Cancer worry and its impact on self-reported depressive symptoms among adult males and females in the US: a nationwide sample study.

OBJECTIVE: With cancer the second deadliest disease in the world, worry about cancer can have mental health or psychiatric implications. This study examines the prevalence, differences, and influence of cancer worry (CW), its interaction effect with age, and other confounders on self-reported depressive symptoms (SRDS) among adult males and females in the US. METHODS: We utilized a nationally representative sample data of 2,950 individuals (males = 1,276; females = 1,674) from Cycle 4 of the Health Information National Trends Survey 5 (HINTS 5) 2020. Using frequencies, bivariate chi-square test, and multivariate logistic regression, we examined the prevalence, difference, and association of CW with SRDS, adjusting for confounders. RESULTS: The prevalence rate of SRDS was found to be 32% among females and 23.5% among males. Among individuals with CW, females had a higher prevalence of SRDS compared to males (40.5% vs. 35.1%). However, there was a significant difference in the likelihood of experiencing SRDS between males and females with CW, with males having 84% increased risk compared to females. Across all age groups, the multivariate analysis of the relationship between CW and SRDS revealed that both males and females showed a significantly decreased likelihood of SRDS compared to those aged 18-34 years. However, males aged 35 years or older exhibited an even more pronounced decrease in likelihood compared to females in the same age group. Nonetheless, when examining the interaction of age and CW, we observed a significantly increased likelihood of SRDS across all age groups. Males, in particular, had a higher increased likelihood of SRDS compared to females across all ages, except for those aged 75 years and older. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study highlight the significant influence of CW on individuals' SRDS and the modifying effect of age, particularly among males. These results are important for a better understanding of the risk of CW on mental health, which can be a preventive strategy or control mechanism.

Comorbid Conditions Are Associated With Cognitive Impairment in Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders.

We examined the association between comorbid conditions and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders (NHPI) (n = 54). Cross-sectional, self-reported questionnaires were utilized to collect demographic, comorbid conditions, and MCI (via the AD8 index) data. Separate logistic regression models were conducted to investigate the relationship between comorbid conditions and MCI, adjusting for other covariates. We found significantly increased odds of MCI in those reporting high blood pressure (OR = 5.27; 95% CI: [1.36, 20.46]; p = 0.016), high cholesterol (OR = 7.30; 95% CI: [1.90, 28.14], p = 0.004), and prediabetes or borderline diabetes (OR = 4.53; 95% CI: [1.27, 16.16], p = 0.02) compared with those not reporting these respective conditions. These data show that hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and prediabetes are associated with MCI in the NHPI community, suggesting that preventive strategies to reduce chronic conditions may also potentially slow cognitive decline in underrepresented/understudied NHPI.

Small polaron hopping conduction mechanism and enhanced thermoelectric power factor in the perovskite LaCoO3 ceramic.

Among the various thermoelectric oxide materials, perovskites offer more flexibility to adjust the interdependent thermoelectric parameters for an improved thermoelectric performance. In this work, we investigated the effect of A-site cation deficiency and Sr-substitution on the thermoelectric properties of the LaCoO3 ceramic synthesized via a solid-state reaction. A rhombohedral crystal structure with the R3̄c space group was revealed through Rietveld refinement of the XRD data. XPS analysis further confirmed the presence of multiple oxidation states of Co, and the mechanism of charge transport involving these multivalent cations was described using the small polaron hopping model. The La deficiency and Sr-substitution were found to increase the electrical conductivity in the LCO1 and LCO2 compositions, which resulted in a significant increase in the thermoelectric power factor. It was found that the increase in electrical conductivity of LCO1 and LCO2 was caused by a substantial reduction in the activation energy barrier for small polaron hopping conduction and an increase in fractional polaron concentration. The maximum power factor value of 78 µW m-1 K-2 was observed for the LCO2 composition at 403 K.

Urinary Phytoestrogen Levels Are Associated with Female Hormonal Cancers: An Analysis of NHANES Data From 1999 to 2010.

