Publications by authors named "Andrea Joseph"

The cervicovaginal microbiome is highly associated with women's health, with microbial communities dominated by species considered optimal. Conversely, a lack of lactobacilli and a high abundance of strict and facultative anaerobes, including , have been associated with adverse reproductive outcomes. However, how host-microbial interactions alter specific molecular pathways and impact cervical and vaginal epithelial function remains unclear.

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Article Synopsis
  • Colonization by harmful bacteria like Gardnerella vaginalis and Mobiluncus mulieris increases the risk of STIs and reproductive issues, while Lactobacillus crispatus supports healthy reproductive functions.
  • Bacterial extracellular vesicles (bEVs) are thought to play a key role in how these bacteria communicate with host cells and may influence immune responses.
  • Research shows that bEVs from harmful bacteria can trigger an inflammatory response in cervical and vaginal cells, highlighting the potential link between these bacteria and negative reproductive health outcomes.
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The potential of bacteria-based immunotherapy lies in its ability to inherently enhance immune responses. However, the "liveness" of bacteria poses risks of bacterial escape, nonspecific immuno-stimulation, and ethical concerns, limiting their acceptability in immunotherapy. In this scenario, nonliving empty bacterial-cell envelopes, named bacterial ghosts (BGs), have emerged as immuno-stimulants with the potential to side-step the limitations of live bacterial therapies.

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The cervicovaginal microbiome is highly associated with women's health with microbial communities dominated by spp. being considered optimal. Conversely, a lack of lactobacilli and a high abundance of strict and facultative anaerobes including , have been associated with adverse reproductive outcomes.

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Objective: The primary objective of this qualitative study was to describe key themes discussed by student pharmacists and preceptors related to recognizing burnout and maintaining wellbeing during an experiential assignment.

Methods: This qualitative study used directed content analysis to examine themes that emerged from discussions between student pharmacists and preceptors as part of a required lifelong learning interview during Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences that took place between August 2019 and May 2020. Iterative axial coding was used to develop and redefine codes systematically until consensus was reached and a final codebook was established.

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Problem: Preterm birth (PTB) remains a leading cause of childhood mortality. Recent studies demonstrate that the risk of spontaneous PTB (sPTB) is increased in individuals with Lactobacillus-deficient vaginal microbial communities. One proposed mechanism is that vaginal microbes ascend through the cervix, colonize the uterus, and activate inflammatory pathways leading to sPTB.

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Brain disease remains a significant health, social, and economic burden with a high failure rate of translation of therapeutics to the clinic. Nanotherapeutics have represented a promising area of technology investment to improve drug bioavailability and delivery to the brain, with several successes for nanotherapeutic use for central nervous system disease that are currently in the clinic. However, renewed and continued research on the treatment of neurological disorders is critically needed.

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Drug delivery to the brain is limited by poor penetration of pharmaceutical agents across the blood-brain barrier (BBB), within the brain parenchyma, and into specific cells of interest. Nanotechnology can overcome these barriers, but its ability to do so is dependent on nanoparticle physicochemical properties including surface chemistry. Surface chemistry can be determined by a number of factors, including by the presence of stabilizing surfactant molecules introduced during the formulation process.

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Neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy is the leading cause of permanent brain injury in term newborns and currently has no cure. Catalase, an antioxidant enzyme, is a promising therapeutic due to its ability to scavenge toxic reactive oxygen species and improve tissue oxygen status. However, upon in vivo administration, catalase is subject to a short half-life, rapid proteolytic degradation, immunogenicity, and an inability to penetrate the brain.

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Neurological diseases account for a significant portion of the global disease burden. While research efforts have identified potential drugs or drug targets for neurological diseases, most therapeutic platforms are still ineffective at reaching the target location selectively and with high yield. Restricted transport, including passage across the blood-brain barrier, through the brain parenchyma, and into specific cells, is a major cause of ineffective therapeutic delivery.

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Cerebral ischemia is a major cause of death in both neonates and adults, and currently has no cure. Nanotechnology represents one promising area of therapeutic development for cerebral ischemia due to the ability of nanoparticles to overcome biological barriers in the brain. ex vivo injury models have emerged as a high-throughput alternative that can recapitulate disease processes and enable nanoscale probing of the brain microenvironment.

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To identify current preceptor orientation and development programs at US colleges and schools of pharmacy and propose future initiatives for preceptor programs. An anonymous 28-item survey was administered in January 2017 to 128 experiential education personnel at accredited US schools and colleges of pharmacy. Data from completed survey instruments were tabulated and qualitative responses to open-ended questions were examined using thematic analysis.

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The development of therapeutics for pediatric use has advanced in the last few decades. However, off-label use of adult medications in pediatrics remains a significant clinical problem. Furthermore, the development of therapeutics for pediatrics is challenged by the lack of pharmacokinetic (PK) data in the pediatric population.

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Introduction: To assess student perceptions regarding the impact and value of incorporating written reflection across a pharmacy curriculum.

Methods: Throughout the first three years of the pharmacy curriculum, students use the "What, So What, Now What" format to write 18 reflections within five didactic and six experiential courses. For the 93 students in the class of 2015, individual course evaluation questions measuring perceptions of the impact of reflective writing on their achievement of curricular outcomes were analyzed.

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Enzymes play a critical role in many applications in biology and medicine as potential therapeutics. One specific area of interest is enzyme encapsulation in polymer nanostructures, which have applications in drug delivery and catalysis. A detailed understanding of the mechanisms governing protein/polymer interactions is crucial for optimizing the performance of these complex systems for different applications.

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The stasis of mucus secretions in the lungs of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients leads to recurrent infections and pulmonary exacerbations, resulting in decreased survival. Prior studies have assessed the biochemical and biophysical features of airway mucus in individuals with CF. However, these measurements are unable to probe mucus structure on microscopic length scales relevant to key players in the progression of CF-related lung disease, namely, viruses, bacteria, and neutrophils.

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More than 25 % of the 12-year-old girls in Thuringia (Germany) show problematic eating behaviour as measured with the Eating-Attitudes-Test (EAT-26D), which corresponds to an increased risk for the development of anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa. This was the starting position of a controlled study using a pre-post-design to check the effectiveness of a newly developed German program for the prevention of anorexia nervosa in girls ("PriMa"). 42 Thuringian schools (20 as treatment group) with 1006 girls participated in the pilot study, which lasted from September 2004 to July 2005.

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