Other Chemicals and Drugs Commons^™

Development Of A Rapid Drug Detection Method For Insects Using Paper Spray Ionization Mass Spectrometry (Psi-Ms), Alexandria Plyler

Undergraduate Research and Scholarship Symposium

Insects have the ability to reflect the chemical environment that they have developed in. Thus, necrogenous insects can reflect the chemical environment of cadavers they have fed on. Forensic scientists can potentially utilize insect larvae as an alternate biological matrix to detect drugs in cadavers that are skeletonized, burned, or otherwise badly damaged. Analysis of insects using paper spray ionization mass spectrometry (PSI-MS), an analytical method requiring little to no sample preparation, could prove a rapid, cost-effective, and non-destructive alternative form of toxicological analysis. Traditional tissue analysis via GC and LC-MS often require lengthy sample preparation, use expensive reagents, and ...

The Effect Of Chronic Alcohol Consumption On Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage In Young Men, Emma Hamilton, Grant Hilliard

Honors Theses

PURPOSE: To investigate the effects of chronic alcohol consumption on exercise-induced muscle damage of the knee extensors in young men. METHODS: Twenty-one males (age 21.9 ± 1.1 yr; weight 183.4 ± 27.6 lbs; height 174.0 ± 13.1 cm) performed 100 maximal eccentric contractions at 30°/sec of the knee extensors using their non-dominant leg. The isometric and isokinetic muscle strengths (60°/sec and 180°/sec) were measured pre-exercise and immediately, 24 h, 48 h, 72 h, 96 h, and 120 h post-exercise. Muscle soreness and plasma creatine kinase (CK) activity were measured pre-exercise and 24 h, 48 ...

Synthesis Of Novel Long Chain Unsaturated Fatty Acid Analogs Of Capsaicin, Eli Bettiga

Honors Theses

A number of key studies have shown that the natural product capsaicin displays in vitro and in vivo antitumor effects against a variety of cancers, however, both the analgesic and cancer-related therapeutic potential of capsaicin have been limited by its unpleasant pungent side effects and modest potency. N-acyl vanillylamides (N-AVAMs) are a unique class of compounds that are simple side chain modified capsaicin derivatives. Limited structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies of N-AVAMs demonstrated that substitution of the capsaicin side-chain with longer unsaturated fatty acid groups results in non-pungent analogs with improved anti-invasive activity relative to capsaicin. In an effort to ultimately ...

430— Ifnγ And 5-Aza Drug Effects On Hla Expression In Human Leukemia And Epidermoid Carcinoma, Nick Turnquist

GREAT Day

Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) is a gene that codes for cell-surface proteins that are the basis of our bodies’ immune response, and are crucial for the combatting of pathogens or infections. For our experiment we observed two cell lines, a human Leukemia cell line (HL-60), and an epidermoid carcinoma cell line A-431. Our purpose for this experiment was to observe the effects of two drugs as well as the combination of them on the expression of HLA antigens in these cancerous cell lines. The drugs being used in this experiment are Gamma interferon, which is known to increase antigen presentation ...

Save The Rich, Connor Harris

English Department: Research for Change - Wicked Problems in Our World

The problem of medication pricing and lobbying in the healthcare industry has caused millions of people within the United States to not be able to afford medications essential to their lives. Pharmaceutical companies are taking advantage of the need people have for certain drugs by setting the sale price far higher than it costs to produce. My suggested solution is to make lobbying illegal in the United States so that pharmaceutical companies would not have control over government officials who pass laws to help or hurt the issue of medication pricing. Illegalizing government lobbying will take away the incentive politicians ...

Analysis Of Gabapentinoids Abuse-Reports In The Middle East And North Africa Region Utilizing The Food And Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System, Mona Yaser Alsheikh, Ali Mofleh Alshahrani, Reem Dhayan Almutairi, Hana Abdulmohsen Althobaiti, Ahmed Ibrahim Fathelrahman, Enrique Seoane-Vazquez, Moudi Mubarak Alasmari

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to identify abuse-related post-marketing reports associated with gabapentinoids use in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region countries. Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional analysis of abuse-related adverse drug event (ADE) reports from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. It was performed using the Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database from January 2008 through June 2020. Abuserelated ADE reports for gabapentin and pregabalin were extracted from the FAERS database. Descriptive statistics were performed, and the proportional reporting ratio (PRR) was calculated to detect disproportional attribution of abuse-related ADEs ...

N-Nitrosodimethylamine (Ndma) Contamination Of Ranitidine Products: A Review Of Recent Findings, Fahad S. Aldawsari, Yahya M. Alshehri, Thamer S. Alghamdi

Journal of Food and Drug Analysis

Ranitidine is a medication that has been used to alleviate heartburn and other disorders for over 40 years. Following reports of N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) contamination in ranitidine products, there have been many recalls and registration suspensions. Here, we revise the literature information confirming ranitidine association with NDMA. Then, we highlight the documented mechanisms for NDMA release from ranitidine. In addition, the stability issue for this medicine is discussed. After that, we review and discuss the results of the United States Food and Drug Administration and the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration laboratory testing of ranitidine products and the detected NDMA levels. Finally ...

