germinal forwarding: February 2013

Thursday, February 28, 2013

Strains of antibiotic-resistant 'Staph' bacteria show seasonal preference; children at higher risk in summer

Strains of antibiotic-resistant 'Staph' bacteria show seasonal preference; Children at higher risk in summer

Public release date: 28-Feb-2013
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Contact: Mark Guidera
mguider1@jhmi.edu
410-502-9405
Johns Hopkins Medicine

Strains of potentially deadly, antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteria show seasonal infection preferences, putting children at greater risk in summer and seniors at greater risk in winter, according to results of a new nationwide study led by a Johns Hopkins researcher.

It's unclear why these seasonal and age preferences for infection with methicillin-resistant Staph aureus (MRSA) occur, says Eili Klein, Ph.D., lead author on the study and a researcher at the Johns Hopkins Center for Advanced Modeling in the Social, Behavioral and Health Sciences.

But he says that increased use of antibiotics in the winter may be one of the reasons. The winter strain that infects seniors at a greater rate is generally acquired in the hospital and resistant to more antibiotics. On the other hand, the summer strain of MRSA, which is seen with growing frequency in children, is largely a community-transmitted strain that is resistant to fewer antibiotics.

"Overprescribing antibiotics is not harmless," Klein notes. "Inappropriate use of these drugs to treat influenza and other respiratory infections is driving resistance throughout the community, increasing the probability that children will contract untreatable infections."

In fact, the study found that while MRSA strains exhibit a seasonal pattern, overall MRSA infections have not decreased over the last five years, despite efforts to control their spread.

A report on the study, which used sophisticated statistical models to analyze national data for 2005-2009, appears today in the online issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology.

As the researchers report, hospitalizations from infections tied to MRSA doubled in the United States between 1999 and 2005. The ballooning infection numbers were propelled by MRSA acquired in community settings, not hospital or other health care settings, as had been the case prior to 1999.

Specifically, the study found that a strain of MRSA typically seen in community settings is more likely to cause infection during the summer months, peaking around July/August. The authors' data analysis showed children were most at risk of becoming infected with this strain, typically from a skin or soft tissue wound or ailment.

In fact, in examining data for one year 2008 the research team found that 74 percent of those under the age of 20 who developed an infection with MRSA had a community-associated MRSA infection.

Meanwhile, the health care-associated MRSA strain, which is typically seen in hospitals, nursing homes and other health care settings, was found to be most prevalent in the winter months, peaking in February/March. Patients aged 65 or older are more likely to acquire a MRSA infection from this strain.

"Our analysis ... shows significant seasonality of MRSA infections and the rate at which they affect different age groups," write the authors of the report titled "The changing epidemiology of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in the United States: A national observational study."

Klein said additional research on seasonal patterns of MRSA infections and drug resistance may help with developing new treatment guidelines, prescription practices and infection control programs.

###

Other authors on the paper include Ramanan Laxminarayan of the Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy in Washington, D.C., and David L. Smith of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Read the abstract: http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2013/02/28/aje.kws273.abstract

Media Inquiries:
Mark Guidera
mguider1@jhmi.edu
443-898-2320
Helen Jones
hjones49@jhmi.edu
410-502-4922
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Strains of antibiotic-resistant 'Staph' bacteria show seasonal preference; Children at higher risk in summer Public release date: 28-Feb-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Mark Guidera
mguider1@jhmi.edu
410-502-9405
Johns Hopkins Medicine

Strains of potentially deadly, antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteria show seasonal infection preferences, putting children at greater risk in summer and seniors at greater risk in winter, according to results of a new nationwide study led by a Johns Hopkins researcher.

It's unclear why these seasonal and age preferences for infection with methicillin-resistant Staph aureus (MRSA) occur, says Eili Klein, Ph.D., lead author on the study and a researcher at the Johns Hopkins Center for Advanced Modeling in the Social, Behavioral and Health Sciences.

But he says that increased use of antibiotics in the winter may be one of the reasons. The winter strain that infects seniors at a greater rate is generally acquired in the hospital and resistant to more antibiotics. On the other hand, the summer strain of MRSA, which is seen with growing frequency in children, is largely a community-transmitted strain that is resistant to fewer antibiotics.

"Overprescribing antibiotics is not harmless," Klein notes. "Inappropriate use of these drugs to treat influenza and other respiratory infections is driving resistance throughout the community, increasing the probability that children will contract untreatable infections."

In fact, the study found that while MRSA strains exhibit a seasonal pattern, overall MRSA infections have not decreased over the last five years, despite efforts to control their spread.

A report on the study, which used sophisticated statistical models to analyze national data for 2005-2009, appears today in the online issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology.

As the researchers report, hospitalizations from infections tied to MRSA doubled in the United States between 1999 and 2005. The ballooning infection numbers were propelled by MRSA acquired in community settings, not hospital or other health care settings, as had been the case prior to 1999.

Specifically, the study found that a strain of MRSA typically seen in community settings is more likely to cause infection during the summer months, peaking around July/August. The authors' data analysis showed children were most at risk of becoming infected with this strain, typically from a skin or soft tissue wound or ailment.

In fact, in examining data for one year 2008 the research team found that 74 percent of those under the age of 20 who developed an infection with MRSA had a community-associated MRSA infection.

Meanwhile, the health care-associated MRSA strain, which is typically seen in hospitals, nursing homes and other health care settings, was found to be most prevalent in the winter months, peaking in February/March. Patients aged 65 or older are more likely to acquire a MRSA infection from this strain.

"Our analysis ... shows significant seasonality of MRSA infections and the rate at which they affect different age groups," write the authors of the report titled "The changing epidemiology of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in the United States: A national observational study."

Klein said additional research on seasonal patterns of MRSA infections and drug resistance may help with developing new treatment guidelines, prescription practices and infection control programs.

