Consortium profile: the methylation, imaging and NeuroDevelopment (MIND) consortium.

Epigenetic processes, such as DNA methylation, show potential as biological markers and mechanisms underlying gene-environment interplay in the prediction of mental health and other brain-based phenotypes. However, little is known about how peripheral epigenetic patterns relate to individual differences in the brain itself. An increasingly popular approach to address this is by combining epigenetic and neuroimaging data; yet, research in this area is almost entirely comprised of cross-sectional studies in adults.

Declaration by EPUAP at the 2025 Annual Meeting in Helsinki, Finland.

The prevention of pressure ulcers is a patient safety issue.

Health care professionals' attitudes, behaviours and barriers toward exercise promotion among patients: A systematic review.

Objective: To determine health care professionals' (HCPs) attitudes, behaviours, and barriers toward exercise promotion among patients.

Method: Using systematic review methodology, we included published studies focusing on health care professionals' attitudes, behaviours, and barriers towards exercise promotion among patients. The search was conducted in June 2023, using the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) Plus, and Scopus databases, and returned 352 records, of which 34 met the inclusion criteria.

The Clinical Utility of Autofluorescence Imaging for Bacterial Detection in Wounds: A Systematic Review.

This systematic review evaluated the clinical utility and diagnostic accuracy of autofluorescence imaging in detecting bacterial presence in wounds. A literature search was conducted in January 2025 across PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane, and EMBASE databases. Eligible studies included clinical trials and observational studies assessing autofluorescence imaging for wound bacterial detection.

Safety and User Experience of a Generative Artificial Intelligence Digital Mental Health Intervention: Exploratory Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: General awareness and exposure to generative artificial intelligence (AI) have increased recently. This transformative technology has the potential to create a more dynamic and engaging user experience in digital mental health interventions (DMHIs). However, if not appropriately used and controlled, it can introduce risks to users that may result in harm and erode trust.

What is the Impact of Negative Pressure Wound Therapy on Healing in Patients Post Excision of Pilonidal Sinus? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

This systematic review aimed to determine the impact of negative pressure wound therapy on healing in patients with pilonidal sinus following surgical excision. Using systematic review methodology, we included original research studies written in English. The search was conducted using CINAHL Plus, Ovid, PubMed, EBSCO Host and Cochrane databases.

Synthesising the evidence for patient and public involvement in pressure ulcer research: A scoping review protocol.

Introduction: There is a growing shift toward greater inclusion of patients and the public in the design, conduct, and implementation of research to ensure it is more meaningful, relevant and impactful. This involvement creates a partnership in which patients and the public contribute to decisions throughout the research lifecycle. While the impact and importance of patient and public involvement (PPI) in research is becoming increasingly recognised, the extent of PPI in pressure ulcer (PU) research has yet to be fully established.

Exploring physiological differences in injury response by skin tone: A scoping review.

Aim: To explore existing literature examining physiological differences in pressure ulcer response among individuals with differing skin tones.

Methods: This was a scoping review. Articles meeting the inclusion criteria were retrieved from electronic databases including PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, Cochrane, and EMBASE, using the keywords "pressure ulcer," "skin pigmentation," "melanin," and "risk factor.

Difference between estimated and actual body weight in an intensive care unit-A service evaluation.

Actual body weight (ABW) is important for drug dosing and calculating nutritional requirements. The aim of this study is to establish the difference between ABW and estimated body weight in a cohort of ICU patients. Our service evaluation compared 100 patients whose weights were initially estimated by staff, and if able by patients also.

The utility of skin surface temperature measurement in the prediction of diabetic foot ulceration.

Aim: Temperature is a marker of inflammation. Research has shown that by measuring skin surface temperature in those with a history of diabetic foot ulceration (DFU), tissue damage can be identified early and reduce rates of subsequent DFU. This study considered whether measuring skin surface temperature using infra-red thermometry can identify early tissue damage and inform clinical practice in a general population with Diabetes Mellitus (DM).

Role of admission rapid antigen testing (RATs) for COVID-19 on patients transferred from acute hospitals to a postacute rehabilitation setting.

Background: Rapid antigen tests (RATs) are suitable for point-of-care testing, require no laboratory time, and give immediate results. However, are RATs useful for detecting asymptomatic COVID-19 infection when compared with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing in health care settings?

Methods: RAT testing was carried out on all new admissions without a history of confirmed COVID-19 infection within 3 months of admission. PCR testing was carried out on all patients with a positive RAT for confirmation purposes.

