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During public health crisis, effective information disclosure is crucial for the government to guide citizens' participation in social recovery. In this paper, we focus on the influence of the timeliness and detail of information disclosure on citizens' co-production behavior. We divide citizens' co-production behavior into online information concern behavior and offline pandemic compliance with preventive behavior. Adopting a mixed-methods design combining regression analysis and behavioral experiments, this study quantitatively analyzed more than 5,800 pieces of data from 293 prefecture-level cities and 158 citizens' experimental data. The results indicate that timely and detailed information disclosure is associated with significant effects on citizens' co-production behavior. However, due to constraints on government human resources and time, it is recommended to adopt a general content and timely disclosure policy for information concerning behavior. A detailed content but non-timely disclosure policy is recommended for citizen compliance with preventive behavior. Findings have important implications for governmental public health crisis management.

Participatory health research has gained importance in general practice research in Germany. This paper is based on a study examining the implementation of a public advisory board established in 2022 by the Institute of General Practice at Erlangen University Hospital. We focus on the perspectives of participating citizens, their experiences, expectations, and motivation regarding their involvement. The article highlights key success factors for participatory formats in general practice research from the viewpoint of those involved and provides practical recommendations for their implementation and long-term integration. Data was collected using methodological triangulation, combining participant observations of 16 advisory board meetings and five semi-structured interviews with board members. Sociodemographic data was also collected. The qualitative data was analysed using the content-structuring approach to qualitative content analysis according to Kuckartz, employing a category system developed both deductively and inductively. Participants described their involvement as meaningful, enriching, and intrinsically motivated. They emphasised a desire to share their personal experiences, gain insight into research processes, and endorse the societal relevance and applicability of research. Simultaneously, some members wished for more specific opportunities regarding participation and a clearer definition of their roles within the format. Although financial compensation was not an issue of primary concern to participants, it was still seen as a gesture of appreciation. Moreover, especially the composition of the board, the distribution of roles, communication pathways, and feedback on outcomes proved to be crucial for acceptance and effectiveness of the format from the citizens' perspective. The findings indicate that citizens are willing to engage in general practice research if transparent structures, feedback mechanisms, and flexible opportunities for involvement are established. For participation to be effective in the long run, institutional and financial support, clear definitions of roles, and continuous reflection on participatory practices are essential.

In this research, we examine the determinants of citizens' beliefs about the severity of criminal and administrative sanctions attached to violations of COVID-19 mitigation laws in Russia, as well as extrajudicial sanctions employed in other parts of the world. Although criminological research has identified many predictors of punitive attitudes toward traditional criminal offenses, less is known about how citizens evaluate punishments for violations of newly introduced rules adopted under emergency conditions. The key explanatory variables in our study include beliefs in attribution of human behavior, self-commitment to compliance with COVID-19 mandates, trust in government, and the fear of COVID-19 infection. Data for the study come from 508 respondents from St. Petersburg, Russia's second-largest city, who participated in an online survey during the first wave of the pandemic in May 2020. Findings suggest that citizens who believe in the free-will explanations of human nature and those who are more likely to comply with pandemic-mitigating laws feel that the punishments imposed for violating the pandemic-related laws were not severe enough. Additionally, those who trust the government's effectiveness and integrity in controlling COVID-19 are more punitive, a finding contrary to crime-related punitiveness research. Together, these findings indicate that support for sanctioning pandemic-related violations is closely tied to rule-related evaluations, including responsibility attribution, institutional trust, and personal commitment to compliance. The study contributes to criminological research by showing that established explanations of punitive attitudes may operate differently when applied to newly institutionalized crisis rules. How People Judge Punishments for Breaking Emergency RulesThis study looks at how people decide whether punishments for breaking COVID-19 rules are too harsh or not harsh enough. We focus on people in Russia and examine both formal punishments, such as fines or legal penalties, and informal responses seen in other countries. Past research has identified many factors that shape opinions about punishment for traditional crimes, however, we know less about how people judge punishments for new rules introduced during emergencies like the pandemic. In this study, we focus on several key factors: whether people believe individuals are responsible for their actions, how willing they are to follow COVID-19 rules themselves, how much they trust the government, and how worried they are about getting infected. The study is based on an online survey of 508 people in St. Petersburg, conducted during the first wave of the pandemic in May 2020. The findings show that people who believe individuals have control over their actions, and those who are more willing to follow COVID-19 rules themselves, are more likely to think that punishments were not strict enough. We also find that people who trust the government to manage the pandemic tend to support stronger punishments. This is different from what we usually see in studies of crime, where higher trust in government is often linked to less support for harsh punishment. Overall, the results suggest that support for punishing pandemic-related rule-breaking is closely tied to how people think about responsibility, their trust in institutions, and their own commitment to following the rules. The study shows that ideas we use to explain attitudes toward punishment may work differently when applied to new rules created during a crisis.

