A review of the impact of sensory processing sensitivity on mental health in university students.

Introduction: The concept of sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) was first introduced by Aron and Aron (1996) as an innate trait characterized by heightened processing of sensory, emotional, and physical stimuli. Since the concept's introduction in 1996, high SPS has been shown to be associated with poor physical and mental health. It is possible that this is especially true in university students, who are frequently faced with numerous stressors, such as intense workloads and test anxiety.

Impact of a Neuropsychiatric Therapeutics Course and a Case-Based Course on Pharmacy Students' Mental Health Stigma.

Objective: Mental health education can reduce the stigma held by medical and nursing students; however, findings in this regard are limited in pharmacy academia. This study investigated the impact of a neuropsychiatric therapeutics course followed by a case-based course on the mental health stigma held by pharmacy students.

Methods: A survey was conducted of second-year pharmacy students (n = 202) on the first and last day of a neuropsychiatric therapeutics course and 4 months later, at the end of a case-based course.

The AACP Academic Affairs Committee's Final 2022 Curricular Outcomes and Entrustable Professional Activities (COEPA) for Pharmacy Graduates to Replace 2013 CAPE and 2016 EPAs.

The American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) Academic Affairs Committee was charged with revising both the 2013 Center for the Advancement of Pharmacy Education (CAPE) Educational Outcomes (EOs) and the 2016 Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs). The Committee changed the document name from the CAPE outcomes to COEPA, (Curricular Outcomes and Entrustable Professional Activities) since the EOs and EPAs would now be housed together. A draft of the COEPA EOs and EPAs was released at the AACP July 2022 Annual meeting.

Variables affecting pharmacy students' pursuit and attainment of postgraduate residency and fellowship positions.

Introduction: Postgraduate pharmacy residency and fellowship positions have remained competitive. We evaluated factors predicting students' pursuit and attainment of postgraduate pharmacy training positions.

Methods: A web-based survey was administered to students from a three-year accelerated pharmacy program.

A Randomized, Controlled Multisite Study of Behavioral Interventions for Veterans with Mental Illness and Antipsychotic Medication-Associated Obesity.

Background: Weight gain and other metabolic sequelae of antipsychotic medications can lead to medication non-adherence, reduced quality of life, increased costs, and premature mortality. Of the approaches to address this, behavioral interventions are less invasive, cost less, and can result in sustained long-term benefits.

Objective: We investigated behavioral weight management interventions for veterans with mental illness across four medical centers within the Veterans Affairs (VA) Healthcare System.

Treatment of Polymicrobial Osteomyelitis with Ceftolozane-Tazobactam: Case Report and Sensitivity Testing of Isolates.

Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is an inherently multidrug resistant (MDR) opportunistic pathogen with many mechanisms of resistance. SENTRY studies reveal decreasing sensitivities of S. maltophilia to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and fluoroquinolones.

Detecting and Managing Adverse Effects of Antipsychotic Medications: Current State of Play.

Antipsychotics are some of the most frequently prescribed medications not only for psychotic disorders and symptoms but also for a wide range of on-label and off-label indications. Because second-generation antipsychotics have largely replaced first-generation antipsychotics as first-line options due to their substantially decreased risk of extrapyramidal side effects, attention has shifted to other clinically concerning adverse events associated with antipsychotic therapy. The focus of this article is to update the nonextrapyramidal side effects associated with second-generation antipsychotics.

HIV infection in the elderly.

In the US, an estimated 1 million people are infected with HIV, although one-third of this population are unaware of their diagnosis. While HIV infection is commonly thought to affect younger adults, there are an increasing number of patients over 50 years of age living with the condition. UNAIDS and WHO estimate that of the 40 million people living with HIV/AIDS in the world, approximately 2.

Microbiological effects of prior vancomycin use in patients with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia.

Background: We sought to determine whether prior vancomycin use (within 30 days) in patients who develop methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteraemia is associated with isolates of reduced vancomycin susceptibility and killing in vitro.

Methods: Thirty-eight MRSA from previously vancomycin-treated patients and 43 MRSA from vancomycin-naive patients were evaluated by vancomycin and daptomycin CLSI broth microdilution and killing assays. PCR was used to determine accessory gene regulator (agr) type and staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) type, and nucleotide sequencing was used to determine spa type.

Vancomycin in vitro bactericidal activity and its relationship to efficacy in clearance of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia.

We examined the relationship between the time to clearance of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteremia while patients were receiving vancomycin therapy and the in vitro bactericidal activity of vancomycin. Vancomycin killing assays were performed with 34 MRSA bloodstream isolates (17 accessory gene regulator group II [agr-II] and 17 non-agr-II isolates) from 34 different patients with MRSA bacteremia for whom clinical and microbiological outcomes data were available. Vancomycin doses were prospectively adjusted to achieve peak plasma concentrations of 28 to 32 mug/ml and trough concentrations of 8 to 12 microg/ml.

Use of maximum-dose simvastatin or atorvastatin in an ethnically diverse population.

Purpose: The use of maximum-dose simvastatin or atorvastatin in an ethnically diverse population was studied.

Methods: This retrospective analysis was conducted at a publicly funded teaching institution whose predominant patient population consists of Hispanics and Asians. A computer-generated report was used to identify outpatients who received a prescription for maximum-dose simvastatin or atorvastatin between January 1, 2002, and January 1, 2004.

