Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Commons^™

Firsthand Experience In A Community Pharmacy Through The Lens Of A Pharmacy Technician, Khamariah Patrice Yelder-Anderson

Honors Theses

In the first chapter, I discussed three of the major issues in a community pharmacy which are rude customers, phones, and shorter hours. Technicians have to deal with very opinionated customers who can come off as insolent. The phones are a popular mode of communication for both the patients and physicians but that doesn’t account for the added demands it places on pharmacy workers. Lastly, the pharmacy has experienced later openings with earlier closings that have left filled queues and unhappy customers. The next chapter, interpersonal dynamic, takes a deeper look into how various roles of the pharmacy engage with …

Synthesis Of Fluorinated Ketones For Biological Evaluation At The Gaba-B Receptor, Katherine Kreusel

Honors Theses

The proper functioning of the CNS depends on the balance between excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters. While excitation is primarily regulated by glutamate, inhibition is regulated by γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA). When GABA binds to a GABA receptor, there is a block in nerve transmission which is important when studying pain and drug addiction. There are two types of GABA receptors that are used as drug targets: GABA-A and GABA-B. While GABA-A receptors are ionotropic and ligand-gated ion channels, GABA-B receptors are G-protein coupled receptors that are used by cells to convert extracellular signals into intracellular responses. Although many therapeutics modulate the …

The Design Of A Pcr-Based Assay To Detect And Isolate The Serine Palmitolytransferase Gene From Environmental Bacteria, Lana Taylor

Honors Theses

Sphingolipids are a natural class of lipids that function as structural elements of cell membranes and signaling molecules for important cellular activities such as cell growth, differentiation, apoptosis, recognition, and adhesion. These lipids can be found universally in eukaryotic cells as well as some species of bacteria, such as those found in the human gut microbiome and in the environment in soils. Though sphingolipid production is rare in bacteria, both eukaryotic and prokaryotic sphingolipid biosynthesis begin with the condensation of serine and palmitoyl CoA into 3-ketodihydrosphingosine catalyzed by the enzyme serine palmitoyltransferase (SPT). In recent years, several studies have shown …

Airborne And Dermal Collection Methods Of Gunshot Residue For Toxicity Studies, Samuel Cole Smith, Oscar Beau Black, Courtney Roper

Faculty and Student Publications

Gunshot residue (GSR) has potential negative health effects on humans as a result of inhalation and dermal exposure to the chemical and physical characteristics of GSR such as Pb, Sb, Ba, nitrocellulose, nitroglycerine, and particulate size fraction. Filter (size selective) and double-sided tape (non-size selective) samples collected airborne GSR during single and triple firing of a 0.22 caliber revolver. Dermal exposures were considered using hand swabs and de-leading wipes, designed to remove the heavy metals. The samples underwent analysis to investigate physical (morphology, size distribution, zeta potential), chemical (black carbon and element concentrations), and potential to induce oxidative stress (oxidative …

Isolation Of Echimidine And Its C-7 Isomers From Echium Plantagineum L. And Their Hepatotoxic Effect On Rat Hepatocytes, Michał Gleńsk, Marta K. Dudek, Peter Kinkade, Evelyn C.S. Santos

Faculty and Student Publications

Echimidine is the main pyrrolizidine alkaloid of Echium plantagineum L., a plant domesti-cated in many countries. Because of echimidine’s toxicity, this alkaloid has become a target of the European Food Safety Authority regulations, especially in regard to honey contamination. In this study, we determined by NMR spectroscopy that the main HPLC peak purified from zinc reduced plant extract with an MS [M + H]+ signal at m/z 398 corresponding to echimidine (1), and in fact also represents an isomeric echihumiline (2). A third isomer present in the smallest amount and barely re-solved by HPLC from co-eluting (1) and (2) was …

Development Of Α-Tocopherol Succinate-Based Nanostructured Lipid Carriers For Delivery Of Paclitaxel, Sushrut Marathe, Gauri Shadambikar, Tabish Mehraj, Suresh P. Sulochana

