Latest news with #UniversityofPlymouth
BBC News
21-07-2025
- Science
- BBC News
Research to identify risk hotspots for Channel Island dolphins
Research to identify risks and threat hotspots for marine animals around the Channel Islands has been carried out by the University of students Becky Dudley and Beth Harvey said the study would look at human impacts and potential threats to marine populations including Harvey said disturbance from a rigid inflatable boat (RIB) to a pod of bottlenose dolphins was picked up by a hydrophone as part of the said: "[The boat] came through a group of bottlenose dolphins not realising the potential impact that they can have. There are guidelines if you do encounter bottlenose dolphins out there on boats." 'Best protect them' She added: "It's really important to stay at least 100m away from them because it's really important that those bottlenose dolphins can communicate with each other."The university said the whole south coast of England and Gulf of Saint Malo were part of an important marine mammal area (IMMA).Ms Dudley said her research involved looking at the ways bottlenose dolphin populations in coastal areas could be "better managed.""I think they can tell us so much about the health of our oceans," she said. She added: "Things that are affecting them, will affect the whole of the marine eco-system."They can really be used as a way to figure out how we as humans are affecting them and how we can best protect them."The students said identification of the Channel Islands as an IMMA gave "global recognition of how important these areas are to cetaceans and that recognition may well lead to more management measures."Ms Dudley added she hoped it would show "people what an amazing place the Channel Islands" was for marine mammals.
New Indian Express
18-07-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Global plastic treaty negotiations: What's at stake in Geneva
What to expect INC-5.2 is the longest session yet. A 10 full negotiating days, organised into four contact groups clustered around contentious articles (production, chemicals, finance, and governance), with a legal drafting group charged with cleaning the text for final plenary adoption on August 14. Delegates will also hammer out the roadmap to the DipCon and sketch the work programme leading up to the first COP — guidance that countries will need to translate treaty obligations into national law once the agreement enters into force. More than 70 ministers are expected to arrive mid-session to close political gaps, but unresolved Rules of Procedure — including how to settle disputes if consensus collapses — could yet derail the finish. Imbalance in negotiations, threats Industry participation has surged across recent sessions; in Busan alone, more than 220 fossil fuel and chemical industry lobbyists registered — outnumbering scientists by three to one and Indigenous representatives by almost nine to one. In fact, on July 8, Richard Thompson, a marine biologist from the University of Plymouth who has been working on plastic pollution for 30 years and co-coordinator of the Scientists' Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty, expressed deep concern during the UK Parliament's Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee hearing about scientists facing threats in the context of the UN plastics treaty negotiations. He stated: 'Scientists I work with have been threatened on UN premises as part of these negotiations… threats to scientists are not a new issue. It has happened through many of these negotiations.' When asked to elaborate, he confirmed these were verbal threats from industry representatives, and that those responsible were ejected from the UN premises. Thompson said there was an imbalance in the negotiation process, where industry actors are well-funded and well-represented, while scientists are often self-funded observers with limited voice and protection. He added that almost what he would consider a fundamental right to science and to access science was being denied. Later, he shared that even in peer-reviewed publications, he had personally received legal threats from companies for naming specific products or findings. He acknowledged that these threats could discourage younger scientists from participating or speaking out. This testimony was a powerful call for the establishment of an independent, protected scientific evidence mechanism, as mandated by UNEA 5/14, to ensure fair and safe participation for scientists in treaty processes. Amy Youngman, legal and policy specialist at Environmental Investigation Agency, said: "When fossil fuel and chemical lobbyists outnumber not just scientists, but most national delegations, you have to ask: who is this treaty really being written for? In Busan, over 220 lobbyists had seats in the room, which is more than any other delegation and more than most low-income country delegations combined. That's not participation, it's capture. These are the very actors driving the plastics crisis, and they're not just shaping access, they're shaping the tone of negotiations and even influencing national positions, all while slowing ambition. Unless there's a course correction in Geneva, the treaty risks being forged under the shadow of the very industries it's meant to hold to account."