Microbiological Study In A Gneissic Cave From Sri Lanka, With Special Focus On Potential Antimicrobial Activities, Ethige Isuru P. Silva, Pathmakumara Jayasingha, Saman Senanayake, Anura Dandeniya, Dona Helani Munasinghe

International Journal of Speleology

The emergence of antibiotic resistance is a global health crisis, thus the search for novel antimicrobial compounds has become a continuous necessity. Underexplored and extreme environments, such as cave ecosystems, have been identified as a promising potential source for the discovery of novel microorganisms with novel antimicrobial compounds (AMC). This study presents the first cave microbiological investigation in Sri Lanka, with a special preference for bioprospecting of novel AMC. The cave sediment characterization demonstrated the presence of close to strong acidic conditions (pH 3.1 – 3.3) and thus indicates the possibility of isolating acidophilic microorganisms. Eight cave wall/ceiling ...

Adverse Health Effects Of Kratom: An Analysis Of Social Media Data, Abdullah Wahbeh, Tareq Nasralah, Omar El-Gayar, Mohammad A. Al-Ramahi, Ahmed El Noshokaty

Computer Information Systems Faculty Publications

This study investigates the adverse healthcare effects associated with the use of kratom. Using machine learning techniques, we analyzed a total of 36,516 users’ posts related to kratom. The results and analysis showed that social media could help identify important insights related to the use of kratom. The sentiment and emotion analyses showed that the kratom experience was negative and largely associated with anger, fear, disgust, and sadness. The results from. topic modeling showed that kratom is associated with a number of healthcare issues such as rashes and itching, urination, constipation, loss of appetite/weight, dry mouth, seizures, nausea ...

Effects Of E-Cigarette Vapor On Zebrafish Cell Regeneration And Wound Healing, Alyssa A. Grismer, Jenna E. Pumneo, Brian Bagatto

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

In regards to wound healing, smoking traditional tobacco cigarettes is known to have negative effects on wound healing (Akoz, 2002). An increased risk of skin necrosis has been observed in patients who smoke throughout the surgical process (Akoz, 2002). It is known that nicotine, whether introduced through inhalation or intravenously, leads to peripheral skin vasoconstriction (Akoz, 2002). The full physiological effects of e-cigarettes are not known and research is being done to improve our understanding on the effects that these products may have on our bodies. This research is intended for that purpose. Zebrafish have recently been used as a ...

Manipulating The Perineuronal Net In The Deep Cerebellar Nucleus, Deidre E. O'Dell

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Perineuronal nets (PNN) are a type of specialized extracellular matrix in the central nervous system. The PNN forms during postnatal development but the ontogeny of the PNN has yet to be elucidated. Studying the PNN in the rat brain may allow us to further understand the PNN’s role in development, learning, and memory. The PNN is fully developed in the deep cerebellar nuclei (DCN) of rats by post-natal day 18. By using enzymatic digestion of the PNN with chondroitinase ABC (ChABC), we studied how digestion of the PNN affects cerebellar-dependent eyeblink conditioning (EBC) and performed electrophysiological recordings from DCN ...

Opioid Use Disorder: The Timeline For Medication Assisted Therapy, Alexander Cristofori

Capstone Showcase

Opioid Use Disorder is patterns of opioid use leading to withdrawal, giving up important life events in order to use opioids, and excessive time spent using opioids, to name a few diagnostic criteria. The clinical progression of the disorder involves periods of acute exacerbation and remission that are cyclic in nature. Treatment is most effective when it includes both pharmacological and psychosocial modalities, referred to as medication assisted therapy (MAT). Three drugs used commonly in MAT-based treatment for OUD from oldest to newest include Methadone, Buprenorphine-naloxone, and Naltrexone. Treatment program models that prioritize total abstinence from the addictive substance attached ...

Oral Chemotherapy: Safe Handling In The Home, Cynthia Huff

DNP Qualifying Manuscripts

Background: According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (2016), oral anticancer agents (OAC) are hazardous drugs (HD) and require the same safe handling interventions in the home setting as in controlled health care environments. The use of a safe handling checklist for OAC administration is a way nurses can provide safe handling education to patients and caregivers and assess for understanding and competency for critical tasks. Effective home management strategies outlining caregiver protections, proper storage, administration of OACs, spill clean-up, and waste disposal could reduce exposure risks to toxic agents.

Objective: To present a safe-handling checklist and ...

Illicit Substance Use In Acute Care Hospitals: Creating A Safe Environment, Christina Sanford

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Problem: In January 2019, a medium-sized acute care hospital in Northern California reported new safety concerns related to patients using illicit substances in the hospital.

