Causes and outcomes of at-risk underperforming pharmacy students: implications for policy and practice.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to understand the key determinants for poor academic performance of students completing a Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm), Bachelor of Pharmacy and Management (BPharmMgmt), or Master of Pharmacy (MPharm) degree. METHODS: Data were collected on pharmacy students who had not met academic progression requirements between 2008 and 2018 at The University of Sydney, Australia. This included: age at the start of pharmacy degree; gender; whether they transferred from another university; whether they were a domestic or international student; Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank upon entry, previous studies in biology, chemistry, or mathematics; show cause triggers (units of study failed); number of show causes; students' written show cause responses; weighted average mark at last show cause or graduation; whether they graduated and were a registered pharmacist; and, the number of years they spent studying the degree. Descriptive studies were used to analyse student characteristics using SPSS software, and student self-reported reasons for poor performance were analysed reflexively using thematic analysis procedures using NVivo. RESULTS: This study included 164 pharmacy students enrolled in a BPharm (79.3%, n = 130), BPharmMgmt (1.2%, n = 2), or MPharm (19.5%, n = 32). Of the students, 54% (n = 88) were men, 81% (n = 133) were domestic students, 15% (n = 24) transferred from another degree program, and 38% (n = 62) graduated from the course. Show cause students were less likely to graduate if they transferred from another degree program (P = 0.0002) or failed more than three units of study (UoS; P < 0.0001). The most commonly failed UoS were related to organic or pharmaceutical chemistry, and the top student self-reported reasons for poor performance was stress/anxiety, physical health, and depression. CONCLUSION: Pharmacy schools should aim to address student foundational knowledge in chemistry, identify at-risk students early using pre-subject testing, and provide better services to address student mental health.

The Effectiveness and Adverse Events of Cannabidiol and Tetrahydrocannabinol Used in the Treatment of Anxiety Disorders in a PTSD Subpopulation: An Interim Analysis of an Observational Study.

Background: Anxiety is a condition for which current treatments are often limited by adverse events (AEs). Components of medicinal cannabis, cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), have been proposed as potential treatments for anxiety disorders, specifically posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Objective: To evaluate quality-of-life outcomes after treatment with various cannabis formulations to determine the effectiveness and associated AEs. Methods: An interim analysis of data collected between September 2018 and June 2021 from the CA Clinics Observational Study. Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System-29 survey scores of 198 participants with an anxiety disorder were compared at baseline and after treatment with medicinal cannabis. The data of 568 anxiety participants were also analyzed to examine the AEs they experienced by the Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities organ system class. Results: The median doses taken were 50.0 mg/day for CBD and 4.4 mg/day for THC. The total participant sample reported significantly improved anxiety, depression, fatigue, and ability to take part in social roles and activities. Those who were diagnosed with PTSD (n = 57) reported significantly improved anxiety, depression, fatigue, and social abilities. The most common AEs reported across the whole participant cohort were dry mouth (32.6%), somnolence (31.3%), and fatigue (18.5%), but incidence varied with different cannabis formulations. The inclusion of THC in a formulation was significantly associated with experiencing gastrointestinal AEs; specifically dry mouth and nausea. Conclusions: Formulations of cannabis significantly improved anxiety, depression, fatigue, and the ability to participate in social activities in participants with anxiety disorders. The AEs experienced by participants are consistent with those in other studies.

Microneedle-enabled therapeutics delivery and biosensing in clinical trials.

Microneedles (MNs) are micron-sized protrusions attached to a range of devices that are used in therapeutic delivery and diagnosis. Because MNs can be self-applied, are painless, and can carry multiple therapeutic agents, they have received extensive attention, and have been widely investigated, for local and systemic therapy. Many researchers are currently working to extend the use of MNs to clinical applications. In this review, we provide an update and analysis on MN-based clinical trials since their inception in 2007. The MNs in clinical trials are classified into five types based on their appearance and properties, including: hollow MNs, MN patches, radiofrequency MNs, MN rollers, and other MNs. The various aspects of MN trials are summarized, such as MN types, clinical trial time, and trial regions. This review aims to present an overview of MN development and provide insights for future research in this field. To our knowledge, this is the first review focused on MN clinical trials which showcases the latest applications of this advanced technology in medicine.

Medicinal cannabis for Australian patients with chronic refractory pain including arthritis.

