ABSTRACT In this paper, we demonstrate how a new form of ethics work emerges in the area where social work and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies converge. The paper reports on an organisational ethnography of a Scandinavian NGO, specifically comprising the efforts of social workers and data engineers to establish a fair AI Counselling Assistant (AICA) for supporting volunteer staff in their online communications with children seeking help and support. The purpose of the AICA is to retrieve relevant information and advice for the volunteer social workers’ conversations with children written in real time. Drawing on science and technology studies, we analyse ethics work related to the AICA as a more-than-human endeavour. We highlight four ethical dimensions related to (1) distance, (2) agency, (3) time and (4) errors, which characterise what we term socio-technical work which continuously questions and addresses the ethicality of the AICA. We conclude that ethics work in the area where social work and AI converge requires social workers to possess a technological awareness that enables them to engage with both data ethics and the situated ethics of social work.

Science is a self-correcting process, and scientific research aims to improve adequacy, accuracy, and utility. However, improving scientific research is a demanding task, especially when currently some key principles of science are challenged and renegotiated. Key challenges in the current environment include the increasing loss of trust in scientists; the production of most of the published scientific literature in countries without full democracy and/or in countries without fundamental freedoms, e.g., freedom of the press; limited public availability and transparency as most research is funded by non-public sponsors that do not prioritize or even seek publication of results; and rapid developments on the frontier of artificial intelligence where non-human agents can supplement and/or replace human researchers. Concurrently, there have been many proposals on how to improve research. Among a plethora of suggestions and guidance, some may not be useful or may even be harmful, and most lack evidence. Revisiting some key proposals shows mixed track records of failures and successes. Examples are provided from efforts to enhance collaboration, team science, and large studies; replication culture; registration and open science; containment of conflicts of interest; and statistical, computational, and informatics improvements. The optimal stages to improve research (early and/or late in the scientific process) may be debated, and the role, function, and mode of optimal peer review are also under scrutiny. Eventually, science and scientific research are demanding, hard enterprises. Genuine progress requires openness, honesty, and selflessness.

Corrosion risks of mercury pollution and contamination: Economic, ecological, and safety perspectives.

Quantum chemical, spectroscopic, molecular docking, molecular dynamics analyses and ADMET properties: Nifedipine.

Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) is the most common autoimmune thyroid disease. Although levothyroxine therapy effectively normalizes thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) in most patients, persistent symptoms are frequently reported, suggesting that autoimmunity and inflammation contribute to reduced quality of life (QoL) independently of thyroid hormone levels. According to PRISMA guidelines, we systematically searched for MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science studies that assessed the association of thyroid autoimmunity, inflammatory markers, and QoL in adults with HT. Included designs were observational, interventional, and longitudinal studies that published qualified QoL outcomes and immune/inflammatory markers. Across diverse study designs, HT patients-typically euthyroid or receiving long-term levothyroxine therapy-consistently reported lower QoL compared with controls, particularly in cognitive, affective, and vitality domains. Elevated anti-thyroid antibodies (anti-TPO, anti-Tg) were negatively correlated with QoL, whereas TSH and thyroid hormone levels showed no consistent association. Interventional studies demonstrated that total thyroidectomy or therapies associated with reduced antibody titers were accompanied by improvements in fatigue and QoL. However, an important caveat must be emphasized. Some studies did not confirm a direct association between antibody levels and symptom severity, likely reflecting methodological variability and heterogeneity in QoL assessment tools. There is evidence that HT exerts a multidimensional impact beyond endocrine dysfunction, with chronic autoimmunity and low-grade inflammation contributing to impaired QoL. These findings should be taken into account and perhaps challenge a purely TSH-centric model and call for a broader, patient-centered approach that integrates immunological, psychological, and subjective outcomes. Properly designed longitudinal and interventional trials are required to establish causal pathways and support the personalization of therapy.