Phytoestrogens are plant-derived compounds that are structurally similar to endogenous estrogens. Studies have shown phytoestrogens to have possible health benefits although they could also act as endocrine disruptors. This is particularly relevant for estrogen-dependent cancers since estrogens increase risk of breast, endometrial, and ovarian cancer. Using data from the National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (NHANES), we assessed the associations between urinary phytoestrogens (daidzein, equol, o-Desmethylangolensin (O-DMA), genistein, enterodiol, enterolactone) and breast, endometrial, and ovarian cancer using multivariate logistic regression with odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Cancer diagnosis and other characteristics were collected via in-person questionnaires. We found women in the highest tertile for daidzein and enterodiol had over twice the odds of having breast cancer (OR = 2.51, 95% CI 1.44-4.36 for daidzein, OR = 2.78, 95% CI 1.44-5.37 for enterodiol). In addition, women in the highest tertiles for daidzein and genistein had three to four times the odds of having endometrial cancer, respectively (OR = 3.09, 95% CI 1.01-9.49 for daidzein, OR = 4.00, 95% CI 1.38-11.59 for genistein). Overall, phytoestrogens were positively associated with breast and endometrial cancer although the associations varied by phytoestrogen type. Additional studies are needed to further inform phytoestrogens' role in disease etiology.Supplemental data for this article is available online at at https://doi.org/10.1080/01635581.2021.2020304.

Allergic contact dermatitis to phenylephrine eye drops in an infant.

Ophthalmic medications used for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes are common causes of allergic contact dermatitis around the eyes. We report a case of periocular allergic contact dermatitis due to tropicamide and phenylephrine eye drops in a 1-year-old infant.

Sex differences in the association of cutaneous melanoma incidence rates and geographic ultraviolet light exposure.

BACKGROUND: Cutaneous melanoma (CM) incidence rates continue to increase, and the reasons are unknown. Previously, we reported a unique age-specific sex difference in melanoma that suggested additional causes other than solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation. OBJECTIVE: This study attempted to understand whether and how UV radiation differentially impacts the CM incidence in men and women. METHODS: CM data and daily UV index (UVI) from 31 cancer registries were collected for association analysis. A second dataset from 42 US states was used for validation. RESULTS: There was no association between log-transformed female CM rates and levels of UVI, but there was a significant association between male rates and UVI and a significant association between overall rates and UVI. The 5-year age-specific rate-UVI association levels (represented by Pearson's coefficient ρ) increased with age in men, but age-specific ρ levels remained low and unchanged in women. The significant rate-UVI association in men and nonassociation in women was validated in a population of white residents of the United States. LIMITATIONS: Confounders, including temperature and latitude, are difficult to separate from UVI. CONCLUSIONS: Ambient UVI appears to be associated with melanoma incidence in males but not in females.

Enhancing Diversity in Biomedical Data Science.

The gap in educational attainment separating underrepresented minorities from Whites and Asians remains wide. Such a gap has significant impact on workforce diversity and inclusion among cross-cutting Biomedical Data Science (BDS) research, which presents great opportunities as well as major challenges for addressing health disparities. This article provides a brief description of the newly established National Institutes of Health Big Data to Knowledge (BD2K) diversity initiatives at four universities: California State University, Monterey Bay; Fisk University; University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus; and California State University, Fullerton. We emphasize three main barriers to BDS careers (ie, preparation, exposure, and access to resources) experienced among those pioneer programs and recommendations for possible solutions (ie, early and proactive mentoring, enriched research experience, and data science curriculum development). The diversity disparities in BDS demonstrate the need for educators, researchers, and funding agencies to support evidence-based practices that will lead to the diversification of the BDS workforce.

Effect of Chocobar Ice Cream Containing Bifidobacterium on Salivary Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacilli: A Randomised Controlled Trial.

PURPOSE: To examine the effect of chocobar ice cream containing bifidobacteria on salivary mutans streptococci and lactobacilli. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A double-blind, randomised controlled trial was conducted with 30 subjects (18 to 22 years of age) divided into 2 groups, test (chocobar ice cream with probiotics) and control (chocobar ice cream without probiotics). The subjects were instructed to eat the allotted chocobar ice cream once daily for 18 days. Saliva samples collected at intervals were cultured on Mitis Salivarius agar and Rogosa agar and examined for salivary mutans streptococci and lactobacilli, respectively. The Mann-Whitney U-test, Friedman and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: Postingestion in the test group, a statistically significant reduction (p < 0.05) of salivary mutans streptococci was recorded, but a non-significant trend was seen for lactobacilli. Significant differences were was also observed between follow-ups. CONCLUSION: Short-term daily ingestion of ice cream containing probiotic bifidobacteria may reduce salivary levels of mutans streptococci in young adults.