###

Other authors on the paper include Ramanan Laxminarayan of the Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy in Washington, D.C., and David L. Smith of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Read the abstract: http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2013/02/28/aje.kws273.abstract

Media Inquiries:
Mark Guidera
mguider1@jhmi.edu
443-898-2320
Helen Jones
hjones49@jhmi.edu
410-502-4922
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-02/jhm-soa022713.php
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CEO Tim Cook: Apple focused on 'long term'

Poornima Gupta , Reuters ? ? ? 2 hrs.

CUPERTINO - Apple Inc. CEO Tim Cook on Wednesday acknowledged widespread disappointment in the company's sagging share price but shared few details about its secretive product pipeline and touched only briefly on a raging debate about how best to reward shareholders.

The world's most valuable technology company headed into its annual shareholders' meeting at its headquarters on shakier ground than it has been accustomed to in years, since the iPhone and iPad helped vault the company to premier investment status.

A declining share price has lent weight to Wall Street's demand that it share more of its $137 billion in cash and securities pile - equivalent to Hungary's Gross Domestic Product, and growing - a debate now spearheaded by outspoken hedge fund manager David Einhorn.

Einhorn was not spotted at the meeting at the company's headquarters at 1 Infinite Loop in Cupertino. Cook repeated that the company's board remained in "very very active" discussions about options for cash sharing, and said he shared investors' dissatisfaction over the stock price.

"I don't like it either. The board doesn't like it. The management team doesn't like it," Cook told investors.

"What we are focused on is the long term. This has always been a secret of Apple."

By focusing on the long term, revenue and profit will follow, he said.

Apple had the "mother of all years" last year with growth, in terms of dollars, outpacing that of Microsoft, Google, Nokia and several other major technology companies combined, Cook said.

Cook -- who was re-elected to the board with 99.1 percent of shareholder votes -- added that the company was working on new product categories, but, as usual, would not elaborate.

Speculation is rife on Wall Street and in Silicon Valley that the iPhone maker is working on a project to revolutionize the television and TV content, or a smart "iWatch."

Apple's stock was down 0.25 percent to $447.86 in afternoon trade. It is now down more than 35 percent from its $702.10 September peak.

Cook presided over Wednesday's staid affair in his typically even-keeled manner. Despite a slipping share price, dissatisfaction on the Street over its cash allocation and uncertainty over its product pipeline, shareholders re-elected the entire board, and Cook won more than 99 percent of the vote in preliminary results.

Cook got the most votes, followed by Walt Disney Co's Bob Iger, who won re-election with 99 percent of shareholder votes. Former Avon Products CEO Andrea Jung, who stepped down after botching several attempts at restructuring the cosmetics company, received the fewest votes of the group, with 84.6 percent of shareholders voting yea.

Carol Shoaff, an Apple shareholder for about the past five years, said after the meeting that she was confident in Apple's leadership and the company was on the right path.

"I think he's good," she said, referring to Cook. "I don't think Steve Jobs would have left him in charge if he didn't believe in him."

Members of the Service Employees International Union protested outside the headquarters to get Apple to reconsider hiring of securities contractor SIS.

Apple's annual shareholder meetings have seemed more like celebrations in recent years. Since the company came out with its first iPhone in 2007, the company multiplied in market value until it peaked in September.

Then Samsung Electronics and Amazon.com began seriously eroding its market share in 2012, powered by arch-rival Google's Android software. On March 14, Samsung will launch the Galaxy SIV smartphone, the latest iteration of a flagship smartphone that helped it dethrone Apple from the top of the industry.

Institutional investors want Apple to share a greater chunk of its cash and securities pile, a demand growing increasingly strident with the company's stock wallowing at levels untested since the start of 2012.

Einhorn is advocating "iPrefs," preferred stock that will carry a perpetual 4 percent dividend to boost returns while not hampering cash flow.

On Friday, Einhorn won an important legal victory that strengthened his hand. His Greenlight Capital secured an injunction that invalidated shareholder voting on a proposal to scrap Apple's power to issue preferred stock at its discretion.

Apple says this would enhance governance. But the hedge fund manager argued it could complicate efforts to issue preferred securities in the future.

Cook said again on Wednesday that Einhorn's lawsuit - regardless of its efficacy - was a "silly sideshow." The underlying principle of cash distribution was something he and the board took seriously, he added.

The proposal was not put forth on Wednesday but Apple shareholders and representatives from the California Public Employees Retirement System and the Nathan Cummings Foundation spoke in favor of it at the meeting.

CalPers, owner of 2.7 million Apple shares, had supported the so-called Proposal 2. Senior Portfolio Manager Anne Simpson said it was unfortunate the measure could not be put forward.

"We know there is hot debate going on with cash," Simpson told the assembled shareholders. "We are willing and happy to wait."

Cook, who took over from late company co-founder Steve Jobs in 2011, answered a variety of questions from shareholders, including some on Apple's new headquarters, labor conditions in its factories and product plans.

One shareholder also asked why there was no bathroom in an Apple retail store in Santa Monica, Calif. Cook, acknowledging that it was an important point, said he will look into it.

On the new headquarters, Cook said the company plans to break ground later this year and occupy the facilities in 2016, a delay from the original 2015 target date.

