EurekAlert! News by Subject: Policy & Ethics - News by Subject: Policy & Ethics

Policy & Ethics

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 1-May-2025 05:08 ET (1-May-2025 09:08 GMT/UTC)

Global study links consumption of ultraprocessed foods to preventable premature deaths

Elsevier
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A study analyzing data from nationally representative dietary surveys and mortality data from eight countries (Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, United Kingdom, and United States) shows that premature deaths attributable to consumption of ultraprocessed foods (UPFs) increase significantly according to their share in individuals’ total energy intake. The new study, appearing in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, published by Elsevier, reinforces the call for global action to reduce UPF consumption, supported by regulatory and fiscal policies that foster healthier environments.

Journal: American Journal of Preventive Medicine
Funder: National Council for Scientific and Technological Development, Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

Identifying a novel factor in Canavan disease pathogenesis

Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new study in the peer-reviewed journal Human Gene Therapy reports on five patients with a clinical and biochemical diagnosis of Canavan disease, but were previously lacking a genetic diagnosis, in whom a novel variant was identified.

Journal: Human Gene Therapy

UT, Volkswagen Group of America celebrate research partnership

University of Tennessee at Knoxville
Business Announcement

Leadership from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Volkswagen Group of America and Oak Ridge National Laboratory celebrated more than a decade of collaboration and the fifth anniversary of the Volkswagen Innovation Hub Knoxville on April 24.

Computer science teachers may be better qualified than their peers

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, News Bureau
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A study of statewide data on North Carolina high school teachers who teach computer science and their students' learning outcomes suggests that these teachers were better qualified than their peers teaching other subjects, even those at the same schools. Learning outcomes were based on the proportion of students who took advanced placement tests in computer science and their test scores.

Journal: Computer Science Education
Funder: U.S. National Science Foundation, Google Computer Science Education Research Program

Nature Water study highlights global aridification, threat to agriculture

Mississippi State University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A long-term shift toward drier conditions is reshaping landscapes and livelihoods across the globe. Known as aridification, this gradual drying trend now affects 2.3 billion people and 40% of Earth’s land, with serious implications for agriculture and water systems—especially in the U.S. From California’s Central Valley to the Great Plains, often called the world’s breadbasket, farmers are facing tough decisions about what to plant, how to irrigate, and how to adapt to a future where water is no longer guaranteed.

Journal: Nature Water

Fiscal impact of expanded Medicare coverage for GLP-1 receptor agonists to treat obesity

JAMA Network
Peer-Reviewed Publication

About The Study: This economic evaluation estimates that expanded Medicare coverage for glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) would increase access and reduce obesity-related comorbidities but impose substantial costs over 10 years. Even with a moderate scenario (5% uptake, 20% adherence, and 30% additional price discount), net spending was still projected to reach $8 billion over a decade, underscoring the need for further price reductions, lower-cost strategies to prevent weight regain, and reductions in spending on low-value care.

Journal: JAMA Health Forum

“Electron, go straight ahead!” a shortcut to AI computation discovered

Pohang University of Science & Technology (POSTECH)
Peer-Reviewed Publication

POSTECH and IBM Researchers Unveil Hidden Mechanisms in Next-Generation AI Memory Devices.

Journal: Nature Communications

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