Community violence and crime in Arab society in Israel have risen substantially, to the point of becoming one of the most distressing issues for Arab citizens. While many studies have examined the extent of social violence, few have examined its relationship with emotional health, and the mediating role of stress has not been the topic of any scientific investigation. Based on a cross-sectional survey conducted among 941 adult Israeli Arab citizens, the current study assesses the ramifications of community violence on the emotional health of the Arab population in Israel. A mediation model was found to fit the data comparative fit index (CFI) = 0.901, root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.039, standardized root mean squared residual (SRMR) = 0.050), where stress was found to mediate the association between exposure to violence and depression (95% CI = 0.17, 0.30) and anxiety (95% CI = 0.18, 0.31), as well as between threat of violence and depression (95% CI = 0.02, 0.24) and anxiety (95% CI = 0.02, 0.25). Stress also mediated the association between worry about social crime and violence and depression (95% CI = 0.04, 0.25) and anxiety (95% CI = 0.04, 0.26), as well as between the attitudes that more should be done about social crime and violence and depression (95% CI = 0.03, 0.19) and anxiety (95% CI = 0.03, 0.19). The findings suggest that stress plays a central role in the association between community violence and symptoms of depression and anxiety among Arab citizens in Israel.

The MADCOW annotation system enables group-based annotation, allowing users to direct annotations toward communities focused on specific domain topics. In smart city environments, such groups may include citizens, urban planners, and domain experts collaborating on urban services, infrastructure, mobility, environment, and public safety. Existing recommendation approaches mainly rely on ontology-based semantic similarity, which limits their effectiveness in dynamic collaborative settings. To address this limitation, this study extends ontology-based matching by incorporating behavioral and structural factors, where user activity is modeled using the number of posted annotations and joined groups, and group relevance is represented by group size and membership growth rate. These heterogeneous features are integrated with ontology-based semantic similarity using fuzzy logic operators to construct a more flexible and expressive ranking framework. Experimental evaluations demonstrate that the proposed approach improves the quality of user-to-group and group-to-user ranking compared to methods relying solely on ontology-based graph similarity measures. However, the model's performance may decrease in scenarios with highly sparse annotation data, indicating the need for further investigation into robustness under data-scarce conditions. The aggregation of annotations and of users according to topics of interests may facilitate focused discussions about issues related to city governance among concerned citizens. The identification of active groups and users may lead to more effective recommendations for user enrolment.

The rapid proliferation of social media platforms has fundamentally transformed the dissemination of public health and environmental messages. However, there remains a paucity of knowledge regarding how citizens value various forms of digital participation in sanitation campaigns. This study explores community preferences for online engagement in sanitation and health initiatives, specifically within the context of the Citarum River basin and Jakarta, Indonesia. A choice experiment utilizing stratified random sampling was designed to capture preferences for three distinct forms of social media interaction: liking, sharing, and commenting, with willingness to participate quantified as digital actions per week per individual. Random parameter logit and latent class models were employed to estimate preferences and uncover heterogeneity among respondents. The results indicate that consistent liking, selective sharing of targeted content, and brief acknowledgment comments were positively and significantly correlated with utility, resulting in substantial willingness to participate values of up to 32 actions/week. Segmentation analysis identified two distinct groups: digital sanitation movers, comprising 89.5% of respondents who actively support sanitation campaigns online, and silent social media viewers, representing 10.5% who exhibited weak and inconsistent engagement. Socio-demographic analysis revealed that digital intensity and campaign awareness were more significant differentiators between these groups than income or education. The findings underscore the pivotal role of location-based features, such as regional hashtags (#CitarumHarum), in enhancing the visibility of sanitation campaigns and integrating them into community identities. Policy implications suggest prioritizing visually engaging, shareable, and locally branded content for the most digitally active citizens, while concurrently developing hybrid online-offline strategies to engage less active groups. This study contributes to the field of digital health geography by elucidating how social media participation can amplify sanitation messaging and address health vulnerabilities within urban and river basin contexts.