Faculty and Student Publications

The management of retinoblastoma (RB) involves the use of invasive treatment regimens. Paclitaxel (PTX), an effective antineoplastic compound used in the treatment of a wide range of malignant tumors, poses treatment challenges due to systemic toxicity, rapid elimination, and development of resistance. The goal of this work was to develop PTX-loaded, α-tocopherol succinate (αTS)-based, nanostructured lipid carrier (NLCs; αTS-PTX-NLC) and PEGylated αTS-PTX-NLC (αTS-PTX-PEG-NLC) to improve ocular bioavailability. The hot homogenization method was used to prepare the NLCs, and repeated measures ANOVA analysis was used for formulation optimization. αTS-PTX-NLC and αTS-PTX-PEG-NLC had a mean particle size, polydispersity index and zeta potential …

Essential Oil Yield, Composition, And Bioactivity Of Sagebrush Species In The Bighorn Mountains, Valtcho D. Zheljazkov, Charles L. Cantrell, Ekaterina A. Jeliazkova, Tess Astatkie

Faculty and Student Publications

Sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) are dominant wild plants in large areas of the U.S., Canada and Mexico, and they include several species and subspecies. The aim was to determine if there are significant differences in essential oil (EO) yield, composition, and biological activity of sagebrush within the Bighorn Mountains, U.S. The EO yield in fresh herbage varied from 0.15 to 1.69% for all species, including 0.25–1.69% in A. tridentata var. vaseyana, 0.64–1.44% in A. tridentata var. tridentata, 1% in A. tridentata var. wyomingensis, 0.8–1.2% in A. longifolia, 0.8–1% in A. cana, and 0.16% in A. ludoviciana. There was significant variability in …

Fractionation Of Sulfated Galactan From The Red Alga Botryocladia Occidentalis Separates Its Anticoagulant And Anti-Sars-Cov-2 Properties, Seon Beom Kim, Mary Zoepfl, Priyanka Samanta, Fuming Zhang

Faculty and Student Publications

Sulfation pattern and molecular weight (MW) play a key role in the biological actions of sulfated glycans. Besides anticoagulant effects, certain sulfated glycans can also exhibit anti-SARS-CoV-2 properties. To develop a more selective antiviral carbohydrate, an efficient strategy to separate these two actions is required. In this work, low MW fractions derived from the red alga Botryocladia occidentalis sulfated galactan (BoSG) were generated, structurally characterized, and tested for activity against SARS-CoV-2 and blood coagulation. The lowest MW fraction was found to be primarily composed of octasaccharides of monosulfated monosaccharides. Unlike heparin or native BoSG, we found that hydrolyzed BoSG products …

A Simple, Cost-Effective, And Green Hptlc Method For The Estimation Of Ascorbic Acid In Solvent And Ultrasound-Assisted Extracts Of Phyllanthus Emblica, Capsicum Annuum, And Psidium Guajava, Ahmed I. Foudah, Prawez Alam, Faiyaz Shakeel, Aftab Alam

Faculty and Student Publications

Greener analytical methodologies for the estimation of ascorbic acid (AA) are poorly reported in the literature. Furthermore, the green indexes of the literature’s analytical assays of AA estimation have not been assessed. As a consequence, the aim of this research is to invent and validate a simple, cost-effective, and green reverse-phase “high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC)” method for the estimating AA in the solvent extracts (SE) and ultrasound-assisted extracts (UAE) of Phyllanthus emblica, Psidium guajava, and Capsicum annuum. The greener mobile phase for AA estimation was a binary mixture of water and ethanol (70:30, v/v). At a wavelength of 265 nm, …

Rap1a Activity Elevated The Impact Of Endogenous Ages In Diabetic Collagen To Stimulate Increased Myofibroblast Transition And Oxidative Stress, Stephanie D. Burr, Christopher C. Dorroh, James A. Stewart

