Complete genome sequences of Lactococcus petauri strains 473AN and 473GN isolated from the blood culture of a Japanese patient with infective endocarditis.

Here, we report the complete genome sequences of Lactococcus petauri strains 473AN and 473GN, isolated from the blood culture of a Japanese patient with infective endocarditis. The complete genomes of 473AN and 473GN consist of single chromosomes of 2,065,772 and 2,094,461 bp, respectively.

Working environment for historically marginalized faculty, administrators, and librarians in pharmacy education.

INTRODUCTION: Promoting diversity among faculty, administrators, and librarians in schools and colleges of pharmacy (SCOP) would be beneficial for the recruitment and retention of students from diverse backgrounds. Graduating such diverse pharmacists could assist in reducing healthcare disparities. Promoting diversity requires a climate that is inclusive of people from all backgrounds. The goal of this study was to examine the working environment of historically marginalized faculty, administrators, and librarians within pharmacy education. METHODS: An electronic survey was administered to all faculty, administrators, and librarians listed in the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy roster. RESULTS: Responses from 339 participants were analyzed. Twenty-seven percent of these participants either observed or personally experienced misconduct during the previous five years. When action was taken, it resulted in the cessation of the misconduct only 38% of the time. Respondents most frequently identified the following as ways to make it easier to address misconduct: support from supervisors, support from peers, and education on how to address misconduct. CONCLUSIONS: Exclusionary, intimidating, offensive, and/or hostile communication/behaviors towards historically marginalized faculty, administrators, and librarians do exist in SCOP. The academy should work towards promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in SCOP through education and provide administrative and peer support for reporting and managing professional misconduct.

Guidance for Qualitative Research Manuscripts in Pharmacy Education.

The goal of this Best Practice Review is to support researchers in successfully preparing and publishing qualitative research in pharmacy education. Standard practice from the literature and journals' guidance from related fields were reviewed, and recommendations and resources applicable to qualitative research in pharmacy education were compiled for researchers planning to conduct and publish qualitative research. This review provides recommendations, not requirements, for publication in the Journal and is intended to be a guide, especially for authors and reviewers relatively new to the field of qualitative research. Additionally, researchers planning to publish their qualitative research are advised to review available best practices and standards, such as the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research checklist and the Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research. Given the diverse methodology of qualitative research, it is important for authors to provide sufficient details and justifications of selected methods for transparency and to report collected results in a manner that allows reviewers and readers to adequately assess the validity of their study and the applicability of the findings.

The Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic pharmacy services during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: During the Tokyo 2020 Games, pharmacists were required to provide appropriate pharmacotherapeutic care to athletes and officials at the polyclinic. Owing to the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic that was prevalent at the Games, it was imperative to strengthen infection control measures in the setting of such a major sporting event and to prevent and minimize the spread of COVID-19. OBJECTIVE: This study reports on the COVID-19 infection control measures and services provided by the pharmacy at the Tokyo 2020 Games. By evaluating pharmacy operations that took place under the COVID-19 protocol, this study provides insights for the organization of future sporting events, specifically their medical facilities. METHODS: Infection control measures in the pharmacy were implemented in accordance with the manual for dealing with COVID-19 infections. The number and content of issued and dispensed prescriptions were obtained from the electronic medical records and pharmacy department systems. These data were compared with those of the London 2012 Games, which were used as a reference for the pharmacy operations at the Tokyo 2020 Games. RESULTS: The participating pharmacists were fully trained in infection control measures. The number of prescriptions issued during the Olympics and Paralympics were 1120 and 1022, respectively. Prescriptions issued at the fever clinic accounted for 4% of the total number (77/2142). No influenza antiviral medications were prescribed, though medications to alleviate cold-like symptoms were issued. Compared to the London 2012 Games, there was a decrease (-59%) in the number of prescriptions. CONCLUSION: The positive impact of COVID-19 infection control measures was evident. The volume of prescriptions at the Tokyo 2020 Games was lower than that at the London 2012 Games. It was inferred that this was due to thorough infection control measures as well as enhanced pre-entry medical checkups before entering Japan, which reduced the incidence of diseases.

