Kornimate/medical-research-clean huggingface dataset:
effectiveness of hybrid learning mode of volunteer training

Conditions: Healthy Volunteer

Summary: as the effectiveness of the hybrid volunteer training in hong kong is under-studied, this experimental study aims to develop a hybrid learning mode of volunteer training that increase volunteering-related self-efficacy and its associated outcomes among volunteer. in particular, this study compares the efficacy of hybrid volunteer training with the wait-list control group. the volunteer training will consist of a 6-module online course, followed by 5 face-to-face courses. each module will consist of the key volunteer training component presented in in written or video format. materials will be presented interactively to facilitate engagement.

mental illness poses a challenge to public mental health services because of its high prevalence, symptom chronicity, and impacts on patients and society. although there is a huge amount of need to serve people with mental illness, there is insufficient manpower. there is much empirical evidence to support the volunteer programs for people with mental illness. however, the literature on hybrid volunteer training is mainly focused on teaching and learning in education, and the effectiveness of the hybrid volunteer training in hong kong is under-studied. therefore, the present study aims to compare the efficacy of hybrid volunteer training with the wait-list control group. we hypothesize that (1) participants who receive hybrid volunteer training will increase their self-efficacy of volunteering after the intervention as compared with the wait-list controls; (2) participants from hybrid volunteer training will have better mental health knowledge and less mental health-related stigmatized beliefs and behavior after the intervention as compared with the wait-list controls. the volunteer training will consist of a 6-module online course, followed by 5 face-to-face courses, incorporating the key volunteer training components, including keyes theory, bio-psycho-social model, stress bucket model, recovery model and chime model. each module will consist of the key volunteer training component presented in in written or video format. materials will be presented interactively to facilitate engagement.

Eligibility criteria:
inclusion criteria: * hong kong residents * age ≥18 years * willing to participate in volunteer service * being able to read chinese * have a computer, tablet and/or smartphone device with internet access * have a regular email address * willing to give informed consent and comply with the trial protocol exclusion criteria: * unable to communicate with cantonese.

Keywords: volunteer training hybrid learning mode mental illness
lumbar disc herniation outcome measures

Conditions: Lumbar Intervertebral Disc Herniation

Summary: this study is being conducted to examine outcome measurements on patients who undergo surgery to removed a damage lumbar spine disc versus those that chose not to have surgery. these outcomes are based on patient responses to quality of life and pain questionnaires.

lumbar discectomy is the most common surgical procedure performed for back and leg symptoms in us patients, but the efficacy of the procedure relative to non-operative care remains controversial. several studies have compared surgical and non-operative treatment of patients with herniated discs, but baseline differences between treatment groups, small sample sizes, or lack of validated outcome measures in these studies limit evident-based conclusions regarding optimal treatment. there is increasing emphasis on the use of health-related quality of life(qol)outcome measures to determine the efficacy of treatment, particularly for diseases that are not life threatening but affect the patient's qol. in the treatment of lumbar disc herniation, the medical outcomes study short form (sf-36), oswestry disability index (odi) and visual analog scale (vas), are validated and common scales that are used to measure treatment outcomes. information is routinely collected on activity limitations in the course of the doctor's assessment of the patient, however, the data may not always be collected in a standardized format that yields measurement with known reliability and validity. standardized self-report questionnaires provide a convenient method of collecting and synthesizing a large amount of information on the pain, activity limitation and general health status of each patient. the objective of this prospective study is to evaluate the efficacy of surgery for lumbar intervertebral disc herniations using the sf-36, odi and vas as primary outcome measures. patients experiencing acute or chronic lumbar spine pain in the orthopedic practice will be given a choice to participate in this study. on patient's who wish to participate, the data will be collected and entered into the remark omr 7 database, and evaluated for outcomes. this study is for current patients in the upstate orthopedic office.

