Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Commons^™

Molecular Mechanisms Of Thromboxane A2 Receptor-Mediated Invasion In Lung Cancer Cells, Xiuling Li

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacy

Thromboxane A2 receptor (TP) has been shown to play important roles in multiple aspects of cancer development including regulation of tumor growth, survival and metastasis. Molecular mechanisms of TP mediated cancer cell invasion remain to be identified. TP agonist, I-BOP, significantly elevated several matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) including MMP-1, MMP-3, MMP-9 and MMP-10 in A549 human lung adenocarcinoma cells overexpressing TPα (A549-TPα) or TPβ (A549-TPβ). Signaling pathways of I-BOP-induced MMP-1 expression were examined in further detail as a model system for MMPs induction. Signaling molecules involved in I-BOP-induced MMP-1 expression were identified by using specific inhibitors including small interfering (si)-RNAs of …

Localization And Functional Characterization Of Oatp4c1 Transporter In In Vitro Cell Systems And Human/Rat Tissues, Kuei-Ling Kuo

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacy

The organic anion transporting polypeptide 4c1 (Oatp4c1) was previously identified as a novel uptake transporter predominantly expressed at the basolateral membrane in the rat kidney proximal tubules. Its functional role was suggested to be a vectorial transport partner of an apically-expressed efflux transporter for the efficient translocation of physiological substrates into urine, some of which were suggested to be uremic toxins. In vitro studies in polarized cell lines showed that upon transfection rat Oatp4c1 localizes at the apical membrane. The objectives of this project were to further validate the subcellular localization of Oatp4c1/OATP4C1 in rat and human tissues as well …

Influence Of Oncotype Dx® On Chemotherapy Prescribing In Early Stage Breast Cancer Patients: A Claims-Based Evaluation Of Utilization In The Real World, Kenneth Neil Kennedy

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacy

The decision for adjuvant therapy in women with early stage breast cancer (ESBC) has historically been guided by the presence or absence of specific biological markers (hormone and HER2 receptors), age, and extent of nodal involvement. Oncotype DX® is a validated assay that quantifies protein expression that can predict the risk of cancer recurrence. This study evaluates if the use of Oncotype DX® impacts chemotherapy prescribing in ESBC. This retrospective, cohort study identified patients with ESBC from a large commercially insured population from January 2007 through June 2009. Patients were identified as having ESBC by utilizing procedure and diagnosis codes …

Role Of Alternative Macrophage Activation In Mediating Fibrosis In Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Pneumonia, Susan Elizabeth Birket

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacy

Patients with cystic fibrosis who are infected with the pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa have shown favorable responses to the drug azithromycin (AZM). This drug works in an anti-inflammatory capacity, improving clinical outcomes and improving quality of life in this population. The drug has also been shown to affect macrophage polarization by shifting these cells away from an inflammatory phenotype toward an alternatively activated anti-inflammatory phenotype. The full impact of this phenotypic change is not well understood in the context of the response to P. aeruginosa infection, or the overall immune response in cystic fibrosis.

To understand how the AZM-polarized macrophage affects …

Nanocrystals Of Chemotherapeutic Agents For Cancer Theranostics: Development And In Vitro And In Vivo Evaluation, Christin P. Hollis

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacy

The majority of pharmacologically active chemotherapeutics are poorly water soluble. Solubilization enhancement by the utilization of organic solvents often leads to adverse side effects. Nanoparticle-based cancer therapy, which is passively targeted to the tumor tissue via the enhanced permeation and retention effect, has been vastly developed in recent years. Nanocrystals, which exist as crystalline and carry nearly 100% drug loading, has been explored for delivering antineoplastic agents. Additionally, the hybrid nanocrystal concept offers a novel and simple way to integrate imaging agents into the drug crystals, enabling the achievement of theranostics. The overall objective of this dissertation is to formulate …

Role Of Cyclooxygenase-2 In Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms In Mice, Kamalika Mukherjee

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacy

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a chronic inflammatory disease with no available pharmacological treatment. AAA formation reduces the structural integrity of the vessel and increases the susceptibility to rupture. The inflammatory response within human aneurysmal tissue is characterized by increased expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). Similarly, in a mouse model of the disease induced by chronic Angiotensin II (AngII) infusion, we have shown that COX-2 expression in the abdominal aortic smooth muscle layer increases early in the development of the disease. Furthermore, genetic or pharmacological inactivation of COX-2 prior to disease initiation reduces AAA incidence.

