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Aims: Studies examining the prevalence of and factors associated with switching from sulphonylureas (SUs) to dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP‐4) inhibitors in real‐world settings are lacking. We assessed the factors associated with switching from SUs to DPP‐4 inhibitors in the United States. Materials and Methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted using the Optum Clinformatics® Data Mart (2009‐2018). Adults with type 2 diabetes and newly prescribed at least two SUs were included and were followed for 2 years after the initiation of SU (index date). We compared the characteristics of those who switched from SUs to DPP‐4 inhibitors (only; no additional antidiabetic drugs) with those who continued with SUs (without adding other antidiabetic drugs) using multivariate logistic regression. Multinomial regression analyses were also conducted to assess the factors associated with switching to different drug classes versus continuation with SUs. Results: In a sample of 119 107 new SU users, 2.2% (2633) switched to DPP‐4 inhibitors, 3.8% (4542) switched to antidiabetic drugs other than DPP‐4 inhibitors, 68.3% (81 394) discontinued SUs but did not switch to another antidiabetic drug, 12.9% (15 345) continued with SUs and added other antidiabetic drugs, and 12.8% (15 193) continued with SUs only. Multivariate logistic regression showed that those who had significantly higher likelihood of switching were younger, female [vs. males; adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 0.70], and living in the south; had previous use of DPP‐4 inhibitors (AOR = 1.71); were not using antidiabetic drugs at baseline; had more baseline diabetes‐related emergency room visits (AOR = 1.13), depression (AOR = 1.34), post‐index hypoglycaemia (AOR = 2.20), and an earlier index year; and were glyburide users (vs. glimepiride users; AOR = 1.29). Conclusions: The discontinuation rate for SUs is high. Factors associated with switching from SUs to DPP‐4 inhibitors included age, sex, geographic region, baseline antidiabetic drug use, type of SU, baseline diabetes‐related emergency room visits, hypoglycaemia and depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Risk free forward interest rates (Diebold and Li, 2006 [ 1 ]; Jamshidian, 1991 [ 2 ]) – and their realization by US Treasury bonds as the leading exemplar – have been studied extensively. In Baaquie (2010), models of risk free bonds and their forward interest rates based on the quantum field theoretic formulation of the risk free forward interest rates have been discussed, including the empirical evidence supporting these models. The quantum finance formulation of risk free forward interest rates is extended to the case of risky forward interest rates . The examples of the Singapore and Malaysian forward interest rates are used as specific cases. The main feature of the quantum finance model is that the risky forward interest rates are modeled both a) as a stand-alone case as well as b) being driven by the US forward interest rates plus a spread – having its own term structure –above the US forward interest rates. Both the US forward interest rates and the term structure for the spread are modeled by a two dimensional Euclidean quantum field. As a precursor to the evaluation of put option of the Singapore coupon bond, the quantum finance model for swaptions is tested using empirical study of swaptions for the US Dollar –showing that the model is quite accurate. A prediction for the market price of the put option for the Singapore coupon bonds is obtained. The quantum finance model is generalized to study the Malaysian case and the Malaysian forward interest rates are shown to have anomalies absent for the US and Singapore case. The model’s prediction for a Malaysian interest rate swap is obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the effectiveness of a precorrection procedure in teaching decoding skills to students with learning and behavior problems. Six students with learning and behavior problems from a public school in southeast Alabama participated in the study. A multiple-baseline single subject research method was used. In the baseline phase, Direct Instruction (DI) was the primary teaching method. In the treatment phase, precorrection was added to evaluate the effects of precorrection on accuracy in reading on acquisition, retention, and on-task behavior. Experimentation lasted for 21 days. The results indicate that using precorrection as an intervention improves students' accuracy in reading sounds and words, and increases on-task behavior. The investigators recommended further studies using greater numbers of students over longer periods of time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Suicide continues to be a significant public health concern