The meeting largely followed the script with no distractions. Shareholders voted down two shareholder proposals, both of which were opposed by Apple's board. One wanted Apple leadership to hold more stock, the other was a proposal to create a board committee on human rights.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/ceo-tim-cook-apple-focused-long-term-1C8595812

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WHO: Small cancer risk after Fukushima accident

FILE - In this April 16, 2011 file photo, Wakana Nemoto, 3, standing next to her mother Naoko, receives a radiation exposure screening outside an evacuation center in Fukushima, northeastern Japan. People exposed to the highest doses of radiation during the Fukushima nuclear plant disaster in 2011 may have a slightly higher risk of cancer that is so small it probably won?t even be detectable, according to a new report from the World Health Organization released on Thursday Feb. 28, 2013. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae, File)

FILE - In this April 7, 2011 file photo, Japanese police, wearing suits to protect them from radiation, search for victims inside the deserted evacuation zone, established for the 20 kilometer radius around the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear reactors, in Minamisoma, Fukushima prefecture, Japan. People exposed to the highest doses of radiation during the Fukushima nuclear plant disaster in 2011 may have a slightly higher risk of cancer that is so small it probably won?t even be detectable, according to a new report from the World Health Organization released on Thursday Feb. 28, 2013. (AP Photo/David Guttenfelder, File)

LONDON (AP) ? People exposed to the highest doses of radiation during Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant disaster in 2011 may have a slightly higher risk of cancer but one so small it probably won't be detectable, the World Health Organization said in a report released Thursday.

A group of experts convened by the agency assessed the risk of various cancers based on estimates of how much radiation people at the epicenter of the nuclear disaster received, namely those directly under the plumes of radiation in the most affected communities in Fukushima, a rural agricultural area about 150 miles (240 kilometers) north of Tokyo.

Some 110,000 people living around the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant were evacuated after the massive March 11, 2011, earthquake and tsunami knocked out the plant's power and cooling systems, causing meltdowns in three reactors and spewing radiation into the surrounding air, soil and water.

Experts calculated that people in the most affected regions had an additional 4 to 7 percent overall risk of developing cancers, including leukemia and breast cancer. In Japan, men have about a 41 percent lifetime risk of developing cancer of an organ, while a woman's lifetime risk is about 29 percent. For those most hit by the radiation after Fukushima, their chances of cancer would rise by about 1 percent.

"These are pretty small proportional increases," said Richard Wakeford of the University of Manchester, one of the authors of the report.

"The additional risk is quite small and will probably be hidden by the noise of other (cancer) risks like people's lifestyle choices and statistical fluctuations," he said. "It's more important not to start smoking than having been in Fukushima."

Experts had been particularly worried about a spike in thyroid cancer, since iodine released in nuclear accidents is absorbed by the thyroid, especially in children. After the Chernobyl disaster, about 6,000 children exposed to radiation later developed thyroid cancer because many drank contaminated milk after the accident.

In Japan, dairy radiation levels were closely monitored, but children are not big milk drinkers there.

WHO estimated that women exposed as infants to the most radiation after the Fukushima accident would have a 70 percent higher chance of getting thyroid cancer in their lifetimes. But thyroid cancer is extremely rare and the normal lifetime risk of developing it is about 0.75 percent. That lifetime risk would be 0.5 percent higher for those women who got the highest radiation doses as babies.

Wakeford said the increase in such cancers may be so small it will probably not be observable.

For people beyond the most directly affected areas of Fukushima, Wakeford said the projected risk from the radiation dropped dramatically. "The risks to everyone else were just infinitesimal."

Some experts said it was surprising that any increase in cancer was even predicted and believe that the low-dose radiation people in Fukushima received hasn't been proven to raise the chances of cancer.

"On the basis of the radiation doses people have received, there is no reason to think there would be an increase in cancer in the next 50 years," said Wade Allison, an emeritus professor of physics at Oxford University, who was not connected to the WHO report. "The very small increase in cancers means that it's even less than the risk of crossing the road," he said.

Gerry Thomas, a professor of molecular pathology at Imperial College London, accused the WHO of hyping the cancer risk.

"It's understandable that WHO wants to err on the side of caution, but telling the Japanese about a barely significant personal risk may not be helpful," she said.

Thomas said the WHO report used inflated estimates of radiation doses and didn't properly take into account Japan's quick evacuation of people from Fukushima.

"This will fuel fears in Japan that could be more dangerous than the physical effects of radiation," she said, noting that people living under stress have higher rates of heart problems, suicide and mental illness.

___

Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/bbd825583c8542898e6fa7d440b9febc/Article_2013-02-28-EU-MED-Japan-Radiation/id-7e017d38caca4d40b7051f2f3f584181

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Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Rotoworld: Unexpected is expected at Combine

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

As I stated prior to the Combine, the goal for evaluators is to be as prepared as possible heading into the event. The hope is to avoid surprising results. However, a few prospects each year make this an impossible effort. The question is, why? Why can these prospects show superior (or inferior) athleticism than they put on tape for 12 games, and in many cases multiple seasons?

There are a couple of reasons. First, coaching at the college level isn?t universally great, so prospects might have been put in situations where they couldn?t shine. Also, these future draftees have been training for their workouts for a month, or even longer. In many cases, that is very high level coaching from experts who know how to make the most of the prospect they are given. Now, not every player is receptive to or implements this kind of coaching, so the proverbial leg up does not apply to everyone.

The other conclusion is an obvious one... I could have been wrong about the prospect?s athleticism following initial exposures. With this in mind, I will offer three names of prospects that unexpectedly impressed me during workouts and three that left me with a bit of a sour taste in my mouth.

Before we get started, let me re-post something I wrote in my Combine preview about not counting the athletic upside of a prospect twice:

When watching prospects? game action, an evaluation takes athletic upside into account if it is a noticeable trait. Therefore, any notable times, repetitions, or numbers should be expected, not counted again as an extra positive. It is putting a score to that athletic upside, not adding to the evaluation. It was already there.

Keep this in mind when reviewing workout numbers from the last four days.

