Kornimate/medical-research-clean huggingface dataset:
spermatozoa morphology selection by thermotaxis

Conditions: Male Infertility

Summary: this study aims to eventually assess the usefulness of thermotaxis for sperm selection in routine clinical practice.

as the world's total fertility rate decline, every year more couples require assisted reproductive technologies (art) in order to achieve their desire to become parents. however, these techniques are not guaranteed solutions and still many couples with unexplained infertility fail to conceive. one of the reasons might be the relative selection of spermatozoa for the following art. to minimize a poor selection made by the operator and to standardize spermatozoa selection, we suggest a new method might be used in combination with the routine spermatozoa selection techniques. thermotaxis might be used in the art setting as a tool to select the best spermatozoa as human spermatozoa after capacitation responds positively to a temperature gradient change. moreover, this might be the possible navigation mechanism of spermatozoa in the female genital tract. we hypothesize that spermatozoa selected by thermotaxis behavior might increase the morphologically normal spermatozoa number in the cohort used during art. the aim of this study is to evaluate if thermotaxis is a good method for selecting morphologically normal sperm for art.

Eligibility criteria:
inclusion criteria: * age: ≥18 and \<40 years old. * spermatozoa concentration \>15 x 10⁶ /ml in all sperm analysis performed in the last 24 months. * spermatozoa mobility \>32% in all sperm analysis performed in the last 24 months. * spermatozoa morphology \>4% in all sperm analysis performed in the last 24 months. * signed and dated informed consent exclusion criteria: * use of antibiotics, intravenous illicit drugs, chemotherapy or radiotherapy usage in the last 3 months. * active smoking (during the preceding 12 months). * more than 3 days prior to the last ejaculation.

Keywords: spermatozoa selection thermotaxis testicular and sperm biology
investigation of hemoglobin oxygenation with third harmonic generation microscopy

Conditions: Hypoxia; Oxygen Deficiency; Tumor; Diabetes

Summary: the specific aims of the project are performing a pre-clinical study on a human model and evaluating the oxygenation and other status of human erythrocytes by spectrally-resolved third harmonic generation (srthg) microscopy . by analyzing the partitioned third harmonic generation (thg) spectra of oxygenated and deoxygenated erythrocytes ex vivo, the investigators aim to provide a reference standard for quantifying oxygenation and molecular status in this project.

recently, oximeter, detecting the spectral response at wavelengths of 660nm and 940nm, is widely used to measured oxygenation status. its low spatial resolution and limited penetration depth in human skin, however, restrict the oximeter in clinical application especially for early detection of cancer. in early-stage cancer development, angiogenesis and oxygen depletion around tumor are two important indicators of tumor growth. if an angiogenesis and low oxygenation status can be identified simultaneously, the investigators can point out the early-stage tumor from normal tissue easily. the investigators have been working towards the development of third harmonic generation microscopy systems and reported the success of revealing morphology in human skin specimen. since thg process is based on virtual transition without energy deposition, thg microscopy enables imaging ex vivo specimens without extra label and invasive procedure. to further investigate biological process of biomaterials, the investigators develop a srthgm where thg spectrum is partitioned to analyze during imaging process. in this project, the investigators aim to elucidate oxygenation concentration and other specific biological molecular of red blood cells through the srthg microscopy system. the abilities to reveal structure morphology and its corresponding biological information in situ would provide assistance to diagnose early-stage of tumor and other diseases as well as a potential support in clinical treatment.

Eligibility criteria:
inclusion criteria: * older than 20 years old exclusion criteria: * vulnerable groups, such as pregnant women, prisoners, students, mentally handicapped, aborigines, etc.

Keywords: hemoglobin oxygenation concentration tumor diabetes
comparison of the performance of icm and cied in detecting af

Conditions: Atrial Fibrillation

Summary: the aim of this project is to study the performance of the two most commonly used implantable cardiac monitors in detecting af episodes and explore how the new connectivity can empower patients and improve patient care.

atrial fibrillation (af) is the most common abnormal heart rhythm disturbance, affecting 1-2 million people in the uk. the irregular heartbeat caused by af can make the heart pump blood less efficiently. as a result, af significantly increases the risk of having a stroke, heart failure and dementia. however, a significantly proportion of people have no symptoms, and they may be only found to be in af after having a stroke. therefore, diagnosis largely relies on accurate electrocardiogram (ecg) monitoring. af episodes can be unpredictable and easily missed unless continuous ecg monitoring is undertaken. pacemakers can continuously record the heart's electrical activity and detect af with a high degree of confidence. however, they are invasive and rely on electrical wires implanted inside the heart, and hence less suited to be used as primary monitoring devices. to overcome these difficulties, implantable cardiac monitors (icm) have been designed to be placed under the skin. the new generation of icms can now be injected under the skin. moreover, they connect with the patient's smartphone and transmit recordings. despite these significant improvements, their ability to reliably capture af has never been tested against pacemakers. the aim of this project is to study the performance of the two commonly used icms in detecting af episodes and explore how the new connectivity can empower patients and improve patient care. the investigators plan to inject an icm in 30 patients with af and pre-existing pacemaker. after a period of 6 months, the investigators will compare how many episodes were detected in each device. with the information collected the investigators will try to understand the pitfalls in the current technology and develop strategies to improve it. accurate, minimally invasive long-term ecg monitor can have far reaching benefits for patients, both in routine clinical practice and research.