Eligibility criteria:
inclusion criteria: * must be at least 18 years of age and no older than 90 years of age * must have diagnosis of lumbar disc herniation * must be able to understand english, and willing to consent to data collection * must be a current patient in our practice exclusion criteria: * prisoner * unable to complete questionnaires

Keywords: surgical intervention vs non-surgical intervention
long-term follow up in survivors of critical illness

Conditions: Post Intensive Care Unit Syndrome

Summary: survivors of critical illness may suffer from persistent physical, cognitive and mental impairments, such as muscle weakness, dysfunction in the memory and executive domains, post-traumatic stress disorders, depression, and anxiety. this syndrome is referred to as post intensive care syndrome (pics). this study aims to assess the frequency of impairments, their evolution over time, and to understand the pathogenetic mechanisms and the association between long-term sequelae and acute care events.

pics describes 'new or worsening impairments in physical, cognitive or mental health status arising after critical illness and persisting beyond acute care hospitalization'. different critical care professional and scientific societies have identified long-term functional outcomes after critical illness as an important target for research and clinical improvements, and there is general agreement that research on pics should be a priority for the critical care community. post-icu subjects may experience physical problems, such as muscles weakness and wasting, caused by prolonged bed rest and immobility during the icu stay and by critical illness polyneuropathy and myopathy developing during the acute illness; organ dysfunction; chronic pain; mental health problems including depression, anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder (ptsd); and neurocognitive impairments which are predominantly represented by memory dysfunction and executive function impairment. the impact of these problems on the subject's health status is huge, which reduced quality of life, and impaired functional status, and daily functioning. many survivors incur substantial healthcare costs, lose employment, and find their social networks wholly changed. the costs to subjects and families are high: icu survivorship is associated with decreased return to work, and the loss of earnings plagues both patients and caregivers. prior studies in which researchers have examined outcomes among icu survivors have been mainly restricted their assessments to specific patient populations and have used only limited outcome measures or the follow-up period was relatively short-term. moreover, few studies have explored the association between acute care events and long-term sequelae as well as the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms. the researchers appertaining to the present study implemented a follow-up clinic to describe the frequency of physical, cognitive, and mental impairments and their evolution over time in subjects surviving critical illness. the researchers also aim at understanding the pathogenetic mechanisms underlying these impairments and their association with acute care events.

Eligibility criteria:
inclusion criteria: - all covid-19 patients admitted to the icus of the spedali civili university hospital in brescia, italy. exclusion criteria: - none
effect of acute physical exercise on memory

Conditions: Acute Physical Exercise

Summary: an increasing amount of studies show the beneficial effect of regular exercise on cognitive and brain functions and especially in the memory domain. yet little is known of what happens within an acute bout of exercise and whether it would also yield cognitive effects. the literature clearly shows that molecules such as brain derived neurotrophic factor (bdnf) and endocannabinoids (mainly anandamide, aea) are heavily involved in neural plasticity mechanisms and increase when we exercise hinting at possible mechanisms underlying memory improvement after exercise. this protocol assesses the effects of acute exercise on associative and motor sequence memory, their underlying neural activations (measured using fmri) and blood biomarkers (bdnf and aea). a related aim is to assess the effect of exercise intensity, therefore three exercising conditions (rest, moderate intensity and high intensity) were included. finally, a 3-month delayed retest visit is also realized to assess effects of acute exercise on long-term memory consolidation.


Eligibility criteria:
inclusion criteria: * male * right-handed, * exercising regularly (at least twice per week). * vo2max comprised between 40ml/kg/min and 65ml/kg/min. exclusion criteria: - psychiatric and neurological history

Keywords: fmri bdnf endocannabinoid physical exercise
evaluation of novel lung function parameters in patients with pulmonary hypertension (ph)

Conditions: Pulmonary Hypertension

Summary: little is known about affection of small airways in patients with pulmonary hypertension as well as the ideal diagnostic approach. the investigators therefore aimed to evaluate novel or not widely used lung function tests for the evaluation of airway function in patients with ph.