Antimicrobial Effect of Jasminum grandiflorum L. and Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L. Extracts Against Pathogenic Oral Microorganisms--An In Vitro Comparative Study.

PURPOSE: To assess and compare the antimicrobial potential and determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of Jasminum grandiflorum and Hibiscus rosa-sinensis extracts as potential anti-pathogenic agents in dental caries. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Aqueous and ethanol (cold and hot) extracts prepared from leaves of Jasminum grandiflorum and Hibiscus rosa-sinensis were screened for in vitro antimicrobial activity against Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus acidophilus using the agar well diffusion method. The lowest concentration of every extract considered as the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined for both test organisms. Statistical analysis was performed with one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). RESULTS: At lower concentrations, hot ethanol Jasminum grandiflorum (10 µg/ml) and Hibiscus rosa-sinensis (25 µg/ml) extracts were found to have statistically significant (P≤0.05) antimicrobial activity against S. mutans and L. acidophilus with MIC values of 6.25 µg/ml and 25 µg/ml, respectively. A proportional increase in their antimicrobial activity (zone of inhibition) was observed. CONCLUSION: Both extracts were found to be antimicrobially active and contain compounds with therapeutic potential. Nevertheless, clinical trials on the effect of these plants are essential before advocating large-scale therapy.

A Bi2Te3 topological insulator/carbon nanotubes hybrid composites as a new counter electrode material for DSSC and NIR photodetector application.

Two-dimensional layered bismuth telluride (Bi2Te3), a prominent topological insulator, has garnered global scientific attention for its unique properties and potential applications in optoelectronics and electrochemical devices. Notably, there is a growing emphasis on improving photon-to-electron conversion efficiency in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), prompting the exploration of alternatives to noble metal catalysts like platinum (Pt). This study presents the synthesis of Bi2Te3 and its hybrid nanostructure with single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) via a straightforward hydrothermal process. The research unveils a novel application for the Bi2Te3-SWCNT hybrid structure, serving as a counter electrode in platinum-free DSSCs, facilitating the conversion of triiodide (I3-) to iodide (I-) and functioning as an active electrode material in a photodetector (n-Bi2Te3-SWCNT/p-Si). The resulting DSSC employing the Bi2Te3-SWCNT hybrid counter electrode achieves a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 4.2 %, a photocurrent density of 10.5 mA/cm2, a fill factor (FF) of 62 %, and superior charge transfer kinetics compared to pristine Bi2Te3 based counter electrode (PCE 2.1 %, FF 34 %). Additionally, a spin coating technique enhances the performance of the n-Bi2Te3-SWCNT/p-Si photodetector, yielding a responsivity of 2.2 AW-1, detectivity of 1.2 × 10-3 and enhanced external quantum efficiency. These findings demonstrate that the newly developed Bi2Te3-SWCNT heterostructure enhances interfacial charge transport, electrocatalytic performance in DSSCs, and overall photodetector performance.

Harnessing ZnCr2O4/g-C3N4 nanosheet heterojunction for enhanced photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B and ciprofloxacin.