Eligibility criteria:
inclusion criteria: * participant is willing and able to give informed consent for participation in the trial. * male or female. * aged 18 years or above. * history of paroxysmal and persistent af. * dual-chamber pacemaker, implantable cardioverter defibrillator (icd) or cardiac resynchronisation therapy (crt) device with a functioning atrial lead, able to record electrograms and remote monitoring. exclusion criteria: * diagnosis of permanent af. * contra-indications for implantable cardiac monitor. * unable to comply with the follow-up schedule.

Keywords: confirm rx reveal linq
diurnal changes of the cornea - a pilot study

Conditions: Astigmatism

Summary: aim of this study is to gain a better understanding of the diurnal changes of the cornea to improve toric iol power calculations.

higher patient expectations concerning unaided visual acuity after cataract surgery has led to an increase in use of toric intraocular lenses (toric iols) for the correction of corneal astigmatism. although it was shown that toric iols significantly reduce astigmatism, there is still some difficulty in predicting the remaining astigmatism correctly. the main source of error appears to be the pre-operative measurement of the cornea. however, it is questionable, if this error derives from a measurement error due to the imprecise measurement technique, or natural diurnal changes of the cornea. additionally, measurements of the cornea pose several challenges: different corneal biometry devices cannot be used interchangeably and it is difficult to decide, which device is measuring the cornea correctly as there is no gold standard. especially, in eyes with small corneal astigmatism the error increases. recently it was shown that the astigmatism meridian was on median 9° off for corneas with 1.0d of astigmatism and only 4° for corneas with 2.0d of astigmatism. similar findings were observed by shammas et al. norrby furthermore showed that 5% of all corneas show more than 0.5d of fluctuations between measurements at different (post-operative) time-points. the reasons are not explored, but diurnal changes, temperature and humidity potentially influencing the tear film, as well as pupil size and asphericity of the cornea could play a role. read and collins observed diurnal changes of corneal radii within 24 hours, but in their study only young healthy volunteers were included and only one measurement device (scheimpflug imaging, pentacam hr) was used. lau and pye and shen et al. measured the diurnal changes of the cornea, but no data concerning corneal radii were reported. harper et al. observed diurnal changes of the central corneal thickness. however, none of these studies investigated on diurnal changes of the corneal radii in the elderly population. aim of this study is to gain a better understanding of the diurnal changes of the cornea to improve toric iol power calculations.

Eligibility criteria:
inclusion criteria: * 21 years, or above * signed informed consent exclusion criteria: * ophthalmic diseases such as significant macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, etc.
the development and evaluation of an "e-visit" program for the management of acne

Conditions: Acne Vulgaris

Summary: the purpose of this study is to test the efficacy, timeliness, and user satisfaction of an online "e-visit" application that uses store-and-forward technology for acne patients requiring dermatologic care for their condition. hypotheses: 1. that an "e-visit" is an effective alternative to in-person clinic care for patients with mild to severe facial acne. 2. that providers and patients will be satisfied with this model. 3. that mean wait times for new and return visits will be reduced through the "e-visit" model. 4. that this prototype for care will improve clinic workflow, offer additional patient access, and allow urgent cases to be seen earlier.

across the united states, a geographically mal-distributed workforce of dermatologists exists, a problem that is projected to worsen. patient access to dermatologic care is threatened. the dermatology workforce shortage has resulted in long wait times for patients, especially new patient visits and acute care cases. teledermatology has received much attention as a solution to the preceding problems. teledermatology can reduce the burden of repeat office visits in chronic conditions by facilitating care from home. in this trial, a model incorporating store-and-forward technology is tested in general clinics while its impact on clinical outcomes, satisfaction, and wait times are studied. comparison: after consent, study subjects are assigned a unique study number and randomly assigned to one of two groups: group 1- the first group of subjects will have four (4) in-office visits spaced six weeks apart. group 2- the second group will have four (4) "e-visits" spaced six weeks apart. at the end of study (after completion of 5th visit overall) all participants will complete a satisfaction survey.