Eligibility criteria:
inclusion criteria: * known or first diagnosis of ph exclusion criteria: * inability to perform lung function testing * unable or unwilling to participate
identification of oral lesions through an autofluorescence system

Conditions: Oral Leukoplakia; Autofluorescence; Secondary Prevention; Keratosis; Oral Lichen Planus; Oral Cancer; Oral Disease

Summary: the aim of the study will be to evaluate the efficacy of a tissue autofluorescence detection system as an aid to clinical screening in identifying lesions of the oral mucosa. the screening process will be performed by 3 clinicians with a different level of experience. sensitivity and specificity tests will be conducted.

tissue autofluorescence analysis will be performed using goocles® glasses, a device capable of detecting variations in fluorescence when the examined area is illuminated with a common photopolymerising lamp. three clinical professionals will be identified: * dental hygienist (1); * general dentist (2); * dentist expert in medicine and oral pathology (3). all patients will be included in the study after receiving an initial dental visit, in order to rule out patients with noticeable oral lesions. dental hygienist (1) will collect the patient's data by filling the "anamnestic record". furthermore, (1) will perform the first clinical examination (with and without goocles®), reporting his observations on his own "operator module". the same screening (with and without goocles®) will be conducted blindly by the general dentist (2) who, if he deems it necessary, will refer the patient to the oral pathologist (3), who will confirm or not (with and without goocles®) the presence of an oral region such as to be further investigated (follow up or biopsy) and will report the observations on its own "operator module". inter-operator and intra-operator comparisons will be performed and the data thus obtained will be processed for statistical processing.

Eligibility criteria:
inclusion criteria: * male and female; * age ≥ 18 years; * non-smokers and smokers exclusion criteria: * cancer patients; * patients presenting a histological diagnosis of oral mucosal dysplasia/carcinoma.

Keywords: oral leukoplakia lichen planus squamous cell carcinoma keratosis
safety and efficacy study of imm 124-e (bovine colostrum) for patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis

Conditions: Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis

Summary: this is a multi-center, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, dose-selection, multiple dose administration study comprising three groups, with up to 40 patients in each active treatment and placebo group. patients with biopsy proven nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (nash) and elevated liver enzymes will be randomized to undergo a liver mri scan and to receive imm 124-e or placebo for 24 weeks. during this period, patients will be followed for clinical and laboratory effects. at the end of 24 weeks of treatment, patients will undergo a second liver mri scan. patients will be followed for an additional 4 weeks for safety after completion of treatment.


Eligibility criteria:
inclusion criteria: * men and women age 18 to 75 years (inclusive) * subjects with biopsy proven nash (nas ≥ 4) within one year prior to screening * elevated liver enzymes at screening and at least once within past 6 months (alt \> 30 women, alt \> 40 men) * normal or only slightly impaired synthetic liver function (serum albumin \>3.5gm%, inr 0.8-1.5) * bmi 18 to 40 (inclusive) * subjects able to adhere to the visit schedule and protocol requirements and be available to complete the study * women of child bearing potential must be using adequate contraception exclusion criteria: * cow milk allergy or lactose intolerance * excessive alcohol use (women \> 20 grams/day, men \> 40 grams/day). * current treatment with insulin or incretins * decompensated liver disease * other or concomitant cause of liver disease (viral hepatitis, autoimmune liver disease, metabolic liver disease, vascular liver disease) * subjects who known to be hiv positive * subjects who have undergone surgery within the last 3 months * subjects who have had a prior gastrointestinal surgery * subjects who have a history of inflammatory bowel disease * subjects who are receiving an elemental diet or parenteral nutrition * subjects with an infectious, immune-mediated or active malignant disease (during the last 3 months) * subjects with known clinically significant systemic disease * subjects treated with other anti-nash therapy(s) - thiazolidinediones, vitamin e, sam-e, betaine, milk thistle, gemfibrozil, anti-tnf therapies and probiotics) - within 3 months of the liver biopsy * subjects who have been treated with any type of immune modulatory drug, including systemic steroids or nsaids, within the last 3 months * subjects who have received either immuron, 6-mp, methotrexate, cyclosporine, anti-tnf alpha therapies (infliximab, adalimumab, etanercept) or anti-integrin therapies (namixilab) within the past 12 months * known history of drug or alcohol abuse, including positive urinary drugs of abuse screen at the screening visit * subjects who are pregnant as confirmed on screening test * any acute medical situation (e.g. acute infection) within 48 hours of study start that is considered of significance by the principal investigator

