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Diagnostic Accuracy of PET Tracers for the Differentiation of Tumor Progression from Treatment-Related Changes in High-Grade Glioma: A Systematic Review and Metaanalysis

Posttreatment high-grade gliomas are usually monitored with contrast-enhanced MRI, but its diagnostic accuracy is limited as it cannot adequately distinguish between true tumor progression and treatment-related changes. According to recent Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology recommendations, PET overcomes this limitation. However, it is currently unknown which tracer yields the best results. Therefore, a systematic review and metaanalysis were performed to compare the diagnostic accuracy of the different PET tracers in differentiating tumor progression from treatment-related changes in high-grade glioma patients. Methods: PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase were searched systematically. Study selection, data extraction, and quality assessment were performed independently by 2 authors. Metaanalysis was performed using a bivariate random-effects model when at least 5 studies were included. Results: The systematic review included 39 studies (11 tracers). 18F-FDG (12 studies, 171 lesions) showed a pooled sensitivity and specificity of 84% (95% confidence interval, 72%–92%) and 84% (95% confidence interval, 69%–93%), respectively. O-(2-18F-fluoroethyl)-l-tyrosine (18F-FET) (7 studies, 172 lesions) demonstrated a sensitivity of 90% (95% confidence interval, 81%–95%) and specificity of 85% (95% confidence interval, 71%–93%). For S-11C-methyl)-l-methionine (11C-MET) (8 studies, 151 lesions), sensitivity was 93% (95% confidence interval, 80%–98%) and specificity was 82% (95% confidence interval, 68%–91%). The numbers of included studies for the other tracers were too low to combine, but sensitivity and specificity ranged between 93%–100% and 0%–100%, respectively, for 18F-FLT; 85%–100% and 72%–100%, respectively, for 3,4-dihydroxy-6-18F-fluoro-l-phenylalanine (18F-FDOPA); and 100% and 70%–88%, respectively, for 11C-choline. Conclusion: 18F-FET and 11C-MET, both amino-acid tracers, showed a comparably higher sensitivity than 18F-FDG in the differentiation between tumor progression and treatment-related changes in high-grade glioma patients. The evidence for other tracers is limited; thus, 18F-FET and 11C-MET are preferred when available. Our results support the incorporation of amino-acid PET tracers for the treatment evaluation of high-grade gliomas.




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From the Literature




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Infectious diseases in children and adolescents in China: analysis of national surveillance data from 2008 to 2017




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Prevalence of diabetes recorded in mainland China using 2018 diagnostic criteria from the American Diabetes Association: national cross sectional study




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FTC puts Total gas market share at 30% - Sees no threat to competition from Epping deal

THE ACQUISITION of Epping resulted in Total Jamaica controlling nearly a third of the retail gasolene market, but that’s not enough to lessen competition, the Fair Trading Commission, FTC, has found. “The acquisition is unlikely to have either the...




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Virtual Breakfast: Engaging with the EU From the Outside: A Perspective From Norway

Invitation Only Research Event

24 April 2020 - 8:30am to 9:30am

Event participants

Niels Engelschiøn, Director-General, Department for European Affairs, Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Chair: Dr Robin Niblett, Director; Chief Executive, Chatham House

Please note this an online-only event.

Norway is one of the few European countries that remains outside of the European Union. After the country’s population rejected the prospect of joining the EU twice, Norway’s relationship with the Union has been based on its membership of the European Economic Area (EEA), alongside Iceland and Liechtenstein.

The ‘Norway Model’ was often mentioned in the run up to the Brexit vote as a possible basis for Britain’s future relationship with the bloc, not least because it offers the least disruption to the current arrangement. Equally, Norway is not subject to the EU fisheries policy - an anticipated major issue in the next phase of Brexit talks. Nor is it part of the EU Customs Union.

Even though Prime Minister Johnson has now ruled out the type of deep economic and regulatory integration with the EU that Norway enjoys through its EEA membership, the country’s experience can still offer valuable lessons for the UK as it prepares to exit the transition period at the end of 2020.

In this session, the speaker will share Norway’s experience as a long-standing EEA member and discuss the challenges of engaging with the EU from the outside. What lessons can Norway offer the UK ahead of the negotiations on the future of UK-EU relations? What are the limits of its current arrangement with the EU? And is there any appetite among the Norwegian population to revisit it?

