Clinical trials

Understanding mechanisms of mucus clearance from the airways may lead to treatments in muco-obstructive lung conditions. Mucociliary clearance (MCC) scans are a way to measure the rate at which a person's lungs can clear inhaled particles. Through a single-arm pilot study in participants with primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD), the investigators will evaluate the effect of exercise as a way to increase clearance through a mechanism called gas liquid transport (GLT) where the faster flow of air through the lungs during exercise is able to clear more particles. The investigators will repeat MCC measures with exercise after administering hypertonic saline (HS) to evaluate the effects of mucus hydration on both GLT and cough clearance (CC). Aim 1. To quantify non-ciliary, non-cough mechanisms of mucus clearance (i.e., GLT) in PCD through an MCC protocol that introduces a standardized exercise intervention after isotope delivery. Aim 2. To evaluate whether exercise-induced GLT and/or CC are responsive to hydrator intervention, using a short acting bronchodilator with 7% HS prior to isotope delivery followed by MCC with exercise intervention.

The purpose of this activity is to identify promising cannabis warning messages from different themes. Participants will be adults who live in the United States, including both people who use cannabis and those who do not use cannabis. In an online within-subjects experiment, participants will be randomly assigned to view 7 cannabis warning messages from different themes developed as part of previous study activities. After viewing each cannabis warning message, participants will rate the message on awareness, clarity, believability, cognitive elaboration, perceived message effectiveness, and reactance. The survey will take 15-20 minutes.

The purpose of this study is to look at lung ventilation in people with cystic fibrosis over time (1 year) using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with an inhaled contrast gas, and compare these measures to lung function assessed by spirometry and multiple breath nitrogen washout. This study also looks at how these measures change in response to a pulmonary exacerbation and treatment (if applicable). Over the span of a year, participants would be asked to complete 3-5 visits to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC). with each lasting up to 4 hours. If participants do not have a pulmonary exacerbation during the year they would be asked to complete 3 visits (one at enrollment, a second roughly 2 weeks later, and the third approximately a year later). If participants do experience a CF pulmonary exacerbation they would complete 5 visits (Visit 1, Visit 2, two exacerbation visits with one before treatment and the other after, and Visit 3 at one year after Visit 1). Only one exacerbation per participant will be tracked. Participants are eligible for this study if they are 18 years old or older, have Cystic Fibrosis (CF) with mild lung disease (FEV1 \>/= 60%), and can undergo an MRI. There are no known benefits for participating in this study.

This study capitalizes on the emerging technology of 19F MRI, using conventional 'thermally' polarized perfluorinated gas (perfluoropropane, or PFP) mixed with oxygen and studied with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to visualize ventilation. This technique has not been studied in children. Children and adolescents (6-17 years old) with cystic fibrosis (CF) who have normal spirometry will undergo 19F MRI with the inhalation of an inert contrast gas to study ventilation. Comparisons will be made to a cohort of healthy children (6-17 years old) who will perform the same measures. The primary outcome measure is the feasibility of conducting these studies in the pediatric population. Parallel performance of multiple breath nitrogen washout (MBW) and spirometry will be used to compare the sensitivity of these outcomes to the presence of mild lung disease in these children. Finally, the investigators will compare data obtained during standard breath holds with a novel "free-breathing" technique that will eliminate the need for breath holds during MRI acquisition.

The purpose of this study is to measure the level of medicines found in body fluids such as blood, urine, spinal fluid of children.

The goal of this study is to examine what type of front-of-package label (FOPL) would be most effective at discouraging consumption of products high in nutrients of concern in Indonesia. The main questions this experiment aims to answer are: 1. Would nutrient warning labels be more effective at discouraging consumption of products high in nutrients of concern compared to the Nutri-Level label? 2. Would nutrient warning labels improve consumers' ability to identify unhealthy products compared to the Nutri-Level label? Additionally, this experiment also aims to determine how should nutrient warning labels be designed to most effectively discourage consumption of products high in nutrients of concern among Indonesian consumers.

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if a personalized prenatal support program \[(Personalized Toolkit Building a Comprehensive Approach to Resource optimization and Empowerment in Pregnancy \& Beyond, (PTBCARE+)\] works to lower stress and lower the risk of early delivery in pregnant individuals at high-risk for delivering preterm. The main question\[s\] it aims to answer are: * Does the PTBCARE+ patient support program lower patient-reported stress levels during pregnancy? * Does the PTBCARE+ patient support program improve biologic measures of stress during pregnancy? * Does the PTBCARE+ patient support program result in a higher chance of delivering a healthy baby at or close to full term? Researchers will compare people who participate in the PTBCARE+ patient support program to those receive usual care to see if the PTBCARE+ patient support program lowers patient-reported stress, improves biologic measures of stress, and increases the chance of delivering a healthy baby at or close to full term. Participants will be randomly assigned to receive the PTBCARE+ patient support program or usual prenatal care. All participants will be asked to: * complete 2 study visits during pregnancy - including completing electronic surveys, providing a blood and urine sample, measuring the heart rate variability by a clip or the ear or finger, and body composition evaluation using a simple scale-like device. * complete one study visit postpartum that includes completing electronic surveys, and measuring heart rate variability. Blood and urine sample collection and body composition evaluation via InBody scale are optional at the postpartum visit. People who are randomly assigned to receive the PTBCARE+ support program will receive several resources to help them during pregnancy. These things include items such as: * a stress reduction toolkit; * access to an online website that can also be downloaded as a smart phone app; * the option to receive an electronic massage while in clinic, and more. * additional support gifts provided at routine clinical appointments People who are randomly assigned to receive usual prenatal care will not receive any additional support resources from the study during pregnancy.