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Children's online posts reveal trauma of living with health issues
The social media activity of children with multiple long-term health issues have revealed they also undergo severe emotional distress. Children with conditions such as cancer, asthma, chronic pain and mental health conditions showed particularly high levels of trauma, highlighting the emotional burden of managing multiple long-term health issues. Research led by the University of Plymouth used AI language models to analyse sentiments and emotions expressed by almost 400 paediatric patients and their caregivers on social media. In particular, they wanted to assess young people's opinions regarding their care and experiences during the Covid-19 pandemic, and the impact that had on their emotional and psychological wellbeing. Using anonymous data sourced from the Care Opinion platform, they found that of the narratives analysed, almost 94% of the comments posted were classed as negative and less than 6% were positive. More than six out of 10 negative comments were classed as being associated with sadness, with feelings of fear – at almost one in every six comments – also being prevalent. The Covid-19 pandemic was also shown to exacerbate the negative sentiments, particularly sadness and disgust, with patients expressing frustration with the healthcare system while isolation and disrupted care routines triggered intense emotional responses. While just 6% of the comments were classed as positive, the study found that most of them related to effective communication, compassionate care, and successful treatment outcomes. The researchers say the study highlights the importance of supporting vulnerable young patients managing complex medical conditions, and the need for integrated care approaches to both physical and emotional well-being. Professor of e-Health Shang-Ming Zhou led the research, and its data analysis was carried out by MSc data science and business analytics student Israel Oluwalade. Prof Zhou, a recognised expert in the use of AI to analyse health data, said: 'To our knowledge, this is the first study of its kind to analyse the sentiments and emotions of paediatric patients using social media data. 'Our findings bring to light the deeply emotional journey patients with multiple long-term health issues go through and fills a critical gap in knowledge for healthcare professionals and agencies. 'It also highlights the disproportionate emotional burden faced by paediatric patients with multiple health issues and their caregivers during the pandemic, showing the need for targeted interventions to address emotional responses during public health emergencies.' Mr Oluwalade added: 'As I worked through the dataset, I was particularly struck by how clearly children's emotional responses aligned with specific comorbidity patterns. 'For example, fear and sadness were especially dominant among those discussing multiple hospital visits or long-term medication. 'What also surprised me most was the unexpectedly high frequency of 'satisfaction' and 'amazement' in posts referencing kind staff or successful treatment episodes. 'It reminded me how digital expressions can reflect not only distress but also resilience and hope, even among young patients with complex conditions.'
Glasgow Times
10-07-2025
- Health
- Glasgow Times
Children's social media activity ‘highlights stress of living with health issue'
Research led by the University of Plymouth used AI language models to analyse sentiments and emotions expressed by almost 400 paediatric patients and their caregivers on social media. In particular, they wanted to assess young people's opinions regarding their care and experiences during the Covid-19 pandemic, and the impact that had on their emotional and psychological wellbeing. Research led by the University of Plymouth used AI language models to analyse sentiments and emotions expressed by almost 400 paediatric patients and their caregivers on social media (Chris Radburn/PA) Using anonymous data sourced from the Care Opinion platform, they found that of the narratives analysed, almost 94% of the comments posted were classed as negative and less than 6% were positive. More than six out of 10 negative comments were classed as being associated with sadness, with feelings of fear – at almost one in every six comments – also being prevalent. Children with conditions such as cancer, asthma, chronic pain and mental health conditions showed particularly high emotional distress, highlighting the emotional burden of managing multiple long-term health issues. The Covid-19 pandemic was also shown to exacerbate the negative sentiments, particularly sadness and disgust, with patients expressing frustration with the healthcare system while isolation and disrupted care routines triggered intense emotional responses. While just 6% of the comments were classed as positive, the study found that most of them related to effective communication, compassionate care, and successful treatment outcomes. The researchers say the study highlights the importance of supporting vulnerable young patients managing complex medical conditions, and the need for integrated care approaches to both physical and emotional well-being. Professor of e-Health Shang-Ming Zhou led the research, and its data analysis was carried out by MSc data science and business analytics student Israel Oluwalade. Prof Zhou, a recognised expert in the use of AI to analyse health data, said: 'To our knowledge, this is the first study of its kind to analyse the sentiments and emotions of paediatric patients using social media data. 