Keywords: nonalcoholic fatty liver disease nafld fatty liver nash
role of thymus-and activation-regulated chemokine (tarc) in diagnosis of allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis

Conditions: Thymus and Activation Regulated Chemokine

Summary: this study aims to assess the value of tarc in diagnosis of allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis.

allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (abpa) is a pulmonary hypersensitivity disease mediated by an allergic response to aspergillus fumigates. abpa occurs in, 10% of cystic fibrosis (cf) patients and may lead to acute worsening of respiratory status and ongoing decline in lung function, ultimately progressing to a chronic state and lung fibrosis without adequate treatment. despite the existence of the gold-standard nelson criteria, diagnosis of abpa in cf patients remains difficult. the wide variation in diagnostic practices between clinics, different estimates of prevalence and a delay in recognition lead to under treatment (virnig and bush 2007). the main reason for the difficulties in diagnosis of abpa and abpa exacerbations in cf patients is the overlap of diagnostic criteria for abpa with common manifestations of cf. pulmonary infiltrates, obstructive lung disease and bronchiectasis occur regularly in cf patients, due to the underlying disease with bacterial colonisation, and thus are not specific to abpa. furthermore lung colonisation with a. fumigatus occurs in 20-25% of cf patients. therefore, as stated in the most recent consensus document on diagnosis and therapy of abpa in cf patients, serological findings should contribute strongly to the confirmation or exclusion of clinically suspected abpa (stevens, moss et al. 2003). the diagnosis of allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (abpa) in cystic fibrosis (cf) is a challenge. thymus- and activation-regulated chemokine (tarc) has recently been reported to play a role in abpa (latzin, hartl et al. 2008). tarc levels (analyzed by sandwich elisa) increased early in the course of abpa, before total ige elevation, with an inverse correlation between tarc levels and spirometric parameters (fev 1) identified in cf patient with abpa. elevated tarc level was strongly correlated with the level of rasp f4 in abpa patients, while no association was found with the other recombinants (rasp f1, f2, f3 and f6). this biomarker showed a greater test accuracy for abpa diagnosis than all other biological markers tested (total ige, specific c igg and antibodies against recombinants allergens rasp f1, rasp f3, rasp f4 and rasp f6). it seems to be able to differentiate cf patients with abpa from those colonized or sensitized to a. fumigatus. furthermore, corticotherapy decreases the tarc secretion, producing a rapid decrease of serum tarc level that can be used to follow patient evolution as well as the effect of corticosteroid therapy in abpa (delhaes, frealle et al. 2010).

Eligibility criteria:
inclusion criteria: * • in this study patients referred from chest department for diagnosis of allergic pulmonary aspergillosis will be included. exclusion criteria: * • pregnancy * lactating women
effects of cardiac rehabilitation for individuals with transient ischemic attack

Conditions: Transient Ischemic Attack

Summary: it is hypothesized that the addition of formal cardiac rehabilitation to standard care will result in long-term improvements in cardiovascular fitness and functional capacity in individuals who have suffered a transient ischemic attack (tia) or minor stroke. furthermore, it is proposed that the addition of cardiac rehabilitation will influence depressive symptoms and cognition.

a transient ischemic attack (tia) is defined as an episode of neurological dysfunction caused by focal brain ischemia lasting less than 24 hours. once an individual has suffered a tia, preventative measures can be taken to target modifiable risk factors, one of which is physical inactivity. the current proposal focuses on the use of an established model of care (cardiac rehabilitation (cr)) and applies it to those who have suffered a tia in order to maximize physical activity and minimize risk of future cardiovascular events. this will be a one-group pre/post design study with a 3 month non-intervention period. participants will undergo measures at baseline and 3 months (non intervention period) then after 6 months of cardiac rehabilitation (cardiovascular fitness, 6 minute walk test, cognition, and depressive symptoms).