Qualitative methods are now central to implementation science, but they are used to do different kinds of work that are not always clearly distinguished. Some studies are designed to develop contextual or conceptual understanding, while others are expected to inform near-term decisions about rollout, adaptation, or implementation strategies. When these differences remain implicit, qualitative studies may be designed and evaluated against expectations they were never intended to meet, particularly around the role of theory, openness to unanticipated findings, and what counts as rigor. In this debate paper, we argue for a more explicit way of thinking about qualitative inquiry in implementation science. Rather than treating qualitative methods as a single approach, we suggest they are being configured in different ways in response to study purpose, time and resource constraints, the state of knowledge about the phenomenon or context, and stakeholder expectations. To make these differences visible, we propose a positioning framework that locates qualitative inquiry along a continuum of three orientations: Generative, Pragmatic, and Action-oriented. Generative inquiry prioritizes contextual depth and conceptual development; Action-oriented inquiry is organized to produce timely, decision-relevant findings; Pragmatic inquiry occupies the space between these poles. We then introduce a positioning guide and an accompanying table to show how these orientations shape key aspects of qualitative design, including question formulation, the role of theory, sampling, data collection, analysis, and reporting. The contribution of this paper is a framework for describing what qualitative studies in implementation science are trying to produce and how they should be assessed. Qualitative rigor cannot be reduced to a single standard when studies are making different kinds of claims. Making methodological positioning more explicit may help reduce mismatched expectations in study design and peer review, and support more consistent judgments about the contribution of qualitative work in implementation science.

Science and Social Studies (IPAS) learning in elementary schools still faces challenges in strengthening students’ scientific literacy and critical thinking skills because the learning process tends to be textual, less contextual, and has not optimally integrated local culture and digital technology. This study aims to develop an ethnoscience-based digital student worksheet (LKPD) that is valid, practical, and effective in improving elementary school students’ scientific literacy and critical thinking skills. The research employed a Research and Development (R&D) method using the ADDIE model, which consists of analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation stages. The research subjects involved 28 elementary school students. Data were collected through observation, interviews, questionnaires, tests, and documentation, and then analyzed using descriptive statistics and the N-gain test. The results showed that the ethnoscience-based digital LKPD obtained an average validation score of 91.1%, categorized as highly valid. The implementation of the product demonstrated an improvement in scientific literacy with an N-gain score of 0.71 and critical thinking skills with an N-gain score of 0.69. The integration of local culture, interactive multimedia, and project-based learning proved to enhance students’ engagement, scientific reasoning, and problem-solving abilities. These findings confirm that the ethnoscience-based digital LKPD is effective in supporting contextual IPAS learning and 21st-century learning in elementary schools.

Cannabis cue reactivity paradigms are instrumental in studying the behavioral and neurocognitive mechanisms of cannabis use and cannabis use disorders; however, image sets used for cannabis cue reactivity paradigms vary between studies, and the lack of reliability and validity assessment hinders the quality of evidence they generate. The main aim of this study was to create a novel, open access, standardized and representative database of cannabis use-related images including control images matched by resolution, luminosity and complexity: The Cannabis Research Image Database (CRESIDA). The secondary aim was to examine whether subjective cannabis cue-induced craving was associated with cannabis use severity and whether this relationship was moderated by image type. As an illustrative example of how our open data can be used and how sample characteristics can shape cue reactivity, we also explored the role of cannabis-tobacco mixing by comparing cannabis cue induced cannabis and tobacco craving between individuals who did and did not mix the substances. An online survey was administered to participants recruited via online platforms, community advertisement and snowballing. USA, the Netherlands and Australia. 689 participants who consumed cannabis monthly to daily (385 men, 298 women, 6 other) were recruited between January 2022 and May 2024. Out of 93 cannabis images and 93 matched neutral images, participants each rated 31 image pairs for cannabis craving (the primary outcome), arousal, valence and tobacco craving. Participants were characterized for socio-demographic data, level of cannabis use and related problems and mixing cannabis and tobacco. A subset of 78 images was selected for further analysis based on cannabis craving results. Image ratings were evaluated for internal consistency (α). Furthermore, we examined the association between cannabis cravings and cannabis use characteristics, and explored if cannabis craving ratings were affected by image type (i.e. product, paraphernalia and actions) and by using cannabis alone vs. mixing cannabis and tobacco. The database showed excellent reliability (α=0.995-0.965). Cannabis craving, valence and arousal discriminated cannabis and control images. More cannabis use days [unstandardized beta (β) =0.162, P < 0.001] and cannabis use-related problems (β =0.268, P < 0.001) were statistically significantly associated with higher image-related cannabis craving. Mixing cannabis with tobacco, compared with using cannabis alone, was associated with the presence of tobacco craving in relation to cannabis images, and with greater cannabis craving in relation to cannabis images (β = -0.457, P < 0.001). Images in the open access Cannabis Research Image Database (CRESIDA, https://osf.io/dc9nz/) appear to be reliable and valid for the scientific study of cue reactivity internationally, providing a broad range of free to use cannabis and control images.