The correlation between sub-epidermal moisture assessment and other early indicators of pressure ulcer development: A prospective cohort observational study. Part 2. The correlation between sub-epidermal moisture assessment, temperature, epidermal hydration and pain.

There is growing interest in the roles of temperature, epidermal hydration (EH) and pain in pressure ulcer (PU) development. Investigating correlations between these measures and sub-epidermal moisture (SEM) will address this knowledge deficit. A prospective observational study enrolled 60 surgical patients from February to November 2021.

Biomarkers of local inflammation at the skin's surface may predict both pressure and diabetic foot ulcers.

This commentary considers the similarities which exist between pressure ulcers (PUs) and diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs). It aims to describe what is known to be shared-both in theory and practice-by these wound types. It goes on to detail the literature surrounding the role of inflammation in both wound types.

Can thermography predict diabetic foot ulcer risk in patients with diabetes mellitus? A systematic review.

Background: There is a growing prevalence of diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) in patients with diabetes mellitus and the use of thermography has sparked interest in a non-invasive diagnostic method for early DFU risk assessment and management.

Aim: This systematic review aims to assess the use of thermography in predicting diabetic foot ulcer risk in patients with diabetes mellitus.

Methods: A systematic search of publications using MEDLINE, CINAHL, and Cochrane databases was conducted in April 2023, and relevant articles were reviewed.

The impact of burnout on paediatric nurses' attitudes about patient safety in the acute hospital setting: A systematic review.

Background: Patient safety is the cornerstone of quality healthcare. Nurses have a duty to provide safe care, particularly to vulnerable populations such as paediatric patients. Demands on staff and resources are rising and burnout is becoming an increasingly prevalent occupational hazard in paediatric healthcare today.

Consortium Profile: The Methylation, Imaging and NeuroDevelopment (MIND) Consortium.

Epigenetic processes, such as DNA methylation, show potential as biological markers and mechanisms underlying gene-environment interplay in the prediction of mental health and other brain-based phenotypes. However, little is known about how peripheral epigenetic patterns relate to individual differences in the brain itself. An increasingly popular approach to address this is by combining epigenetic and neuroimaging data; yet, research in this area is almost entirely comprised of cross-sectional studies in adults.

'Sometimes You Have No Choice but to Give Them Medication': Experiences of Nurses Caring for People With Auditory Hallucinations in an Acute Unit.

The aim of this study was to explore psychiatric nurse's experiences of caring for people with auditory hallucinations in an acute unit. A qualitative study was conducted using thematic analysis. The study involved semi-structured interviews with 18 acute unit nurses all of whom provided interventions to patients with auditory hallucinations.

All hands on deck during the COVID-19 pandemic. Maintaining face-to-face medical education and clinical placements.

Medical students must have robust educational experiences, graduate and commence timely employment. Here, we describe how the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) delivered clinical placements in medical programmes over the first three waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ireland, including a student-centred, holistic approach to students' educational, social and health needs with strong student involvement, re-organising the university's primary care team, developing COVID-19 PCR testing on site and re-focusing communications and student services. This resulted in re-arranging the students into learning communities, and students and staff electronically recorded their COVID-19 symptom status daily.

Development and impact of a tailored eHealth resource on fibromyalgia patient's self-management and self-efficacy: A mixed methods approach.

Aim: To develop an eHealth resource to support fibromyalgia patients and explore it for usability and impact on their self-management and self-efficacy.

Background: Fibromyalgia is a complex, non-progressive chronic condition characterised by a bewildering array of symptoms for patients to self-manage. International guidelines recommend patients receive illness-specific information once diagnosed to promote self-management and improve health-related quality of life.

Affective Symptoms in Pregnancy are Associated with the Vaginal Microbiome.

Composition of the vaginal microbiome in pregnancy is associated with adverse maternal, obstetric, and child health outcomes. Identifying the sources of individual differences in the vaginal microbiome is therefore of considerable clinical and public health interest. The current study tested the hypothesis that vaginal microbiome composition during pregnancy is associated with an individual's experience of affective symptoms and stress exposure.

Association between maternal stress and premature milk cortisol, milk IgA, and infant health: a cohort study.

Background: Maternal stress is pervasive in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Maternal stress is associated with changes in human milk (HM) immunomodulatory agents, which may impact neonatal health. We sought to determine the association between maternal stress, HM immunoglobulin A (IgA) and cortisol, and to assess how these milk components correlate with infant immune and neurodevelopmental outcomes.