Pathways to Leadership: Women’s Careers in the European Union

This article examines women’s pathways to leadership positions across EU institutions, asking: (1) What characterizes their career trajectories? and (2) Which factors facilitate their advancement? It develops a conceptual framework and analyzes a dataset of all women appointed to EU leadership roles between 1979 and 2021. It also presents qualitative case studies of Ursula von der Leyen, Catherine Day, and Christine Lagarde. The findings show that women’s access to EU leadership depends on favorable structural conditions, exceptional circumstances, and, above all, outstanding personal and professional capacities, while persistent gender inequalities continue to shape their careers.

State investment in Title IV-E stipend programs and child length of stay in foster care: a national study

This study examined the relationship between state investment in Title IV-E stipend programs and length of stay in care. We followed 250,671 children who entered foster care in 2016 through 2019 to examine the average length of stay based on various child- and state-factors. Using a bottom-up modeling approach, the team ran series of multilevel models to analyze length of stay. State investment in Title IV-E stipend programs was associated with a decrease in the average length of stay in care. As child welfare agencies try to reduce the time children spend in foster care, workforce investment may improve outcomes.

Examining a decade of Title IV-E outcomes: a scoping review

Title IV-E stipend programs are critical in developing a skilled and stable child welfare workforce These programs aim to improve service delivery and outcomes for children and families within the child welfare system. However, research on the broader impact of Title IV-E programs remains limited. This scoping review synthesizes 21 studies from 2014–2023, assessing caseworker, child, and family outcomes. The review identifies methodological challenges, gaps in scope, and areas of progress, highlighting the need for further research to inform policymakers and practitioners on the effectiveness of Title IV-E programs in improving child welfare outcomes..

Review of The free inquiry papers edited by Robert Maranto, Catherine Salmon, Lee Jussim, and Sally Satel, AEI Press 2025. 392 pages, $18.00 (paperback) ISBN: 978-0844750675.

Anomie and authority: how global events are reshaping public interactions with law enforcement

This study explores differences in the characteristics of assaults against police in Australia between relatively stable (2010–2020) and disruptive (2020–2024) periods to consider whether anomie may help explain any observed changes in offender behaviour. Descriptive analysis of 172 cases reveals a notable increase in young offenders and assaults triggered by personal crises during the disruptive period. Intentional assaults also rose sharply, suggesting heightened aggression and deliberate confrontations. However, despite increased intentionality, the severity of assaults, including the use of force and resulting injuries, did not escalate. These findings suggest that social instability intensifies frustration and aggression toward police but does not necessarily lead to more severe outcomes. The study highlights the importance of targeted policing practices, such as crisis intervention and youth-specific strategies, to manage aggression during periods of social upheaval.

The moderating role of appearance self-concept in the relationship between sport and flourishing among adolescents: a COMPASS study

The present study examined the association between different contexts of sport participation and flourishing in adolescents over time and explored the moderating role of appearance self-concept. Participants were Canadian adolescents who participated in the COMPASS study in the 2017/2018 and 2018/2019 school years ( N  = 28,117, Time 1 M age  ± SD = 14.74 years old ± 1.16, 53.61% female). Prospective associations between self-reported sport participation (intramural, varsity, non-school based sport), appearance self-concept, and flourishing were tested using multilevel linear regression models stratified by sex. Intramural, varsity, and non-school based sport participation were not associated with flourishing across female and male models; however, participating in fewer (0 or 1) concurrent sports at baseline was associated with lower flourishing one year later relative to participation in two concurrent sports [ b  = −1.21 to −.27]. Higher appearance self-concept was associated with higher flourishing among females in school intramural [ b  = .13], varsity [ b  = .13], and non- school sport [ b  = .14], and males in non-school sport [ b  = .15]. The interaction between sport participation and appearance self-concept was not statistically significant for any models ( p  > .05). Improving appearance self-concept may be beneficial for improving flourishing over time among adolescents, particularly females. Testing more nuanced aspects of sport participation (i.e., competition level, aesthetic versus non), is essential to understand the potential features of sport contexts that may be harnessed to optimise the impact of sport on flourishing.