Human brain organoids are three-dimensional neural structures derived from human pluripotent and tissue stem cells. As the ethical implications of this research have sparked significant debate, it is essential to gauge public opinion to ensure that the research aligns with societal values and ethical standards. To understand public perceptions of human brain organoid research, we conducted an online survey targeting Japanese individuals. The survey explored expectations, concerns, and agreements regarding this type of research. The results from 326 participants revealed high expectations especially for applied and clinical research but significant ethical concerns, particularly regarding unanticipated risks and commercialization. Moreover, comprehension test scores showed a weak positive correlation with support for various research objectives, indicating that informed individuals may view this type of research favorably. Japanese citizens are generally supportive of human brain organoid research, yet various ethical concerns are identified as well. Our findings indicate that to foster responsible innovation in this field, public engagement and informed discussions are essential, which will dispel citizens' misconceptions and ensure that their views are meaningfully incorporated into research practices and future regulations.

Introductory undergraduate science courses often aim to achieve two key goals: (i) build a foundation of knowledge and (ii) prime a deeper understanding of the natural world to help cultivate scientifically literate citizens. However, retention of knowledge and critical understanding of complex concepts in these foundational courses remains a challenge. While facts can fade from memory, content presented in the form of stories captures attention and is easier to recall. Narrative-based learning provides a powerful way to support STEM education, helping students grasp complex concepts, connect more meaningfully with the natural world, and view science as accessible and relevant. In this study, we evaluated how students engage with microbe-centered comic narratives designed around concepts students themselves identified as challenging in a foundational microbiology course. We started by collecting data around how students engage with an existing course resource, an open educational textbook designed specifically for the course, and identified key concepts that students indicated were still challenging. Comic narratives were created specifically to address these concepts. Student perception data showed that integrating the comics with the course reading helped to improve their understanding of the concepts using memorable examples of microbes and overall increased their curiosity about the microbial world. Here, we show that comic storytelling can be a powerful pedagogical tool in higher education, bridging abstract and complex scientific concepts with personal connection and curiosity.

Achieving carbon-neutral cities requires innovative strategies that integrate technological carbon capture, sustainable urban infrastructure, and proactive public engagement. While microalgae-based systems have shown promise for CO2 sequestration and resource recovery, their scalability remains constrained by high costs and energy-intensive photobioreactor (PBR) designs. Here, we propose the retrofit of existing urban fountains into high-efficiency microalgae cultivation systems-microalgae-enhanced fountain landscapes-as an integrated solution that bridges ecological function and social outreach. This approach capitalizes on ubiquitous fountain infrastructure to minimize deployment costs, employs advanced fountain-style cultivation technology to enhance biomass productivity, and leverages strategic locations in high-footfall urban zones to actively elevate public carbon literacy and motivate low-carbon behavioral shifts through immersive engagement-a vital step toward city-wide participatory climate action. We critically analyze the feasibility of this system, highlighting its potential for multi-stakeholder value creation across developers, municipalities, and citizens. Furthermore, we synthesize recent advances in suspended microalgae cultivation, building-integrated PBRs, and microalgae-informed landscape design to contextualize the development pathway of fountain-based systems. By uniting technical efficiency with civic education, this work establishes a replicable framework for scalable urban deployment-simultaneously advancing carbon mitigation, public awareness, and circular resource flows in the transition toward climate-resilient cities.

