Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) which include acetate (C2), propionate (C3) and butyrate (C4) are important, health-benefiting metabolites, produced when microbes in the human colon ferment polysaccharides and dietary fiber. Medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs), such as caproate (C6) and caprylate (C8), have also been shown to provide health benefits and...

Issues concerning environmental and human health are often dynamic and multifaceted; requiring more rapid and comprehensive methods for data acquisition to help with formulating a strategic or diagnostic approach. Ion chromatography is a common technique to quantify anions in aqueous matrices. However, quantifying multiple anions for a diverse range...

Hexavalent Chromium is used in industrial processes and is a known toxic, mutagenic and carcinogenic pollutant. Widespread contamination and high solubility necessitate a simple method for Cr (VI) determination at parts per billion concentrations. The maximum allowable limit for Cr (VI) in groundwater and drinking water, as set by the World Health Organization,...

Obesity is epidemic in the United States, and it is increasingly a problem in much of the developed world. The health care costs associated with obesity and obesity-related diseases are a significant and increasing fraction of total healthcare spending. Currently, the most effective means to reverse obesity is surgical intervention: gastric bypass...