Current ACLS guidelines call for exchange of CC provider every 2 minutes to prevent fatigue. The objective of this study is to test the hypothesis that the quality of chest compressions (CC) will improve if the provider giving chest compressions is not exchanged every 2 minutes. Furthermore, the study will call for chest compression provider to be supported by blood pressure readings from an arterial line inserted prior to chest compressions. The arterial line will display the pressure results from the individually adjusted CC under well-staffed and high-tech-environmental conditions.

The purpose of this study is to measure the potential benefits and the safety of pirfenidone compared to placebo (a safe, inactive substance) in subjects with IPF.

This study will include about 500 IPF subjects from approximately 100 centers in countries around the world. Subjects in the study will receive either pirfenidone (2403 mg every day) or placebo capsules (a safe, inactive substance that will look the same as the pirfenidone capsules). Both the placebo and pirfenidone will be supplied in opaque, hard, white gelatin capsules that are visually indistinguishable and will be taken as 3 capsules by mouth, 3 times a day (a total of 9 capsules per day) and should be taken with food.

This study is investigating a new behavioral swallowing therapy for patients treated for cancers of the head and neck who have received maximum benefit from traditional behavioral swallowing therapy.

You will need to participate in a series of screening tests in order to proceed to the experimental swallowing therapy portion of the study including a chest exam, a cognitive screening, and an x-ray swallow study.

The swallowing studies will take approximately 30 minutes. If you qualify for the treatment portion of the study, there will be two sessions a week for 4 weeks for a total of 8 sessions. Each swallow therapy session will last approximately one hour. Your total study duration will be 12 weeks including the follow-up swallowing study.

The experimental portion of this study includes a new method of training your breathing and swallowing pattern. The goal of the therapy is to improve your swallowing, but this method has not been tested in any known studies. You will undergo 8 weeks of training and attend two one-hour sessions each week.

Compass 2. Studying the use of bosentan in addition to revatio. Patients must be on a stable dose of revation for a minimum of 90 days. Patients have a 50/50 chance of receiving active bosentan or placebo. Patients must be diagnosed with pulmonary arterial hypertension though a confirmatory right heart catheterization. Patients with clinical worsening have the opportunity to be placed on active medication if deemed appropriate.

Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency (Alpha-1) is a hereditary condition that is passed on from parents to their children through genes. This condition may result in serious lung disease in adults and/or liver disease in infants, children and adults.
Alpha-1 occurs when there is a severe lack of a protein in the blood called alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) that is mainly produced by the liver. The main function of AAT is to protect the lungs from inflammation caused by infection and inhaled irritants such as tobacco smoke.
The low level of AAT in the blood occurs because the AAT is abnormal and cannot be released from the liver at the normal rate. This leads to a build up of abnormal AAT in the liver that can cause liver disease. Finding out the test results early may affect the onset and progression of the disease.

The Alpha-1 Coded Testing (ACT) Study offers free and confidential finger stick testing for Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency. The test can be completed at home and results are mailed to the participant's home. This test is available through a research study, the Alpha-1 Coded Testing (ACT) Study. The Study investigates people's thoughts and feelings about the risks and benefits associated with learning genetic information. Anyone over age 18 can request to be tested. Participants or the participant's guardian must sign a consent form, fill in a questionnaire, and allow for recontact in the future. Full details are available in the consent form.

The Alpha-1 Research Registry is a confidential database of individuals with Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency (Alpha-1) or a carrier phenotype. Alpha-1 is a genetic disorder associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and liver disease. The goal of the Registry is to facilitate Alpha-1 research by providing investigators with a group of Alphas and carriers willing to consider participation in research. Because the clinical, basic science and epidemiological research agenda in Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency is moving at a rapid pace, patient participation in research has never been more critical than it is today. Since Alpha-1 is a rare disease, the ability to contact a large number of Alphas increases the likelihood of research in Alpha-1 and the Registry's desirability as a study tool. Your participation aids us in the common goal to find a cure for Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE?
Membership in the Alpha-1 Research Registry is currently open to individuals with Alpha1-Antitrypsin Deficiency (AAT Deficiency or Alpha-1) and to carriers of the alpha1-antitrypsin (AAT) gene. Individuals unsure of their Alpha status should consider free confidential testing through the Alpha Coded Testing Trial.

If you know you have Alpha-1 or are a carrier of the AAT gene but do not know your phenotype (the individual letters of the Alpha-1 genes), the Registry staff is happy to speak with you and facilitate phenotyping if necessary.