The current study utilized nonhyperlipidemic mice …

Pharmacy-Student Outreach: Bridging The Gap From An Inner-City High School To Pharmacy School, Jennifer L. Mathews, Chirag Dave, Mohammad Mohammad, Gabriela Cipriano, Fang Zhao, Brooke Lowry

Pharmacy Faculty/Staff Publications

A poster describing a program at Thomas A. Edison High School that aimed to educate students on the educational requirements for pharmacy school and career opportunities within the profession.

Personal Impact Of A Service-Learning Medical Missions Elective Course On Pharmacy Student's Attitudes And Values, Christine R. Birnie, Sherry Jimenez

Pharmacy Faculty/Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Course-Level Curriculum Map Pilot Program, Jane M. Souza, Jennifer Mathews, Amy L. Parkhill

Pharmacy Faculty/Staff Publications

Objective: To pilot a newly developed course level curriculum map that documents course learning outcomes, corresponding teaching activities, assessments, student achievement on assessments, and evidence-based changes made subsequently at the course level.

Method: The newly developed course level curriculum map was piloted in twelve courses involving nine faculty members. Faculty either retroactively recorded data or utilized the map during the semester. At the conclusion of the pilot period, a focus group was conducted during which seven of the faculty members shared experiences and recommendations. Focus group comments were recorded by three people. Recorders’ notes were compared for accuracy and …

Development, Implementation, And Evaluation Of A Pharmaceutical Biotechnology Elective Course In Hybrid Format, Parag Budukh, Christine R. Birnie

Pharmacy Faculty/Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Ω-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids In Programming Inflammation Resolution, Ramil Sapinoro, David Barr, Samuel Slevinski

Pharmacy Faculty/Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

A Continuous Professional Development Process For First-Year Pharmacy Students, Richard O'Brocta, Asim Abu-Baker, Parag Budukh, Mona A. Gandhi, Jill Lavigne, Christine R. Birnie

Pharmacy Faculty/Staff Publications

Objectives. To develop, pilot test, and evaluate a continuous professional development (CPD) process for first-year pharmacy (P1) students.

Design. Students and faculty members were introduced to the important elements of the CPD process via a live training program. Students completed the year-long 4-step CPD cycle by identifying a learning objective, creating a plan, completing the learning activity, evaluating their learning outcome, documenting each step, and meeting with their faculty advisor for feedback and advice.

Assessment. Seventy-five first-year students (100%) successfully completed the CPD process during the 2009-2010 academic year. The students spent an average of 7 hours (range 2 to …

The Potential For Screening For Interpersonal Violence In Community Pharmacies: An Exploratory Study, Marie Barnard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a public health problem of epidemic proportion; the only known effective health care intervention is routine screening for IPV exposure. Despite professional guidelines for routine screening, this intervention has been poorly adopted. Expansion of screening efforts to the community pharmacy setting provides an opportunity to have a substantial impact on the health, well-being of pharmacy patients. This investigation is the first to examine IPV screening related to the pharmacy environment. An existing measure of physicians' readiness to manage IPV (PREMIS) was adapted for the community pharmacy environment and validated in a national random sample of …

Attenuation Of Corneal Myofibroblast Development Through Nanoparticle-Mediated Soluble Transforming Growth Factor-Β Type Ii Receptor (Stgfβrii) Gene Transfer, Ajay Sharma, Jason T. Rodier, Ashish Tandon, Alexander M. Klibanov, Rajiv R. Mohan

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Purpose: To explore (i) the potential of polyethylenimine (PEI)-DNA nanoparticles as a vector for delivering genes into human corneal fibroblasts, and (ii) whether the nanoparticle-mediated soluble extracellular domain of the transforming growth factor–β type II receptor (sTGFβRII) gene therapy could be used to reduce myofibroblasts and fibrosis in the cornea using an in vitro model.

