Bouvé Faculty Publications

Age-dependent decrease and alternative splicing of methionine synthase mRNA in human cerebral cortex and an accelerated decrease in autism

Christina R. Muratore — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 08:57:01 PDT

The folate and vitamin B12-dependent enzyme methionine synthase (MS) is highly sensitive to cellular oxidative status, and lower MS activity increases production of the antioxidant glutathione, while simultaneously decreasing more than 200 methylation reactions, broadly affecting metabolic activity. MS mRNA levels in postmortem human cortex from subjects across the lifespan were measured and a dramatic progressive biphasic decrease of more than 400-fold from 28 weeks of gestation to 84 years was observed. Further analysis revealed alternative splicing of MS mRNA, including deletion of folate-binding domain exons and age-dependent deletion of exons from the cap domain, which protects vitamin B12 (cobalamin)...

Apolipoprotein C3 polymorphisms, cognitive function and diabetes in Caribbean origin Hispanics

Caren E. Smith — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 14:03:51 PDT

Background

Apolipoprotein C3 (APOC3) modulates triglyceride metabolism through inhibition of lipoprotein lipase, but is itself regulated by insulin, so that APOC3 represents a potential mechanism by which glucose metabolism may affect lipid metabolism. Unfavorable lipoprotein profiles and impaired glucose metabolism are linked to cognitive decline, and all three conditions may decrease lifespan. Associations between apolipoprotein C3 (APOC3) gene polymorphisms and impaired lipid and glucose metabolism are well-established, but potential connections between APOC3 polymorphisms, cognitive decline and diabetes deserve further attention.

Methods

We examined whether APOC3 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) m482 (rs2854117) and 3u386 (rs5128) were related to cognitive measures, whether...

Residential traffic exposure, pulse pressure, and C-reactive protein: consistency and contrast among exposure characterization methods

Christine L. Rioux — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 13:53:41 PDT

Background: Traffic exposure may increase cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk via systemic inflammation and elevated blood pressure, two important clinical markers for managing disease progression.

Objectives: We assessed degree and consistency of association between traffic exposure indicators as predictors of C-reactive protein (CRP) and pulse pressure (PP) in an adult U.S. Puerto Rican population (n = 1,017).

Methods: Cross-sectional information on health and demographics and blood data was collected. Using multiple linear regression, we tested for associations between CRP, PP, and six traffic exposure indicators including residential proximity to roads with > 20,000 vehicles/day and traffic density [vehicle miles traveled per...

The Boston Puerto Rican Health Study, a longitudinal cohort study on health disparities in Puerto Rican adults: challenges and opportunities

Katherine L. Tucker — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 13:42:56 PDT

Background

The Boston Puerto Rican Health Study is an ongoing longitudinal cohort study designed to examine the role of psychosocial stress on presence and development of allostatic load and health outcomes in Puerto Ricans, and potential modification by nutritional status, genetic variation, and social support.

Methods

Self-identified Puerto Ricans, aged 45-75 years and residing in the Boston, MA metro area, were recruited through door-to-door enumeration and community approaches. Participants completed a comprehensive set of questionnaires and tests. Blood, urine and salivary samples were extracted for biomarker and genetic analysis. Measurements are repeated at a two-year follow-up.

Results

A total of...

Disparities in allele frequencies and population differentiation for 101 disease-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms between Puerto Ricans and non-Hispanic whites

Josiemer Mattei — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 13:27:50 PDT

Background: Variations in gene allele frequencies can contribute to differences in the prevalence of some common complex diseases among populations. Natural selection modulates the balance in allele frequencies across populations. Population differentiation (FST) can evidence environmental selection pressures. Such genetic information is limited in Puerto Ricans, the second largest Hispanic ethnic group in the US, and a group with high prevalence of chronic disease. We determined allele frequencies and population differentiation for 101 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 30 genes involved in major metabolic and disease-relevant pathways in Puerto Ricans (n = 969, ages 45–75 years) and compared them to...

Using Facebook to facilitate course-related discussion between students and faculty members

Margarita V. DiVall — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 11:53:12 PDT

Objectives. To use Facebook to facilitate online discussion of the content of a Comprehensive Disease Management course and to evaluate student use and perceptions of this exercise. Design. A Facebook page was created and coordinators encouraged students to "like" the page and to post and view study tips, links, or questions. At the end of the course, students' use and perceptions were evaluated using an anonymous survey tool. Assessment. At the end of week 1, there were 81 followers, 5 wall posts, and 474 visits to the course Facebook page. At peak use, the page had 117 followers, 18 wall...

