Digital Commons Network^™

Interrogating Race And Place-Based Inequities In Hiv And Covid-19, Rohan Khazanchi

MD Honors Theses

Over the last four years, I have developed a research focus examining the intersections of race, place, and health. My M.D. Honors Thesis reflects a snapshot of these efforts. In this collection of brief research reports, I leverage area-based measures to investigate structural inequities in three contexts: the HIV epidemic in our hyperlocal community, the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, and clinical trials for novel COVID-19 therapeutics. I apply novel social epidemiologic tools to measure and explore disparate outcomes. And, in reflecting upon my findings, I discuss concrete implications for clinicians, researchers, and policymakers alike.

Chapter 1: Neighborhood-Level Deprivation …

Discovery Of Ojt010 As A Novel Inhibitor Of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2, Manvir Kaur

Dissertations (2016-Present)

The current pandemic of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) caused by the highly infectious pathogen, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), represents a global public health challenge. The emergence of deadly SARS-CoV-2 variants with mutations on the viral genes has made it more imperative to discover therapeutics that target the host receptors for COVID-19 treatment. Therefore, our research has targeted the critical host entry receptors: Angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE2) for SARS-CoV-2 entry into the human cells. SARS-CoV-2 is an enveloped RNA beta coronavirus that infects human cells via interaction with the ACE2 receptor, followed by viral replication and virus dissemination. Spike protein …

Antimicrobial Stewardship On Hospital Discharge: Pharmacist Intervention On Antibiotic Prescribing Practices, Jenny Zhu, Chinh Nguyen, Brent Footer

Providence Pharmacy PGY1 Program at Providence Milwaukie and Providence Newberg Medical Centers 2022

No abstract provided.

Dalbavancin Utilization And Associated Clinical Outcomes Within A Large, Integrated Health System, Meagan Greckel, Brent Footer

Providence Pharmacy PGY2 Program at Providence Medical Group 2022

No abstract provided.

Evaluating The Impact Of A Pharmacist Run Pharmacotherapy Service On Hepatitis C Outcomes In A Large Integrated Health-System, Jessica Hendrix, Charmaine Hunt, Judy Perkins

Providence Pharmacy PGY1 Program at Providence Portland and Providence St. Vincent Medical Centers 2022

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of A Beta-Lactam Antibiotic Allergy Assessment Tool For Patients Receiving Surgical Prophylaxis, Katelynn Tran, Alyssa B Christensen, Tobias Pusch, Jennifer Marfori

Providence Pharmacy PGY1 Program at Providence Portland and Providence St. Vincent Medical Centers 2022

No abstract provided.

Patient Harm Associated With Illegal Online Sellers Of Covid- 19 Drug Products: A Year In Review, Kyla Rae Maloney

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

As the online marketplace continues to expand, more patients are turning to the internet for their needs, including COVID-19 pharmaceuticals. However, the current online marketplace is saturated with illegal sellers offering substandard and falsified (SF) products with the potential of causing harm to patients. The primary objective of this thesis is to identify documented cases of harm resulting from illegal online sale of SF COVID-19 related drug or vaccine products. This review utilizes reports by the Medicines Quality Monitoring Globe (MQM Globe) to assess patient harm associated with illegal online sales of COVID-19 marketed pharmaceuticals. This review found 28 references …

The Use Of Spectral Imaging To Reveal Inorganics And Organics Identity In The Biological Samples, Qamar Alshammari

Pharmaceutical Sciences (PhD) Dissertations

The wavelength is used to identify the exact location and quantify the number of molecules in the spectral imaging system. It aids in identifying materials and studying their quantities by examining how they interact with light. A traditional spectrometer provides spectrum information of chemical compounds, while standard imaging provides the intensity at each pixel of the image. Spectral imaging (SI) combines these two aspects by equipping intensity and spectral data for each pixel. In biomedical research, it is important to assess the inorganics/organics molecules to understand drug activity, cellular toxicity, and distribution. Using the microscopy technique, we found for the …

Retrospective Impact Of Covid-19 Pandemic On Hypertension Management In Primary Care, Carly Barnes, Jayme Johnston, Judy Wong

Providence Pharmacy PGY2 Program at Providence Medical Group 2022

No abstract provided.