Utilizing semiconductors for photocatalytic processes in water bodies as an approach to environmental remediation has gained considerable attention. Theoretical band position calculations revealed a type-II step-scheme charge flow mechanism for ZnCr2O4/g-C3N4 (ZCr/gCN), emphasizing effective heterojunction formation due to synergies between the materials. A composite of agglomerated nanoparticle ZnCr2O4 (Zinc chromium oxide - ZCr)/g-C3N4 (graphitic carbon nitride - gCN) nanosheets was synthesized using the ultrasonication and leveraging the heterojunction to enhance degradation efficiency and active sites participation. The synthesized sample was characterized by XRD, XPS, FTIR, BET, HRSEM, EDX, HRTEM, EIS PL, and UV-visible spectroscopy. XRD analysis confirmed the successful formation of pure ZnCr2O4, g-C3N4 (gCN), and their composite without any secondary phases. Optical investigations demonstrated a red shift (444-470 nm) in UV-visible spectra as ZnCr2O4 content increased. Morphological assessment via HRSEM unveiled agglomerated nanoparticle and nanosheet structures. FTIR analysis indicated the presence of gCN with the tri-s-triazine breathing mode at 807 cm-1, and the identification of octahedral Zn-O (598.11 cm-1) and tetrahedral Cr-O (447.01 cm-1) metal bonds within the spinel structure of ZnCr2O4. A Surface area of 134.162 m2/g was noticed with a microporous structure of pore radius 1.484 nm. Notably, the 15% ZCr/gCN composite achieved a remarkable 93.94 % (Rhodamine B-RhB) and 74.36 % (Ciprofloxacin - CIP) within 100 and 120 min, surpassing the performance of pure gCN. Improved degradation was attributed to higher charge separation (photo-excited electrons and holes), reducing charge recombination, as supported by photoluminescence and photoelectrochemical analyses. The presence of active species like superoxide during degradation was confirmed through a scavenger test. The stability analysis confirms the sample's stable nature (without secondary phase formation) after degradation. This work underscores the potential of ZnCr2O4 based metal-free compounds intended for effective environmental remediation.

Ultrasensitive and reversible NO2 gas sensor based on SnS2/TiO2 heterostructures for room temperature applications.

Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is one of the toxic gases produced by chemical industries, power plants, and vehicles. In this work, we demonstrate an inexpensive sensing platform for NO2 detection at room temperature (RT-32 °C) based on a charge transfer mechanism. Three-dimensional hierarchical SnS2 and SnS2/mesoporous TiO2 nanocomposites were synthesized via the solvothermal method. SnS2/20 wt% mesoporous TiO2 nanocomposites sample showed 245.4% enhanced response compared to pristine SnS2. The fabricated device exhibits excellent selectivity among all other interfering gases with one-month stability. The rapid response and enhanced response achieved were obtained for the minimum concentration of 2 ppm NO2. The formation of heterojunction between SnS2 and mesoporous TiO2 has a synergetic effect, providing more active sites and porous structures for the detection of NO2 gas molecules.

The influence of nativity/birthplace, neighborhood cohesion, and duration lived in the neighborhood on psychological distress.

Introduction: Nativity/birthplace and neighborhood cohesion are potential contributing factors to psychological distress. This study explores the impact of nativity/birthplace and neighborhood cohesion on moderate-severe psychological distress among United States (US) adults, considering the duration lived in a neighborhood. Methods: Using the 2013-2018 National Health Interview Survey data, we conducted a stratified analysis based on years lived in the neighborhood (≤10 years [n = 96,175] and >10 years [n = 68,187]). Bivariate chi-square tests and multivariable logistic regression models were used to assess the statistical differences and associations between moderate-severe psychological distress and nativity/birthplace, and neighborhood cohesion, while adjusting for other covariates. Results: Individuals with 10 years or less of residence reported higher levels of moderate-severe psychological distress than those with more than 10 years (22.3 % vs. 18.1 %). Low or medium neighborhood cohesion, regardless of duration of residence, was associated with significantly higher odds of moderate-severe psychological distress compared to high cohesion. Foreign-born individuals had higher odds of psychological distress after more than 10 years in a neighborhood, although this difference was not statistically significant. However, they had lower odds of psychological distress after 10 years or less in the neighborhood compared to US-born individuals. Similarly, the interaction of foreign-born status and 10 years or less of residence in a neighborhood showed decreased odds of psychological distress. Conclusions: These findings underscore the importance of strong social cohesion in neighborhoods for positive mental well-being. Establishing community initiatives to enhance neighborhood social cohesion is crucial.

Knowledge and attitude towards smoking among Indian students of dentistry.