impacting all cultural and ethnic groups in the United States. Although prior studies indicate that Latino individuals die by suicide at lower rates than their non-Hispanic White or Asian peers, recent data in this area indicate that suicide rates for Latino individuals are rising. Currently, little is known about how Latino individuals perceive those who are experiencing suicidal ideation and the factors that are associated with stigma toward people contemplating self-harm. To address this gap, a convenience sample of 248 adults in the United States identifying as Latino participated in an experimental vignette study investigating their perceptions of persons experiencing suicidal ideation. Results show that generation of immigration significantly predicted various domains of stigma toward individuals with suicidal ideation. Older participants and participants with more children were associated with higher levels of stigma. The gender or age of the person experiencing suicidal ideation did not impact the levels of stigma across domains. Results indicate a need to increase the overall health literacy in relation to suicide within Latino communities, particularly in relation to early identification of suicidal ideation. Implications for future research and practice with Latino communities are offered. Public Policy Relevance Statement: Although the number of Latino individuals dying by suicide has increased during the last 15 years, stigma toward suicide in Latino communities remains. Respondent demographic characteristics such as age, generational status, and number of children were predictive of higher levels of stigma toward those experiencing suicidal ideation. There remains a need to decrease suicide-related sigma and to increase the overall health literacy within Latino communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To compare effectiveness of tofacitinib versus tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi), and across tofacitinib lines of therapy, in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), using US CorEvitas RA Registry data., Methods: Analysis included patients with RA initiating tofacitinib or TNFi with a 12-month follow-up visit between November 2012-February 2021. Primary (Clinical Disease Activity Index-defined low disease activity [CDAI-LDA: CDAI ≤ 10]) and secondary (clinical/disease activity/patient-reported) effectiveness outcomes were assessed at month 12. Outcomes were stratified by treatment regimen (overall tofacitinib vs overall TNFi/tofacitinib monotherapy vs tofacitinib combination therapy/TNFi monotherapy vs TNFi combination therapy/tofacitinib monotherapy vs TNFi combination therapy/tofacitinib combination therapy vs TNFi combination therapy), or tofacitinib line of therapy (2nd/3rd/ ≥ 4th line)., Results: 3,481 eligible patients initiated tofacitinib (n = 805) or TNFi (n = 2,676). Improvements in effectiveness at month 12 were generally similar across treatment regimens; 25.1% and 30.1% of overall tofacitinib and TNFi initiators achieved CDAI-LDA, respectively (odds ratio 1.29 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.94, 1.76]). Odds ratios (95% CIs) for achieving CDAI-LDA at 12 months were 0.70 (0.36, 1.37) for 3rd- versus 2nd-line, and 1.09 (0.63, 1.88) for 3rd- versus ≥ 4th-line tofacitinib initiators. At month 12, mean change from baseline in CDAI was greater among 3rd- versus ≥ 4th-line tofacitinib initiators, and mean Health Assessment Questionnaire and patient-reported pain were greater in 3rd- versus 2nd-line and ≥ 4th- versus 3rd-line tofacitinib initiators., Conclusions: Generally, there were no differences in effectiveness between tofacitinib versus TNFi regimens. Few differences were observed between tofacitinib lines of therapy; sample sizes were small for 2nd/3rd-line initiators., Study Registration: NCT01402661 (ClinicalTrials.gov; July 25, 2011). Key Points • Using data from the US CorEvitas rheumatoid arthritis (RA) Registry, this study compared the effectiveness of tofacitinib versus tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) and across tofacitinib lines of therapy. • Effectiveness of tofacitinib was similar to TNFi regimens up to month 12, while differences in some effectiveness outcomes at month 12 were observed with tofacitinib across different lines of therapy. • The findings of this study may inform future treatment decision-making in patients with RA., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethical standards: This study was performed in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and the Guidelines for Good Pharmacoepidemiology Practice. All participating investigators were required to obtain full institutional review board (IRB) board approval for conducting non-interventional research involving human patients with a limited dataset. Sponsor approval and continuing review