Nanoparticles For Biomedical Applications, Joseph Kim

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

This thesis presents development and evaluation of the potential of three new nanoparticles for biomedical applications. With the rapid growth of the field of nanoscience, researchers have explored developing nanoparticles for various biomedical applications, including imaging, therapy, and drug delivery. This thesis demonstrates the development of two C­₆₀ fullerene based nanoparticles and one boron based nanoparticle to answer key questions related to their biological potential.

In the first part of the thesis, we describe synthesis and characterization of a pure boron nanoparticle containing asolectin phospholipid-based liposome construct prepared using a water-in-oil emulsion method, as a novel alternative agent for …

Discovery Of Ojt008 As A Novel Inhibitor Of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis, Collins Chidi Onyenaka

Dissertations (2016-Present)

Despite recent progress in the diagnosis of Tuberculosis (TB), the chemotherapeutic management of TB is still challenging. Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is the etiological agent of TB, and TB is classified as the 13th leading cause of death globally [WHO 2021]. 558,000 people were reported to develop multi-drug resistant TB globally [WHO 2020]. Our research focuses on targeting Methionine Aminopeptidase (MetAP), an essential protein for the viability of Mtb. MetAP is a metalloprotease that catalyzes the removal of N-terminal methionine (NME) during translation of protein [Giglione et al., 2003]. This essential role of MetAPs makes this enzyme an auspicious target for …

Preclinical Development Of A Novel Antileishmanial Agent Ojt007: Bioanalytical Assay, In Vitro Studies And Pharmacokinetics, Maria Eugenia Rincon-Nigro

Dissertations (2016-Present)

Current treatments for cutaneous leishmaniasis suffer from toxic side effects, high cost, parenteral administration, and drug resistance. Thus, there is a critical need to develop oral drugs for the treatment of leishmaniasis. OJT007 is a novel class of drug with potent antiproliferative effects against Leishmania Major. The purpose of this project is to conduct preclinical drug development studies for OJT007 including bioanalytical assay development, pre-formulation studies, in vitro hepatic drug metabolism and in vivo pharmacokinetics. A sensitive, specific, and reproducible ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method was developed and validated. The separation was achieved on a UPLC BEH …

Targeting Neuronal Nitric Oxide Synthase (Nnos) For Melanoma Treatment, Shirley Tong

Pharmaceutical Sciences (PhD) Dissertations

Human cutaneous melanoma is the most aggressive form of skin cancer and the incidence rates have continued to increase over the years. Neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) produces nitric oxide (NO) has been found to be overexpressed in human melanoma and the expression of nNOS is induced by interferon-gamma (IFN-γ). In our studies, nNOS has been implicated in IFN-γ-stimulated melanoma progression and the inhibition of nNOS using novel inhibitors effectively inhibited IFN-γ-stimulated tumor growth in a xenograft mouse model. Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) is overexpressed in melanoma and plays an important role in suppressing the immune system ^12-14. Our …

In Vitro Antibacterial And Antifungal Activities Of Sorindeia Madagascariensis And Albizia Harveyi Stem Barks, Paul Malaba Makoye, Sunday Mrutu, Innocent John Daniel, Mourice Nyangabo Mbunde, Joseph Sempombe, Veronica Mugoyela

Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research

The emerging multi-drug-resistant pathogens urge continuous searches for new antimicrobial agents. This study investigated the in vitro antibacterial and antifungal activities of the stem barks of two plants, Sorindeia madagascariensis and Albizia harveyi. Broth microdilution assay was used to determine the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of hydroethanolic extracts of the stem barks against selected bacteria and fungi. Both plant extracts exhibited activity against all tested microorganisms and their minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) against bacteria and fungi were from 1.67 to 5.00 mg/mL and from 1.67 to 10.00 mg/mL, respectively. This study reports the antibacterial and antifungal activities of the …

Pharmacists Provision Of Non-Dispensing Services In Health Professional Shortage Areas, Haley L. Kessinger, Emily R. Landis

ONU Student Research Colloquium

Background: Individuals living in primary care health professional shortage areas (PCHPSAs) experience health inequities. Community pharmacists are healthcare professionals with an opportunity to provide care to underserved populations. The objective of this study was to compare non-dispensing services provided by Ohio community pharmacists in PCHPSAs and non-PCHSPAs.

