Other Chemicals and Drugs Commons^™

Risk Factors And Trends In Antimicrobial Susceptibility Patterns In Strains Of Neisseria Gonorrhoeae Following Changes In The Cdc Sexually Transmitted Disease (Std) Treatment Guidelines – United States, 2012-2018, Niketta A. Womack

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Antimicrobial resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae (N. gonorrhoeae) has become a major global public health concern in the 21st century. Surveillance activities are essential in identifying risk factors in priority populations. The purpose of this study was to identify risk factors associated with and trends in antimicrobial susceptibility patterns in N. gonorrhoeae strains identified through the Gonococcal Isolate Surveillance Project (GISP). A study sample of 37,157 men was evaluated to measure adherence to changes in CDC’s STD treatment guidelines in 2012 and 2015. Data were analyzed to measure associations between independent and dependent variables by conducting bivariate and logistic regression …

Synthesis Of Glycopharmaceuticals For The Treatment Of Microbial Sepsis, Nicholas Forsythe, Alexei Demchenko, Catherine Alex

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Carbohydrates (glycans) form the basis of all living organisms and, consequently, are ubiquitous both in nature as biologically active compounds and in medicine as pharmaceuticals. One important application of carbohydrate-based drugs (glycopharmaceuticals) is the treatment of microbial sepsis, an acute illness that causes 100,000+ human deaths annually in the US alone. Exposure of the patient’s blood system to E. coli bacteria causes a massive, and often fatal, immune response. One important cellular receptor that senses the bacterium and is critically involved in triggering the immune response is CD14. Significant efforts by our team and others have been made to develop …

Effects Of E-Cigarette Vapor On Zebrafish Cell Regeneration And Wound Healing, Alyssa A. Grismer, Jenna E. Pumneo, Brian Bagatto

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

In regards to wound healing, smoking traditional tobacco cigarettes is known to have negative effects on wound healing (Akoz, 2002). An increased risk of skin necrosis has been observed in patients who smoke throughout the surgical process (Akoz, 2002). It is known that nicotine, whether introduced through inhalation or intravenously, leads to peripheral skin vasoconstriction (Akoz, 2002). The full physiological effects of e-cigarettes are not known and research is being done to improve our understanding on the effects that these products may have on our bodies. This research is intended for that purpose. Zebrafish have recently been used as a …

Reward-Related Effects Of Amphetamines Administered By Electronic Cigarette, Lucas Wohler

Theses and Dissertations

While e-cigarette vaporizers are primarily used for the delivery of nicotine, they can also be used to administer a wide range of other substances of abuse including stimulants such as d-amphetamine and methamphetamine. Methamphetamine and prescription amphetamines are widely abused throughout the United States and across the world leading us to believe there may be abuse potential with vaping methamphetamine as vaping becomes increasingly popular. In the present study, methamphetamine and amphetamine vapor were assessed using vapor capture methods. The vapor samples were then analyzed using liquid chromatography mass spectroscopy (LC-MS). Three experiments were carried out to examine the abuse …

A Multivariable Model Of Parent Satisfaction, Pain, And Opioid Administration In A Pediatric Emergency Department, Candice D. Donaldson, Thomas W. Heyming, Louis Ehwerhemuepha, Brooke N. Jenkins, Michelle A. Fortier, William Feaster, Zeev N. Kain

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Introduction: Children and adolescents are not impervious to the unprecedented epidemic of opioid misuse in the United States. In 2016 more than 88,000 adolescents between the ages of 12–17 reported misusing opioid medication, and evidence suggests that there has been a rise in opioid-related mortality for pediatric patients. A major source of prescribed opioids for the treatment of pain is the emergency department (ED). The current study sought to assess the complex relationship between opioid administration, pain severity, and parent satisfaction with children’s care in a pediatric ED.

Methods: We examined data from a tertiary pediatric care facility. A health …

Opioid Use Disorder: The Timeline For Medication Assisted Therapy, Alexander Cristofori

Capstone Showcase

Opioid Use Disorder is patterns of opioid use leading to withdrawal, giving up important life events in order to use opioids, and excessive time spent using opioids, to name a few diagnostic criteria. The clinical progression of the disorder involves periods of acute exacerbation and remission that are cyclic in nature. Treatment is most effective when it includes both pharmacological and psychosocial modalities, referred to as medication assisted therapy (MAT). Three drugs used commonly in MAT-based treatment for OUD from oldest to newest include Methadone, Buprenorphine-naloxone, and Naltrexone. Treatment program models that prioritize total abstinence from the addictive substance attached …

Oral Chemotherapy: Safe Handling In The Home, Cynthia Huff

DNP Qualifying Manuscripts

Background: According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (2016), oral anticancer agents (OAC) are hazardous drugs (HD) and require the same safe handling interventions in the home setting as in controlled health care environments. The use of a safe handling checklist for OAC administration is a way nurses can provide safe handling education to patients and caregivers and assess for understanding and competency for critical tasks. Effective home management strategies outlining caregiver protections, proper storage, administration of OACs, spill clean-up, and waste disposal could reduce exposure risks to toxic agents.

