Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Synthesis Of (2r,6r)-Hydroxy-Norketamine For Evaluation Of Antidepressant Effects, Savannah Fairley

Honors Theses

Major Depressive Disorder, colloquially known as depression, is a devastating mental illness that affects a large portion of today's population. Following a drug side-effect that caused depression, the monoamine theory of depression was created, stating that depressive symptoms were caused by a decrease in concentrations of vital monoamine neurotransmitters at the synaptic cleft. Pharmaceutical remedies to combat depression were first introduced in the 1950s and to this date, most available drugs follow the monoamine theory. These drugs have a large loading dose lag time, numerous negative side effects, and still many patients do not experience relief from symptoms. In 2000, …

Functionality And Role Of Different Fatty Alcohols In Topical O/W Cream Formulation, Supriya Bhide

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Fatty alcohols are excipients that are abundantly used in various pharmaceutical formulations. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the impact of incorporating different fatty alcohols on microstructural and formulation characteristics of topical o/w clotrimazole cream formulation. The formulations containing different fatty alcohols as Kolliwax® CSA 50 (CSA 50), Kolliwax® CSA 70 (CSA 70), Kolliwax® MA (MA), Kolliwax® CA (CA), Kolliwax® SA (SA) were prepared by selecting suitable RPM and homogenization time. The M.P. of API and fatty alcohols were determined using DSC technique. The prepared cream formulations were evaluated for their phase separation. The various tests like …

Preparation And Evaluation Of Valacyclovir Hydrochloride Ocular Inserts By Hot Melt Extrusion Technique, Gauri Shadambikar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The objective of the current study was to investigate the processability of Hot Melt Extrusion to formulate Ocular Inserts of Valacyclovir Hydrochloride and Evaluate its drug release in vitro and in vivo. Valacyclovir is the prodrug of Acyclovir, which is used in treatment of ocular keratitis and HSV infections. The bioavailability of the prodrug is better than the acyclovir and it is proved to permeate extensively through the corneal barrier. The polymer of choice was Klucel® Pharm MF and JF grades for the study. To optimize the formulation, different physical mixtures of the polymers and plasticizers (PEG 400 and Propylene …

Predictors Of Dental Opioid Analgesic Prescribing, Opioid Use And Dental Emergency Department Visits In The Mississippi Medicaid Population, Chukwuebuka Dibie

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were: (1) to determine prevalence of opioid analgesics prescribing for non-ED dental related visits in the Mississippi Medicaid population, (2) to assess predictors of receiving opioid analgesics following non-ED dental related events among Mississippi Medicaid beneficiaries, and (3) to determine prevalence of opioid analgesic prescribing for dental related emergency departments (ED) visits in the Mississippi Medicaid population. METHODS: A retrospective, cross-sectional, observational database analysis using Mississippi Medicaid administrative claims data from January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2016. Beneficiaries with dental related visits were included in this study. Descriptive statistics were utilized to assess …

Fluorinated Organic Molecules For Medicinal Applications, Munia Sowaileh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The significant applications of fluorinated molecules in the pharmaceutical, agrochemical, and material sciences make them attractive synthetic targets. Difluoromethylation methods are of exceptional value and a limited number of techniques are available to perform that transformation. The primary method for introducing CF2 groups is through the use of difluoroenolates. Difluoroenolates can be generated from α-keto pentafluoro gem -diols under mild conditions. The process involves the cleavage of carbon-carbon bond and the release of trifluoroacetate. The release of trifluoroacetate is a versatile method to generate fluorinated molecules. We explored the utility of this method in generating various fluorinated moieties including α,α-difluoroketones, …

Novel Application Of Twin Screw Extruder On Production Of Diverse Formulations, Xingyou Ye

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Twin-screw extruder has attracted considerable attention in the pharmaceutical industry as an alternative processing instrument due to its advantages compared to other conventional equipment, such as economical processing, small footprint, reduced in-process times, solvent-free and continuous processing. These superiorities have led to the application of twin-screw extruder to produce numerous dosage forms, including pellets, tablets and films. Many other formulations production can also be beneficial from the introduction of twin-screw extruder to the process. Nanocrystal formulations are promising drug delivery systems owing to their ability to enhance the bioavailability and maintain the stability of poorly water-soluble drugs. However, conventional methods …