Inhibition of Dipeptidyl Peptidase-4 (DPP-4) is an established therapeutic target for type II diabetes control, having potential for potentiating endogenously produced insulin by maintaining stability of incretin hormones. The current study extensively analyzes molecular modeling, pharmacokinetics, toxicity, and insulin secretory efficacy of Quercetin, Celecoxib, Doxycyline, Atorvastatine, Omeprazole, and Furosemide, a set of six different compounds, for DPP-4 inhibition, which is an established therapeutic target for diabetes control by potentiating endogenously secreted insulin by maintaining stability of incretin secretion. Using InstaDock v1.1 for molecular modeling, binding affinity, as well as Ligand Efficiency, of Quercetin, Celecoxib, Doxycyline, Atorvastatine, Omeprazole, and Furosemide have been calculated, of which Quercetin showed maximum binding affinity of -8.2 kcal/mol, respectively. The pharmacokinetics, target binding, as well as toxicity (LD50) of candidate compounds, have also been predicted using SwissADME, Swiss-TargetPrediction, respectively, in combination, ascertaining anti-toxicity (Gusar on Way2Drug). One-way ANOVA, further followed by t-tests, has also been used to check for significant differences between compounds to identify better treatments for augmenting functions of secreted hormones to stimulate pancreatic insulin secretion. The current scientific study is ethically justifiable for computational procedures, providing concrete scientific inputs for future studies in preparing optimized therapeutic agents for repurposed intervention in commonly prevalent metabolic.

The aim of this study is to identify the anatomical location of the emergence point of the zygomaticotemporal nerve (EP) in the lateral orbital margin with reference to the marginal tubercle of zygomatic bone (MT), and to determine whether the MT can serve as a consistent landmark for zygomaticotemporal nerve (ZTN) block procedures. Thirty-six hemifaces from 20 cadavers were dissected. The spatial relationships of the EP with the MT and the lateral canthus (LC) were the main outcomes. Facial proportions were recorded as covariates. Cross-sectional relationships of the ZTN with the middle temporal vein (MTV) and the frontal branch of the facial nerve (FN) in fascial planes were also examined. The EP was consistently identified near the lateral orbital margin, located 4.5±1.6 mm superior to the MT and 17.6±2.7 mm lateral and 9.5±2.9 mm superior to the LC. The vertical distance to the MTV was 7.3±2.3 mm, with both structures positioned within the same fascial plane. In contrast, the FN coursed through a more-superficial layer. Correlation analyses indicated that while the facial proportions affected the absolute location of the ZTN, they did not alter its spatial relationship to the MT. The MT serves as a consistent palpable landmark for locating the EP, facilitating more-accurate regional nerve blocks for anesthesia, postoperative pain control, and neuralgia treatment. When the MT is not palpable, the LC can serve as an alternative landmark. Understanding their spatial relationships with surrounding structures-including the MTV and FN-may help prevent vascular injury and inadvertent FN blockade.Levels of Evidence: Basic science and clinical study.

ABSTRACT This article examines the French EdTech market through the social properties of its founders, shifting attention from technologies and policy agendas to the actors shaping legitimate forms of technological intervention in education. Drawing on a Bourdieusian framework combined with science and technology studies, it analyses how founders’ trajectories, resources, and dispositions structure access to the EdTech field and influence the ways educational issues are framed through technology. The study combines a quantitative mapping of 327 EdTech companies and founders, based on a professional association database and LinkedIn profiles, with 14 semi-structured interviews. Findings show that access to EdTech entrepreneurship is socially selective and depends on the accumulation of valuable forms of capital, including prestigious academic credentials, professional networks, and economic resources. They further indicate that legitimacy within the field relies less on pedagogical expertise than on entrepreneurial and commercial capital. Consequently, founders who are often weakly socialised within educational settings tend to frame educational issues through market-oriented categories such as efficiency, optimisation, and scalability. The article highlights how educational technologies are shaped by socially situated actors whose dispositions influence both the definition of educational problems and the forms of intervention considered legitimate.