Alina Lyadova

Europe Programme Coordinator




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Energy and Displacement in Eight Objects: Insights from Sub-Saharan Africa

5 November 2019

This ethnographic study is the first of its kind to analyse energy access and resilience strategies deployed in two refugee camps in Kenya and Burkina Faso. It highlights the need for new methodological approaches to expand the evidence base for humanitarian energy interventions and policies.

Owen Grafham

Manager, Energy, Environment and Resources Programme

Glada Lahn

Senior Research Fellow, Energy, Environment and Resources Programme

Jamie Cross

Senior Lecturer in Social Anthropology, University of Edinburgh

Megan Douglas

PhD Candidate in International Development, University of Edinburgh

Craig Martin

Reader in Design, University of Edinburgh.

Charlotte Ray

Research Associate, University of Loughborough

Arno Verhoeven

Lecturer in Design, University of Edinburgh

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Portable battery connected to a solar PV and used to recharge mobile phones and power a radio in Goudoubo Refugee camp (Burkina Faso). Photo: Edoardo Santangelo

In recent years, clean energy access for refugees and internally displaced people has emerged as a potential method of improving humanitarian outcomes and enabling self-reliance. While recent research emphasizes the need for more quantitative data to inform energy access interventions, better qualitative understanding would also improve innovation in this area.

This ethnographic study is the first of its kind to analyse energy access and resilience strategies deployed in two refugee camps, Kakuma in Kenya and Goudoubo in Burkina Faso. The stories of residents in these camps demonstrate the importance of considering everyday experiences of displaced people in developing sustainable humanitarian energy interventions.

This paper highlights the need for new methodological approaches to expand the evidence base for humanitarian energy interventions and policies. Future research could usefully inform humanitarian energy projects by examining the technical knowledge and existing practices of refugees in the design of energy technologies, systems and business models. Uptake and sustained use of new systems may be more likely where interventions build on or work in harmony with these factors.




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The Indo-Pacific: Geostrategic Outlook From Now to 2024 - Workshop 5

Invitation Only Research Event

18 February 2020 - 12:00pm to 4:30pm

Langafonua Centre

This roundtable explores possible strategic shifts in the Indo-Pacific between now and 2024. Focusing on trade security, climate change disruptions and security cooperation, it aims to enhance the understanding of the regional goals of, and strategic relationships between, the key countries active in the region.

The workshop is part of a larger project funded by the Strategic Policy Division of the Australian Department of Defence. The project includes workshops in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Japan, India and the Pacific Islands (Tonga).
 

Anna Aberg

Research Analyst, Energy, Environment and Resources Programme
020 7314 3629




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NHS increases efforts to recruit doctors from overseas




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Covid-19: Woman with terminal cancer should be released from care home to die with family, says judge




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Vanishing Frontiers: The Forces Driving Mexico and the United States Together

Marking the release of MPI President Andrew Selee's latest book, speakers explore emerging trends in migration, economic interdependence, technology innovation, and cultural exchange that are transforming the relationship between the United States and Mexico, and the policy implications of these changes for the future.




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Lack of Opportunities and Family Pressures Drive Unaccompanied Minor Migration from Albania to Italy

Faced with a lack of employment opportunities and recurrent poverty, Albanian youth migrate to Italy alone in the hopes of improving their educational prospects or making money for their families. Yet upon arrival, they face many vulnerabilities. While some protections for unaccompanied minors exist in the Italy, the system is greatly fragmented and challenges, including how to return them to Albania, remain persistent.




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Trends in Unaccompanied Child and Family Migration from Central America

This fact sheet uses U.S. and Mexican apprehensions data to trace the evolving trends in unaccompanied child and family migration from Central America through Mexico and to the United States, and discusses the push factors and pull factors responsible for the increase in flows seen in recent years, as well as the growing role of smuggling organizations.




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How Many Unauthorized Immigrants Graduate from U.S. High Schools Annually?

A high school diploma has been a core requirement of proposed DREAM Act legislation and the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Yet a fresh estimate of the number of unauthorized immigrants graduating annually from U.S. high schools has long been missing from the debate. This fact sheet provides up-to-date estimates for the United States and top 15 states, estimating 98,000 such students graduate yearly.




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Spheres of Exploitation: Thwarting Actors Who Profit from Illegal Labor, Domestic Servitude, and Sex Work

This report analyzes the exploitation of migrants in three spheres: the domestic care sector, the labor market, and the sex industry. It details several obstacles governments face in their efforts to weaken the "bad actors" that profit from exploitation, and shows how one of the biggest challenges facing law enforcement is that serious criminals and lawbreakers often operate on the edge of legality and exploit legal routes wherever possible.




