Real-World Treatment Outcomes Associated With Early Versus Delayed Vedolizumab Initiation in Patients With Ulcerative Colitis.

Background: Patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) typically receive a targeted inflammatory bowel disease therapy after treatment with conventional therapies and after the development of significant morbidity. Evidence suggests that early biologic treatment after diagnosis could improve treatment response and prevent disease complications compared with delayed biologic treatment after conventional therapy.

Methods: RALEE was a retrospective study using claims data from IBM® MarketScan® Research Databases between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2019.

Delineating Care Recipient Burden Constructs: Development and Validation of the CARE-2B Scale for Care Recipient Self-Perceived Burden and Proxy Assessment of Caregiver Burden.

Background And Objectives: Care Recipient Self-Perceived Burden (CR-SPB) to Caregivers is an important but overlooked aspect within the caregiver-care recipient relationship. This study aimed to 1) develop and validate the CARE-2B (Care Recipient's Two Burden) Scale, assessing both CR-SPB and their proxy assessment of caregiver burden (Proxy-CB); 2) examine whether the CR-SPB and Proxy-CB differ from caregiver burden's own assessment and other health and social care constructs.

Research Design And Methods: Data were collected from 504 caregiver-care recipient dyads in the US using an online panel between August 2022 and February 2023.

PrEP Stigma as a Minority Stressor among Black Sexual Minority Men: A Mixed-Methods Study.

Black sexual minority men (BSMM) remain disproportionately affected by HIV, yet Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) uptake in this population remains relatively low. Informed by minority stress theory, PrEP stigma may manifest in and exacerbate societal marginalization based on sexuality and race. We used an exploratory sequential mixed-methods approach to determine if PrEP-specific stigma was associated with reduced PrEP uptake among BSMM, and qualitatively explored how PrEP use is stigmatized among BSMM.

Psychometric Validation of the Connectedness to the LGBT Community Scale among Black Sexual Minority Men Living with HIV.

Purpose: LGBTQ + community connectedness is generally a protective health factor for sexual and gender minorities. However, existing scales have not been validated among Black sexual minority men living with HIV (SMMLWH), who face unique marginalized experiences that disproportionately impact several health outcomes compared to the general LGBT + community. We validated the Connectedness to the LGBT Community Scale among Black SMMLWH.

Binge Drinking Disparities by Grade, Race and Ethnicity, Sexual Orientation, and Gender Identity.

Background And Objectives: Binge drinking disparities between sexual and gender minority (SGM) students and their heterosexual, cisgender peers are well-established. Data limitations have precluded understandings of whether the onset and progression of these disparities differ by grade. Additionally, little is known about whether and how SGM-related binge drinking varies across groups of students coincidingly defined by sexual orientation or gender identity (SOGI), race, and ethnicity.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms and Incarceration: The Impact on Sexual Risk-Taking, Sexually Transmitted Infections, and Depression Among Black Sexual Minority Men in HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN) 061.

Black men and people belonging to sexual minority groups are disproportionately impacted by criminal legal involvement and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Traumatic experiences are often associated with later criminal legal involvement, depression symptoms, sexual risk behavior, and STIs. Research on the joint influence of trauma and incarceration on STI risk among racial and/or sexual minority people is limited.

Projected volume of primary total joint arthroplasty in the USA from 2019 to 2060.

Introduction: The global incidence of total joint arthroplasty (TJA) has consistently risen over time, and while various forecasts differ in magnitude, future projections suggest a continued increase in these procedures. Differences in future United States projections may arise from the modeling method selected, the nature of the national arthroplasty registry employed, or the representativeness of the specific hospital discharge records utilized. In addition, many models have not accounted for ambulatory surgery as well as all payer types.

Understanding caregiver burden from multiple perspectives: dyadic agreement between caregiver and care recipient.

Purpose: Caregiver burden (CB) is typically self-assessed by caregivers. However, an emerging concept is assessment of CB by the recipients of care, i.e.

Police Harassment and Psychiatric, Sexual, and Substance Use Risk Among Black Sexual Minority Men and Black Transgender Women in the HIV Prevention Trials 061 Cohort.

Background: Black sexual minority men and Black transgender women (BSMM/BTW) experience disproportionate levels of HIV/STI-related risk factors as well as police harassment (PH). PH is linked to psychiatric risk and could play a role in substance use, sexual risk behavior, and HIV/STI risk.

Methods: We used data from the HIV Prevention Trials Network 061(HPTN 061) study to examine associations between PH and HIV/STI-related outcomes.

Respiratory complex I regulates dendritic cell maturation in explant model of human tumor immune microenvironment.

Background: Combining cytotoxic chemotherapy or novel anticancer drugs with T-cell modulators holds great promise in treating advanced cancers. However, the response varies depending on the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME). Therefore, there is a clear need for pharmacologically tractable models of the TIME to dissect its influence on mono- and combination treatment response at the individual level.

Exploring Psychosocial and Structural Syndemic Effects as Predictors of HIV Risk Behaviors Among Black Women (HPTN 064).

Syndemic models have been used in previous studies exploring HIV-related outcomes; however, these models do not fully consider intersecting psychosocial (, substance use, depressive symptoms) and structural factors (unstable housing, concentrated housing vacancy) that influence the lived experiences of women. Therefore, there is a need to explore the syndemic effects of psychosocial and structural factors on HIV risk behaviors to better explain the multilevel factors shaping HIV disparities among black women. This analysis uses baseline data (May 2009-August 2010) from non-Hispanic black women enrolled in the HIV Prevention Trials Network 064 Women's Seroincidence Study (HPTN 064) and the American Community Survey 5-year estimates from 2007 to 2011.

