Latest news with #UniversityOfSouthampton
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Study finds medication lowers risk of dangerous behaviors in people with ADHD
ADHD affects around five per cent of children and 2.5 per cent of adults globally and is linked increased risks of suicidal behaviors, substance abuse, transport accidents, and criminality if people do not seek treatment. An international team of researchers wanted to fin out if taking medication would mitigate these risks. Researchers from the University Of Southampton, UK and the Karolinska Institute in Sweden found that during two years of treatment with ADHD medication, people who took the drugs were less likely to experience these harmful incidents than those weren't medicated. Around 22 million Americans are estimated to have ADHD and just over half of these are prescribed medication to manage their symptoms. Medications are classified into two main categories: stimulants and non-stimulants. Stimulants, the most common type, include methylphenidate and amphetamine-based medications that improve the transmission of the brain chemical dopamine which affects mood, motivation and movement. Non-stimulant options like atomoxetine, clonidine, and guanfacine can also be used, if stimulants are not effective or well tolerated. These help improve the transmission of norepinephrine, a hormone that helps with alertness and focus. Exactly why the condition occurs is not completely understood, but ADHD tends to run in families, suggesting genes may play a part. In the new study, researchers examined multiple population and health records in Sweden. The team used a novel study design called a 'trial emulation' to simulate a trial using existing real-world data from 148,581 people with ADHD. Comparing those who had started any type of ADHD medication within three months of diagnosis with those who hadn't, they looked at the records over the following two years. They found any form of medication reduced the first occurrence of four of the five incidents (with accidental injury being the exception) and all five outcomes when considering recurring incidents. Those taking stimulant medication were associated with the lowest incident rates, compared to non-stimulant medications. Methylphenidate was the most commonly prescribed drug, the researchers found. The likelihood was most reduced amongst people exhibiting a recurring pattern of behavior, such as multiple suicide attempts, numerous drug relapses or repeat offending. Medication didn't reduce the risk of a first-time accidental injury, but did reduce the risk of recurring ones. The study is the first of its kind to show the beneficial effect of ADHD medication on these broader clinical outcomes using a novel statistical method and data representative of all patients in routine clinical care from a whole country. Dr Zheng Chang, senior author of the study from the Karolinska Institute said: 'This finding is consistent with most guidelines that generally recommend stimulants as the first-line treatment, followed by non-stimulants. 'There is an ongoing discussion regarding whether methylphenidate should be included in the World Health Organization model list of essential medications, and we hope this research will help to inform this debate.' Co-senior author on the paper Samuele Cortese, a National Institute For Health And Care Research (NIHR) Research Professor at the University of Southampton added: 'The failure form clinical services to provide timely treatments that reduce these important outcomes represents a major ethical issue that needs to be addressed with urgency, with the crucial input of people with lived experience.'
BBC News
12-08-2025
- Science
- BBC News
Buckler's Hard: Slipway where HMS Agamemnon built revealed
A slipway from the 18th Century where ships for Lord Nelson's fleet were built and launched has been excavated by archaeologists. The team from the University of Southampton said it was the first time one from this period has been totally uncovered in the Hard, the small hamlet in the New Forest where the slipway is located, was once home to one of the busiest private shipyards of the researchers said they hope the findings would help improve their understanding of shipbuilding techniques and infrastructure during the period. The dig was supported by the newly formed Buckler's Hard Shipyard Trust, a conservation charity.A total of 55 wooden warships were built at Buckler's Hard for the Royal Navy in the 1700s, some of which were comparable in size to HMS Victory. "No other private yard built as many ships for the navy during this period," said Professor Jon Adams, director of the university's Centre for Maritime Archaeology. Unlike the slipway at Buckler's Hard, most slipways from the 18th Century are now buried under Adams said that made this one uniquely suited for learning about traditional shipbuilding."The only opportunity is a place like this where you can actually see the whole of the whole of the infrastructure and the logistical structures needed to build ships of that size," he said. One of the most famous ships built at the site was HMS Agamemnon, which took part in the Battle of Trafalgar and was known as Lord Nelson's "favourite".There are now plans to place a replica of the vessel on the end of the slipway as it would have looked under construction.A 3D model of the slipway has also been created to aid research, and the site will be covered with a new layer of soil and topped with timbers in the style of the 1700s."The visitor would then come into the village and actually see what the yard might have looked like," said Prof Adams. You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
BBC News
12-08-2025
- Science
- BBC News
University researchers find Asian hornets' 'unique sound'