ABSTRACT Integrating contributions from studies of fascism and political science, the author explores some aspects of the allure of fascistic states of mind from a psychoanalytic point of view. In particular, the author examines the passionate relationship that followers develop with their fascist leader. Mr. Trump’s relationship with his MAGA supporters is explored in this context. Forty percent of citizens in democratic societies have an authoritarian personality. They prefer oneness and sameness and are inclined to be obedient. The diversity, complexities and the constant social changes that mark liberal democracies have exceeded these citizens’ capacity to tolerate democracy. These changes trigger annihilation anxiety in them. When annihilation anxieties are not contained by benign leaders they lead to social trauma. White men without a college education are especially vulnerable to the feelings of loss and anxiety about their diminished status and their declining opportunities. Fascist leaders offer anxious voters such as this group a perverted containment. Mr. Trump uses fascistic rhetorical devices to amplify his followers’ fears, rage, and resentment. He uses splitting and projection to allure his followers into a manic addictive state where they can feel powerful and self-righteous, while hurting and punishing invented enemies without experiencing guilt or remorse.

This article examines how automobility reproduces and governs itself through textual practices. Focusing on the European Accident Statement (EAS) – a standardized form used across Europe to document vehicle collisions – it explores how a seemingly mundane document participates in the apparatus of automobility by transforming embodied violence into administratively legible events. Drawing on ethnomethodology, phenomenology, and science and technology studies, the paper develops the concept of text acts to analyze how documents not only record but actively constitute the social and epistemic order of mobility. The EAS functions as a mediating device that eventifies the continuous violence-field of automobility, converting the kinetic and affective disruption of collisions into a spatiotemporal ‘accident event’ that can be processed, effaced, and normalized. In doing so, it restores the flow of circulation, making automobility’s systemic violence appear episodic and manageable. The analysis reveals that automobility depends not only on cars, roads, and fuel, but also on paper, pen, and the textual coordination of conduct through which the apparatus sustains its promise of uninterrupted movement.

Optical tweezers are widely used in single-molecule biophysics, cell biomechanics and soft matter physics, but require a human operator, limiting throughput and repeatability. Here we present a smart optical tweezers platform, named SmartTrap, capable of performing complex experiments autonomously by integrating real-time three-dimensional particle tracking, custom electronics and a microfluidics system. Through a series of experiments, we demonstrate it can operate continuously, acquiring high-precision data over extended periods of time. By bridging the gap between manual experimentation and autonomous operation, SmartTrap establishes a robust and open-source framework for the next generation of optical tweezers research, capable of performing large-scale studies in single-molecule biophysics, cell mechanics and colloidal science with minimal experimental overhead and operator bias.