Fact-checks have become a popular intervention aimed at tackling misinformation, yet concern has persisted related to the potential for fact-checking to inadvertently amplify false narratives-a phenomenon commonly referred to as a "backfire effect." At the same time, recent evidence from research on repeated claims has suggested that there is a risk that fact-checks may also generate misperceptions regarding societal beliefs-or an "illusory consensus" effect. This paper presents findings from an ecologically valid two-wave experimental study that tested whether repeated fact-checking interventions could cause either of these negative outcomes. To further enhance the validity of the design, we draw on quota-balanced samples of participants from the United States, France, and South Africa (N = 680), who were presented with a set of true and false posts taken from online discussions regarding the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris, France. Outcome measures focused on personal accuracy judgments (i.e., how accurate participants deemed each claim) and consensus estimates (i.e., whether their fellow citizens would believe each claim). After the Olympics concluded, participants were asked to assess both new and previously reviewed statements. Consistent with prior work, results indicate no evidence of the backfire effect ( d $d$  = 0.048). The findings also provide evidence of a small "illusory consensus" effect ( d $d$  = 0.125), whereby participants who had previously seen fact-checks were more likely to estimate that the wider population would accept these debunked claims as accurate. Supplementary analyses of true statements reveal that fact-checks produced large, durable improvements in accuracy judgments ( d $d$  = 0.71-0.91), suggesting that fact-checking was substantially more effective at reinforcing correct beliefs than it was at generating unintended consequences. Item-level analyses further reveal heterogeneity across misinformation narratives, indicating that the specific content of false claims may moderate both the persistence of corrections and consensus distortions. Implications for fact-checking strategies and public perceptions of misinformation, including the need for further studies which incorporate group dynamics, are discussed and debated.

Community engagement is increasingly seen as a key component of public health responses to health emergencies. Recent outbreaks, from Ebola in West Africa to COVID-19 across the world, have highlighted the importance of working through existing structures and identifying trusted local leaders who can help response workers design context-appropriate interventions. However, community engagement efforts often rely on homogenous understandings of 'community' that underestimate the significance of power. This creates a risk of exclusionary practices. In this article, we discuss the use of participatory power mapping workshops as a useful method to identify who has authority and who is trusted by whom, and consider its implications for how we think about trust-building during emergencies. We detail the implementation of this method using participatory workshops conducted in Sierra Leone. We show how these workshops provided granular insights on authority structures and the relationship between power and trust. These discussions highlighted that trust is not homogeneous nor static, and helped kickstart conversations about the role of citizens not simply as recipients of health interventions but also as active participants in how health interventions are designed and delivered. Tracing power dynamics with and within communities can help develop allows us to make power visible in health interventions, maintaining a critical lens on how interventions themselves intervene dynamically on its distribution. In practice, a systematic application of this methodology can encourage more diversified community engagement efforts, and potentially set the foundations for citizen-led collective action around health emergency resilience.

Intensive agriculture and urbanization have led to habitat degradation and fragmentation, reducing plant diversity and subsequently reducing pollinator abundance and richness. This paper investigates the conservation potential of green infrastructure in allotment gardens, which are a common form of urban land use. This exploratory study examines allotment plant species richness by functional use groups in allotment gardens across Berlin, as well as its impact on ecosystem services, such as providing pollinator habitats through multifunctional plants that are edible, ornamental, and nectar-producing. Additionally, we highlight the potential role of allotment gardens in providing citizens with locally produced food by evaluating the plant species richness of food plants in these gardens. The study was conducted in allotment gardens in Berlin between Мау and July 2019 and focused on comparative analyzes of plots with high (5) and medium (4) management intensity, while the single low-intensity plot was included only to assess overall biodiversity across all studied garden plots (10). Plant species were identified and classified into functional groups, including edible species, ornamental species, weed species also used as ornamentals, and edible species also used as ornamentals or medicinal plants, as well as into life forms such as herbs, trees, shrubs, and vines. Management intensity was assessed through field observations and by verifying the frequency of lawn mowing and hedge trimming with gardeners. During the study, 376 plant species were identified, 17 of which were included in the list of recommended native plant species for Berlin, while 14 were invasive species. The Wilcoxon rank-sum test showed that native species richness (p = 0.05), weedy plant species richness (p = 0.03), and the richness of species contributing to regulation and maintenance ecosystem services (ReMES) (p = 0.03) were significantly negatively correlated with the intensity of garden management. Our results show that urban allotments can support pollinator populations thanks to the wide variety of nectar-producing plants. However, this capacity is greatly affected by how the gardener manages their plot locally. Over half of the identified plants are multifunctional: they are ornamental, providing aesthetic and mental well-being benefits; they are useful, providing food and medicinal purposes; and they are melliferous, providing nectar and pollen for bees and other insects. Our results clearly show that urban allotments can support pollinator populations due to the high richness of melliferous plants, thereby enhancing the ecosystem services produced in and by gardens that contribute to the physical and mental wellbeing of both gardeners and visitors. We also discuss how this capacity is strongly influenced by local plot management and the gardener's knowledge.