Faculty and Student Publications

Diabetics have an increased risk for heart failure due to cardiac fibroblast functional changes occurring as a result of AGE/RAGE signaling. Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) levels are higher in diabetics and stimulate elevated RAGE (receptor for AGE) signaling. AGE/RAGE signaling can alter the expression of proteins linked to extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling and oxidative stressors. Our lab has identified a small GTPase, Rap1a, that may overlap the AGE/RAGE signaling pathway. We sought to determine the role Rap1a plays in mediating AGE/RAGE changes and to assess the impact of isolated collagen on further altering these changes. Primary cardiac fibroblasts from …

Selective Inhibition Of Plasmodium Falciparum Atpase 6 By Artemisinins And Identification Of New Classes Of Inhibitors After Expression In Yeast, Catherine M. Moore, Jigang Wang, Qingsong Lin, Pedro Ferreira

Faculty and Student Publications

Treatment failures with artemisinin combination therapies (ACTs) threaten global efforts to eradicate malaria. They highlight the importance of identifying drug targets and new inhibitors and of studying how existing antimalarial classes work. Here, we report the successful development of a heterologous expression-based compoundscreening tool. The validated drug target Plasmodium falciparum ATPase 6 (PfATP6) and a mammalian orthologue (sarco/endoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase 1a [SERCA1a]) were functionally expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, providing a robust, sensitive, and specific screening tool. Whole-cell and in vitro assays consistently demonstrated inhibition and labeling of PfATP6 by artemisinins. Mutations in PfATP6 resulted in fitness costs that were …

Ameliorative Effects Of Minor Cannabinoids Over Hiv-1 Tat-Mediated Visceral Pain, Charlie Worth

Honors Theses

As the total number of people living with HIV continues to rise across the world, an effective HIV treatment is still sought after. While modern-day advanced therapies exist for mitigating much of the negative effects of HIV, the virus remains evasive and problematic in the central nervous system. Thus, even with treatment, many people living with HIV continue to suffer from a plethora of symptoms. However, a large proportion of HIV-positive patients claim to feel a reduction in those persevering symptoms after cannabis usage. This anecdotal evidence has sparked interest in the efficacy of cannabis constituents for HIV therapy. This …

Potential Pro-Inflammatory Effect Of Vitamin E Analogs Through Mitigation Of Tetrahydrocannabinol (Thc) Binding To The Cannabinoid 2 Receptor, Anjela Manandhar, Mona H. Haron, Samir A. Ross, Michael L. Klein

Faculty and Student Publications

Vitamin E acetate, which is used as a diluent of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), has been reported as the primary causative agent of e-cigarette, or vaping, product use-associated lung injury (EVALI). Here, we employ in vitro assays, docking, and molecular dynamics (MD) computer simulations to investigate the interaction of vitamin E with the membrane-bound cannabinoid 2 receptor (CB2R), and its role in modulating the binding affinity of THC to CB2R. From the MD simulations, we determined that vitamin E interacts with both CB2R and membrane phospholipids. Notably, the synchronized effect of these interactions likely facilitates vitamin E acting as a lipid modulator …

Analysis Of Docosanol Using Gc/Ms: Method Development, Validation, And Application To Ex Vivo Human Skin Permeation Studies, Vijay Kumar Shankar, Mei Wang, Srinivas Ajjarapu, Praveen Kolimi

Faculty and Student Publications

Docosanol is the only US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved over-the-counter topical product for treating recurrent oral-facial herpes simplex labialis. Validated analytical methods for docosanol are required to demonstrate the bioequivalence of docosanol topical products. A gas chromatography/selected ion monitoring mode mass spectrometry (GC/SIM-MS) method was developed and validated for docosanol determination in biological samples. Docosanol and isopropyl palmitate (internal standard) were separated on a high-polarity GC capillary column with (88% cyanopropy)aryl-polysiloxane employed as the stationary phase. The ions of m/z 83 and 256 were selected to monitor docosanol and isopropyl palmitate, respectively; the total run time was 20 …

Phad 795: Special Topics: Principles Of Statistical Mediation And Moderation, John P. Bentley Ph.D.

