The interplay between gut microbiota, short-chain fatty acids, and implications for host health and disease.

Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) - acetate, propionate, and butyrate - are important bacterial fermentation metabolites regulating many important aspects of human physiology. Decreases in the concentrations of any or multiple SCFAs are associated with various detrimental effects to the host. Previous research has broadly focused on gut microbiome produced SCFAs as a group, with minimal distinction between acetate, propionate, and butyrate independently, each with significantly different host effects.

Prescriptive Authority for Direct Entry Midwives in Washington State: Increasing Client Access to Contraception.

Improving health and achieving health equity includes access to sexual and reproductive health care for all populations, especially those most in need. However, access to life-saving and life-affirming contraception with an individual's chosen perinatal provider can be impeded by restrictive regulations that limit scope and practice authority. This is especially true for the majority of community and direct entry midwives in the United States who have historically been unable to legally provide effective contraceptive methods.

Disparities in COVID-19 testing and outcomes among Asian American and Pacific Islanders: an observational study in a large health care system.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted racial and ethnic minorities in the United States, including Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders (Asian Americans and NH/PIs). However, few studies have highlighted nor disaggregated these disparities by Asian Americans and NH/PIs ethnic subgroups.

Methods: This retrospective, cross-sectional observational study aimed to assess variation of Asian Americans and NH/PIs COVID-19 testing and outcomes compared to non-Hispanic Whites (NHW).