Predictors of gamete donation: a cross sectional survey study.

Purpose: In 2015, assisted reproductive technology (ART) accounted for 1.7% of all U.S.

The impact of insurance mandates on donor oocyte utilization: an analysis of 39,338 donor oocyte cycles from the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology registry.

Background: A total of 19 states passed legislation mandating insurance coverage of assisted reproductive technology, and out-of-pocket costs associated with in vitro fertilization vary significantly depending on the region. Consequently, it has been observed that assisted reproductive technology utilization differs regionally and is associated with the presence of an insurance mandate. However, it is unknown whether regional differences exist among patients using donor oocytes.

The cost-effectiveness of preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy in the United States: an analysis of cost and birth outcomes from 158,665 in vitro fertilization cycles.

Background: A controversial and unresolved question in reproductive medicine is the utility of preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy as an adjunct to in vitro fertilization. Infertility is prevalent, but its treatment is notoriously expensive and typically not covered by insurance. Therefore, cost-effectiveness is critical to consider in this context.

The impact of polycystic ovary syndrome and body mass index on the absorption of recombinant human follicle stimulating hormone.

Purpose: Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) have an increased ovarian responsiveness to exogenous recombinant follicle stimulating hormone (rFSH) but also have high rates of obesity, which is known to affect serum FSH concentrations following exogenous injection. The purpose of this study was to compare rFSH absorption and ovarian response between lean and overweight/obese PCOS subjects and normo-ovulatory controls.

Methods: Fourteen women with PCOS aged 18-42 years old with a BMI of 18.

Delta-9 THC can be detected and quantified in the semen of men who are chronic users of inhaled cannabis.

Purpose: The purpose of this proof-of-concept study was to determine whether delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and THC metabolites (11-OH THC and THC-COOH) can be detected in semen.

Methods: Twelve healthy men aged 18-45 years who identified as chronic and heavy users of inhaled cannabis were recruited. THC and THC metabolite levels were measured in serum, urine, and semen of the participants.

Public perspectives on placing age limits on men and women seeking fertility treatment.

Objective: To assess public attitudes toward placing age limits on men and women seeking fertility treatment.

Design: Cross-sectional web-based survey.

Setting: Not applicable.

Impact of transfer time on pregnancy outcomes in frozen-embryo transfer cycles.

Objective: To identify the impact of embryo transfer time (total seconds from the loading of the transfer catheter to the expulsion of the embryo(s) into the uterine cavity) on clinical pregnancy (CPR), implantation (IR), and live birth (LBR) rates.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Setting: Academic hospital practice.

Neutral effect of body mass index on implantation rate after frozen-thawed blastocyst transfer.

Objective: To examine the effects of body mass index (BMI) on implantation rate after uniform protocol frozen-thawed blastocyst transfer in women with a homogenous uterine environment.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Setting: Single IVF clinic at a large academic institution.

Limitations on the compensation of gamete donors: a public opinion survey.

Objective: To determine public opinion on gamete donor compensation.

Design: Cross-sectional web-based survey.

Setting: Not applicable.

Embryo transfer techniques: an American Society for Reproductive Medicine survey of current Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology practices.

Objective: To better understand practice patterns and opportunities for standardization of ET.

Design: Cross-sectional survey.

Setting: Not applicable.

Economic implications of the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology embryo transfer guidelines: healthcare dollars saved by reducing iatrogenic triplets.

Objective: To estimate the national cost savings resulting from reductions in higher-order multiple (HOM) live births (defined as three or more fetuses), following the initial publication of the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART) guidelines on ET in 1998.

Design: Descriptive use and cost analysis.

Setting: Not applicable.

Predictors of 30-day readmission following hysterectomy for benign and malignant indications at a tertiary care academic medical center.

Background: Hospital readmissions are costly, frequent, and increasingly under public scrutiny. With increased financial constraints on the medical environment, understanding the drivers of unscheduled readmissions following gynecologic surgery will become increasingly important to value-driven care.

Objective: The current study was conducted to identify risk factors for 30-day readmission following hysterectomy for benign and malignant indications.

Delay in chemotherapy administration impacts survival in elderly patients with epithelial ovarian cancer.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to characterize chemotherapy treatment patterns in elderly patients with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) and their impact on overall survival (OS).

Methods: We identified patients age ≥65years with stage II-IV EOC who underwent cytoreduction from 2003 to 2011. Relevant clinical variables were extracted and correlated with OS.

Angiogenic markers in pregnancies conceived through in vitro fertilization.

Objective: Pregnancies that have been conceived through in vitro fertilization (IVF) have been associated with higher rates of preeclampsia and other complications that are associated with placental dysfunction. We evaluated whether IVF pregnancies, when compared with those conceived spontaneously, would be associated with alterations in serum angiogenic markers.

Study Design: This was a retrospective cohort study from 3 US academic institutions (2006-2008).

Surgical Apgar Score and prediction of morbidity in women undergoing hysterectomy for malignancy.

Objective: To validate whether Surgical Apgar Score can predict post-operative morbidity in patients undergoing hysterectomies for malignancies.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of consecutive hysterectomies performed for cancer at a single academic institution between 2008 and 2010. The Surgical Apgar Score (SAS) was derived as previously reported.

Food deprivation explains effects of mouthbrooding on ovaries and steroid hormones, but not brain neuropeptide and receptor mRNAs, in an African cichlid fish.

Feeding behavior and reproduction are coordinately regulated by the brain via neurotransmitters, circulating hormones, and neuropeptides. Reduced feeding allows animals to engage in other behaviors important for fitness, including mating and parental care. Some fishes cease feeding for weeks at a time in order to provide care to their young by brooding them inside the male or female parent's mouth.

Identification of the major cysteine protease of Giardia and its role in encystation.

Giardia lamblia is a protozoan parasite and the earliest branching clade of eukaryota. The Giardia life cycle alternates between an asexually replicating vegetative form and an infectious cyst form. Encystation and excystation are crucial processes for the survival and transmission of Giardia.