Objectives: To examine the tolerability and effectiveness of medicinal cannabis prescribed to patients for chronic, refractory pain, with a subset analysis on arthritis. Methods: This was an interim analysis of the CA Clinics Observational Study investigating self-reported adverse events (AEs) and changes in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) outcomes over time after commencing medicinal cannabis. Patients were prescribed medicinal cannabis by a medical practitioner, containing various ratios of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and/or cannabidiol (CBD). Results: The overall chronic pain cohort, and specifically the balanced CBD:THC products, were associated with significantly reduced pain intensity scores (p = 0.003, p = 0.025), with 22% of patients reporting a clinically meaningful reduction in pain intensity. Patients in the arthritis subset (n = 199) reported significantly reduced pain intensity scores (p = 0.005) overall, and specifically for those taking CBD-only (p = 0.018) and balanced products (p = 0.005). Other HRQoL outcomes, including pain interference and pain impact scores were significantly improved depending on the CBD:THC ratio. Products that contained a balanced ratio of CBD:THC were associated with improvements in the most number of PROMIS-29 domains. Approximately half (n = 364; 51%) of the chronic pain cohort experienced at least one AE, the most common being dry mouth (24%), somnolence (19%) or fatigue (12%). These findings were similar in the arthritis subset. Discussion: Medicinal cannabis was observed to improve pain intensity scores and HRQoL outcomes in patients with chronic, refractory pain, providing real-world insights into medicinal cannabis' therapeutic potential.

Hospitalised poisonings in Australian children: a 10-year retrospective study.

INTRODUCTION: Paediatric poisoning is a major cause of childhood injury, and most poisonings are preventable. We aimed to describe hospitalisations resulting from poisoning and envenomation in Australian children, including demographics, cause of the exposure, hospital length of stay, rates of intensive care unit admission and in-hospital deaths. We also aimed to describe risk factors for increased length of stay and intensive care unit admission. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed of hospitalised poisoning and envenomation cases of children (<15 years) in Australia from 1 July 2009 to 30 June 2019. A nationwide hospital admissions database was used for this study. RESULTS: During the 10-year study period 33,438 children were admitted to hospital due to a pharmaceutical or non-pharmaceutical poisoning/envenomation; an average of 74.8 cases per 100,000 population per year. Approximately 10 children were admitted to hospital each day for poisoning. Over 70% of these cases were due to pharmaceuticals (n = 23,628), most frequently non-opioid analgesics, anti-pyretics and anti-rheumatics (n = 8759, 37.1% of pharmaceutical exposures). The most common non-pharmaceutical exposure was contact with venomous animals and toxic plants (n = 4578, 46.7% of non-pharmaceuticals). Intentional self-harm occurred in 7833 (23.4%) of cases. Intensive care unit admission was required in 519 cases (2.5% of the 20,739 cases where this information was available), while 200 (0.96% of 20,739) needed ventilator support. Ten children (0.03%) died. Older age, female sex, poisoning with pharmaceuticals and metropolitan hospital location were associated with increased length of stay. Older age and poisoning with pharmaceuticals were also associated with intensive care unit admission. CONCLUSION: Approximately 10 children were admitted to hospital with poisoning every day in Australia. Most poisonings were due to pharmaceuticals, particularly simple analgesics that are found in most Australian homes. Severe outcomes (intensive care unit admissions and deaths) were rare.

Potential factors that can affect the performance of undergraduate pharmacy research students: a descriptive study.

OBJECTIVE: This descriptive study aimed to examine whether student past coursework performance, student or research supervisor characteristics, and the type of research project are related to the overall academic performance of a pharmacy student completing an honours research program. METHODS: Data on undergraduate honours students who completed a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree at The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia, between Jan 2015 and Dec 2020 was collected. This included socio-demographic characteristics, type of project undertaken, and academic outputs. Data was also collected on each supervisor's academic role, level of experience, research area, and where they completed their PhD. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the study cohort and correlation analysis and unpaired t-tail analyses were conducted using SPSS software. RESULTS: This five year study included 130 students of which 67% were female and 60% were domestic students. Each student was supervised by one of 48 individual academics who were a mix of early- (31%), mid-career (29%), and experienced researchers (40%) for pharmaceutical science (50%), clinical (45%), and education (5%) projects. Just less than half (49%) of students published one peer-reviewed journal article. Female students outperformed male students (p = 0.031) with female students also twice as likely (15%) to receive a university medal eligible mark compared with male students (7.0%). Similarly, domestic students were twice as likely (15%) to receive a university medal eligible mark when compared with international students (7.7%). Students who undertook a pharmaceutical science-based project outperformed education-based project students (p = 0.0235). Students who had published at least one peer-reviewed journal article outperformed those who had not published (p = 0.0014). CONCLUSION: Factors that affected honours performance were student gender, residential status, type of project undertaken, and whether a student had published a peer-reviewed journal article.