Eligibility criteria:
inclusion criteria: * age 12 or older * diagnosis of mild to severe facial acne * access to a credit card * access to an internet connection and a computer * ability to image self * ma blue cross/ blue shield coverage exclusion criteria: * non-english speaking individuals * patients taking accutane for their acne * impaired physical ability to image self * impaired cognitive ability

Keywords: acne telemedicine dermatology
partner recruitment and brief intervention pilot study

Conditions: Alcohol Abuse

Summary: purpose of the study: this is a pilot randomized controlled trial to identify methods of involving underage youth in interventions to reduce alcohol use through the primary health care system. the trial will compare the effectiveness of using an onsite behavioral health specialist for screening, intervention and referral with basic written information and staff recommendations typically provided in primary care offices.

there will be approximately 3-5 sites who will participate in this study. these sites may include two private practices in roxboro and creedmoor, north carolina, the duke hospital and two practices in the five county region of nc who are implementing integrated, collaborative, accessible, respectful, and evidence-based (icare). in each clinic one day of the week (or 2 half days) will be chosen randomly from the days the clinic identifies as appropriate. during this time a behavioral health specialist (bhs) will be on site to recruit potential participants. all patients will be asked to speak to the specialist. on two other randomly selected days printed material will be given to all parents of underage patients and the underage patients. this material will describe the study and give the specialist's contact information. if the patients are 18 to 21 years old the material will be given directly to the patient. the bhs will ask all interested participants to sign the informed consent/minor consent and one parent/legal guardian will be asked to counter sign the informed consent if subject is not 18 years of age yet. all participants signing informed consent will be given the crafft and the partner basic information questions in an interview with the specialist. the primary outcome measure will be the number of participants recruited per day by the on site bhs versus appointment recruitment method. in addition, the total number of clinic visits for patients' ages 14 to 21 years old on each day of the week will be totaled by age, gender and ethnicity to determine the penetration rates for the recruitment procedures. and lastly, medical records at the treatment referral sites will be checked to identify the number of participants referred. the study will recruit subjects at each site for approximately last six months.

Eligibility criteria:
inclusion criteria: ages 12 through 20. exclusion criteria: none

Keywords: screening brief intervention
kl-6 protein as a biomarker of lung injury in viral bronchiolitis

Conditions: Acute Viral Bronchiolitis

Summary: serum kl-6 protein has been described as a biomarker of epithelial lung injury in respiratory syncytial virus bronchiolitis. the investigators can imagine that epithelial injury intensity has consequences on immediate and later respiratory prognosis. furthermore, this prognosis seems to be different according to the respiratory causative virus. the investigators propose to study, during an epidemic season, the correlation between kl-6 levels and clinical severity, and the type of viral infection.

prospective, monocentric, case-control and transversal study primary end-point: correlation between serum kl-6 level and severity of the bronchiolitis, evaluated by a clinical scoring system established at the time of the admission in paediatric emergency unit secondary end-points: respiratory virus detected by eia and rt-pcr, phylogenetic study of rhinovirus, length of hospitalisation, immediate morbidity and mortality, risk of asthma at the age of three years old.

Eligibility criteria:
inclusion criteria: * cases: inaugural acute bronchiolitis in infant aged under 1 year; bronchiolitis is defined by rhinorrhea and/or cough, dyspnea, associated with clinical or radiological distension, wheezing or crackling or brake expiratory. * controls: infant aged under 1 year with blood sample test performed for a non-infectious disease (preoperative assessment) exclusion criteria: * cases: bronchopulmonary dysplasia, prematurity, cystic fibrosis, immunodeficiency, primary ciliary dyskinesia, congenital cardiopathy, use of corticotherapy the week between inclusion * controls: infectious documented disease, respiratory symptoms

Keywords: calcineurin bronchiolitis epithelial lung injury rhinovirus respiratory syncytial virus asthma
cognitive impairement in frontotemporal dementia

Conditions: Frontotemporal Degeneration; Progressive Supranuclear Palsy; Multiple System Atrophy

Summary: this is an observational study that aims to better understand the genetic causes of frontotemporal degeneration (ftd), multiple systems atrophy (msa), and progressive supranuclear palsy (psp). it is hoped the information gathered in this study will help lead to better diagnostics and future treatments.

comparative and longitudinal studies reveal clinical differences between subgroups of patients with frontotemporal dementia (ftd), including progressive non-fluent aphasia (pnfa), semantic dementia (sd), patients with a disorder of social comportment and personality (soc), and non-aphasic patients with executive dysfunction (exec). mri studies of cortical atrophy and fmri studies show correlated neural defects in ftd subgroups. the investigators will obtain converging evidence from multiple sources to test hypotheses about the neural basis for cognitive functions such as semantic memory, grammatical processing, and social functioning in these ftd subgroups, while improving clinical care for these patients. recent studies have linked progressive supra nuclear palsy (psp) and multiple systems atrophy (msa) to ftd. the investigators will obtain comparable neuropsychological and biomarker data in order to compare these patient groups.

