Clinical Research Directory

Environmental Exposure to Heavy Metals, Nanoparticles, and Emergent Contaminants and Risk of Allergic Diseases

The goal of this clinical trial is to collect environmental, bio-humoral, and clinical data derived from patients with allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) and systemic metal allergic syndromes related to the exposure to heavy metals, nanoparticles, and emergent contaminants and from healthy subjects. The main question it aims to answer is: are environmental, bio-humoral, and clinical data derived from patients with ACD and systemic metal allergic syndromes, related to the exposure to heavy metals, nanoparticles, and emergent contaminants, different from ones obtained by healthy subjects? Researchers will compare serum and urine concentration of heavy metals and nanoparticles, patch test to metals, within-breath analysis of oscillometry parameters, serum zonulin, and serum levels of protein oxidation products among patients with systemic allergic syndrome (1st study group), patients with ACD (2nd study group) and healthy subjects (3rd study group). Participants will undergo: * measurement of exposure to heavy metals and nanoparticles including nickel, cobalt, chromium, palladium, molybdenum, aluminium, and copper, through serum and urine measurement of concentration. * Patch test to before mentioned metals. * Within-breath analysis of oscillometry parameters. * Measurement of serum zonulin (related to gastro-intestinal exposure). * Measurement of serum levels of protein oxidation products (as markers of systemic oxidative stress).

Air Pollution and Physical Activity Study

This is a small pilot intervention tria lfor exercise and air pollution.

Air Pollution and Development in the Boricua Youth Study

This study seeks to understand the relationship between prenatal maternal air pollution exposure and offspring risk for ADHD and examine two potential -modifiable- mechanisms: prenatal maternal inflammation and offspring sleep problems. We will employ a longitudinal neuroimaging study design and leverage a well-characterized intergenerational cohort of Puerto Ricans to address prior literature's limitations. This will be the first study to use infant neuroimaging to disassociate the effects of prenatal pollution exposure from those of postnatal pollution exposure, adversity and disadvantage, and offspring genetic risk for ADHD.

Taiwan Real-world LDCT Screening Behavior and Outcome Research for High Risk Subjects Based on Health Promotion Administration

Lung cancer is the leading cause of mortality in the world, and also in Taiwan.Despite the researches and availability in new therapies, it causes the highest mortality and is one of the most preventable cancers as well. Smoking is the most common cause of lung cancer worldwide. Compared to lung cancer in smokers, lung cancer in never-smokers is associated with East Asian ethnicity, female sex, and adenocarcinoma histology. This unique risk group is likely to have distinct molecular drivers, especially EGFR, ALK, and ROS1 mutations.In National Taiwan Cancer Registry data, more than half (53%) of all newly diagnosed lung cancer patients and 93% of female patients are lifelong never-smokers. This scenario is common in East Asia. It is essential to develop a different strategy for screening lung cancer patients with other high-risk profiles. Several risk factors have been identified in never-smoking lung cancer and one of the most important factor is a lung cancer family history (LCFH) in a first-degree relative. Other high-risk occupational or environmental factors include air-pollution exposed occupations (such as traffic policeman and street cleaners) for at least 10 years, cooking index ≥ 110, defined as 2/7 \* days cooking by pan frying, stir frying, or deep frying in one week \* years cooking, cooking without using ventilation, passive smoke exposure, and history of pulmonary tuberculosis or chronic obstructive pulmonary disorders. As described above, three high risk groups are interested in this study, the previous heavy smokers (group 1); those who has family history (group 2) and those who have high risk occupation or environment factors (group 3). From the published researches, we assume the detection rate to be 1.1% for group 1 based on NLST results16, 2.6% for group 2 (395 out of 12,011 subjects in TALENT), and we assume the detection Group 3 to be 1% after consulting board-certified senior specialists in this field. This is a prospective, multi-center, single arm study in Taiwan of subjects who are eligible to receive LDCT screening based on recommendation of Health Promotion Administration of Taiwan. The primary objective of TRIO part A is the LDCT screening acceptance rate of high lung cancer risk subjects. The primary objective of TRIO part B is the exact lung cancer detection rates in these three groups. Other secondary objectives are also included.

Rural China Electric Kettle Promotion Program

This study will evaluate the impact of a pilot Rural Electric Kettle Promotion Program offered to low-income households in rural Anhui Province, China. The primary objective of this study is to determine whether this promotion program causes poverty households currently boiling their drinking water with solid-fuels (or drinking untreated water or bottled water) to switch to boiling their drinking water with electric kettles, and if so, how such a switch might improve safe drinking water access and/or reduce household air pollution.

