Perceptions of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Anti-Racism Among Pharmacy Faculty by Racial and Ethnic Identity.

OBJECTIVE: To compare perceptions of underrepresented minorities (URM), non-URM people of color (POC), and nonminoritized pharmacy faculty in academia in relation to workplace diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism (DEIA) landscape in the United States. METHODS: This study utilized the DEIA Faculty Perceptions of College Climate (FPCC) scale, which was developed and validated by the authors. The FPCC scale was used to investigate perceptions of pharmacy faculty from the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy membership directory regarding DEIA within their respective academic pharmacy institutions. Demographic differences were examined using a Pearson chi-square test, while response disparities in FPCC questions were analyzed with a one-way ANOVA. RESULTS: A total of 846 respondents met the inclusion criteria for the study and were included in the analysis. Results indicate disparities in perceptions within all 4 DEIA domains of the FPCC survey among the 3 demographic groups. CONCLUSION: This study uncovers significant differences in how pharmacy faculty perceive DEIA within pharmacy education, with nonminoritized faculty expressing more positive views compared to their URM and non-URM counterparts. These results emphasize the need for focused interventions and institutional support to bridge DEIA disparities, emphasizing the importance of fostering an inclusive academic environment to enhance faculty well-being and empower the pharmacy profession to meet diverse needs more effectively.

Developing and Validating the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Antiracism Faculty Perceptions of College Climate (DEIA FPCC) Scale in Pharmacy Faculty.

OBJECTIVE: This work's objective was to demonstrate acceptable reliability and consistency within and across each domain of the survey tool. METHODS: A survey with 16 questions was distributed to faculty from the AACP membership list and contained 4 domains: DEIA. The survey responses were analyzed using factor analysis and reliability analysis. RESULTS: A total of 877 subjects' responses met inclusion criteria and were used in the analysis. The results demonstrated that the survey had high reliability and discriminating validity within each domain and overall as a scale. CONCLUSION: The finalized tool provides a practical, standardized measure to evaluate faculty perceptions of DEIA efforts in institutions of pharmacy education. This tool can help identify areas of improvement and guide the advancement of DEIA initiatives in colleges of pharmacy. Further research is needed to validate the survey in other populations. Future efforts will also explore predictors of survey scores.

Synthesis, characterization and application of high adsorption performance of novel 1,4-polyketone.

This study aims to develop an alternating polyketone containing cationic groups in one and four alternating positions for increased functionality. A novel polyarylidene ketone was synthesized using simple condensation polymerization of terephthaldehyde and 2,5-hexane dione (PAK) The physicochemical properties of the resulting polymer were evaluated using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction, UV-Visible absorbance, fluorescence, and SEM investigations. The findings show that the polymer is amorphous, has good thermal stability, and emits red light. It can also be used as a dye adsorbent in aqueous solutions, with high selectivity for the cationic dye methylene blue (MB). The adsorbent efficiency of PAK was measured as a function of pH, dosage, and initial dye concentration; the greatest dye removal of 96 % was obtained at pH 10, 50 mg dosage, and initial dye concentration of 20 ppm. Kinetics and isotherms were studied, showing that the pseudo-second-order model described kinetic data better than Freundlich and Langmuir and revealed a satisfactory chemisorption process. This study suggests that PAK can purify MB dyeing wastewater, remove Zn2+, Cu2+, Ni2+, Co2+, Cd2+, Fe3+ metal ions well, and is selective for Fe3+ and Cu2+; ion adsorption is chelating-based.

Effectiveness of Pharmacological Agents and Validation of Diagnostic Scales for the Management of Paroxysmal Sympathetic Hyperactivity in Hispanics.

The identification and treatment of paroxysmal sympathetic hyperactivity (PSH) still present a significant challenge. We assessed the efficacy of pharmacological agents in treating PSH symptoms and the validity of the diagnostic scales in a cohort of Hispanic patients. A retrospective chart review of cases from a single hospital was conducted in 464 records. Exclusion criteria included underlying conditions such as severe infection. Only nine patients remained in the cohort after examining their clinical records, corresponding to the following diagnoses: traumatic brain injury, subdural hemorrhage, anoxic or ischemic encephalopathy, pneumocephalus, and cerebral palsy. Using the PSH likelihood scale, six of the nine patients were identified with a score of 17 or higher, corresponding to a "probable" PSH, and three patients obtained a score between 8 and 16, corresponding to a "possible" PSH diagnosis. The top three classes of medications used were beta-blockers, antipyretics, and opioids. Benzodiazepines and neuromodulators were also frequently used in patients with trauma, but not in the ones with non-traumatic injuries. Interestingly, 75% of the patients have prescribed levothyroxine as a home medication after the PSH presentation. Medication administration did not follow a specific pattern, suggesting high variability in the management of PSH within our setting, requiring further research. Our results suggest that the pituitary axis might be involved in the progression of PSH. Establishing a specific medical code (e.g., ICD-10) describing PSH as a single entity is essential for appropriate identification and management.