Effect of intensive glucose lowering treatment on all cause mortality, cardiovascular death, and microvascular events in type 2 diabetes: meta-analysis of randomised controlled trial


The overall results of this meta-analysis show limited benefits of intensive glucose lowering treatment on all cause mortality and deaths from cardiovascular causes. We cannot exclude a 9% reduction or a 19% increase in all cause mortality and a 14% reduction or a 43% increase in cardiovascular death. The benefit:risk ratio of intensive glucose lowering treatment in the prevention of macrovascular and microvascular events remains uncertain. The harm associated with severe hypoglycaemia might counterbalance the potential benefit of intensive glucose lowering treatment. More double blind randomised controlled trials are needed to establish the best therapeutic approach in people with type 2 diabetes.

Freeware of Mapping; how to create and upload free maps/free custom maps/free POIs on GPS devices?

Freeware of Mapping; how to create and upload free maps/free custom maps/free POIs on GPS devices?

Here is the overview of Garmin Custom Maps from Garmin.

Free software:

• Mobile Atlas Creator is an excellent open source (GPL) program which creates offline atlases for GPS handhelds and cell phone applications. Starting from v1.9 beta 2, it remove all map sources that are not basing on OpenStreetMap data because of conflicting with map providers. A few words about Custom Map Sources for MOBAC. You may download a copy of MOBAC 1.9 beta 1 here by BpACKer.
• Terra Incognita is a mapping tool with a range of features and functions. You can use this program to download web source maps or local files maps and generate OziExplorer, Kmz, JNX, GPSdash or TrekBuddy calibrated map file.
• ExifTool is a very powerful tool for editing meta information in image, audio, and video files. Exiftool GUI is a GUI for ExifTool. For geotagging a group of photos without any tracking information. ExifMixer is an another great GUI for ExifTool, it's good to change Exif in batch. 
• GPXSee is a GPS log file viewer and analyzer that supports GPX, TCX, KML, FIT, IGC, NMEA and OziExplorer files.
• Google Trail: a fascinating freeware converts Google,Yahoo Map, Openstreet Map, Cloudemate, or Bing maps into Garmin Custom Maps intuitively. It is simple and works like a charm, though it doesn't have as many features as Mobile Atlas Creator and OkMap.
• GPSMapEdit is designed for visual authoring of GPS-maps in various cartographic formats
• GPS Visualizer is a free online powerful GPS and mapping tool.
• GPX Editor is a must-having good program for loading, modifying and saving your GPX 1.1 files.
• ITN Converter is a great small freeware; it is a good one on both converting different formats and planning route simple and efficient.
• GpsPrune is an application for viewing, editing and converting coordinate data from GPS systems. 
• I use Picasa and Google Earth, or Lorc GPS Photo (the file size is much smaller). However, when I have tracking information downloaded from a GPS receiver, I usually use GeoSetter to geotag my photos taken along the trail. You can download GeoSetter Beta here.
• OkMap is an interactive software which allows you to work on your computer screen with digital maps that you have either bought or scanned.It downloads and saving maps from Google Maps with automatic calibration. It generates compatible "Garmin Custom Maps" (kmz format). OkMap also supports JNX file format since version 9.7.0.
• Viking is a free/open source program to manage GPS data. You can import and plot tracks and waypoints, show OpenStreetMap, Terraserver, Bing Aerial and other maps in it, download geocaches for an area on the map, make new tracks and waypoints, see real-time GPS position, etc.
• GPSBable is good at converting waypoints, tracks, and routes between popular GPS receivers and mapping programs. I also install EasyGPS, a data transfer from your GPS receivers and computer, for a quick view of my downloaded waypoints, routes, and tracks.
• How to create/plan route for a GPS Unit?You can use the BaseCamp, a powerful but big freeware from Garmin, to create routes, waypoints, and tracks. Here are some training videos.
• MapSetToolkit generates TDB files for Mapsource and TDB files which will supports file TYP.
• DNRGPS is built to transfer data between Garmin handheld GPS receivers and GIS software.