Medicinal cannabis for patients with chronic non-cancer pain: analysis of safety and concomitant medications.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to explore the incidence of adverse events (AEs) reported by patients when initiating medicinal cannabis treatment for chronic pain, and the association of cannabis constituents, dose and concomitant medicines with AE incidence. METHODS: Patient demographics, cannabis products and AE data were collected as part of the Cannabis Access Clinics Observational Study, and concomitant medicines were obtained from patient health summaries provided by referring doctors. Cannabis products were grouped by their constituents as either cannabidiol-only or containing both cannabidiol and Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol. KEY FINDINGS: From a total of 275 patients, each had a median of six concomitant medicines, with opioids (n = 179; 65%) the most common. A total of 35.6% patients took 10 or more other medicines, and they were associated with a 3.6 times higher likelihood to report the AE of fatigue (P = 0.048). Patients who received concomitant gabapentinoids were 2.4 times more likely to report dizziness (P = 0.036), patients on tricyclic antidepressants were 1.8 times more likely to report somnolence (P = 0.034) and 3.4 times more likely to report anxiety (P = 0.04), when compared with patients who were not prescribed those classes of medications. Those patients who were prescribed products containing both cannabidiol and Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol were 1.5 times more likely (P = 0.004) to have experienced an AE when compared with those prescribed only cannabidiol. CONCLUSIONS: These findings show that certain concomitant medications and cannabis constituents may be associated with AE incidence when initiating medicinal cannabis. These potential pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic interactions require further study to develop guidance for prescribers and pharmacists.

Poisonings with ADHD medication in children under the age of 5 years in Australia: a retrospective study, 2004-2019.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the temporal relationships in attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medication poisoning exposures in children; describe patient demographics, medications involved, poisoning exposure reasons and disposition. DESIGN: A population-based, retrospective cohort study of calls to Australia's largest Poisons Information Centre. Poisoning exposure counts and dispensing-adjusted rates were modelled with Poisson, quasi-Poisson and negative binomial regression where appropriate. SETTING: Calls to the New South Wales Poisons Information Centre and dispensings on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. PATIENTS: Children under the age of 5 years. RESULTS: There were 1175 poisoning exposures to ADHD psychostimulants, 2004-2019; averaging 73 per year. Accidental poisonings accounted for 94% of cases. Methylphenidate was most frequently implicated (63%). Thirty-four per cent of cases were referred to hospital and a further 21% of calls were made by hospital staff. Poisoning exposure counts for all ADHD psychostimulants increased by 2.7% (95% CI=0.42% to 4.9%) per year; however, this differed by agent. Methylphenidate poisoning exposures increased by 5.2% per year (95% CI=4.3% to 6.1%), lisdexamfetamine increased by 62% per year (95% CI=48% to 76%), while dexamphetamine poisoning exposures decreased by 5.5% per year (95% CI=-9.5% to -1.4%). These trends are reflected in the number of dispensings; however, dispensings increased at a faster rate than exposures. When poisoning exposures were expressed as dispensing-adjusted rates, there was a 16% decrease (95% CI=-20% to -13%) per year. CONCLUSIONS: ADHD medication use has increased, associated with an increased number of paediatric poisoning exposures. However, poisoning exposures per dispensed prescription has decreased. The majority of cases required hospitalisation, indicating the need for further poisoning prevention strategies.

A chemical perspective on the clinical use of platinum-based anticancer drugs.