Methods: An electronic, IRB-approved 19-item survey was sent to all community pharmacists practicing in full PCHPSA counties and a random sample practicing in non-PCHPSA counties in Ohio (n=324). Questions assessed current provision of non-dispensing services as well as interest and barriers regarding such services.

Results: Seventy-three usable responses were received (23% response rate). …

Iron Effects On Clostridioides Difficile Toxin Production And Antimicrobial Susceptibilities, Jason Yamaki, Swati Chawla, Shirley Tong, Kate Alison Lozada, Sun Yang

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Despite the benefits of red blood cell (RBC) transfusion therapy, it can render patients vulnerable to iron overload. The excess iron deposits in various body tissues cause severe complications and organ damage such as cardiotoxicity and mold infections. Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is the most common cause of nosocomial diarrhea among cancer patients and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Our study aims to determine the role of iron overload and the effects of iron chelators on CDI. Our results demonstrated that iron (Fe³⁺) stimulated the growth of C. difficile with increased colony formation units (CFU) in …

Do We Trust The Government? Attributes Of Covid-19 Vaccine Hesitancy And Acceptance In Nigeria, Osmond C. Ekwebelem, Helen Onyeaka, Ismaeel Yunusa Ph. D., Taghi Miri, Yahwedalu M. Onwuneme, Ayeni T. Eunice, Amara Anyogu, Bright Obi, Ngwogu Ada Carol

Faculty Publications

Objectives:

A significant percentage of the population must be vaccinated to achieve herd immunity. Therefore the success of a vaccination program relies on the level of acceptance. This present study seeks to understand COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and hesitancy in Nigeria by assessing the public's willingness to get vaccinated.

Study design:

This is a population-based cross-sectional study. Data were derived through a structured online survey.

Methods:

A cross-sectional study was conducted among adult residents in Nigeria in March 2021 using a structured online questionnaire. The questionnaire surveyed participants' demographic characteristics and perception of COVID-19 and the COVID-19 vaccine. Descriptive statistics and …

Evaluation Of Protective Efficacy Of Viral Vector Based Swine Influenza Vaccine And A Method For B Cell Culture For Monoclonal Antibody Generation, Sushmita Kumari

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Influenza A virus of the swine (IAV-S) is an economically important swine pathogen that has the potential to spread to humans, thus posing an ongoing public health concern due to its zoonotic potential. Hemagglutinin (HA), the most abundant viral envelope protein, is known to be the key protective antigen. Anti-HA antibodies alone, have been shown to prevent IAV infection. In this study we evaluated the feasibility of a recombinant tri segmented Pichinde virus (PICV) as a viral vector to deliver IAV-S hemagglutinin antigen in pigs. Four groups of weaned pigs (T01-04) were immunized twice with PBS, rPICV-GFP as a vector …

Implementing Services For Pediatric Cystic Fibrosis Treatment In A Community Hospital, Paige M. Grube Pharmd

Parkview Pharmacy Department

Presented at the 36th Great Lakes Pharmacy Residency Conference.

Chloroquine-Susceptible And -Resistant Plasmodium Falciparum Strains Survive High Chloroquine Concentrations By Becoming Dormant But Are Eliminated By Prolonged Exposure, Johan Ursing, Rasmus Johns, Berit Aydin-Schmidt, Carla Calçada, Poul-Erik Kofoed, Najia Karim Ghanchi, Maria Isabel Veiga, Lars Rombo

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Background: Plasmodium falciparum strains that are resistant to standard-dose chloroquine can be treated by higher chloroquine concentrations maintained for a longer time in vivo.
Objectives: To determine the relative importance of chloroquine concentrations versus exposure time for elimination of chloroquine-susceptible and -resistant P. falciparum in vitro.
Methods: Chloroquine-susceptible (3D7) and -resistant (FCR3) strains were exposed in vitro to 1, 2, 4, 8, 16 or 32 times their respective 90% inhibitory chloroquine concentrations for 3, 5, 7 or 14 days and then followed until recrudescence, or not, by 42 days after the end of exposure.
Results: Exposure to chloroquine appeared to …