Objective: To present a safe-handling checklist …

Maternal Prenatal Cortisol Programs The Infant Hypothalamic–Pituitary–Adrenal Axis, Jessica L. Irwin, Amy L. Meyering, Gage Peterson, Laura M. Glynn, Curt A. Sandman, Laurel M. Hicks, Elysia Poggi Davis

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

One of the key proposed agents of fetal programming is exposure to maternal glucocorticoids. Experimental animal studies provide evidence that prenatal exposure to elevated maternal glucocorticoids has consequences for hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis functioning in the offspring. There are very few direct tests of maternal glucocorticoids, such as cortisol, during human pregnancy and associations with infant cortisol reactivity. The current study examined the link between maternal prenatal cortisol trajectories and infant cortisol reactivity to the pain of inoculation in a sample of 152 mother-infant (47.4% girls) pairs. The results from the current study provide insight into fetal programming of the infant …

Illicit Substance Use In Acute Care Hospitals: Creating A Safe Environment, Christina Sanford

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Problem: In January 2019, a medium-sized acute care hospital in Northern California reported new safety concerns related to patients using illicit substances in the hospital.

Context: Leaving the hospital AMA is an increasing problem in acute care hospitals among patients who use illicit substances, with a rate of 25% to 30% (Ti & Ti, 2015). Grewal et al. (2015) conducted a study of over 1,000 illicit substance users who had experienced a hospitalization, where 43.9% reported use of illicit substances while in the hospital.

Intervention: The project was the creation, implementation, testing, and evaluation of multiple interventions to improve …

The Life-Saving Drug That No One Knows About: Naloxone Education And The Health Belief Model, Sarah Tilford

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Naloxone hydrochloride, popularly known by the brand name Narcan, is an emergency treatment used to reverse an overdose on opioid drugs. The CDC reports upwards of 26,000 individuals saved by naloxone between 1996 and 2014 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015). Despite this success rate, those outside of the medical field largely remain unaware of what naloxone is or how they can use it in an emergency, leading to needless loss of life. Many studies focusing on naloxone access and education have been unable to offer findings meant to increase the use and ownership of the drug by lay …

Genetic Variation And Sex Mediate Differential Responses To ∆-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Among Inbred Mice, Cory Parks

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

The plant Cannabis sativa has been used by people for both recreational and medicinal use for thousands of years, but scientific investigation of the plant and its components didn’t begin until the early nineteen hundreds when Cannabis components known as phytocannabinoids were characterized and later isolated. In the 1970’s, ∆9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) was isolated and recognized as the major constituent responsible for the psychoactive and intoxicating effects associated with consumption of cannabis. This opened the door for intensive research in the field that lead to the discovery of the endogenous cannabinoid system and its associated receptors, effectors of signaling, and biosynthetic …

Postoperative Retroperitoneal Hematoma: A Case Of Saw Palmetto And The Importance Of Primary Care Intervention, Seetha Venkateswaran, Ricardo Declet-Bauzo, Michael Shodeinde, Patricia Gilford

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

Introduction: A middle-aged male with a history of bilateral inguinal hernia repair was admitted for acute abdominal pain. The patient reported that he took prescribed hydrocodone and a saw palmetto supplement prior to surgery. He denied any recent trauma after the procedure, and he was unable to schedule a follow-up appointment with the surgeon or the primary care physician.

Clinical Findings: Diagnosis: The CT angiography of the abdomen/pelvis was indicative of new interval development of a large left retroperitoneal hematoma. Intervention: No emergent intervention was required following the evaluation by the surgery and interventional radiology (IR) departments. Outcome: There was …

Cyclosporine Shows Benefit As Compared To Methotrexate For Treatment Of Pediatric Atopic Dermatitis Refractory To Topical Medications When Rapidity Of Clinical Response Is Of Key Importance To The Patient, Connor R. Buechler, Steven Daveluy Md

Clinical Research in Practice: The Journal of Team Hippocrates

A clinical decision report appraising El-Khalawany MA, Hassan H, Shaaban D, Ghonaim N, Eassa B. Methotrexate versus cyclosporine in the treatment of severe atopic dermatitis in children: a multicenter experience from Egypt. European Journal of Pediatrics. 2012;172(3):351-356. https://doi.org10.1007/s00431-012-1893-3 for a pediatric patient with severe atopic dermatitis.

Homicide And Drug Trafficking In Impoverished Communities In Brazil, Elenice De Souza De Souza Oliveira, Braulio Figueiredo Alves Da Silva, Flavio Luiz Sapori, Gabriela Gomes Cardoso

Department of Justice Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Many studies demonstrate that homicides are heavily concentrated in impoverished neighborhoods, but not all socially disadvantaged neighborhoods are hotbeds of violence. Conducted in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, this study hypothesizes that the association between high rates of homicide and impoverished areas is influenced by the emergence of a specific type of street drug-dealing common to favelas (slums). The study applies econometric techniques to police data on homicides and drug arrests from 2008 to 2011, as well as 2010 Census data, to test its hypothesis. The findings provide insight into the development of crime prevention policies in areas of high social vulnerability.