Tips:

• How to Convert Google Maps Direction into GPX file
• A few words about Custom Map Sources for MOBAC
• GPSFileDepot is a great source for GPS files including custom maps, custom points of interest, ximage hosting, articles, tutorials, and tools. If you don't have the topo maps on your Garmin GPSMAP, you can just use the maps on GPSFileDepot. Some maps  even better than Garmin's maps. A lot of thanks to GPSFileDepot and also to Garmin company for its mercy of letting us to use these free maps on Garmin GPS units. This is a excellent combination of great but expensive GPS units and free maps. Now I don't need necessary buy a GPS units with a installed topo map from other companies .
• Tip: How To Load Maps On My Garmin GPS Unit with BaseCamp
• Tip: How To Install MapSource If It Didn't Come With Your GPS
• Tip: How To Load Maps On My Garmin GPS Unit
• How to Load Maps Seperately on GPSMAP 62s: you need rename the file with name of 'gmapsupp.img' under the directory of 'Drive:\Garmin\' to a name with a '.img' extension. Then do the same for each extra mapset, using a different name with a '.img' extension. The GPSMAP 62 identifies any map file with an '.img' extension, but Mapsource creates a file named 'gmapsupp.img'.
• Tips: Garmin blogs - Trail Tech 
• BaseCamp views and organizes your maps, waypoints, routes, and tracks and send them to your Garmin device. MapSource plans and organizes trips with MapSource, computer software.
• Wiki Q & A about Garmin Custom Maps.
• How to Use GMapTool to combine multiple maps into one mapset file for Garmin GPS
• How to Use GMapTool with cGPSmapper to convert finalized gmapsupp.img back to MapSource maps (Use Gmaptool to install maps images in Mapsource)

Website for free tools and map images:

• GPS Visualizer is a free, easy-to-use online utility that creates maps and profiles from GPS data (tracks and waypoints, including GPX files), driving routes, street addresses, or simple coordinates. Use it to see where you've been, plan where you're going, or visualize geographic data.
• GPSFileDepot is a great source for GPS files including custom maps, custom points of interest, ximage hosting, articles, tutorials, and tools.
• Gmap-pedometer.com is a Web app designed to let you track the precise distance of your workouts, and track and log your activity.
• Libre Map Project is to aggregate and make digital maps and related GIS data available for Free.
• Free Topographic Maps from Anyplace America
• Free topo maps from USGS.
• National Park Service Maps
• Army Map Service Topographic Map Series
• Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection by UTAustin. You can find some China Maps.
• Natural Earth is a public domain map dataset available at 1:10m, 1:50m, and 1:110 million scales. Featuring tightly integrated vector and raster data, with Natural Earth you can make a variety of visually pleasing, well-crafted maps with cartography or GIS software.
• Pennsylvania Spatial Data Access (PASDA) is the official public access geospatial information clearinghouse for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
• MapCenter - a place where you can share your maps for Garmin GPS receivers and find maps created by other GPS enthusiasts from all over the world.

How to Create Custom Point of Interest (POI) for Garmin GPS

• Download Garmin's POI Loader
• Creating Custom POI Files.
• An informative article by Sam Penrod.
• POI-factory  is a place which GPS users get together to share locations and discussions with other GPS users since 2006.

Why the Color of Moon will Turn into Red During the Lunar Eclipse?


Video

  

The info on Wikipedia

A lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes behind the Earth so that the Earth blocks the Sun's rays from striking the Moon. This can occur only when the Sun, Earth, and Moon are aligned exactly, or very closely so, with the Earth in the middle. Hence, a lunar eclipse can only occur the night of a full moon. The type and length of an eclipse depend upon the Moon's location relative to its orbital nodes.

