All Clinical Trials

The primary purpose of this protocol is to create a registry of patients with plasma cell disorders (PCDs), including for example the cancer multiple myeloma (MM), who complete the assessment, previously known as a "geriatric assessment," as is outlined in this protocol. Secondary objectives include measuring the response rate to participation of patients in this study, assessing patient satisfaction with the questionnaire, and gathering information that would lend support for future research into these types of assessments in patients with PCDs. Additionally the study offers an optional blood draw to look at a genetic marker of aging called p16INK4a (IRB 15-1899, IRB 15-0244). Read Less

This study will seek to enroll immunocompromised patients with Lower Tract parainfluenza infection. It also contains a sub-study to enroll patients with severe COVID-19. Read Less

Over half of state and federal prisoners meet clinical criteria for alcohol abuse or dependence, and after release from prison, over three-quarters of offenders are re-arrested within five years. Thus, there is a critical need for more effective interventions that could help disrupt this insidious cycle of alcohol abuse, criminal behavior, and incarceration. This project will support the development and evaluation of a mindfulness intervention for female prison inmates that will target key neuropsychological vulnerabilities that are associated with relapse and recidivism. Read Less

Femoro-acetabular impingement is a well known cause of damage to the acetabular labrum and chondrolabral junction. Additionally, it has been proposed that disruption of hip biomechanics resulting from a labral tear causes a faster progression towards osteoarthritis (OA). This progression has been observed to begin with breakdown of the chondrolabral junction with later development of diffuse osteoarthritis. Use of hip arthroscopy has increased dramatically in recent years to treat symptomatic labral tears and potentially avoid the morbidity and cost associated with hip osteoarthritis. Correction of labral pathology presents a technical challenge and many techniques currently exist. Increased understanding of the structure-functional relationship dictated by labral anatomy has led to the development of methods aimed at restoring functional anatomy by re-establishing the labrum's native position and contour on the rim of the acetabulum. Therefore, akin to repairing a torn meniscus in the knee, restoring the anatomic footprint of a torn labrum will reconstitute normal joint biomechanics. Despite the advances in techniques for labral repair, strategies for mitigating or repairing damage to the chondrolabral junction do not yet exist. This area has been shown to consist of hyaline and fibro cartilage. Many techniques for cartilage repair exist, although most are not feasible due to technical challenges specific to the hip joint. The management of articular cartilage defects is one of the most challenging clinical problems for orthopaedic surgeons. Articular cartilage has a limited intrinsic healing capacity, and pathology frequently results in gradual tissue deterioration. Currently, the standard surgical intervention for end-stage degenerative joint pathology is total joint replacement. Early surgical interventions for symptomatic cartilage lesions including cell based therapies such as autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI), bone marrow aspirate concentrate (BMAC) implantation, or microfracture have been suggested to restore normal joint congruity and minimize further joint deterioration. Techniques such as ACI, which have been successfully used in the knee joint, have limited application in the hip due to the technical difficulties of open procedures. Read Less

Brief Summary: Nonimmune hydrops fetalis (NIHF) is a potentially fatal condition characterized by abnormal fluid accumulation in two or more fetal compartments. Numerous etiologies may lead to NIHF, and the underlying cause often remains unclear (1). The current standard of genetic diagnostic testing includes a fetal karyotype and chromosomal microarray (CMA), with an option to pursue single gene testing on amniocytes collected by amniocentesis (2). A large subgroup of the NIHF causes includes single gene disorders that are not diagnosed with the standard genetic workup for hydrops. Currently, nearly 1 in 5 cases of NIHF is defined as idiopathic, meaning there is no identified etiology (2). The investigators believe this is because the causes of NIHF are not completely investigated, specifically single gene disorders. Our research study aims to increase the diagnostic yield by performing whole exome sequencing (WES) and whole genome sequencing (WGS) on prenatal and neonatal NIHF cases when standard genetic testing is negative, identifying known and new genes, thus providing vital information to families regarding the specific diagnosis and risk to future pregnancies. The investigators plan to perform WES as the initial diagnostic test. If WES is negative, then the investigators will proceed to perform WGS. Read Less