Eligibility criteria:
inclusion criteria: * individuals who have been diagnosed with ftd, psp, and msa exclusion criteria: * individuals under 18 years of age * people with pacemakers or certain metallic implants * pregnant women
supportive measures in treatment of aluminum phosphide poisoning

Conditions: Detection of Different Prognostic Factors and Their Relation With the Outcome; Using New Protocol to Prove the Role of N-acetyl Cysteine and Adequate Supportive Measures in Aluminum Phosphide Poisoning

Summary: aluminum phosphide poisoning (alp) is a global public health problem, and self-poisoning accounts for one-third of the world's suicide rate. in fact, in some parts of developing countries, pesticide poisoning causes more deaths than infection. alp is very common in our government and the prognosis of the cases is usually so bad. toxicity by alp is caused by the liberation of phosphine gas, which causes cell hypoxia due to inhibition of oxidative phosphorylation leading to circulatory failure.

aluminum phosphide poisoning is a major problem, accounting for many emergency unit visits and hospitalization, the incidence of aluminum phosphide poisoning increasing in the last few years. alp is used as pesticides for many years to protect grains in stores and during its transportation. the availability of these tablets and their low cost make it an easy and common method of suicide in our country with the increasing incidence of social and financial problems that face the youth. in management, the main objective is to provide effective oxygenation, ventilation, and circulation until phosphine is excreted. all patients of severe alp poisoning require continuous invasive hemodynamic monitoring and early resuscitation with fluid and vasoactive agents. n- acetylcysteine as an antioxidant and cytoprotective agent reduces myocardial oxidative injury and increase survival time. magnesium sulfate helps in scavenging free radicals through glutathione (gsh) recovery hence is effective as a parenteral antioxidant in this poisoning as well as has been tried for its general membrane stabilizing effect in cardiac cells . death after 24 hours occurs usually owing to shock, cardiac arrhythmia, metabolic acidosis, and acute respiratory distress syndrome.

Eligibility criteria:
inclusion criteria: * all the cases with the primary diagnosis of aluminum phosphide toxicity will be included in the study. * willing and able to comply with the study procedures and provide written informed consent to participate in the study. exclusion criteria: * patients with a history of any chronic disease (renal and hepatic). * patients refuse to participate in the study. * aged less than 18 years

Keywords: aluminum phosphide n-acetylcystein assiut prognostic factors
musical attention control and executive function training for adults with mdd

Conditions: Major Depressive Disorder; Cognitive Dysfunction; Suicide

Summary: the investigators have developed music-based cognitive training sessions derived from neurologic music therapy (nmt) techniques. the music-based cognitive training sessions will address areas of attention and executive function, which appear to progress over time and worsen as an individual experiences more episodes of depression. the aim of this pilot is to test 8-weeks of music-based cognitive training to improve cognitive function among adults with major depressive disorder.

major depressive disorder (mdd) is a lifelong condition and is the leading cause of disability in the world. mdd is a multifaceted mood disorder and due to its complex nature, this mental health diagnosis affects emotional, behavioural, and cognitive processing. cognitive dysfunction appears to progress over time and worsens as the individual experiences more episodes of depression. because of this, it is critical to continue to investigate and formulate effective treatment that can target and improve not only depressive symptoms, but also address overall cognitive function. thus, the investigators propose implementing music-based cognitive training derived from neurologic music therapy (nmt) techniques to address cognitive dysfunction experienced by adults diagnosed with mdd. music-based interventions, specifically from the nmt approach have been shown to physically change the human brain when working on cognition in areas of attention and executive function, however little is known of these applications with adults with mdd. the aim of this pilot is to test 8-weeks of music-based cognitive training to improve cognitive function among adults with mdd.

Eligibility criteria:
inclusion criteria: * clinical diagnosis of mdd meeting the diagnostic and statistical manual diploma in social medicine (dsm-v) criteria * experiencing suicidal ideation in the past week (beck scale for suicide ideation \>10) * have received more than 12 sessions of psychotherapy * stable medication use \> 4 weeks * ability to undergo music-based cognitive training sessions in english * capable of giving informed consent exclusion criteria: * the presence of cognitive impairment that would limit consent or understanding of neurologic music therapy * the presence of active psychosis * the presence of mood and suicidal symptom severity requiring immediate treatment * hearing impairment * participation in music therapy 6 months prior to study * private music lessons for a period of 1 year prior to study * unwilling or unable to provide informed consent

Keywords: music-based intervention cognition depression