Crystalline Salt Formation Of An Acidic Drug Indomethacin Using Hot Melt Extrusion Technology, Mustafa Bookwala

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although salt formation is the most ubiquitous and effective method of increasing the solubility and dissolution rates of acidic and basic drugs, it consumes large quantities of organic solvents and is a batch process. Herein, we show that the dissolution rate of indomethacin (a poorly water-soluble drug) can be increased by using hot melt extrusion of a 1:1 (mol/mol) indomethacin:tromethamine mixture to form a highly crystalline salt, the physicochemical properties of which are investigated in detail. Specifically, pH–solubility studies demonstrated that this salt exhibited a maximal solubility of 19.34 mg/mL (>1000 times that of pure indomethacin) at pH 8.19. …

Development And Characterization Of Fluocinolone Acetonide Loaded Nanosized Lipid Carriers For Ocular Delivery Via Subconjunctival Route: Synergistic Effect Of Vitamin A Palmitate, Bhavik Soneta

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Though nanotechnology which exploits the use of nanoparticles for therapeutic application have embarked as an emerging tool for drug delivery applications, the delivery of therapeutic molecules into deep ocular compartments has always been a challenging task. In this regard, the main objective of our current investigation was to develop and evaluate the fluocinolone acetonide (FA) loaded nanostructure lipid carrier (FA-NLC) in situ gel for improved ocular bioavailability by subconjunctival injection. FA, a corticosteroid administered for inhibiting the ocular inflammation either as intravitreal injection or as intravitreal implants. The FA-NLCs were developed by using vitamin A palmitate as one of the …

Acute And Chronic Vascular Responses To Blood Flow Restriction In The Upper Body, J. Grant Mouser

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Blood flow restriction (BFR) with low load exercise increases muscular size and strength. Little is known of vascular adaptations to this training modality, and nothing was known at very low loads. These studies examined cardiovascular responses to high load (70% of one-repetition maximum (1RM)) and very low load (15%1RM) exercise, alone or at two levels of BFR. Study 1: Participants performed unilateral biceps curls using either 15%1RM with no BFR (15/00), 40% of arterial occlusion pressure (AOP) (15/40), or 80%AOP (15/80), or 70%1RM (70/00). Systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP, DBP) and blood flow (BF) were measured in the arms …

Synthetic Investigation Of Natural Products Causing Dopaminergic Neurodegeneration, Michael John Cunningham

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The terrestrial organisms Streptomyces venezuelae and Rhaponticum repens produce toxic secondary metabolites that likely function as chemical deterrents. The polyketide SV-6 from S. venezuelae and the sesquiterpene lactone repin from R. repens both produce dose-dependent and selective degeneration of dopaminergic neurons. These molecules represent two possible tools that can be used to explore chemotoxic induction of Parkinson’s disease. In the case of SV-6, a newly isolated metabolite, total synthesis was undertaken to confirm its structure and biological activity. The natural product was produced from methacrolein and Roche ester starting materials that were elaborated to their respective fragments, a vinyl iodide …

Preparation And Evaluation Of Cefuroxime Axetil Gastro-Retentive Floating Drug Delivery System For Improved Delivery Via Hot-Melt Extrusion Technology, Rahul Madhukar Lalge

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: The objective of the present study was to develop lipid-based gastro-retentive floating drug delivery system of amorphous Cefuroxime Axetil (CA) to minimize the enzymatic degradation in the gastro intestinal tract utilizing hot-melt extrusion technology for improved absorption.

Methods: Preliminary studies were performed to select the appropriate lipids. Selected ratios of CA and lipids were extruded using a twin screw hot-melt extruder. Extrudates obtained were milled to obtain floating granules and were further evaluated for drug content, floating strength and micromeritic properties. In vitro drug release studies were performed in 900 mL of simulated gastric fluid (without enzyme) of pH …

The Role Of Brand Name Fluency: A Pharmaceutical Marketing Perspective, David Wamble

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: consumers are exposed to thousands of advertisements, most all of which are designed to promote a particular brand and accompanying brand name. The selection of a brand name is a critical strategic decision and is an important means to building brand equity. The importance of branding elements, specifically brand names, has led pharmaceutical manufacturers to become more creative and open the possibilities of language in brand name development. Given the complexities associated with brand name development in the U.S. pharmaceutical industry and the trends observed in recent pharmaceutical brand names, advancing the understanding of how brand name selection can …