Characteristics of Successful International Pharmacy Partnerships.

Recommendations for global pharmacy collaborations are predominately derived from US institutions. This study utilized semi-structured interviews of global collaborators to assess important partnership components. Interviewees stated personal connections and understanding of each other's programs/systems were key components. Additionally, collaborators indicate that mutual benefits between partners can exist without the requirement for bidirectional exchange of learning experiences, and request and value partners and learners who are culturally aware, global citizens. This structured interview approach provided key insight into how to develop mutually beneficial, sustainable partnerships and provides additional confirmation that the five pillars of global engagement align with an international audience.

Baseline Assessment of Systemic Racism Education in Pharmacy Curricula.

Objective. To determine, by survey, the inclusion of systemic racism education in US Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) curricula and identify barriers and facilitators to addressing this content.Methods. A survey was developed and distributed to curricular representatives at US colleges and schools of pharmacy. The survey assessed inclusion of systemic racism education in curricula, faculty involvement in teaching systemic racism content, barriers to adding systemic racism content in curricula, and future curricular plans. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics for institutional background information, curricular content, and barriers to inclusion. Relationships between the inclusion of systemic racism content at public versus private programs were examined, and associations between traditional and accelerated programs were assessed.Results. Fifty-eight colleges and schools of pharmacy provided usable responses. Of the respondents, 84% indicated that teaching systemic racism content and its impact on health and health care was a low priority. For 24% of respondents, systemic racism content was not currently included in their curriculum, while 34% indicated that systemic racism content was included in one or more courses or modules but was not a focus. Despite systemic racism content being offered in any didactic year, it was rarely included in experiential curricula. Top barriers to inclusion were lack of faculty knowledge and comfort with content and limited curricular space. No significant differences were found between program types.Conclusion. Based on the current level of systemic racism education and barriers to inclusion, faculty need training and resources to teach systemic racism concepts within pharmacy curricula. The inclusion of systemic racism concepts and guidance in the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education's Accreditation Standards could help to drive meaningful change and promote health equity.

Impact of an educational flyer and sensitization on performance-enhancement attitudes of bodybuilders in United Arab Emirates.

Background: A high proportion of bodybuilders use supplements to improve performance, with some turning to prohibited substances and methods. The attitudes of bodybuilders towards performance enhancement may be gauged through surveys such as the Performance Enhancement Attitude Scales (PEAS). Educational interventions are recommended as part of anti-doping measures. The objective of this project was to assess the impact of a pharmacy-led intervention using an antidoping educational flyer and the performance enhancement attitude scale to measure the attitude of bodybuilders in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Methods: The PEAS eight-item short form questionnaire was administered to male bodybuilders in the UAE. The PEAS was conducted before and after administration of an educational flyer concerning the problems associated with supplement use among bodybuilders. The Wilcoxon Signed-Rank and Kruskal Wallis tests were used for data analysis. Results: A total of 218 bodybuilders, who reported taking dietary supplements, filled out the survey both pre and post viewing the antidoping educational flyer. A difference was observed between the full-time professional bodybuilders, students, and part-time bodybuilders with other primary occupations (p-value <0.05). In addition, PEAS score decreased among the study population for all eight PEAS items (p-value <0.05). Conclusions: The pharmacy-led intervention using an antidoping educational flyer and sensitization by PEAS achieved more favorable scores, suggesting a significant shift of opinion toward avoiding use of performance enhancing substances among the bodybuilder study population. More research is required on sustaining the attitude and demonstrating the impact on doping behavior.

