All Clinical Trials

This project consists of a prospective case design. Study candidates will include all patients ages 18 and over who were evaluated at UCSD and found to have a critical-sized humerus, femur, or tibia segmental defect that would be fixed through surgery. Patients who consent to study participation will receive the TRUMATCH Graft Cage for their long bone segmental defect repair. Data on healing rates, complication rates, re-operation rates, time to return to normal activity, and pain levels will be collected for each participation. After 3 years of data collection, we will analyze this data to provide further insight on the utility of the TRUMATCH Graft Cage. Given the significant difficulty with repairing segmental long bone defects, it is imperative to evaluate novel systems to appropriately manage these injuries. Read Less

Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of death and disability in the United States. People with psychiatric disorders consume almost half (44.3%) of all cigarettes smoked in the U.S. and have life spans more than 20 years shorter than the general population. Effective quit smoking treatments for people with psychiatric disorders are sorely needed. When patients are hospitalized for a psychiatric disorder, they are not allowed to smoke. This enforced period of no smoking creates what professionals call "a teachable moment". It provides an excellent opportunity to discuss the prospect of staying quit once the individual leaves the hospital. In ongoing research, the investigators have developed and tested a Sustained Care quit smoking intervention for smokers engaged in a psychiatric hospitalization. The intervention includes: 1) a professionally-led, motivational counseling session to encourage quitting smoking and increase awareness about available quit smoking resources, 2) a referral to the Texas Tobacco Quitline for phone-based, quit smoking counseling, and 3) an offer of 8 weeks of nicotine patches after leaving the hospital. Findings from a recently completed clinical trial provide strong support for this Sustained Care intervention. Aims in the current project are to develop and test a tablet computer-based, motivational counseling intervention that does not require a trained professional counselor. The goal is to conduct a clinical trial to demonstrate the effectiveness of this tablet-based, Sustained Care intervention for smokers engaged in psychiatric hospitalization. As before, the same quit smoking resources (Quitline and nicotine patches) will be provided upon hospital discharge. If successful, next steps will involve plans to implement this quit smoking intervention in psychiatric hospitals throughout Texas, in order to reduce the burden caused by tobacco-related cancers among the citizens of Texas. Read Less

Adding cottonseed oil to the diet has been shown to improve cholesterol profiles and other markers of chronic disease risk in both healthy and at-risk adults. However, CSO has only been tested in the context of high-fat diets. The goal of this clinical trial is to learn about the health effects of lower amounts of cottonseed oil (CSO) added to the diet in adults at increased risk for cardiovascular disease. The main questions it aims to answer are: * How do different amounts of CSO in the diet affect fasting cholesterol profiles and markers of liver function? * How do different amounts of CSO in the diet affect fasting and post-meal markers of lipid metabolism (i.e. triglycerides) and glycemic control (i.e. blood sugar and insulin)? * How do different amounts of CSO in the diet affect fasting and post-meal markers of chronic disease risk factors such as oxidative stress, inflammation, coagulation potential, and appetite control? Participants will be asked to: * Consume provided breakfast shakes and snacks daily for 28-days. * Attend three weekly short visits for fasting blood draws, body measurements, and collect the next week of study materials. * Attend two longer (5.5 h) testing visits which include eating a standardized breakfast meal and having blood drawn periodically before and after breakfast. Researchers will compare CSO LOW, CSO MID, CSO HIGH, and Control groups (receiving a mixture of oils) to see if lower doses of CSO in the diet impart the same health benefits as previously shown with high doses of CSO. Read Less

Physical inactivity is associated with poor asthma control and quality of life, and greater health care utilization. Rates of physical inactivity, asthma, and asthma mortality among Black women are higher than those of their White counterparts. Our formative work identified barriers to PA among Black women with asthma including a lack of social support, self-efficacy, unsafe neighborhood and fear related to experiences with life-threatening asthma exacerbations. Given the unique barriers to PA and high rates of physical inactivity that are associated with poor asthma outcomes in Black women, there is an urgent need to optimize PA interventions for this population. The proposed study uses our theory-driven intervention (ACTION: A lifestyle physiCal acTivity Intervention for minOrity womeN with asthma) to deliver a 24-week lifestyle physical activity intervention designed for and by urban Black women with asthma. Participants will be recruited through two urban health care systems that care for a diverse urban Black populations. Participants will be randomized to one of two groups: 1) ACTION intervention (group sessions, physical activity self-monitoring and text-based support for goal-setting), or 2) education control (an individual asthma education session and text messages related to asthma education). Participants will be followed for an additional 24-weeks after the intervention to assess for the maintenance of intervention effects on asthma health outcomes. We are proposing an efficacy study that focuses on asthma outcomes (Aim 1A/B), explores behavioral mechanisms of the intervention (Aim 2) and assesses factors that influence its reach and implementation potential (Aim 3). This trial will provide the first ever evidence of the efficacy of a lifestyle physical activity intervention among urban Black women with asthma, a population that is understudied yet plagued by low levels of PA and poor health outcomes. Our study has high potential to advance clinical treatment of asthma, and further the mechanistic understanding of physical activity interventions in minority populations living in low-resourced urban environments. Read Less