Scalability of a Home Health Navigator Program to Reduce Arsenic, Nitrate, and Lead in Private Well Water

Approximately 34 million Americans rely on private wells to supply their drinking water. Private wells are excluded from the Safe Drinking Water Act. Consequently, people who use private wells have not benefited from pollution prevention activities mandated by this law. This is a public health concern because toxic chemicals such as arsenic, nitrate, and lead are frequently detected in drinking water provided by private wells at concentrations that exceed the Safe Drinking Water Act's maximum contaminant levels. Chronic exposure to toxics in drinking water increase the risk of several chronic diseases. Several states in the U.S. have implemented or are proposing legislative policies to require testing and treatment of private wells and it is critical that public health agencies offer a program to aid homeowners with adherence to these new policies. Subsequently, there is a need to determine if individual-level interventions would be more effective for promoting behaviors that would reduce, mitigate, or eliminate exposure to contaminated well water. Lay health care workers may be able to provide cost-effective counseling to promote environmental health decision making among homeowners that have contaminated wells. This study will involve a community efficacy trial that brings together university-based researchers, State and Local agencies, and Extension Services. The community efficacy trial will be implemented by community health navigators via the Extension service. Specifically, it will involve a randomized controlled trial in Oregon to test the acceptability, fidelity, scalability and efficacy of 2 different intervention arms to reduce harmful toxicant exposures through the adoption of appropriate well water treatment. Upon completion, it will will produce a private well safety intervention program that has been tested and modified through empirical research. By capturing the costs and retaining the most efficacious intervention components, our cooperative approach has a better chance of scalability into practice across multiple stakeholders (i.e. Extension services, state health agencies). This information has the potential to reduce health disparities in rural America that are related to a household's source of drinking water.

Children's Health in London and Luton (CHILL)

Investigating the impact of London's Ultra Low Emission Zone on children's respiratory health

Short- and Long-term Health Effects of Air Pollution in Poland

The effects of air pollution on the frequency of hospital admissions and mortality due to acute coronary syndromes, atrial fibrillation, and renal disfunction are noted also in areas perceived as pollution-free (due to the lack of large industry). The aim of the project is to assess the impact of air pollution in Eastern Poland on regional public health.

Modification of Ambient Air Pollution Exposure and Cardiopulmonary Outcomes by Socioeconomic Status and Nutrition

The goal of this observational study is to compare the effects of air pollution exposure and nutrition between neighborhoods with high and low social vulnerability scores. The main questions this study aims to answer are: * Does living in a neighborhood with high or low vulnerability influence the response of the heart, lungs, and immune system to air pollution. * Does nutritional status alter the association between air pollution exposure and changes in the heart, lungs, and immune system. Participants (age 25-70 years) that live in neighborhoods ranked high or low on the Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) will take part in 3 visits. Each visit involves the following: * Measurements of heart activity, lung function, and blood to measure changes that may be caused by air pollution. * Questionnaires about the types of food eaten and activities that may modify exposure to air pollution. * Estimation of air pollution exposure using a study iPhone. Participants will carry a study iPhone with them for 24 hours at each visit. The study iPhone runs an application (app) that estimates the amount of air pollution each participant is exposed to. * Wearing silicone wristbands for a week before each study visit. Silicone wristbands absorb air pollutants and are later measured see the types and amounts of chemicals participants are exposed to.

Impact of Lifetime Exposure to Air and Noise Pollution on Cardiovascular Disease and Mortality - the AIRCARD Study.

The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of individually lifetime accumulated exposure to air and noise pollution on the incidence and prevalence of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and mortality. Air as well as noise pollution have harmful effects on human health. Experimental and clinical studies have shown a strong impact between particulate matter (PM2.5) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Prolonged exposure to PM2.5 has been associated with the development of atherosclerosis and adverse cardiovascular events. However, also short-term exposure has been linked to acute coronary events. PM2.5 is, however, a combination of many components of specific pollutants that have a size of two and a half microns or less in width. However, there is a knowledge gap, as investigation into which specific components of air pollutants that contribute the most to the development of CVD is lacking. There is a need to adopt and encourage preventive measures but also put in place environmental policies that are effective in promoting the reduction of exposure to pollutants. We want to aid in this shift by showing which specific pollutants contribute the most to the development of CVD so that we can better target these specific air pollutants for better prevention initiatives.

The Impact of Synergies of Indoor Air Pollutants on Childhood Health and Wellbeing

To quantify health effects of synergizing chemical and biological pollutants in a targeted population setting, i.e., school-aged children. Indoor air pollutants will be monitored within the classrooms with high end sensors. Exposure data from additional sources (outdoor, home, transports) will be obtained. Health outcomes will be assessed prospectively using validated medical procedures and real-time tracking with mobile health (mHealth) equipment and a gamified computer app.