Cardiomyopathy is a major complication of doxorubicin (DOX) chemotherapy, and 10-21% of breast cancer patients receiving DOX experience compromised cardiac function. Recent advancements have increased cancer survivorship but it remains clinically challenging to mitigate the cardiotoxic side effects. Although there are several strategies used to reduce the occurrence and severity of DOX-induced cardiotoxicity, they are not particularly effective. Hence, there is an urgent need to develop new strategies that prevent the cardiotoxic effects of DOX but maintain its potency as a cancer therapy. Because the cellular events responsible for the antitumor activity of DOX and DOX-induced cardiotoxicity are distinctly different, it may be possible to develop therapies that selectively mitigate DOX-induced cardiotoxicity. Thus, the investigators propose to test an adjuvant therapy that combines the phytochemical sulforaphane (SFN) with DOX to attenuate DOX-induced cardiomyopathy. SFN activates the transcription factor Nrf2 and induces defense mechanisms in normal cells. Furthermore, SFN inhibits carcinogenesis and metastases and enhances cancer cell sensitivity to DOX, seemingly through Nrf2-independent mechanisms. SFN has also been tested in several clinical trials, although never together with DOX. Our early animal studies suggest that by activating Nrf2, SFN selectively protects the mouse and rat from DOX cardiotoxicity, enhances survival and enhances the effects of DOX on cancer growth in a rat breast cancer model. The investigators suspect that SFN affects DOX metabolism in cancer cells to enhance tumor regression, or it may synergistically activate other key antitumor mechanisms. Hence, SFN may improve the clinical outcome of cancer therapy by (1) attenuating DOX cardiotoxicity and (2) enhancing the effects of cancer treatment on the tumor. Our hypothesis is that SFN protects the heart from DOX-mediated cardiac injury without altering the antitumor efficacy of DOX. In Aim 1, the investigators will conduct an early-phase clinical trial to determine if SFN is safe to administer to breast cancer patients undergoing DOX chemotherapy. In Aim 2, the investigators will determine if SFN decreases DOX-induced inflammatory responses and enhances Nrf2- and SIRT1-target gene expression in breast cancer patients. Notably, transcript and protein signatures in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) can predict cardiac function in patients undergoing DOX chemotherapy for breast cancer. The investigators will also determine if SFN/DOX treatment activates Nrf2- and SIRT1-dependent gene expression, alters the levels of biomarkers for presymptomatic DOX-cardiotoxicity and mitigates the generation of cardiotoxic metabolites in PBMCs and plasma. These studies will facilitate the development of SFN co-treatment as a strategy to enhance the efficacy and safety of DOX cancer therapy. Read Less

1.1. Background: Renal transplantation is the treatment of choice for eligible patients with end-stage renal disease. It provides better outcomes in terms of life expectancy and quality of life than dialysis (Liu, Narins, Maley, Frank, \& Lallas, 2012). Kidney transplants from living donors also have additional benefits in terms of graft function and survival compared to transplants from cadaver donors (Galvani et al., 2012). Living donor transplants provide an opportunity to have good quality grafts and to perform the procedure when the recipient is in an optimal clinical status (Creta et al., 2019). Laparoscopic donor nephrectomy was first introduced in 1995 and is currently accepted as the gold standard for kidney procurement from living donors. The first worldwide robotic assisted laparoscopic donor nephrectomy was performed in 2000 by Horgan et al. (Horgan et al., 2007). The main obstacle to living donation is the exposure of a healthy subject to the risks of a major surgical intervention. Therefore, efforts have been made to reduce complications and postoperative pain, achieve faster recovery, and minimize the surgical incisions. Minimally invasive procedures like hand-assisted and robotic approaches greatly enhance living donation rates, and in 2001 the number of living donors exceeded the number of cadaver donors (Horgan et al., 2007). 1.2. Aim(s)/Objective(s): The objective of this study is to compare intra- and postoperative patient outcomes of kidney donors following hand-assisted and robotic kidney transplants at a single center. 1.3. Rationale for the study: More research is needed regarding the differences between minimally invasive approaches to kidney transplantation. Read Less

To determine the effectiveness, compliance, patient tolerance, ease of use and safety of total contact soft cast in diabetic foot ulcers. Read Less

This study through the use of semi-structured interviews or focus groups will explore the lived experience with Transcutaneous Tibial Nerve Stimulation (TTNS) with Neurogenic Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunction to generate user-defined themes regarding bladder function and catheter-related barriers and the daily impacts on one's life. Read Less

The objectives of the proposed research among this population are: 1) to define clinically meaningful change (i.e. differentiating states of health and illness) with respect to urinary symptoms, urine inflammation, cultivable bacteria, and the urine ecosystem; and 2) to determine the optimal intravesical Lactobacillus RhamnosusGG (LGG®) dose to be used to reduce urinary symptoms in a future clinical trial. Read Less

This study will identify the sex-dependent impact of expiratory-gated transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) on the modulation of the stress response circuitry and associated physiology in major depressive disorder (MDD). We will evaluate a sample of 80 adults with recurrent MDD randomized to receive active or sham expiratory-gated tVNS during a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) session, with simultaneous mood and physiological assessments. We hypothesize that expiratory-gated tVNS will effectively modulate, in a sex-dependent manner, specific brainstem-cortical pathways of the stress circuitry and attenuate physiological deficits in MDD. Read Less

In this project, the investigators seek to understand the role of endothelial cells in Cystic Fibrosis (CF) lung disease. This objective will be achieved by conducting a cross sectional clinical study to define the morphology of the pulmonary circulation across a range of lung function coupled with a mechanistic study of the effect of dysfunctional cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) in endothelial cells on vasculogenesis, epithelial morphogenesis and epithelial CFTR function. Toward that end, the investigators propose the following hypotheses; (a). Loss of pulmonary small blood vessels begins early in the CF lung and worsens with disease progression, (b).VEGFR2-CFTR interactions happen at the plasma membrane of endothelial cells and is likely to be involved in transendothelial ion transport (c) impaired VEGFR2-CFTR interactions on the endothelial cells will have a profound effect on vasculogenesis, epithelial morphogenesis and ion transport. The first hypotheses will be tested through this clinical study. The following 2 hypotheses will be tested through laboratory studies that do not involve human subjects. Read Less