Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Research News: 2013, University Of Mississippi. School Of Pharmacy

Research News: Grants and Publications (2000-2014)

Grants and contracts recently awarded

Microbicidal Effects Of Α- And Θ-Defensins Against Antibiotic-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus And Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, Kenneth P. Tai, Karishma Kamdar, Jason Yamaki, Valerie V. Le, Dat Tran, Patti Tran, Michael E. Selsted, Andre J. Ouelette, Annie Wong-Beringer

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Antibiotic-resistant bacterial pathogens threaten public health. Because many antibiotics target specific bacterial enzymes or reactions, corresponding genes may mutate under selection and lead to antibiotic resistance. Accordingly, antimicrobials that selectively target overall microbial cell integrity may offer alternative approaches to therapeutic design. Naturally occurring mammalian α- and θ-defensins are potent, non-toxic microbicides that may be useful for treating infections by antibiotic-resistant pathogens because certain defensin peptides disrupt bacterial, but not mammalian, cell membranes. To test this concept, clinical isolates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), including vancomycin heteroresistant strains, and ciprofloxacin-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Cip^R-PA) were tested for sensitivity to …

Computer Testing To Document Student Achievement Of Learning Outcomes, Richard O'Brocta

Pharmacy Faculty/Staff Publications

In lieu of an abstract, here is the letter's first paragraph:

To the Editor. Every course should have published learning outcomes describing what students should be able to do upon successful completion of the course.1 Assessing how well the students have achieved the learning outcomes for the course is very important as this can provide evidence of learning for the student and a measure of the effectiveness of the course. Evidence of learning is important for accreditation purposes and can provide data that can be used to improve the course.2 Documenting student achievement of outcomes can be …

Evaluation Of The Appropriate Weaning Of Neonatal Morphine Solution (Nms) In The Treatment Of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (Nas) And Its Effect On Length Of Stay (Los), Nicole Hollinger, Pharmd Candidate, Christopher Hvisdas, Pharmd Candidate, Maria Samohod, Md Candidate, Tara E. Decerbo, Pharmd, Janet Larson, Md, Kristin Mckenna, Md, Lindsey Roke, Pharmd

Pharmacy Presentations, Posters, and Grand Rounds

Purpose: Neonates suffering from NAS receive NMS to treat withdrawal symptoms associated with this disease. Frequent NMS dosing and close monitoring are required to ensure adequate symptom control and prevent adverse events. Maximum dose achieved, titration, severity of disease, and variance in in-utero exposure to addictive drugs all contribute to length of stay. The primary objective of this drug utilization evaluation is to assess adherence to current institutional guidelines for titrating neonates and infants off NMS and to identify opportunities for improvement to potentially decrease length of stay in this population.

Methods: A retrospective chart review of neonates …

Evaluating The Bioavailability Of Carbamazepine Using A Novel Snedds Formulation, Jinwon Byun, Derrick L. Chapman, Rebecca A. Kyper, Gina M. Mattes, Zachary A. Wallace, Elisha R. Injeti

Pharmacy and Nursing Student Research and Evidence-Based Medicine Poster Session

Central to the mechanism of how drugs work are the concepts of solubility and bioavailability. Drugs enter the body via absorption into the bloodstream, arrive at the target location, and bind to receptors to cause an effect. Drugs need to be soluble enough to pass through the cell membrane to enter and exit the bloodstream. Higher solubility generally correlates to higher bioavailability. Additionally, the smaller the particle size, the easier the drug will pass through the membrane into the blood plasma. Researchers have designed a system to categorize solubility class: Class I being high permeability and high solubility, Class II …

The Impact Of Free Health Screenings At Community Pharmacies On Diabetes, Anna M. Smith, Nicholas C. Daniels, Jessica E. Amtower, Jeniffer George, Jacques N. Allou, Jeb Ballentine, Emily M. Laswell

Pharmacy and Nursing Student Research and Evidence-Based Medicine Poster Session

Title: The Impact of Free Health Screenings at Community Pharmacies on Diabetes

Authors: Jacques Allou, Jessica Amtower, Nicholas Daniels, Jeniffer George, Anna Smith, Jeb Ballentine, Pharm.D., and Emily Laswell, Pharm.D.