Reconsidering Sports Pharmacists and Anti-Doping Education as the World Celebrates the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2021 presented an opportunity for pharmacists to recognize the uniqueness of sports pharmacy as a developing field and to understand the importance of anti-doping education among patient-athletes. Patient-athletes make up a distinct patient population, and pharmacists are well positioned to support athletes' therapeutic decisions. Pharmacists need to be able to search for and interpret drug information to take care of this special population appropriately. The purpose of this commentary is to facilitate a discussion on what changes or reinforcement might help train pharmacists to become equipped with adequate knowledge and skills to support safe use of drugs among patient-athletes. While effective resources and tools have become more widely available, pharmacists' awareness of and training in the field of sports pharmacy continue to be needed. No matter where they practice, pharmacists should be ready to promote "the spirit of sport" and defend the importance of "clean" sport for their patient-athletes.

Characterization of zebrafish GABAA receptor subunits.

γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA), the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system, exerts its effect through the activation of GABA receptors. GABAA receptors are ligand-gated chloride channels composed of five subunit proteins. Mammals have 19 different GABAA receptor subunits (α1-6, ß1-3, γ1-3, δ, ε, π, θ, and ρ1-3), the physiological properties of which have been assayed by electrophysiology. However, the evolutionary conservation of the physiological characteristics of diverged GABAA receptor subunits remains unclear. Zebrafish have 23 subunits (α1, α2a, α2b, α3-5, α6a, α6b, ß1-4, γ1-3, δ, π, ζ, ρ1, ρ2a, ρ2b, ρ3a, and ρ3b), but the electrophysiological properties of these subunits have not been explored. In this study, we cloned the coding sequences for zebrafish GABAA receptor subunits and investigated their expression patterns in larval zebrafish by whole-mount in situ hybridization. We also performed electrophysiological recordings of GABA-evoked currents from Xenopus oocytes injected with one or multiple zebrafish GABAA receptor subunit cRNAs and calculated the half-maximal effective concentrations (EC50s) for each. Our results revealed the spatial expressions and electrophysiological GABA sensitivities of zebrafish GABAA receptors, suggesting that the properties of GABAA receptor subunits are conserved among vertebrates.

Pharmacokinetic Considerations in Amputees.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this article is to review the currently available assessment tools for measuring renal function, body weight, and body surface area in the amputee population. METHODS: PubMed and Web of Science were searched using the following key terms: amputation, dose adjustment, and estimation of body weight. Articles published in languages other than English were excluded from the search. RESULTS: Despite the increasing prevalence of amputations, there is little literature available that discusses its impact on the patient and how these physiological changes can affect pharmacokinetics. Very little information is available to guide dose adjustment in this patient population. This article discusses several factors to consider when determining optimum dosing regimens in patients with different levels of amputations. CONCLUSION: This article will evaluate the applicability of methods mentioned in existing literature for measuring changes in renal function, body weight, and body surface area in amputees.

COVID-19 Pandemic Challenges and Lessons Learned by Pharmacy Educators Around the Globe.

The coronavirus identified in 2019 (COVID-19) has affected peoples' lives worldwide. This pandemic forced both pharmacy faculty members and students to adapt to a new teaching and learning environment not only in the United States but around the globe. Pharmacy educators faced challenges and opportunities to convert classroom learning and experiences, as well as student assessments, to a remote or online format. The unique approaches taken to overcome difficulties in various countries showed pharmacy faculty members' resilience in the face of adversity and their determination to continue providing education to students. The pandemic also shed light on areas needing improvement for pharmacy educators to work on in the future.

Cultural Sensitivity and Global Pharmacy Engagement in Asia: India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, and Vietnam.

Schools and colleges of pharmacy in the United States increasingly interact with those in Asian countries for various purposes such as education and research. For both those visiting and those hosting, it is important to understand and respect the culture of the other's country to enrich these interactions. This paper, the second of two manuscripts on Asian countries, focuses on India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, and Vietnam. For each country, the following information is provided: general introduction, health care system, pharmacy practice, and pharmacy education, stereotypes and misconceptions, recommendations for US-based health care professionals, faculty members, and students who visit these Asian countries, and recommendations for them to host visitors from these Asian countries. The aim of this paper is to assist US health care professionals, faculty members, and students in initiating and promoting a culturally sensitive engagement.