Unexpected Success

1. South Carolina DE Devin Taylor - There?s a lot to like about Taylor?s frame. He?s long and lean, which might lead many to believe he can add weight. The Gamecock should be one of the first players off the bus. However, on the field, I considered Taylor a sixth-round prospect due to his lack of aggressiveness, high pad level, stiff hips, and inability to change directions. That is quite the combination for a pass rusher. However, in Indianapolis, Taylor finished in the top two in the short shuttle (4.30) and three cone (6.89) drills, two tests I think project pass rushers? success better than any other. This is stunning. I haven?t seen how he ran the drill, but I must stress again how stiff Taylor looked in games. Usually, stiff players do poorly in both of these events, so unless Taylor has turned into Gumby, I do not know what to think. If Taylor has learned how to bend and can implement it into his game, that is scary. Perhaps I?m the stiff, after all.

2. Arkansas RB Knile Davis - The Razorbacks running back had his set of struggles the last two years. In 2011, Davis suffered an ankle injury and missed the entire season. It didn?t get much better in 2012 as Davis was benched from his starting role after coughing up eight fumbles and frequently going down on first contact. After running a 4.37 forty, 31 reps on the bench press, 33.5? vertical, and 121? broad jump, Davis is a size and speed freak. I question if he was running at full health this season, since he tended to hesitate when facing contact or a clogged path.

3. Florida LB Jon Bostic - From film work, I considered Bostic a hammer between the tackles due to his physical presence on first contact. Then he ran a 4.61 forty with a 1.58 10 yard split. With two inside linebackers ranked ahead of him, Kevin Minter and Manti Te?o, who struggle at times to get to the edge, Bostic showed his sideline and straight-line speed while in Indianapolis. Now the question is if his slowness to the outside in games was due to hesitation or indecisiveness. I think he has locked up a third-round selection.

Rubbed Me The Wrong Way

1. Texas A&M DE Damontre Moore - There are some simple aspects of Moore?s game that I love, namely his motor to chase down plays and his ability to make things happen when asked to loop inside. He can be a good second pass rusher because of these traits. However, I was hoping for more athleticism that would make an ?upside? tag available. Instead Moore posted 12 reps on the bench press and a 4.95 official forty that included a pulled muscle. This tells me Moore will need to maximize his length, hand use, and footwork to naturally work back inside on a counter move, something he has not done in the past.

2. Notre Dame ILB Manti Te?o - I am somewhat surprised to read how comfortable teams are with Te?o, not because I think his off-field fiasco is a big issue, but it is unique. Teams have dealt with prospects that have DUI or drug issues, but Te?o?s situation is an odd one. His forty of 4.82 was expected, and I know the linebacker is dealing with a shoulder injury, but I wonder if Te?o adds the 15 pounds he lost prior to the Combine to boost his strength numbers at the school?s Pro Day. I found it interesting ESPN?s Chris Mortensen said team?s consider Te?o undersized for the inside linebacker position because there isn?t a better positional fit. Finally, the Irish linebacker said he ran in the 4.6s during workouts, but blamed the long days in Indianapolis for the slower time. Right, because he was the only one having to deal with the Combine grind.

3. LSU DE Sam Montgomery - The Tiger defensive end delivered the quote of the week, for the wrong reasons: "Some weeks when we didn?t have to play the harder teams, there were some times when effort was not needed. But when we had the big boys coming in, the ?Bamas or the South Carolinas, I grabbed close to those guys and went all out." I?ve heard about taking plays off, but Montgomery alluded to taking full weeks off. Add on the fact that LSU coaches reportedly slammed Montgomery during interviews with NFL teams, and his evaluation is looking worse and worse.

Before we get started, let me re-post something I wrote in my Combine preview about not counting the athletic upside of a prospect twice:

Keep this in mind when reviewing workout numbers from the last four days.

Unexpected Success

Rubbed Me The Wrong Way

Source: http://www.rotoworld.com/articles/cfb/42627/351/combine-expect-the-unexpected

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Video: Matthews: How can Obama, Boehner strike a deal in a place like Washington?

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Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/hardball/50963728/

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Green Blog: Nature, Re-engineered to Meet Energy Needs

Thousands of inventors, engineers and entrepreneurs gathered in a suburban Washington convention center on Monday for the annual three-day meeting of Arpa-E, the Advanced Research Projects Agency ? Energy. It wasn?t quite the Oscars. At the registration desk, attendees received a goody bag that included a report on clean energy from the Pew Charitable Trusts and a refrigerator magnet that showed the periodic table of the elements.

But the breakout sessions held true to Arpa-E?s tradition: there were lots of swing-for-the-fence ideas. These included finding a high-efficiency, low-cost way to turn surplus natural gas into liquid fuel for cars and trucks, and identifying something to burn other than hydrocarbons so that carbon dioxide is not one of the byproducts.

One researcher proposed burning aluminum instead. One challenge is that the ashes, or oxidized metal, would be hard to recycle back into aluminum without big releases of carbon dioxide.

Arpa-E is the Energy Department?s effort to imitate the better-known Pentagon arm known as the Defense Research Projects Agency, or Darpa. Darpa laid the groundwork for the Internet and still finances high-potential ideas in their early speculative stages in the expectation that a few will be major breakthroughs; Arpa-E tries to do the same in energy.

So far the agency has invested $770 million in 285 projects, ?and we?re proud of every single one of them,?? said Cheryl Martin, the agency?s deputy director, in opening remarks to several thousand attendees. Although most will never be commercialized, the strikeouts are not as important as the home runs.

One particularly ambitious idea presented on Monday was to re-engineer plants so that their leaves reflect rather than absorb more light. In an age of global climate change, with shifting rainfall patterns, changing reflectivity holds appeal. The technology would save water, which means saving energy because the water that the plants need often must be pumped. It could prove a way to help crops grow with less rainfall.

Some of those crops can be used to produce energy as well. And increasing the amount of light that bounces back into space would help to limit global warming.

