Countries led by nationalist leaders have taken policy cues from similar governments in responding to the coronavirus pandemic since the early days of the crisis, according to new research.

Smoking cigarettes may increase the risk of COVID-19 infection, according to a study published Thursday in Cell Stem Cell, which found that airway stem cells exposed to cigarette smoke get infected by the new coronavirus in greater numbers than unexposed cells because of their weakened immunity.

Tourism specialization can lead to economic gains and improved human development for transition countries, although the effects might only be temporary, researchers found.

Loan programs administered by the International Monetary Fund increase income inequality in the countries that are recipients of them, according to recent research, a finding that calls the organization’s commitment to goals including sustainable development and poverty reduction into question.

A new study led by University of Ottawa researchers uncovered how chronic sleep disruption during adolescence can make individuals far more susceptible to developing depression than they otherwise might be.

American college students consider racial microaggressions to be a form of racism that now occurs more frequently than major discrimination, according to new research involving people of color who attend a predominantly white university in the U.S.

Two researchers have developed a new tool to help occupational health specialists identify individuals at risk for high levels of depression that can be attributed directly to their workplace, in what the pair said is the first such instrument of its kind to address and quantify work-related depression.

Giving employees greater ability to work from home increases average income, but the benefit goes mostly to already high-earning workers, new research shows, indicating how policies implemented in response to the coronavirus pandemic could widen economic inequality.

Exposure to near-ubiquitous microplastics, long a concern for marine life, could also cause health problems for humans ranging from inflammatory lesions to potential increased cancer risk, according to an unprecedented review of academic literature.

A mother’s stress during pregnancy and even prior to conception may result in a higher likelihood of preterm birth, as well as the child being more susceptible to faster aging, according to two recent studies out of the University of California, Los Angeles.

Recovery from the coronavirus pandemic offers the world a unique opportunity to replace a linear economic model with a more circular framework, enhancing resilience and sustainability, according to study by nearly a dozen researchers.

The structure of a protein on cell surfaces may explain why certain animals such as mice and chickens have not contracted COVID-19, presenting clues for how scientists might develop a treatment for the disease and predict the next potential epidemic.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s criticism of the Federal Reserve has a “polarizing effect” on Americans and distorts inflation expectations, according to new research, showing that the central bank has become politicized despite being legally separate from the executive branch.

In the two-week period after the Trump administration set public guidelines to slow the growth of coronavirus infections in March, a researcher determined that “conscientious” U.S. adults were most likely to follow the rules.

Corruption and impulses to cheat are not caused by poverty, researchers found, casting doubt on long-held associations between dishonesty and economic status.