Talking Trials: An arts-based exploration of attitudes to clinical trials amongst minority ethnic members of the South Riverside Community of Cardiff.

INTRODUCTION: Clinical trials must include diverse participants to ensure the wide applicability of results. However, people from ethnic minorities are included in clinical trials at rates lower than expected given their share of the population. Working with South Riverside Community Development Centre (SRCDC), Talking Trials used public engagement to foster discussions around the underrepresentation of those from minority ethnic communities in clinical trials and to identify and address concerns surrounding trial participation. METHODS: We conducted three workshops with 13 co-researchers from minority ethnic backgrounds. We explored perceptions and understanding of clinical trials alongside participatory art activities to help move away from verbocentric methods of communication. These artworks formed an exhibition that was presented to the community, prompting further discussions and engagement. FINDINGS: Co-production workshops were an effective tool to introduce the public to trial research. With little knowledge of clinical trials at the beginning of the process, our co-researchers formed a cohesive group, sharing initial fears and mistrust towards trials. As conversations progressed these attitudes clearly shifted. Artwork produced during the workshops was incorporated into an exhibition. Quotes and creative pieces from the group were included to reflect the themes identified. Presenting the exhibition at Riverside Festival enabled further engagement with a wider diverse community. The focus on co-production helped build a network of individuals new to research and keen to become involved further. CONCLUSION: Inclusive and democratic co-production, enriched by participatory art practices, provided a powerful means of enabling our group to create new insights and foster new relationships. Projects like Talking Trials can diversify the research process itself-for example, four co-researchers have commenced lay research partner roles on trial management groups and a lay advisory group is in development. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: Three members of staff at SRCDC were on the project delivery group and involved in the initial project design, subsequently helping to connect us with members of the Riverside community to work as co-researchers. Two of the SRCDC staff are co-authors of this manuscript. The project had 13 public co-researchers guiding the direction of this research and creating the artwork displayed in the art exhibition.

Tailoring thermoelectric performance ofn-type Bi2Te3through defect engineering and conduction band convergence.

Bi2Te3, an archetypical tetradymite, is recognised as a thermoelectric (TE) material of potential application around room temperature. However, large energy gap (ΔEc) between the light and heavy conduction bands results in inferior TE performance in pristine bulkn-type Bi2Te3. Herein, we propose enhancement in TE performance of pristinen-type Bi2Te3through purposefully manipulating defect profile and conduction band convergence mechanism. Twon-type Bi2Te3samples, S1 and S2, are prepared by melting method under different synthesis condition. The structural as well as microstructural evidence of the samples are obtained through powder x-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopic study. Optothermal Raman spectroscopy is utilized for comprehensive study of temperature dependent phonon vibrational modes and total thermal conductivity (κ) of the samples which further validates the experimentally measured thermal conductivity. The Seebeck coefficient value is significantly increased from 235 µVK-1(sample S1) to 310 µVK-1(sample S2). This is further justified by conduction band convergence, where ΔEcis reduced from 0.10 eV to 0.05 eV, respectively. To verify the band convergence, the double band Pisarenko model is employed. Large power factor (PF) of 2190 µWm-1K-2and lowerκvalue leading toZTof 0.56 at 300 K is gained in S2. The obtainedPFandZTvalue are among the highest values reported for pristinen-type bulk Bi2Te3. In addition, appreciable value of TE quality factor and compatibility factor (2.7 V-1) at room temperature are also achieved, indicating the usefulness of the material in TE module.

Tuning of thermoelectric performance by modulating vibrational properties in Ni-doped Sb2Te3.

Sb2Te3, a binary chalcogenide-based 3D topological insulator, attracts significant attention for its exceptional thermoelectric performance. We report the vibrational properties of magnetically doped Sb2Te3thermoelectric material. Ni doping induces defect/disorder in the system and plays a positive role in engineering the thermoelectric properties through tuning the vibrational phonon modes. Synchrotron powder x-ray diffraction study confirms good crystalline quality and single-phase nature of the synthesized samples. The change in structural parameters, includingBisoand strain, further corroborate with structural disorder. Detailed modification of phonon modes with doping and temperature variation is analysed from temperature-dependent Raman spectroscopic measurement. Compressive lattice strain is observed from the blue shift of Raman peaks owing to Ni incorporation in Sb site. An attempt is made to extract the lattice thermal conductivity from total thermal conductivity estimated through optothermal Raman studies. Hall concentration data support the change in temperature-dependent resistivity and thermopower. Remarkable increase in thermopower is observed after Ni doping. Simulation of the Pisarenko model, indicating the convergence of the valence band, explains the observed enhancement of thermopower in Sb2-xNixTe3. The energy gap between the light and heavy valence band at Γ point is found to be 30 meV (for Sb2Te3), which is reduced to 3 meV (in Sb1.98Ni0.02Te3). A significant increase in thermoelectric power factor is obtained from 715 µWm-1K-2for pristine Sb2Te3to 2415 µWm-1K-2for Ni-doped Sb2Te3sample. Finally, the thermoelectric figure of merit,ZTis found to increase by four times in Sb1.98Ni0.02Te3than that of its pristine counterpart.