were obtained from the New England Independent Review Board (no. 120160610). For academic investigative sites that did not receive authorization to use the central IRB, full board approval was obtained from the respective governing IRBs, and documentation of approval was submitted to CorEvitas, LLC prior to the initiation of any study procedures. All patients in the registry were required to provide written informed consent and authorization prior to participating in the study. Competing interests: LRH has acted as a consultant for AbbVie, Bristol Myers Squibb, Pfizer Inc, and Roche, is a member of a speakers' bureau for Bristol Myers Squibb, and is an employee and shareholder of CorEvitas, LLC. COB has received grant support from Bristol Myers Squibb and has acted as consultant for AbbVie, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Pfizer Inc, and Sanofi. JEP has received grant and/or research support from AbbVie, Fresenius Kabi, Mallinckrodt, Pfizer Inc, and Seattle Genetics, has acted as consultant for AbbVie, Amgen, AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers Squibb, Celltrion, Eli Lilly, EMERALD, Fresenius Kabi, GSK, Janssen, Mallinckrodt, Mitsubishi Tanabe, Novartis, Organon, Pfizer Inc, Sandoz, Samsung, and Viatris, and has been a speaker/advisory board member for AbbVie, Amgen, AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly, Fresenius Kabi, GSK, Janssen, Novartis, Organon, Pfizer Inc, Sandoz, UCB, and Viatris, JOB, PCM, and MY are employees of CorEvitas, LLC. CR-T was an employee of CorEvitas, LLC at the time of the analysis, and is currently affiliated with Harvard School of Public Health. LLS and KRM were employees and shareholders of Pfizer Inc at the time of the analysis. AS is an employee and shareholder of Pfizer Inc., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Constipation is a common gastrointestinal disorder that affects the quality of life of millions of adults worldwide. Dietary moisture intake is considered to have a significant impact on intestinal health, yet its specific role in constipation has not been thoroughly investigated in large-scale population studies. This study aims to explore the correlation between adult dietary moisture intake and constipation by analyzing the NHANES database, filling a knowledge gap in the literature., Methods: Data from NHANES participants aged 20 years and older from 2005 to 2010 were analyzed. Moisture intake was assessed using dietary recall data, which included moisture from all food and beverages consumed. A weighted logistic regression model was used to assess the relationship between moisture intake and the risk of constipation, calculating the odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs), while controlling for potential confounders. Additionally, restricted cubic splines (RCS) were applied to further explore potential non-linear patterns in the relationship between moisture intake and constipation, along with subgroup analysis., Results: The study included 14,492 participants, of whom 1,514 reported constipation issues. After adequately adjusting for confounders, a significant negative correlation was observed between moisture intake and constipation risk (OR 0.81; 95% CI: 0.74-0.89). Quartile analysis of moisture intake demonstrated that, compared to the first quartile Q1 (0.06 to 1.90 kg), the constipation risk for the second quartile Q2 (1.91 to 2.53 kg), third quartile Q3 (2.54 to 3.36 kg), and fourth quartile Q4 (3.37 to 16.97 kg) were OR 0.80 (95% CI: 0.64-0.72), OR 0.57 (95% CI: 0.45-0.72), and OR 0.54 (95% CI: 0.44-0.67) respectively, with a trend test P-value ofless than 0.001. RCS regression revealed a significant non-linear negative relationship between moisture intake and constipation prevalence (P < 0.001). Depression may modulate the relationship between moisture and constipation (interaction effect P = 0.014)., Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate that appropriate dietary moisture intake is significantly associated with a lower risk of constipation, demonstrating a dose-response relationship. This emphasizes the importance of considering adequate moisture intake in the prevention and management of constipation. Future studies should adopt a prospective design to further verify the causal relationship between dietary moisture intake and constipation progression., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: This study was conducted in accordance with the principles of the Helsinki Declaration and reviewed by the Institutional Review Board of the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics. All participants provided written informed consent. As the analysis utilized secondary data, no further ethical approval was required. Consent for publication: Not Applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2025. The Author(s).)