A Quantitative Analysis Of The Efficacy Of Various Essential Oils Against The Sars Cov-2 Virus, Elizabeth Wagstaff, Chandrelyn Kraczek, Jack Brandon Lopez

Annual Research Symposium

A poster presentation and abstract for the Roseman Symposium. The project focuses on testing 3 essential oil blends and two disinfectants containing an essential oil blend against SARS CoV-2 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The project procedure involves plaque assays, disinfection, and neutralization techniques.

Pharmacologic Ascorbic Acid As Early Therapy For Hospitalized Patients With Covid-19: A Randomized Clinical Trial, Dagan Coppock, Pierre-Christian Violet, Gustavo Vasquez, Katherine Belden, Michael Foster, Bret Mullin, Devon Magee, Isabelle Mikell, Lokesh Shah, Victoria Powers, Brian Curcio, Daniel A. Monti, Mark Levine

Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics Faculty Papers

Despite the widespread availability of effective vaccines, new cases of infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2, the cause of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), remain a concern in the settings of vaccine hesitancy and vaccine breakthrough. In this randomized, controlled, phase 2 trial, we hypothesized that high-dose ascorbic acid delivered intravenously to achieve pharmacologic concentrations may target the high viral phase of COVID-19 and thus improve early clinical outcomes. Sixty-six patients admitted with COVID-19 and requiring supplemental oxygen were randomized to receive either escalating doses of intravenous ascorbic acid plus standard of care or standard of care alone. The demographic …

The Large And Small Of It: The Microbiome And Metagenomics, Austin Hopkins, Elaina Gollmar, Jessica Fernandez, Shawn Wolf, Austin Hilverding, Andrew M. Roecker

Pharmacy and Wellness Review

Metagenomics, the analysis of the microbial genome, permits scientists to understand the influences of external sources including diet, metabolism and antibiotics on the human microbiome. Research has revealed the possibility of a core symbiosis between humans and bacteria. The main role of the human microbiome is to aid in digestion, but identified ancillary roles include immunologic homeostasis and infection prevention. Quantifying the composition and variability of the microbiome will help lead to future treatments or preventive strategies against unhealthy change. A variety of methods may be used to define the microbiome, and 16S amplicon sequencing is primarily utilized today. Probiotics …

Antimicrobial And Cytotoxic Activities Of Ascidian Species Collected From Egyptian Coasts, Amany Metwally, Sarah Ali Shalaby, Tarek Ahmed Temraz, Mohammed Ismail Ahmed

Bulletin of Faculty of Pharmacy Cairo University

Discovering novel drugs for curing cancer and infectious diseases is the prime interest of several research areas now. Marine sessile invertebrates have produced secondary metabolites, a lot of which are utilized as novel pharmaceutical agents with diverse effects whether anti-cancer or anti-microbial. Ascidians are marine sessile animals (phylum: Chordata, class: Ascidiacea). Various anti-cancer, anti-viral, and anti-bacterial components are obtained from different bioactive compounds belonging to ascidian species and are in different stages of clinical trials. In this study, five ascidian species which are Polyclinum constellatum, Botryllus eilatensis, Didemnum sp., Symplegma rubra, and Styela canopus were collected from two coastal sites …

Preliminary Research On A Covid-19 Test Strategy To Guide Quarantine Interval In University Students, Jill M. Kolesar, Tyler Gayheart, Lance Poston, Eric Monday, Derek Forster, Elizabeth Belcher, Rani Jaiswal, J. Kirsten Turner, Donna K. Arnett, Eric B. Durbin, Joseph Monroe, Frank Romanelli, Susanne M. Arnold, C. Darrell Jennings, Heidi Weiss, Robert Dipaola