Polymer Based Delivery Of Doxycycline Hyclate For The Prevention Of Peri-Implant Mucositis Infection, Sagar Deepak Sawant

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Peri-implant mucositis is a silent inflammatory condition that is destructive in nature affecting only the soft tissues in the vicinity of dental implants. The current line of treatment includes the use of systemic antibiotics, mechanical debridement using LASER decontamination, the use of mouthwash or oral rinsing with chlorhexidine, maintenance and improvement of oral hygiene, mechanical debridement with or without systemic antibiotic treatment, mechanical debridement with or without the use of local drug delivery systems. However, these treatments do not solve the problem of implant rejection as peri-mucositis progresses to per-implantitis which causes severe bone loss and ultimately leading to implant …

Experimentally Investigating The Joint Effects Of Physical Activity And Sedentary Behavior On Depression: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Jeremiah Blough

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Objective: To experimentally examine whether increasing sedentary behavior, among a young adult active population, for one week is still associated with increased depression symptomology even when allowing for a moderate engagement in physical activity (PA). Methods: Participants were confirmed as active via self-report and accelerometry during baseline and randomly assigned to one of three experimental groups. The Sedentary Intervention Group (n=19) reduced steps to less than 5000/day and were not alloto exercise for one-week; the Reduced MVPA (moderate-to-vigorous PA) Group (n=18) reduced steps to less than 5000/day but exercised for 50% of their previously reported vigorous PA for one-week; and …

On The Future Of Antidepressant Treatments: Targeting Neurotrophic Factors And Plasticity, Stephen W. White

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For 60-plus years the explanatory model for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) has been the monoamine theory, which states that low levels of monoamine neurotransmitters or alterations in their post-synaptic receptors are responsible for depressive symptoms. Drugs designed to elevate synaptic monoamine levels have remained the first line of pharmacotherapy prescribed by clinicians for MDD patients. However, these drugs have shortcomings. Despite evidence that current antidepressants elevate synaptic monoamine levels within hours of administration, these drugs require four to six weeks of daily administration before symptom relief appears. Furthermore, approximately half of patients taking typical antidepressants never achieve full symptom relief. …

A Novel Acetaminophen Soft-Chew Formulation Produced Via Hot Melt Extrusion With Inline Near-Infrared Monitoring As A Process Analytical Technology Tool, Pengchong Xu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

People suffer dysphagia when swallowing hard tablets and capsules. Gelatin based soft chewable tablets was used as an alternative and novel drug delivery format to overcome dysphagia. But conventional method of producing gelatin based soft chewable tablets has many potential issues. The objective of this study is using glycerol and hot-melt extrusion technique to address potential issues and optimizing the formulation. Gelatin (15%), acetaminophen (30%), saccharin (1.5%), xylitol (6.5%), sodium chloride (2%) and six different ratios of water (45-0%) and glycerol (0-45%) were used in seven formulations. The extrusion process temperature of formulation 1-6 and formulation 7 were 90 ëšc …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Redox-Sensitive Polymer And Prodrug For Targeted Drug Delivery, Chang-Hee Whang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Systemic administration of chemotherapeutics is associated with various side effects deriving from accumulation in off-target sites and acute toxicity of the drugs. In the past decade, engineering targeted drug delivery platforms arose as a novel paradigm to overcome such obstacles and ultimately achieve advanced forms of chemotherapy. This thesis reports successful syntheses of l-RSP, a redox-sensitive self-immolative polymer, and DNS-SN38, thiol-sensitive SN-38 prodrug, as potential candidates for targeted drug delivery platforms. By covalently conjugating a redox-trigger (p-nitrobenzyl alcohol) and self-immolative linker (p-hydroxybenzyl alcohol) to the cyclization spacer (n-2-(hydroxyethyl)ethylene diamine), a novel self-immolative monomer was obtained. Polymerization of the respective monomer …

Topical Formulation For Stimulating Sweat Secretion As An Alternative To Iontophoresis, Tasnim Fatima