Platinum drugs have been a mainstay of cancer chemotherapy since the introduction of cisplatin in the 1970s. Since then, carboplatin and oxaliplatin have been approved world-wide and nedaplatin, lobaplatin, heptaplatin, dicycloplatin, and miriplatin have been approved in individual countries. The three main platinum drugs are not used in isolation but are combined in chemotherapy protocols from a range of 28 drugs that include: anthracyclines, alkylating agents, vinca alkaloids, antimetabolites, topoisomerase inhibitors, taxanes, and monoclonal antibodies. Interestingly, they are not yet used in combination with tyrosine kinase inhibitors or proteasome inhibitors. How platinum drugs are formulated for administration to patients is important to minimise aquation during storage and administration. Cisplatin is typically formulated in saline-based solutions while carboplatin and oxaliplatin are formulated in dextrose. Pharmacokinetics are an important factor in both the efficacy and safety of platinum drugs. This includes the quantity of protein-bound drug in blood serum, how fast the drugs are cleared by the body, and how fast the drugs are degraded and deactivated. Attempts to control platinum pharmacokinetics and side effects using rescue agents, macrocycles, and nanoparticles, and through the design of platinum(IV)-based drugs have not yet resulted in clinically successful outcomes. As cancer is predominantly a disease of old age, many cancer patients who are administered a platinum drug may have other medical conditions which means they may also be taking many non-cancer medicines. The co-administration of non-cancer medicines to patients can potentially affect the efficacy of platinum drugs and/or change the severity of their side effects through drug-drug interactions.

An Analysis for Adulteration and Contamination of Over-the-Counter Weight-Loss Products.

Six Australian and five overseas complementary medicines (CM) and meal replacement shake products were analysed for potential adulteration with two common active pharmaceutical ingredients, caffeine and sibutramine, using thin-layer chromatography and mass spectrometry. The declared amount of caffeine in each product was also reviewed. Finally, the products were examined for heavy metal contamination using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. The results showed that there was no detected adulteration of either caffeine (for those products that did not list caffeine as an ingredient) or sibutramine in the 11 products; however, based on the product labels, one Australian and one overseas (two in total) CM product contained more than the maximum daily safety limit (400 mg) of caffeine. Potentially excessive lead and/or chromium was detected in six products, including four Australian products and two products purchased online. One Australian CM product appeared to contain these heavy metals at concentrations at, or exceeding, the safety limits specified in the United States Pharmacopeia or set by the World Health Organization. The overconsumption of caffeine and heavy metals has the potential of causing significant health effects in consumers.

Opioid exposures in children under 5 years of age (2004-2019): A retrospective study of calls to Australia's largest poisons information centre.

AIM: To describe time trends in opioid exposures in children under 5 years, and to describe patient demographics, the medicines involved, the reasons for exposure and disposition. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of paediatric (<5 years of age) opioid exposure calls to the New South Wales Poisons Information Centre (NSWPIC, Australia's largest poison centre), 2004-2019. Joinpoint regression analysis was used to examine temporal trends. RESULTS: There were 4807 cases of paediatric opioid exposure during the 16 year study period, with an average of 300 exposures per year. Exposures increased, 2004-2007, with an annual percentage change (APC) of 14.6% (95% CI = 4.3 to 26.0%), then decreased, 2007-2016, APC -3.4% (95% CI = -5.3 to -1.3%). A steeper decrease was observed after 2016, APC -14.1% (95% CI = -21.8 to -5.6%). The overall APC was -2.3% (95% CI = -4.7 to 0.2%), 2004-2019. Accidental exposures accounted for 86% of calls (4137). The majority of calls were from family members regarding exposures that happened at home, highlighting the need for safety initiatives. The preparations most frequently involved were paracetamol/opioid combination products (primarily codeine), 53% (2566) and ibuprofen/opioid combinations 14% (650). Twenty-two percent of cases were referred to a hospital (1062), and a further 15% (719) of calls originated from hospital staff. CONCLUSION: Opioid exposures in young Australian children continue to occur; however, the rate has declined since 2007. Safe storage and parent education initiatives could further reduce the burden of paediatric opioid poisoning in Australia.

Demonstration of In Vitro Host-Guest Complex Formation and Safety of para-Sulfonatocalix[8]arene as a Delivery Vehicle for Two Antibiotic Drugs.

