Evaluating the Quality of Examination Items From the Pathophysiology, Drug Action, and Therapeutics Course Series.

Objective: To determine the impact of item-writing flaws and cognitive level on student performance metrics in 1 course series across 2 semesters at a single institution.

Methods: Four investigators reviewed 928 multiple-choice items from an integrated therapeutics course series. Differences in performance metrics were examined between flawed and standard items, flawed stems and flawed answer choices, and cognitive levels.

A cross-sectional survey of viral hepatitis education within pharmacy curricula in the United States.

Background: The Viral Hepatitis National Strategic Plan emphasizes the importance of a collaborative provider workforce trained in hepatitis prevention and treatment to eliminate viral hepatitis in the United States by 2030. Although pharmacists play a key role in hepatitis management, literature lacks documentation of the amount of viral hepatitis education provided to pharmacy students.

Aim: Our study goal was to describe viral hepatitis education provided at United States pharmacy schools.

Recognizing and Mitigating Racial and Ethnic Interview-Associated Microaggressions Across the Academy.

Microaggressions in pharmacy education interviews can have a significant impact, often reinforcing a message that underrepresented minority (URM) candidates must assimilate for acceptance, rather than being invited to contribute their authentic identities to diversify and strengthen the institution. Interviewers may ask inappropriate questions or make offensive comments without intending to cause harm; however, the impact of the words on the interviewee are valid and cannot be ignored. This text focuses on the challenges faced by URM faculty in the context of academic pharmacy interviews, which potentially contribute to their underrepresentation in academic pharmacy.

RAD54L2 counters TOP2-DNA adducts to promote genome stability.

The catalytic cycle of topoisomerase 2 (TOP2) enzymes proceeds via a transient DNA double-strand break (DSB) intermediate termed the TOP2 cleavage complex (TOP2cc), in which the TOP2 protein is covalently bound to DNA. Anticancer agents such as etoposide operate by stabilizing TOP2ccs, ultimately generating genotoxic TOP2-DNA protein cross-links that require processing and repair. Here, we identify RAD54 like 2 (RAD54L2) as a factor promoting TOP2cc resolution.

Substernal multinodular goiter resulting in superior vena cava syndrome and tracheal compression.

A woman in her early 70s presented to the family medicine clinic with shortness of breath and an inability to lie flat for several months. When lying flat or on lifting her arms above her head, her face would turn bright red and she felt lightheaded. The patient also had hair loss and skin colour changes of the upper extremities.

Genuine policy learning is fundamental: the journey of the United Arab Emirates toward the establishment of health technology assessment.

The launch of innovative technologies has been credited with significant improvements in health indicators, but it comes at a high financial impact, and the value of certain innovations may not be well documented. Health technology assessment (HTA) is a universally established process to assess the incremental value of innovations. Despite its acknowledged value, almost one-third of the countries around the globe have not established yet a formal HTA in their health systems.

Pharmacist authors of emergency medicine organization work products pertaining to pharmacotherapy.

Purpose: Despite the expertise that emergency medicine (EM) pharmacists bring to multidisciplinary teams in the emergency department (ED) setting, they are not commonly present on writing groups for guidelines, policies, or task forces pertaining to EM pharmacotherapy. The purpose of this article is to quantify EM pharmacist involvement on author bylines of guidelines, position statements, and other official documents that specifically encompass EM pharmacotherapy.

Methods: Official work products released between January 1, 2010, and May 1, 2021, were collected from the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM), and American Academy of Emergency Medicine (AAEM) and the table of contents of the following journals: Annals of Emergency Medicine, Academic Emergency Medicine, and Journal of Emergency Medicine.

A Trifunctional Theranostic Ligand Targeting Fibroblast Activation Protein-α (FAPα).

Purpose: Fibroblast activation protein-α (FAPα) is uniquely expressed in activated fibroblasts, including cancer-associated fibroblasts that populate tumor stroma and contribute to proliferation and immunosuppression. Radiolabeled FAPα inhibitors enable imaging of multiple human cancers, but time-dependent clearance from tumors currently limits their utility as FAPα-targeted radiotherapeutics. We sought to increase the area under the curve (AUC) by constructing a trifunctional ligand that binds FAPα with high affinity and also binds albumin and theranostic radiometals.

