Invasive non-native species proceed through the Invasion Process upon introduction to a new location, with stages comprising establishment, growth, spread, and invasive impact. High fecundity, driven by fast growth, short lifespan, and a long reproduction period, can lead to high population densities, facilitating stage progression. The Asian date mussel (Arcuatula senhousia) is a marine intertidal–subtidal species, recently established in the UK. Given its potential to impact ecosystem services in Northern Europe, understanding the Invasion Process stage it has reached is imperative for assessing potential invasiveness and informing management. Therefore, population parameters of subtidal A. senhousia in the UK were evaluated from April 2021 to March 2022 to assess invasion stage. Specimens were collected (n = 1,029) via dredging and processed for condition index, gonadosomatic index, gonad index, length-frequency distribution, and electronic length-frequency analyses. While densities were low (<1 individuals per m2), maximum lifespan was high (23 months) and growth rate was high (1.8 mm per month), relative to other populations within the species’ global range. Results confirmed June to October spawning as previously reported in the UK and France but also evidenced secondary spawning (in November) for the first time in Northern Europe. Successful recruitment from primary and secondary spawning in 2020 was also apparent. Findings indicate A. senhousia has reached the Growth stage, and that further spread within the UK and Northern Europe is likely. Climate change will likely increase larval survivorship and individual and population fecundity, facilitating progression to invasive impact, potentially within the next decade.

Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) hubs are charged with supporting high-quality, community-engaged clinical research; improving the effectiveness and efficiency of research; and facilitating dissemination and implementation of findings into practice, leading to improved clinical outcomes and public health. Traditional academic outcomes, such as publications, subsequent grant funding, and innovative research methods, have often been cited as evidence of hubs’ impacts. This article describes one CTSA’s approach to extending beyond traditional research outcomes to operationalizing and measuring impacts on health, health care, and public support of research. The approach replaces logic models with key driver diagrams, shifts responsibility for performance indicators to individual programs, consolidates and standardizes impact measures across programs, and adapts existing measures, such as the Translational Science Benefits Model. Measurement challenges include the extended time from supporting a study to its impact, reliance on investigators and partners to provide information, gaining access to organization-wide data, limited validated tools for this purpose, and the limits to documenting breadth of impact. Early lessons learned include the need to embrace various and often imperfect methods and measures, strategically engage partners for mutual benefit, support programs to adopt a continuous improvement mindset, and collaborate with leadership to prioritize and support change.

The Tohu Manawa Ora | Healthy Heart Award programme helps early learning services across Aotearoa create an environment that promotes nutritional health and physical activity. It achieves a sustainable change to the environment by using a ‘whole-service’ approach, through governance and management, learning and teaching, collaboration and professional development. The programme aims to foster happy tamariki with awareness of how to have hearts fit for life, ensuring healthier futures for whānau across Aotearoa New Zealand. To evaluate and understand the impact and social value of the Tohu Manawa Ora | Healthy Heart Award programme on fostering healthy habits and creating supportive environments in early learning settings across Aotearoa New Zealand the Heart Foundation undertook this evaluation with ImpactLab. Two hundred and fifteen early learning services and 33,717 tamariki across Aotearoa New Zealand, who were enrolled in or had achieved a Tohu Manawa Ora | Healthy Heart Award, were used to determine the impact and social value of the programme. This was achieved through using a social value calculation which integrates multiple data sources and analytical methods. Firstly, impact values derived from the programme were combined with evidence from global literature on the effectiveness of similar health promotion programmes. Secondly, the size of the opportunity for participants—early learning services across Aotearoa New Zealand—to achieve more positive health outcomes was assessed. Thirdly, the number of people supported by the programme was considered. Every year, the Tohu Manawa Ora | Healthy Heart Award programme delivers $6,163,581 of measurable good to society in New Zealand. Outcomes for tamariki of improved oral health, physical activity and reduced diabetes and improved physical activity for whānau directly contribute to the social value. Improved health equity, nutrition, increased food exposure and physical activity, promotion of lifelong wellbeing and positive health behaviours, reduced cardiovascular disease and sugar consumption indirectly contributed to the social value. This means that every dollar invested in the Tohu Manawa Ora | Healthy Heart Award programme delivers $4.50 of measurable good to New Zealand. The Tohu Manawa Ora | Healthy Heart Award programme delivers significant measurable social value to Aotearoa New Zealand. Growth, development and continued funding of the programme should continue to further positively impact the future of tamariki and their whānau in Aotearoa New Zealand.

