Queen's University Belfast

Design and feasibility testing of IDC-VI: a theory-informed intervention to support medication dispensing and counselling to patients with vision impairment

Abstract Background There is limited research on interventions that can support medication use in patients with vision impairment. The United Kingdom’s Medical Research Council advocates a systematic approach for the development and evaluation of an intervention before it can be...

Dietary Omega-3 Intake, Supplement Use and Omega-3 Status in Elite (Tier 3) Male Gaelic Football Players: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background/Objectives: Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3PUFA) are recognised for their roles in cardiovascular and brain health, with emerging evidence suggesting potential benefits for athletic performance and recovery. However, dietary intake and biological status of n-3...

Burnout and resilience among healthcare nurses in Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional study with exploratory multiclass classification approach

Burnout is a significant occupational and psychological concern among nurses. However, there is an evidence gap in research considering the dimensions of burnout and resilience in healthcare settings where the nursing workforce is predominantly expatriate. Therefore, this study a...

Bibliometric mapping of the 100 most-cited publications on optic nerve and optic pathway glioma

Background: Optic pathway gliomas (OPGs), including optic nerve gliomas, are uncommon tumors of the anterior visual pathway that arise mainly in young children, often with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). The literature is now substantial, but its structure is undescribed. We mapp...

Temperature testing Brexit – the case of Northern Ireland

As the only regular polling of the views of Northern Ireland’s voters on Brexit, the Testing the Temperature polls (2021-2026) provide important insights into how opinions have evolved over time and in response to key developments. We provide here an analysis of the poll findings...

Continuing professional development (CPD) for pharmacists: implications for professional practice

This study considers the different Continuing Professional Development (CPD) activities undertaken by pharmacists and the implications this had for their professional practice. CPD is now mandatory for all UK healthcare professionals, including pharmacists. Pharmacists are requir...

The Meta-Analytic Relationship between Exposure to Domestic Violence and Dissociative Symptoms

Abstract Purpose Domestic violence and the impact it has on victim-survivor’s mental health remains an international public health concern. Dissociation has often been linked to traumatic experiences and may present as a protective defense mechanism for victim-survivors of domest...

Understanding workplace peer support among healthcare assistants providing palliative and end-of-life care at home: a realist review

Background: Healthcare assistants delivering home-based palliative and end-of-life care face complex emotional and clinical demands with limited workplace support. Peer support had been suggested as a potential solution, yet no reviews of such interventions exist. Aim: To underst...

Impact of a Mediterranean diet and physical activity intervention on the gut microbiome and faecal metabolites: findings from the MedEx-UK randomised controlled trial

Abstract Diet and physical activity (PA) are potential modulators of the gut microbiome, although research findings are inconsistent, and few studies have explored their combined effects. This study used data from ninety-three participants (forty-seven with pre- and post-interven...

Fermented protein foods as modulators of the gut-muscle axis: mechanisms, evidence, and future directions

Skeletal muscle has a profound influence on metabolic health, functional capacity and resilience across the lifespan. Beyond dietary protein and physical activity, the gut microbiome may have the capacity to impact skeletal muscle mass and function through the bidirectional netwo...

Treatment preferences in dementia with Lewy bodies: a discrete choice experiment

Abstract Background Treating one symptom of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) can exacerbate another, leading to inherent treatment trade-offs. However, there is limited evidence on how people with DLB and their care partners (CPs) value improvements across symptoms, particularly w...

The multifaceted role of the potassium channel KCNK1 in the early detection and prognostication of high-grade serous cancer

Abstract Background The sixth most common cancer in females in the UK, ovarian cancer remains a significant health burden due to its aggressive nature and stagnant mortality trends. The current gold standard biomarker, CA-125, has notable limitations, including low sensitivity in...

RELATING INSPLITTINGS OF 2-GRAPHS AND OF TEXTILE SYSTEMS

Abstract The graphical operation of insplitting is key to understanding conjugacy of shifts of finite type (SFTs) in both one and two dimensions. In this paper, we consider two approaches to studying two-dimensional (2D) SFTs: textile systems and rank-2 graphs. Nasu’s textile sys...

Sport, exercise, and physical activity in children with cardiovascular disease. A Clinical Consensus Statement of the European Association of Preventive Cardiology (EAPC) of the ESC, the Association of Cardiovascular Nursing & Allied Professions (ACNAP) of the ESC, and the Association for European Paediatric and Congenital Cardiology (AEPC)

Regular physical activity offers numerous benefits to children's health and well-being and is essential for reducing cardiovascular risk in children with cardiovascular disease. Despite increasing evidence supporting its benefits, many young patients remain insufficiently active...

Framing the Ukrainian refugee crisis: A cross-country media analysis during the early Russia-Ukraine conflict

This study explores how media in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany and Türkiye framed the Ukrainian refugee crisis during the early phase of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. A content analysis of eight news outlets highlights a bias favouring Ukrainian refugees, with positiv...

Spatially decoupled design and AI-driven optimization for thermal uniformity and nitridation resistance in NH3-fueled micro-tubular SOFCs

Ammonia-fueled micro-tubular solid oxide fuel cells (MT-SOFCs) offer a compact route for carbon-free power generation, but the endothermic NH 3 decomposition can cause thermal non-uniformity, and local NH 3 enrichment can increase the thermodynamic risk of Ni nitridation in the a...

Evidence, implications and mitigation of plastic-derived contaminants in infant food: a systematic review

Infants are particularly vulnerable to dietary plastic-derived contaminants, including microplastics, nanoplastics, and synthetic oligomers. Their higher food intake relative to body mass amplifies potential exposure and associated risks. Despite this, exposure pathways and healt...

Whole-genome sequencing uncovers chromosomal and plasmid-borne multidrug resistance and virulence genes in poultry-associated Escherichia coli isolate from Nigeria

Abstract Background Unregulated antibiotic use in poultry farming contributes to the emergence and spread of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria, posing risks to human, animal, and environmental health. Whole-genome sequencing, combined with antimicrobial susceptibility testing (A...

The playful entanglements of very young children’s intergenerational video calls across cultures and languages: More-than-human perspectives

The United Kingdom is home to a culturally and linguistically diverse population of young children living in families where digital technologies offer unprecedented opportunities to develop multiliteracies across languages. Many babies and toddlers born into multilingual families...

Translation Landscape of Corneal Endothelial Tissue Engineering: A Scoping Review

Background Corneal endothelial dysfunction is a leading cause of global blindness. The main treatment is full keratoplasty, for which access is limited due to the worldwide shortage of tissue donors. Corneal tissue engineering has shown significant progress, yet there are still c...