The macrocycle para-sulfonatocalix[8]arene, sCX[8], was examined with 2 antibiotic drugs, ciprofloxacin (CIP) and isoniazid. The drugs were shown to form complexes with sCX[8] using proton nuclear magnetic resonance, thermogravimetric analysis, fluorescence spectroscopy, and molecular modeling. Both drugs form 1:1 hydrated (H2O: 13%-14% w/w) host-guest complexes, with sCX[8] binding around the pyridine ring of isoniazid, and around the piperazine and cyclopropane rings of CIP. From proton nuclear magnetic resonance, the binding constant of isoniazid to sCX[8] was 6.8 (±0.3) × 103 M-1. Addition of 2 equivalents of sCX[8] to CIP resulted in a 58% decrease in fluorescence, and time-resolved fluorescence anisotropy of CIP doubles with sCX[8]. Each drug binds into the cavity of the macrocycle, with binding stabilized via combinations of hydrogen bonding, electrostatic interactions, π-π stacking, and hydrophobic effects. The safety of sCX[8] was examined in vitro with human embryonic kidney 293 cells. The IC50 of sCX[8] was 559 µM, which is a minimum of 5-fold higher than the concentration that would be used in the clinic. The in vitro effect of sCX[8] on the action of CIP was examined on a panel of bacterial lines. The results showed that sCX[8] has no inherent antibiotic activity and had no negative effect on the action of CIP.

Patterns of platinum drug use in an acute care setting: a retrospective study.

PURPOSE: Platinum drugs have been in use in cancer treatment for more than 40 years, but little is known about the pattern of their use. The aim of this study was to examine the patterns of platinum drug use, with a secondary aim to describe the occurrence of dose reductions. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted of oncology pharmacy dispensing records from a single hospital in Australia. Data related to drug choice, regimen and dose reductions were included in this study if the patient had received their last round of chemotherapy between November 2014 and July 2015. RESULTS: Of the 156 patients included in the study, 46% were dispensed a platinum drug during their treatment. The most commonly dispensed drugs were cisplatin (40%), carboplatin (40%) and oxaliplatin (15%), while some patients (5%) received more than one platinum drug. Dose reductions were more common in patients who were treated with a platinum drug (73%) compared with patients treated with non-platinum drugs (55%). The most common reason for a dose reduction was cytopenia. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that platinum drugs remain one of the most commonly dispensed drugs to treat cancer patients and most patients receive a dose reduction during treatment.

Correction: The side effects of platinum-based chemotherapy drugs: a review for chemists.

Correction for 'The side effects of platinum-based chemotherapy drugs: a review for chemists' by Rabbab Oun et al., Dalton Trans., 2018, 47, 6645-6653.

The side effects of platinum-based chemotherapy drugs: a review for chemists.

The platinum-based drugs cisplatin, carboplatin and oxaliplatin are regularly prescribed in the treatment of cancer and while they are effective, their use is limited by their severe, dose-limiting side effects (also referred to as adverse effects/events). In total, a cancer patient can experience any combination of around 40 specific side effects. The dose-limiting side effect for cisplatin is nephrotoxicity, for carboplatin it is myelosuppression, and for oxaliplatin it is neurotoxicity. Other common side effects include anaphylaxis, cytopenias (including leukopenia and neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, and anaemia), hepatotoxicity, ototoxicity, cardiotoxicity, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, mucositis, stomatitis, pain, alopecia, anorexia, cachexia, and asthenia. The side effects may require patients to be prescribed dose reductions in their platinum drugs of between 25 and 100%. Furthermore, patients require extensive monitoring of their biochemistries, kidney and liver function, and depending on the drug, hearing tests. Finally, patients are commonly co-prescribed additional non-chemotherapy based drugs to treat the side effects which can include antiemetics, antibiotics and myeloid growth factors, mannitol, propafenone, saline hyperhydration, magnesium supplements, monoclonal antibody cytokine blockers, and antioxidants.

para-Sulfonatocalix[4]arene and polyamidoamine dendrimer nanocomplexes as delivery vehicles for a novel platinum anticancer agent.