The productivity of dairy animals is heavily reliant on the timely access to sufficient, high-quality fodder. This study analyzes the ex-post impact of Model Fodder Villages on the livelihood security of dairy farmers in Bundelkhand region of central India. The study used cross-sectional data from 437 farmers and employed the inverse-propensity-weighting regression adjustment (IPWRA) method for impact evaluation and verified the robustness of the results through matching methods. The findings show that dairy farmers in model fodder villages are 14–19% more likely to improve habitat security, 19–21% more likely to enhance economic security, and 13–16% more likely to increase food security. Our findings also indicate that factors such as age, education, household size, dependency ratio, off-farm income, adult cattle units, and access to roads, markets, credit, and training play significant roles in adopting improved fodder practices. The study's methodology provides a reliable approach to evaluating the impact of interventions that improve access to fodder and related resources, aiming to enhance the livelihoods of dairy farmers and agricultural communities.

We present two examples of how the environmental humanities have built bridges with governments and made effective policy interventions. Lessons can be drawn about how public humanities can help develop social and cultural understanding and societal resilience.

Tourism wildlife interactions are controversial, the debate hinging largely on the compromised welfare of the animals used. Despite this, lion cub (Panthera leo) interactions are popular, and there is a need to understand what motivates interactors to participate in the activity, their perceptions and expectations. We surveyed the attitudes of 300 visitors to three lion cub interaction facilities in South Africa. Whilst 38% of interactors were aware of the controversy around lion cub interactions, 69% desired the experience regardless. It is widely assumed that lion cub interaction opportunities are big attractions, yet 74% of respondents said that they would still have visited if lion cub interactions were not offered. Whilst 84% of interactors felt that their expectations were met, 61% said that the interaction had no impact on them. Several of those interviewed interacted with multiple species, and 34% determined that their favourite engagement was with animals that interacted back voluntarily. Most of those interviewed chose the interaction for their children (69%). Whilst 58% felt the experience was educational, only 2% of these had learnt about the plight of lions in the wild. When asked to reflect on the welfare of the lion cubs they had interacted with, ‘Freedom from discomfort’ was seen as the most important factor, as well as ‘Freedom to express natural behaviour’. Interactions were viewed with a variety of emotions and generated a range of beliefs. We conclude that the findings can be used by facilities to better prepare visitors for the experience, ensuring that interaction animals are better able to serve in their role as ambassador representatives.

Traditional approaches for evaluating the impact of scientific research – mainly scholarship (i.e., publications, presentations) and grant funding – fail to capture the full extent of contributions that come from larger scientific initiatives. The Translational Science Benefits Model (TSBM) was developed to support more comprehensive evaluations of scientific endeavors, especially research designed to translate scientific discoveries into innovations in clinical or public health practice and policy-level changes. Here, we present the domains of the TSBM, including how it was expanded by researchers within the Implementation Science Centers in Cancer Control (ISC3) program supported by the National Cancer Institute. Next, we describe five studies supported by the Penn ISC3, each focused on testing implementation strategies informed by behavioral economics to reduce key practice gaps in the context of cancer care and identify how each study yields broader impacts consistent with TSBM domains. These indicators include Capacity Building, Methods Development (within the Implementation Field) and Rapid Cycle Approaches, implementing Software Technologies, and improving Health Care Delivery and Health Care Accessibility. The examples highlighted here can help guide other similar scientific initiatives to conceive and measure broader scientific impact to fully articulate the translation and effects of their work at the population level.