Assessing Drug Uptake and Response Differences in 2D and 3D Cellular Environments Using Stimulated Raman Scattering Microscopy.

The architecture of cell culture, two-dimensional (2D) versus three-dimensional (3D), significantly impacts various cellular factors, including cell-cell interactions, nutrient and oxygen gradients, metabolic activity, and gene expression profiles. This can result in different cellular responses during cancer drug treatment, with 3D-cultured cells often exhibiting higher resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs. While various genetic and proteomic analyses have been employed to investigate the underlying mechanisms of this increased resistance, complementary techniques that provide experimental evidence of spatial molecular profiling data are limited.

Assessing drug uptake and response differences in 2D and 3D cellular environments using stimulated Raman scattering microscopy.

The architecture of cell culture-two-dimensional (2D) versus three-dimensional (3D)-significantly impacts various cellular factors, including cell-cell interactions, nutrient and oxygen gradients, metabolic activity, and gene expression profiles. This can result in different cellular responses during cancer drug treatment, with 3D-cultured cells often exhibiting higher resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs. While various genetic and proteomic analyses have been employed to investigate the underlying mechanisms of this increased resistance, complementary techniques that provide experimental evidence of spatial molecular profiling data are limited.

Incorporation of yoga in pharmacy education.

Background: The well-being of pharmacists is critical to support personal and professional health. Identifying and integrating a variety of practices that promote wellness is prudent for schools/colleges of pharmacy so students may form habits before entering the profession as practitioners. Yoga, a practice that combines muscular activity with mindfulness, can be incorporated with minimal resources via numerous mechanisms within and outside of the curriculum.

Mentorship Landscape and Common Practices in an Academic Pharmacy Association.

Objectives: To explore the landscape of mentorship within professional associations in pharmacy academia, including reviewing available literature and describing currently available programs within the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, and recommend key considerations for the development of mentorship programs within professional associations.

Findings: A literature review of mentorship programs within professional associations for pharmacy academics was conducted, with a total of 5 articles identified and summarized. Additionally, a survey was conducted to determine the landscape of available mentorship programs within American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy affinity groups to capture unpublished experiences.

Coping, resilience, and emotional well-being in pharmacy students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to investigate the significant contributions of coping, resilience, personal characteristics, and health behaviors on the emotional well-being of pharmacy students during the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 was identified in December 2019 and declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization in March 2020. Pharmacy students may experience greater stress during this outbreak because of interruptions in classes or rotations, concerns regarding personal or family health, and social isolation from peers.

Practical points for applying herpes zoster vaccine recommendations.

The recombinant zoster vaccine (Shingrix) was approved to help combat the incidence of shingles in patients age 50 years and older and the CDC now recommends it over the zoster vaccine live (Zostavax). This article highlights practical considerations to help clinicians appropriately apply the most recent vaccine recommendations to their patients.

Daptomycin dosing in obese patients: analysis of the use of adjusted body weight actual body weight.

Background: Food and Drug Administration-approved daptomycin dosing uses actual body weight, despite limited dosing information for obese patients. Studies report alterations in daptomycin pharmacokinetics and creatine phosphokinase elevations associated with higher weight-based doses required for obese patients. Limited information regarding clinical outcomes with alternative daptomycin dosing strategies in obesity exists.

Transgender students in pharmacy school part 2: How faculty advisors can support their advisees.

Faculty advisors serve a critical role in the success of pharmacy students during their academic careers, frequently serving as a problem-solver or sounding board during times of both triumph and struggle. Additionally, faculty advisors help students overcome barriers along their journey to ensure a successful progression through pharmacy school. This role is particularly important to transgender students, given the additional barriers they may face, which were highlighted in Part One of the commentary on transgender students in pharmacy school.

Transgender students in pharmacy school, part 1: What academic administrators need to know.

While gender transition is a very exciting time for most students embarking upon this personal journey, it is not without its stressors as well. For students choosing to further their education and become pharmacists, the complexity and demands of pharmacy education during the transition period can be one such additive stressor. As pharmacy educators and administrators, we have the ability to help shape this professional journey and alleviate stress by maintaining our obligation to provide a safe and non-discriminatory learning environment for all students.

β-Blockade in Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction: Does Heart Rate Control Influence Readmissions?

Background: Raised resting heart rate (HR), >70 beats per minute (bpm), has been shown to be a risk factor for adverse cardiovascular outcomes and hospital readmissions, specifically in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HF rEF). Given their mortality benefit, β-blockers are recommended in HF rEF, with a goal to titrate to a maximum tolerated dose rather than a specific HR target.

Objective: To determine the impact of optimal HR control achievement prior to hospital discharge on hospital readmissions in patients with HF rEF receiving β-blockade.

Angioedema Spotlight: A Closer Examination of Sacubitril/Valsartan Safety Results.