'Our findings bring to light the deeply emotional journey patients with multiple long-term health issues go through and fills a critical gap in knowledge for healthcare professionals and agencies. 'It also highlights the disproportionate emotional burden faced by paediatric patients with multiple health issues and their caregivers during the pandemic, showing the need for targeted interventions to address emotional responses during public health emergencies.' Mr Oluwalade added: 'As I worked through the dataset, I was particularly struck by how clearly children's emotional responses aligned with specific comorbidity patterns. 'For example, fear and sadness were especially dominant among those discussing multiple hospital visits or long-term medication. 'What also surprised me most was the unexpectedly high frequency of 'satisfaction' and 'amazement' in posts referencing kind staff or successful treatment episodes. 'It reminded me how digital expressions can reflect not only distress but also resilience and hope, even among young patients with complex conditions.' – The study, Comorbidities and emotions – unpacking the sentiments of paediatric patients with multiple long-term conditions through social media feedback: A large language model-driven study, is published in the Journal of Affective Disorders.
Leader Live
10-07-2025
- Health
- Leader Live
Children's social media activity ‘highlights stress of living with health issue'
Research led by the University of Plymouth used AI language models to analyse sentiments and emotions expressed by almost 400 paediatric patients and their caregivers on social media. In particular, they wanted to assess young people's opinions regarding their care and experiences during the Covid-19 pandemic, and the impact that had on their emotional and psychological wellbeing. Using anonymous data sourced from the Care Opinion platform, they found that of the narratives analysed, almost 94% of the comments posted were classed as negative and less than 6% were positive. More than six out of 10 negative comments were classed as being associated with sadness, with feelings of fear – at almost one in every six comments – also being prevalent. Children with conditions such as cancer, asthma, chronic pain and mental health conditions showed particularly high emotional distress, highlighting the emotional burden of managing multiple long-term health issues. The Covid-19 pandemic was also shown to exacerbate the negative sentiments, particularly sadness and disgust, with patients expressing frustration with the healthcare system while isolation and disrupted care routines triggered intense emotional responses. While just 6% of the comments were classed as positive, the study found that most of them related to effective communication, compassionate care, and successful treatment outcomes. The researchers say the study highlights the importance of supporting vulnerable young patients managing complex medical conditions, and the need for integrated care approaches to both physical and emotional well-being. Professor of e-Health Shang-Ming Zhou led the research, and its data analysis was carried out by MSc data science and business analytics student Israel Oluwalade. Prof Zhou, a recognised expert in the use of AI to analyse health data, said: 'To our knowledge, this is the first study of its kind to analyse the sentiments and emotions of paediatric patients using social media data. 'Our findings bring to light the deeply emotional journey patients with multiple long-term health issues go through and fills a critical gap in knowledge for healthcare professionals and agencies. 'It also highlights the disproportionate emotional burden faced by paediatric patients with multiple health issues and their caregivers during the pandemic, showing the need for targeted interventions to address emotional responses during public health emergencies.' Mr Oluwalade added: 'As I worked through the dataset, I was particularly struck by how clearly children's emotional responses aligned with specific comorbidity patterns. 'For example, fear and sadness were especially dominant among those discussing multiple hospital visits or long-term medication. 'What also surprised me most was the unexpectedly high frequency of 'satisfaction' and 'amazement' in posts referencing kind staff or successful treatment episodes. 'It reminded me how digital expressions can reflect not only distress but also resilience and hope, even among young patients with complex conditions.' – The study, Comorbidities and emotions – unpacking the sentiments of paediatric patients with multiple long-term conditions through social media feedback: A large language model-driven study, is published in the Journal of Affective Disorders.