The notion is that crops will absorb light in the visible spectrum yet reflect some of the infrared and ultraviolet light, which heats the leaves. ?Plants have a maximum efficiency of about 6 percent,?? said Robert Conrado, an agency scientist. And plants regulate their temperature much the way people do, by giving off water, which cools as it evaporates. ?All energy that is not able to be captured is dissipated as heat,?? he said. ?And that?s a lot of water.??

In a hot climate, a cornfield can give off the equivalent of eight inches of rainfall in a month, he said, and agricultural irrigation accounts for 81 percent of water use in this country. The proportion is even higher in poorer places, which have fewer dishwashers and washing machines.

And some of that energy would radiate back into space, reducing global warming, Dr. Conrado said.Whether butterfly wings or fruits, he said, ?nature has already evolved mechanisms for tailored light reflection.?

Source: http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/26/re-engineering-nature-to-meet-global-energy-needs/?partner=rss&emc=rss

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Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Pierce lifts road-weary Celtics over Jazz in OT

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) ? The Boston Celtics weren't too tired after playing five games in seven days back and forth across time zones.

They had enough left to play overtime to close out a long Western road trip, beating the Utah Jazz 110-107 on Monday night.

Thirty-five-year-old Paul Pierce led Boston with 26 points, including seven straight in the extra session.

"It was huge," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "Whatever that was, it was the best win of the year for me. . To go into overtime and still have enough to win."

It wasn't just the ageless Pierce. Kevin Garnett, three months shy of his 37th birthday, stood strong at the end, refusing to let Rivers sub him out by insisting, "I am good."

Rivers didn't believe that, "but I kept him in and he was terrific."

Garnett had four points in overtime on 2-of-2 shooting, with three rebounds. He finished with 13 points, 10 rebounds, a blocked shot and steal.

The Celtics also got a big game from Avery Bradley, who scored a season-high 18 points on 8-of-12 shooting.

Pierce had a chance to win it in regulation, but his 19-footer at the buzzer rimmed out.

Alec Burks' reverse layup pulled Utah to 108-105 with 37 seconds left in overtime. Garnett's banked 3-pointer with 13 seconds left came after the shot clock expired, giving the Jazz another chance.

Paul Millsap was fouled before he could get off a 3, but made two free throws with 4.2 seconds remaining.

Courtney Lee added two free throws at the other end with 1.2 seconds left to bump Boston's lead back to three, and Randy Foye's 26-footer at the buzzer missed everything.

It was another one the Jazz let get away, though Monday's game had huge swings both ways from start to finish.

Overall, the game had 13 lead changes and was tied 17 times.

"We were in position," said Jazz forward Marvin Williams. "We fought back in the fourth quarter to force overtime but Boston just made big plays down the stretch."

Gordon Hayward led Utah with 26 points, Millsap had 16 and Al Jefferson finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds.

The Celtics (30-27) were playing their fifth game in seven days, but didn't seem to care down the stretch.

The Jazz (31-26) led 101-99 in overtime on DeMarre Carroll's 21-footer, but Pierce countered with a 3-pointer, then followed with a pull-up jumper over Carroll and a 15-footer to give the Celtics a 106-101 edge with 1:12 left.

Jefferson hit a 15-footer with 1:05 left to get Utah within 106-103, but Garnett's jumper helped seal it.

"We knew this was probably going to be the toughest game for us physically and mentally," Pierce said. "Talking about a long road trip, coming in to one of the toughest places to play. We felt we could salvage this trip with a win here. So guys did a good job of just being mentally tough, digging in and doing what we had to do to get the win."

The Celtics, who went 2-3 on the trip, also were smart down the stretch, fouling with fouls to give and finding a wide-open Lee on the inbounds pass when the Jazz needed a late steal in overtime. His free throws provided the final margin.

The Jazz trailed by eight entering the fourth but opened on a 13-2 run.

Jefferson's 10-foot turnaround jumper over Brandon Bass tied it at 93 with 2:46 left in regulation.

Pierce hit an 18-footer with Carroll diving at him for a 97-95 Boston lead with 36 seconds remaining in regulation, only to see Burks tie it with a tough layup with 19 seconds left.

"We wanted to win in regulation," Pierce said. "It would have felt better just to get a stop when we needed it. That's what we need to get better at. We didn't do it in Portland. We didn't do it tonight. That's what we need to start focusing on. When we get the lead and we need crucial stops, we have to figure out how to get them."

The game took a 16-point swing in the third, as Boston trailed 58-50 only to counter with a 20-4 run and lead 80-72 entering the fourth.

Pierce ignited the run with a 3-pointer, Bradley hit two more 3s and Lee added a dunk after a steal and another 3-pointer. Pierce capped the run with a jumper over Hayward for a 70-62 Boston lead.

The Celtics hit 6 of 13 3-pointers in the 32-point third quarter, while Utah made just 5 of 16 from the field.

It was the same story as Saturday, when the Jazz fought back early only to see the Los Angeles Clippers go on a 23-4 run and douse any hopes.

A Jazz team that had won three straight and seven of 10 has now dropped two in a row.

While Hayward showed he is recovered from a right shoulder injury despite missing a pair of shots in overtime, the Jazz still need point guard Mo Williams back from a thumb injury.

Monday, Earl Watson started over Jamaal Tinsley, but Burks ended up playing the position during Utah's big second-quarter run.

Pierce said Boston reverted to various defenses to slow the Jazz.

"We did a lot of zone, did a lot of man and tried to force turnovers," Pierce said. "That's what we have to do. A lot of times we had to go to small because they had plenty of size and they rebound well. We just junked up the game a little bit by changing our defense."

It may have been junk, but it was a win nonetheless.

"We have champions," said guard Jason Terry, who made four 3-pointers and finished with 14 points and two assists off the bench for Boston.

"When you have champions that have been through so many tough games as we have, then you know you're in good hands. For us, we hang our hat on executing down the stretch."

