Using cooperative learning for a drug information assignment.

Objectives: To implement a cooperative learning activity to engage students in analyzing tertiary drug information resources in a literature evaluation course.

Design: The class was divided into 4 sections to form expert groups and each group researched a different set of references using the jigsaw technique. Each member of each expert group was reassigned to a jigsaw group so that each new group was composed of 4 students from 4 different expert groups.

Novice and experienced physical therapist clinicians: a comparison of how reflection is used to inform the clinical decision-making process.

Background: Prior experience informs clinical decision making and shapes how reflection is used by novice and experienced physical therapist clinicians.

Objectives: The aims of this research were: (1) to determine the types and extent of reflection that informs the clinical decision-making process and (2) to compare the use of reflection to direct and assess clinical decisions made by novice and experienced physical therapists.

Design: Qualitative research methods using grounded theory were used to gain insight into how physical therapists use reflection to inform clinical decision making.

Voluntary alcohol consumption alters stress-induced changes in dopamine-2 receptor binding in Wistar-Kyoto rat brain.

The Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rat has been proposed as an animal model of depressive behavior and exhibits hyper-responsiveness to stressful stimulation when compared to other rat strains. We have demonstrated that WKY rats consume 200% more alcohol under naïve conditions as compared to their outbred counterparts, Wistar (WIS) rats. The present study was designed to understand the influence of stress and alcohol consumption on central dopamine type-2 (D2) receptor sites in these two behaviorally distinct rat strains.

Uncover the conserved property underlying sequence-distant and structure-similar proteins.

It is widely accepted that a protein's sequence determines its structure. The surprising finding that proteins of distant sequence can adopt similar 3D structures has raised interesting questions regarding underlying conserved properties that are essential for protein folding and stability. Uncovering the conserved properties may shed light on the folding mechanism of proteins and help with the development of computational tools for protein structure prediction.

Strain differences in the distribution of N-methyl-d-aspartate and gamma (gamma)-aminobutyric acid-A receptors in rat brain.

Aims: Previous studies have shown that the Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rat strain exhibits depressive symptoms such as anhedonia, psychomotor retardation, ambivalence and negative memory bias following exposure to stress. Given the involvement of excitatory glutamate and inhibitory gamma (gamma)-aminobutyric acid (GABA) signaling pathways in influencing depressive behavior, the present study investigated strain differences in the distribution of central N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) and GABA(A) receptor sites in WKY compared to their inbred counterpart, Wistar (WIS) rats.

Main Methods: Quantitative autoradiographic analysis was used to map the binding and distribution of NMDA and GABA(A) receptors in various brain regions in WKY and WIS rats.

Use of coarse ethylcellulose and PEO in beads produced by extrusion-spheronization.

This study evaluated the potential of coarse ethylcellulose (CPEC) and high molecular weight polyethylene oxide (PEO) as excipients in the production of beads by extrusion-spheronization. CPEC was investigated as a diluent and PEO as an extrusion aid and a binder. Beads were manufactured with caffeine as a model drug.

Combination atmospheric pressure solids analysis probe and desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry ion source.

The atmospheric solids probe analysis (ASAP) probe was investigated as a means for conducting desorption electrospray ionization (DESI) using a commercially available ion source. Solid and liquid samples as well as a raw urine sample were placed on individual melting point tubes and were inserted into either a heated gas stream for ASAP analysis or a charged solvent spray for DESI-like experiments. Samples ranged in polarity, volatility, mass, (100-17,000 Da), and concentration (neat to submicromolar).

Factors that influence the clinical decision-making of rehabilitation professionals in long-term care settings.

The purpose of this qualitative research was to evaluate the reasoning of clinicians practicing in long-term care facilities and to explore factors influencing their professional development. Eighteen participants were recruited from eight clinical sites and included seven occupational therapists, eight physical therapists, and three speech therapists distributed across three groups relative to experience. Nonparticipant observation and videotape of therapist-patient interactions were used in semi-structured interviews with each participant.

Intramolecular hydrogen bonding in ortho-substituted arylamide oligomers: a computational and experimental study of ortho-fluoro- and ortho-chloro-N-methylbenzamides.

As a part of our systematic study of foldamer structural elements, we analyze and quantify the conformational behavior of two model compounds based on a frequently used class of aromatic oligoamide building blocks. Combining computational and NMR approaches, we investigate ortho-fluoro- and ortho-chloro-N-methylbenzamide. Our results indicate that the -F substituent in an ortho position can be used to fine-tune the rigidity of the oligomer backbone.

Adjunctive aerosolized antibiotics for treatment of ventilator-associated pneumonia.

Study Objective: To determine clinical and microbiologic success in patients receiving adjunctive aerosolized antibiotics for the treatment of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP).

Design: Retrospective medical record review.

Setting: Level I trauma intensive care unit of a large academic medical center.

Developing explicit positive beers criteria for preferred central nervous system medications in older adults.