A preliminary investigation of modified alginates as a matrix for gene transfection in a HeLa cell model.

Previous reports have demonstrated the effectiveness of chitosan as a transfection agent. These studies have noted the importance of polysaccharide backbone interactions with the cell surface as well as cationic groups in the transfection process. The present study focuses upon the potential utility of another polysaccharide hydrogel, alginic acid, as a transfection agent.

The effects of converting from simvastatin to atorvastatin on plasminogen activator inhibitor type-1.

Plasminogen activator inhibitor type-1 (PAI-1) is an important regulatory component of fibrinolysis and is elevated in the presence of endothelial dysfunction. Endothelial dysfunction and PAI-1 in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) have been demonstrated to improve following simvastatin therapy. The effect of converting from simvastatin to atorvastatin on PAI-1 has not been reported and may be an additional consideration when making a formulary medication switch.

Levofloxacin and warfarin interaction.

Numerous case reports have documented an enhanced hypoprothrombinemic effect caused by an interaction between fluoroquinolones (most notably, ciprofloxacin) and warfarin sodium. Conflicting data exist regarding the clinical significance of this interaction. Two patients who had elevated international normalized ratios after receiving concurrent levofloxacin and warfarin sodium are described.

Antimicrobial pharmacodynamics.

The ultimate goal of antimicrobial therapy is to provide the best possible outcomes for patients. For this to occur, the clinician should be cognizant of many clinical, microbiologic, pharmacologic, and epidemiologic data as well as fundamental pharmacodynamic concepts. An understanding of pharmacodynamic principles is essential; it forms the scientific basis for the design of dosing strategies that maximize clinical efficacy and minimize toxicity.

Comparative in vitro activity of vancomycin and levofloxacin in combination with rifampin against planktonic versus sessile cells of Staphylococcus epidermidis.

Study Objective: To evaluate the activity of vancomycin and levofloxacin alone and combined with rifampin against planktonic and sessile cells.

Intervention: Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBCs) of the three drugs were determined against a clinical isolate of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis (MRSE 23) and a reference strain of MRSE (ATCC 35984).

Measurements And Main Results: The MICs/MBCs of vancomycin, levofloxacin, and rifampin against MRSE 23 were 0.

Transformation of an acetaminophen toxicity nomogram to an artificial neural network.

A computerized artificial neural network was built based on the Rumack-Matthew nomogram for treatment of acetaminophen toxicity. NeuralWorks Predict 1.0 was used to build the network.

Home chemotherapy: basic concepts.

The diagnosis of cancer imposes a devastating sense of loss of control over a patient's life. Home chemotherapy allows patients to become active participants in administering their own therapy, providing an opportunity to regain some of that control. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of some basic concepts of chemotherapy that relate to home therapy regardless of the specific therapeutic agent prescribed.

Sterility of intravenous therapy in home care settings.

Providing sterile parenteral therapy for patients in home care settings has been an option for clinicians for two decades. Initially, home intravenous therapy was prepared only by pharmacists in carefully controlled environments or by nurses in the patient's home using strict aseptic techniques. Today, patients or their caregivers may be responsible for preparing parenteral products for home administration.

Efficacy of three statins at lower maintenance doses.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether patients who are receiving lovastatin 20 mg daily can be switched to daily regimens of lovastatin 10 mg, pravastatin 10 mg, or simvastatin 5 mg without loss of lipid control or an increase in side effects. One hundred five patients were identified whose lipid levels were clinically stable on a regimen of lovastatin 20 mg/d; these patients were randomly allocated to a group that continued to receive lovastatin 20 mg/d (the control group) or a group receiving 1 of the 3 alternative regimens. Patients were evaluated after 6 and 12 weeks of treatment for side effects and changes in liver and muscle enzymes and lipid levels compared with baseline.

Chitosan-membrane interactions and their probable role in chitosan-mediated transfection.

Recent studies in our laboratory have shown that chitosan, a polycationic polymer of glucosamine, can facilitate the transfection of HeLa cells with a plasmid that codes for beta-galactosidase. Although chitosan can bind to DNA and other polyanions, the kinetics of complexation might differ depending on the polyanion tested. This evidence suggests that, in addition to ionic interactions, the carbohydrate backbone of chitosan might have an important role in the process of transfection.

Pravastatin alone and in combination with low-dose cholestyramine in patients with primary hypercholesterolemia and coronary artery disease.

This randomized, open-label study compared the cost efficiency of low-dose pravastatin combined with low-dose cholestyramine with high-dose pravastatin monotherapy in 59 patients with moderate hypercholesterolemia and coronary disease. Both regimes were effective in improving lipid profiles in these patients; however, low-dose combination therapy enhanced achievement in therapeutic goals and cost efficiency.

Molecular targets in oncology: implications of the multidrug resistance gene.

The curative potential of chemotherapy for a number of tumor types has been obscured by the fact that many patients initially have striking remissions but later relapse and die. At the time of relapse many patients manifest resistance to a wide array of structurally unrelated antineoplastic agents, hence the term multidrug resistance (MDR). Other tumor types, such as those arising in the colon, kidneys, liver, and lungs, tend to exhibit poor response to available cytotoxic drugs.