Community Champions: The Crucial Contribution of an Independent Pharmacy in COVID-19 Vaccination Efforts in an Underserved Community.

Historically, pharmacists in independent community pharmacies have been pivotal in promoting community health. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they demonstrated their commitment by advocating for vaccination and providing accessible care, particularly in underserved communities. By addressing disparities, implementing strategies like mobile clinics and community outreach, and fostering trust and engagement, independent community pharmacists played a crucial role in bridging gaps in healthcare access for vulnerable populations and mitigating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Unraveling Racial Disparities in Supportive Care Medication Use among End-of-Life Pancreatic Cancer Patients: Focus on Pain Management and Psychiatric Therapies.

Background: Supportive care medication use differences may contribute to racial disparities observed in health-related quality of life in patients with pancreatic cancer.

Methods: In this observation study using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare linked database, we sought to examine supportive care medication use disparities in patients with pancreatic cancer from 2005 to 2017 by race and ethnicity.

Results: Among 74,309 patients included in the final analysis, racial and ethnic disparities in the use of supportive care medications were identified.

Florida-California Cancer Research, Education and Engagement (CaRE) Health Equity Center: Structure, Innovations, and Initial Outcomes.

Introduction: The Florida-California Cancer Research, Education, and Engagement (CaRE) Health Equity Center is a triad partnership committed to increasing institutional capacity for cancer disparity research, the diversity of the cancer workforce, and community empowerment. This article provides an overview of the structure, process innovations, and initial outcomes from the first 4 years of the CaRE triad partnership.

Methods: CaRE serves diverse populations in Florida and California using a "molecule to the community and back" model.

Exploring Trends in Social Vulnerability for Pharmacy Students at a Large Public University.

Objective: This study aimed to describe trends in social vulnerability (SV) among pharmacy students at a large public college of pharmacy, and to describe differences in SV by race and ethnicity using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Social Vulnerability Index (SVI).

Methods: The SVI was determined for each student admitted between Fall 2017 and Fall 2022 using the submitted permanent address for each student in a deidentified fashion. International students and students not from the 50 US states were excluded from the analysis.

Didactic education for the deaf or hard of hearing learner in a pharmacy curriculum: Commentary.

Introduction: There is a long-standing commitment in higher education to provide parallel experiences for students with disabilities, including those with hearing disabilities or impairments. The commitment remains the same in professional pharmacy school education, with the objective to train competent clinical pharmacy practitioners.

Commentary: Limited literature exists to provide schools and colleges of pharmacy (S/COP) with best practices when accommodating students who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHOH) in the didactic pharmacy curriculum.

A Scoping Review on the Relationship between Race/Ethnicity and the Receipt of Supportive Care Medications during Cancer Treatment: Implications for the Clinical Pharmacist.

There is surmounting levels of evidence on the health disparities within cancer treatment in the United States (US). Most of the research focused on cancer specific factors including anticancer incidence, screening, treatment and follow-up, and clinical outcomes such as overall survival (OS). Less is known about the disparities present with supportive care medication use in cancer patients.

Evaluation of Potential Racial Disparities in CYP2C19-Guided P2Y Inhibitor Prescribing After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

Black patients suffer worse outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) than White patients. Inequities in antiplatelet prescribing may contribute to this health disparity. We compared P2Y inhibitor prescribing by race following CYP2C19 genotyping to guide antiplatelet therapy selection after PCI.

Impact of Piperacillin-Tazobactam Dosing in Septic Shock Patients Using Real-World Evidence: An Observational, Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background: Sepsis and septic shock are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Rapid initiation of appropriate antibiotic therapy is essential, as inadequate therapy early during septic shock has been shown to increase the risk of mortality. However, despite the importance of appropriate antibiotic initiation, in clinical practice, concerns for renal dysfunction frequently lead to antibiotic dose reduction, with scant evidence on the impact of this practice in septic shock patients.

RNAi Screen of RING/U-Box Domain Ubiquitin Ligases Identifies Critical Regulators of Tissue Regeneration in Planarians.

Regenerative processes depend on the interpretation of signals to coordinate cell behaviors. The role of ubiquitin-mediated signaling is known to be important in many cellular and biological contexts, but its role in regeneration is not well understood. To investigate how ubiquitylation impacts tissue regeneration , we are studying planarians that are capable of regenerating after nearly any injury using a population of stem cells.

Adaptive Neural Decoder for Prosthetic Hand Control.

The overarching goal was to resolve a major barrier to real-life prosthesis usability-the rapid degradation of prosthesis control systems, which require frequent recalibrations. Specifically, we sought to develop and test a motor decoder that provides (1) highly accurate, real-time movement response, and (2) unprecedented adaptability to dynamic changes in the amputee's biological state, thereby supporting long-term integrity of control performance with few recalibrations. To achieve that, an adaptive motor decoder was designed to auto-switch between algorithms in real-time.

