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Category: science

10/31/10 03:35 - 43.ºF - ID#53042

Linkage Disequilibrium Tutorial

A guest messaged me to say:

Hey. I just wanted to say thank you for writing about how to read LD blocks. My teacher failed to mention the details and you have solidified what I thought was going on. Thank you again



How cool is that?! I am so glad at least one person found the post on how to interpret LD maps and blocks useful!


The post on how to interpret and read Linkage Disequilibrium maps and blocks:

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Permalink: Linkage_Disequilibrium_Tutorial.html
Words: 91
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 10/31/10 03:35


Category: science

10/26/10 12:26 - 61.ºF - ID#53013

Soda is the new cigarette

Back in the 1940s, this Phillip Morris advert interrupted TV programming and annoyed the heck out of people:

{Though why anyone would want to follow that creepy looking "doctor" in his rickety car just to see him smoking is beyond me... unless you are a shoddy-noir fan.}

Fast forward to 2010 and this is what is happening, quite literally, in our backyards.

::Download Flash Video::


From

We saw a similar disturbing story last year:


Full marks to whoever sees the ominous similarities here.

I was going to preach on pedantically about how the Center for Disease Control (and Prevention) -- CDC has come out with findings that show that 1 out of every 3 of us are going to get Type II diabetes in 2050 (1) and how eerily similar is the fact that, currently, 1 out of every 3 of us is clinically obese (2) - 5% of which is directly and squarely attributable to soft drinks, colas and other dodgy carbonated what-nots (3, 4). I was also going to throw in research findings about how sweetened beverages cause diabetes, metabolic syndrome (5), hypertension and cardiac diasease (6) and finally, how obesity and diabetes are increasingly being linked to an increased risk of cancer as well as poorer cancer-related outcomes (7, 8).

But I guess, we will all be cold in our comfy plus-size graves by then. So, I am just going to splash this post with some time-machine acccelerant and serve up the punchline from 2050.

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However, feel free to ignore this post and all the evidence and drink up those colas. Because you see, history does repeat itself and it will probably be 2050 before we will get to see the surgeon general's message on cola cans, pepsi cans and other members of this aggressively marketed ilk.

image


The full-text of all the references for the pedantically inclined:

1. The CDC diabetes prediction making news-waves: Boyle J et al. Projection of the year 2050 burden of diabetes in the US adult population: dynamic modeling of incidence, mortality, and prediabetes prevalence. Population Health Metrics. 2010;8(1):29+. Available from: . PDF Link:

2. The dramatic obesity charts, statistics and trends in the US:

3. National Cancer Institute's report on where all the excess energy-intake in the US population is coming from. PDF Link:

4. A systematic review of all the epidemiological studies, clinical trials, prospective studies and retrospective studies that have investigated the associations between obesity and the consumption of carbonated drinks (and yes, the vast majority of the reliable studies have very consistently damaging findings against cola): Woodward-Lopez G et al. To what extent have sweetened beverages contributed to the obesity epidemic? Public health nutrition. 2010 September;p. 1-11. Available from: . PDF Link: ::READ PDF::

5. Hu FB et. al. Sugar-sweetened beverages and risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes: Epidemiologic evidence. Physiology & Behavior. 2010 April;100(1):47-54. Available from: . PDF Link: ::READ PDF::

6. Chen L et. al. Reducing Consumption of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Is Associated With Reduced Blood Pressure: A Prospective Study Among United States Adults. Circulation. 2010 June;121(22):2398-2406. Available from: . PDF Link: ::READ PDF::

7. Renehan AG et. al. Interpreting the epidemiological evidence linking obesity and cancer: A framework for population-attributable risk estimations in Europe. European Journal of Cancer. 2010 September;46(14):2581-2592. Available from: . PDF Link: ::READ PDF::

8. Pal SK et. al. Impact of Age, Sex, and Comorbidity on Cancer Therapy and Disease Progression. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2010 September;28(26):4086-4093. Available from: . PDF Link: ::READ PDF::
Bonus reading: The guide to healthy-eating from Harvard:

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Permalink: Soda_is_the_new_cigarette.html
Words: 690
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 10/26/10 12:36


Category: science

10/20/10 12:02 - 46.ºF - ID#52984

Did you know? (Facts against smoking.)

A recent debate on (e:dcoffee)'s journal - (e:dcoffee,52972) about smoking prompts me to remind everyone about how evil smoking actually is. Did you, for instance, know that:

Approximately, 30 percent of all cancer is caused directly by smoking. It is a risk factor for cancers of not only the lung, but also the larynx, the oral cavity, esophagus, bladder, kidney, pancreas, stomach and cervix.

And if that was not enough, 100% of Smokers inevitably end up with either emphysema or chronic bronchitis.

image

Admittedly, cancer is a rare disease, but 30% of all deaths due to cardiac disease is also directly attributable to smoking. Cardiac disease is the #1 killer in this country.

Children exposed to secondhand smoke in households are more likely to get asthma, chronic respiratory disease, middle ear infections and cardiac disease as adults, . More than a 3rd of all the children who have ever tried even one cigarette will become regular daily smokers before they leave high school.