The impact of a standardized patient program on student learning of communication skills

Nathaniel M. Rickles — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 11:53:09 PDT

Objective. Determine the quantitative and qualitative value of a lecture-laboratory course with standardized patients on student communication skills. Methods. A blinded retrospective analysis was conducted on the counseling tapes of 127 students who took a lecture-laboratory course with standardized patients. A Communication Skills Assessment Form (CSAF) was used to evaluate baseline, midpoint and final tapes. Descriptive statistics and repeated measures analysis of variance were used to compare tapes. Students and standardized patients completed written survey instruments evaluating the laboratory at the end of the semester.Results. Students had significant and progressively higher scores on the assessment across baseline, midpoint and final...

Succession planning in US pharmacy schools

Jenny A. Van Amburgh — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 11:53:05 PDT

The deans, associate and assistant deans, and department chairs of a college or school of pharmacy retain historic memories of the institution and share the responsibility for day-to-day operation, sustainability, and future planning. Between the anticipated retirement of baby boomers who are senior administrative faculty members and the steady increase in number of colleges and schools of pharmacy, the academy is facing a shortage of qualified successors. Succession planning involves planning for the effective transition of personnel in leadership positions within an organization. This paper describes the subject of succession planning at a sample population of AACP institutions by obtaining...

Student participants in faculty educational research

Nathaniel M. Rickles — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 11:53:02 PDT

Status and recommendations for self-care instruction in US colleges and schools of pharmacy, 2006

Seena L. Zierler-Brown — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 11:52:58 PDT

Teachers of pharmacy self-care courses have met annually since 1998 at the Nonprescription Medicines Academy (NMA) held in Cincinnati, Ohio. During these meetings, self-care faculty members discuss methods of enhancing the teaching of self-care in US colleges and schools of pharmacy. Self-care courses are taught using a variety of methods and content is woven into pharmacy curricula in many different ways. This manuscript sets forth the current state of self-care instruction in pharmacy curricula including the recommended core curriculum, instructional methodologies, course mechanics, existing standards, and assessment and curricular placement, and makes recommendations for the future.

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Service-learning at a camp for children with asthma as part of an advanced pharmacy practice experience

Jennifer L. Kirwin — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 11:52:54 PDT

Objectives. To describe a service-learning opportunity within an advanced pharmacy practice experience and report satisfaction survey results from 2001 through present. Design. Pharmacy students volunteered to attend asthma camp during an ambulatory care rotation. Students administered and monitored medications and coordinated educational activities for campers. Students set goals for the week and completed reflective journals about the experience. A survey was administered 1 week and 6 months after the experience to assess satisfaction, changes in attitudes toward children with chronic asthma, and empathy towards patients.Assessment. Most students accomplished their goals and were satisfied with the experience. Approximately 40% of students...

School-wide clinical intervention system to document pharmacy students' impact on patient care

Margarita V. DiVall — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 11:52:50 PDT

Objectives. To implement and evaluate a school wide, Web-based clinical intervention system to document types and impact of pharmacy students' clinical activities during advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs). Methods. A clinical intervention form was developed by pharmacy practice faculty consensus and uploaded to a secure Web site. Prior to APPEs, all pharmacy students were trained on the purpose and use of the system as well as strategies to document interventions appropriately. Results. Over the 3-year period of data collection, 15,393 interventions were documented. Most common intervention types included dosage adjustments, education of patients and providers, and optimization of therapeutic regimens....