Purpose This paper analyses the emergence of generative artificial intelligence (AI) not as a further tool in the automation of search but as an epistemic institution that produces, validates and distributes knowledge. It examines the structural mechanisms through which this transition marginalises academic libraries, displacing them from the epistemic functions of synthesis, evaluation and curation they have historically performed. Against the assumption that marginalisation is a technological inevitability, the paper argues that it is conditional and articulates the institutional conditions under which academic libraries can recover epistemic agency and reposition themselves as active participants in the knowledge infrastructure of the AI era. Design/methodology/approach The paper adopts a conceptual, abductive approach, employing the Tron film trilogy as an analytical model of epistemic infrastructure transition rather than as a cultural metaphor. It integrates Science and Technology Studies, the philosophy of technology and library and information science scholarship. The historical reconstruction proceeds inductively, deriving three phases of library infrastructure development from particular technologies, from card catalogues to commercial scholarly platforms. The diagnosis proceeds deductively, deriving specific mechanisms of marginalisation from the premise that generative AI internalises epistemic functions. The recovery programme then translates that diagnosis into the institutional conditions under which academic libraries can respond. Findings Generative AI constitutes a qualitative break in the history of knowledge infrastructure, crossing from the category of retrieval tool to that of epistemic institution that organises the conditions under which knowledge is produced and validated. Three mechanisms drive library marginalisation: disintermediation of the institutional mediator, dependency on training infrastructures beyond library governance and the transfer of epistemic authority from accountable institutions to opaque algorithmic systems. Scenario analysis yields three possible futures, full marginalisation, coexistence and co-authorship of epistemic infrastructure. The third is not inevitable but contingent on libraries claiming roles in data stewardship, AI governance and critical AI literacy. Research limitations/implications As a conceptual contribution, the paper develops an analytical framework rather than empirical findings; its three mechanisms and three scenarios are theoretically derived and await empirical testing. The evidence base draws substantially on Anglophone, predominantly US LIS scholarship, which may limit transferability to other national and institutional contexts. Future research should operationalise and empirically validate the proposed mechanisms of marginalisation, assess the conditions for epistemic recovery across diverse library settings and examine longitudinally whether libraries that invest in data stewardship, AI governance and critical AI literacy realise the co-authorship scenario the framework identifies. Practical implications Academic libraries should pursue three mutually reinforcing strategies. First, they should reposition themselves as active participants in the governance of the data ecosystems on which AI systems are trained, extending research data management towards stewardship of training corpora. Second, they should secure inclusion in university AI governance structures, from which information professionals are frequently absent despite directly relevant competencies in information ethics, source evaluation and quality assurance. Third, they should reconceptualise critical AI literacy, the capacity to evaluate not only what AI produces but how, as a defining institutional mission rather than a supplementary digital skill. Social implications If generative AI becomes the default mediator of scholarly knowledge, the consequences extend beyond libraries to the epistemic commons on which science, scholarship and democratic deliberation depend. Unaccountable, non-transparent knowledge production risks normalising narrow epistemic positions, eroding epistemic pluralism and widening inequalities in knowledge access already stratified by institutional wealth. Positioning academic libraries as public-interest guarantors of accountable curation, epistemic equity and critical AI literacy helps safeguard citizens' capacity to evaluate AI-generated knowledge, sustains diverse knowledge traditions and protects the reliability of the shared information environment on which informed public life increasingly rests. Originality/value The paper offers a novel integrative framework that combines Science and Technology Studies, the epistemology of AI and library and information science scholarship. Its central contribution is to reframe library marginalisation not as a contingent service challenge to be met by incremental adaptation, but as a structural consequence of AI's emergence as an epistemic institution. Methodologically, it advances the use of the Tron trilogy as an analytical model rather than an illustrative metaphor. It provides one of the first systematic articulations of academic libraries as potential co-architects, rather than residual beneficiaries, of the knowledge infrastructure of the AI era.

The study of vernacular buildings involves recording, classifying, and analyzing large building populations to probe their environmental and cultural explanations. Traditionally, this process has relied on manual observation and researcher intuition, which can lead to selective and imprecise interpretations. Here we propose a computational framework that integrates visual intelligence to support the reconstruction of building genealogy. The framework is based on the premise that interpreting historical artefacts involves identifying a function from discrete data. We apply it to the stylistic classification of Singapore shophouses using frontage images of 1,276 historic shophouses in Singapore's Chinatown. Findings move beyond the chronological order established by the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Singapore in the 1990s and offer a critical perspective on the multi-ethnic character of Singapore shophouses. The study serves as a model for collaboration between studies in human settlements and computer science, demonstrating how leveraging the strengths of both fields can yield remarkable insights.

ABSTRACT This article explores how hate crime reporting infrastructures in the United States have shaped the political classification of Jewishness over time. Drawing on scholarship in science and technology studies and infrastructure studies, the article approaches three legislative acts (the Immigration Act of 1924, the Selective Service Act of 1940, and the Hate Crime Statistics Act of 1990) as infrastructural events that stabilised classificatory relations and organised recognition across institutional systems. It introduces the concept of originary acts of infrastructure to describe moments in which provisional legal distinctions become embedded as durable conditions of legibility within reporting practices, data systems, and administrative routines. By foregrounding infrastructural rhythm as an analytic concept, the article demonstrates how infrastructures of classification shape the uneven production of recognition and absence within data collection regimes. The analysis clarifies how early infrastructural decisions continue to shape what can be named, counted, or rendered ambiguous in hate crime reporting long after their enactment, contributing to broader conversations about media, infrastructure, and the temporal politics of classification.