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sweat test or pilocarpine iontophoresis test is the existing method for diagnosis of cystic fibrosis that is recommended to perform at 48 hours after birth. However, the current method is painful, with several side effects such as full thickness skin burn, skin rash, erythema etc. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to develop a pilocarpine topical formulation which can stimulate sweat secretion when applied on skin without iontophoresis. Several formulations with Transcutol®, polyethylene glycol 400 (PEG 400), Polyethylene glycol 200 (PEG 200), menthol and salicylic acid (SA) each at varying concentrations were screened as penetration enhancers. In vitro penetration …

The Role Of Cannabinoids And Terpenes In Cannabis Mediated Analgesia In Rats, Margaret A. Rousseau

Honors Theses

Objective: This research examined the contributions of terpenes (volatile oil) and cannabinoids in cannabis mediated analgesia in rats. Methods: In experiment 1, separate groups of rats received IP administration of either vehicle, 5, 10, or 15 mg/kg cannabis extract, one of three concentrations of volatile oil alone in these cannabis extracts, one of three concentrations of these extracts with volatile oils removed, 2.5, 5, or 7.5 mg/kg Δ9-THC, or 10 or 18 mg/kg morphine 30 m before hotplate and tail-flick tests of thermal nociception. One week later, separate groups of rats received a second administration of these test articles IP …

The Effects Of Prosthetic Tactile Feedback On Persons Who Stutter, Meliah Kayla Grant

Honors Theses

Vibrotactile speech feedback has been documented to enhance fluency in adults who stutter. Based on these data, researchers at the University of Mississippi have developed a prosthetic device that captures the speech signal of the speaker, converts this signal into tactile stimulation, and administers vibratory speech feedback to the speaker through a handheld stimulator. This patented device, as tested with a handheld tactile stimulator, has been documented as producing significant fluency enhancement comparable to that of other auditory speech feedback prosthetic devices. The purpose of this present study is to collect data measuring the effects of tactile speech feedback on …

Evaluation Of New Antimalarial Drug Combinations, Robert Tyrone Higginbotham

Honors Theses

Malaria is a disease that has affected people throughout the world for centuries and is still responsible for over 200 million clinical cases per year. While a number of developed countries have eradicated the disease, its prevalence in tropical regions poses a significant global health challenge. The disease is caused by the Plasmodium genus, an obligate, intracellular parasite that is carried by the female Anopheles mosquito. While there are effective antimalarial drugs in clinical use, Plasmodium's resilient nature has allowed it to develop resistance to multiple drugs. This fact makes it imperative to seek out novel drugs to combat resistant …

Method Development And Pharmacokinetic Study Of Jy08, A Dual Opioid-Npff Receptor Ligand, Sydney Harrison

Honors Theses

Within the United States and worldwide, a rapidly developing public health crisis is at hand due to the abuse of opioids. With high percentages of Americans experiencing both acute and chronic pain and limited treatment routes, opioid analgesics are highly prescribed in clinical practice. These drugs act on central nervous system to activate opioid receptors in regions of the brain regulating pain and reward. However, these compounds are associated with many unwanted adverse effects including tolerance, dependence, hyperalgesia, and addiction. Thus, there is a need to for the development of new drug candidates that can serve as analgesics for long-term …

The Frequency Attenuations Of Foam Ear Plugs Affected By User Error Of College Students, Alyse J. Lemoine

Honors Theses

This paper examines the relationship between the attenuating ability of foam ear plugs at low and high frequencies and the effects of incorrect ear plug fitting by college students. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (1998) recommends the use of a hearing protection device (HPD) such as ear muffs or ear plugs to avoid noise induced hearing loss (NIHL). However, when not inserted properly, a HPD's effectiveness can be adversely affected by user error and present as a decrease in attenuation. Attenuation is measured and presented on packaging as the noise reduction rating (NRR). A high NRR affected …

A Survey Of Speech-Language Pathologists' Use And Understanding Of Evidence-Based Practice, Emma Kate Thome

Honors Theses

Problem Statement: Prior research on evidence-based practice (EBP) in speech-language pathology is both limited and inconsistent regarding the frequency in which SLPs engage in EBP, their understanding of EBP, and the emphasis that their employers place on EBP. Purpose: The purpose of the present study was to assess SLPs' understanding and use of EBP. In addition, this study investigated the potential barriers SLPs face when attempting to engage in EBP including employer emphasis and opinions toward EBP. Methods: SLPs (n=176) from across the United States participated in an online survey designed to assess their understanding and use of EBP. Participants …

