Background:

In Sweden, diabetes prevalence is increasing in spite of unchanged incidence, indicating improved survival. In recent US studies mortality in diabetic subjects has decreased over three decades, but only in men. Our aim was to study mortality over time in diabetic subjects.

Methods:

The annual Swedish Living Conditions Survey from 1980 to 2004 has been record-linked to the Cause of Death Register in order to study trends in mortality risk for those reporting diabetes as a chronic illness. Survival and the relative mortality risk within 5 years of follow-up have been calculated for a random sample of men and women aged 40-84 years with (n=3,589) and without diabetes (n=85,685) for the period 1980 to 2004. Poisson regression models were used. Read more »

Last night’s gig was much welcomed after a long drought in Shanghai’s experimental/ indie electronic music scene (think DJ Krush back in December 2006), judging by the large turnout ready to party on a week night. Daedelus, outlandishly dandy as ever with massive sideburns (that would do well to give Gaz Coombes a run for his money), certainly did not disappoint.

He started off his set with pop-infused electronica then improvised onward to harder sounding, experimental abstract beats. For those who were lucky enough to squeeze to the front, it was certainly fun watching him work the Monomes. Thumbs up to new party organizers on the block, Leonardo and Katrina who brought Daedelus in. Mark your calenders, their second event takes place Oct. 9 at The Shelter featuring Aussie instrumental hip hop duo, Hermitude.

There is an image gallery to this entry which you can view at Shanghaiist

Considering our proximity to Hong Kong, mediocre Cantonese cuisine seems to be the rule of thumb around here. ??? (“tea canteens”) in the true Hong Kong fashion are few and far between while the better of dim sum restaurants are so crowded that by the time you secure a table, the Shanghai Expo would have come and gone.

In our selfless aim to find good dim sum, at least on this side of the Huangpu, we’ve pounded the pavements but didn’t get very far due to sheer laziness. That, and we found two such convenient restaurants in the newly opened Shanghai Bay.

First off, Shanghai Bay is an open air-concept mall located along Zhangyang Lu, occupying a whole block between Pudong Nan Lu and Pucheng Lu. It has a large sweeping roof that curves upwards, and at night, pillars that line the building on one side, are lit up with twinkling blue lights.

Queen MudanTing (“Peony Pavilion”) is a welcoming, modern-looking restaurant which serves, in our opinion, consistently authentic Cantonese dishes. The interior is bright and cheerful; one side is a long mosaic-tiled wall of pink peonies (reflecting its theme), the other is top-to-bottom glass giving you a glimpse of shopper traffic. The al fresco dining space will be highly coveted once the weather cools.

Thanks to a great Guangdong chef, dim sum classics are all present and as we’ve eaten about 80% of the menu, we can assure you, most dishes are very palatable. What we enjoy are their traditional Cantonese double-boiled soups (nutritious and rich), comforting wonton noodles, especially paired with BBQ Roast Pork (gleaming and fatty), and even small platters of Suckling Pig (only available on weekends).

The only complaint we have is the chili sauce they use. This vital condiment can make or break a meal, and in our case, we’ve debated this with the seriousness of a PhD dissertation. Verdict: Acceptable but if the restaurant manager is reading this; my advice is to stick to the traditional chili oils they use in Hong Kong.

Accompany your meal with a carafe of refreshing brown sugarcane juice and you may live to bake in the sun yet another day. Expect to pay between RMB80 to 100 a head, and even more if you’re hungry.

On the more casual end of the culinary spectrum, is the dining section of Cashbox Party World, the 24 hour karaoke entertainment outfit, located in the basement of Shanghai Bay. The diner does brisk business, offering cheap, cheerful and rather tasty Cantonese cuisine (menu similar to those mentioned above) as well as other Shanghai snack favorites. The BBQ Roast Pork is a crowd-pleaser apparently, a reason why many are willing to put up with the garish Versailles mini-fountain and pianist playing Celine Dion music. Be warned, there are some duds buried in the menu, one being the Crispy Seafood noodles which taste like strips of rubber, accented by elastic cuttlefish. According to our incredibly scientific poll amongst friends who live to eat, the quality of Cashbox food differs by locations. If you find our claims false, email us and we won’t send you a refund. Order RMB50 and more, and delivery (within a reasonable distance) is free.

???
Shanghai Bay
No. 1138 South Pudong Road
1138??????
Shanghai 200120

?????133? 1/F
Queen Mudanting, No. 133
Tel: 5877 7297

?????
Cashbox Party World, Basement
Tel: 6859 8333

The Economist has issued its latest Big Mac Index which uses the price of McDonald’s hamburgers to compare international currencies. The fast food dish is a funny but apt international measuring stick, since its 31,000 stores in 119 countries make it a widespread global phenomenon. But all those burgers are telling essentially the same story, at least as it relates to China: the yuan is severely undervalued. That might be bad for foreign economic competition, but it’s good for us — the Chinese burger, at $1.41, is the second most affordable in the world, beat out by India for the cheapest spot by a single cent. And people wonder where the Chinese obesity epidemic comes from.

Photo from The Economist.com

The makers of kid’s movies today seem to understand that parents will be watching these movies with their children.  They have mercifully made these kid’s movies with enough humor that even an adult can appreciate.  Unfortunately for parents they will not have to view these movies just one or even two times, but most likely several thousand times each and every day.  Just how do parents muster the same enthusiasm every time their child pulls out the beloved DVD?

Every parent knows that when a kid becomes entranced by a movie they want to view it every chance they get.  They learn the lines by heart, can sing along with every song, and sometimes quote from the movie in real life situations.  I have personally found myself singing Hakuna Matata while washing dishes.

Read more »

Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey probably has one thing to say to Yao Ming right now: Shut up.

The Houston Chronicle reported earlier this week that the Rockets were going to acquire forward Ron Artest from the Sacramento Kings, bringing a much-needed scoring threat and a strong defensive presence to help Yao and Tracy McGrady.

Yao should have a simple response to a trade for a proven veteran who would give the Rockets one of the NBA’s best trios and a shot at an NBA title: “Good move. I can’t wait to play with him.” Leave the speculating about Artest’s past to the media.

But when Yao got word of the trade in Nanjing, where he is getting warmed up for the Olympics with the Chinese national team, he didn’t sound too excited. Artest has been involved in some controversial situations, most famously a brawl four years ago at the Palace of Auburn Hills in a game against the Detroit Pistons, which resulted in Artest getting the longest ever NBA suspension for an in-game fight.

Apparently the fighting has Yao concerned. Here are his widely reported comments from Wednesday: Read more »