Researchers have identified the unique sound of Asian hornet nests and said it could be the key to finding and removing them.A team at the University of Southampton said they had established the frequency of the invasive insect species for the first believe it paves the way to faster detection and removal of their nests, as a surge in numbers is experienced this Sophie Gray said building a drone that could locate nests would be the next step. So far this year, there have been 37 confirmed sightings of Asian hornets, also called yellow-legged hornets, in the National Bee Unit has also reported 73 sightings and 28 nests in 2025 to date – more than double the 28 recorded sightings in the same period last researchers said that meant nests, which peak in numbers during September and October, could be detected and their sound used to distinguish them from the nests and hives of other wasps and project was led by Paul White, professor of statistical signal processing at the university, and project advisor Adrian fundamental frequency of the nests has been found to be 125 Hz, with a loudness in the region of 51 decibels, which is comparable to a normal conversation."The nest can be detected from about 20m away with a directional microphone," Ms Gray said. Asian hornets are not yet established in the UK and all discovered nests are destroyed. "They first came to England through Kent in 2016 and in the last two to three years have begun to establish themselves here," Ms Gray said."They can be underground, or 50 feet up a tree, or in a bird box, or a bush – they can be anywhere."She added that by the time a sighting was reported "the hornets can have completely killed a beehive of upwards of 20,000 bees".Sightings of an Asian hornet should be reported to the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology. You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
Telegraph
08-08-2025
- Science
- Telegraph
New hope for honeybees following breakthrough in tracking predators
Giant Asian hornets kill British honeybees and destroy entire hives in hours - but scientists now have a new weapon in the fight against the destructive insects. The sound the predatory hornets make is lower in tone than that of native honeybees and this could speed up the discovery, identification, and destruction of nests before they can wipe out nearby colonies. Asian hornets eat honeybees and can eviscerate a beehive in just two days. The non-native bug with yellow legs is twice the size of a normal bee. They are increasingly being found in the UK, with twice as many sightings so far in 2025 as in the same period for 2024. Officials ask members of the public who see an Asian hornet nest to report it to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), who will destroy it if confirmed. Scientists from the University of Southampton conducted the first analysis of the sound the hornets make and found they have a lower tone than the buzz of honeybees. The work has been presented at conferences and is in the process of publication in a scientific journal. There is about an octave of difference between the two pitches of the flying insects analysis found, with English honeybees at 210Hz and the Asian hornets humming at 125Hz. 'Asian hornet nests can be difficult to find because there is no typical place where they build them,' said Sophie Gray, co-author of the research. 'They can be underground, or 50 feet up a tree, or in a bird box, or a bush – they can be anywhere. 'It typically takes two to three days to find the nest once a sighting of an Asian hornet is reported – and in that time the hornets can have completely killed a beehive of upwards of 20,000 bees.' She added: 'We believe that the acoustic signature of Asian hornet nests can be used to locate and destroy the nests. 'Importantly, we believe this detection can be done from a safe distance as we have found that Asian hornets become highly aggressive within 10 metres of the nest, which is difficult since the nests are often well camouflaged despite their size.' The Asian hornet arrived in Europe in 2004 and is now established in France and other countries, and was first seen in Britain in 2016. This year is on track to be a record high for Asian hornet sightings with 37 confirmed sightings already. Experts urged officials to take advantage of the 'window of opportunity' before they become fully established. The Liberal Democrats have accused the Government of not taking the issue sufficiently seriously and demanded Defra set up a task force to deal with the problem. Martin Wrigley, the MP for Newton Abbot, said: 'The previous Conservative government was asleep at the wheel in their response to Asian hornets so the government has got to wake up to the risks and get a grip on this invasive species now – especially ahead of August and September, when new females are born. 'We urgently need a fully fleshed task force dedicated to this invasive insect to reduce delays between reporting nests and their destruction. It's time this Government took our biodiversity and the safety of our communities seriously.'
BBC News
06-08-2025
- Science
- BBC News
'World first' Al data experiment helping research into miscarriages
An island's "world first" AI data experiment is now being used to help women who have suffered a miscarriage. Digital Jersey set up its first opt-in data trust in 2024, LifeCycle, which collected cyclists information to monitor riders and their reactions on the organisation is now working with the Southampton of University (SoU) to launch another data trust to help improve treatment for women who experience pregnancy Wendy Hall, SoU professor of computer science, likened data trusts to putting money in banks so it could be looked after, gain interest and used to help others. She said: "If we are going to use artificial intelligence well in the future we need to think about what control we have over our own data and how AI could be applied to that for the good of society."We want to apply AI to all patients who have a disease and use AI to decipher what drugs fit with what patients, the side effects and how better to personalise prescriptions and treatments." Improve treatments Ms Hall said professors at SoU hope to use the data trust to look at what drugs work for women who have will also asses the side effects of drugs, how they can improve personalisation of prescriptions and treatments, and conduct further research around Jersey's cycling data trust, which was launched last year, monitored a rider's environment up to 800 times per second, collecting and analysing data about their journey and riding conditions. This included detecting events such as braking, swerving, collisions, and road surface conditions, all of which were mapped onto their Hall said Jersey was the perfect place to launch AI data trusts because it has "very useable laws"."They are softer than the the UK laws, easier to apply and Jersey lawyers are used to dealing with trust law," she Jersey's chiefs believe their AI data trusts are a world first.