Acute And Chronic Dosing Of A High-Affinity Rat/Mouse Chimeric Transferrin Receptor Antibody In Mice, Demi M. Castellanos, Jiahong Sun, Joshua Yang, Weijun Ou, Alexander C. Zambon, William M. Pardridge, Rachita K. Sumbria

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Non-invasive brain delivery of neurotherapeutics is challenging due to the blood-brain barrier. The revived interest in transferrin receptor antibodies (TfRMAbs) as brain drug-delivery vectors has revealed the effect of dosing regimen, valency, and affinity on brain uptake, TfR expression, and Fc-effector function side effects. These studies have primarily used monovalent TfRMAbs with a human constant region following acute intravenous dosing in mice. The effects of a high-affinity bivalent TfRMAb with a murine constant region, without a fusion partner, following extravascular dosing in mice are, however, not well characterized. Here we elucidate the plasma pharmacokinetics and safety of a high-affinity bivalent …

Effect Of High Glucose On Ocular Surface Epithelial Cell Barrier And Tight Junction Proteins, Saleh M. Alfuraih, Ashley Barbarino, Christopher Ross, Kiumars Shamloo, Vishal Jhanji, Miao Zhang, Ajay Sharma

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

PURPOSE. Patients with diabetes mellitus are reported to have ocular surface defects, impaired ocular surface barrier function, and a higher incidence of corneal and conjunctival infections. Tight junctions are critical for ocular surface barrier function. The present study was designed to investigate the effect of high glucose exposure on human corneal and conjunctival epithelial cell barrier function and tight junction proteins.

METHODS. Human corneal and conjunctival epithelial cells were exposed to 15 mM and 30 mM glucose for 24 and 72 hours. The barrier function was measured using transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER). The cell migration was quantified using scratch assay. …

Analysis Of Newspaper Coverage Of Psilocybin From January 1, 1989 To December 31, 2019, Dax Oliver

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Psilocybin is a chemical compound that has received a lot of attention from medical researchers in recent years. However, this research is not merely a medical issue but a social and political one as well. In the 1960s, psilocybin and other psychedelic compounds were widely ingested outside of clinical settings. This alarmed some of the American public, resulting in severe legal restrictions on psilocybin use and research.

Today, many psilocybin advocates hope that it will avoid the negative public sentiment of the 1960s. To help gauge public sentiment about other psychoactive compounds, some studies have examined newspaper coverage, but there …

Capsaicin Is A Negative Allosteric Modulator Of The 5-Ht3 Receptor, Eslam El Nebrisi, Tatiana Prytkova, Dietrich Ernst Lorke, Luke Howarth, Asma Hassan Alzaabi, Keun-Hang Susan Yang, Frank Christopher Howarth, Murat Oz

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

In this study, effects of capsaicin, an active ingredient of the capsicum plant, were investigated on human 5-hydroxytryptamine type 3 (5-HT₃) receptors. Capsaicin reversibly inhibited serotonin (5-HT)-induced currents recorded by two-electrode voltage clamp method in Xenopus oocytes. The inhibition was time- and concentration-dependent with an IC₅₀ = 62 μM. The effect of capsaicin was not altered in the presence of capsazepine, and by intracellular BAPTA injections or trans-membrane potential changes. In radio-ligand binding studies, capsaicin did not change the specific binding of the 5-HT₃ antagonist [³H]GR65630, indicating that it is a noncompetitive inhibitor of …

Prospects For Rnai Therapy Of Covid-19, Hasan Uludağ, Kylie Parent, Hamidreza Montazeri Aliabadi, Azita Haddadi

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

COVID-19 caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus is a fast emerging disease with deadly consequences. The pulmonary system and lungs in particular are most prone to damage caused by the SARS-CoV-2 infection, which leaves a destructive footprint in the lung tissue, making it incapable of conducting its respiratory functions and resulting in severe acute respiratory disease and loss of life. There were no drug treatments or vaccines approved for SARS-CoV-2 at the onset of pandemic, necessitating an urgent need to develop effective therapeutics. To this end, the innate RNA interference (RNAi) mechanism can be employed to develop front line therapies against …

Phosphodiesterase Isoforms And Camp Compartments In The Development Of New Therapies For Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases, Martina Schmidt, Isabella Cattani-Cavalieri, Francisco J. Nuñez, Rennolds S. Ostrom

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

The second messenger molecule 3′5′-cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) imparts several beneficial effects in lung diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). While cAMP is bronchodilatory in asthma and COPD, it also displays anti-fibrotic properties that limit fibrosis. Phosphodiesterases (PDEs) metabolize cAMP and thus regulate cAMP signaling. While some existing therapies inhibit PDEs, there are only broad family specific inhibitors. The understanding of cAMP signaling compartments, some centered around lipid rafts/caveolae, has led to interest in defining how specific PDE isoforms maintain these signaling microdomains. The possible altered expression of PDEs, and thus abnormal …