Unlike a solar eclipse, which can only be viewed from a certain relatively small area of the world, a lunar eclipse may be viewed from anywhere on the night side of the Earth. A lunar eclipse lasts for a few hours, whereas a total solar eclipse lasts for only a few minutes at any given place, due to the smaller size of the moon's shadow.

China Week | Tavis Smiley | PBS
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/tavissmiley/features/china/

For five nights, July 11-15, 2011, Tavis brings you stories from the People's Republic of China. Taped in Beijing and Shanghai, the series examines the growing superpower's economic boom and its challenges, including the complexity of U.S.-China relations.

HDL: Keep Aiming High?

On April 25, 2011, the AIM-High study, a trial of high-dose extended-release niacin (Niaspan) added to a statin in 3000 patients with a history of cardiovascular disease, high triglyceride levels, and low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), was halted 18 months early because niacin offered no additional benefits over statin alone.[1] When the news was announced on May 26, 2011, the news media had a blast with this "negative" finding. Misinterpretation of the sound bites from this study has caused significant confusion and apprehension among patients and healthcare providers. What are we to make out of this report?

To fight obesity, even babies should exercise - Washington Times

"LONDON (AP) - In a new campaign against obesity, the British government issued guidelines on Monday saying that children under the age of 5 - including those who can't even walk yet - should exercise every day.

In its first such guidelines for children that young, the health department said kids under 5 who can walk should be physically active for at least three hours a day. Officials also said parents should reduce the amount of time such kids spend being sedentary while watching television or being strapped in a stroller.

The three hours of activity should be spread throughout the day. Officials said the children's daily dose of exercise is likely to be met simply through playing but could also include activities such as walking to school.

For babies who can't walk yet, the government said physical activity should be encouraged from birth, including infants playing on their stomachs or having swimming sessions with their parents. The government said children's individual physical and mental abilities should be considered when interpreting the advice.

"It's vital that parents introduce children to fun and physically active pastimes to help prevent them becoming obese children, who are likely to become obese adults at risk of heart disease, diabetes and some cancers," Maura Gillespie, head of policy and advocacy at the British Heart Foundation, said in a statement."

International Diabetes Federation - Diabetes Atlas - Epidemiology and morbidity

http://www.idf.org/diabetesatlas

The art of scientific investigation (1957)

The art of scientific investigation (1957)

By: Beveridge, W. I. B. (William Ian Beardmore)

 

I read a Chinese version of this book (科学研究的艺术 or 科学之路) when I was a medical student. I cannot remember the exact content, but I thought it has affected my way of thinking so much in research. I'm always trying to find an English version to refresh my memory; it’s great to find it on the archive.org website for free.

“In The Art of Scientific Investigation, originally published in 1950, W.I.B. Beveridge explores the development of the intuitive side in scientists. The author's object is to show how the minds of humans can best be harnessed to the processes of scientific discovery. This book therefore centers on the "human factor"; the individual scientist. The book reveals the basic principles and mental techniques that are common to most types of investigation. Professor Beveridge discusses great discoveries and quotes the experiences of numerous scientists.” – Amazon.com

“The virtue of Mr. Breveridge’s book is that it is not dogmatic. A free and universal mind looks at scientific investigation as a creative art. This well written book deserves a wide audience. Manu of the author’s statements deserve to be quoted in every treatise on the psychology and practice of research.” –The New York Times

“It is altogether gratifying when a scientific researcher undertakes to raise the mysterious certain of science... exposing his research activities and those of his fellow-scientists. The book is well worth reading.” –The Scientific Monthly

“The author has a knack of putting into words what most experimenters sooner or later come to realize in a dim way, and it is extraordinarily interesting to see so much of the lore of research set down in print…The research worker - of whatever vintage - cannot do better than read this book, and, having read it, read it again.” – A. S. Parkes, F.R.S., in Nature