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Labor Migration from Myanmar: Remittances, Reforms, and Challenges

Having emerged from a long era of military rule, Myanmar's leaders and many citizens are looking outward. In particular, with Burmese labor migration abroad on the rise, policymakers are examining ways in which to harness remittances as a vehicle for economic development, particularly in impoverished rural areas. This article explores Burmese labor migration flows, financial reforms, and challenges on migration and development.




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Mexican Migration Flows: From Great Wave to Gentle Stream?

This event focuses on the changing face of Mexican migration to the United States, Mexican immigrants' contributions to U.S. society and political and economic power, as well as that of those who have returned to Mexico.




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As Colombia Emerges from Decades of War, Migration Challenges Mount

Colombia has more internally displaced persons (IDPs) than any other country in the world, the result of a 52-year civil war. Beyond improving the lives of its 7.3 million IDPs, the country faces a number of crucial migration issues as it works to achieve stability in the wake of an historic peace accord signed in late 2016. This country profile examines historical trends and current and future migration challenges in Colombia.




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Emigration from Portugal: Old Wine in New Bottles?

While emigration increased after Portugal plunged into an economically turbulent period amid the global financial crisis, the country's image as the poster child for post-crisis outmigration may be misplaced. This report explores the scale, drivers, and impact of emigration from Portugal since the turn of the millennium, and examines how the country can stem emigration and promote the return of emigrants.




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Children on the Run: An Analysis of First-Hand Accounts from Children Fleeing Central America

This event with UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres includes a discussion on the state of citizen security in Central America and the resulting humanitarian impact, featuring findings from Children on the Run, a UNHCR report based on interviews with more than 400 unaccompanied children from the region.




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Regional Enforcement: A Profile of Migrants Deported from the United States and Mexico to the Northern Triangle

Marking the release of an MPI report, speakers on this webinar present an overview of regional immigration enforcement trends, including U.S. and Mexican apprehensions and deportations of both children and adults, along with a demographic, socioeconomic, and criminal profile of child and adult deportees.




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Migrants Deported from the United States and Mexico to the Northern Triangle: A Statistical and Socioeconomic Profile

This report examines the rising numbers of apprehensions and deportations of Central American children and adults by the United States and Mexico, and provides a demographic, socioeconomic, and criminal profile of deportees to El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. The report traces how rising Mexican enforcement is reshaping regional dynamics and perhaps ushering in changes to long-lasting trends in apprehensions.




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Regional Enforcement: A Profile of Migrants Deported from the United States and Mexico to the Northern Triangle

This webinar includes an overview of regional immigration enforcement trends, including U.S. and Mexican apprehensions and deportations of Central American migrants, along with a demographic, socioeconomic, and criminal profile of child and adult deportees.




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Vanishing Frontiers: The Forces Driving Mexico and the United States Together

Marking the release of MPI President Andrew Selee's book, this discussion explores the emerging trends in migration, economic interdependence, technology innovation, and cultural exchange that are transforming the relationship between the United States and Mexico.




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Screening for Glucose Perturbations and Risk Factor Management in Dysglycemic Patients With Coronary Artery Disease--A Persistent Challenge in Need of Substantial Improvement: A Report From ESC EORP EUROASPIRE V

OBJECTIVE

Dysglycemia, in this survey defined as impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) or type 2 diabetes, is common in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and associated with an unfavorable prognosis. This European survey investigated dysglycemia screening and risk factor management of patients with CAD in relation to standards of European guidelines for cardiovascular subjects.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

The European Society of Cardiology’s European Observational Research Programme (ESC EORP) European Action on Secondary and Primary Prevention by Intervention to Reduce Events (EUROASPIRE) V (2016–2017) included 8,261 CAD patients, aged 18–80 years, from 27 countries. If the glycemic state was unknown, patients underwent an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and measurement of glycated hemoglobin A1c. Lifestyle, risk factors, and pharmacological management were investigated.

RESULTS

A total of 2,452 patients (29.7%) had known diabetes. OGTT was performed in 4,440 patients with unknown glycemic state, of whom 41.1% were dysglycemic. Without the OGTT, 30% of patients with type 2 diabetes and 70% of those with IGT would not have been detected. The presence of dysglycemia almost doubled from that self-reported to the true proportion after screening. Only approximately one-third of all coronary patients had completely normal glucose metabolism. Of patients with known diabetes, 31% had been advised to attend a diabetes clinic, and only 24% attended. Only 58% of dysglycemic patients were prescribed all cardioprotective drugs, and use of sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (3%) or glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (1%) was small.