This article provides a systematic scientific study of the legal and organizational foundations for the reintegration of war veterans into the socio-economic life of society through the development of the social entrepreneurship sector. The relevance of the research is driven by unprecedented challenges facing Ukraine: as of the spring of 2026, the number of veterans has exceeded 1.7 million, many of whom have complex injuries and disabilities. This necessitates a fundamental shift in the social protection paradigm – moving from a paternalistic model of welfare payments to a model of active engagement and economic agency. For the first time within a comprehensive legal analysis, this work integrates labor law concepts, approaches to adult vocational education, and systemic modeling of social processes. The author argues that social entrepreneurship is the most appropriate tool for adaptation, as it allows veterans to maintain the value-based identity of “serving the community” inherent in military service, while simultaneously ensuring financial independence. The study is based on a critical analysis of global models: the American “Hiring Our Heroes” and “Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business” systems, the Israeli “Talpiot” program focusing on the high-tech sector, and the British model of competitive tendering for reintegration services. Systemic legal barriers in Ukrainian legislation are identified and classified. First, the absence of a validation procedure for informal education creates a “qualification gap” between real combat command experience and a veteran’s official civilian status in the labor market. Second, there is a legal vacuum in defining the status of a “social enterprise,” which precludes targeted state support. Third, the study identifies the low efficiency of existing tax incentives for employers, who perceive hiring veterans as a risk factor rather than an investment in high-quality human capital. The scientific novelty of the article lies in the justification for introducing a special legal regime for “Veteran Social Enterprises” (VSEs). The author proposes clear criteria for identifying such entities: a minimum of 50% veterans among employees, limitations on profit distribution in favor of reinvesting in the social mission, and mandatory psychological support for personnel. Proposals are formulated for amending current legislation, including the Laws of Ukraine “On the Status of War Veterans,” “On Education,” and “On Professional Development of Employees.” Specifically, the development of a national “Correspondence Directory” (modeled after the American MOS Crosswalk) is proposed to automatically equate military duties with civilian managerial and technical qualifications. A distinct emphasis is placed on the legal framework for “trauma-informed learning.” The author argues that the state must legislatively establish requirements for educational programs for veterans that account for the specifics of cognitive adaptation after combat operations. A mechanism is proposed for creating regional inclusive business incubators operating on the principles of public-private partnership. The study concludes that the successful adaptation of veterans through social entrepreneurship will transform a potential risk group into a “locomotive” of post-war recovery. This will ensure a transition from passive consumption of budget resources to job creation and the strengthening of social cohesion within communities. The article holds practical value for legislative activities, local government bodies, and non-governmental organizations involved in veteran affairs.

Embedding LLMs in the patient portal to summarize acute minor illness information: a three-arm experimental study.

ABSTRACT This essay is concerned with the study of journalistic vocabularies and tropes (or what is sometimes referred to as “vernaculars”) used in weather reporting, a domain that until recently was neglected in journalism studies. It interprets and thematizes the vernaculars employed in reporting on a dominant seasonal weather phenomenon in South Asia: the monsoon. As an atmospheric-aqueous phenomenon, the monsoon is central to the Indian subcontinent’s agriculture and daily life due to its association with rainfall. I focus on monsoon coverage in an India-based science newsmagazine, Down to Earth (DTE). Drawing on literature from interdisciplinary fields such as science and technology studies and media anthropology, this essay identifies several vernaculars at work in DTE’s monsoon reportage—from summarizing the findings of scientific studies in lay terms to retelling popular monsoonal myths in conversational formats; from portraying the monsoon-induced travails of grassroots communities with solemn gravitas to evoking cherished gastronomical memories related to the monsoon in personalized tones. The journalistic use of an array of vernaculars helped DTE bridge the longstanding divide between news as storytelling and news as information. DTE, furthermore, highlighted climate change as a proximate threat in its monsoon coverage.