UNLABELLED: Active cigarette smoking is the major cause of lung cancer and an important established cause of cardiovascular disease mortality. Risks have been shown to increase with even light or intermittent active smoking. OBJECTIVES: To assess the prevalence of smoking, age of initiation and the knowledge and attitude towards smoking among dental college students of Rajasthan, India. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 1,383 undergraduate and postgraduate dental college students of Rajasthan using self-administered closed-ended questionnaires consisting of 14 questions divided into four sections. A chi-square test was used to determine the association between dependent and independent variables. RESULTS: Of all the participants, 777 (56.2%) were male and 606 (43.8%) were female. Among these 258 (33.2%) males and 51 (8.4%) females had tried or experimented smoking. Majority of males (24.7%) initiated this habit at a very young age, before 16 years. About 79.5% males and 72.3% females felt that it was difficult to quit smoking. According to 88.1% females and 48.7% males, people feel less comfortable at public places or social gatherings. CONCLUSION: The study has shown that the smoking prevalence among dental college students is high and has managed to contribute additional information regarding their attitude towards smoking. Comprehensive tobacco education and smoking cessation programmes should be aggressively promoted in dental settings.

Dentists' attitude to provision of care for people with learning disabilities in Udaipur, India.

This study determines and compares the attitudes of dentists to the provision of care for people with learning disabilities according to gender, qualification, previous experience of treating patients with learning disabilities and work experience of dentists. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 247 dentists (166 men and 81 women) using a pretested structured questionnaire. This questionnaire assessed the respondent's attitude towards learning-disabled patients in five categories: beliefs about treating them, their capabilities, discrimination against these patients, their social behaviour and quality of care to be received by these patients. The information on dentist's gender, qualification, work experience and previous experience of treating patients with learning disabilities was also collected through questionnaire. The Student's t-test and anova test were used for statistical analysis. The mean attitude score was found to be 71.13 ± 8.97. A statistically significant difference was found in the mean attitude scores of dentists with work experience (p = 0.000). Study subjects with postgraduate qualification and previous experience of treating patients with learning disabilities had significantly greater mean attitude score than their counterparts (p = 0.000). The overall attitude of dentists towards provision of care for people with learning disabilities was favourable, which increased with higher qualification and past experience.

Ultra-high power factor of p-type Bi2Se3 for room-temperature thermoelectric applications.

Achieving high zT in n-type and p-type thermoelements in similar compounds is a great challenge for device construction. Herein, we report a high-power factor of 480 µW/mK2 in Ga and Mn co-doped Bi2Se3 along with a maximum zT of 0.25 at 303 K as a p-type thermoelement. The co-doped Ga and Mn play distinct roles in enhancing the hole concentration to 1.6 × 1019 cm-3 with a maximized effective mass. In addition, a drastic reduction in lattice thermal conductivity of 0.5 W/mK is attained due to point defects of mass and strain field fluctuation scattering in Bi2Se3.

Realization of an ultra-low lattice thermal conductivity in Bi2AgxSe3 nanostructures for enhanced thermoelectric performance.

Bismuth Selenide is a Tellurium free topological insulator in V-VI compounds with an excellent thermoelectric performance from room temperature to mid-temperature region. Herein, hydrothermally prepared polycrystalline Bi2AgxSe3 nanostructures have been reported for thermoelectric application. The crystal structure identification and morphology with the elemental presence were analyzed by XRD (X-ray diffraction), HR-SEM with EDS (High resolution scanning electron microscope with energy dispersive X-ray), and HR-TEM (High-resolution transmission electron microscope) measurements. The reduced lattice thermal conductivity and enhanced electrical transport properties synergistically boost the thermoelectric properties through the highly-dense stacking faults with the presence of dislocations. The IFFT (Inverse Fast Fourier Transform) pattern reveals the existence of stacking faults and dislocations. These highly dense stacking faults and dislocations act as active phonon scattering centers, which can contribute to effective phonon scattering resultsin extremely low lattice thermal conduction of 0.3 W/mK at 543 K. On the other hand, the involvement of phonon-phonon scattering primarily reduced the lattice thermal conductivity at elevated temperatures. In addition, phonon-carrier scattering was less compared to phonon-phonon scattering at elevated temperature region. Moreover, the enhancement of electrical conductivity and controlled reduction of the Seebeck coefficient plays a vital role in achieving the maximum power factor of 335 µW/mK2 at 543 K due to the energy filtering effect. The synergistic combination of low thermal conduction and the maximum power factor helps to achieve the high peak zT of 0.3 at 543 K.

Enhancement of thermoelectric power factor via electron energy filtering in Cu doped MoS2 on carbon fabric for wearable thermoelectric generator applications.

