Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Commons^™

The Influence Of English Proficiency In Online Health Information-Seeking: A Comprehensive Model Of Information-Seeking (Cmis) Based Study Using Health Information National Trends Survey (Hints) Data, Lauren M. Perez

Pharmaceutical Sciences ETDs

Understanding language-related challenges is crucial for addressing health and healthcare access disparities. This study examines differences in online health information seeking (OHIS) experiences by English proficiency. It explores factors influencing OHIS that patients in the United States with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) may encounter to shed light on the online health information needs of patients with LEP. The research utilizes data from the 2017 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) 5 Cycle 1 to analyze the OHIS experiences of patients. Findings will inform healthcare providers, policymakers, and researchers, promoting equitable access to reliable health information.

B-Cell Monoclonal Antibodies For Management Of Relapse Remitting Multiple Sclerosis: A Cost Effectiveness Analysis, Sarah Glover

Pharmaceutical Sciences ETDs

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurodegenerative disease in which the central nervous system’s myelin sheath is degraded by auto-immune cells. Relapse remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) is the most common MS phenotype, accounting for ~85% of new diagnoses. Disease modifying therapies (DMTs) are used in RRMS to reduce the frequency of relapses and prevent disability progression. The present study performed a cost effectiveness analysis of three B-cell depleting monoclonal antibody DMTs: ocrelizumab, ofatumumab and rituximab, in comparison to commonly utilized interferon beta-1a (IFN-B1a). A Markov model was created to determine the impact of selected DMTs on the number of …

Racial And Ethnic Differences In The Receipt Of Metabolic Syndrome Risk Factor Screening And Treatment Among Prostate Cancer Patients Treated With Androgen Deprivation Therapy., Yazan K. Barqawi

Pharmaceutical Sciences ETDs

Background: Racial and ethnic health disparities in prostate cancer prevalence, incidence, mortality, quality of life, screening, and treatment constitute the largest of all cancer disparities. These health disparities are associated with higher morbidity and mortality rates in minority populations. Treatment with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) has been the most widely used therapeutic modality to reduce the progression of prostate cancer to a worse disease stage and relieve potential obstructive symptoms. However, ADT is associated with possible toxic metabolic and cardiovascular (CVS) adverse events that may occur within six months of ADT initiation. These adverse events include metabolic syndrome, type II …

Degradation Of Vitamin E Acetate Through Vaping Produces Byproducts Cytotoxic To Thp-1 Monocytic Cells, Joshua Alcon

Pharmaceutical Sciences ETDs

Electronic cigarette or vaping use associated lung injury (EVALI) is a pulmonary disease among those who vaped illicit tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) cartridges that resulted in hospitalization or death. Vitamin E acetate (VEA) was a common additive present in the bronchioalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of patients who were hospitalized with EVALI. However, little is known about pulmonary exposure to vitamin E acetate (VEA) when inhaled through vaping. The hypothesis of this study is the cytotoxicity of vaped VEA is due, at least in part, to the pyrolytic breakdown products of VEA produced by vaping, as opposed to VEA itself. From this study, …

The Role Of The Accessory Gene Regulator Operon In Biofilm Formation By Staphylococcus Aureus, Sarah C. Jordan

Pharmaceutical Sciences ETDs

Staphylococcus aureus is a pathogenic bacteria that causes significant morbidity and mortality. As antibiotic resistance by S. aureus continues to be a serious concern, developing novel drug therapies to combat these infections is vital. Quorum sensing inhibitors (QSI) dampen S. aureus virulence and facilitate clearance by the host immune system by blocking quorum sensing signaling that promotes upregulation of the accessory gene regulator (agr) operon. While QSIs have shown therapeutic promise in mouse models of S. aureus infection, their further development has been hampered by the suggestion that agr inhibition promotes biofilm formation. In these studies, we investigated the relationship …

All-Cause 30-Day Non-Elective Hospital Readmissions Among Adults With An Index Visit For Status Epilepticus In The United States, Shannon Kindilien

Pharmaceutical Sciences ETDs

Status epilepticus (SE) is a type of medical emergency. It occurs when a person has a single seizure lasting more than 5 minutes or multiple seizures within a five-minute timeframe without a return to normal function in between. The specific aims of this research include identifying and describing characteristics associated with all-cause non-elective 30-day readmissions for US adult (>18 years) patients following a SE index hospitalization. The costs of the index visit, readmission, and cumulative costs are also described, and characteristics statistically significantly associated with changes in costs reported. This research uses the 2017 National Readmission Database (NRD) from …

Assessment Of Post-Discharge Health Care Utilization In Infants With Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome, Shikhar Shrestha