The purpose of this research study is to investigate how personality traits and neuroendocrine systems relate to decision-making patterns in individuals 18-45 years old. The main question it aims to answer is how neuroendocrine activity impacts decision-making. Participants will complete online behavioral tasks, a stress induction procedure, self-report surveys, and a cognitive assessment. During the session, psychophysiological measures will be collected, including electrocardiogram (ECG) and cardiac impedance (ICG) to monitor heart rate and blood flow, as well as electrodermal activity (EDA), blood drop samples, and saliva collection to assess nervous system activity.

The proposed study will enroll parent-child pairs and is designed to obtain new knowledge and improve hypospadias care. Parent-child pairs will be randomized into different groups over 36 months and participate for at least 6 months.

The goal of this clinical trial is to develop non-invasive brain stimulation targets for the treatment of apathy, or motivation problems, in Parkinson Disease. The main questions the study aims to answer are: 1. Does transcranial magnetic stimulation change effort task performance in Parkinson's Disease patients? 2. Is there a link between brain signals and apathy? Participants will * complete questionnaires and assessments * perform an effort task * have their brain activity recorded (EEG) * receive non-invasive brain stimulation (TMS) Researchers will compare two stimulation locations (experimental site and control site) to see if TMS of the experimental site has an effect on apathy. Participants will receive stimulation of both sites (during separate visits).

The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of real-time gait biofeedback delivered over a 6-week period on early markers of FastOA and conduct 6-week and 6-month follow-up assessments in anterior cruciate ligament reconstructed patients.

The overall short-term goals of this project include the following: 1) identify the genes that are key to the function of respiratory cilia to protect the normal lung; and 2) the effects of genetic mutations that adversely affect ciliary function and cause primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD), which results in life-shortening lung disease. The long-term goal of this project is to develop better understanding of the underlying genetic variability that adversely modifies ciliary function, and predisposes to common airway diseases, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

The purpose of this study is to primarily assess the feasibility and secondarily assess the efficacy of a single session intervention (SSI) that combines non-invasive brain stimulation and psychotherapy for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). investigators will recruit 30 people with MDD, with at least mild to moderate symptoms, who are resistant to typical treatments for Major Depressive Disorder. In this trial, participants will receive psychotherapy, Intermittent Theta Burst Stimulation Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (iTBS), and either active or sham (placebo) Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS).

This study is designed to test the preliminary efficacy of a three-stage continuous glucose monitor (CGM) integration program for older adults who are taking insulin. This study will learn if a three-stage CGM integration program ("intervention") that includes sessions focused on CGM technology skills, data skills, and lifestyle skills impacts CGM wear-time, glycemic metrics, and participant-reported outcomes, compared to two standard CGM training approaches ("comparators"). Following a screening visit and baseline data collection, participants will be randomized to either the intervention or one of the two comparator arms for 6 weeks. The intervention involves three educational sessions over 4 weeks. The first session will be in-person and subsequent sessions will be virtual. Participants in the intervention may receive 1-2 additional individualized training sessions to review CGM skills. The first comparator (Comparator A) will receive a one-time clinic-based CGM training. The second comparator (Comparator B) will be provided with a comprehensive informational pamphlet about CGM. All participants will complete outcomes data collection at 6 weeks. The study will also explore participant experiences through a series of semi-structured interviews with a subset of purposively selected participants and their care partners to identify opportunities for scaling the intervention to a broader population. An extension phase of the study will evaluate long-term CGM use and associated outcomes 3- and 6-months post-intervention. Lastly, we will run an additional small sub-study where consented care partners of participants will attend the intervention or comparator sessions alongside the study participant and provide care partner-specific data.

The goal of this clinical trial is to compare using ultrasound imaging to look at the position of the gastrostomy tube (GT) against fluoroscopic imaging in pediatric patients who had a recent GT tube replacement. The main questions it aims to answer are: * If ultrasound is just as accurate as fluoroscopy to assess the GT position. * If ultrasound takes less time than fluoroscopy to assessing the GT position. Participants will be imaging using ultrasound to assess GT positioning before their standard of care fluoroscopic imaging.