Impact of supplemental individual verbal defense on confidence, engagement, and performance in a team-based learning therapeutics course.

Background And Purpose: Team-based learning (TBL) has been successfully applied to multiple healthcare education disciplines. A primary tenet of TBL is the development of solutions leveraging the collective knowledge of a team rather than the individual competency of any one student. In an effort to enhance individual student accountability, an individual verbal defense (IVD) format was implemented in a multi-campus TBL-based pharmacotherapeutics course.

Meta-analysis of biological variables' impact on spinal motoneuron electrophysiology data.

Experimental, methodological, and biological variables must be accounted for statistically to maximize accuracy and comparability of published neuroscience data. However, accounting for all variables is nigh impossible. Thus we aimed to identify particularly influential variables within published neurological data, from cat, rat, and mouse studies, via a robust statistical process.

Angiotensin II: A New Vasopressor for the Treatment of Distributive Shock.

Purpose: Angiotensin II (ATII) is a potent endogenous vasoconstrictor that has recently garnered regulatory approval for the treatment of distributive shock, including septic shock. Traditional vasoactive substances used in the management of distributive shock include norepinephrine, epinephrine, phenylephrine, and vasopressin. However, their use can be associated with deleterious adverse drug effects, such as splanchnic vasoconstriction and associated hypoperfusion.

Cefazolin Versus Anti-Staphylococcal Penicillins for the Treatment of Patients with Methicillin-Susceptible Staphylococcus aureus Infection: A Meta-Analysis with Trial Sequential Analysis.

Introduction: Methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) is a common cause of infection in humans. Beta-lactam antibiotics are the preferred agents, with anti-staphylococcal penicillins (ASPs) or the first-generation cephalosporin, cefazolin, favored by clinicians. Recent studies comparing the two strategies suggest similar outcomes between the agents.

A modular laboratory course using planarians to study genes involved in tissue regeneration.

Undergraduate research experiences are excellent opportunities to engage students in science alongside experienced scientists, but at large institutions, it is challenging to accommodate all students. To address and engage a larger number of students, we developed a modular laboratory course based on the course-based undergraduate research experiences model. This new course was integrated with the scientific aims of a research laboratory studying the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying tissue regeneration in planarians.

Recent Updates in the Pharmacological Management of Sepsis and Septic Shock: A Systematic Review Focused on Fluid Resuscitation, Vasopressors, and Corticosteroids.

Objective: Describe recent developments in the pharmacological management of sepsis and septic shock, focusing on fluid resuscitation, vasopressors, and corticosteroids.

Data Sources: A literature search limited to randomized controlled trials written in the English language reporting mortality and other clinically relevant outcomes that were published from July 1, 2016, to August 31, 2018, in patients aged ≥ 18 years. Titles and abstracts were reviewed for relevance.

Planarians as models to investigate the bioactivity of gold(I) complexes in vivo.

Gold(I)-containing complexes are used in drug discovery research for rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, and parasitic infections. In this study, we tested the bioactivity of gold(I) complexes in vivo using planarians. The planarian Schmidtea mediterranea possesses orthologues of tumor suppressor genes, such as p53, that, when silenced, cause deregulation of cell proliferation and apoptosis.

Post-translational regulation of planarian regeneration.

Most mammals cannot easily overcome degenerative disease or traumatic injuries. In contrast, an innate ability to regenerate is observed across animal phyla. Freshwater planarians are amongst the organisms that are capable of stem cell-mediated whole-body regeneration and have served as an exemplary model to study how pluripotency is maintained and regulated in vivo.

Dissecting the function of Cullin-RING ubiquitin ligase complex genes in planarian regeneration.

The ubiquitin system plays a role in nearly every aspect of eukaryotic cell biology. The enzymes responsible for transferring ubiquitin onto specific substrates are the E3 ubiquitin ligases, a large and diverse family of proteins, for which biological roles and target substrates remain largely undefined. Studies using model organisms indicate that ubiquitin signaling mediates key steps in developmental processes and tissue regeneration.

The effects of model composition design choices on high-fidelity simulations of motoneuron recruitment and firing behaviors.

Objective: Computational models often require tradeoffs, such as balancing detail with efficiency; yet optimal balance should incorporate sound design features that do not bias the results of the specific scientific question under investigation. The present study examines how model design choices impact simulation results.

Approach: We developed a rigorously-validated high-fidelity computational model of the spinal motoneuron pool to study three long-standing model design practices which have yet to be examined for their impact on motoneuron recruitment, firing rate, and force simulations.