Queen's University Belfast

Obtaining a Diagnostic Yield via Scan findings prior to the introduction of SEquencing retrospectivelY ( ODYSSEY ): a cohort study

ABSTRACT Objective To determine the retrospective yield of prenatal exome sequencing (PES) by establishing the proportion of children with a postnatal monogenic diagnosis that could have been diagnosed prenatally if PES had been available. Methods The study cohort comprised a sam...

Terrain‐Adaptive Quadrupedal Locomotion Using Model Predictive Control With Impedance Control and SINDy Model Enhancement

ABSTRACT Quadrupedal robots operating in unstructured environments require adaptive control systems that can handle diverse terrain conditions without prior surface characterization. This paper presents an integrated control architecture that combines Model Predictive Control (MP...

Young people’s resistance within and against unjust systems: The possibilities and challenges of participatory action research-enabled social innovation and social entrepreneurship

This article establishes a dialogue between the fields of participatory action research, social innovation and social entrepreneurship, by presenting learning from two projects with young people in Colombia and critically situating it within intersectional, intergenerational and...

Incidence, Patterns and Predictors of Alemtuzumab‐Induced Thyroid Dysfunction in Patients With Multiple Sclerosis: A Northern Ireland Cohort Study

ABSTRACT Background Alemtuzumab (Lemtrada) is highly effective for selected relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS) but can cause autoimmune thyroid dysfunction (AITD). Our aim was to retrospectively review patients and the monitoring of their thyroid function tests (TFTs) during and a...

Measuring masses of transiting Earth-like planets: first insights from the PLATO RV Data Challenge

Abstract The PLATO Stellar Variability Mitigation Working Group designed a radial-velocity (RV) data challenge to assess the precision and accuracy achievable on RV semi-amplitudes in the context of the future PLATO follow-up. Using Sun-as-a-star observations obtained with HARPS-...

Mechanochemically Prepared Supported Ionic Liquids for Efficient Glycerol Valorization to Glycerol Carbonate

Abstract The valorization of glycerol, a major byproduct of the biodiesel industry, into high value chemicals offers a sustainable pathway to support circular economy objectives within biorefineries. Among various transformation routes, the transesterification of glycerol with di...

From Comprehensive Distrust to Unquestioned Trust in Street-based Outreach Work With People Who Use Drugs in Finland

People who use drugs may experience comprehensive distrust in other people due to drug-related stigma and other violating experiences in services and in their life course. This may prevent them from seeking help. The goal of strengthening trust in services has been supported in s...

Microbial interactions as key players shaping the emergence and spread of de novo resistance mutations

Antibiotic resistance and the microbiome are two of the most prominent and highly active research areas currently in microbiology. However, these studies are commonly siloed. Research into antibiotic resistance often takes a highly pathogenic-centric view, and microbiome studies...

The Idea of the Female Club: The Case of An Account of the Fair Intellectual-Club (Edinburgh, 1719)

Associational culture in the eighteenth century has been the subject of sustained attention in modern scholarship of the period, but relatively little attention has been paid to female clubs and associations. Usually this is because of the lack of evidence that female-only societ...

Awake craniotomy for drug-resistant non-oncological epilepsy: a systematic review of feasibility, reported safety, and seizure outcomes

Abstract Introduction Complete resection of the epileptogenic zone offers the best chance of seizure control in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy. However, surgical management remains challenging when the epileptogenic zone is located within or adjacent to eloquent brain regi...

Targeting breast cancer stem cells by restoring RBM38 function: mechanism and protein delivery therapy

Breast cancer stemness drives tumor progression and therapy resistance, yet the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. In this study, we observed that RBM38 expression gradually decreases during breast cancer progression in MMTV - PyMT transgenic mice. Using a model with...

Coppiced sweet chestnut in the construction of imperfect gridshells from asymptotic curves

In recent years, bending-active gridshells with asymptotic geometry have been successfully constructed at the architectural scale. These have typically used materials such as steel and machined timber, with thin rectangular profiles and predictable characteristics. This paper inv...

Scoping review of clinical, laboratory, histopathological and imaging predictors of relapse in adults with biopsy or temporal artery ultrasound confirmed giant cell arteritis on standard therapy with glucocorticoids alone or in combination with biologics

Abstract Objective This scoping literature review aims to summarise current evidence on clinical, laboratory, histopathological and imaging predictors of relapse in adults with biopsy or imaging confirmed giant cell arteritis. Methods A comprehensive search of OVID MEDLINE(R)ALL...

Barriers and facilitators to implementing the European code of cancer practice in a rural and coastal setting: a qualitative study

Abstract Purpose The European Code of Cancer Practice (ECCP) is a patient-centred framework for good clinical cancer practice, to improve outcomes for all of Europe’s patients [1]. Given challenges with applications to rural regions, the study aimed to explore the barriers and fa...

Entertaining and informal power: governors’ wives at Hillsborough Castle, 1925–1972

This article examines how the wives of Northern Ireland’s governors shaped social and political life within Hillsborough Castle between 1925 and 1972. As the official residence of the governor, a position created in 1922 as the monarch’s representative in Northern Ireland, the Ca...

A standard operating procedure to enable global, regionally-guided precision oncology knowledge bases

Preprint article submitted to a peer-reviewed journal. This version has not yet undergone peer review. Abstract: Precision oncology knowledge bases are central to interpreting cancer genomic variants and associating them with clinical implications, guiding therapeutic selection a...

Identification and Structure–Activity Relationship of a Novel Dermatoxin-like Antimicrobial Peptide with Partial LPS-Mediated Membrane Interaction

The rapid emergence of antimicrobial resistance necessitates the development of novel antimicrobial agents with improved efficacy and selectivity. In this study, a dermatoxin-like peptide, dermatoxin-PD1, was identified from the skin secretion of Pachymedusa dacnicolor, and its s...

Nested Claims, Cross‐Segmental Issues, and Elite Competition in Powersharing

Abstract Powersharing systems rely on descriptive representation, where elected elites ‘stand in’ for their segment's voters, incentivising intransigence and penalising cross‐segmental cooperation. Yet powersharing politics regularly witness cross‐segmental appeals, voting patter...

Acceptance of Digital Health and Well-Being: The Development of the UTAUT2-Screener

Abstract Extending conventional health and well-being services with technology has proven to be acceptable and effective. However, implementing such technology in routine care requires contextual tailoring to ensure successful uptake. The Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of T...

Coupling digital image correlation with dynamics metrics for fracture assessment in lightly reinforced concrete

Reliable assessment of damage in lightly reinforced concrete structures requires monitoring approaches that capture both local fracture behaviour and its impact on global structural performance (e.g., natural frequencies). Conventional vibration-based Structural Health Monitoring...