Abayomi Arowosegbe

Loneliness poses significant public health concerns on a global scale. Being alone and lacking social connections have been proven to impact prognosis and response to treatment in different diseases, including COPD. Yet, the prevalence and burden of loneliness on COPD outcomes remain unclear. Various relevant databases were systematically searched in March 2024. The quality of the studies included was assessed using a modified Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. The random effect model was used to compute the pooled prevalence and associated 95 % confidence intervals (95%CI) of loneliness and living alone in COPD patients. After reviewing 256 studies, 11 studies, including 4644 COPD patients, met the inclusion criteria and were included in the systematic review. Of the included studies, 5/11 (45.5%) reported the prevalence of loneliness or lone living among COPD patients and were included in the meta-analysis. The prevalence of loneliness and lone living among COPD patients was 32% (95% CI = 16%–48%) and 29% (95% CI = 16%–41%), respectively. The Three-item UCLA loneliness scale was the most often used loneliness assessment tool (5/11, 45.5%). Loneliness and lone living were associated with poor outcomes, including emergency department visits, readmissions, depression, and reduced pulmonary rehabilitation response. Despite one-third of COPD patients experiencing loneliness, researchers have not consistently documented its impact on COPD outcomes. More studies are needed to assess the impact of loneliness on COPD and how to mitigate the negative effects on patients’ outcomes. •Loneliness and lone living are highly prevalent in people living with COPD.•Loneliness and lone living negatively affect patients' outcomes and responses to interventions.•Creating a standard methodology for investigating and reporting loneliness in COPD is essential for data synthesis and future recommendations.•For researchers, how does COPD progression affect loneliness?•For researchers, how does loneliness affect HRQoL, symptoms, and function of people living with COPD?

Background Generative artificial intelligence (Gen-AI) has emerged as a transformative tool in research and education. However, there is a mixed perception about its use. This study assessed the use, perception, prospect, and challenges of Gen-AI use in higher education. Methods This is a prospective, cross-sectional survey of university students in the United Kingdom (UK) distributed online between January and April 2024. Demography of participants and their perception of Gen-AI and other AI tools were collected and statistically analyzed to assess the difference in perception between various subgroups. Results A total of 136 students responded to the survey of which 59% (80) were male. The majority were aware of Gen-AI and other AI use in academia (61%) with 52% having personal experience of the tools. Grammar correction and idea generation were the two most common tasks of use, with 37% being regular users. Fifty-six percent of respondents agreed that AI gives an academic edge with 40% holding a positive overall perception about the use in academia. Comparatively, there was a statistically significant difference in overall perception between different age ranges ( I 2 = 27.39; p = 0.002) and levels of education ( I 2 = 20.07; p < 0.001). Also, 83% of students believe AI use will increase in academia with over half agreeing it should be integrated into learning. Plagiarism (33%), privacy issues (14%), and lack of clarity by the university (13%) remain the top concerns regarding the use of Gen-AI and other AI tools in academia. Conclusion Gen-AI and other AI tools are being used and their use will continue to grow in higher education. While current use is challenging due mainly to plagiarism fear and lack of clarity by the university, most users believe AI should be integrated into the university curriculum.

Suicide is a major global public health problem, with profound implications for individuals, families, and communities. In the United Kingdom (UK), despite efforts to detect and manage suicidal ideas, suicide rates persist, especially among middle-aged men and women, particularly those aged 45 to 54 years. Recent global challenges, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, conflict, and the environmental crisis, have raised concerns about an increase in suicide rates, particularly among young people. As a result, a population-wide preventive approach based on evidence is imperative to mitigate the projected increase in suicides. To evaluate the effectiveness of suicide prevention strategies, there is a need for an objective and universally accepted risk assessment approach that does not currently exist. This review examines the current landscape of suicide prevention in the United Kingdom and evaluates the strengths and limitations of existing suicide risk assessments tools. The current suicide prevention tools used, including machine learning and mobile applications are discussed. Also, the epidemiological trends in the various regions of the UK, risk factors including age, sex, and socio-economic status are assessed to provide context. Through this discourse, we hope to provide valuable insight for clinicians, researchers, and policy makers about the current landscape of suicide, especially within the United Kingdom, while presenting recommendations regarding areas that require further research and improvement. Accordingly, suicide prevention is and will continue to be a major focus of both the national health service and research in the UK in the strive to reduce the rate of suicide across all regions. Indeed, headways have been made in the use of technology in preventing suicide both locally and globally. However, research should in the future investigate the value of personalized interventions tailored to the various risk factors of suicide and based on appropriate screening and assessment tools.