The design and construction of state-of-the-art wearable thermoelectric materials are important for the development of self-powered wearable thermoelectric generators (WTEGs). Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) has been reported as a noteworthy thermoelectric (TE) material because of its large intrinsic bandgap and high carrier mobility. In this work, Cu-doped two-dimensional layered MoS2 nanosheets were grown on carbon fabric (CF) via a hydrothermal method. The electrical conductivity, Seebeck coefficient, and power factor for the Cu-doped MoS2 were found to increase with increasing temperature. The maximum Seebeck coefficient was obtained for a MoS2 sample doped with 4 at% of Cu (CM4) was ∼10 µV/K at 303 K and ∼13 µV/K at 373 K. The enhancement in the Seebeck coefficient was attributed to an energy-filtering effect caused by the interfacial barrier between MoS2 and Cu. In addition, a thermoelectric device was designed with four pairs of TE materials, where CM4 (4 at%) was used as a p-type material and Cu wire was used as an n-type material. These p- and n-type materials were connected electrically in series and thermally in parallel to generate a voltage of 190.7 µV at a temperature gradient of 8 K.

Solvent-assisted synthesis of Ag2Se and Ag2S nanoparticles on carbon fabric for enhanced thermoelectric performance.

The challenge of developing low-cost, highly flexible, and high-performance thermoelectric (TE) materials persists due to the low thermoelectric efficiency of conducting polymers and the inflexibility of inorganic materials. In this study, we successfully integrated Ag2Se and Ag2S with highly conductive carbon fabric (CF) to produce a flexible thermoelectric material. A facile one-step solvothermal method was employed to synthesize the Ag2Se-CF and Ag2S-CF, which were then subjected to X-ray analysis to confine the phase formation of Ag2Se and Ag2S on the carbon fabric. The analysis revealed that Ag2Se and Ag2S nanoparticles were tightly packed on the surface of carbon fabric, and compositional analysis confirmed the interaction between the material and carbon fabric. The thermoelectric properties of Ag2Se-CF and Ag2S-CF were significantly altered due to carrier concentration and mobility variations, resulting in a low power factor of 6.7 µW/mK2 for Ag2Se-CF and a high-power factor of 24 µW/mK2 at 373 K for Ag2S-CF. The growth of Ag2Se-CF and Ag2S-CF on carbon fabric led to an enhancement in their thermoelectric properties. Further, TE legs were fabricated using the Ag2Se-CF (p-type) and Ag2S-CF (n-type), and the fabricated legs exhibited an output voltage of âˆ¼20 mV to âˆ¼86.65 mV at a temperature gradient (ΔT) of 3-8 K. This work represents a cutting-edge approach to the fabrication of high-performance, wearable thermoelectric devices.

Investigation of non-covalent interactions in Polypyrrole/Polyaniline/Carbon black ternary complex for enhanced thermoelectric properties via interfacial carrier scattering and π-π stacking.

The thermoelectric (TE) performance of conducting polymers can be improved by the incorporation of carbon nanomaterials. In this work, the impact of carbon black (CB) on polypyrrole (PPy) and polypyrrole/polyaniline (PPy/PANI) binary composite have been investigated. Herein, PPy/PANI binary composite was initially prepared through chemical oxidative polymerization and then solution mixed with CB to form PPy/PANI/CB ternary nanocomposite. The structural and morphological analyses confirmed the formation of composites, and the strong interaction present between polymer matrix and CB. This was further confirmed by theoretical study, which showed strong noncovalent interaction and high complex stability between the materials. The thermoelectric results showed that both the electrical conductivity (σ) and Seebeck coefficient (S) has been increased with the increase in CB content (from 10 wt% to 30 wt%) and temperature (303 K to 373 K), while the thermal conductivity (κ) increase was low. The ternary nanocomposite involving 30 wt% of CB was found to be the most promising material which showed an enhanced power factor (PF) of 0.0251 µW/mK2 and high figure of merit (ZT) of 4.37x10-5 at 370 K. The enhancement in ZT for PPy/PANI/CB ternary composite is 2 times, 316 times, 17.3 times, 3.97 times, 11.7 times, and 6.8 times greater than other samples. The enhancement in power factor and ZT was due to energy filtering effect and strong non-covalent interactions between the homopolymers and CB.