A Comprehensive Examination Of The Pharmacist's Role In Mental Illness, Kaleb D. Barnes

Honors Theses

The number of people receiving mental illness diagnoses has increased in the last two decades. As one of the most accessible healthcare professionals, pharmacists need to be prepared to assist in the management of patients with mental illness. In this study, the objective was to see how pharmacists' mental illness knowledge, acceptable social distance, familiarity, and perceived barriers may predict pharmacists' attitude toward patients with mental illness and also their willingness to provide care to patients with mental illness. The secondary objectives of this study were to test for differences in knowledge, attitude, perceived barriers, and willingness to provide care …

Speech Language Pathologists And Prosody: Knowledge And Clinical Practices, Sarah Elizabeth Fischer

Honors Theses

Prosody is an important aspect of language as it signals linguistic contrasts, conveys pragmatic distinctions, and expresses emotional affect. However, prosody is impaired in several populations, and such impairments can negatively affect intelligibility and the social perception of the speaker. Speech Language Pathologists (SLPs) are the professionals responsible for treating such impairments, yet the knowledge base of SLPs regarding prosody is unknown. The purpose of this study is to evaluate SLPs' knowledge of assessing, treating, and diagnosing prosodic impairments by using a survey (n=269). While a majority of SLPs surveyed agreed that prosody is within their scope of practice, they …

Measuring The Effects Of Prosthetic Tactile Pacing On Overt Stuttering Frequency In Adults Who Stutter, Sydney Elizabeth Gully

Honors Theses

While the cause has been historically enigmatic, persistent stuttering exhibits distinct behavioral, neural and genetic characteristics. Throughout many years, a variety of motoric treatments have attempted to ameliorate overt stuttering behaviors; however, most therapeutic options provide unstable, effortful, and/or unnatural sounding results with high relapse rates. Conversely, research documents natural sounding speech coupled with stable and effortless reductions in overt stuttering frequency when a person who stutters is exposed to speech feedback of a second speech signal (i.e. choral speech). The most prolific clinical use of this technology is a prosthetically introduced auditory second speech signal; yet its current application …

An Evaluation Of Mobile Apps For The Collation Of Materials To Propose An App For Type-2 Diabetes Self-Management, Sydney Watson

Honors Theses

This study is an evaluation of mobile application (apps) with the intention to collate materials appropriate for the proposal of a mobile app for type 2 diabetes self-management. In order to decipher the most vital aspects to be included in the app, an evaluation of mobile apps pertaining to nutrition and diabetes management were investigated. It was found that there is a lack of mobile apps that have all-encompassing features regarding the management of the disease. Future app developers looking to develop a mobile app that is efficient in type 2 diabetes self-management should include each feature as follows: blood …

Feasibility Of Aquasolvetm Hpmc-As Lg Via Hot-Melt Extrusion: Effect Of Pressurized Co2 On Physico-Mechanical Properties, Mashan Almutairi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The objective of the current study was to investigate the processability of Aquasolve™ HPMC-AS LG via hot-melt extrusion, and to examine the effect of pressurized carbon dioxide (P-CO2) on the physico-mechanical properties of Efavirenz (EFA)-loaded extrudates (EXT). EFA is as a poorly water-soluble drug and HPMC-AS LG was chosen as a carrier for this study. To optimize the process parameters and formulations, various physical mixtures were prepared with the following composition: EFA (30-40-50% w/w) and HPMC-AS LG (70-60-50 % w/w) respectively. Physical mixtures were extruded through the co-rotating twin-screw extruder (16mm Prism Euro Lab, Thermo Fisher Scientific) utilizing a standard …

Novel Applications Of Hot-Melt Extrusion Technology, Ajinkya Moreshwar Bhagurkar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Hot-melt extrusion, an adaptable technology, has established its position in a wide spectrum of manufacturing operations like amorphous solid dispersions, immediate and controlled oral formulations, implants, and taste masked products. In recent years the industrial focus has shifted towards continuous manufacturing, thus melt extrusion is being explored for new applications. The aim of this research work was to investigate the novel applications of hot-melt extrusion by carrying out an in depth study to understand the interplay between the process and the product. The conventional techniques used for the preparation of ointments and nanostructured lipid carriers are multi-step and time consuming …