GMAS Course Syllabi

No abstract provided.

Protocol: A Scoping Review Of Graduate Student Education, Curriculum Impact, And Interest In Interdisciplinary Research Training, David D. Allen Iii

Faculty and Student Publications

Title: PROTOCOL: A Scoping Review of Graduate Student Education, Curriculum Impact, and Interest in Interdisciplinary Research Training

Background: Alongside traditional graduate education practices, implementing curriculum focused on providing interdisciplinary research training to graduate students may help support their academic development. This additional educational focus can bolster graduate student understanding of methodological practices, develop alternative routes of thinking or approaching a problem/ issue/ topic, may assist in developing student professional socialization skills, and may positively impact student internal motivations, beliefs, and perceptions.

Methods: Our scoping review protocol was developed a priori utilizing the Joanna Briggs Institute guidance, by …

Predictors Of Job Satisfaction Among Pharmacists: A Regional Workforce Survey, Rotana M. Radwan, John P. Bentley, Julie A. Patterson, Dave L. Dixon

Faculty and Student Publications

Background: Job satisfaction affects organizational outcomes including performance and retention. The pharmacy job satisfaction literature points to several predictors of job satisfaction, but educational debt and various work settings have not been previously examined. Objectives: To identify predictors of Virginia pharmacists' job satisfaction. Methods: This cross-sectional study used data from the 2018 Virginia Pharmacist Workforce Survey. Of 15,424 registered pharmacists, 13,962 (90.5%) completed the survey. Pharmacists who reported being employed and working in Virginia in the previous year (2017) were included in the analysis (n = 6042). Data were summarized using descriptive statistics. Multiple logistic regression identified predictors of job …

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 …

Real-World, Multicentre Evaluation Of The Incidence And Risk Factors For Non-Susceptible Stenotrophomonas Maltophilia Isolates, Bruce M. Jones, Jamie L. Wagner, Daniel B. Chastain, P. Brandon Bookstaver

Faculty and Student Publications

Background: Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is a cause of infection most commonly in the opportunistic host. Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and levofloxacin are considered first-line treatment agents. With reports of increasing resistance to these first-line agents, it is important to determine risk factors associated with a non-susceptible isolate. Methods: This was a real-world, multicentre, retrospective case-control study from five centres in the southeast United States evaluating S. maltophilia. The primary outcome was risk factors associated with non-susceptibility of S. maltophilia isolates to ≥1 antimicrobial agents. Secondary outcomes include incidence of S. maltophilia non-susceptibility, all-cause mortality, and 30-day readmission rates. Results: There were 325 patients included …

Chemical Composition Analysis, Cytotoxic, Antimicrobial And Antioxidant Activities Of Physalis Angulata L.: A Comparative Study Of Leaves And Fruit, Jayachithra Ramakrishna Pillai, Adil Farooq Wali, Godfred Antony Menezes, Muneeb U. Rehman

Faculty and Student Publications

Physalis angulata L. belongs to the family Solanaceae and is distributed throughout the tropical and subtropical regions. Physalis angulata leaf and fruit extracts were assessed for in vitro anticancer, antioxidant activity, and total phenolic and flavonoid content. The GC-MS technique investigated the chemical composition and structure of bioactive chemicals reported in extracts. The anticancer activity results revealed a decrease in the percentage of anticancer cells’ viability in a concentration-and time-dependent way. We also noticed morphological alterations in the cells, which we believe are related to Physalis angulata extracts. Under light microscopy, we observed that as the concentration of ethanolic extract …

Safety And Pharmacokinetics Of Intranasally Administered Heparin, Hannah M. Harris, Katherine L. Boyet, Hao Liu, Rohini Dwivedi

