Clinical Research Directory

Rare Tumors and Cancer Predisposition in Individuals and Families

Background: Some people may be prone to develop cancer for many reasons. Factors that affect their risk include the genes they inherit and the environment they live and work in. Researchers want to learn more about the natural history of cancer. Objective: To understand how genes and environmental factors can cause tumors and related conditions. Eligibility: People of any age who: Have tumors of an unusual type, pattern, or number Have a family member with a history of cancer Have been exposed to other factors that may increase their risk of cancer Design: This study does not involve treatment. Participants will answer questions about their personal and family medical history. They will give permission for researchers to see their medical records. Participants may be invited to the NIH Clinical Center for a physical exam. They may give samples including saliva, cheek cells, blood, urine, skin, and/or hair. Participants with cancer may give bone marrow. A needle will be used to remove a small sample of bone marrow from their hip bone. Participants may have a biopsy of their tumor. Participants may have other exams: Dental Ear, nose, and throat Eye Hearing Heart function and structure Participants with cancer may undergo more exams: A test of how much energy their body uses when resting A sleep study with a test that measures brain electrical activity. They will have sensors attached to their body while they sleep overnight in a lab. Imaging scans, such as CT, MRI, a test to measure how dense their bones are (DEXA), and ultrasound. Participants will have their genes tested. A counsellor will help them understand the results. Participants will be followed until at least 2035....

Elderly Care in Transition - Perspectives of the Elderly and the Staff

Elderly care in Sweden faces several significant challenges. The number of older people is increasing at the same time as there are fewer of working age. Elderly care staff, such as nurses, care assistants and nurses, have on average more sick days than many other professional groups and often experience high work-related stress. In some municipalities, there are also problems with high staff turnover and a lack of formal competence. At the same time, research shows that many employees experience work in elderly care as meaningful and valuable. Taking advantage of and strengthening these positive aspects is central to creating good conditions for the health and well-being of staff and for the quality of care and care for older people. An important area of development in elderly care is person-centred care, which means that care is based on the individual person's needs, wishes, life history and resources. Person-centred practice emphasises the relationship between the older person, the staff and, if the person so wishes, relatives. Although person-centered care is often seen as an obvious part of good care, research shows that it is not fully implemented in practice and that the introduction of person-centered working methods can be complex and demanding. This study is being carried out in collaboration between municipalities and the University of Gävle and is linked to the establishment of nursing homes for the elderly that will function as academic nursing homes. In these nursing homes, person-centered care will be a pronounced focus area. Through recurring measurements, the activities will be monitored and developed in close collaboration between practice and research. The overall aim of the study is to investigate older people's experience of academic nursing homes with a focus on person-centered care and nursing, outdoor environment, health and well-being, and to investigate the staff's experience of person-centered working methods, learning, structural conditions and work-related well-being. The study also aims to analyze the relationship between older people's experiences of person-centered care, outdoor environment, health and well-being, both among older people living in academic nursing homes and among older people living in their own homes. The study has a longitudinal design and data will be collected at several points in time using questionnaires and interviews, which enables both statistical analyses and an in-depth understanding of the participants' experiences over time. By highlighting the perspectives of both older people and staff, the study can contribute new knowledge about how person-centered care can be developed and maintained in practice. In the long term, the results can contribute to a more health-promoting, sustainable and attractive elderly care for both older people and staff.

Clinical, Laboratory, and Epidemiologic Characterization of Individuals and Families at High Risk of Cancer