Novel para-sulfonatocalix[4]arene (sCX[4]) and polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimer nanocomplexes were evaluated as delivery vehicles for the platinum anticancer agent [(1,10-phenanthroline)(1S,2S-diaminocyclohexane)platinum(II)] chloride (PHENSS). Different ratios of sCX[4] to PHENSS were tested for their compatibility, with a ratio of 6:1 sCX[4]:PHENSS having the best solubility. The loading of sCX[4], and sCX[4]-bound PHENSS, onto three different generations of PAMAM dendrimers (G3.0-5.0) was examined using UV-visible spectrophotometry. The quantity of sCX[4] bound was found to increase exponentially with dendrimer size: G3, 15 sCX[4] molecules per dendrimer; G4, 37; and G5, 78. Similarly, the loading of sCX[4]-bound PHENSS also increased with increasing dendrimer size: G3, 7 PHENSS molecules per dendrimer; G4, 14; and G5, 28.5. The loading of sCX[4]-bound PHENSS molecules is significantly lower when compared with that of sCX[4], which indicates that less than half of the binding sites were occupied (45, 44, and 44%, respectively). By 1H NMR and UV-vis analysis, the nanocomplex was found to be stable in NaCl solutions at concentrations up to 150mM. While PHENSS is more active in vitro than cisplatin against the human breast cancer cell line, MCF-7, delivery of PHENSS using the sCX[4]-dendrimer nanocomplexes, regardless of dendrimer generation, had little effect on PHENSS cytotoxicity. The results of this study may have application in the delivery of a variety of small molecule metal-based drugs for which chemical conjugation to a nanoparticle is undesired or not feasible.

Evaluation of the antidepressant therapeutic potential of isocyanine and pseudoisocyanine analogues of the organic cation decynium-22.

Herein we describe the synthesis and evaluation of antidepressant properties of seven analogues (1-7) of the low affinity/high capacity transporter blocker decynium-22 (D-22). All analogues (1-7) were synthesized via base promoted coupling reactions between N-alkylated-2-methylquinolinium iodides or N-alkylated-4-methylquinolinium iodides and electrophilic N-alkylated-2-iodoquinolinium iodides. All final compounds were purified by re-crystallization or preparative HPLC and initial evaluation studies included; 1) screening for in vitro α1-adrenoceptor activity (a property that can lead to unwanted side-effects), 2) measuring antidepressant-like activity in a mouse tail suspension test (TST), and 3) measuring effects upon mouse locomotion. The results showed some analogues have lower affinities at α1-adrenoceptors compared to D-22 and showed antidepressant-like activity without the need for co-administration of SSRIs. Additionally, many analogues did not affect mouse locomotion to the same extent as D-22. Plans for additional evaluations of these promising analogues, including measurement of antidepressant-like activity with co-administration of selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs), are outlined.

Host-Guest Complexes of Carboxylated Pillar[n]arenes With Drugs.

Pillar[n]arenes are a new family of nanocapsules that have shown application in a number of areas, but because of their poor water solubility their biomedical applications are limited. Recently, a method of synthesizing water-soluble pillar[n]arenes was developed. In this study, carboxylated pillar[n]arenes (WP[n], n = 6 or 7) have been examined for their ability to form host-guest complexes with compounds relevant to drug delivery and biodiagnostic applications. Both pillar[n]arenes form host-guest complexes with memantine, chlorhexidine hydrochloride, and proflavine by 1H nuclear magnetic resonance and modeling. Binding is stabilized by hydrophobic effects within the cavities, and hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interactions at the portals. Encapsulation within WP[6] results in the complete and efficient quenching of proflavine fluorescence, giving rise to "on" and "off" states that have potential in biodiagnostics. The toxicity of the pillar[n]arenes was examined using in vitro growth assays with the OVCAR-3 and HEK293 cell lines. The pillar[n]arenes are relatively nontoxic to cells except at high doses and after prolonged continuous exposure. Overall, the results show that there could be a potentially large range of medical applications for carboxylated pillar[n]arene nanocapsules.

Executive functions predict conceptual learning of science.

We examined the relationship between executive functions and both factual and conceptual learning of science, specifically chemistry, in early adolescence. Sixty-three pupils in their second year of secondary school (aged 12-13 years) participated. Pupils completed tasks of working memory (Spatial Working Memory), inhibition (Stop-Signal), attention set-shifting (ID/ED), and planning (Stockings of Cambridge), from the CANTAB. They also participated in a chemistry teaching session, practical, and assessment on the topic of acids and alkalis designed specifically for this study. Executive function data were related to (1) the chemistry assessment which included aspects of factual and conceptual learning and (2) a recent school science exam. Correlational analyses between executive functions and both the chemistry assessment and science grades revealed that science achievements were significantly correlated with working memory. Linear regression analysis revealed that visuospatial working memory ability was predictive of chemistry performance. Interestingly, this relationship was observed solely in relation to the conceptual learning condition of the assessment highlighting the role of executive functions in understanding and applying knowledge about what is learned within science teaching.