Faculty and Student Publications

Purpose: Intranasally administered unfractionated heparin (UFH) and other sulfated polysaccharides are potential prophylactics for COVID-19. The purpose of this research was to measure the safety and pharmacokinetics of clearance of intranasally administered UFH solution from the nasal cavity. Methods: Double-blinded daily intranasal dosing in C57Bl6 mice with four doses (60 ng to 60 μg) of UFH was carried out for fourteen consecutive days, with both blood coagulation measurements and subject adverse event monitoring. The pharmacokinetics of fluorescent-labeled UFH clearance from the nasal cavity were measured in mice by in vivo imaging. Intranasal UFH at 2000 U/day solution with nasal spray …

Which Pharmacists Are Performing Antimicrobial Stewardship: A National Survey And A Call For Collaborative Efforts, Brandon Dionne, Jamie L. Wagner, Daniel B. Chastain, Meagen Rosenthal

Faculty and Student Publications

Abstract Objectives: To determine how pharmacists with formal antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP) responsibilities prioritize their time and pharmacists without formal antimicrobial stewardship program responsibilities contribute to ASP activities. Design: A nationwide survey. Respondents: Members of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy who subscribe to the following practice and research network e-mail listservs: infectious diseases, adult medicine, cardiology, critical care, hematology-oncology, immunology and transplantation, and pediatrics. Methods: A survey was distributed via listservs. Respondents were asked about their personal and institutional demographics and ASP activities. Results: In total, 245 pharmacists responded: 135 pharmacists with formal antimicrobial stewardship program responsibilities; 110 pharmacists …

The Influence Of Social Determinants Of Health On The Provision Of Postpartum Contraceptives In Medicaid, Irene Nsiah, Nidhi Vij Mali, Marie Barnard, Swarnali Goswami

Faculty and Student Publications

Disparities continue to exist in the timely provision of postpartum contraception. This study aimed to identify prevalence and factors associated with postpartum contraception provision among women enrolled in Medicaid. A retrospective cohort study was conducted using the 2014 National Medicaid data, linked to county‐level social vulnerability index (SVI) data. Women aged 15–44 with a live birth in 2014 were included. Multivariable logistic regression was used to predict 3‐day provision of long‐acting reversible contraception (LARC) and 60‐day provision of most effective or moderately effective contraceptives (MMEC). Overall, 3‐day LARC provision was 0.2% while 60‐day MMEC was 36.3%. Significantly lower odds of …

Phytochemical Screening, In Vitro And In Silico Studies Of Volatile Compounds From Petroselinum Crispum (Mill) Leaves Grown In Saudi Arabia, Ahmed I. Foudah, Mohammad H. Alqarni, Aftab Alam, Mohammad Ayman Salkini

Faculty and Student Publications

The herbal plant Petroselinum crispum (P. crispum) (Mill) is commonly available around the world. In this study, the leaves of the herbal plant P. crispum were collected from the central region of Al-Kharj, Saudi Arabia, to explore their in vitro pharmacological activity. Essential oil from the leaves of P. crispum was isolated using the hydrodistillation method. The composition of P. crispum essential oil (PCEO) was determined using Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). A total of 67 components were identified, representing approximately 96.02% of the total volatile composi-tion. Myristicin was identified as the principal constituent (41.45%). The in vitro biological activity was …

A Multitarget Approach To Evaluate The Efficacy Of Aquilaria Sinensis Flower Extract Against Metabolic Syndrome, Hee Sung Chae, Olivia Dale, Tahir Maqbool Mir, Bharathi Avula

Faculty and Student Publications

Aquilaria sinensis (Lour.) Spreng is known for its resinous secretion (agarwood), often secreted in defense against injuries. We investigated the effects of A. sinensis flower extract (AF) on peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors alpha and gamma (PPARα and PPARγ), liver X receptor (LXR), glucose uptake, and lipid accumulation (adipogenesis). Activation of PPARα, PPARγ and LXR was determined in hepatic (HepG2) cells by reporter gene assays. Glucose uptake was determined in differentiated muscle (C2C12) cells using 2-NBDG (2-deoxy-2-[(7-nitro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazol-4-yl)amino]-D-glucose). Adipogenesis was determined in adipocytes (3T3-L1 cells) by Oil red O staining. At a concentration of 50 µg/mL, AF caused 12.2-fold activation of PPARα and …