Background: Health screenings can be beneficial when looking to detect diseases early on, thus making treatment easier. Free health screenings are typically performed in the community pharmacy setting. This makes it convenient because it is easily accessible and there is no appointment required. Diabetes is currently one of the most significant health issues faced today, with an estimated 7 million Americans going undiagnosed. Health screenings in community pharmacies are valuable …

Effectiveness Of Clinical Scenarios In Improving Student Interprofessional Skills And Attitudes, Ashley Peterson, Mike Pelyhes, Laura Cummings, Phillip L. Thornton, Zachary N. Jenkins

Pharmacy and Nursing Student Research and Evidence-Based Medicine Poster Session

Background: “Interprofessional education (IPE) is defined as the process by which individuals from two or more health professions learn with, from, and about each other across the spectrum of their education to improve collaboration, practice, and the quality of health care.” [1] Interprofessional Education has recently gained interest as an important aspect of training in healthcare professions, attracting the attention and support of several key pharmacy organizations. Various models of IPE have been implemented to facilitate collaboration among medical, nursing, pharmacy, and social work students and professionals. One model found to be particularly effective among pharmacy students is a mock …

Natural Products As Therapeutic Agents In Cancer Treatment, Eric Huseman, Lauren P. Williams, Brittany Santee, Trevor Stump, Chelsae Ward, Rachel Kunze, Denise S. Simpson, Samson Amos

Pharmacy and Nursing Student Research and Evidence-Based Medicine Poster Session

Cancer accounts for 25% of deaths in the United States, and brain tumors greatly contribute to this percentage. However, relative to other types of cancers, brain tumors prove difficult to treat because they are heterogeneous, highly proliferative, highly invasive, and resistant to the traditional cancer treatments of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Past studies have shown that flavonoids and curcuminoids, two classes of compounds derived from natural sources, are effective in inhibiting the development and metastasis of breast and lung cancer cells. Research has also indicated that these compounds have potential for treating brain tumors.

The purpose of this research is to …

Access To Healthy Foods Across America, Aaron D. Le Poire, Ginger D. Cameron, Heather Evankow, Andrea Bashore, Jacob Farran, Jesse Hickey

Pharmacy and Nursing Student Research and Evidence-Based Medicine Poster Session

Research indicates that individuals who have access to healthy food tend to eat healthier. Food environments that do not have access to healthy food have been shown to be a leading cause of obesity in the United States. Major health consequences of obesity include cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, stroke, high cholesterol, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis, and some cancers. The availability of healthy foods can be determined by median household income, with income levels being shown to affect access to healthy foods in local areas. However, no study has shown if this phenomenon is prevalent across the United States. Our …

The Pivotal Role Of The Pharmacist In A Primary Care Office, Julie Cummings, Olumami O. Amaye, Mckenzie Shenk, Cara Toms, Nathanael Smith, Thaddeus T. Franz, Tracy R. Frame

Pharmacy and Nursing Student Research and Evidence-Based Medicine Poster Session

Abstract

The profession of pharmacy has evolved from a dispensing role to an interdisciplinary clinical role in patient care. One area of patient care expertise is Medication Therapy Management (MTM), which includes services such as pharmacotherapy, medication therapy reviews, disease management, immunizations and other clinical services. In various studies, pharmacists conducting MTM have shown improved patient outcomes in community pharmacy and hospital settings. Amidst the valuable services all healthcare professionals are providing, increasing medical costs and consequences have become overwhelming, leading to negative patient outcomes. A lack of primary care physicians (PCPs) may contribute to these distressing facts. Gaps in …

Pharmacist Empathy In Smoking Cessation Counseling, Caleb Lyman, Megan Mcnicol, Maria Miller, Yevgeniy Solokha, Kelly J. Wright, Aleda M.H. Chen

Pharmacy and Nursing Student Research and Evidence-Based Medicine Poster Session

Cigarette smoking and nicotine addiction are prevalent in today’s society. Approximately 19% of American adults (43.8 million people) smoke cigarettes. Smoking is associated with health risks such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), infertility, low birth weight, respiratory symptoms, heart disease, and lung cancer and is responsible for roughly $96 billion in health care costs. Provider empathy has been proven effective in other treatments like cold and cancer; however, its effectiveness in smoking cessation has not yet been studied. Empathy is defined in two realms: cognitive and affective. In the cognitive domain, individuals have the ability to understand and view …

Efficacy Of Marketing Strategy For Reach Vitamins, Jessica Davis, Jordan Long, Megan Buck, Paul Bicknell, Melody L. Hartzler

Pharmacy and Nursing Student Research and Evidence-Based Medicine Poster Session

According to the 2009 Global Report, Vitamin A supplementation in children reduces the death rate by 23% in populations at risk of deficiency. REACH Vitamins is a for-profit business that provides a one-year supply of vitamin A to children in underprivileged countries for each bottle of vitamins A, B, C, D, or the multivitamin purchased. The primary objective of this exploratory, qualitative study is to determine if there is a more appropriate marketing strategy for REACH Vitamins compared to the current marketing strategy used. The secondary objective is to determine if REACH Vitamins’ charity motivates consumers to purchase their products. …