Cultural Sensitivity and Global Pharmacy Engagement in the United States.

Objective. To provide a resource for schools and colleges of pharmacy in different regions of the world that are considering sending their students and faculty members to the United States for training. Methods. A literature review (2000-2018) was conducted that involved database and Internet searches using specific keywords and terms. Information was also solicited from authors in different regions of the United States who have hosted international students and faculty members. Recommendations for pharmacists and other health care practitioners on culturally sensitive engagement were formulated. Results. Global engagement between schools and colleges of pharmacy from different regions of the world and the United States is increasing. In addition to various cultural aspects, general information about the US health care system, pharmacy education programs, and pharmacy practice were found to be available to individuals who are charged with organizing and facilitating these exchanges. Common stereotypes and misconceptions about the United States were also identified. Conclusion. For international learners to have an enriching and fruitful engagement while in the United States, an understanding of American culture in general as well as the unique cultural aspects of different regions of the country as provided in this paper is critical.

Cultural Sensitivity and Global Pharmacy Engagement in Asia: China, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan.

Interest in global engagement among schools and colleges of pharmacy in the United States and Asian countries is growing. To develop fruitful relationships and engage in mutually enriching experiences, the cultural aspects of these countries need to be understood and respected. The aim of this paper is to facilitate culturally sensitive interactions between practitioners, faculty members, and students in the United States and those in Asian countries when they engage in health care practice and/or education. This paper introduces general information about China (including Macau and Hong Kong), Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. Unique characteristics of the health care system and pharmacy education are described for each country. Stereotypes and misconceptions are discussed. Recommendations are included for initiating interactions and developing learning programs and scholarly collaborations while promoting culturally sensitive engagement. These recommendations are provided for US scholars, health care professionals, and students traveling to these countries as well as for those hosting visitors from these countries in the United States.

A Comprehensive Reflective Journal-Writing Framework for Pharmacy Students to Increase Self-Awareness and Develop Actionable Goals.

Objective. To develop and evaluate the effectiveness of a structured model for reflective journal writing (RJW) and a grading rubric as part of a student portfolio designed to help Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) students create actionable goals. Methods. A structured, eight-domain format was developed to engage students in prioritization, identification, exploration, recollection, evaluation, and challenging/solidifying their own knowledge, while assembling an action plan for development (abbreviated using the acronym PIE-RECAP). After completing RJW using this model, students self-identified domains established by the Center for the Advancement of Pharmacy Education (CAPE) that corresponded to their entries. A grading rubric was designed and normalized to require minimal training for use. RJW and other elements of student portfolios were implemented simultaneously across three cohorts (N=296). Twenty-one faculty and staff graders each evaluated 10 to 15 student journal entries. Results. Of 771 journal entries, 648 (84%) met expectations, while 123 (16%) needed to be rewritten. Students identified experiences that were meaningful to them and shared in their RJW entry the knowledge and/or information that they did not know prior to the experience. Common themes identified in the students' RJWs included: curricular experiences (12.7%), cocurricular experiences (18.4%), and experiential training (68.6%). Conclusion. The PIE-RECAP method can be used to guide students in RJW and identify CAPE domains in their personal and professional experiences in pharmacy school. The associated grading rubric can be used to evaluate students' RJW entries and assess their growth in curricular, cocurricular and affective domains relative to their progression.