Lip Reconstruction By Double Layer And Double Flap New Combination Technique: A Case Series, Antonio Cortese, Salvatore Catalano, Antonio Alberto Maria Giunta, Antonio Borri

Faculty and Student Publications

In the past, lip reconstruction after ablative surgery has been performed by primary closure and more recently by free flap transfer technique. Cheek’s skin flap has been used to reconstruct the lower lip cutaneous portion. This study presents a reconstructive method for the vermillion and the lip’s cutaneous portion using the Goldstein-Robotti techniques (for the vermillion) and the buccinator flap to reconstruct the cutaneous lip portion and the perioral muscles. This procedure allows a complete reconstruction with a double layer technique for defects of more than one-third of both lips, together or alone, including modiolus, showing satisfactory functionality and aesthetics. …

Do Formulation And Dose Of Long-Term Opioid Therapy Contribute To Risk Of Adverse Events Among Older Adults?, Monika Salkar, Sujith Ramachandran, John P. Bentley, Ike Eriator

Faculty and Student Publications

Background: Chronic non-cancer pain (CNCP) is highly prevalent in older adults and long-term opioid therapy (LTOT) has been used to manage chronic pain. However, the safety of LTOT among older adults with CNCP is not well-established and there is a need to identify therapy-related risk factors of opioid-related adverse events among older adults. Objective: To evaluate the relationship between opioid dose and formulation and the risk of opioid-related adverse events among Medicare-eligible older adults on LTOT. Design: Nested case-control study. Participants: Older Medicare beneficiaries (N=35,189) who received > 3 opioid prescriptions with a total days-supply of >45 days within a 90-day …

Designing A Clinical Study With Dietary Supplements: It's All In The Details, Z. Elizabeth Floyd, David M. Ribnicky, Ilya Raskin, Daniel S. Hsia

Faculty and Student Publications

A successful randomized clinical trial of the effect of dietary supplements on a chosen endpoint begins with developing supporting data in preclinical studies while paying attention to easily overlooked details when planning the related clinical trial. In this perspective, we draw on our experience studying the effect of an ethanolic extract from Artemisia dracunculus L. (termed PMI-5011) on glucose homeostasis as a potential therapeutic option in providing resilience to metabolic syndrome (MetS). Decisions on experimental design related to issues ranging from choice of mouse model to dosing levels and route of administration in the preclinical studies will be discussed in …

School Of Pharmacy Intellectual Property Report, Fy22, Second Quarter Report, Soumyajit Majumdar

U. S. Patents, School of Pharmacy

No abstract provided.

Phytochemical Investigation Of Egyptian Riverhemp: A Potential Source Of Antileukemic Metabolites, Shimaa M. Abdelgawad, Mona H. Hetta, Mohamed A. Ibrahim, Premalatha Balachandran

Faculty and Student Publications

As part of our research group's continuous efforts to find alternative treatments for cancer, the aqueous ethanol extract of Sesbania sesban L. Merr. (SS, Egyptian riverhemp) demonstrated an antileukemic activity against K562 cell line. Bioguided fractionation of SS leaves hydroethanolic extract resulted in the isolation of one new compound (33) named as hederatriol 3-O-β-D-glucuronic acid methyl ester as well as 34 known compounds. Seven compounds ((34), (22), (20), (24), (21), (19), and (35)) showed high antiproliferative effects (IC50 = 22.3, 30.8, 31.3, 33.7, 36.6, 37.5, and 41.5 μM, respectively), while four compounds ((32), (5), (29), and (1)) showed milder activities …