This is a clinical, epidemiologic, genetic, and laboratory study of individuals and families at high risk of cancer and selected tumors to investigate the genetic susceptibility and environmental exposures which may alter cancer risk. Families with multiple members who have an unusual pattern or number of cancers or tumors are evaluated clinically. This evaluation is specific for the type of cancer or tumor predominant in the family in order to determine the affection status of each individual for genetic epidemiologic studies. Genetic and environmental risk factor information specific for the tumor type is obtained. Individuals with, or at high risk of, cancer because of their personal, familial, or environmental histories are identified by healthcare worker referral or by personal inquiry. Relevant etiologic risk factor information is documented through review of pathology specimens and medical, vital, and genealogical records. Selected individuals and family members are asked to complete questionnaires and to undergo clinical evaluations specific for the tumor of interest. They are also asked to donate biologic specimens to be used in the search for cancer etiology and mechanisms of carcinogenesis. No therapy beyond counseling and education for cancer prevention, risk reduction, and early detection will be given. Genetic testing for tumor susceptibility gene(s) mutations and risk notification will be offered to study participants for whom a specific mutation predictive of disease has been identified in his/her family. This testing will only be offered when reasonable individual cancer risk estimates can be delivered, and only to those participants who choose to know their individual genetic status after appropriate education and counseling. The testing will be conducted exclusively in Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA)-licensed laboratories. Genetic testing and risk notification are entirely optional and do not affect participation in other aspects of the protocol. A separate consent procedure and consent form will be used for genetic testing and risk notification related to these specific genes. Once enrolled, study participants are monitored prospectively for the development of outcomes of interest, typically by means of periodic mail or telephone contact. In selected instances, subjects may return to the Clinical Center periodically for study-specific follow-up examinations. Although we do not offer specific anti-cancer therapy as part of this protocol, we provide assistance to insure that study participants who require treatment for tumor-related problems that develop during the course of the study are referred to appropriate healthcare providers. We remain available to study participants and their healthcare providers for advice and consultation related to the management of familial cancer/tumor predisposition.

Environmental Factors and Myopia Prevalence Among Uyghur Students in Remote China

Ophthalmologic screening performs annually. Main information collected: gender, age, race, school, visual acuity, autorefractive results.

Sustainable Environmental Health Program for Adolescents

The research will be conducted to determine the effect of the sustainable environmental health program on environmental sensitivity, sustainable environmental awareness, environmental attitudes and behaviors in high school students. The purpose of this study is to develop and sustain environmental sensitivity, sustainable environmental awareness, environmental attitudes and behaviors in high school students with the Sustainable Environmental Health Program.

Hospital Environmental Exposure

There is an increasing body of evidence that human health is affected by environmental factors such as air quality, noise and light. This applies to both indoor and outdoor environments. While there have been several studies looking at homes, offices and work environments, hospital environments are still poorly characterised. Indoor hospital environments are complex, and patients with various health conditions can spend extended periods of time in wards. A number of studies have reported an association of air pollution exposure and a disturbance to sleep. A lack of sleep, or poor and disrupted sleep can impact health. Disturbed sleep therefore can impact a patient's recovery in hospital wards. In addition to the exposure to air pollutants, noise and light levels within the hospital environment can also have an impact on patient health. Inadequate, or a disrupted light and dark cycles can impact the circadian rhythm of the human body, responsible for the sleep cycle. In this study, the investigators aim to characterise these exposures and address the impact of these exposures on the patient sleep. Given the links between sleep and the environmental conditions.

Environmental Pollutants and Life Quality

This study is part of the MISTRAL project, funded by the European Commission under the Horizon Europe Program, within the Work Programme 2021-2022 of Pillar II - Health Cluster on Environment and Health, which has the main objective of creating a cloud-based informatics platform for Health Impact Assessment analysis that, thanks to artificial intelligence, is able to simulate different clinical scenarios, economic and social, before and after the introduction of environmental risk mitigation policies, starting from data and evidence derived from case studies (several European cities) with different levels of exposure to environmental, health, geographical and socio-economic factors. The Project involves 11 partners distributed among Italy (Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Azienda Sanitaria Locale di Taranto, University of Bari, Politecnico di Bari, APS PLANET), Belgium (University of Hasselt), Poland (AGH-University of Technology and Science), Germany (Nuromedia), Spain (Ubitel), Greece (WINGS-ICT Solutions) and England (University of Oxford, University of Suffolk). Specifically, the ZEPHYR study is a cross-sectional (cross-sectional), population-based, multicenter survey. The centers involved are the ASL of Taranto with the Taranto City Single District (Coordinating Recruitment Center), the University of Hasselt, Belgium (Recruitment Center Hasselt Hospital Campus), and the University of Krakow, Poland (Rybnik University Hospital as recruitment center).