Probiotic supplementation elicits favourable changes in muscle soreness and sleep quality in rugby players.

Unlabelled: Probiotic supplementation may offer team sport athletes a range of benefits beyond the immune and gastrointestinal systems.

Objectives: To examine the effects of a probiotic formulation on perceptual markers of sleep quality and quantity, and muscle soreness, leg heaviness and motivation in elite rugby union athletes.

Methods: A double-blind randomised controlled trial involving 19 elite male rugby athletes was conducted over 17 weeks encompassing both domestic and international competition.

The provision of care provided by the pharmacy workforce in relation to complementary medicines in Australia.

Background: The use of complementary medicines (CMs) is prevalent across the world. Some CMs, such as St John's Wort, when taken with specific pharmaceutical medicines, may cause drug-herb interactions. In this context, pharmacists have the opportunity to play an important role in preventing harm to patients.

Effect of opioid analgesics on emergency department length of stay among low back pain patients in the United States.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to compare emergency department (ED) length of stay (LOS) between patients treated with opioid analgesia versus non-opioid analgesia for low back pain (LBP) in the ED.

Methods: We conducted a secondary analysis of National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS) data (2014-2015). Adults (age ≥18 years) who presented to the ED with a reason for visit or primary diagnosis of LBP were included in the final study sample.

Educational needs of community pharmacy staff in minor ailment service delivery: A systematic scoping review.

Background: Minor ailment services (MASs) are structured, protocol driven pharmacy services established locally or nationally. Community pharmacy staff may benefit from education and training to deliver MASs. Our objective was to examine the evidence regarding training, education, and assessment requirements associated with the delivery of MASs by community pharmacists and other community pharmacy staff.

Medication Management in Frail Older People: Consensus Principles for Clinical Practice, Research, and Education.

Frailty is a geriatric condition associated with increased vulnerability to adverse drug events and medication-related harm. Existing clinical practice guidelines rarely provide medication management recommendations specific to frail older people. This report presents international consensus principles, generated by the Optimizing Geriatric Pharmacotherapy through Pharmacoepidemiology Network, related to medication management in frail older people.

Structure-Based Discovery of Dual-Target Hits for Acetylcholinesterase and the α7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors: In Silico Studies and In Vitro Confirmation.

Despite extensive efforts in the development of drugs for complex neurodegenerative diseases, treatment often remains challenging or ineffective, and hence new treatment strategies are necessary. One approach is the design of multi-target drugs, which can potentially address the complex nature of disorders such as Alzheimer's disease. We report a method for high throughput virtual screening aimed at identifying new dual target hit molecules.

Can Stem Cells Beat COVID-19: Advancing Stem Cells and Extracellular Vesicles Toward Mainstream Medicine for Lung Injuries Associated With SARS-CoV-2 Infections.

A number of medicines are currently under investigation for the treatment of COVID-19 disease including anti-viral, anti-malarial, and anti-inflammatory agents. While these treatments can improve patient's recovery and survival, these therapeutic strategies do not lead to unequivocal restoration of the lung damage inflicted by this disease. Stem cell therapies and, more recently, their secreted extracellular vesicles (EVs), are emerging as new promising treatments, which could attenuate inflammation but also regenerate the lung damage caused by COVID-19.

Withdrawal of antihypertensive drugs in older people.

Background: Hypertension is an important risk factor for subsequent cardiovascular events, including ischaemic and haemorrhagic stroke, myocardial infarction, heart failure, chronic kidney disease, cognitive decline and premature death. Overall, the use of antihypertensive medications has led to reduction in cardiovascular disease, morbidity rates and mortality rates. However, the use of antihypertensive medications is also associated with harms, especially in older people, including the development of adverse drug reactions, drug-drug interactions and can contribute to increasing medication-related burden.

Integrative physiology and traditional naturopathic practice: Results of an international observational study.

Background: Naturopathy is one of seven distinct traditional medical systems acknowledged by the World Health Organization. Naturopathic principles and philosophies encourage a focus on multiple body systems during case-taking and the design of treatments. Little is known about whether such teaching translates into practice.

Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles Modified with Silica Layers as Potential Agents for Lung Cancer Treatment.

Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) are promising drug delivery carriers and hyperthermia agents for the treatment of cancer. However, to ensure their safety in vivo, SPIONs must be modified in order to prevent unwanted iron release. Thus, SPIONs were coated with silica layers of different morphologies: non-porous (@SiO), mesoporous (@mSiO) or with a combination of non-porous and mesoporous layers (@SiO@mSiO) deposited via a sol-gel method.

Game changer: Pharmacy students' perceptions of an educational "Party Hat" game to enhance communication and collaboration skills.

Background And Purpose: Educational games can be utilized as a tool to enhance communication and collaboration skill development and to bridge the gap between classroom learning and the practice environment. This study explores pharmacy students' perceptions of a game to enhance communication and collaboration.

Educational Activity And Setting: Pre-licenced pharmacy students from an Australian metropolitan university engaged in a "Party Hat" game, where the goal was to communicate and collaborate with their peers to provide a discharge plan for a patient.

Impact of Up-Scheduling Medicines on Pharmacy Personnel, Using Codeine as an Example, with Possible Adaption to Complementary Medicines: A Scoping Review.