Background: High sodium intake has been linked to various health outcomes; however, its association with constipation remains unclear, particularly in adult males. This population-based study aimed to investigate the association between daily sodium intake and constipation using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2005-2010., Methods: Using data from the NHANES database spanning from 2005 to 2010, a cross-sectional study including 7116 adult male participants from the United States was performed to assess the relationship between daily sodium intake and constipation. Multivariable logistic regression models were used, adjusting for various potential confounders, to evaluate this association. Restricted cubic spline (RCS) methods were applied to explore potential nonlinear trends in the association, and subgroup analyses were conducted through forest plots to examine interactions among different subgroups (P for interaction)., Results: The study found that an increase in daily sodium intake was significantly associated with a reduced risk of constipation. Trend analysis indicated a statistically significant trend across all models, where increased daily sodium intake was associated with lower constipation risk, with (OR: 0.78, 95% CI: 0.71 ~ 0.85; P < 0.001) in Model 1; (OR: 0.79, 95% CI: 0.73 ~ 0.87; P < 0.001) in Model 2; and (OR: 0.82, 95% CI: 0.69 ~ 0.97; P = 0.023) in Model 3 (P for trend < 0.05 in all models). On the contrary, RCS analysis did not reveal a nonlinear association between daily sodium intake and constipation risk (P = 0.528). Subgroup analysis further supported a consistent negative association between daily sodium intake and constipation risk across different subgroups, with no significant interactions found (all P values > 0.05)., Conclusions: This study demonstrates a negative association between daily sodium intake and constipation risk among adult males, suggesting that sodium intake might influence intestinal function., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: This research, which involved human participants, was reviewed and sanctioned by the Institutional Review Board of the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics. Participants provided written informed consent. All procedures adhered to the principles outlined in the Helsinki Declaration. As this study involved secondary data analysis, additional ethics approval was not required. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Minority stress theory posits that external environmental factors such as state level policies around equity and inclusion of LGBTQ+ people can have a significant impact on the health and wellness of those identifying as part of the larger LGBTQ+ community, as well as on their decisions to seek needed physical or mental health care. This secondary data analysis explored the relationship between state level policies related to LGBTQ+ equity and inclusion and physical and mental health care engagement for foster care alumni. Using data from the Jim Casey Opportunity Passport Survey ( n  = 2,420), the research team conducted a longitudinal analysis of youth's engagement with healthcare professional as needed physical and mental health care, using sociodemographic characteristics of the respondents and state level policies, such as Medicaid expansion and state level protections for LGBTQ+ citizens as predictors. Results indicate obtaining health insurance increased the likelihood that the youth would seek physical health care. LGBTQ+ young adults assigned female at birth had higher odds of not receiving physical health care relative to non-LGBTQ+ peers. Compared with non-LGBTQ+ youth, LGBTQ+ youth showed higher odds of not seeing mental health professionals when they needed to. Implications for practice, policy and advocacy are presented.

Most people in need of mental health services in Mexico do not seek formal support or professional services to address their mental health needs. Understanding help-seeking behaviors is crucial to addressing underutilized mental health services and to leverage health promotion efforts. Data were collected as part of a larger research project on stigma and help-seeking for mental-health-related concerns in Mexico. A convenience sample of 469 adults residing in Mexico City participated in the study using an experimental vignette methodology assessing stigma toward individuals with mental health conditions, along with characteristics and demographic correlates of help-seeking. All survey measures were administered in Spanish. A structural regression was conducted for the outcome 'openness to professional help seeking for mental health problems' as a latent variable. Compared with males, females were more open to professional help seeking ( b = 0.09, p = 0.038), as were people who endorsed higher spirituality ( b = 0.01, p = 0.006); while people who experienced self-stigma were less open to professional help-seeking for mental health concerns ( b = -0.15, p = 0.005). Self-stigma was a major driver of low service utilization. Contrary to previous studies, spirituality was a significant positive predictor of professional help-seeking. A more nuanced understanding of mental health help-seeking in Mexico can be useful for outreach efforts to increase service utilization both in Mexico and among Latinos in the United States (US). Given historical, geographic, and cultural ties with the US, it is important to understand mental health help-seeking in Mexico, which may relate directly to help-seeking behaviors in many US Latinos who have immigrated to the US. Directions for future research and practice implications are discussed, including a roadmap for health promotion activities., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