Pharmaceutical Sciences ETDs

Background/Objectives: Children born to mothers with opioid use disorder often show withdrawal effects characterized by increased stress, hyperirritability, tremors, tachycardia, sleep deprivation, and gastrointestinal discomfort, commonly known as “neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome” (NOWS). Studies have shown that the effect of NOWS can lead to several health-related disorders later in life leading to increased health care utilization. However, detailed study of post-discharge health care utilization, specifically focusing on encounters with the health care system is currently lacking in the literature. Our objective was to evaluate health care utilization in infants who were diagnosed with NOWS during a one-year follow-up period after …

Strategies To Combat Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis: Inhalable Microparticles Formulated With Anti-Tubercular Antibiotics And Efflux Pump Inhibitors, Elliott K. Miller

Pharmaceutical Sciences ETDs

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is an intracellular pathogen which can remain dormant within the human body for years (latent tuberculosis), and once active requires extensive multidrug therapies for treatment. Long-term antibiotic(s) exposure have led to the emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) strains which require novel treatment approaches to combat Mtb resistance. Mtb may also utilize efflux pumps to expel antibiotics and promote bacterial survival, potentially mediating drug tolerance, which has been hypothesized to contribute to antibiotic resistance. Efflux pump inhibitors (EPIs) such as verapamil (VER) may potentiate effects of first-line anti-tubercular drugs (ATDs) such as rifampicin …

Biphasic Effects Of Vanadium Sulfate On Cerebrovascular Endothelial Cell Barrier Integrity, Yoselin Ordonez Suarez

Pharmaceutical Sciences ETDs

The objective of this study was to investigate the biphasic effects of vanadyl sulfate in cerebral vascular endothelial cells with a focus on understanding the mechanisms underlying vanadyl sulfate benefits. To first address the effects of vanadyl sulfate on endothelial permeability, mouse cerebrovascular endothelial cells were grown to confluence in 96-well electrode ECIS plates and treated with three different vanadium containing compounds: vanadyl sulfate, vanadium pentoxide, and ammonium metavanadate. Resistance of the endothelial cell monolayer was measured at 4kHz for 24 hours for different concentrations of vanadium containing compounds. The mouse cerebrovascular endothelial cells were also treated with different concentrations …

Serotonin Syndrome And/Or Opioid Withdrawal After The First Dose Of Naltrexone Hcl/Bupropion Hcl: An Observational Study, Stefanie J. Logothetis

Pharmaceutical Sciences ETDs

In 2014, the Food and Drug Administration approved naltrexone HCl/bupropion HCl, a combination of an antidepressant and an opioid antagonist for chronic weight management therapy. Concurrent use of antidepressants and opioids has the potential to cause drug interactions involving serotonin syndrome. Our primary objective is to identify cases of serotonin syndrome and/or opioid withdrawal after initiation of naltrexone HCl/bupropion HCl. Our secondary objective is to assess which specific opioids are more likely to cause a drug interaction with naltrexone HCl/bupropion HCl. We performed an observational study by reviewing cases in the RADARS^® database from January 2014 through December 2018. …

Cost Effectiveness Analysis Of Enzalutamide, Abiraterone Plus Prednisone And Cabazitaxel Plus Predinsone For The Treatment Of Visceral Metastatic Castration Resistant Prostate Cancer (Mcrpc) After Docetaxel Therapy, Yazan K. Barqawi

Pharmaceutical Sciences ETDs

Background: Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of death after lung cancer among men in the US. The America Cancer Society predicts 164,690 new cases and 29,430 prostate cancer deaths in 2018. Of those diagnosed with prostate cancer, about 10-20 % will develop castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) within 5 years of diagnosis and 70 % of those cases will metastasize to mCRPC. In 2014, nearly US $13.4 billion was spent on prostate cancer in the US and expected to reach US $15.4 billion by 2020; making prostate cancer the fifth most costly cancer.

Objective: To conduct a cost-effective analysis …

Assessing The Impact Of Prescription Opioid Use Versus No Use On Adherence To Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (Copd) Maintenance Medications, Copd Exacerbations And Total Healthcare Costs, Akshay Kharat

Pharmaceutical Sciences ETDs

OBJECTIVES:COPD contributes significant morbidity and mortality worldwide and is currently the third leading cause of mortality in the United States. Chronic pain prevalence is high among COPD patients leading to a high rate of prescription opioid use. The potential impact of concurrent prescription opioid use on COPD maintenance medication adherence, COPD exacerbations, and total healthcare costs is not well understood. The study objectives were i) to assess the impact of prescription opioid use compared to no prescription opioid use on COPD maintenance medication adherence in 90, 180, 270, and 365-day follow-up periods, and ii) to assess the impact of …

Comparison Of Post-Marketing Surveillance Approaches Regarding Infections Related To Tumor Necrosis Factor (Tnf) Inhibitors, Cheng Chen

Pharmaceutical Sciences ETDs

Objective: Both spontaneous (voluntary) reporting systems and observational approaches serve as important tools in post-marketing surveillance for adverse drug events, however, each has its own advantages. The primary purpose of this project was to compare and contrast the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) data and findings from observational studies in post-marketing surveillance through examining TNF inhibitors (etanercept, adalimumab, infliximab, certolizumab and golimumab) related infections, and secondarily, to examine the applicability of additional analyses in FAERS, such as multiple logistic regressions and time to onset of event analysis.

