After two years of data collection, quantitative and qualitative analyses, meetings and stakeholder interviews, a University of Maine-led team of researchers developed new socioeconomic indicators to holistically monitor the lobster industry’s resilience. Outline in study published in the academic journal Marine Policy, the eight socioeconomic indicators identified by the team include coastal accessibility, operational condition, business investments, community composition, financial health, risk taking, personal spending and physical and mental health. Each indicator is backed by secondary data from state and federal agencies, as well as publicly available information from certain businesses and organizations.

With support from a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, two West Virginia University researchers have designed an interdisciplinary, cross-institutional program to engage liberal arts faculty in discussions on the social, ethical and technical aspects of artificial intelligence and its role in classrooms.

Data on almost 57,000 people from 65 countries suggests that the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS)—a widely used research tool—generally holds up well when applied across diverse groups of people, underscoring its potential value in research and policymaking. Viren Swami of Anglia Ruskin University, U.K., and colleagues present these findings in the open-access journal PLOS One on January 22, 2025.

A new study suggests that countries with stronger commitments to protect the natural environment—regardless of national oil dependence or other economic interests—are more likely to see the establishment of counter climate change groups that aim to obstruct climate change action. Jared Furuta and Patricia Bromley of Stanford University, U.S., present these findings in the open-access journal PLOS One on January 22, 2025.

Among commercially insured, non-diabetic individuals with obesity, a new study found that people who identified as female, received point-of-service or preferred provider organization insurance coverage, and took medications such as antidepressants or thyroid or hormone medications were more likely to begin taking semaglutide compared to people who identified as males, or those who were covered by health management organization or exclusive provider organization plans. Individuals employed in certain industries, such as the financial and real estate sectors, were also more likely to be prescribed semaglutide compared to people in other jobs, such as retail. The findings shed light on the barriers that people with obesity experience in accessing weight-loss treatment in a healthcare system that often views obesity as a risk factor for other diseases that should be managed through lifestyle changes alone.

Lafayette, Indiana-based Quantum Research Sciences has received a Phase I SBIR contract from the Defense Logistics Agency. QRS will leverage artificial intelligence, machine learning and quantum computing technologies to create the Product Obsolescence Prediction tool. This tool will enhance the DLA’s supply chain management capabilities and reduce the challenges associated with obsolescence.