American College Of Clinical Pharmacy White Paper: Cultural Competency In Health Care And Its Implications For Pharmacy Part 3a: Emphasis On Pharmacy Education, Curriculums, And Future Directions, Mary Beth O'Connell, Magaly Rodriguez De Bittner, Therese Poirier, Lamis R. Karaoui, Margarita Echeverri, Aleda M.H. Chen, Shin-Yu Lee, Deepti Vyas, Christine K. O’Neil, Anita N. Jackson

Pharmacy Practice Faculty Publications

Culture influences patients' beliefs and behaviors toward health and illness. As the U.S. population becomes more diverse, a critical need exists for pharmacy education to incorporate patient-centered culturally sensitive health care knowledge and skills into the curriculum. Nursing was the first profession to incorporate this type of learning and training into its curriculums, followed by medicine. Pharmacy has also made great progress to revise curriculums, but inconsistency exists in depth, breadth, and methods across pharmacy colleges. This article addresses important aspects of pharmacy education such as curriculum development, incorporation of educational innovations and techniques into the teaching of patient-centered culturally …

The Gating Charge Should Not Be Estimated By Fitting A Two-State Model To A Q-V Curve, Francisco Bezanilla, Carlos A. Villalba-Galea

School of Pharmacy Faculty Articles

The voltage dependence of charges in voltage-sensitive proteins, typically displayed as charge versus voltage (Q-V) curves, is often quantified by fitting it to a simple two-state Boltzmann function. This procedure overlooks the fact that the fitted parameters, including the total charge, may be incorrect if the charge is moving in multiple steps. We present here the derivation of a general formulation for Q-V curves from multistate sequential models, including the case of infinite number of states. We demonstrate that the commonly used method to estimate the charge per molecule using a simple Boltzmann fit is not only inadequate, but in …

Anticancer Properties Of Distinct Antimalarial Drug Classes, Rob Hooft Van Huijsduijnen, R. Kiplin Guy, Kelly Chibale, Richard K. Haynes, Ingmar Peitz, Gerhard Kelter, Margaret A. Phillips, Jonathan L. Vennerstrom, Yongyuth Yuthavong, Timothy N. C. Wells

Journal Articles: Pharmaceutical Sciences

We have tested five distinct classes of established and experimental antimalarial drugs for their anticancer potential, using a panel of 91 human cancer lines. Three classes of drugs: artemisinins, synthetic peroxides and DHFR (dihydrofolate reductase) inhibitors effected potent inhibition of proliferation with IC50s in the nM- low µM range, whereas a DHODH (dihydroorotate dehydrogenase) and a putative kinase inhibitor displayed no activity. Furthermore, significant synergies were identified with erlotinib, imatinib, cisplatin, dasatinib and vincristine. Cluster analysis of the antimalarials based on their differential inhibition of the various cancer lines clearly segregated the synthetic peroxides OZ277 and OZ439 from the artemisinin …

Characterization Of Prophylactic Antiemetic Regimens In Pediatric Patients Receiving Moderately And Highly Emetogenic Chemotherapy, Jessica Degiacomo Pharmd, Kristin M. Held Pharmd, Bcop

Department of Pharmacy

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Free Health Screenings At Community Pharmacies On Diabetes, Anna M. Staudt, Nicholas C. Daniels, Jessica E. Amtower, Jeniffer George, Jacques N. Allou, Jeb Ballentine, Emily M. Laswell

Pharmacy Practice Faculty Presentations

Background: Health screenings can be beneficial when looking to detect diseases early on, thus making treatment easier. Free health screenings are typically performed in the community pharmacy setting. This makes it convenient because it is easily accessible and there is no appointment required. Diabetes is currently one of the most significant health issues faced today, with an estimated 7 million Americans going undiagnosed. Health screenings in community pharmacies are valuable to detect high blood glucose levels for patients to be referred for diagnosis and treatment. Previous studies related to health screenings have focused on hypertension and cholesterol, and few have …

Acquisition Of Medication For Short-Term Medical Mission Trips, Christine R. Birnie

Pharmacy Faculty/Staff Publications

In lieu of an abstract, here is the article's first paragraph:

