University of Ulster

Artificial Intelligence as a Catalyst for Cell-Based Therapies in Retinal Disease

Retinal degenerative diseases, including age-related macular degeneration (AMD), retinitis pigmentosa (RP), and Stargardt disease, represent leading causes of irreversible vision loss worldwide, collectively affecting hundreds of millions of people. Cell-based therapies, particul...

Evaluating LLMs for named entity recognition: a cost-benefit analysis in the legal domain

Abstract Within the legal domain, named entity recognition (NER) is an essential pre-processing tool for important tasks such as information extraction and redaction. Research to date has focused on rule-based approaches or machine learning strategies that require significant tim...

Household Trials in Food and Nutrition: Rethinking Methodologies beyond Individual RCTs

Nutrition is crucial for growth and development across the lifespan, influencing population health. Governments establish dietary guidelines and policies to maintain nutritional status, often relying on evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs), considered the gold standa...

Rethinking Diaspora Agency in Peace and Conflict

Diasporas’ versatile roles as victims of conflict, participants in conflict and agents of peacebuilding have been widely explored. We observe that diaspora contributions to ongoing conflicts and subsequent peacebuilding mechanisms have long been framed through a binary lens. Unti...

Finding salvage in standardization? Structural and longitudinal evaluation of the patient health questionnaire anxiety and depression scale in a UK representative sample

Abstract Objectives Some research funders mandate the use of the Patient Health Questionnaire‐9 (PHQ‐9) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder‐7 (GAD‐7) as independent measures of depression and anxiety. This study examined their independence in a UK representative sample by testing th...

Diasporas and conflict transformation: Towards a new analytical framework

Diasporas are increasingly perceived as influential actors in contemporary conflicts as they directly or indirectly engage in peacebuilding and conflict resolution in their countries of origin and residence. Existing scholarship has well analysed what roles diasporas can play, ho...

Rethinking content delivery for learning reinforcement: a reflective account of podcast summaries and Universal Design for Learning in Pharmacy Education

Purpose Maintaining student engagement with lecture content beyond the classroom remains a persistent challenge in higher education. While lecture recordings are widely used, they often require substantial time to revisit and may not align with students' study habits. This reflec...

Support on the front line: a review of preceptorship in UK ambulance services

Background: Preceptorship is relatively new in paramedic education. It is intended to ease transition from theory to practice, reduce transition shock for students and support professional identity. However, it can be limited by time constraints and systemic barriers, and the ter...

Institutional trust in authoritarian regimes: evidence from Central Asia

Authoritarian regimes must cultivate forms of political legitimacy that compensate for the absence of competitive electoral accountability. Institutional trust is a central component of this legitimacy, shaping citizen compliance, regime support, and political stability. This art...

Experimental study of the flame behaviors and radiation impact of medium-scale pool fires with different ullage heights

Tank fires represent a prevalent type of industrial hazard. The thermal radiation generated by the primary ignited vessel dictates the effectiveness and safety of emergency rescue interventions. Consequently, this study performed a series of medium-scale gasoline fire trials util...

A port for Cyrene: pre-colonisation coastal topography and rationale for early port buildings and construction at Apollonia

Abstract English Apollonia on the Cyrenaican coast (eastern Libya) served for over 1,200 years as Cyrene’s harbour and naval base, sustaining trade and defence across the Mediterranean. Although activity at the shoreline predates Cyrene’s formal foundation in 631 BC, much remains...

Enteropathogen-specific pathways linking moderate-to-severe diarrhea to linear growth faltering in sub-Saharan African children: a decomposition analysis of the GEMS study

BACKGROUND: Associations exist between moderate-to-severe diarrhea (MSD) and growth faltering in children; however, the underlying mechanisms are not well-understood. We evaluated the extent to which seven enteropathogens explain the association between MSD and linear growth falt...

Caregiving for individuals with autism in forceful displacement crisis: experiences of refugees in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq

This study examined the challenges faced by refugee parents caring for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Twenty-two parents participated in a mixed-methods study that included surveys and semi-structured interviews. The findings reveale...

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...

Design of Potent, Non-Toxic Antimicrobial Agents Derived from the Frog Skin Peptide Raniseptin-PL Active Against Gram-Negative ESKAPE+ Pathogens

Background/Objectives: The frog skin peptide raniseptin-PL (GVFDTVKKIGKAVGKFALGVAKNYLNS.NH2) is active against a range of antibiotic-resistant bacteria including ESKAPE+ pathogens, but its therapeutic potential is limited by high cytotoxicity against mammalian cells. The study ai...

Accelerated mass loss of glaciers across Alaska since the Little Ice Age

Abstract Alaskan glaciers presently dominate contributions to global glacier mass loss and are projected to do so throughout the 21 st Century. Here we assess centennial-scale evolution and mass loss of 5289 Little Ice Age (LIA) glaciers by mapping geomorphological evidence of gl...

Student voice in responsible management education: the PRME perception–expectation gap and pedagogical implications

Purpose This study aims to examine how students in a UK business school perceive Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME)-related curriculum and pedagogical experiences, and how these perceptions inform an understanding of PRME implementation. Design/methodology/app...

Data-driven cycle time optimisation in semiconductor manufacturing using machine learning and heuristic search algorithms

In semiconductor wafer fabrication, cycle time strongly affects throughput and cost, yet is hard to control because bottlenecks shift across tools over time. This paper presents a hybrid framework that combines machine learning (ML) and heuristic optimisation to minimise the impo...

Electrochemical–LSPR Multiplexed Immunoassay with a Multi-Analyte Index for Sepsis-Associated Biomarkers

Abstract Multiplexed immunoassays frequently face challenges associated with signal cross-reactivity, matrix effects, and the integration of analytes with disparate concentration ranges and transduction efficiencies. Here, we report an electrochemical multiplexed immunoassay impl...

Positioning nutrition care within community-based health services in India: availability, demand, perceived impact and the role of medical doctors

Background Nutrition care at the community level can support the prevention and management of nutrition-related chronic diseases. However, the lack of nutrition professionals, healthcare professionals’ limited understanding of their role in nutrition care and/or limited training...