Context: Leaving the hospital AMA is an increasing problem in acute care hospitals among patients who use illicit substances, with a rate of 25% to 30% (Ti & Ti, 2015). Grewal et al. (2015) conducted a study of over 1,000 illicit substance users who had experienced a hospitalization, where 43.9% reported use of illicit substances while in the hospital.

Intervention: The project was the creation, implementation, testing, and evaluation of multiple interventions to improve ...

The Life-Saving Drug That No One Knows About: Naloxone Education And The Health Belief Model, Sarah Tilford

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Naloxone hydrochloride, popularly known by the brand name Narcan, is an emergency treatment used to reverse an overdose on opioid drugs. The CDC reports upwards of 26,000 individuals saved by naloxone between 1996 and 2014 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015). Despite this success rate, those outside of the medical field largely remain unaware of what naloxone is or how they can use it in an emergency, leading to needless loss of life. Many studies focusing on naloxone access and education have been unable to offer findings meant to increase the use and ownership of the drug by ...

Genetic Variation And Sex Mediate Differential Responses To ∆-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Among Inbred Mice, Cory Parks

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

The plant Cannabis sativa has been used by people for both recreational and medicinal use for thousands of years, but scientific investigation of the plant and its components didn’t begin until the early nineteen hundreds when Cannabis components known as phytocannabinoids were characterized and later isolated. In the 1970’s, ∆9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) was isolated and recognized as the major constituent responsible for the psychoactive and intoxicating effects associated with consumption of cannabis. This opened the door for intensive research in the field that lead to the discovery of the endogenous cannabinoid system and its associated receptors, effectors of signaling ...

Postoperative Retroperitoneal Hematoma: A Case Of Saw Palmetto And The Importance Of Primary Care Intervention, Seetha Venkateswaran, Ricardo Declet-Bauzo, Michael Shodeinde, Patricia Gilford

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

Introduction: A middle-aged male with a history of bilateral inguinal hernia repair was admitted for acute abdominal pain. The patient reported that he took prescribed hydrocodone and a saw palmetto supplement prior to surgery. He denied any recent trauma after the procedure, and he was unable to schedule a follow-up appointment with the surgeon or the primary care physician.

Clinical Findings: Diagnosis: The CT angiography of the abdomen/pelvis was indicative of new interval development of a large left retroperitoneal hematoma. Intervention: No emergent intervention was required following the evaluation by the surgery and interventional radiology (IR) departments. Outcome: There ...

Cyclosporine Shows Benefit As Compared To Methotrexate For Treatment Of Pediatric Atopic Dermatitis Refractory To Topical Medications When Rapidity Of Clinical Response Is Of Key Importance To The Patient, Connor R. Buechler, Steven Daveluy Md

Clinical Research in Practice: The Journal of Team Hippocrates

A clinical decision report appraising El-Khalawany MA, Hassan H, Shaaban D, Ghonaim N, Eassa B. Methotrexate versus cyclosporine in the treatment of severe atopic dermatitis in children: a multicenter experience from Egypt. European Journal of Pediatrics. 2012;172(3):351-356. https://doi.org10.1007/s00431-012-1893-3 for a pediatric patient with severe atopic dermatitis.

Homicide And Drug Trafficking In Impoverished Communities In Brazil, Elenice De Souza De Souza Oliveira, Braulio Figueiredo Alves Da Silva, Flavio Luiz Sapori, Gabriela Gomes Cardoso

Department of Justice Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Many studies demonstrate that homicides are heavily concentrated in impoverished neighborhoods, but not all socially disadvantaged neighborhoods are hotbeds of violence. Conducted in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, this study hypothesizes that the association between high rates of homicide and impoverished areas is influenced by the emergence of a specific type of street drug-dealing common to favelas (slums). The study applies econometric techniques to police data on homicides and drug arrests from 2008 to 2011, as well as 2010 Census data, to test its hypothesis. The findings provide insight into the development of crime prevention policies in areas of high social vulnerability.

Effect Of High Glucose On Ocular Surface Epithelial Cell Barrier And Tight Junction Proteins, Saleh M. Alfuraih, Ashley Barbarino, Christopher Ross, Kiumars Shamloo, Vishal Jhanji, Miao Zhang, Ajay Sharma

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

PURPOSE. Patients with diabetes mellitus are reported to have ocular surface defects, impaired ocular surface barrier function, and a higher incidence of corneal and conjunctival infections. Tight junctions are critical for ocular surface barrier function. The present study was designed to investigate the effect of high glucose exposure on human corneal and conjunctival epithelial cell barrier function and tight junction proteins.

METHODS. Human corneal and conjunctival epithelial cells were exposed to 15 mM and 30 mM glucose for 24 and 72 hours. The barrier function was measured using transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER). The cell migration was quantified using scratch assay ...