Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Car ratings, pictures, and reviews
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Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Life expectancy in most US counties falls behind world's healthiest nations
by Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation

The most current county-level analysis finds large disparities nationwide. Women fare worse than men, and people in Appalachia, the Deep South, and Northern Texas live the shortest lives.
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Thursday, June 02, 2011

 Dietary Supplements & Herbal Information



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Friday, May 27, 2011

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Friday, May 20, 2011

A top-down approach to diabetes

The Lancet, Volume 377, Issue 9779, Page 1720, 21 May 2011
On May 10, the UK's National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence published its new guidance on the prevention of type 2 diabetes in adults. The guidance focuses on population-level and community-level interventions in high-risk groups and the general population. The groups at high risk include certain ethnic communities (south Asian, black, and Chinese) and lower socioeconomic groups (people in unskilled jobs), in addition to individuals who are obese or overweight and those who are not physically active. Of the ethnic communities in the UK at greater risk, people of south Asian origin are up to six times more likely to have the disease than white individuals. Also, people from lower socioeconomic groups are three and a half times more likely to develop ill health from the disease than groups with higher incomes.
The guidance makes 11 recommendations, mostly on how commissioners and providers of public health services can best convey messages to promote behaviours that reduce diabetes and associated harms. The key, although unsurprising, recommendations are the promotion of healthy diets and physical activity. Promoting healthy eating is to include working with food manufacturers and caterers to reduce the calorie, saturated fat, and salt content of foods, and working with retailers on price structure, labelling, and promotion to encourage healthier diets. Promoting physical activity is to centre on planning regulations and transport policy. Measures relating to ethnic and socioeconomic groups include the provision of information in appropriate languages and through so-called community champions, and ensuring that all measures are affordable to individuals.
Ultimately, the successful implementation of this guidance will need the cooperation of many parties, but the involvement of commercial partners must not be used to shift responsibility away from providers of public health. And success will also rely on engaging the communities that have been neglected so far. Although the recommendations might seem straightforward, they are long overdue and, if implemented, will powerfully affect public health beyond just diabetes.


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Tuesday, May 17, 2011

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People®
by Stephen R. Covey
Other application of 7 Habit of Highly Effective People:
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Monday, May 16, 2011


Duke 159th (2011) Graduation Ceremony

Congratulations to all Dukers!!!  Go Duke and go Class of 2011!!!
You can watch video stream here:
Commencement History
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Wednesday, May 11, 2011