CONCLUSIONS

Urgent action is required for both screening and management of patients with CAD and dysglycemia, in the expectation of a substantial reduction in risk of further cardiovascular events and in complications of diabetes, as well as longer life expectancy.




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Dietary Nonheme, Heme, and Total Iron Intake and the Risk of Diabetes in Adults: Results From the China Health and Nutrition Survey

OBJECTIVE

Excessive iron intake has been linked to diabetes risk. However, the evidence is inconsistent. This study examined the association between dietary heme and nonheme iron intake and diabetes risk in the Chinese population.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

We included 17,026 adults (8,346 men and 8,680 women) who were part of the China Health and Nutrition Survey (1991–2015) prospective cohort. Dietary intake was measured by three consecutive 24-h dietary recalls combined with a household food inventory. Diabetes cases were identified through a questionnaire. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs.

RESULTS

A total of 547 men and 577 women developed diabetes during 202,138 person-years of follow-up. For men, the adjusted HRs (95% CIs) for quintiles of nonheme iron intake were 1.00, 0.77 (0.58–1.02), 0.72 (0.54–0.97), 0.63 (0.46–0.85), and 0.87 (0.64–1.19) (P-nonlinearity = 0.0015). The corresponding HRs (95% CIs) for women were 1.00, 0.63 (0.48–0.84), 0.57 (0.43–0.76), 0.58 (0.43–0.77), and 0.67 (0.49–0.91) (P-nonlinearity < 0.0001). The dose-response curves for the association between nonheme iron and total iron intake and diabetes followed a reverse J shape in men and an L shape in women. No significant associations were observed between heme iron intake and diabetes risk.

CONCLUSIONS

Total iron and nonheme iron intake was associated with diabetes risk, following a reverse J-shaped curve in men and an L-shaped curve in women. Sufficient intake of nonheme or total iron might be protective against diabetes, while excessive iron intake might increase the risk of diabetes among men.




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Diabetic Neuropathy Is a Substantial Burden in People With Type 1 Diabetes and Is Strongly Associated With Socioeconomic Disadvantage: A Population-Representative Study From Scotland

OBJECTIVE

To assess the contemporaneous prevalence of diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) in people with type 1 diabetes (T1D) in Scotland and study its cross-sectional association with risk factors and other diabetic complications.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

We analyzed data from a large representative sample of adults with T1D (N = 5,558). We assessed the presence of symptomatic neuropathy using the dichotomized (≥4) Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument Patient Questionnaire score. Logistic regression models were used to investigate associations between DPN and risk factors, as well as with other complications.

RESULTS

The burden of DPN is substantial with 13% prevalence overall. Adjusting for attained age, diabetes duration, and sex, the odds of DPN increased mainly with waist-to-hip ratio, lipids, poor glycemic control (odds ratio 1.51 [95% CI 1.21–1.89] for levels of 75 vs. 53 mmol/mol), ever versus never smoking (1.67 [1.37–2.03]), and worse renal function (1.96 [1.03–3.74] for estimated glomerular filtration rate levels <30 vs. ≥90 mL/min/1.73 m2). The odds significantly decreased with higher HDL cholesterol (0.77 [0.66–0.89] per mmol/L). Living in more deprived areas was associated with DPN (2.17 [1.78–2.65]) for more versus less deprived areas adjusted for other risk factors. Finally, individuals with prevalent DPN were much more likely than others to have other diabetes complications.

CONCLUSIONS

Diabetic neuropathy remains substantial, particularly affecting those in the most socioeconomically deprived groups. Those with clinically manifest neuropathy also have a higher burden of other complications and elevated levels of modifiable risk factors. These data suggest that there is considerable scope to reduce neuropathy rates and narrow the socioeconomic differential by better risk factor control.




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Man wins nearly $800,000 from lottery ticket bought by mistake

An Australian man who scored a lottery jackpot of nearly $800,000 said he bought his ticket by mistake while attempting to play a different drawing.




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Watch: Monkey enters bank kiosk in India, removes front panel of ATM

Police in India said officers suspecting thieves were behind the damage to an ATM in a bank kiosk reviewed security camera footage and discovered the machine had been partially disassembled by a curious monkey.




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Arizona firefighters rescue puppy from deep hole at construction site

Firefighters in Arizona came to the rescue of a puppy that plunged into a 15-foot-deep hole at a construction site.