Measured Smoking-Related Chemicals in NHANES

Cotinine in Serum Cotinine file

2,5-dimethylfuran in Volatile Organic Compounds in Blood and Water file

Cotinine: Tobacco use is the most important preventable cause of premature morbidity and mortality in the United States. The consequences of smoking and of using smokeless tobacco products are well known and include an increased risk for several types of cancer, emphysema, acute respiratory illness, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and various other disorders (U.S. DHHS, 2006). Persons exposed to secondhand tobacco smoke (environmental tobacco smoke [ETS]) may have adverse health effects that include lung cancer and coronary heart disease; maternal exposure during pregnancy can result in lower birth weight. Children exposed to ETS are at increased risk for sudden infant death syndrome, acute respiratory infections, ear problems, and exacerbated asthma (U.S. DHHS, 2004). The smoke produced by burning tobacco contains at least 250 chemicals that are toxic or carcinogenic, and more than 50 compounds present in ETS are known or reasonably anticipated to be human carcinogens (NTP, 2004). Source: http://www.cdc.gov/exposurereport/chemical_information.html

2,5-Dimethylfuran:  2,5-Dimethylfuran is a volatile chemical found in tobacco smoke (Baggett et al., 1974) and in roasted coffee aroma (Wang et al., 1983). Exposure among the general population may occur through inhaling cigarette smoke and coffee aroma. 2,5-Dimethylfuran in blood and exhaled air has been used to determine smoking status (Ashley et al., 1996; Gordon et al., 2002; Perbellini et al., 2003). In addition, levels of 2,5-dimethylfuran found in blood provide a rough estimate of the number of cigarettes smoked per day (Ashley et al., 1995, 1996). After a person smokes cigarettes, 2,5-dimethylfuran is absorbed from the respiratory tract and then rapidly eliminated from the blood (Egle and Gochberg, 1979; Gordon et al., 2002). 2,5-Dimethylfuran is also a human urinary metabolite of n-hexane. Workers exposed to n-hexane will eliminate 2,5-dimethylfuran, along with other metabolites, in their urine (ATSDR, 2007; Iwata et al., 1983; Mutti et al., 1984; Perbellini et al., 1981). Source: http://www.cdc.gov/exposurereport/chemical_information.html

Articles: 

• Trends in the Exposure of Nonsmokers in the US Population to Secondhand Smoke: 1988-2002. 
• Optimal Serum Cotinine Levels for Distinguishing Cigarette Smokers and Nonsmokers Within Different Racial/Ethnic Groups in the United States Between 1999 and 2004. 
• Blood Cotinine Level 
• CDC report: Fourth National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals Executive Summary Department of (2009) 

Global Burden of Disease and Risk Factors
Source: Disease Control Priorities Project

The Global Burden of Disease and Risk Factors is the definitive, scientific account of the health conditions of the world's population at the beginning of the 21st century. This book includes a full account of methods, the complete results of recent work, and an assessment of trends for total mortality and for major causes of death among children under five. In addition, two chapters cover sensitivity and uncertainty analyses in relation to a broad range of potentially important parameters.

Scientific Communication

Scientific Communication/Presentation

• The Leek group guide to giving talks
• Blog: How to organizing a scientific meeting
• Blog: Writing, speaking, and reading
• Advice on designing scientific posters
• NCI: Making Data Talk: A Workbook
• Guides to giving good scientific talks  The Art of Scientific Presentations
• Ten Secrets to Giving a Good Scientific Talk
• Lifehack: 18 Tips for Killer Presentations - Scott H Young
• Wild: Early Statistical Inferences: The Eyes Have It (pdf)

CDC - National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals

The Fourth National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals 2009 and the Updated Tables, February 2011, together are the most comprehensive assessment of environmental chemical exposure in the U.S. population. Since 1999, CDC has measured 219 chemicals in people's blood or urine. The Fourth Report, 2009, includes the findings from national samples for 1999-2000, 2001-2002, and 2003-2004.
The blood and urine samples were collected from participants in CDC's National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), which obtains and releases health-related data from a nationally representative sample in two-year cycles.