Vaccine preferences and their role for vaccine confidence and uptake: a meta-ethnography

Vaccine confidence and uptake are influenced by individuals’ preferences regarding vaccine composition, quality, or administration pathways. However, literature synthesizing available qualitative insights into individuals’ vaccine preferences remains limited. We therefore conducted a meta-ethnographic systematic review of the qualitative literature on vaccine preferences to identify opportunities for enhancing vaccine confidence and uptake. We implemented a comprehensive search strategy and screened 5,528 studies across seven research databases published between 2001 and 2023. We identified and synthesized 97 qualitative articles to delineate factors influencing consumers’ vaccine preferences. Our findings revealed four primary domains shaping individuals’ vaccine preferences: Product, Place, Price, and Promotion. First, individuals’ preferences for vaccines often hinge on perceived quality and safety of the product itself, which can, for example, be associated with vaccine brand or origin, especially in the case of novel vaccines. Second, people prioritize convenience in terms of vaccination sites and delivery methods (wanting vaccinations offered at their doorstep or in local peripheral clinics); evidence regarding preferred groups to administer the vaccines was mixed. Third, the price of vaccines and the secondary costs associated with vaccination played a role in uptake considerations. Finally, both the sources of information (such as healthcare workers, community volunteers, and religious authorities) and the methods of promoting vaccine information (including face-to-face consultations during clinic visits and the distribution of leaflets or banners), emerged as crucial factors shaping decision-making processes. Overall findings highlight the importance of addressing multifaceted preferences to enhance vaccine confidence and uptake. By understanding individuals’ vaccine preferences, strategic recommendations can be developed to optimize vaccination programs and ensure acceptability and utilization.

Chloé Delaume ou l’intermédialité créatrice : une appropriation de sens émancipatrice pour le lecteur

A cross-fertilization of literary and medial perspectives on the work of Chloé Delaume, and more specifically on the basis of a corpus of seven of her writings, will enable us to apprehend the intermedial art of the author in her autofictions and fictional narratives: what kind of immersion is offered to the reader (internal and external)? How is the poetics renewed by the musicality and rhythm that are added to the meanings, wordplay and grammatical inventions, bringing into play in the reader a mentalized body, cognitive renewal and social critique?

Potential integration of multiple organs-on-a-chip for comprehensive drug–drug interaction prediction

Predicting drug – drug interactions (DDIs) is essential for safe, effective medication therapy, yet conventional in vitro assays and in silico models are not completely reliable in their assessments. Multi-organ-on-a-chip (MOC) platforms provide a more physiologically relevant approach that may improve in vitro DDI predictions, particularly for complex DDIs. We outline current DDI workflows, their strengths and limitations, and how single-organ chips can produce quantitative absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) and toxicity parameters relevant for DDI analysis. We then discuss the need for emerging MOC platforms and the unique advantages that they offer, highlighting case studies that capture more complex DDI scenarios, as well as body-on-a-chip prototypes integrated with mechanistic modeling. MOC systems are currently poised to complement, not replace, established in vitro and modeling approaches for DDI predictions. Near-term value lies in fit-for-purpose contexts of use, supplying physiologically grounded parameters and mechanistic insight to physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling. With continued progress in addressing key challenges (e.g. physiological scaling, sorptive materials, microscale analytics, variability, throughput, and standardization), MOCs should mature into reliable tools to assist in DDI prediction, and potentially even qualified assays as part of regulatory DDI risk assessment frameworks.

A regional seabed geomorphological map over part of the southwestern pacific plate

We use the GEBCO global bathymetric product alongside other data sets, including magnetic anomaly and vertical gravity gradient, to interpret the seabed geomorphology of approximately 24.7 million km 2 of the southwestern Pacific Plate at an effective scale of 1:3,000,000. Manual interpretation was performed to accurately define abyssal plain basins, plateaus, troughs, faults, tectonic and volcanic rises, volcanic chains and other geomorphic units. The resulting description of these units and their geographical disposition, placed in the context of current scientific literature, contributes to our understanding of seabed composition and formational history. Other potential applications of this work include its use as a surrogate for regional habitat-type classification in environmental management, support for seabed minerals exploration, and as a constraint in mineral resource estimation.