Black Sexual Minority Men's Experiences in MPowerment Interventions: Implications for HIV Prevention.

Background: Black sexual minority men (BSMM) are disproportionately vulnerable to HIV acquisition; the MPowerment model is one community-based framework for preventing HIV in this population. It focuses on developing a supportive network of peers to promote health messaging, reduce stigma, and improve resilience. While these interventions have demonstrated general success, there are important challenges related to race, sexuality, and internalized stigma.

Comparison of the EQ-HWB and EQ-HWB-S With Other Preference-Based Measures Among United States Informal Caregivers.

Objectives: Several measures have been used or developed to capture the health and well-being of caregivers, including the EQ Health and Well-being (EQ-HWB) and its short form, EQ-HWB-S. This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties and construct validity of the EQ-HWB/EQ-HWB-S in a US caregiver population.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted involving 504 caregivers.

Preliminary Psychometric Evaluation of Novel Measures of Therapist Practice Related to LGBTQ+ Clients.

Background: Culturally competent and equitable mental healthcare for LGBTQ+ people is critical for addressing mental health inequities for this population. Tools to assess therapists' practice with LGBTQ+ clients are needed for research and clinical efforts related to mental healthcare equity goals.

Methods: We conducted a preliminary assessment of the reliability and validity of a novel 28-item self-report measure assessing therapist practice with LGBTQ+ clients.

Latent syndemic profiles among sexual and gender minority college students and psychological distress amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sexual and gender minority (SGM) college students experience compounding psychological effects as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Using latent profile analysis of cross-sectional data from a sample of SGM students (n=565) we tested for a syndemic of victimization, internalized LGBTQ+ stigma, racism, racialized heterosexism/cisgenderism, family rejection, and isolation associated with psychological distress. We also tested if increases in these factors since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic were associated with greater psychological distress among syndemic profiles.

Age Differences in the Associations Between Incarceration and Subsequent Substance Use, Sexual Risk-Taking, and Incident STI Among Black Sexual Minority Men and Black Transgender Women in the HIV Prevention Trials 061 Cohort.

Incarceration can lead to different risk behaviors often due to increased distress and disruption of social networks. It is not well known, however, how these associations may differ by age. In this study, we measure age differences in longitudinal associations between incarceration and substance use, sex risk, and sexually transmitted infection (STI) among Black sexual minority men and Black transgender women (BSMM/BTW).

Challenges Unique to Transgender Persons in US Correctional Settings: a Scoping Review.

US correctional facilities operate under a binary interpretation of gender, which can yield inherent risks and conflicts for incarcerated transgender people. We conducted a scoping literature review on challenges unique to transgender individuals within US correctional settings. Online databases were searched to identify papers that addressed the challenges of incarcerated transgender adults age 18 + within US correctional institutions.

COVID-19, Vaccine Hesitancy, and HIV Pre-exposure Prophylaxis Among Black Sexual Minority Men.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has created substantial and profound barriers to several forms of health care engagement. For Black sexual minority men, this may include engagement with pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent HIV infection, with significant implications for HIV disparities. Our study explored how the COVID-19 pandemic affected Black sexual minority men, with a focus on relationships between COVID-19 and PrEP engagement.

LGBTQ+ cultural-competence training effectiveness: Mental health organization and therapist survey outcome results from a pilot randomized controlled trial.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning and other sexual and gender diverse (LGBTQ+) persons frequently lack access to mental health service organizations (MHOs) and therapists who are competent with LGBTQ+ clients. Existing continuing education programmes to better equip therapists to work with LGBTQ+ clients are often not widely accessible or skills focused, evaluated for effectiveness and inclusive of MHO administrators who can address the organizational climate needed for therapist effectiveness. A virtual, face-to-face, multi-level (administrators and therapists) and multi-strategy (technical assistance, workshop and clinical consultations) LGBTQ+ cultural competence training-the Sexual and Gender Diversity Learning Community (SGDLC)-was tested in a pilot randomized controlled trial.

Associations between police harassment and distrust in and reduced access to healthcare among Black sexual minority men: A longitudinal analysis of HPTN 061.

Objective: Evaluate associations between racialized and homophobia-based police harassment (RHBPH) and healthcare distrust and utilization among Black Sexual Minority Men (BSMM).

Methods: We utilized data from a longitudinal cohort study from HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN) 061 with baseline, six and 12 month follow-up assessments. Using multivariable analysis, we evaluated associations between RHBPH and healthcare distrust and utilization reported at the 6 and 12 month visits.

Monkeypox-Related Stigma and Vaccine Challenges as a Barrier to HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis among Black Sexual Minority Men.

Background: The U.S. monkeypox (mpox) outbreak of 2022 was a unique emergent public health crisis disproportionately affecting Black sexual minority men (BSMM).

Black Sexual Minority Adults' Avoidance of Professional Mental Health Care.

Objective: The authors sought to determine whether Black sexual minority individuals were more likely than White sexual minority individuals to postpone or avoid professional mental health care (PMHC) and, if so, to identify the reasons for postponing or avoiding care.

Methods: Analyses were conducted with a subsample of cisgender Black (N=78) and White (N=398) sexual minority individuals from a larger survey of U.S.

Pandemic distress associated with segregation and social stressors.

Background: Racial/ethnic minorities are disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, as they are more likely to experience structural and interpersonal racial discrimination, and thus social marginalization. Based on this, we tested for associations between pandemic distress outcomes and four exposures: racial segregation, coronavirus-related racial bias, social status, and social support.

Methods: Data were collected as part of a larger longitudinal national study on mental health during the pandemic ( = 1,309).