NOTES; Jazz F Derrick Favors picked up his third foul with 9:06 left in the second quarter. . Jazz G Foye needed four 3-pointers to tie Mehmet Okur (129, 2006-07) for the franchise single-season record. Foye went 0-5 Saturday but hit his first Monday and finished 2 of 6. . Bradley started 5 of 5 and had 10 points in six minutes for Boston, while Millsap started 4 of 4 for Utah. . The Jazz led 53-48 at halftime.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-02-26-Celtics-Jazz/id-4b9bd71341154dd2931541011ec2b2f2

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NeroKwik Brings Its Cloud Photo Collection And Sharing App To The iPhone And iPad

NeroKwik, the cloud photo organization service from the makers of the leading disc-burning software of old, is officially debuting its iPhone and iPad app today. The iOS clients join its existing Android and online products, offering users the ability to pull in all the photos they've uploaded to Facebook and Google+, organize them by metadata and other criteria, and view them in ready-made presentations called "Tapestries."

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/XwSECMVM0rA/

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Team Diabetes in the Cayman Islands - Celebrities with diseases

Team Diabetes in the Cayman Islands

Published: February 25, 2013

Walk or run with John Streit and Team Diabetes in the Cayman Islands on December 1, 2013 in support of the 9 million Canadians and someone you know living with diabetes and pre-diabetes.

Walk or run with John and Team Diabetes on December 1, 2013 in support of the Canadian Diabetes Association. Challenge yourself to complete a half marathon (21.1K), marathon (42.2K) or sign up with three friends and do the marathon relay together! The course is open for 6 hours so the half marathon is a great option for those who prefer to walk. The route is flat and passes by spectacular beaches and through the financial district of George Town as well as some of the area?s most exclusive neighbourhoods.

As a team member, the funds you raise for the Association help make a difference for the 9 million Canadians living with diabetes and pre-diabetes by supporting research, education, advocacy and important programs such as our D-Camps, summer camps for children with Type 1 diabetes.

Team Member Benefits

All you need to do to be a part of our team is to sign up by June 7^th and raise funds for the Association. In return, you will receive amazing benefits including?

Return airfare from Vancouver
4 nights of accommodation in the Cayman Islands
Three, on-site team functions
On-line training with e-mail support from a team trainer
Guaranteed race entry
Team tech shirt
Personalized fundraising webpage

?and the incredible feeling that comes from achieving your personal goals, meeting likeminded people and supporting a worthy cause all at the same time!

Sign Up Today!

Register on-line at www.teamdiabetes.ca before June 7^th

To learn more, please contact Mandy at mandy.khara@diabetes.ca or 604-732-1331 ext 247 or fill out our on-line request form.

We also invite you to join our community! Follow us on facebook, twitter and check out photos and a video from our last visit to the Caymans!

Together we can lead the fight against diabetes!

About Team Diabetes

Healthy living is an essential part of a healthy community and the Canadian Diabetes Association strongly believes in fostering active and healthy communities. Team Diabetes is the signature brand of the Association that offers Canadians of all fitness levels the opportunity to walk, run or hike in events across Canada and around the world while raising much needed funds and awareness. Since 2000, Team Diabetes team members have raised in excess of $36 million while making a commitment to their own health by leading a more active lifestyle. They are leaders and an inspiration in their community, in their workplaces and at home. Every day they are helping make a difference.

About the Canadian Diabetes Association

The Canadian Diabetes Association?s mission is to lead the fight against diabetes by helping people with diabetes live healthy lives while working to find a cure. The Association delivers on this mission by providing people with diabetes and healthcare professionals with education and services; advocating on behalf of people with diabetes; supporting research and translating research into practical applications.

A Few Diabetes Facts

More than 9 million Canadians live with diabetes or prediabetes.
By 2030, 438 million people worldwide will have diabetes.
20 Canadians are diagnosed with diabetes every hour.
Diabetes medication and supplies can cost a person $1,000 to $15,000 a year.
By 2020, it?s estimated that diabetes will cost Canada?s healthcare system $16.9 billion a year.

Article source: http://www.news1130.com/2013/02/25/lace-up-with-team-diabetes-in-the-cayman-islands/

Published February 25, 2013 by Lee in Diabetes

Source: http://www.celebrities-with-diseases.com/diabetes-2/team-diabetes-in-the-cayman-islands-28952.html

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NVIDIA Tegra 4i Phoenix reference phone hands-on (video)

NVIDIA's latest venture in the mobile world, called the 4i, was introduced last week ahead of Mobile World Congress, and fortunately the chipset maker brought the product to Barcelona embedded in a reference phone known as "Phoenix." The 8mm-thick handset, which will find a home in the labs of manufacturers and carriers (as well as the desks of many third-party devs), sports a 5-inch 1080p display, 13MP rear-facing camera, PRISM 2, Chimera, DirectTouch and LTE (we're told that most major bands are included for testing purposes). As it's not geared for general consumer use, so it's not the thinnest, sleekest or best-looking device, and the back doesn't even seem to snap completely shut. Units are being sampled as we speak, and we should expect to see devices hit the market in nine to twelve months. Since it's still pretty early in the process, we weren't able to turn on the phone or benchmark the chipset; the only exception to this rule, as you'll see in the video, was when a rep showed a gaming demo on his particular unit.

While the 4i is the smaller brother of the Tegra 4 family, it's still expected to be quite powerful. The chip, which is designed specifically for smartphones (tablets will take advantage of Tegra 4 instead), features four 28nm Cortex-A9 r4 (beefed-up from the standard A9) cores that can be clocked up to 2.3GHz, 60 GPU cores (compared to 72 on the T4) and an integrated i500 LTE baseband modem. For additional comparison, NVIDIA showed us the two sibling boards side-by-side. Head below to check out our galleries of Phoenix and the two chipsets, as well as a brief video that shows off the graphics prowess of the 4i.