Eligibility criteria:
inclusion criteria: * diagnosed with tia * three months post-tia * ability to understand the process and instructions for exercise training and provide informed consent exclusion criteria: * resting blood pressure greater than 160/100 despite medication * other cardiovascular morbidity which would limit exercise tolerance (heart failure, abnormal bp responses or stsegment depression \> 2 mm, symptomatic aortic stenosis, complex arrhythmias) * current and extensive exercise participation * hypertrophic cardiomyopathy * unstable angina * orthostatic bp decrease of \> 20 mm hg with symptoms * other musculoskeletal impairments which would limit the participants ability to walk sufficient durations * pain or other co-morbidities (e.g., unclipped aneurysms, uncontrolled seizures etc.) which would preclude participation * cognitive or behavioural issues that would limit participation in exercise testing and training

Keywords: cardiac rehab
a study comparing continuous infusion antibiotics to standard treatment for lung infections in cystic fibrosis

Conditions: Cystic Fibrosis

Summary: cystic fibrosis (cf) is an inherited disorder which results in increased thickness of secretions, especially in the lungs. by adulthood, the majority of patients with cf will have a bacteria living in their lungs, called pseudomonas aeruginosa which can cause lung infections. this usually results in worsening respiratory symptoms and often an acute deterioration in their lung function. they are usually treated with antibiotics that target the pseudomonas aeruginosa. these antibiotics are typically given as short intravenous infusions several times a day. this study aims to compare the standard method of giving these antibiotics with a different strategy of giving these antibiotics to see if this can improve the outcomes of treatment of these infections and reduce the amount of pseudomonas aeruginosa in the lungs of these patients. this strategy consists of giving the same antibiotics continuously, to ensure there is always enough antibiotic in the bloodstream and the lung to be able to kill the bacteria.


Eligibility criteria:
inclusion criteria: 1. patients \>= 18 years of age, 2. pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated in sputum within the last 12 months, 3. has an acute infective exacerbation, defined by international standards of 2 or more of the following in the last 2 weeks: * change sputum volume or colour, * increased cough, * increased dyspnoea, * increased malaise, fatigue or lethargy, * anorexia or weight loss, * decrease in pulmonary function by 10% or more, or * new radiographic changes exclusion criteria: 1. patients \< 18 yrs of age, 2. patients that do not meet the criteria for an acute infective exacerbation, 3. concurrent pulmonary embolism, significant haemoptysis, pneumothorax, or respiratory failure, 4. impaired renal function with an estimated creatinine clearance \< 60 mls/min, 5. patients allergic to ß-lactam antibiotics, 6. aminoglycoside contra-indicated, 7. intravenous antibiotics in the last 2 weeks, prior to this admission, 8. received more than 24 hours of intravenous antibiotics in this admission, 9. previous lung transplantation, 10. pregnancy or lactation, or 11. inability to consent.

Keywords: pulmonary exacerbation continuous infusion antipseudomonal beta-lactams
influence of vitamin d supplementation on serum bdnf level and cognitive function in schizophrenia

Conditions: Schizophrenia

Summary: the objective of the study is to evaluate the influence of vitamin d supplementation on serum brain derived neurotrophic factor level and cognitive function in schizophrenia treated with atypical antipsychotic. methods: the investigator will use randomized controlled trial design. 40 chronic schizophrenia patients with vitamin d insufficiency or deficiency treated with atypical antipsychotic, will be randomly assign (1:1 ratio) to receive either daily oral cholecalciferol 2000 iu or placebo for 8 weeks. assessment of bdnf serum and cognitive function will be performed at baseline and after 8 weeks period.


Eligibility criteria:
inclusion criteria: * chronic schizophrenia * serum 25(oh)d level below 30 ng/ml * deficit in cognitive functions exclusion criteria: * hypercalcemia * hepatic or renal failure * obese * metabolic syndrome