Tag Archives: Work

Graph of the week.

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When one is writing lectures, you find some interesting data. This graph shows the risk of using or having used alcohol, tobacco, cannabis and cocaine among those who use these substances across a number of countries.

What this shows is… and allowing for the difficulties in methodology in any survey (where you rely completely on self report)

  • Most people who use alcohol, cannabis and tobacco start using these in their late teens.
  • People start using cocaine a little later.
  • It does not seem to matter which country you are in. The curves for each nation overlap each other.

The full paper is freely available.

The Christmas Rush…

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Last couple of days have been busy @ work and at home. I have sent a protocol to Cochrane for consideration: their peer review system is extremely rigorous and I do not think it will be approved as such. In addition, a project recieved funding, which means that I need to get ethics approval and hire a part time research assistant.

Tomorrow son number two finishes school for the year. His prize-giving is in the morning: I have a performance review in the afternoon. We are having people around for Christmas Cake and coffee that night — in part to celebrate the end of the year.

It seems, at least in New Zealand, that at this time one is continually busy. In part this is because it is the end of the academic and professional year: nothing much happens from Christmas until February. when the schools go back. However, editors on the other side of the world — want revisions submitted and peer reviews done before Christmas.

I can see the collapse coming. On the 27th, when the last Christmas party is over, and all the progeny are under one roof, I intend to spend two weeks swimming and playing with the offspring. However, my mother wants to spend time with them as well — if being a grandfather is good, being a great-grandmother is golden.

Zotero

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Bibliography issues are difficult. Particularly when working with others who do not use openoffice. Zotero 2.0 is now out, and useful. I’ve installed it today on the work ‘puter and the home ‘puter.

What’s good.
1. Plugins to open office work.
2. I can sync bibliographies
3. Imports my old Bibtex files
4. Has the most common citation systems up and working.

What’s bad…
The word processor plugin that is cross compatible requires you save in .doc format. The open office only version is NOT cross compatable. As most medical editors require word, this is an issue.

Best advantage — is a firefox plug in and is a free firefox plugin.

We don’t need endnote no more.

Site is at http://www.zotero.org/