Impairments in Blood Pressure Regulation and Cardiac Baroreceptor Sensitivity Among Patients With Heart Failure Supported With Continuous-Flow Left Ventricular Assist Devices.

Background: Continuous-flow (CF) left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) improve outcomes for patients with advanced heart failure (HF). However, the lack of a physiological pulse predisposes to side-effects including uncontrolled blood pressure (BP), and there are little data regarding the impact of CF-LVADs on BP regulation.

Methods: Twelve patients (10 males, 60±11 years) with advanced heart failure completed hemodynamic assessment 2.

Comparing perceptions of professionalism by pharmacy students, faculty, and staff during didactic education.

Introduction: The objectives were to describe pharmacy students' perceptions of professionalism and to compare students and faculty/staff perceptions of professionalism during the didactic years at Touro University California College of Pharmacy in California (TUC COP).

Methods: A two-part online survey was administered to the TUC COP faculty/staff and first-year (P1) and second-professional year (P2) students in May 2016. The first part of the survey collected demographic information, assessment of faculty/staff and students' overall opinions on behavior and conduct displayed by P1 and P2 students, students' responses about the average of missed lectures per month, and the average number of days of late arrival to lecture per week.

New insights into resting and exertional right ventricular performance in the healthy heart through real-time pressure-volume analysis.

Key Points: Despite growing interest in right ventricular form and function in diseased states, there is a paucity of data regarding characteristics of right ventricular function - namely contractile and lusitropic reserve, as well as ventricular-arterial coupling, in the healthy heart during rest, as well as submaximal and peak exercise. Pressure-volume analysis of the right ventricle, during invasive cardiopulmonary exercise testing, demonstrates that that the right heart has enormous contractile reserve, with a three- or fourfold increase in all metrics of contractility, as well as myocardial energy production and utilization. The healthy right ventricle also demonstrates marked augmentation in lusitropy, indicating that diastolic filling of the right heart is not passive.

Relationship of Burnout and Engagement to Pharmacy Students' Perception of Their Academic Ability.

To assess burnout and engagement in first- and second-year Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) students and to investigate their relationships to students' perception of their academic ability. An online survey that included three validated scales was administered in May 2017 to first- and second-year pharmacy students enrolled in didactic coursework at Touro University California College of Pharmacy. The Maslach Burnout Inventory was used to assess burnout and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale was used to measure student engagement.

Trends in and Barriers to Enrollment of Underrepresented Minority Students in a Pharmacy School.

To compare the mean national enrollment rates of underrepresented minority (URM) students in a pharmacy school with mean rates in California pharmacy schools, and identify barriers faced by URM students during the application process. The American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) enrollment data from 2005 to 2014 were used to compare the demographics of California pharmacy schools with the average enrollment of URM students in pharmacy schools nationally. A survey was administered to students in the 2017 and 2018 classes at Touro University California College of Pharmacy to identify common barriers that students faced in pursuing pharmacy education.

An Individual Development Plan for Pharmacy Students for Career Planning and Tracking Accreditation Standards.

To create and implement individual development plans (IDPs) to assist pharmacy students in career planning and tracking their achievement of ACPE Standards 2016, Standard 4, for Personal and Professional Development. First-year Doctor of Pharmacy students completed IDPs, which were subsequently reviewed to ensure they addressed components of the ACPE Standard 4 key elements: self-awareness, leadership, innovation and entrepreneurship, and professionalism. Faculty advisors were surveyed regarding the utility of IDPs.