Associations Between Interparental Relationships and Experiences of Parenting Stress Among Mothers: The Mediating Role of Perceived Control

The current study investigated the potential benefits of relationships between parents whose children were friends (closure relationships) within a sample of 404 mothers. Associations between closure and three domains of parenting stress were explored. Mothers' perceived control was considered as a potential mediator of closure-stress associations. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that higher mean levels of closure were associated with lower levels of parenting stress related to child problem behaviors. Perceived control mediated the association between closure and parenting stress. The benefits of cross-household parental relationships for mothers' psychological wellbeing are discussed.     

Identifying Preschool Children with Asthma in Orange County

Airway changes related to childhood asthma occur early in the disease process. This pilot study focuses on the validation of the Breathmobile Case Identification Survey (BCIS) in preschool-age children in Orange County, CA. Fifty-two children from low-income Spanish-speaking families participated in the study. Thirteen children were identified as possibly having asthma from the survey results compared with 20 children diagnosed by an asthma specialist. We found that the complete seven-question survey had a sensitivity of 0.65 and a specificity of 0.94. An abbreviated three-question version had a sensitivity of 0.70 and a specificity of 0.84. Our data suggest that the abbreviated BCIS, which is simple and easily analyzed, may be a useful tool in identifying young children who are at risk for asthma and need further evaluation and appropriate therapy.     

Pharmacokinetics,Safety, and Tolerability of GS-9851, a Nucleotide Analog Polymerase Inhibitor for Hepatitis C Virus,following Single Ascending Doses in Healthy Subjects

To investigate the pharmacokinetics, safety, and tolerability of GS-9851 (formerly PSI-7851), a new nucleotide analog inhibitor of hepatitis C virus (HCV), we conducted a double-blind, parallel, placebo-controlled, randomized, single-ascending-dose study. Healthy subjects received oral doses of 25 to 800 mg GS-9851. Peak concentrations of GS-9851 in plasma were achieved more rapidly than those of the metabolites GS-566500 (formerly PSI-352707) and GS-331007 (formerly PSI-6206), with time to maximum concentration of drug in plasma (t_max) values of 1.0 to 1.8 h, 1.5 to 3.0 h, and 3.0 to 6.0 h, respectively. The majority of systemic drug exposure was from the nucleoside GS-331007, with maximum concentration of drug in plasma (C_max) and area under the concentration-time curve to the last measurable concentration (AUC_0–t) values at least 7- and 41-fold higher, respectively, than those obtained for GS-9851 after adjusting for differences in molecular weight. The terminal elimination half-life (t_1/2) of GS-331007 increased with the dose, achieving a t_1/2 of 25.7 h at 800 mg GS-9851. Dose proportionality was not observed for GS-331007. The majority of drug recovered in urine was in the form of GS-331007, with the percentage of this metabolite in urine samples ranging from 57% to 27% with increasing dose. GS-9851 was generally well tolerated, with no maximum tolerated dose identified. In conclusion, GS-9851 and its metabolites demonstrated a favorable pharmacokinetic profile consistent with once-daily dosing, and therefore, further clinical studies evaluating GS-9851 in HCV-infected patients are warranted.