US spends at least $100 billion every year for health care addressing smoking-related issues in its hospitals and clinics. The state makes payments of over $20 billion in smoking-caused Medicaid payments every year.

It is SO hard for me to sympathize when someone defiantly brings up smoking as an excusable recreational habit instead of feeling guilty about it. I just cannot see their point of view and maybe deep inside, don't want to. It is on par medically with all of the other hard drug addictions, simply because of the massive medical and financial impact it causes. As I write this, some MORON smoking in my building and hanging their cancer-sticks out their window is causing smoke to drift into my living space. You will excuse me if I feel this intense urge to go right up to them, scream in their face and choke them to death.


  • Blatant admission: All of this is completely plagiarized from various sources on the net. It is comforting to know that infinitely wiser people have arrived at these various damaging conclusions against smoking and that it is not some personal ill-supported propaganda of mine. Google each sentence on this blog and you will likely find a million peer-reviewed research documents in support.

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Permalink: Did_you_know_Facts_against_smoking_.html
Words: 369
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 10/20/10 12:20


Category: simple pliny

10/16/10 03:52 - 57.ºF - ID#52959

Sick of clutter.

My flat is in a dreadful state of preventable clutter and it's annoying! There is always this small corner in my flat that has a big laundry box with piled up papers, journals, books and whatnots. I am determined to get rid of that pile today. I really like the idea of a floor level "bookshelf".

image

My floors are not grey but they are due for a thorough cleaning and polish. It's been 7 months since I polished them last.
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Permalink: Sick_of_clutter_.html
Words: 81
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 10/16/10 03:54


Category: the odes

10/13/10 10:43 - 53.ºF - ID#52949

So what did you do today?

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And now I just want to sleep for 100 hours.
Good Night.

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Permalink: So_what_did_you_do_today_.html
Words: 14
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 10/13/10 10:43


Category: e:strip

10/10/10 08:27 - 59.ºF - ID#52932

The votes are in.

One of my three faithful readers thinks I sound like a super-boring, pedantic, self-aggrandizing and basically, obnoxiously patronizing prick on my blog.

image

Yes, thanks very much mum, for sharing all of that. Your honesty is refreshing.

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Permalink: The_votes_are_in_.html
Words: 38
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 10/10/10 08:27


Category: i-tech

10/09/10 09:58 - 55.ºF - ID#52923

Classmate Tablet

What I really want is this. The design screams "Education!!" - like no other tablet can.


Plus of course, I want to able to toss the laptop on my desk in moments of frustration and not have to repent later. And how cool is that 180 deg swivel camera?!

So instead of this conversation:

Me: Mum, it's snowing here!
M: Really?
Me: Yeah! Look! *Twist Twist*
{Major twisting, silent cords tangling and..}
Me: Damn! Sorry. Unfortunately I cracked my LCD screen with the power plug. Let's talk later.

I could have this one:

Me: Mum, it's snowing here!
M: Really?
Me: Yeah! Look! *Swivel Swivel*
M: That is lovely! Are you wearing a sweater? I hope you are wearing a muffler. Did you have some tea? Are you eating well ... or anything at all? I can clearly see your bones sticking out.
Looks like you have a cold...
Me: Wait. How can you see all that when you are looking at the snow?
M: Don't change the subject.
Me: Damn! Sorry. The connection is awful. Let's talk later.
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Permalink: Classmate_Tablet.html
Words: 179
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 10/09/10 10:13


Category: the odes

10/09/10 09:47 - 55.ºF - ID#52922

A little wicked wicket gate.

Completely annoyed with the new wicked wicker wicked gate that has sprung up blocking the small concrete path that leads around the LinNor building.
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It was the only way to avoid jumping over or falling into the gaping holes of construction all around the North, N.Pearl and Franklin intersection.

Which means I have one more fence I really want to learn to jump.
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And this time it's not even an option. I would rather jump this fence than strategize my way around and across a muddy slushy pit... and possibly fall in. The trouble is I am not sure jumping that fence is going to be easy to begin with, let alone jump with a long coat on or in the rain or snow - when that shortcut path REALLY helped. Damn you. LinNor.

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Permalink: A_little_wicked_wicket_gate_.html
Words: 139
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 10/09/10 09:52


Category: music

10/09/10 08:40 - 53.ºF - ID#52921

Hackwave

Totally digging Pronobozo's electronic-D&B masterpiece - Hackwave right now!
image
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Permalink: Hackwave.html
Words: 13
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 10/09/10 08:42


Category: the odes

10/09/10 08:20 - 53.ºF - ID#52920

Danbo

The Japanese have the weirdest obsession with crazy new toy concepts.

Meet Danbos.
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Look at the quality of these boxes! Makes Amazon.co.jp that much cooler.
image


-- Photos belong to Randy Santa-Ana
-- What in the world is a Danbo?
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Permalink: Danbo.html
Words: 57
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 10/09/10 08:20


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