Profiling protease cleavage patterns in plasma for pancreatic cancer detection.

Proteases are promising biomarkers for cancer early detection. Their enzymatic activity against peptide substrates allows for their straightforward detection using low-cost tests. However, the complexity of the human proteome makes it challenging to develop sensitive and selective tests against a specific protease biomarker.

Choose Your Own Adventure to Enhance Hypertension, Heart Failure, and Insulin Management Skills.

Objective: Choose Your Own Adventure (CYOA) educational activities can be utilized in the classroom to simulate patient cases. The objective of this study was to evaluate changes in pharmacy student knowledge and confidence in hypertension, heart failure, and insulin management skills after completion of CYOA activities.

Methods: Three CYOA activities were developed for 3 separate lectures in 2 pharmacy electives on topics of hypertension, heart failure, and insulin management.

Gun violence revictimization in New York State: What increases the risk of being shot again?

Background: While gun injuries are more likely to occur in urban settings and affect people of color, factors associated with gun violence revictimization-suffering multiple incidents of gun violence-are unknown. We examined victim demographics and environmental factors associated with gun violence revictimization in New York State (NYS).

Methods: The 2005 to 2020 NYS hospital discharge database was queried for patients aged 12 years to 65 years with firearm-related hospital encounters.

A meta-narrative review of choose-your-own-adventure style patient case activities in pharmacy education.

Background: The objective of this review was to characterize the methods of delivery and assessment of Choose Your Own Adventure (CYOA)-style activities in pharmacy education. A secondary objective was to utilize available data to determine best practices for educators interested in developing similar activities.

Methods: A meta-narrative approach according to the guidance of the RAMESES standards was used for this review.

Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccination (PPSV23) in High-Risk Pediatric Patients With Diabetes.

Objective: The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommends the pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23) following the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) for pediatric patients aged 2 to 18 years with high-risk medical conditions. The PPSV23 is not a routine immunization for all pediatric patients and children who meet criteria for high-risk conditions may not consistently receive the PPSV23 vaccine, despite current recommendations. The goal of this study was to determine PPSV23 -vaccination rates in the high-risk pediatric patients with type 1 or type 2 diabetes.

Food insecurity and glycemic goals among Medicare beneficiaries with type 2 diabetes.

Objective: To examine the association between food insecurity and achieving glycemic goals among Medicare beneficiaries with type 2 diabetes.

Methods: This study analyzed the nationally representative 2019 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey of 1340 beneficiaries aged ≥65 years with type 2 diabetes. The binary dependent variable was whether beneficiaries' blood glucose was at target (A1C ≤ 7.

Failure to fail - Perspective from junior faculty preceptors on the challenges of evaluating underperforming students in the experiential learning environment.

Introduction: Preceptors serve as the gatekeepers between individuals progressing from student pharmacist to independent practitioner. This responsibility is challenging if a student is not progressing as required and is at risk of failure. In this article, we will review the potential consequences and barriers of "failing to fail" a student, share the emotions that come with the decision, and suggest actions that may aid in preceptor decision-making.

Dissatisfaction of Out-of-Pocket Costs and Problems Paying Medical Bills Among Medicare Beneficiaries With Type 2 Diabetes.

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between satisfaction of Medicare coverage for out-of-pocket costs and problems paying medical bills among Medicare beneficiaries with type 2 diabetes.

Methods: The 2019 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey Public Use File, a nationally representative sample of Medicare beneficiaries aged ≥65 years with type 2 diabetes, was analyzed (n = 2178). A survey-weighted multivariable logit regression model was conducted to examine the association between satisfaction of Medicare coverage for out-of-pocket costs and problems paying medical bills, adjusted for sociodemographics and comorbidities.

Implementing a choose your own adventure activity to improve insulin decision making.

Introduction: The objective of this educational activity was to evaluate the impact of a virtually simulated Choose Your Own Adventure (CYOA) activity on pharmacy student knowledge and confidence of insulin management.

Methods: An online CYOA activity was created using TypeForm, version 2 (TypeForm SL) for a third-year pharmacy school diabetes elective with 16 enrollees over two course offerings. Through use of interactive storytelling, students used critical thinking skills to make decisions in six simulated patient's care including initiation, counseling, conversions, and titration of multiple types of insulin.

Comparison of the Usability, Accuracy, Preference, and Satisfaction of Three Once-Weekly Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 Receptor Agonist Pen Devices in People With Type 2 Diabetes.

Aim: This study's aim was to compare the time and accuracy of use and participants' satisfaction and preferences with pen devices for the once-weekly glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists dulaglutide, exenatide XR BCise, and semaglutide.

Materials And Methods: In this triple crossover, open-label, simulated injection study, GLP-1 receptor agonist pen devices were compared, with time and accuracy of use and participants' satisfaction and preferences as primary outcomes. Participants had type 2 diabetes and were naive to GLP-1 receptor agonist therapy.