Each year, increasing numbers of pharmacists and pharmacy students participate in medical mission trips around the world. The Christian Pharmacist Fellowship International (CPFI) partners with Global Health Outreach (GHO) to ensure that one or two pharmacists are included on each of their multi-disciplinary medical trips. Over the past years, the number of pharmacists participating on these trips has increased from 20 pharmacists in 2002 to 78 pharmacists in 2012.¹ In recent years, pharmacy students have also become active team members, and several schools are now organizing medical mission …

Synthesis Of Novel Ciprofloxacin Analogues And Evaluation Of Their Anti-Proliferative Effect On Human Cancer Cell Lines, Narva Suresh, Hunsur Nagendra Nagesh, Kondapalli Venkata Govri Chandra Sekhar, Anil Kumar, Amir Nasrolahi Shirazi, Keykavous Parang

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

A series of twenty two novel 1-cyclopropyl-6-fluoro-4-oxo-7-(4-substitutedpiperazin-1-yl)-1,4-dihydroquinoline-3-carboxylic acid analogues have been synthesized, characterized (1H NMR, 13C NMR and LCMS) and evaluated for their inhibitory activity on the proliferation of human caucasian acute lymphoblastic leukemiacells (CCRF-CEM), breast adenocarcinoma cells (MDA-MB-468) and human colon carcinoma cells (HCT-116). Among all the synthesized ciprofloxacin analogues 3t at 50 µM showed comparable potency to doxorubicin (10mol) in all three cell lines and 3j inhibited proliferation of MDA-MB-468 up to 35% selectively over other two cell lines. Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide. It is a group of diseases characterized by uncontrolled growth. Cancer …

High Activity Mutants Of Butyrylcholinesterase For Cocaine Hydrolysis, Chang-Guo Zhan, Fang Zheng, Wenchao Yang, Lin Xue, Shurong Hou

Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Patents

Butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) polypeptide variants of the presently-disclosed subject matter have enhanced catalytic efficiency for (−)-cocaine, as compared to wild-type BChE. Pharmaceutical compositions of the presently-disclosed subject matter include a BChE polypeptide variant having an enhanced catalytic efficiency for (−)-cocaine. A method of the presently-disclosed subject matter for treating a cocaine-induced condition includes administering to an individual an effective amount of a BChE polypeptide variant, as disclosed herein, to lower blood cocaine concentration.

Binding, Transcytosis And Biodistribution Of Anti-Pecam-1 Iron Oxide Nanoparticles For Brain-Targeted Delivery, Mo Dan, David B. Cochran, Robert A. Yokel, Thomas D. Dziubla

Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

OBJECTIVE: Characterize the flux of platelet-endothelial cell adhesion molecule (PECAM-1) antibody-coated superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and its biodistribution in vitro and in vivo.

METHODS: Anti-PECAM-1 IONPs and IgG IONPs were prepared and characterized in house. The binding affinity of these nanoparticles was investigated using human cortical microvascular endothelial cells (hCMEC/D3). Flux assays were performed using a hCMEC/D3 BBB model. To test their immunospecificity index and biodistribution, nanoparticles were given to Sprague Dawley rats by intra-carotid infusion. The capillary depletion method was used to elucidate their distribution between the BBB and brain parenchyma.

RESULTS: Anti-PECAM-1 …

Minimizing Part D Costs For Medicare Beneficiaries: Not Just A Drop In The Bucket, Rajul A. Patel, Kate M. O'Dell, Kim-Anh Vo, Tiffany Chu, Kenneth Wang, Shu Lu, Joseph A. Woelfel, Sian M. Carr-Lopez, Suzanne M. Galal, Berit Gundersen

School of Pharmacy Faculty Presentations

Background: Although Medicare Part D has been largely successful in providing prescription drug coverage for Medicare beneficiaries, many continue to be burdened with unnecessary out-of-pocket (OOP) costs. Objective: This study sought to identify the frequency and impact of cost-lowering strategies used to assist Medicare beneficiaries with their Part D drug costs. Methods: Twelve outreach events were conducted in 6 different cities throughout Northern/Central California during the 2013 Medicare open enrollment period. During each event, trained student pharmacists under the supervision of licensed pharmacists assisted beneficiaries to minimize their OOP costs. Individualized assistance included: optimization of the beneficiary's Part D plan, …

Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Costs And Plan Satisfaction As A Function Of Student Pharmacists' Assistance, Rajul A. Patel, Kate M. O'Dell, Kenneth Wang, Shu Lu, Tiffany Chu, Kim-Anh Vo, Sian M. Carr-Lopez, Joseph A. Woelfel, Suzanne M. Galal, Berit Gundersen