Frequency and chaotic analysis of pulsatile motion of blood vessel wall related to aneurysm.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: In this research, using our proposed method, clinical measurements on the pulsatile velocity of blood vessel wall were conducted for cases with aneurysm. Furthermore, detailed analyses of frequency and attracter of trajectories of velocity of blood vessel wall were conducted. On the basis of these analyses, we tried to conduct unified clarification of the change and disturbance of frequency and wave form of pulsatile velocity of blood vessel wall caused by blood vessel diseases such as aneurysm. RESULTS: In the pulsation motion of blood vessel wall, vasomotion, which is a regular long periodic fluctuation of amplitude of the pulsatile velocity of blood vessel wall, was found to exist. Furthermore, the shift of its frequency into low frequency region was found to correspond well with an increase in I∗, an indicator of progressive degree of visco elasticity of blood vessel wall and it reflects the mechanical deterioration of blood vessel wall. This long periodic fluctuation of amplitude of the pulsatile velocity of blood vessel wall exists in the low frequency region that composes the frequency of the pulsatile velocity of blood vessel wall. On the other hand, wave forms in high frequency region that compose the frequency of pulsatile velocity of blood vessel wall were found to correspond well with each pulsatile velocity wave form of blood vessel wall itself and their disturbances caused by the existence of aneurysm was typically reflected in these wave forms. CONCLUSION: By dividing frequencies that compose the frequency of the pulsatile velocity of blood vessel wall into low and high frequency regions and conducting analyses at each region, the possibility of accurate selective detection of blood vessel diseases such as mechanical deterioration of blood vessel wall (low frequency region) and morphological change of blood vessel wall that is aneurysm (high frequency region) was indicated.

Report of the 2018-2019 Research and Graduate Affairs Committee.

The 2018-2019 Research and Graduate Affairs Committee (RGAC) was charged with critically evaluating the leadership development support necessary for pharmacy researchers, including postdoctoral trainees, to develop the skills needed to build and sustain successful research programs and analyzing how well those needs are being met by existing programs both within AACP and at other organizations. The RGAC identified a set of skills that could reasonably be expected to provide the necessary foundation to successfully lead a research team and mapped these skills to the six domains of graduate education in the pharmaceutical sciences established by the 2016-2017 RGAC (Table 1). In addition, the RGAC identified competency in team science and the bench-to-bedside-to-beyond translational spectrum as being critical elements of research leadership. The universality of these skills and their value prompted the RGAC to make two related recommendations to AACP: [Table: see text] Recommendation 1: AACP should promote the development and use of strategies to ensure intentional and ongoing professional development, such as Individual Development Plans. Recommendation 2: AACP should explore collaborative research leadership development opportunities between faculty at research-intensive institutions and faculty at non-research-intensive institutions. The RGAC also examined programs available at AACP and other national organizations that could help pharmacy faculty develop foundational skills for research leadership (Table 2). The RGAC administered two surveys, one to administrators responsible for research at colleges and schools of pharmacy and one to faculty members at pharmacy schools, to gather information about training needs, programming and support available for research leadership development. Administrators and faculty agreed that research is important for career advancement for faculty, and almost all administrators reported their schools provide funds, release time and mentoring for participation in research career development. However, a lack of faculty awareness regarding programs and available support may be a barrier to participation. The RGAC therefore makes two recommendations and one suggestion related to AACP programming: [Table: see text] Recommendation 3: AACP should expand research leadership development opportunities building from existing programs such as ALFP and AACP Catalyst, with consideration placed on developing programs that promote collaborative research. Recommendation 4: AACP should collaborate with other professional organizations to expand research leadership development opportunities across the academy. Suggestion 1: Colleges and schools of pharmacy should take a proactive role in promoting and facilitating research leadership development for faculty. The RGAC separately examined the research leadership development needs of postdoctoral trainees, recognizing the distinct needs of trainees along the PhD or PhD/PharmD, PharmD/fellowship, and PharmD/residency paths. A review of organizational resources and opportunities for post-doctoral trainees available from national organizations, including AACP, was undertaken (Table 5). The RGAC sees an opportunity for AACP to foster research development of those trainees whose career track will likely be in clinical practice and makes one recommendation and one suggestion related to postdoctoral trainees: Recommendation 5: AACP should support and/or develop programs and activities for pharmacy residents seeking to transition into faculty positions to acquire the skills necessary to develop and lead research programs. Suggestion 2: Colleges and schools of pharmacy should include postdoctoral trainees with academic interests in research leadership development opportunities available to junior faculty. In addition, the RGAC proposed one policy statement that was adopted July 2019 by the AACP House of Delegates: Policy Statement: AACP recognizes the positive role that research leadership development can play in the success of early and mid-career faculty.