Long-Term Adherence and Persistence to Low-Dose Aspirin for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease: A Population-Based Cohort Study.

Methods: Using information from electronic health records in Germany and the United Kingdom (UK) in a common data model, we followed adults with ≥2 low-dose aspirin prescriptions (75-100 mg) during 2007-2018 for up to 10 years. Included individuals had no low-dose aspirin prescriptions in the year before the follow-up started (date of first low-dose aspirin prescription) and ≥12 months' observation. Adherence was determined using the medication possession ratio (MPR), and persistence was defined as continuous treatment disregarding gaps between prescriptions of <60 days; analyses were undertaken according to indication (primary/secondary CVD prevention).

Evaluation of an escape room approach to interprofessional education and the opioid crisis.

Background: The use of an escape room in education helps promote communication, teamwork, and leadership amongst interprofessional learners in a unique and engaging manner; however, it is unknown if this method can change clinical knowledge related to the opioid crisis and interprofessional attitudes. Our objective was to evaluate the use of an interprofessional escape room activity to increase clinical knowledge related to the opioid crisis and to change attitudes toward interprofessional collaboration.

Interprofessional Education Activity: The session was developed as part of an interprofessional program at University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.

Bridging health disparities: a national survey of ambulatory care pharmacists in underserved areas.

Background: There is a shortage of primary care medical providers, particularly in rural communities and communities of racial and ethnic minority groups. Clinical pharmacists can help fill gaps in care among these vulnerable populations.

Objective: To identify characteristics of ambulatory care pharmacists that pursue and maintain employment within underserved areas.

Ontogeny and potential function of poacher armor (Actinopterygii: Agonidae).

Many vertebrates are armored over all or part of their body. The armor may serve several functional roles including defense, offense, visual display, and signal of experience/capability. Different roles imply different tradeoffs; for example, defensive armor usually trades resistance to attack for maneuverability.

Development and validation of a prognostic model predicting symptomatic hemorrhagic transformation in acute ischemic stroke at scale in the OHDSI network.

Background And Purpose: Hemorrhagic transformation (HT) after cerebral infarction is a complex and multifactorial phenomenon in the acute stage of ischemic stroke, and often results in a poor prognosis. Thus, identifying risk factors and making an early prediction of HT in acute cerebral infarction contributes not only to the selections of therapeutic regimen but also, more importantly, to the improvement of prognosis of acute cerebral infarction. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a model to predict a patient's risk of HT within 30 days of initial ischemic stroke.

Survey of owner motivations and veterinary input of owners feeding diets containing raw animal products.

Background: The practice of feeding of diets containing raw animal products (RAP) to pets (dogs and cats) is discouraged by veterinary organizations and governmental public health organizations. Nevertheless, the practice of feeding RAP to pets is increasing in popularity. Pet owner motivations for feeding RAP diets to pets have not been explored and the benefits of RAP diets remain largely anecdotal.

Compressive straining of bilayer phosphorene leads to extraordinary electron mobility at a new conduction band edge.

By means of hybrid DFT calculations and the deformation potential approximation, we show that bilayer phosphorene under slight compression perpendicular to its surface exhibits extraordinary room temperature electron mobility of order 7 × 10(4) cm(2) V(-1) s(-1). This is approximately 2 orders of magnitude higher than is widely reported for ground state phosphorenes and is the result of the emergence of a new conduction band minimum that is decoupled from the in-plane acoustic phonons that dominate carrier scattering.

Testing for designer stimulants: metabolic profiles of 16 synthetic cathinones excreted free in human urine.

The study of 34,561 urine specimens, submitted for designer stimulant testing between February 2011 and January 2013, provided an opportunity: to estimate the range of synthetic cathinones (SC) abused in the USA, to observe multiple examples of metabolic profiles for each drug in various stages of excretion in human urine, to evaluate the extent of metabolism of specific SC and to select metabolites or parent drugs for routine testing. Sixteen SC were found in random patient samples: buphedrone; butylone; 3,4-dimethylmethcathinone; ethcathinone; N-ethylbuphedrone; ethylone; flephedrone; mephedrone; 4-methylbuphedrone; 3,4-methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV); 4-methyl-N-ethylcathinone; methylone; pentedrone; pentylone; α-pyrrolidinobutiophenone (PBP) and α-pyrrolidinopentiophenone (PVP). After liquid/liquid extraction and trifluoroacetylation, specimens were screened by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) for drugs and metabolites excreted free in urine.

Designer phenethylamines routinely found in human urine: 2-ethylamino-1-phenylbutane and 2-amino-1-phenylbutane.

2-Ethylamino-1-phenylbutane (EAPB) and 2-amino-1-phenylbutane (APB) were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in multiple urine samples submitted for stimulant drug testing and screened positive for amphetamines by enzyme immunoassay. Forty-two samples from all over the USA were found, containing both analytes during a 3-month period May-July 2013. A sports dietary supplement 'CRAZE' has been determined to be one of the sources of EAPB supply.