Use of Zephyr stent in congenital heart diseases: A single-center study.

Large vessel stenosis is currently successfully treated with percutaneous stent implantation. Zephyr stent is a cobalt-chromium peripheral stent specifically designed for large-vessel stenting. Its specific "S-" and "C-" shaped flexible polylinks prevent stent foreshortening and recoil. We report our experience of using Zephyr among the pediatric population and their medium-term outcome. The study included a total of 19 patients treated with 21 Zephyr stents. The indications for stenting included coarctation of the aorta (four patients), stenosed pulmonary artery (eight patients), stenosed right ventricular outflow tract (five patients) or conduit (one patient), and percutaneous Fontan (one patient). All the procedures were successful. None of the patients showed any stent-related complications. Stent fractures, foreshortening, or recoil were not seen during follow-up. Our medium-term (1-20 months) follow-up showed a favorable outcome. One patient developed restenosis. Zephyr stent is a good therapeutic option for large-vessel stenting. However, it needs large-scale studies for further confirmation.

Development of half metallicity within mixed magnetic phase of Cu1-x Co x MnSb alloy.

Cubic half-Heusler Cu1-x Co x MnSb ([Formula: see text]) compounds have been investigated both experimentally and theoretically for their magnetic, transport and electronic properties in search of possible half metallic antiferromagnetism. The systems (Cu,Co)MnSb are of particular interest as the end member alloys CuMnSb and CoMnSb are semi metallic (SM) antiferromagnetic (AFM) and half metallic (HM) ferromagnetic (FM), respectively. Clearly, Co-doping at the Cu-site of CuMnSb introduces changes in the carrier concentration at the Fermi level that may lead to half metallic ground state but there remains a persistent controversy whether the AFM to FM transition occurs simultaneously. Our experimental results reveal that the AFM to FM magnetic transition occurs through a percolation mechanism where Co-substitution gradually suppresses the AFM phase and forces FM polarization around every dopant cobalt. As a result a mixed magnetic phase is realized within this composition range while a nearly HM band structure is developed already at the 10% Co-doping. Absence of T 2 dependence in the resistivity variation at low T-region serves as an indirect proof of opening up an energy gap at the Fermi surface in one of the spin channels. This is further corroborated by the ab initio electronic structure calculations that suggests that a nearly ferromagnetic half-metallic ground state is stabilized by Sb-p holes produced upon Co doping.

Newborn Aides: an innovative approach in sick newborn care at a district-level special care unit.

A Sick Newborn Care Unit (SNCU), established in a district hospital in India, substantially reduced the neonatal mortality rate in the district; it, however, suffered from a dearth of trained nurses. Local girls with 10-12 years of school education underwent structured and hands-on training for six months, followed by a six-month internship at the SNCU and were assigned to it as stipendiary 'Newborn Aides'. Based on the results of formal examinations, internal on-the-job assessment and interview of doctors, nurses, and parents and their technical skills and motivation were rated very high. Although the incremental cost of training is small, the cost of sustaining them, i.e. stipend and replacing attrition, needs to be addressed. Trained Newborn Aides may substantially alleviate human-resource constraint for SNCUs and Sick Newborn Stabilization units in smaller peripheral hospitals for care of sick newborns at an affordable cost.

Synthesis of HPMC stabilized nickel nanoparticles and investigation of their magnetic and catalytic properties.

Nickel nanoparticles synthesized from NiCl2·6H2O by hydrazine hydrate in mixed solvent of ethanol and water in the presence of hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC) as protective and stabilizing agents. The morphology and sizes of synthesized Ni nanoparticles were studied by field-emission-scanning-electron microscopy (FESEM). Structural properties of nanoparticles were examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The polymer stabilized Ni nanoparticles were characterized by Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The magnetic measurement showed that the resultant Ni nanoparticles were ferromagnetic. Also, the saturation magnetization (MS), remanent magnetization (MR) and coercivity (MR) were observed to increase with decreasing temperature. The results of magnetic characterization showed that the magnetic properties of the HPMC stabilized Ni nanoparticles are quite different from those of the bared Ni nanoparticles. All the observed magnetic properties essentially reflected the very typical nanoparticle type nature. Consequently, the resulting Ni nanoparticles were found to be highly active and recyclable catalyst for Suzuki coupling reactions.