Helping your child master these simple rules of etiquette will get him noticed -- for all the right reasons. By David Lowry, Ph.D.Your child's rude 'tude isn't always intentional. Sometimes kids just don't realize it's impolite to interrupt, pick their nose, or loudly observe that the lady walking in front of them has a large behind. And in the hustle and bustle of daily life, busy moms and dads don't always have the time to focus on etiquette. But if you reinforce these 25 must-do manners, you'll raise a polite, kind, well-liked child.
  • Manner #1: When asking for something, say "Please."
  • Manner #2: When receiving something, say "Thank you." Related: Kid-Made Thank You Notes
  • Manner #3: Do not interrupt grown-ups who are speaking with each other unless there is an emergency. They will notice you and respond when they are finished talking.
  • Manner #4: If you do need to get somebody's attention right away, the phrase "excuse me" is the most polite way for you to enter the conversation.
  • Manner #5: When you have any doubt about doing something, ask permission first. It can save you from many hours of grief later.
  • Manner #6: The world is not interested in what you dislike. Keep negative opinions to yourself, or between you and your friends, and out of earshot of adults.
  • Manner #7: Do not comment on other people's physical characteristics unless, of course, it's to compliment them, which is always welcome. Related: Raise Polite Kids
  • Manner #8: When people ask you how you are, tell them and then ask them how they are.
  • Manner #9: When you have spent time at your friend's house, remember to thank his or her parents for having you over and for the good time you had.
  • Manner #10: Knock on closed doors -- and wait to see if there's a response -- before entering.
  • Manner #11: When you make a phone call, introduce yourself first and then ask if you can speak with the person you are calling.
  • Manner #12: Be appreciative and say "thank you" for any gift you receive. In the age of e-mail, a handwritten thank-you note can have a powerful effect.Related: Print and Color Cards for Birthdays, Thank-Yous and More!
  • Manner #13: Never use foul language in front of adults. Grown-ups already know all those words, and they find them boring and unpleasant.
  • Manner #14: Don't call people mean names.
  • Manner #15: Do not make fun of anyone for any reason. Teasing shows others you are weak, and ganging up on someone else is cruel. Related: Raise a Compassionate Kid
  • Manner #16: Even if a play or an assembly is boring, sit through it quietly and pretend that you are interested. The performers and presenters are doing their best.
  • Manner #17: If you bump into somebody, immediately say "Excuse me." Related: Quiz: What's Your Parenting Style?
  • Manner #18: Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze, and don't pick your nose in public. Related: How to Handle Inappropriate Behavior
  • Manner #19: As you walk through a door, look to see if you can hold it open for someone else.
  • Manner #20: If you come across a parent, a teacher, or a neighbor working on something, ask if you can help. If they say "yes," do so -- you may learn something new.
  • Manner #21: When an adult asks you for a favor, do it without grumbling and with a smile. Related: Use this Table-Setting Map as a Guide
  • Manner #22: When someone helps you, say "thank you." That person will likely want to help you again. This is especially true with teachers!
  • Manner #23: Use eating utensils properly. If you are unsure how to do so, ask your parents to teach you or watch what adults do. Related: Mrs. McVeigh Weighs in on Proper Utensil Use and More!
  • Manner #24: Keep a napkin on your lap; use it to wipe your mouth when necessary.
  • Manner #25: Don't reach for things at the table; ask to have them passed.

See more on teaching manners to your toddlers and preschoolers. Originally published in the March 2011 issue of Parents magazine.
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The full text is here. 
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Friday, May 06, 2011

Salt, Salt, Salt

There is discussion about salt and health during the last a few days. Some of them are thinking a re-think of CDC recommendation. I believe that salt is not our foe. The problem is that we take salt too much or too little. There are a few outlying persons who may need very low or very high level of salt consumption, but generally I feel the industries feed us too much salt, which is not good for our health. I have not read the salt recommendation and no comments on it, but I think that any recommendations on general population should be relaxing but not tight. A relaxing but doable recommendation is better than a radical but undoable/hurting recommendation.

Here are two articles discussed the this issue: one from New York Times (my favorite layman source of health related topics), one from the USA Today:
The original research article the reports talked is on JAMA: Fatal and Nonfatal Outcomes, Incidence of Hypertension, and Blood Pressure Changes in Relation to Urinary Sodium Excretion  (2011)

There are other articles about salt and health, here are two:
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Thursday, May 05, 2011

Two Articles
My Comments:

Is this another explanation of lower mortality rate of recent years? Alas, I am not sure whether a good thoughtful researcher can be a successful health promoter, if she/he wants to tell the whole story as a wholesome story.
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Monday, May 02, 2011


…“It’s another chapter in the ‘You can’t fool Mother Nature’ story,’ ” said Dr. Rudolph Leibel, an obesity researcher at Columbia University. …
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Omega-3 Levels in Seafood
a figure from NYTimes.com article Another Side of Tilapia, the Perfect Factory Fish

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Friday, April 29, 2011

Thoughts

We have all of these skills to do these analyses. I know the mission of Division/Branch, but sometimes I really miss the short-range specific targets of the Division/Branch. We may divide our time into to a few sections such as some for the major object/target of Branch, some for the interesting groups, and some for the personal creativity, etc. These activities have to be the object-orientated not the data- or survey-orientated; we can explore the issue from different angles using different resources.
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Thursday, April 28, 2011

Miscellaneous

Miscellaneous

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    Wednesday, April 27, 2011

    New High-Risk Criteria for CVD in Women

     A JAMA article 

    "... a paradigm shift from evidence based to effectiveness based,..."