Methods: PEI-DNA nanoparticles were prepared at a nitrogen-to-phosphate ratio of 30 by mixing linear PEI and a plasmid encoding sTGFβRII conjugated to the fragment crystallizable (Fc) portion of human immunoglobulin. The PEI-DNA polyplex formation was confirmed through gel retardation assay. Human corneal fibroblasts (HCFs) were …

Effects Of In Vivo Hepatic Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury On The Hepatobiliary Disposition Of Rhodamine 123 And Its Metabolites In Isolated Perfused Rat Livers, Ridhi Parasrampuria, Imam H. Shaik, Reza Mehvar

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Purpose. A few studies have shown that normothermic hepatic ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury may affect the mRNA and/or protein levels of canalicular transporters P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and multidrug resistance-associated protein 2 (Mrp2). However, the effects of the injury on the functions of these canalicular transporters with respect to the biliary excretion of drugs remain largely unknown. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of warm hepatic IR on the hepatobiliary disposition of rhodamine 123 (RH-123), a P-gp substrate, and its glucuronidated metabolite (RH-Glu), an Mrp2 substrate, in rats.

Methods. Twenty four or 72 h following a …

Key Opinion Leaders' Views Regarding Emergency Contraception In India, M.E. Khan, Isha Bhatnagar, Deepthi S. Varma, Anvita Dixit

Reproductive Health

This policy brief explores the views of key opinion leaders (KOLs) in the field of reproductive health and family welfare on provision of emergency contraception (ECPs). The study’s objective was to gain a better understanding of how the attitudes and beliefs of KOLs might influence policy and program implementation, either encouraging or opposing ECP promotion and service delivery. Results suggest strong support by the majority of KOLs to continue the sale of ECP as an over-the-counter drug. KOLs also emphasized the importance of comprehending and addressing the main barriers to ECP provision and use: poor knowledge, lack of training, moral …

Providers' Attitudes And Practices Regarding Emergency Contraception In India: Key Findings, M.E. Khan, Isha Bhatnagar, Deepthi S. Varma, Anvita Dixit

Reproductive Health

This policy brief reports key findings of a study in India that explored providers’ knowledge of how emergency contraception (ECP) works and its safety and effectiveness, their perceptions of the frequency of repeat use, their provision of ECP, and their attitudes toward women who seek it. Many of the findings of this study are encouraging. Most providers believed that ECP is an effective and safe method to prevent pregnancy and that it cannot induce abortion, and half supported the over-the-counter provision of ECP. Nevertheless, the study revealed many biases and gaps in knowledge. Recommendations include a number of ways to …

Predictors Of Carbapenem Resistant Gram-Negative Bacteria In A Consortium Of Academic Medical Center Hospitals, Mera Ababneh

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Gram-negative resistance is a growing problem worldwide. It is generally believed that rates of resistant bacteria within a hospital are a function of antibiotic use, resistant organisms brought into the hospital, infection control efforts, and underlying severity of patient illness. The relative contribution of each to a particular resistance phenotype is unclear. P. aeruginosa is responsible for many hospital acquired infections and it may become resistant to carbapenems. In addition, newer threats to the future utility of the carbapenems are carbapenemase-producing K. pneumoniae Purpose: To determine if there is an association between the volume and composition of antibiotic use, …

Identifying Psychological Contract Breaches To Guide Improvements In Faculty Recruitment, Retention, And Development, Gretchen L. Peirce, Shane P. Desselle, Jolaine R. Draugalis, Alan R. Spies, Tamra S. Davis, Mark Bolino

Faculty Publications & Research of the TUC College of Pharmacy

Objective. To identify pharmacy faculty members’ perceptions of psychological contract breaches that can be used to guide improvements in faculty recruitment, retention, and development.

Methods. A list of psychological contract breaches was developed using a Delphi procedure involving a panel of experts assembled through purposive sampling. The Delphi consisted of 4 rounds, the first of which elicited examples of psychological contract breaches in an open-ended format. The ensuing 3 rounds consisting of a survey and anonymous feedback on aggregated group responses.

Results. Usable responses were obtained from 11 of 12 faculty members who completed the Delphi procedure. The final list …

Treating Mentoring Programs As A Scholarly Endeavor, Shane P. Desselle

Faculty Publications & Research of the TUC College of Pharmacy

The author discusses mentoring programs for pharmacy school faculty and the research literature around forming these programs.