Methods: Using MedDRA^® preferred terms (PTs), infection and infestation cases in …

Comparing The Effectiveness Of Using Educational Booklet Or Brief Video On Patients’ Knowledge, Perceptions And Willingness To Participate In Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trials, Khalid F. Almoaikel, Dennis Raisch, Matthew Borrego, Mike Sather, Mark Holdsworth

Pharmaceutical Sciences ETDs

Background and Objectives: Limited knowledge about clinical trials can influence a patient’s willingness to participate in medical research. For placebo-controlled clinical trials, it is more difficult to recruit patients compared to clinical trials without a placebo arm. Thus, educating individuals about clinical trials and placebos can potentially improve their perceptions about clinical trials and might increase their willingness to enroll in them. The study objectives include:

1) To design educational interventions (a booklet and a video) to improve a patient’s knowledge of placebo controlled clinical trials.

2) To compare the impact of the educational interventions (booklet, video or both) on …

Role Of Nuclear Pharmacist In Clinical Translation Of Positron Emission Tomography (Pet) Radiopharmaceuticals And Environmental Monitoring Of Facility, Reiko Oyama

Pharmaceutical Sciences ETDs

There have been many changes in nuclear medicine and molecular imaging field as several radiopharmaceuticals have recently been approved and many others on the horizon. Ensuring the compliance with the increasingly aggressive national, federal, and state regulatory has become a critical piece of PET manufacturing and Nuclear Pharmacy.

As a nuclear pharmacist, I have been searching for the way I can better contribute to the progress of this field with an ultimate goal of proving safe and effective healthcare to the patients. In order to do so, strengthening my expertise is essential. In this thesis, I would like to capture …

In Vivo Spect/Ct Molecular Imaging Of Lfa-1 In Atherosclerotic Inflammatory Development With Radiolabeled Danbirt, Roberto Ivan Mota Alvidrez

Pharmaceutical Sciences ETDs

The objective of this thesis project is to assess inflammatory leukocyte presence and accumulation in vascular atherosclerotic plaque using [111In] In-DANBIRT as a non-invasive diagnostic imaging tool. ApoE-/-mice were fed either normal or high fat diet (HFD) for 8 weeks. Sprague Dawley male rats were exposed to filtered air and ozone for 4 hours. SPECT/CT imaging was performed at baseline, 4 and 8 weeks. 3D autoradiography was performed after 8 weeks. Leukocyte isolation methods were performed for neutrophil and peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) separations post-incubation with [68Ga] Ga-DANBIRT and [111In] In-DANBIRT. Whole blood isolation correlated these findings showing increased …

Alterations In Calcium Homeostasis And The Insulin-Like Growth Factor Signaling Pathway Induced By Carcinogenic Polycyclic And Halogenated Aromatic Hydrocarbons In Human Mammary Epithelial Cells, Stacey L. Tannheimer

Pharmaceutical Sciences ETDs

Breast cancer is a major health concern for women, with only a small percent of the risk factors currently identified. It has been estimated that environmental factors may contribute to up to 80% of breast cancer cases. Many environmental carcinogens, such as polycyclic and halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs and HAHs), are proven mammary carcinogens in animal models. Therefore, these studies were conducted to elucidate potential roles of PAHs and HAHs in alterations in known signaling pathways in human mammary epithelial cells (HMEC). Carcinogenic PAHs have previously been shown to produce sustained alterations in the calcium (Ca2') homeostasis of lymphocytes Therefore, …

Alterations In Human B Cell Calcium Homeostasis By Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons: Possible Associations With Cytochrome P450 Metabolism And Increased Tyrosine Phosphorylation, Barbara J. Mounho

Pharmaceutical Sciences ETDs

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), are known immunotoxicants in animals, and are suspect toxins to the human immune system. The mechanism(s), however, by which PAHs exert immunosuppression have not been fully elucidated. Previous studies conducted in our laboratory have shown that PAHs, such as 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)- anthracene (DMB A) and benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) may exert their immunotoxic effects by altering intracellular calcium (Ca2+) homeostasis in lymphocytes. Intracellular Ca2+ is an important second messenger in the immune response, and the mobilization of Ca2+ is critical in the transduction of intracellular signals from the plasma membrane to the nucleus. The overall objective of this project …