Gallery: NVIDIA Tegra 4i Phoenix reference phone hands-on

Gallery: NVIDIA Tegra 4 vs 4i

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, NVIDIA

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/24/nvidia-tegra-4i-phoenix-reference-phone-hands-on-video/

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Monday, February 25, 2013

Nielsen compares mobile consumers across the globe, details the differences in how we connect

Right in-time with MWC, Nielsen's latest report provides some insight into how folks in different regions are using their mobile devices. On the whole, many of the findings aren't exactly shockers. Among many highlights, owners of smartphones and feature phones don't use their respective devices for the same tasks, while developed areas are more likely to have upwards of 4G connectivity with higher smartphone adoption rates. As you'd might imagine, people in regions with under-developed infrastructure tend to gravitate toward the likes of simpler, less costly feature phones. Diving deeper with some specifics, Nielsen points out that US-based users of smartphones gravitate toward map and video apps, contrasting that those in China are hungrier for info about weather and news. If you'd like to confirm any more of your suspicions about how mobile devices are being used across the globe, you'll find all the details your noggin desires at the source link below.

Filed under: Mobile

Comments

Source: Nielson

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/n9xpGMjE2No/

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Microsoft and Toyota Team Up for Improved Racing Performance

We?ve already told you that Toyota and Microsoft partnered to create a Windows 8 application, but the two companies are now ready to use the software in real life.

The Trackside app is being used on a Surface Pro to collect performance data in real time and to share stats with both the crew and the driver.

This would allow engineers to fine-tune the car for enhanced performance, Microsoft said in a press statement.

?Trackside running on Surface Pro means more time is spent on the track and less time is spent talking,? said Steve Wickham, TRD?s vice president of chassis operations.

?Teams are back on the track faster, allowing them more time to determine the optimum setup for the race car. Our mission is to take advantage of the latest innovation in technology to quickly get better data ? which translates into faster cars on the track.?

More information on the Trackside app development, but also on TRD?s own view on Windows 8 can be found in our interview with the team available here.

Source: http://news.softpedia.com/news/Microsoft-and-Toyota-Team-Up-for-Increased-Racing-Performance-332046.shtml

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Johnson wins 2nd Daytona 500; Patrick finishes 8th

Jimmie Johnson celebrates after winning the Daytona 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series auto race, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Terry Renna)

Danica Patrick, center, prepares to get in her car before the start of the NASCAR Daytona 500 Sprint Cup Series auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Terry Renna)

Jimmie Johnson crosses the finish line to win the Daytona 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series auto race, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Danica Patrick competes during NASCAR Daytona 500 Sprint Cup Series auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Terry Renna)

Trevor Bayne (21), Carl Edwards (99), David Gilliland (38), Terry Labonte (32), David Ragan (34) and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (17) collide between Turn 1 and Turn 2 as Jeff Gordon (24) and Marcos Ambrose (9) drive by during the NASCAR Daytona 500 Sprint Cup Series auto race at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla., Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) ? A big first for Danica Patrick, but an even bigger second for Jimmie Johnson.

Patrick made history up front at the Daytona 500 Sunday, only to see Johnson make a late push ahead of her and reclaim his spot at the top of his sport.

It was the second Daytona 500 victory for Johnson, a five-time NASCAR champion who first won "The Great American Race" in 2006.

"There is no other way to start the season than to win the Daytona 500. I'm a very lucky man to have won it twice," said Johnson, who won in his 400th career start. "I'm very honored to be on that trophy with all the greats that have ever been in our sport."

It comes a year after Johnson completed only one lap in the race because of a wreck that also collected Patrick, and just three months after Johnson lost his bid for a sixth Sprint Cup title to go two years without a championship after winning five straight.

Although he didn't think he needed to send a message to his competitors ? "I don't think we went anywhere; anybody in the garage area, they're wise to all that," Johnson said ? the win showed the No. 48 team is tired of coming up short after all those years of dominance.

"Definitely a great start for the team. When we were sitting discussing things before the season started, we felt good about the 500," Johnson said, "but we're really excited for everything after the 500. I think it's going to be a very strong year for us."

Patrick is hoping for her own success after a history-making race.

The first woman to win the pole, Patrick also became the first woman to lead the race. She ran inside the top 10 almost the entire race, kept pace with the field and never panicked on the track.

Her only mistakes were on pit road, where she got beat on the race back to the track, and on the final lap, when she was running third but got snookered by the veterans and faded to eighth. That's going to stick with Patrick for some time.

"I would imagine pretty much anyone would be kicking themselves about what they coulda, shoulda have done to give themselves an opportunity to win," she said. "I think that's what I was feeling today, was uncertainty as to how I was going to accomplish that."

There were several multicar crashes, but no one was hurt and none of them approached the magnitude of the wreck that injured more than two dozen fans in the grandstand at the end of the second-tier Nationwide Series race on the same track a day earlier. Daytona International Speedway workers were up until 2 a.m repairing the fence that was damaged in the accident, and track officials offered Sunday morning to move any fans who felt uneasy sitting too close to the track.

Several drivers said the accident and concern for the fans stuck with them overnight and into Sunday morning, and Johnson was quick to send his thoughts from Victory Lane.

"I just want to give a big shout-out to all the fans, and I also want to send my thoughts and prayers out to everybody that was injured in the grandstands," Johnson said.

Dale Earnhardt Jr., whose father was killed in this race 12 years ago, was involved in Saturday's accident but refocused and finished second to Johnson, his Hendrick Motorsports teammate.

"Me personally, I was just really waiting to get the news on how everybody was, how all the fans were overnight, just hoping that things were going to improve," Earnhardt said, adding that he "wasn't really ready to proceed until you had some confirmation that things were looking more positive."

