Effects of the Affordable Care Act on Contraception, Pregnancy, and Pregnancy Termination Rates.

Objective: To investigate the effects of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and its elimination of cost sharing on contraception utilization, pregnancy rates, and abortion rates.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study within a health care system serving more than 4.5 million insured members across 21 medical centers and 250 clinics.

Sex Differences in the Striatal Contributions to Longitudinal Fine Motor Development in Autistic Children.

Background: Fine motor challenges are prevalent in autistic populations. However, little is known about their neurobiological underpinnings or how their related neural mechanisms are influenced by sex. The dorsal striatum, comprised of the caudate nucleus and putamen, is associated with motor learning and control and may hold critical information.

In a Canine Model of Septic Shock, Cardiomyopathy Occurs Independent of Catecholamine Surges and Cardiac Microvascular Ischemia.

Background: High levels of catecholamines are cardiotoxic and associated with stress-induced cardiomyopathies. Septic patients are routinely exposed to endogenously released and exogenously administered catecholamines, which may alter cardiac function and perfusion causing ischemia. Early during human septic shock, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) decreases but normalizes in survivors over 7-10 days.

Neurokinin-1 receptors in the nucleus accumbens shell influence sensitivity to social defeat stress and stress-induced alcohol consumption in male mice.

Chronic social defeat stress (SDS) is a widely employed preclinical model of depression involving repeated exposure to physical defeats using a resident-intruder model in male mice. Exposure to SDS induces depressive-like phenotypes including anhedonia, social withdrawal, and increased drug and alcohol consumption. Previously, we found that expression of the neurokinin-1 receptor (NK1R) is increased in the nucleus accumbens (NAC) of mice that are sensitive to this stressor and increase their alcohol intake.

Life after Pelvic Exenteration for Rectal Cancer: The Patient and Carer Perspective on Long Term Consequences and Survivorship.

Objective: To explore the perspectives and experiences of patients and carers living with the long-term consequences of pelvic exenteration.

Summary Background Data: Pelvic exenteration is accepted as the standard of care for selected patients with locally advanced or recurrent rectal cancer. With contemporary 5-year survival reported at 40-60%, the number of long-term survivors is expected to increase.