The purpose of this research study is to determine how training to step with a metronome on both a treadmill, as well as overground, will influence the way that people with Parkinson disease walk. Using metronomes is commonly used in clinics, but the investigators will be using a combination of slow and fast frequencies to alter the way that people walk. The use of a slower frequency metronome on the treadmill is intended to help participants take larger steps. The use of a faster frequency metronome while walking overground is intended to help participants take faster steps.This will take place over 12 training sessions. Each session will be about an hour. It will include some walking tests and pictures of the brain (using MRI) before and after training.

The goal of this clinical trial is to investigate the safety and effectiveness of cochlear implantation in infants and toddlers with single-sided deafness. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Are cochlear implants an effective treatment of single-sided deafness in infants and toddlers? * Are cochlear implants a safe treatment for single-sided deafness in infants and toddlers? Participants will receive a cochlear implant and be followed until they are five years old. During those five years, the investigators will program the device and monitor auditory development. Children will be asked to: * Undergo cochlear implantation * Wear their cochlear implant processor whenever they are awake. * Participate in traditional hearing tests * Participate in traditional hearing testing * Participate in localization testing * Participate in hearing in noise testing * Participate in word recognition testing * Participate in speech, language, and educational evaluations The researchers will compare results to children with typical hearing in both ears and children with single-sided deafness who have not received an implant to observe any differences between the groups.

Purpose: The primary objective of this study is to assess the diagnostic accuracy of an AI-enabled ultrasound tool for estimating fetal weight Participants: 1,000 pregnant individuals Procedures (methods): This prospective diagnostic accuracy study will enroll 1,000 pregnant individuals within one week of anticipated delivery. At a single visit, each participant will undergo two ultrasound assessments: (1) standardized sweeps for AI analysis (performed by both specialist and nonspecialist users), (2) specialist-performed fetal biometry.

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if a culturally-adapted intervention can improve cardiovascular health in American Indian women. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Can this intervention realistically work for American Indian women? * Do American Indian women find the intervention acceptable? * Does the intervention help improve cardiovascular health in American Indian women? Researchers will compare the intervention group to a control group (a group that does not receive the intervention) to see whether the cardiovascular health of the intervention group improves. Participants will: * Attend 3 data collections over 3 months. * Be randomly assigned to either the intervention group or a control group. * (Intervention group participants) attend 8 weekly classes.

Purpose: To assess the safety and tolerability of a single dose of IAP086 in persons with HIV suppressed on stable ART Participants: 30 people from UNC within 18 to 70years of age. People with HIV on ART with plasma HIV-1 RNA \< 50 copies/mL for 12 months prior to screening. Procedures (methods): The participant's standard of care ART regimen is continued throughout the study period. This study requires an overnight stay in a research unit. During the overnight stay, participants will receive a single infusion (medicine given slowly through a vein in their arm) of IAP086 and be monitored for 24 hours. Each later participant receives IAP086 at the same or a higher dose decided in advance. The dose will increase as more participants receive IAP086 without concerning side effects. Study visits also occur 2, 3, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days after the study drug is given. Study procedures include review of the medical history, physical exams, and blood draws.

The study seeks to examine how characters on packaging and warning labels affect purchase intentions and risk perception among children aged 12 to 17 in Colombia and, examine whether characters' presence weakens or reduces the perceived message effectiveness of the warning labels' impact. This will be a 2x2 between-subjects experiment manipulating presence or absence of characters and presence or absence of warning labels. Participants will be randomly assigned to 1 of 4 conditions in an online survey programmed in Qualtrics.

A prospective randomized trial measuring physiologic biometrics and perceptions of stress during a pediatric dental exam, cleaning, and simulated radiographs with or without a therapy dog present.

The investigators are studying how speech is effected by jaw and tooth position in jaw surgery patients. Eighty percent of our jaw surgery patients have speech pathologies, compared to five percent of the general population, but speech pathologists do not understand why. The investigators hypothesize that open bites and underbites prevent most patients from being able to pronounce words normally and surgical correction will lead to improvement in speech. Patients will be audio recorded speaking and patients' tongue gestures ultrasound recorded before and after their jaw surgeries to observe what changes occur in their speech and tongue movements.

This is a prospective, cross-sectional observational study designed to evaluate the Pediatric Sleep Questionnaire (PSQ) as a screening tool for sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) risk in a pediatric dental setting. Children aged 8-13 years will be classified as low- or high-risk for SDB based on PSQ scores and compared using physiologic sleep parameters obtained from a wearable, FDA-cleared home sleep monitoring device, alongside psychosocial assessments and craniofacial measurements derived from lateral cephalometric radiographs. Findings will inform the feasibility and accuracy of incorporating validated SDB screening into routine pediatric dental care.

The purpose of this study is to pilot the delivery of an mHealth intervention for caregivers to young people with early psychosis within a network of early psychosis intervention programs in the state of North Carolina. The investigators will examine the feasibility of recruitment through program outreach, develop North Carolina specific outreach resources to be used with the mHealth intervention and evaluate the effectiveness of this intervention for reducing caregiver psychological morbidity and improving family communication. The investigators will also collect pilot data to inform recruitment and development of implementation strategies for delivering Bolster within a statewide early psychosis network.