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Article
Open AccessElectrospun fibre diameter and its effects on vascular smooth muscle cells
Bypass grafting is a technique used in the treatment of vascular disease, which is currently the leading cause of mortality worldwide. While technology has moved forward over the years, synthetic grafts still ...
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Article
Open AccessIt is unprecedented: trial management during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond
The COVID-19 pandemic has presented unique challenges for the clinical trial community, both in the rapid establishment of COVID-19 clinical trials and many existing non-COVID-19 studies either being temporari...
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Article
Open AccessHow to deal with a temporary suspension and restarting your trial: our experiences and lessons learnt
Whilst the issues around early termination of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) are well documented in the literature, trials can also be temporarily suspended with the real prospect that they may subsequent...
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Article
Open AccessUsing systematic data categorisation to quantify the types of data collected in clinical trials: the DataCat project
Data collection consumes a large proportion of clinical trial resources. Each data item requires time and effort for collection, processing and quality control procedures. In general, more data equals a heavie...
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Article
Open AccessThe clinical and cost effectiveness of surgical interventions for stones in the lower pole of the kidney: the percutaneous nephrolithotomy, flexible ureterorenoscopy and extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy for lower pole kidney stones randomised controlled trial (PUrE RCT) protocol
Renal stones are common, with a lifetime prevalence of 10% in adults. Global incidence is increasing due to increases in obesity and diabetes, with these patient populations being more likely to suffer renal s...
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Article
Open AccessVerifying participant-reported clinical outcomes: challenges and implications
Researchers often rely on trial participants to self-report clinical outcomes (for example, fractures, re-operations). Little information exists as to the ‘accuracy’ of participant-reported clinical outcomes, ...
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Article
Open AccessDetectability of biosignatures in a low-biomass simulation of martian sediments
Discovery of a remnant habitable environment by the Mars Science Laboratory in the sedimentary record of Gale Crater has reinvigorated the search for evidence of martian life. In this study, we used a simulate...
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Article
Open AccessTISU: Extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy, as first treatment option, compared with direct progression to ureteroscopic treatment, for ureteric stones: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial
Urinary stone disease is very common with an estimated prevalence among the general population of 2–3%. Ureteric stones are associated with severe pain as they pass through the urinary tract and have significa...
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Open AccessMale synthetic sling versus artificial urinary sphincter trial for men with urodynamic stress incontinence after prostate surgery (MASTER): study protocol for a randomised controlled trial
Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is a frequent adverse effect for men undergoing prostate surgery. A large proportion (around 8% after radical prostatectomy and 2% after transurethral resection of prostate (T...
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Article
Open AccessHEALTH: laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy versus second-generation endometrial ablation for the treatment of heavy menstrual bleeding: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial
Heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) is a common problem affecting approximately 1.5 million women in England and Wales with a major impact on their physical, emotional, social and material quality of life. It is th...
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Article
Open AccessWhat are the main inefficiencies in trial conduct: a survey of UKCRC registered clinical trials units in the UK
The UK Clinical Research Collaboration (UKCRC) registered Clinical Trials Units (CTUs) Network aims to support high-quality, efficient and sustainable clinical trials research in the UK. To better understand t...
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Open AccessTHISTLE: trial of hands-on Interprofessional simulation training for local emergencies: a research protocol for a stepped-wedge clustered randomised controlled trial
Many adverse pregnancy outcomes in the UK could be prevented with better intrapartum care. Training for intrapartum emergencies has been widely recommended but there are conflicting data about their effectiven...
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Open AccessTwo parallel, pragmatic, UK multicentre, randomised controlled trials comparing surgical options for upper compartment (vault or uterine) pelvic organ prolapse (the VUE Study): study protocol for a randomised controlled trial
One in three women who have a prolapse operation will go on to have another operation, though not necessarily in the same compartment. Surgery can result in greater impairment of quality of life than the origi...
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Open AccessEvaluating the use of real-time data collection using SMS texts in the SIMS study
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Open AccessOvercoming a trial ‘adverse event’: impact and experiences of a temporary suspension of randomisation in clinical trials
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Open AccessDoes size matter? Trial management strategies to increase response rates. The assessment of physical questionnaire size on response rates (APS) sub-study
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Article
Open AccessA comparison of an objective and subjective test of stress urinary incontinence (SUI) and their acceptability to participants
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Open AccessWhat are the main inefficiencies in trial conduct? A survey of staff at registered clinical trials units
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Article
Open AccessStrategies to improve response rates to patient reported outcome measures in a surgical RCT
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Article
Urban biogeochemistry of trace elements: What can the sediments of stormwater ponds tell us?
Humans are greatly modifying biogeochemical cycles, in part, by increasing the abundance of many trace elements in heavily developed environments. As a means to study the biogeochemical cycling of trace elemen...
