A fast, fully validated GC-MS method using a simplified pretreatment for the quantification of short and branched chain fatty acids in human stool.

The study of short (SCFAs) and branched chain fatty acids (BCFAs) in human stool related to gastrointestinal diseases, gut microbiota, metabolism, and diet has dramatically increased. As a result, a fast, reliable method with minimal pretreatment is needed for quantification of these metabolites (acetic, propionic, isobutyric, butyric, isovaleric, valeric, and caproic acid) in stool. Therefore, a GC-MS method meeting this criterion was developed.

Outcomes following robot-assisted versus laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy: the New York State experience.

Introduction: Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) represents more than half of all bariatric procedures in the USA, and robot-assisted sleeve gastrectomy (RSG) is becoming increasingly common. There is a paucity of evidence regarding postoperative surgical outcomes (> 30 days) in RSG patients, especially as these patients move between multiple hospital systems.

Methods: Using 2012-2018 New York State's inpatient and ambulatory data from the Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System, bivariate and multivariate analyses were employed to examine patient long-term outcomes, postoperative complications, and charges following RSG versus LSG in unmatched and propensity score-matched (PSM) samples.

Two Fifth-Generation Fighter Pilots Discovered with Latent Autoimmune Diabetes.

Fighter pilots undergo extensive medical screening but may still miss rare diseases like latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA). LADA patients have circulating autoantibodies directed against pancreatic beta cell antigens and present with frank diabetes late in life which may elude conventional military flight screening. Two fifth-generation fighter pilots, a 38-yr-old man (patient 1) and a 27-yr-old man (patient 2), with no significant past medical histories developed symptoms of fatigue, weight loss, episodic polyuria, and arthralgia.

Is New York State good at managing hollow viscus injury?

Background: There are an estimated 100,000 cases of abdominal injury (ABI) in the USA, annually resulting in over $12 billion in direct medical cost and $18 billion in lost productivity. This study assesses the timeliness, safety, and efficacy of the surgical management of abdominal injuries (ABIs), hollow viscus injuries (HVIs), and colonic injuries (CIs) for patients residing in New York State (NYS).

Methods: Using data from NYS's Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS), we identified all trauma patients with ABI admitted between 2006 and 2015.

Monolithic Approach for Next-Generation Aircraft Design Considering Airline Operations and Economics.

Traditional approaches to design and optimization of a new system often use a system-centric objective that does not consider how the operator will use this new system alongside other existing systems. When the new system design is incorporated into the broader group of systems, the performance of the operator-level objective can be sub-optimal due to the unmodeled interaction between the new system and the other systems. Among the few available references that describe attempts to address this disconnect, most follow an MDO-motivated sequential decomposition approach of first designing an optimal system and then providing this system to the operator who decides the best way to use this new system along with the existing systems.

Evaluation of the Pig-Tailed Macaque (Macaca nemestrina) as a Model of Human Staphylococcus aureus Nasal Carriage.

nasal carriage is a common condition affecting both healthy and immunocompromised populations and provides a reservoir for dissemination of potentially infectious strains by casual contact. The factors regulating the onset and duration of nasal colonization are mostly unknown, and a human-relevant animal model is needed. Here, we screened 17 pig-tailed macaques () for carriage, and 14 of 17 animals tested positive in the nose at one or both screening sessions (8 weeks apart), while the other 3 animals were negative in the nose but positive in the pharynx at least once.

Electronic Brief Intervention and Text Messaging for Marijuana Use During Pregnancy: Initial Acceptability of Patients and Providers.

Background: Marijuana is the most widely used illicit substance during pregnancy. Technology-delivered brief interventions and text messaging have shown promise in general and pregnant samples but have not yet been applied to marijuana use in pregnancy.

Objective: The objective of the study was to evaluate, among pregnant women and prenatal care providers, the acceptability of an electronic brief intervention and text messaging plan for marijuana use in pregnancy.