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

Policy & Ethics

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 29-Apr-2025 23:08 ET (30-Apr-2025 03:08 GMT/UTC)

Discontinuation of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists

JAMA Network
Peer-Reviewed Publication

About The Article: This Viewpoint discusses the health benefits of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs); summarizes the clinical, policy, and equity implications of GLP-1 RA discontinuation; and calls for the identification and implementation of strategies to improve long-term adherence to GLP-1 RA therapy.

Journal: JAMA

Most surveyed grocery shoppers report noticing shrinkflation

Purdue University
Reports and Proceedings

Over three-quarters of surveyed consumers say they have noticed shrinkflation at the grocery store in the previous 30 days, according to the October 2024 Consumer Food Insights Report(CFI).

The survey-based report out of Purdue University’s Center for Food Demand Analysis and Sustainability(CFDAS) assesses food spending, consumer satisfaction and values, support of agricultural and food policies, and trust in information sources. Purdue experts conducted and evaluated the survey, which included 1,200 consumers across the U.S.

Questions about consumer awareness, experience and perceptions of shrinkflation were new to the CFI survey. With shrinkflation, food companies reduce the quantity or size of a food product while keeping the same price.

UNFCCC COP29 side event in Baku to highlight the role of Open Science and science-policy communication in biodiversity and climate change

Pensoft Publishers
Meeting Announcement

Pensoft Publishers is set to host an open side event at the UNFCCC’s COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan. This event will showcase how Open Science and Science Communication shape the Science-Policy Interface (SPI) that can effectively support the implementation of knowledge-based policies and tackle critical biodiversity challenges related to climate change.

Organ donation: Opt-out defaults do not increase donation rates

Max Planck Institute for Human Development
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A recent study by the Max Planck Institute for Human Development, in collaboration with the MSB Medical School Berlin and the Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, shows that switching to an opt-out organ donation policy, where all adults are presumed organ donors unless they explicitly opt out, does not increase donations from deceased donors. The results of the study have been published in the journal Public Health.

Journal: Public Health

Eco-friendly biomass pretreatment method yields efficient biofuels and adsorbents

Journal of Bioresources and Bioproducts
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new biomass densification pretreatment method using sulfuric acid and metal salts under mild conditions boosts bioethanol production efficiency. It offers cost-effective alternatives for industrial biofuel production and converts residual biomass into bio-adsorbents for dye wastewater treatment, marking an advance in sustainable biorefinery technology.

Journal: Journal of Bioresources and Bioproducts

Experts urge complex systems approach to assess A.I. risks

Complexity Science Hub
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Scientists point out in The Royal Society’s journal that a coherent approach to understanding the threats posed by A.I. is still elusive. They call for a complex systems perspective to better assess and mitigate these risks, particularly in light of long-term uncertainties and complex interactions between A.I. and society.

Journal: Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A Mathematical Physical and Engineering Sciences
Funder: Österreichische Forschungsförderungsgesellschaft, Vienna Science and Technology Fund

Making an impact. Research studies a new side of helmet safety: faceguard failures

Clemson University
Business Announcement

Clemson University researchers are investigating football helmet safety by focusing on faceguard failures. Led by bioengineering professor John Desjardins, the study tests the structural integrity of faceguards to understand their role in preventing head and facial injuries. The research aims to improve the design and safety standards of helmets through mechanical testing and data analysis.