Molecular design of potent, hydrophilic tyrosinase inhibitors based on the natural dihydrooxyresveratrol skeleton.

In this study, dihydrooxyresveratrol glucosides 3-6 were synthesized for the first time to the best of our knowledge by the Wittig reaction and Schmidt glycosylation as key steps for the purpose of developing novel hydrophilic tyrosinase inhibitors. Results obtained from inhibitory studies revealed 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of 12.80 µM and 2.63 µM for 4-resorcinol glucosides 3 and 4, respectively. The IC50 value of 4 was approximately 4 times greater than that of kojic acid, which is a typical tyrosinase inhibitor. In contrast, 5-resorcinol glucosides 5 and 6 exhibited tyrosinase-inhibitory activity; however their IC50s were not estimated within 100 µM. These results suggested that the discovering 4-resorcinol structure of dihydrooxyresveratrol glucoside is crucial for inducing potent tyrosinase-inhibitory activity.

Integration of mentored self-directed learning (MSDL) through both group and individual presentations in an accelerated modified block program.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Project aim was to examine the feasibility and logistics of mentored self-directed learning (MSDL) through group and individual presentations in an accelerated modified block curriculum. Perspectives of students and faculty members toward the incorporation of MSDL were also explored. EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY AND SETTING: During a two-week pharmacotherapy block, students made group presentations requiring two elements: a case presentation on curricular content (Element-1) and an inclusion of "novel" information students did not receive didactically (Element-2). Curricular content for Element-1 stemmed from a pharmacotherapy course on gastroenterology and nutrition, and individual presentations were scheduled during a semester-long skill-based course. Surveys on student perspectives were conducted at baseline, after group presentations, and after individual presentations. Faculty members also provided feedback and evaluations. FINDINGS: Whereas 58% of students considered a case presentation (Element-1) more valuable for their learning than inclusion of Element-2, 78% of faculty's responses indicated the incorporation of both Elements was valuable. For the following individual presentations, 73% of students were willing and able to present a topic not extensively addressed in the didactic curriculum by employing MSDL. Students improved their confidence in preparing and making presentations for peers and faculty/preceptors through the MSDL activities (p < 0.025). At the end of this project, the faculty determined 88% of students were ready to give a presentation considered appropriate for Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience. DISCUSSION: MSDL through group and individual presentation activities were feasible and provided a valuable learning experience for students in an accelerated modified block curriculum.

A Genetic Score Associates With Pioglitazone Response in Patients With Non-alcoholic Steatohepatitis.

Pioglitazone is used effectively to treat non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), but there is marked variability in response. This study examined whether genetic variation contributes to pioglitazone response variability in patients with NASH. This genetic substudy includes 55 participants of a randomized controlled trial designed to determine the efficacy of long-term pioglitazone treatment in patients with NASH. The primary outcome of the clinical trial was defined as ≥2-point reduction in the non-alcoholic fatty liver disease activity score (NAS). In this substudy, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in putative candidate genes were tested for association with primary and secondary outcomes. A genetic response score was constructed based on the sum of response alleles for selected genes. The genetic response score was significantly associated with achievement of the primary outcome (odds ratio 1.74; 95% CI 1.27-2.54; p = 0.0015). ADORA1 rs903361 associated with resolution of NASH (p = 0.0005) and change in the ballooning score among Caucasian and Hispanic patients (p = 0.0005). LPL rs10099160 was significantly associated with change in ALT (p = 0.0005). The CYP2C8∗3 allele, which confers faster pioglitazone clearance in allele carriers, was associated with change in fibrosis score (p = 0.026). This study identified key genetic factors that explain some of the inter-individual variability in response to pioglitazone among patients with NASH.