Urinary Tract Infections and Possible Treatment.

is a globally emerging pathogen that has been identified in urinary tract infections (UTIs) worldwide. The novel pathogen is characterized by common misidentification, difficult eradication, and multidrug resistance. To date, there is a paucity of data to guide the optimal management of UTIs.

Time to Deprescribe: A Time-Centric Model for Deprescribing at End of Life.

In end-of-life care, deprescribing practices may vary considerably from one practitioner to the next, although most published frameworks for evaluating medication appropriateness in advanced illness consider three key principles (1) patient and caregiver goals, (2) remaining life expectancy (LE), and (3) medication time to benefit (TTB). The objective of this article is to provide clinicians with a structured, consistent approach for deprescribing that does not replace clinical judgment or the preferences of patients and their families but enhances it through clinical data. The emphasis will be on the time component of published models, including how to estimate remaining LE and medication TTB.

Work-Sampling Study of an Innovative Care Coordination Program Aimed at Children With Chronic Health Conditions.

Purpose Of Study: To estimate time allocation and labor cost for care coordinators (CCs), community health workers (CHWs), and mental health workers (MHWs) to conduct care coordination tasks in a pediatric care coordination program.

Primary Practice Setting: A public tertiary academic medical center in Chicago, IL.

Methodology And Sample: A work-sampling study was conducted using a text message-based survey on 5 CCs, 20 CHWs, and 4 MHWs who volunteered to participate.

Recent Evidence Examining Efficacy and Safety of Aspirin for Primary Cardiovascular Disease Prevention.

Background: Data on aspirin for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) are conflicting and changing as new trials are published on the subject.

Objective: To review recent data evaluating the efficacy and safety of aspirin for primary prevention of CVD.

Data Sources: Articles evaluating aspirin for primary prevention of CVD were gathered using a MEDLINE search with the keywords aspirin review, aspirin peripheral artery disease, aspirin stroke, aspirin coronary artery disease, aspirin diabetes, aspirin primary prophylaxis, and aspirin elderly.

Is It a Good Time to Be a Pharmacist in the US?

The labor market for pharmacists in the United States has seen significant dynamics over the past couple of decades in both demand and supply. The purpose of this brief editorial is to discuss some key concerns for pharmacists in the current labor market and over the next decade. A key issue in evaluating how pharmacists will fare in moving forward into expanded clinical roles and functions will be the degree to which they expand their professional autonomy.

Design of Customized Mobile Application for Patient Adherence to Oral Anticancer Medications Utilizing User-Centered Design.

Adherence and compliance to oral anticancer medications (OAMs) can be challenging for patients due to their complex regimens. The goal of this research project was to design an effective and engaging user interface (UI), based on user-centered design (UCD) and incorporate animations, to reinforce and improve patient's understanding of the key aspects of taking OAMs. This current paper encompasses the development process and describes the initial phase of the project, which focused on the design and development of the tablet-based educational application (app).

Effects of an unusual poison identify a lifespan role for Topoisomerase 2 in .

A progressive loss of genome maintenance has been implicated as both a cause and consequence of aging. Here we present evidence supporting the hypothesis that an age-associated decay in genome maintenance promotes aging in (yeast) due to an inability to sense or repair DNA damage by topoisomerase 2 (yTop2). We describe the characterization of LS1, identified in a high throughput screen for small molecules that shorten the replicative lifespan of yeast.

A Cross Sectional and Longitudinal Study of Pharmacy Student Perceptions of Readiness to Serve Diverse Populations.

Objective. To examine students' self-perceptions at different stages in a pharmacy curriculum of competence related to serving culturally diverse patients and to compare self-reported competence of a student cohort near the beginning and end of the degree program. Methods.

Interaction effects on cytochrome P450 both in vitro and in vivo studies by two major bioactive xanthones from Halenia elliptica D. Don.

The major components, 1-hydroxy-2,3,5-trimethoxy-xanthone (HM-1) and 1,5-dihydroxy-2,3-dimethoxy-xanthone (HM-5) isolated from Halenia elliptica D. Don (Gentianaceae), could cause vasodilatation in rat coronary artery with different mechanisms. In this work, high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to ion trap time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LCMS-IT-TOF) was used to clarify the metabolic pathways, and CYP450 isoform involvement of HM-1 and HM-5 were also studied in rat.