A multimillion-pound research project, called SustaPack, aims to overcome manufacturing challenges for the next generation of sustainable, paper-based packaging for liquids. Backed by a £1 million grant from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) as part of UKRI’s co-investing programme, packaging technology company Pulpex Ltd has joined forces with the University of Surrey to refine its manufacturing processes to provide a viable solution to plastic pollution. 

Globally, women’s workforce participation is about 25% lower than men’s, often due to barriers such as domestic responsibilities and cultural norms. Vocational training can increase employment opportunities, but women may not be able to attend training programs that require them to be away from home. A new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, in collaboration with an international research team, explored whether hybrid distance learning can improve accessibility to job training for rural women in Nepal.

An analysis of more than 4 million Facebook posts created by news outlets and political parties in 2024 highlights global social media engagement trends and political polarization during a year which included elections for many countries. Giulio Pecile and colleagues at Sapienza University of Rome, Italy, present these findings in the open-access journal PLOS One on February 5, 2025.

Facial appearance dissatisfaction is associated with virtual meeting (VM) fatigue, which prompts the use of impression management behaviors and results in lower intention to adopt VM technologies, according to a study published February 5, 2025, in the open-access journal PLOS One by Chaeyun Lim from Michigan State University, U.S., and colleagues.

Labor market immigrants moving to Germany are less likely to make their first choice of residence in regions where xenophobic attitudes, measured by right-wing party support and xenophobic violence, are stronger, per 2004-2017 data

The marketing of breast milk substitutes (BMS) significantly influences infant feeding practices worldwide. In Ecuador, despite regulatory efforts aligned with the WHO’s International Code of Marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes, industry advertising strategies continue to impact the decisions of both mothers and healthcare professionals. This cross-sectional study assessed compliance with the Code in Ecuador through surveys of mothers (n=330) and healthcare professionals (n=66), observations in healthcare facilities (n=33) and retail outlets (n=44), as well as media monitoring and product labeling evaluations.

University of Texas at Arlington President Jennifer Cowley received a national award for civic and community engagement on Wednesday from Campus Compact, a coalition of colleges and universities focused on higher education and strong communities. Campus Compact recognized Cowley with its Richard Guarasci Award for Presidential Leadership, an honor reserved for presidents of four-year institutions who demonstrate deep and sustained commitments to civic and community engagement throughout their careers. The organization selected Cowley for her focus on UTA’s dedication to student accessibility and its role in contributing to the health and strength of local communities.