Consulting Program by and for Older Detroiters.

This article profiles a program in Detroit, MI, funded by the National Institute on Aging, called the Michigan Center for African American Aging Research and its key offshoot the Healthier Black Elders Center (HBEC). Board members of its Community Advisory Board weigh in on key programming and offer perspectives and recommendations on health and social issues. The HBEC Consulting Program is a blend of formal volunteering and paid work through consulting fees.

African American health disparities in lung cancer.

Lung cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States and globally. African Americans experience significant differences in lung cancer incidence and mortality. Smoking is the single greatest risk for lung cancer, making smoking cessation programs a potentially fruitful approach for reducing the risk of lung cancer.

Hyperlipidemia-associated pancreatitis in pregnancy managed with fenofibrate.

Background: Pancreatitis is a concerning clinical event during pregnancy, with high morbidity and mortality rates for mother and fetus. Hypertriglyceridemia is considered a rare cause of pancreatitis in pregnancy, with the majority of reported cases being associated with the lipid metabolism disorders.

Case: We report on a case of hypertriglyceridemia-induced pancreatitis in a woman presenting at 32 weeks of gestational age.

Clinical course of symptomatic spontaneous pneumothorax in term and late preterm newborns: report from a large cohort.

The purpose of this observational study was to characterize the clinical course of newborn infants with spontaneous pneumothorax and to identify those infants who eventually required further interventions. We performed a retrospective review of newborns with symptomatic spontaneous pneumothorax, born between January 2002 and December 2007. Seventy-six infants ≥36 weeks' gestation were identified with symptomatic spontaneous pneumothorax.

Recombinase mediated cassette exchange into genomic targets using an adenovirus vector.

Recombinase mediated cassette exchange (RMCE) is a process in which site-specific recombinases exchange one gene cassette flanked by a pair of incompatible target sites for another cassette flanked by an identical pair of sites. Typically one cassette is present in the host genome, whereas the other gene cassette is introduced into the host cell by chemical or biological means. We show here that the frequency of cassette exchange is dependent on the relative and absolute quantities of the transgene cassette and the recombinase.

Gold nanoparticles for the improved anticancer drug delivery of the active component of oxaliplatin.

The platinum-based anticancer drugs cisplatin, carboplatin, and oxaliplatin are an important component of chemotherapy but are limited by severe dose-limiting side effects and the ability of tumors to develop resistance rapidly. These drugs can be improved through the use of drug-delivery vehicles that are able to target cancers passively or actively. In this study, we have tethered the active component of the anticancer drug oxaliplatin to a gold nanoparticle for improved drug delivery.

Indwelling catheter management: from habit-based to evidence-based practice.

Indwelling urinary catheters are used in the care of more than five million patients per year. Prevalence rates range from 4% in home care to 25% in acute care. Catheter-associated urinary tract infections account for more than 40% of all nosocomial infections and can be associated with significant complications.