Queen's University Belfast

Generalized lateral, rocking, and coupling stiffness equations for offshore wind turbine monopiles in clay

Harnessing wind energy from deep waters presents unique challenges for foundation design. These challenges arise from the potential for high bending moments and lateral loads, which must be managed while adhering to strict rocking limitations and natural frequency requirements. T...

Exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation for coronary heart disease

RATIONALE: Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the leading cause of death globally. CHD mortality rates remain steady in low- and middle-income countries but are declining in high-income countries, meaning more people are living with CHD and need support to manage their symptoms and...

Rehearsing for disclosure: Forum Theatre as simulation for preparing medical students for domestic abuse consultations

Abstract Background Healthcare education must evolve to address complex challenges such as domestic abuse, which requires clinicians to demonstrate relational and communication skills competence. While simulation is well suited to experiential learning, developing learners’ inter...

Cellular, molecular and functional characteristics of induced pluripotent stem cell derived neurons from refractory chronic cough patients and healthy controls

The pathophysiology of refractory chronic cough (RCC) and the aetiology of associated cough hypersensitivity syndrome remains unclear, partly due to the absence of a suitable disease-specific sensory neuronal model. This study was designed to investigate whether induced pluripote...

Uncovering pan-cancer signatures of chemoresistance

Abstract Background Chemotherapy resistance remains a formidable challenge in cancer treatment, driving high mortality rates worldwide. Despite significant advancements, it remains unclear whether conserved molecular programs underpin therapy resistance across cancer types. Metho...

Relaxation approach to quantum-mechanical modeling of ferroelectric and antiferroelectric phase transitions

Ferroelectrics and antiferroelectrics are the electric counterparts of ferromagnets and antiferromagnets. These materials undergo temperature- and electric-field-induced phase transitions that give rise to their characteristic hysteresis loops. Modeling such hysteresis loops and...

Development of a Core Outcome Measurement Set for studies of community pharmacist-led medication reviews in older patients with multimorbidity and polypharmacy

Abstract Introduction A Core Outcome Set (COS) can harmonize outcome reporting. For medication review (MR) studies targeting older, multi-morbid patients with polypharmacy, a COS with seven outcomes is available: Health-related Quality of Life (HRQoL), pain relief, overuse, under...

Banks and the economy: Evidence from the Irish bank strike of 1966

Abstract This paper studies the macroeconomic impact of the Irish bank strike of 1966, which led to the closure of the major commercial banks for 3 months. We collect a variety of new evidence, such as high‐frequency macro data, economic forecasts, micro data and narrative source...

Prevalence and healthcare utilization of eosinophilic chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in the UK: an observational electronic health record-based cohort study

Abstract Background Biologic therapies offer new treatment opportunities for patients with eosinophilic COPD. However, the number and proportions of patients with COPD who would be eligible are unknown. Methods Using data from Optimum Patient Care Research Database, we conducted...

Thermal management and cycle life enhancement of Lithium-ion Battery packs using low-fin tubes: Electrochemical-thermal-aging modelling and geometric optimization

Air cooling remains the most widely adopted thermal management strategy for lithium battery packs due to its simplicity and reliability. Thus, improving cooling efficiency and temperature homogeneity remains critical for such methods. Herein, this study proposes a low fin tube (L...

Evaluating the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in systematic review abstract screening: a comparative study of freely available AI-aided tools

Abstract Background Manual abstract screening in systematic reviews is a time-consuming and labour-intensive task. With the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), the number of published articles has grown substantially, adding to the workload of review studies that rely on robust...

Effects of hyperoxia on pulmonary inflammation and organ injury in a human in vivo model (HIPI): a randomised controlled trial

Introduction It is uncertain whether hyperoxia contributes to adverse intensive care unit outcomes. Potential harm is likely mediated by oxidative stress driving pulmonary and systemic inflammation. Methods We conducted a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to test...

Challenges and opportunities for the construction of the next IntCal and SHCal radiocarbon calibration curves

Radiocarbon (14C) provides the most frequently used approach to dating the last 55 000 years. However, owing to fluctuations in past levels of 14C, all radiocarbon dating requires calibration to convert the 14C measurement obtained from a sample into a calendar age. This is achie...

European Association of Palliative Care White Paper on research priorities for family caregiving in palliative care: A systematic review of reviews

BACKGROUND: Family carers are central to providing high quality palliative care. However, gaps remain in our understanding of how best to support carers. In 2010, the European Association for Palliative Care published a White Paper on 'Improving Support for Family Caregivers'. Th...

The REASON Framework for quality-assured MCQ assessment in health-professional and bioscience education: six practical steps from question design to post-assessment analysis

Multiple-choice question (MCQ) assessment is widely used across health-professional and bioscience education because it enables broad curriculum sampling, efficient administration, objective scoring and post-assessment review of item performance. However, MCQ assessment quality i...

Quality standards for preclinical research in cardio-oncology

Preclinical research in cancer therapy-related cardiovascular toxicity (CTR-CVT) is a major domain of cardio-oncology and has provided biological explanation for the cardiovascular adverse effects of many cancer therapies. However, the choice of the experimental models to investi...

From Paper to Pixels—A Narrative Review of Occlusal Analysis

Background/Objectives: Occlusal analysis plays a key role in restorative and prosthodontic treatment, influencing diagnosis, treatment planning, and long-term outcomes. This narrative review provides an overview of conventional and digital methods for occlusal analysis and their...

Steric control of signaling bias in the immunometabolic receptor GPR84

Abstract Biased signaling in G protein-coupled receptors offers therapeutic promise, yet rational design of biased ligands remains challenging due to limited mechanistic understanding. Here, we report a molecular basis for controlling signaling bias at the immunometabolic recepto...

Safe Spaces? A Spatial Analysis of Universal Youth Provision and Violent Crime

Youth violence is a significant concern, with exposure often having an enduring effect on victims, perpetrators, and the wider community. Despite recent investment in specialist and targeted youth provision, universal youth provision has been under-funded, with evidence of divest...

Towards a deep-learning genomic tool for risk stratification and diagnostic support in sporadic ALS

Abstract Background A variety of common and rare genetic factors have been implicated in the development of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and the evidence is that a genetic component is present in most affected individuals. However, our current understanding of ALS genetic...