Small Area Estimation for Survey Data Analysis Using SAS® Software

Abstract: Small area estimation is important in survey analysis when domain (subpopulation) sample sizes are too small to provide adequate precision for direct domain estimators. Popular techniques for small area estimation use implicit or explicit statistical models to indirectly estimate the small area parameters of interest. Indirect estimation requires you to go beyond the survey data analysis methods that are available in the SAS/STAT® survey procedures. This paper describes the use of the MIXED, IML, and MCMC procedures to fit unit-level and area-level models, and to obtain small area predictions and the mean squared error of predictions. Hierarchical Bayes models are also discussed as extensions to the basic models.

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Car ratings, pictures, and reviews

• Best Car, Truck and SUV ratings, pictures, and reviews from U.S. News.
• Edmunds.com.
• Kelley Blue Book.
• Cars.com.

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.

 Dietary Supplements & Herbal Information

• United States Department of Agriculture (USDA): Dietary supplement  and Herbal information.
• NIH: Medlineplus drugs, herbs and supplements.
• American Botanical Council.
• Mayo Clinic drug info.
• Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
• HolisticOnLIne allows you to search our Herb Knowledgebase based on the scientific name of the herbs or by the common names used.
• Herb Research Foundation.
• Goji - Wolfberry - 枸杞
• Wikipedia. article
• Lingzhi mushroom - Reishi - 灵芝
• Wikipedia article
• Reishi Mushroom by  Dr. Gilbert Ng, original article on Geocities before 2009
• Magic Mushroom by Mr. Suketu Desai of India
• Trametes versicolor,Coriolus versicolor Polyporus versicolor - Turkey Tail -  雲芝
• Paul Stamets at TEDMED 2011: Paul Stamets: 6 ways mushrooms can save the world.
• Paul Stamets (2012) Turkey tail mushrooms help immune system fight cancer
• Can Mushrooms Help the Immune System Fight Cancer? Interview With Paul Stamets, Mycologist. (about Paul Stamets)
• A Wikipedia articles: Trametes versicolor,  雲芝
• Apricot Seed and Vitamin 17 -  杏/苦杏仁苷
• Amygdalin - Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
• Apricot,  杏, Apricot kernel, Vitamin 17, 苦杏仁苷 - Wikipedia.com
• Stephen Krashen (2009) Are Apricot Kernels Toxic?
• 5 Things You Need to Know About Vitamin B 17 (Laetrile) by Ashley Rindsberg - Livestrong.com

Our Brains

• Articles on National Geographic Website.
• How your brain works on HowStuffWorks.com.
• Brain on Wikipedia. 
• Inside the Human Body – Building Your Brain  from Release TV:  Michael Mosley traces human development from birth to adulthood, exploring how a newborn makes sense of the world and revealing how many brain connections are lost between the ages of 11 and 20 as an essential part of growing up. Plus, Moken sea gypsy children who train themselves to see clearly underwater and a Vietnamese girl who 11 different languages.Source:LocateTv.com

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.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People^®
by Stephen R. Covey

• Habit 1 : Be Proactive
• Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind
• Habit 3: Put First Things First
• Habit 4: Think Win-Win
• Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood
• Habit 6: Synergize
• Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw

Other application of 7 Habit of Highly Effective People:

• The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens - Sean Covey
• 7-Habits of Highly Effective People with Diabetes - Bayer Diabetes Care
• Video: David Riklan explains the principals of Stephen Covey's 7 Habits of Highly

Duke 159^th (2011) Graduation Ceremony

Congratulations to all Dukers!!!  Go Duke and go Class of 2011!!!

You can watch video stream here:

• Baccalaureate May 13, 2011 4:30pm
• Duke University Commencement Excercises 2011

Commencement History