The race itself, the debut for NASCAR's new Gen-6 car, was quite similar to all the other Cup races during Speedweeks in that the cars seemed to line up in a single-file parade along the top groove of the track. It made the 55th running of the Daytona 500 relatively uneventful.

When the race was on the line, Johnson took off.

The driver known as "Five-Time" raced past defending NASCAR champion Brad Keselowski on the final restart and pulled out to a sizable lead that nobody challenged over the final six laps.

Johnson and Keselowski went down to the wire last season in their race for the Sprint Cup title, with Johnson faltering in the final two races as Keselowski won his first Cup championship.

Although it was a bit of an upset that stuck with Johnson into the offseason, it gave him no extra motivation when he found himself racing with Keselowski late Sunday for the Daytona 500.

"As far as racing with Brad out there, you really lose sight of who is in what car," Johnson said. "It's just somebody between you and the trophy. It could have been anybody."

Once Johnson cleared Keselowski on the last restart he had a breakaway lead with Greg Biffle and Patrick behind him. But as the field closed in on the checkered flag, Earnhardt finally made his move, just too late and too far behind to get close enough to the lead.

Earnhardt wound up second for the third time in the last four years. But with all the crashes the Hendrick cars have endured in restrictor-plate races ? teammate Kasey Kahne was in the first accident Sunday ? team owner Rick Hendrick was just fine with the finish.

"We have a hard time finishing these races. Boy, to run 1-2, man, what a day," Hendrick said. Jeff Gordon, who was a contender early, faded late to 20th.

And Johnson considered himself lucky to be the one holding the trophy at the end.

"Man, it's like playing the lottery; everybody's got a ticket," he said. "I've struck out a lot at these tracks, left with torn-up race cars. Today we had a clean day."

Mark Martin was third in a Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota. Keselowski, who overcame two accidents earlier in the race, wound up fourth in Penske Racing's new Ford. Ryan Newman was fifth in a Chevy for Stewart-Haas Racing and was followed by Roush-Fenway Racing's Greg Biffle, who was second on the last lap but was shuffled back with Patrick to finish sixth.

Regan Smith was seventh for Phoenix Racing, while Patrick, Michael McDowell and JJ Yeley rounded out the top 10.

Patrick was clearly disappointed with her finish. When the race was on the line, she was schooled by Earnhardt, who made his last move and blocked any chance she had.

Still, Patrick became the first woman in history to lead laps in the 500 when she passed Michael Waltrip on a restart on Lap 90. She stayed on the point for two laps, then was shuffled back to third. She ended up leading five laps, another groundbreaking moment for Patrick, who as a rookie in 2005 became the first woman to lead the Indianapolis 500 and now is the 13th driver to lead laps in both the Daytona 500 and the Indy 500.

"Dale did a nice job and showed what happens when you plan it out, you drop back and get that momentum. You are able to go to the front," Patrick said. "I think he taught me something. I'm sure I'll watch the race and there will be other scenarios I see that can teach me, too."

Earnhardt was impressed, nonetheless.

"She's going to make a lot of history all year long. It's going to be a lot of fun to watch her progress," said Earnhardt Jr. "Every time I've seen her in a pretty hectic situation, she always really remained calm. She's got a great level head. She's a racer. She knows what's coming. She's smart about her decisions. She knew what to do today as far as track position and not taking risks. I enjoy racing with her."

Johnson, one of three heavyweight drivers who took their young daughters to meet Patrick ? "the girl in the bright green car" ? after she won the pole in qualifications, tipped his cap, too.

"I didn't think about it being Danica in the car," Johnson said. "It was just another car on the track that was fast. That's a credit to her and the job she's doing."

The field was weakened by an early nine-car accident that knocked out race favorite Kevin Harvick and sentimental favorite Tony Stewart.

Harvick had won two support races coming into the 500 to cement himself as the driver to beat, but the accident sent him home with a 42nd place finish.

Stewart, meanwhile, dropped to 0-for-15 in one of the few races the three-time NASCAR champion has never won.

"If I didn't tell you I was heartbroken and disappointed, I'd be lying to you," Stewart said.

That accident also took former winner Jamie McMurray, his Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Juan Pablo Montoya, and Kasey Kahne out of contention.

The next accident ? involving nine cars ? came 105 laps later and brought a thankful end to Speedweeks for Carl Edwards. He was caught in his fifth accident since testing last month, and this wreck collected six other Ford drivers.

The field suddenly had six Toyota drivers at the front as Joe Gibbs Racing and Michael Waltrip Racing drivers took control of the race. But JGR's day blew up ? literally ? when the team was running 1-2-3 with Matt Kenseth, Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch setting the pace.

Kenseth, who led a race-high 86 laps, went to pit road first with an engine problem, and Busch was right behind him with a blown engine. Busch was already in street clothes watching as Hamlin led the field.

"It's a little devastating when you are running 1-2-3 like that," Busch said.

Hamlin's shot disappeared when he found himself in the wrong lane on the final restart. He tried to hook up with Keselowski to get them back to Johnson, but blamed former teammate Joey Logano for ruining the momentum of the bottom lane.

Hamlin offered a backhanded apology to Keselowski on Twitter, posting that he couldn't get close enough because "your genius teammate was too busy messing up the inside line 1 move at a time."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-02-24-NASCAR-Daytona%20500/id-bf5367c4ebe34448963434a47ab9d9d0

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Sunday, February 24, 2013

What's The Most You've Ever Over-Paid for a Gadget?

The best gadgets are expensive, but so are plenty not-the-best ones too. And regardless of how "good" something is, its only worth as much as it does for you. The best useless machine is, well, useless. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/hhHPfB1DQo8/whats-the-most-youve-ever-over+paid-for-a-gadget

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Thursday, February 28, 2013

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Team Diabetes in the Cayman Islands

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