Background: The Beers criteria have been extensively used over the past decade to identify and evaluate potentially inappropriate medication use in adults 65 years of age and older in the United States. In contrast to the Beers criteria, the purpose of this pilot initiative was to develop a new set of explicit criteria for determining preferred (rather then potentially inappropriate) medications to use in older adults, using similar methodology as used in the three iterations of the Beers criteria. This initiative organized its evaluations around classes of medications that are both frequently used and associated with drug-related problems in older adults-central nervous system (CNS) medications.

A randomized controlled trial on the effects of cycling with and without electrical stimulation on cardiorespiratory and vascular health in children with spinal cord injury.

Objective: To examine the cardiorespiratory/vascular effects of cycling with and without functional electrical stimulation (FES) in children with spinal cord injury (SCI).

Design: Randomized controlled trial.

Setting: Pediatric referral hospital.

Fluorinated molecules in the diagnosis and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

The use of fluorinated molecules as drugs and imaging agents for CNS disorders has been studied extensively over the years. Incorporating a fluorine atom into the structure of a drug changes its physiochemical properties and can thereby lead to much more desirable pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties. This change can help to facilitate blood-brain barrier permeability, which is a critical matter for drugs intended for CNS activities.

Comparison of motility, recovery, and methyl-thiazolyl-tetrazolium reduction assays for use in screening plant products for anthelmintic activity.

The primary objective of these experiments was to compare the effectiveness of motility, recovery, and methyl-thiazolyl-tetrazolium (MTT) reduction assays for determining anthelmintic activity of plant extracts and purified compounds from these extracts. Caenorhabditis elegans was used as the test organism. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) grade water and M9 medium were used as the solvents.

Application of screening methods, shape signatures and engineered biosensors in early drug discovery process.

Purpose: In this study, two unreported estrogen antagonists were identified using a combination of computational screening and a simple bacterial estrogen sensor.

Methods: Molecules here presented were initially part of a group obtained from a library of over a half million chemical compounds, using the Shape Signatures method. The structures within this group were then clustered and compared to known antagonists based on their physico-chemical parameters, and possible binding modes of the compounds to the Estrogen Receptor alpha (ER alpha) were analyzed.

Safety and tolerability of antiplatelet therapies for the secondary prevention of atherothrombotic disease.

Aggressive secondary prevention is critical to improving long-term outcomes in patients with ischemic coronary artery disease, cerebrovascular disease, and peripheral artery disease. An essential component of successful secondary prevention is antiplatelet therapy, which in most patient populations consists of aspirin, clopidogrel, aspirin plus clopidogrel, or aspirin plus extended-release dipyridamole. As is true for any pharmacologic agent, benefits must be balanced with risks.

New drug update: 2008.

Only 16 new therapeutic agents were marketed in the United States in 2008, the lowest number in many years. Four new drugs have been selected for consideration in this review. The uses and most important properties of each agent are considered, and a rating for each new drug is provided using the New Drug Comparison Rating (NDCR) system developed by the author.

Review of prasugrel for the secondary prevention of atherothrombosis.

Background: The role of platelets in atherothrombotic disease is well established, and antiplatelet therapy is now recommended for the shortand long-term management of patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS), with and without percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The thienopyridine clopidogrel is accepted as a key component of antiplatelet management and is recommended in current treatment guidelines as addon therapy to aspirin in secondary prevention to reduce coronary risk in patients with ACS and/or following PCI. The FDA Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee met on February 3, 2009, and recommended approval of prasugrel, but with guidance to physicians about increased risk in low-weight or elderly patients and avoidance of use (a) around coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) or other surgical or invasive procedures and (b) in patients with prior or current stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA).

Weight-based dosing of enoxaparin in obese patients with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndromes: results from the CRUSADE initiative.

Study Objective: To evaluate how enoxaparin is dosed in contemporary clinical practice as a function of patients' total body weight (TBW) and body mass index (BMI), and to determine any association between dose and major bleeding.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Data Source: The Can Rapid Risk Stratification of Unstable Angina Patients Suppress Adverse Outcomes with Early Implementation of the American College of Cardiology-American Heart Association Guidelines (CRUSADE) national quality improvement initiative database.

Managing clinical grant costs.

The rapidly increasing cost of pharmaceutical R&D presents a major challenge for the industry. This paper examines one aspect of that spending, clinical grants, and presents ways that pharmaceutical companies can best manage those expenditures. The first part of the paper examines the role of clinical grant payments as a motivation for clinical trial participation.

Relationship between renal function and outcomes in high-risk patients with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndromes: results from SYNERGY.

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a risk factor for coronary heart disease and bleeding with antithrombotic therapy in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS). We evaluated the effect of renal function on efficacy and outcomes in high-risk patients with NSTE ACS in the SYNERGY trial.

Methods: Creatinine clearance (CrCl) at the time of randomization was analyzed as a continuous variable added to multivariable logistic regression models for 30-day death or MI, non-CABG-associated TIMI major bleeding, GUSTO severe bleeding, and transfusion in the overall study population, patients undergoing coronary angiography, and patients undergoing PCI.

Stability of pergolide mesylate oral liquid at room temerature.

Pergolide mesylate (proprietary name Permax) is used to treat equine Cushing's syndrome. Since pergolide mesylate has been removed from the market, the tablets are no longer available. Therefore, pergolide mesylate preparations have to be compounded for veterinary use.