The HORUS project investigates the interface between urban planning and public health, focusing on the reduction in non-communicable diseases through innovative urban planning and technological integration. Using geographic information systems, the project will develop advanced urban mapping and analysis tools to visualize and tackle health inequalities. The participatory approach of technologies will actively engage communities and empower citizens to shape a healthier urban environment. Through multidimensional methodology, including qualitative research and natural experiments, HORUS will align urban planning with public health needs. The project will target modifiable risk factors (physical inactivity, unhealthy diet and substance use) and will promote behavior change and environmental redesign to reduce the prevalence of non-communicable diseases. The integration of digital technologies will not only improve the assessment of urban health but also facilitate evidence-based interventions tailored to vulnerable populations. HORUS will provide practical applications for policy makers and urban planners by providing actionable frameworks for incorporating health-promoting features into urban design. This holistic approach will help create resilient cities that prioritize public health and shape the future urban environment. The project is an example of the transformative potential of aligning technology, policy and community engagement to effectively address the challenges of urbanization, and non-communicable diseases.

The October 7, 2023, terrorist attack in Israel and the ensuing prolonged war represent an unprecedented context of ongoing collective trauma. While early studies documented substantial acute psychiatric burden, the long-term trajectories of distress and posttraumatic growth (PTG) across the general population remain less understood. This study traced these trajectories over 27 months, utilizing a rare pre-war baseline to distinguish war-related outcomes from preexisting distress. In this prospective six-wave national cohort study, the analytical sample consisted of 680 Israeli adults (mean age 41.13 years [SD = 13.75]; 343 [50.4%] women; 544 [80.0%] Jewish and 136 [20.0%] Arab) analyzed via a Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE) framework. Participants were assessed approximately one month before the attack (T1) and followed up at 1 (T2), 6 (T3), 12 (T4), 18 (T5), and 27 (T6) months post-attack. The analytical sample included 29 (4.3%) participants who reported direct exposure to the attack, 129 (18.9%) who reported the loss of loved one, and 102 (15.0%) reported reserve military service during the war. Distress followed a parabolic trajectory characterized by a sharp acute rise followed by gradual attenuation toward baseline levels. Probable PTSD rose from 16.1% (T1) to 29.8% at T2 and declined to 19.7% (T6). Probable depression rose from 30.5% at T1 to 43.1% at T2 and significantly declined to 23.3% (T6). Anxiety rose from 22.1% (T1) to 40.1% at T2 and reached 21.0% (T6). Conversely, PTG increased progressively from T1 (M = 2.48, SD = 1.57) to T6 (M = 6.10, SD = 1.91; p < 0.001). Probable PTSD trajectory was significantly predicted by Arab ethnicity (OR = 4.07), and direct exposure (OR = 6.31). Probable depression trajectory was predicted by female sex (OR = 1.82), Arab ethnicity (OR = 3.62), and reserve service (OR = 4.38). Probable anxiety trajectory was predicted by Arab ethnicity (OR = 2.20) and reserve service (OR = 2.93), while higher PTG was uniquely predicted by female sex and the loss of a loved one (p = 0.007). Long-term adaptation to ongoing national trauma is characterized by the co-occurrence of symptom stabilization and progressive posttraumatic growth. However, the differential vulnerability identified among Arab citizens, women, and highly exposed groups underscores the necessity for sustained, stratified mental health monitoring while reinforcing the relational and meaning-making resources essential for resilience during prolonged conflict. Not applicable.

