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COVID-19 influences maternal mental health; however, paternal mental health must be examined. This study describes depression and anxiety and risk/protective factors among fathers of young children. Fathers (N=106) of children 0-8 years old self-reported mental health symptoms, while mothers (N=263) provided paternal depression reports. Fathers evidenced clinically significant depression (37.1%) and anxiety (22.9%), with financial strain and mental health history increasing risk. Maternal-reported paternal depression was prevalent (61.9%) and associated with financial strain, more children, and lower maternal-reported marital quality. Paternal depression and anxiety are elevated versus pre-pandemic comparisons. We must evaluate parental outcomes to promote family well-being and child development.

Liquefaction mitigation in silty sands is a major challenge for geotechnical engineers, specialty contractors, and owners. An extensive literature is available for studying densification of vibratory methods whose effectiveness decrease as the fines content increases, while few information are known on the increment of lateral pressure and of the composite stiffening response of piers. In this respect, a full-scale testing was performed in Bondeno (Ferrara, Italy) where liquefaction was observed in the 2012 Emilia earthquake. In this study, ground improvement in silty sand, produced by a group of 16 Rammed Aggregate Piers (RAP), was tested using in situ tests and controlled blasting. An adjacent untreated test area with no RAPs, which experienced liquefaction and significant settlement (70 to 100 mm) following controlled blasting, was also characterized for useful comparison. Relatively high excess pore pressure ratios were recorded in both the panels, while the measured settlement (20 to 40 mm) in the improved panel was significantly lower than in the unimproved panel and sand boils did not develop.

Context Gastrointestinal (GI) involvement is present in about one quarter of cases of neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). Adenocarcinomas have been reported in several organs. Gastrointestinal stromal tumors are the most common GI lesion seen in NFI. GISTs in combination with ampullary neuroendocrine tumors in NF-1 have been reported rarely. Case report We present the case of a 44-year-old man who presented with a history of obstructive jaundice and weight loss. Investigations revealed a pancreatic tumor associated with a common bile duct (CBD) stricture. At operation, an ampullary adenocarcinoma that infiltrated into the head of pancreas with an adjacent somatostatinoma was found. In addition, a small bowel GIST was present. Conclusions Mixed periampullary adenocarcinoma and somatostatinoma in a patient with NF1 has only been previously reported once. The current case highlights the spectrum of associated tumor types which can be seen in association with NF1. Patients with NF1 who present with jaundice and weight loss should be investigated in the usual manner with increased suspicion for duodenal and ampullary tumors. Image: MRCP demonstrating significant intra-hepatic biliary duct dilatation., JOP. Journal of the Pancreas, Vol 15, No 6 (2014): November - p. 541-632

The Sagebrush Steppe Treatment Evaluation Project (SageSTEP) is a comprehensive, integrated, long-term study that evaluates the ecological effects of fire and fire surrogate treatments designed to reduce fuel and to restore sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) communities of the Great Basin and surrounding areas. SageSTEP has several features that make it ideal for testing hypotheses from state-and-transition theory: it is long-term, experimental, multisite, and multivariate, and treatments are applied across condition gradients, allowing for potential identification of biotic thresholds. The project will determine the conditions under which sagebrush steppe ecological communities recover on their own following fuel treatment versus the communities crossing ecological thresholds, which requires expensive active restoration.

The CYP3A5*1 allele has been associated with differences in the metabolism of some CYP3A substrates. CYP3A5 polymorphism may also influence susceptibility for certain drug interactions. We have previously noted a correlation between basal CYP3A activity and the inductive effects of dexamethasone using the erythromycin breath test (ERBT). To determine if CYP3A5 polymorphism influences induction of CYP3A activity, we examined the effect of an anti-emetic regimen of dexamethasone, and the prototypical inducer rifampin, on the ERBT in a African American volunteers prospectively stratified by CYP3A5*1 allele carrier-status. Mean basal ERBTs were significantly higher in CYP3A5*1 carriers (2.71% ± 0.53%) versus non-carriers (2.12% ± 0.37%, P = 0.006). Rifampin increased ERBTs in CYP3A5*1 carriers (4.68% vs 2.60%, P = 0.0008) and non-carriers (3.55% vs 2.11%, P = 0.0017), while dexamethasone increased ERBTs only in CYP3A5*1 non-carriers (3.03% vs 2.14%, P = 0.031). CYP3A5 polymorphism appears to influence susceptibility to induction-type drug interactions for some inducers, and CYP3A5*1 non-carriers may be more susceptible to the inductive effects of dexamethasone due to lower basal CYP3A activity.