We explored the joint effects of different metabolic obesity phenotypes on all-cause and disease-specific mortality risk among the American population. Data were obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999-2018. Mortality outcome data were from mortality files linked to National Death Index record and follow-up information was up to December 31, 2019. 50,013 participants were finally included. Four metabolic obesity phenotypes were defined based on obesity and metabolic status: metabolically healthy obese (MHO), metabolically unhealthy obese (MUO), metabolically healthy non-obese (MHNO), and metabolically unhealthy non-obese (MUNO). Population-weighted Cox proportional hazards models were used to explore the all-cause and disease-specific mortality risk of metabolic obesity phenotypes. The all-cause mortality risk of MUO and MUNO was significantly higher than MHNO. MUNO was associated with a significantly increased risk of death from heart disease (HR: 1.40, 95% CI 1.16-1.70), hypertension (HR: 1.68, 95% CI 1.34-2.12), diabetes (HR: 2.29, 95% CI 1.67-3.15), and malignant neoplasms (HR:1.29, 95% CI 1.09-1.53). Metabolic unhealth significantly increased the risk of all-cause mortality, regardless of obesity status. Among individuals with metabolic unhealthy status, obesity significantly reduced the risk of all-cause mortality (HR: 0.91, 95% CI 0.85-0.98). Our study highlights the importance of identifying and characterizing metabolic obesity phenotypes in obese and metabolically abnormal patients, as well as healthy adults. Comprehensive evaluation of obesity and metabolic status is necessary to adopt appropriate interventions and treatment measures and maximize patient benefit., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Objective: We aimed to explore the factors affecting the prognosis of patients with acute cerebrovascular occlusion with high National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores treated with the SWIM (Solitaire™ stent retriever-assisted thrombectomy with immediate mechanical aspiration) technique using an intracranial support catheter., Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted in 72 patients with acute cerebrovascular occlusion who underwent SWIM surgery in the Affiliated Hospital of Chengde Medical University in China between January 2020 and June 2022. The patients were divided into a good prognosis group (Modified Rankin Score [mRS] 0 to 2; n = 30) and a poor prognosis group (mRS score 3 to 6; n = 42) on their mRS scores 3 months after surgery. The THRIVE (TICI, hemorrhage, reocclusion, infarction, vessel, and embolism) score at different time points before and after the SWIM procedure and the postoperative revascularization rate were compared in the 2 NIHSS score groups. Univariate and logistic regression analyses were performed to identify the risk factors that affected the prognosis of patients with acute cerebrovascular occlusion treated with the SWIM procedure., Results: The NIHSS score difference at various time points after SWIM surgery in patients with low to moderate NIHSS scores was significantly higher than in patients with high NIHSS scores (P < .05). The postoperative revascularization rate in patients with high NIHSS scores was 74.36%, which was not significantly different from that in patients with low to moderate scores (84.85%; P > .05). The poor prognosis in patients with acute cerebrovascular occlusion after SWIM surgery was related to age, hypertension, NIHSS score, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score, Essen Stroke Risk Score (ESRS), onset-to-treatment time (OTT) and Alberta Collateral Grading Scale (ACGS) score (P < .05). Logistic regression analysis showed that age, admission NIHSS score and ACGS score were independent risk factors that affected the prognosis in patients with acute cerebrovascular occlusion treated with the SWIM procedure (P < .05)., Conclusion: The prognosis in patients with acute cerebrovascular occlusion with high NIHSS scores after SWIM surgery was poor. Advanced age, high NIHSS score and ACGS score were independent risk factors that affected the prognosis in patients with acute cerebrovascular occlusion treated with the SWIM procedure. Overall, incorporating these findings into clinical practice promotes personalized approaches, interdisciplinary collaboration and timely interventions to optimize outcomes in patients undergoing the SWIM procedure for acute cerebrovascular occlusion.