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Police, public works employees rescue deer from soccer net

Police and public works employees in Wisconsin came to the rescue of a deer that found itself struggling to escape a soccer net.




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Look: Dangling raccoon rescued from under California highway on-ramp

Animal rescuers in California said they reached over the side of a freeway on-ramp to rescue a raccoon seen dangling from a metal beam under the ramp.




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Look: Fox rescued from between walls of home, garage

Animal rescuers in Britain said a fox was rescued from the narrow gap between the external walls of a house and its garage.




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Migration, Development, and Global Governance: From Crisis toward Consolidation

Migration and development policy discussions have edged closer to each other on the international stage. The adoption of the Global Compact for Migration in December 2018 marks an important milestone. As all eyes turn toward the compact’s implementation, this brief examines some of the key topics states have pledged to work more closely on—from labor migration and migrants’ rights, to returns and reintegration.




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From Control to Crisis: Changing Trends and Policies Reshaping U.S.-Mexico Border Enforcement

How did the U.S. border enforcement picture go in the span of two years from the lowest levels of illegal immigration since 1971 to a spiraling border security and humanitarian crisis? This report draws on enforcement and other data as well as analysis of changing migration trends and policies to tell this story. The authors outline key elements for a new strategy that can succeed over the long term.




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'Shoeless' Joe Jackson baseball card from 1910 sells for $492K at auction

A "Shoeless" Joe Jackson baseball card from 1910 sold at auction for $492,000 this week.




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Clinical Targets for Continuous Glucose Monitoring Data Interpretation: Recommendations From the International Consensus on Time in Range

Tadej Battelino
Aug 1, 2019; 42:1593-1603
International Consensus Report




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Personalized Management of Hyperglycemia in Type 2 Diabetes: Reflections from a Diabetes Care Editors' Expert Forum

Itamar Raz
Jun 1, 2013; 36:1779-1788
Diabetes Care Expert Forum




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Prevalence of Diabetes in Mexican Americans, Cubans, and Puerto Ricans From the Hispanic Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1982-1984

Katherine M Flegal
Jul 1, 1991; 14:628-638
Supplement 3: Diabetes in Hispanic Americans




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Update on Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease in Adults With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Light of Recent Evidence: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association and the American Diabetes Association

Caroline S. Fox
Sep 1, 2015; 38:1777-1803
Scientific Statement




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Cardiovascular Outcomes Trials in Type 2 Diabetes: Where Do We Go From Here? Reflections From a Diabetes Care Editors Expert Forum

William T. Cefalu
Jan 1, 2018; 41:14-31
Diabetes Care Expert Forum




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Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus and Cardiovascular Disease: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association and American Diabetes Association

Sarah D. de Ferranti
Oct 1, 2014; 37:2843-2863
Scientific Statement




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Relationship of Glucose Tolerance and Plasma Insulin to the Incidence of Coronary Heart Disease: Results from Two Population Studies in Finland

Kalevi Pyörälä
Mar 1, 1979; 2:131-141
Proceedings of the Kroc Foundation International Conference on Epidemiology of Diabetes and its Macrovascular Complications




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Current State of Type 1 Diabetes Treatment in the U.S.: Updated Data From the T1D Exchange Clinic Registry

Kellee M. Miller
Jun 1, 2015; 38:971-978
Type 1 Diabetes at a Crossroads




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Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus and Cardiovascular Disease: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association and American Diabetes Association

Sarah D. de Ferranti
Oct 1, 2014; 37:2843-2863
Scientific Statement




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Global Economic Burden of Diabetes in Adults: Projections From 2015 to 2030

Christian Bommer
May 1, 2018; 41:963-970
The Costs Of Diabetes




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Glucose Management Indicator (GMI): A New Term for Estimating A1C From Continuous Glucose Monitoring

Richard M. Bergenstal
Nov 1, 2018; 41:2275-2280
Perspectives in Care




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Cardiovascular Outcomes Trials in Type 2 Diabetes: Where Do We Go From Here? Reflections From a Diabetes Care Editors Expert Forum

William T. Cefalu
Jan 1, 2018; 41:14-31
Diabetes Care Expert Forum




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Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes: From "Guidelines" to "Position Statements" and Back: Recommendations of the Israel National Diabetes Council

Ofri Mosenzon
Aug 1, 2016; 39:S146-S153
II. Diabetes Treatment Options




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Clinical Targets for Continuous Glucose Monitoring Data Interpretation: Recommendations From the International Consensus on Time in Range

Tadej Battelino
Aug 1, 2019; 42:1593-1603
International Consensus Report