Within Australia, vitamins, minerals, nutritional supplements, essential oils, and homoeopathic and herbal preparations are collectively termed and regulated as Complementary Medicines (CMs) by the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). CMs are predominantly self-selected through a pharmacy, providing pharmacy personnel an opportunity to engage with the public about their CM use. CMs are currently non-scheduled products in Australia.

The prevalence, perceptions and behaviors associated with traditional/complementary medicine use by breastfeeding women living in Macau: a cross-sectional survey study.

Background: There is a long history of traditional/complementary medicine (T/CM) use by women during lactation. While it is important to evaluate such use within a scientific paradigm to ensure efficacy and safety, knowledge about the prevalence and characteristics of T/CM use during lactation is limited. This study aimed to generate preliminary data on the prevalence, perceptions and behaviors related to T/CM use by women living in Macau during lactation.

Exploring the factors influencing the quality of "Health Support Pharmacy" services in Japan: Perspectives of community pharmacists.

Background: Internationally, community pharmacists play a key role in public health services. In Japan, a new system called Health Support Pharmacy (HSP) was introduced in 2016, to promote responsible self-medication with non-prescription medicines and increase awareness of public health activities provided through community pharmacies. The number of HSP services provided has been increasing; however, the service quality varies depending on pharmacies and/or pharmacists.

Pharmaceutical industry payments to leaders of professional medical associations in Australia: Focus on cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Background And Objectives: Pharmaceutical industry interactions with professional medical associations have come under scrutiny, yet industry ties among the leadership of these associations are often overlooked. The aim of this study was to investigate pharmaceutical industry payments to leaders of Australian diabetes or cardiovascular associations, and general associations serving doctors who manage these conditions.

Method: Payments were identified using publicly available industry transparency reports (October 2015 to April 2018).

Pharmacokinetic changes post-bariatric surgery: A scoping review.

Bariatric surgeries induce structural changes that can alter the absorption of drugs in patients already at risk of polypharmacy. This scoping review aimed to explore pharmacokinetic changes of orally administered drugs in patients post-bariatric surgery, and assess the quality and level of bias. Electronic databases were searched for articles relating to bariatric surgery and pharmacokinetics published between 1998 and 2019.

Exploring factors influencing initiation, implementation and discontinuation of medications in adults with ADHD.

Background: Adherence to ADHD medication is a complex phenomenon as the decision to adhere is influenced by a range of factors. To design tailored interventions to promote adherence, it is important to understand the factors that influence adherence in the context of its three phases: initiation, implementation and discontinuation.

Objective: The objective of this study was to explore the phase-specific factors that influence adherence to medication in adults who have a diagnosis of ADHD.

Western herbal medicines in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of Western herbal medicines in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Design: A computer-based search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, AMED, GreenFILE, Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition, and the Cochrane Library was conducted. A hand-search of the bibliographies of relevant papers and previous meta-analyses and reviews was also undertaken.

Nano-Enhanced Drug Delivery and Therapeutic Ultrasound for Cancer Treatment and Beyond.

While ultrasound is most widely known for its use in diagnostic imaging, the energy carried by ultrasound waves can be utilized to influence cell function and drug delivery. Consequently, our ability to use ultrasound energy at a given intensity unlocks the opportunity to use the ultrasound for therapeutic applications. Indeed, in the last decade ultrasound-based therapies have emerged with promising treatment modalities for several medical conditions.

Health promoter, advocate, legitimiser - the many roles of WHO guidelines: a qualitative study.

Background: Properly implemented evidence-based clinical and public health guidelines can improve patient outcomes. WHO has been a major contributor to guideline development, publishing more than 250 guidelines on various topics since 2008. However, well-developed guidelines can only be effective if they are adequately and appropriately implemented.

An evaluation of randomized controlled trials on nutraceuticals containing traditional Chinese medicines for diabetes management: a systematic review.

Background: Nutraceuticals containing traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) are promoted for use in the management of diabetes. The evidence to support such use is largely unknown. This study aimed to summarise and evaluate the literature reporting the results of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating the effects of nutraceuticals in people living with diabetes.

Pharmacy students' medication history taking competency: Simulation and feedback learning intervention.

Introduction: Obtaining accurate patient medication histories and performing medication reconciliation are core pharmacy practice skills that optimize patient safety at transitions of care. Competency-based learning and assessment of medication reconciliation skills are essential methods in undergraduate pharmacy education. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of an in-classroom simulation- and feedback-driven training activity on pharmacy students' medication reconciliation skills, self-perceived confidence, and overall student satisfaction.

A Selective, Dual Emission β-Alanine Aminopeptidase Activated Fluorescent Probe for the Detection of , , and .

Selective detection of β-alanyl aminopeptidase (BAP)-producing , , and was achieved by employing the blue-to-yellow fluorescent transition of a BAP-specific enzyme substrate, 3-hydroxy-2-(-dimethylaminophenyl)flavone derivative, incorporating a self-immolative linker to β-alanine. Upon cellular uptake and accumulation of the substrate by viable bacterial colonies, blue fluorescence was generated, while hydrolysis of the -terminal peptide bond by BAP resulted in the elimination of the self-immolative linker and the restoration of the original fluorescence of the flavone derivative.