School of Pharmacy Faculty Presentations

Background: Beneficiaries can become overwhelmed by the myriad of Medicare Part D (MPD) plans that offer prescription drug coverage. Poor choice and increased out-of-pocket (OOP) costs can be reduced through annual plan reevaluation. Objective: To examine beneficiaries' plan satisfaction and MPD drug costs as a function of prior assistance from trained student pharmacists. Methods: Twelve outreach events, nine at the same location as the previous year, were held throughout Northern/Central California during October-November 2012. Trained student pharmacists, at each event, identified the MPD plan best meeting a beneficiary's needs based on their current medications and personal preferences (e.g., preferred pharmacy). …

Sensing Charges Of The Ciona Intestinalis Voltage-Sensing Phosphatase, Carlos A. Villalba-Galea, Ludivine Frezza, Walter Sandtner, Francisco Bezanilla

School of Pharmacy Faculty Articles

Voltage control over enzymatic activity in voltage-sensitive phosphatases (VSPs) is conferred by a voltage-sensing domain (VSD) located in the N terminus. These VSDs are constituted by four putative transmembrane segments (S1 to S4) resembling those found in voltage-gated ion channels. The putative fourth segment (S4) of the VSD contains positive residues that likely function as voltage-sensing elements. To study in detail how these residues sense the plasma membrane potential, we have focused on five arginines in the S4 segment of the Ciona intestinalis VSP (Ci-VSP). After implementing a histidine scan, here we show that four arginine-to-histidine mutants, namely R223H to …

Local Tobacco Control: Application Of The Essential Public Health Services Model In A County Health Department’S Efforts To Put It Out Rockland, Lisa D. Lieberman, Una Diffley, Sandy King, Shelley Chanler, Maryanne Ferrera, Oscar Alleyne, Joan Facelle

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

In 2000, Rockland County, a small suburban county north of New York City, dedicated $1 million of its Master Settlement Agreement funds to a comprehensive tobacco control program, Put It Out Rockland. Developed and implemented by the county health department, this program used an essential public health services model and an ongoing financial investment, within the context of strong statewide tobacco control efforts, to lower adult smoking rates to 9.7% and to reduce both smoking among youths and exposure to secondhand smoke over the ensuing decade. By combining state funds and local dollars for a total of $6.75 cost per …

Heart Smart: Healthy Living And Prevention Of Chronic Disease, Ginger D. Cameron

Pharmacy Practice Faculty Presentations

No abstract provided.

Pharmacy Law Brief: Pharmacy Law Exam For Licensure, Joseph L. Fink Iii

Pharmacy Practice and Science Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Empowering Students With Assessment Data, Jane M. Souza, Karen D.C. Bobak

Pharmacy Faculty/Staff Publications

Students’ perspective on assessment may be limited to summative grades for semester performance. However, providing access to data tracking their progress formatively could empower them to be more proactive in preparing for success. Examples of empowering students through access to data will be shared from two campuses. One campus will demonstrate how requiring students to reflect on longitudinal reports of their performance on learning outcomes can assist in targeting their studies. The second campus will exhibit how assessment data can be linked to peer mentoring. Participants will strategize how to engage students actively in the use of assessment data.

An Institution Wide Interdisciplinary Protocol For Improving The Recognition And Treatment Of Sepsis In Patients Presenting To The Emergency Department, Glenn Oettinger, Pharmd, Bcps

Pharmacy Presentations, Posters, and Grand Rounds

Objectives of this presentation were to describe our severe sepsis protocol, tools for sepsis identification, management, and staff education, as well as results of our research demonstrating the impact of this initiative on mortality.

Presented at: UHC Annual Conference 2013 in Atlanta, GA

36 PowerPoint slides.

Mechanism Of Amyloid Β-Protein Dimerization Determined Using Single-Molecule Afm Force Spectroscopy., Zhengjian Lv, Robin Roychaudhuri, Margaret M Condron, David B. Teplow, Yuri L. Lyubchenko

Journal Articles: Pharmaceutical Sciences

Aβ42 and Aβ40 are the two primary alloforms of human amyloid β-protein (Aβ). The two additional C-terminal residues of Aβ42 result in elevated neurotoxicity compared with Aβ40, but the molecular mechanism underlying this effect remains unclear. Here, we used single-molecule force microscopy to characterize interpeptide interactions for Aβ42 and Aβ40 and corresponding mutants. We discovered a dramatic difference in the interaction patterns of Aβ42 and Aβ40 monomers within dimers. Although the sequence difference between the two peptides is at the C-termini, the N-terminal segment plays a key role in the peptide interaction in the dimers. This is an unexpected finding …