Pharmacy Practice and Science Faculty Publications

Following COVID-19 exposure, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends a 10–14-day quarantine for asymptomatic individuals and more recently a 7-day quarantine with a negative PCR test. A university-based prospective cohort study to determine if early polymerase chain reaction (PCR) negativity predicts day 14 negativity was performed. A total of 741 asymptomatic students in quarantine was screened and 101 enrolled. Nasopharyngeal swabs were tested on days 3 or 4, 5, 7, 10, and 14, and the proportion of concordant negative results for each day versus day 14 with a two-sided 95% exact binomial confidence interval was determined. Rates of concordant …

In Silico Tools For Analysis Of Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms In The Bovine Transferrin Gene, Aarif Ali, Muneeb U. Rehman, Syed Mudasir Ahmad, Tabish Mehraj

Faculty and Student Publications

Dairy cattle with a high milk yield are susceptible to many infectious diseases, such as mastitis. Subclinical mastitis (SCM) is the most prevalent form of mastitis that predominantly affects animal health, and causes adverse effects on the quality and quantity of milk. In dairy animals, subclinical mastitis often remains undetected, as no gross changes in udder characteristics are visible. In the present study, 135 Holstein Friesian dairy animals were selected and screened as healthy (n = 25) and mastitic (n = 110) based on diagnostic tests such as the California mastitis test, pH, electrical conductivity, and somatic cell count. In …

Cancer Incidence, Mortality, Years Of Life Lost, Years Lived With Disability, And Disability-Adjusted Life Years For 29 Cancer Groups From 2010 To 2019 A Systematic Analysis For The Global Burden Of Disease Study 2019, Ismaeel Yunusa Ph.D., Jonathan M. Kocarnik, Kelly Compton, Frances E. Dean, Weijia Fu, Brian L. Gaw, Et. Al.

Faculty Publications

Importance The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2019 (GBD 2019) provided systematic estimates of incidence, morbidity, and mortality to inform local and international efforts toward reducing cancer burden.

Objective To estimate cancer burden and trends globally for 204 countries and territories and by Sociodemographic Index (SDI) quintiles from 2010 to 2019.

Evidence Review The GBD 2019 estimation methods were used to describe cancer incidence, mortality, years lived with disability, years of life lost, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) in 2019 and over the past decade. Estimates are also provided by quintiles of the SDI, a composite …

Variants Associated With Bedaquiline (Bdq) Resistance Identified In Rv0678 And Efflux Pump Genes In Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Isolates From Bdq Naïve Tb Patients In Pakistan, Dania Khalid Saeed, Sadia Shakoor, Safina Abdul Razzak, Zahra Hasan, Saba Faraz Sabzwari, Zahida Azizullah, Akber Kanji, Asghar Nasir, Samreen Shafiq, Najia Karim Ghanchi, Rumina Hasan

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Background: Mutations in the Rv0678, pepQ and atpE genes of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) have been reported to be associated with reduced antimycobacterial susceptibility to bedaquiline (BDQ). Resistance conferring mutations in treatment naïve MTB strains is likely to have implications for BDQ based new drug regimen that aim to shorten treatment duration. We therefore investigated the genetic basis of resistance to BDQ in MTB clinical isolates from BDQ naïve TB patients from Pakistan. In addition, mutations in genes associated with efflux pumps were investigated as an alternate mechanism of resistance.
Methods: Based on convenience sampling, we studied 48 MTB clinical isolates …

Editorial: Anticancer Potential Of Artemisia Annua, Jill M. Kolesar, Peter H. Seeberger

Pharmacy Practice and Science Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Patients With Obesity And A History Of Metformin Treatment Have Lower Influenza Mortality: A Retrospective Cohort Study, Tammy H. Cummings, Joseph Magagnoli Ph.D., Ms, James W. Hardin, S. Scott Sutton

Faculty Publications

Background: Obesity is a risk factor for the development of influenza by leading to a chronic inflammatory state and T-cell dysfunction. Based upon preclinical research, metformin has influenza activity by restoring T-cell function and improving the immune response. Objective: We aimed to evaluate the potential drug repurposing of metformin for the management of influenza among patients with obesity utilizing national claims data in an electronic health record database. Methods: The VA Informatics and Computing Infrastructure (VINCI) was utilized to obtain individual-level information on demographics, administrative claims, and pharmacy dispensation. A cohort was created among individuals with laboratory confirmed diagnosis of …