"If you are like the many people who approach us and ask, 'How do we end [mass incarceration]?', keep reading. You've come to the right place." So closes the introduction to Dismantling Mass Incarceration: A Handbook for Change, a collection of abolitionist and reformist pieces edited by Premal Dharia, James Forman Jr., and Maria Hawilo. This book review provides an overview of the main themes regarding the six aspects of the criminal legal system: police, prosecutors, public defenders, judges, prisons, and post-release. We highlight examples of the theoretical and practical takeaways from the various interviews, articles, book excerpts, and essays written by a wide range of guest authors. Ultimately, this book is critical reading for those interested in tackling mass incarceration as physicians, citizens, and concerned fellow human beings.

This paper proposes an integrated model of cognitive, emotional, and community-related predictors of vaccine hesitancy. A multiple mediation model was run using Structural Equation Modeling to test the role of perceived job and economic insecurities, pandemic-related emotions, and Sense of Community (SoC) as to respondents' vaccine hesitancy, through the mediation of safeguarding one's own and others' health and re-accessing pre-pandemic public and social life as motivations toward vaccination. Data was gathered from 432 Italian citizens through an online questionnaire. Results suggest that while emotional and community-related dimensions were effective in motivating individuals to protect their and others' health up to reducing their vaccine hesitancy, the perception of material hardships and re-accessing pre-pandemic public and social life were not. The theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed, paying also attention to the contextual constraints stemming from the specific policies and approaches adopted in Italy to face COVID-19 outbreak.

Public awareness and perception of human biomonitoring (HBM) and pesticide exposure are essential for informed decision-making and policy, yet understanding remains limited and often shaped by media and advocacy. This study combined three focus group discussions with Latvian citizens and an online content analysis of pesticide-related posts. Discussions explored understanding of HBM, attitudes toward chemical exposures, and support for related research, while content analysis identified commonly discussed pesticides and the role of non-governmental organisations (NGO) in shaping public opinion. Findings indicate low awareness and frequent misconceptions about HBM, often confused with wearable health technologies rather than a tool for assessing internal chemical exposure. Concerns were mainly linked to food additives and household chemicals, with less attention to pesticides. Glyphosate emerged as the most debated pesticide, largely driven by NGO activity and media coverage. Trust in government initiatives was mixed, with concerns about political influence, industry interests, and data privacy. Nevertheless, participants expressed strong support for further national research. Overall, the results highlight gaps in public understanding and the significant influence of media and advocacy. Strengthening risk communication, transparency, and public engagement is essential to build trust and support the development of Latvia's HBM framework.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic relapsing condition affecting millions worldwide, often diagnosed during young adulthood and associated with significant functional impairment. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) allows citizens with IBD and other chronic medical conditions to volunteer for military service through a special medical volunteer program. No comprehensive study has examined the impact of military service on disease progression or military performance. To evaluate the association between IBD and military service-related outcomes, including service completion and occupational stability, among IDF medical volunteers. In this retrospective study, we examined 734 volunteer soldiers with IBD who served in the IDF between 2019 and 2024. Data were collected from computerized medical records and included demographic, occupational, and medical information. Among 734 IBD volunteers, 96.7% successfully completed their military service. Male sex (odds ratio 3.73) and lower sick leave utilization (odds ratio 3.13) were key predictors of service completion in multivariable analysis. The findings suggest that the vast majority of IBD volunteers successfully completed military service, with male sex and lower sick leave utilization as predictors of completion. Given these outcomes, consideration should be given to including carefully selected IBD patients within the standard medical classification system, based on individualized assessment of disease stability and functional capacity, with a non-combat profile, rather than through the volunteer program.