    A Update of American Heart Association Guildeline: Effectiveness-Based Guidelines for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease in Women—2011 Update
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    Monday, April 18, 2011


    The CONSORT Statement Website
    CONSORT, which stands for Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials, encompasses various initiatives developed by the CONSORT Group to alleviate the problems arising from inadequate reporting of randomized controlled trials (RCTs).
    The main product of CONSORT is the CONSORT Statement, which is an evidence-based, minimum set of recommendations for reporting RCTs. It offers a standard way for authors to prepare reports of trial findings, facilitating their complete and transparent reporting, and aiding their critical appraisal and interpretation.
    The CONSORT Statement comprises a 25-item checklist and a flow diagram, along with some brief descriptive text. The checklist items focus on reporting how the trial was designed, analyzed, and interpreted; the flow diagram displays the progress of all participants through the trial.

    Considered an evolving document, the CONSORT Statement is subject to periodic changes as new evidence emerges. This website contains the current definitive version of the CONSORT Statement and up-to-date information on extensions.
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    Wednesday, April 13, 2011

    Is Sugar Toxic?
    An article from NYTimes.com

    Related video: Sugar: The Bitter Truth

    Robert H. Lustig, MD, UCSF Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology, explores the damage caused by sugary foods. He argues that fructose (too much) and fiber (not enough) appear to be cornerstones of the obesity epidemic through their effects on insulin. Series: UCSF Mini Medical School for the Public [7/2009] [Health and Medicine]
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    Tuesday, April 12, 2011


    Success Secrets - Keys to Tapping Your Own Potential
              Source: Fred Mayer

    Success is the business of trying to improve the things you do. Success is growing and developing. It's accepting bigger and greater challenges. And it begins with having a dream.
    "To find your dream, ask yourself what your passion or purpose is, and then pursue it," says Jeff Mayer, author of several books on succeeding in business and life. "After you have a well-defined purpose and know what you want to do, a master plan of action -- a business plan, if you will, for your future -- is essential. Finally, you must have persistence to stick with it and make it happen."

    What is success?

    Mr. Mayer has spent years studying the skills, talents and characteristics of successful people.
    "As you look at the list of talents and characteristics that follow, you'll realize you possess many of them yourself, and those that you lack, you can acquire," says Mayer.
    • Successful people have ambition. They want to accomplish something. "They have commitment, pride and self-discipline," he says. "They're willing to work hard and to go the extra mile."
    •  Successful people are strongly motivated toward achievement. "People who excel in life are those who produce results, not excuses," he says. "They take great satisfaction in accomplishing a task."
    •  Successful people are focused. They concentrate on their main goals and objectives, and they don't get sidetracked. "Successful people focus on those things that are most important day in and day out," he says. "As a result, they're not just busy, they're productive."
    •  Successful people learn how to get things done. They use their skills, talents, energies and knowledge to the fullest extent possible. They do the things that need to be done, not just the things they like to do.
    •  Successful people look for solutions to problems. "They are opportunity-minded," he says. "When they see opportunities, they take advantage of them."
    •  Successful people make decisions. They think about the issues and relevant facts, give them adequate deliberation and consideration, then make a decision. "Americans tend to be action-oriented, so the idea of spending work time thinking instead of working seems unproductive," says Mayer. "But thinking before you act or decide is essential."
    •  Successful people have the courage to admit they've made a mistake. "Don't waste a lot of time, energy, money and/or other resources trying to defend a mistake or bad decision," he says. "When you make a mistake, admit it, fix it and move on."
    •  Successful people are self-reliant. They have the skills, talents and training needed to be successful.
    •  Successful people have specific knowledge, training and/or skills and talents. "When they need information or skills they don't possess, they find someone who has them, then find a way to interact, partner and draw from the person's experience," Mayer says.
    •  Successful people work with and cooperate with other people. They have a positive, outgoing personality. They surround themselves with people who offer them help, support, and encouragement.
    •  Successful people are enthusiastic. They're excited by what they're doing, and their excitement is contagious. People want to work with them, do business with them and be with them. "It's easy to be enthusiastic if you like what you do," says Mayer. "And let's face it, life is too short not to like what you do for a living." 
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    Monday, April 11, 2011


    Guidelines for Reporting Observational & RCT Studies


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