurance sports (n = 10). Overall, no consistent associations were observed for AQI, PM2.5, or NO₂ and performances. We found that exposure to O3 was associated with reduced sports performance, (d = -0.33, 95%CI: -0.65 –0.02 [all performances]; d = -0.54, 95%CI: -1.02 -0.04) [endurance performances]). An absence of significant association between AQI, PM2.5, or NO2 exposure and sports performance is clearly supported by our systematic review and meta-analyses. Higher O3 concentration could impair sport performances in real context. For short-term exposures to CO, PM10, and SO₂, no definitive conclusions can be drawn due to the limited number of studies.

Recent advances in intergroup contact research have drawn on methods from human geography to investigate how segregation shapes, and is shaped by, everyday intergroup experiences. Emerging findings suggest that the phenomena might be reciprocally intertwined, but empirical evidence is limited and mixed. This research tested the reciprocal relationship between everyday intergroup contact and segregation using ecological momentary assessment and GPS-GIS tracking in two segregated UK cities with youths aged 15–17. Study 1 (Belfast; nparticipants = 15; ninteractions = 115; nGPS-point = 633) focused on Catholics–Protestants divisions, and Study 2 (Bradford; nparticipants = 30; ninteractions = 334; nGPS-point = 2868) addressed ethnic segregation among Asian, White, and Black communities. In both studies, youths reported on social interactions throughout 6 days, while their urban mobility in outgroup spaces was tracked. In Belfast, more mixed districts predicted higher anxiety during intergroup interactions, yet, positive intergroup contact was followed by increased visits to outgroup spaces. In Bradford, mixed districts increased the likelihood (but not the quality) of intergroup contact, while the link between positive contact and subsequent outgroup space use was replicated. The findings highlight a virtuous cycle depending on contextual norms by which positive contact and desegregation practices might reinforce each other, arguably demonstrating the potential of intergroup contact for levelling urban divisions.

Since the 19th century, scholars have tried to locate the housing stupa of the engraved copper plates hidden by Emperor Kanishka, following his and his team's theosophical thoughts. This study delves into the search for the engraved copper plates of the Fourth Buddhist council, hidden at a secret location under a stupa. Divided into two sections, the research aims to locate the Fourth Buddhist council site and identify the housing stupa based on the hypothesis that King Kanishka, being knowledgeable about the Himalayan terrain, would have hidden the plates in a secure place protected from atmospheric and human-induced hazards. Accompanied by Buddhist scholars, Kanishka executed this plan with great secrecy. The research supports the theory that the Kundal-Atholi region in Kishtwar, Kashmir, served as the Fourth Buddhist council site, well-protected by mountains and having fertile land to sustain the council attendees. The Kanika Chorten in Zanskar valley is suggested as not only the housing stupa of the engraved copper plates but also the Buddha's alms bowl, hidden amidst the difficult-to-reach high passes and abundant copper resources. Fountain slabs with water Baolis from Ghora galli to Kundal-Atholi reveal routes to the council, reflecting Kanishka's dedication to Buddhism. Art sculptures of horse riders in the Kesar saga hint at connections between Kesar and King Kanishka's life, aiding in reconstructing Stupa structures using Ghora galli sculptures. The expedition to locate the housing stupa, guided by the Kesar saga, led to Kanika Chorten, and the statues in the cemetery are believed to be made by Kesar of Ling. Verification using metal detectors provided evidence of non-ferrous metal presence under the Kanika chorten's base, supporting the hypothesis. Preservation of Ghora galli, Gool sculptures, water Baolis, and the Fourth Buddhist council location is crucial, as these historical monuments hold immense significance for Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism. Unearthing the engraved copper plates will shed light on the Kushan period and Buddhism during Kanishka's reign, honoring the efforts of the people of Zanskar in preserving their historical legacy.

This study examines how college students navigate the tension between free speech and harm prevention, highlighted by recent campus protests around the war in Gaza. Using online survey experiments with 3,065 college students nationwide, we find that the severity of speech and the target's identity strongly influence support for disciplinary actions in response to objectionable speech. Students generally oppose punishing objectionable speech unless it is deemed highly harmful. Hateful rhetoric targeting minority groups, such as Black, Jewish, Muslim, and transgender individuals, elicits stronger punitive responses than identical statements directed at White students. While students, on average, afford greater protections to minority groups, there is notable variation. Exploratory analysis reveals that students’ responses are shaped by normative principles: about two-thirds believe minority groups should receive greater protection from harmful speech, while one-third advocate universal, equal treatment regardless of the target’s identity. These principles predict responses to speech scenarios, beyond ideology, stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and other personal characteristics. However, commitment to these principles weakens when individuals have a strong stance on the topic. These findings shed light on how college students balance competing principles of fairness and harm prevention in polarized contexts, offering insights into contemporary campus debates about free speech and inclusion.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: This preprint represents an earlier version of the review and contains methodological limitations. The manuscript has since been substantially revised, re-analysed, and theoretically reframed. This version should not be cited as the current state of the review. This systematic review examines the relationship between mental health challenges and performance quality among professional musicians. The study was conducted following the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. The review protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42025636469). Through an analysis of 18 primary research articles published between 2009 and 2024, we investigate how various mental health issues, particularly Music Performance Anxiety (MPA), affect both objective and subjective aspects of musical performance. The review reveals that mental health challenges significantly impact performance through multiple pathways, including physiological responses (increased heart rate, muscle tension), psychological reactions (anxiety, rumination), and behavioral changes (practice habits, career choices). While moderate levels of anxiety can sometimes enhance performance, excessive anxiety typically leads to deterioration in both technical and artistic aspects of playing. The findings highlight that early life experiences, personality traits, and performance conditions significantly moderate these effects. The review also identifies important research gaps, particularly regarding the impact of depression, burnout, and sleep disorders on musical performance. These findings have important implications for music education, performance preparation, and healthcare support for musicians, suggesting the need for early intervention and personalized anxiety management strategies.

UK Higher Education (HE) has an increasingly diverse student population due to internationalisation and widening participation strategies, common in universities worldwide. However, a drive to recruit overseas and other traditionally under-represented students may result in inequities if comparable efforts are not made to understand and enhance their experiences. Using a survey (N=600), quantitative analysis and critical reflexive thematic analysis, we examine the inequities students experience at an elite university, focusing on language. We demonstrate four accent-based disadvantages that traditionally under-represented students may face: 1) experiencing microagressions; 2) struggling to embody a ‘legitimate’ academic identity and fully participate in university life; 3) intersection of accent bias with other axes of discrimination, especially race and class; and 4) internalising negative perceptions of their accent, affecting confidence, wellbeing, and career choices. We make recommendations to help HEIs address accent-based inequities and ensure that students from all linguistic backgrounds have equal opportunities for learning.