This project consists of a randomized controlled study design. Study candidates will include all patients 18 years or older, who were evaluated at UCSD and found to have an acute ankle syndesmosis injury requiring surgery. Patients who consent to study participation will be randomized to receive one of two standard of care procedures - either a suture button or Fibulink implant. Outcome measures, including the Olerud-Molander and American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society scores, pain, range of motion, time to return to work, and radiographic evaluation will be collected for each participant. Given the potential degenerative changes and poor radiographic and clinical outcomes with inadequate repair of the syndesmosis, it is imperative to evaluate existing and emerging methods of fixation for patients with acute ankle fractures with syndesmosis injuries. Read Less

Minoritized populations face mutually reinforcing levels of structural disadvantage that contribute to poor health. Despite recognition that social and economic stratification, environmental conditions, and policy are critical determinants of health disparities, there has been limited effort in expanding interventions beyond the individual level to disrupt systemic causes of health. This is in part due to the challenges of describing how racism and discrimination have become systematized over time and across place.68 Studies that do examine SRD and health and well-being, focus on one level of SRD at a time, rather than examining multiple levels simultaneously. Also, the measurement of SRD at all levels has not been very detailed and more research is needed on the nuances of these experiences (e.g., frequency, timeframe, intensity). Finally, there is a need for more prospective longitudinal studies, as most research to date has been cross-sectional. In addition to comprehensively examining the four SRD levels, the current study will examine these multi- level predictors of SRD simultaneously, longitudinally, and across two sites to identify targets for multi-level interventions that will be more likely to be effective and sustainable. Read Less

The aim of this research study is to use advanced immunology laboratory analysis to identify a more precise blood test that will predict infection risk in patients with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia or Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma (CLL/SLL) or Multiple Myeloma (MM). Read Less

This project will examine the feasibility, safety and effect of home-based functional electrical stimulation (FES) applied to different lower limb muscles in combination with task-specific training on gait, balance and mobility in adults with chronic stroke. 30 individuals with chronic stroke will first undergo initial screening and baseline walking, mobility, balance and strength assessments in the laboratory. After determining their eligibility for the study, they will undergo 12-weeks of home-based FES and task-specific training. Following the initial screening (week 1) and pre-intervention assessment (week 2), participants will be trained in the lab for 6 sessions (week 3-4) for a FES home program and then given a FES home kit (FES device and an android tablet). Participants will then undergo home-training for 2 weeks (week 5-6) followed by mid-training assessment (week 7). Again, participants will undergo 4-weeks of home training (week 8-11) and final assessment at the end of training (week 12). This project has the following specific aims: Aim 1: To investigate the feasibility, safety and efficacy of 12-weeks of home-based FES and task-specific training in adults with chronic stroke. Aim 2: To examine the effect of 12-weeks of home-based FES and task-specific training on mobility, gait and balance (anticipatory and reactive balance) in adults with chronic stroke. Read Less

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between thigh strength and walking ability and assess if using a blood pressure cuff on the leg improves strength and walking performance. Read Less

The goal of this clinical trial is to study stressed or distressed veterans and service members. Researchers will compare Caring Contacts plus best available resources to best available resources alone to see if reduces distress and prevents thoughts of suicide. Read Less

The goal of this clinical trial is to test the effects of social media use on e-cigarette use in young adults who use e-cigarettes. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Does reducing social media use change young adults' e-cigarette use? * Does reducing social media use change things such as young adults' mental health and what they see on social media? Participants will complete surveys and submit screenshots showing how much time they spend on social media. Researchers will compare young adults who reduce their social media use to young adults who use social media as usual, to see if their e-cigarette use differs. Read Less

In this crossover study, the investigtors will administer two experimental diets in a random order for one week, and each experimental diet will be preceded by a one-week, low fat control diet for a total four-week study period. The goal is to study how the fatty acid content of the diet affects brain functioning in healthy adults aged 65-75 years. One experimental diet will have a high palmitic acid (PA)/oleic acid (OA) ratio (HPA), typical of the North American diet. The other experimental diet will have a low PA/OA ratio (HOA), typical of the Mediterranean Diet. All allowed food and drink (except water) will be provided by the investigative team, and compliance will be enhanced by constant, intense dietary surveillance by a registered dietitian. Read Less