Incorporation of neprilysin inhibition into heart failure pharmacotherapy regimens has recently been recommended by U.S. guidelines, based on results from the PARADIGM-HF trial comparing sacubitril/valsartan to enalapril.

Pembrolizumab-induced myasthenia gravis: A fatal case report.

Purpose Pembrolizumab, a monoclonal antibody which inhibits the programmed cell death 1 receptor, has been shown to efficaciously enhance pre-existing immune responses to malignancies. However, safety concerns must also be considered as pembrolizumab use has been associated with several life-threatening immune-related adverse events (irAEs). We report a fatal case of pembrolizumab-induced myasthenia gravis in a patient with no prior myasthenia gravis history.

Direct oral anticoagulant use in nonvalvular atrial fibrillation with valvular heart disease: a systematic review.

Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are indicated for stroke prevention in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF), which, according to the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association/Heart Rhythm Society atrial fibrillation (AF) guidelines, excludes patients with rheumatic mitral stenosis, a mechanical or bioprosthetic heart valve, or mitral valve repair. However, the data regarding use of DOACs in AF patients with other types of valvular heart disease (VHD) are unclear. We aimed to summarize and evaluate the literature regarding the safety and efficacy of DOAC use in NVAF patients with other types of VHD.

Pharmacologic Treatment of Alcoholic Hepatitis: Examining Outcomes Based on Disease Severity Stratification.

Objectives: Maddrey discriminant function (MDF) score is a measure of disease prognosis in alcoholic hepatitis (AH) used to identify patients at highest risk of mortality and determine the need for initiation of pharmacologic treatment. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of pharmacologic therapy for hospitalized AH patients as stratified by MDF score.

Methods: A retrospective review of patients with an AH diagnosis admitted to a Methodist LeBonheur Healthcare adult hospital between 06/2009 and 06/2014 was conducted.

Ivabradine: A Review of Labeled and Off-Label Uses.

Ivabradine is a unique medication recently approved in the USA for the treatment of select heart failure patients. It was first approved for use in several countries around the world over a decade ago as an anti-anginal agent, with subsequent approval for use in heart failure patients. Since ivabradine has selective activity blocking the I f currents in the sinus node, it can reduce heart rate without appreciable effects on blood pressure.

Asthma as a Comorbidity in Hospitalized Patients: A Potential Missed Opportunity to Intervene.

Asthma is a frequent comorbidity in hospitalized children and adults. Patients with a history of asthma may have no breathing complaints or abnormal chest exam findings to trigger care for this comorbidity during hospitalization. Consequently, this may lead to a potential missed opportunity to discuss asthma as a comorbidity and ongoing issue to ensure its optimal management at home.

Effect of diseases on response to vitamin K antagonists.

Introduction: The purpose of this review article is to summarize the literature on diseases that are documented to have an effect on response to warfarin and other VKAs.

Methods: We searched the English literature from 1946 to September 2015 via PubMed, EMBASE, and Scopus for the effect of diseases on response vitamin K antagonists including warfarin, acenocoumarol, phenprocoumon, and fluindione.

Discussion: Among many factors modifying response to VKAs, several disease states are clinically relevant.

Outcomes after cervical laminectomy with instrumented fusion versus expansile laminoplasty: a propensity matched study of 3185 patients.

The aim of this study was to compare reoperation, complication rates, and healthcare resource utilization of expansile laminectomies with instrumented fusion versus laminoplasty. Using the MarketScan database (Truven Health Analytics, Ann Arbor, MI, USA), we selected patients aged >18 years who underwent either cervical laminoplasty or laminectomy with fusion between 2000-2009. Propensity score modeling produced a matched cohort balanced for age, sex, comorbidities, and other relevant factors.

Arachnoiditis ossificans of the thoracic spine.

Arachnoiditis ossificans is a rare disorder characterized by the development of calcifications of the arachnoid membrane of the thoracic and lumbar spines. It is an extremely rare cause of spinal canal stenosis and consequent neurological compromise, and its origins and optimal management remain unclear. We review of the literature that illustrates the challenges of diagnosis and treatment of arachnoiditis ossificans.

Revision lumbar surgery in elderly patients with symptomatic pseudarthrosis, adjacent-segment disease, or same-level recurrent stenosis. Part 2. A cost-effectiveness analysis: clinical article.

Object: Despite advances in technology and understanding in spinal physiology, reoperation for symptomatic adjacent-segment disease (ASD), same-level recurrent stenosis, and pseudarthrosis in elderly patients continues to occur. While revision lumbar surgery is effective, attention has turned to questions on the utility and value of the revision decompression and fusion procedure. To date, an analysis of the cost and health state gain associated with revision lumbar surgery in elderly patients with symptomatic pseudarthrosis, ASD, or same-level recurrent lumbar stenosis has yet to be performed.