Pharmacy student knowledge and communication of medication errors

Nathaniel M. Rickles — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 11:52:46 PDT

Objectives. To describe and evaluate pharmacy students' knowledge of and comfort in communicating, managing, and preventing medication errors. Methods. Using a cross-sectional design, a survey instrument was administered to fifth-year pharmacy students. The survey instrument included both open-and close-ended questions to describe and examine factors associated with knowledge and comfort in communication of medication errors.Results. Survey instruments were completed by 93 students (90% response rate). Nearly 80% reported not having received training in communicating medication errors. The perception of having more adequate training was related to greater knowledge in the communication of medication errors (p

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Development of progressive oral presentations in a therapeutics course series

Michael J. Gonyeau — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 11:52:43 PDT

Objectives. To develop and implement a series of progressive evidence-based, oral presentation activities within the therapeutics series to strengthen interprofessional oral communication and literature evaluation skills.Design. A step-wise progression of oral presentations was created to establish interprofessional communication skills and reinforce such skills in successive modules. Students progressed from a basic oral presentation to a brief clinical trial presentation, followed by a full journal club, culminating with a therapeutic debate. Guidelines and assessment tools were developed for each presentation focusing on style, content and organization, and analytic approach. Feedback was obtained from students and faculty members through the administration of...

Development of a peer teaching-assessment program and a peer observation and evaluation tool

Jennifer M. Trujillo — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 11:52:39 PDT

Objectives. To develop a formalized, comprehensive, peer-driven teaching assessment program and a valid and reliable assessment tool. Methods. A volunteer taskforce was formed and a peer-assessment program was developed using a multistep, sequential approach and the Peer Observation and Evaluation Tool (POET). A pilot study was conducted to evaluate the efficiency and practicality of the process and to establish interrater reliability of the tool. Intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) were calculated. Results. ICCs for 8 separate lectures evaluated by 2-3 observers ranged from 0.66 to 0.97, indicating good interrater reliability of the tool. Conclusion. Our peer assessment program for large classroom...

A vidcasting project to promote the pharmacist's role in public health

Seena L. Haines — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 11:52:36 PDT

Objective. To develop, implement, and assess an Internet-based vidcasting project to promote the pharmacist's role in public health. Design. This was a collaborative effort for 2 different courses taught at 2 different schools of pharmacy. Faculty members created a special instructional design for students to follow in planning, producing, and publishing video public service announcements on the Internet.Assessment. Formative and summative assessments, including course examinations, a grading rubric, student survey, and focus group, were implemented to evaluate student learning and public reaction. Students believed Internet video public service announcements served as a useful reference for patients and professionals, aided in...

A tool for measuring active learning in the classroom

Jenny A. Van Amburgh — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 11:52:32 PDT

Objectives. To develop a valid and reliable active-learning inventory tool for use in large classrooms and compare faculty perceptions of active-learning using the Active-Learning Inventory Tool.Methods. The Active-Learning Inventory Tool was developed using published literature and validated by national experts in educational research. Reliability was established by trained faculty members who used the Active-Learning Inventory Tool to observe 9 pharmacy lectures. Instructors were then interviewed to elicit perceptions regarding active learning and asked to share their perceptions.Results. Per lecture, 13 ( range: 4-34) episodes of active learning encompassing 3 ( range: 2-5) different types of active learning occurred over 2.2...

Folate network genetic variation, plasma homocysteine, and global genomic methylation content: a genetic association study

Susan M. Wernimont — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 11:11:56 PDT

Background

Sequence variants in genes functioning in folate-mediated one-carbon metabolism are hypothesized to lead to changes in levels of homocysteine and DNA methylation, which, in turn, are associated with risk of cardiovascular disease.

Methods

330 SNPs in 52 genes were studied in relation to plasma homocysteine and global genomic DNA methylation. SNPs were selected based on functional effects and gene coverage, and assays were completed on the Illumina Goldengate platform. Age-, smoking-, and nutrient-adjusted genotype--phenotype associations were estimated in regression models.

Results

Using a nominal P ≤ 0.005 threshold for statistical significance, 20 SNPs were associated with plasma homocysteine, 8...

Creating networks for survival and mobility: social capital among African-American and Latin-American low-income mothers

Silvia Domínguez (1961-) — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 14:03:47 PST

In this article, we examine the social networks of low-income mothers, using a conceptual framework that differentiates social networks that offer support from those that yield leverage. This ethnographic analysis pays particular attention to how respondents generate social capital to obtain resources for survival and social mobility. Respondents identified at least three issues beyond resource constraints that work alone or in combination to positively or negatively influence their use of family as sources of social support: physical proximity, reciprocity, and family tensions. We also explore the conditions under which respondents generate social support through friendships and non-profit institutions. We find...

Caribbean journeys: an ethnography of migration and home in three family networks [book review]

Silvia Domínguez (1961-) — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 13:51:07 PST