Length of DNA strands can predict life expectancy

Mar. 9, 2013 ? Can the length of strands of DNA in patients with heart disease predict their life expectancy? Researchers from the Intermountain Heart Institute at Intermountain Medical Center in Salt Lake City, who studied the DNA of more that 3,500 patients with heart disease, say yes it can.

In the new study, presented Saturday, March 9, at the American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Session in San Francisco, the researchers were able to predict survival rates among patients with heart disease based on the length of strands of DNA found on the ends of chromosomes known as telomeres -- the longer the patient's telomeres, the greater the chance of living a longer life.

The study is one of 17 studies from the Intermountain Heart Institute at Intermountain Medical Center that are being presented at the scientific session, which is being attended by thousands of cardiologists and heart experts from around the world.

Previous research has shown that telomere length can be used as a measure of age, but these expanded findings suggest that telomere length may also predict the life expectancy of patients with heart disease.

Telomeres protect the ends of chromosome from becoming damaged. As people get older, their telomeres get shorter until the cell is no longer able to divide. Shortened telomeres are associated with age-related diseases such as heart disease or cancer, as well as exposure to oxidative damage from stress, smoking, air pollution, or conditions that accelerate biologic aging.

"Chromosomes by their nature get shorter as we get older," said John Carlquist, PhD, director of the Intermountain Heart Institute Genetics Lab. "Once they become too short, they no longer function properly, signaling the end of life for the cell. And when cells reach this stage, the patient's risk for age-associated diseases increases dramatically."

Dr. Carlquist and his colleagues from the Intermountain Heart Institute at Intermountain Medical Center tested the DNA samples from more than 3,500 heart attack and stroke patients.

"Our research shows that if we statistically adjust for age, patients with longer telomeres live longer, suggesting that telomere length is more than just a measure of age, but may also indicate the probability for survival. Longer telomere length directly correlate with the likelihood for a longer life -- even for patients with heart disease," said Dr. Carlquist.

Dr. Carlquist and his colleagues from the Intermountain Heart Institute at Intermountain Medical Center drew on two unique resources that offer unparalleled opportunity for researchers to study the effects of telomere length and survival rates of heart patients:

• An archive of peripheral blood DNA samples collected from almost 30,000 heart patients, with as much as 20 years of follow-up clinical and survival data. This is stored in Intermountain Healthcare's computerized medical informatics record system.

"With so many samples and very complete electronic records, it's a unique resource," said Dr. Carlquist. "It's unmatched in the world, and it allows us to measure the rate of change in the length of a patient's telomeres over time rather than just a snapshot in time, which is typical for most studies."

• The opportunity to work with experts from around the world, including Richard Cawthon, MD, PhD, who's an international expert on telomere measurement and function.

"I believe telomere length could be used in the future as a way to measure the effectiveness of heart care treatment," said Dr. Carlquist. "We can already test cholesterol and blood pressure of a patient to see how treatment is working, but this could give us a deeper view into how the treatment is affecting the body and whether or not the treatment is working."

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Intermountain Medical Center, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_science/~3/VwVtxCY5cow/130310164232.htm

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The True Convenience if You Have a Reverse Phone Number Lookup

Majority of us today may encounter phone callers who are not familiar to us. Some phone callers are leaving strange information and this causes disappointment already. With the popularity of the web, many companies also offer reverse phone number lookup services to help many individuals determine unfamiliar calls.

Bear in mind that you cannot accuse a person if he or she owns the number without proper investigation. When seeking for a service provider to examine the number, you likewise need to analyze meticulously. Checking the reputation is crucial because some companies do not present this character. There are fake phone number lookup online and it is important to discover them to avoid being a victim. Again, you simply must find the best service provider that assures the most reliable results.

It is correct there exists fake lookup directories like those free ones but not all are tricky programs. This kind of problem occurs whenever you visit a free directory that usually depends on a system that acquires public data. Seeing that you access public information are public, many users can access and use them. Typically, you discover old data because the directory site you visited does not update already. If you ever experience getting info to an outdated directory, you must never compensate their service if you did not assess the service provider. Once you decide to spend money to trace unknown calls, you have to acquire precise phone search info.

You may find online businesses that offer assistance like telephone number search, but their data source is outdated. These service providers are sometimes afraid of investing money for new database updates. However, they will lose more customers on this kind of wrong strategy even if they provide free phone directory information.

If you are planning to acquire information using a phone number search, the membership requires payment. You can already begin tracing different phone callers once you have the signed contract from your service provider. Despite paying the service of a paid lookup company, you will discover real information. Proper assessment is still necessary for the company that you want to hire already.

Besides the phone search lookup you appreciate from becoming a member, you can find more benefits that you can uncover afterwards. Compared to utilizing outdated lookup services, this is more beneficial and the actual payment is minimal only. If you are a regular member, this means that you can have a good relation to the service provider and can help you trace calls efficiently.

As a final point, the database of your service provider will let you trace as many as phone calls you want to determine. This is how beneficial when you employ the most dependable company with dependable phone number detectives.

Although not all of us are familiar with reverse lookup phone number, it is however important to reveal the potential benefits of using these service. The most effective strategy to discover these benefits is by visiting a website about reverse lookup.

Source: http://comlamgasalua.com/the-true-convenience-if-you-have-a-reverse-phone-number-lookup/

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Blackhawks not mourning end of record point streak

Chicago Blackhawks right wing Marian Hossa, of Slovakia, files off the ice with teammates after the Colorado Avalanche's 6-2 victory in an NHL hockey game in Denver on Friday, March 8, 2013. The Blackhawks lost in regulation for the first time this season. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Chicago Blackhawks right wing Marian Hossa, of Slovakia, files off the ice with teammates after the Colorado Avalanche's 6-2 victory in an NHL hockey game in Denver on Friday, March 8, 2013. The Blackhawks lost in regulation for the first time this season. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

As members of the Colorado Avalanche, back, celebrate a goal by Ryan O'Reilly, Chicago Blackhawks right wing Michael Frolik (67), of the Czech Republic, skates back to the bench in the second period of an NHL hockey game in Denver, Friday, March 8, 2013. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Colorado Avalanche left wing Patrick Bordeleau, front left, congratulates teammate Aaron Palushaj as they join teammates to celebrate the Avalanche's 6-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks in an NHL hockey game in Denver on Friday, March 8, 2013. Chicago's loss was its first in regulation this season. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Colorado Avalanche right wing Aaron Palushaj, left, battles for control of the puck with Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith in the third period of the Avalanche's 6-2 victory in an NHL hockey game in Denver on Friday, March 8, 2013. The Blackhawks lost in regulation for the first time this season. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Colorado Avalanche right wing PA Parenteau celebrates his short-handed goal against the Chicago Blackhawks in the third period of the Avalanche's 6-2 victory in an NHL hockey game in Denver on Friday, March 8, 2013. The Blackhawks lost in regulation for the first time this season. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

DENVER (AP) ? The Chicago Blackhawks aren't about to mourn the end of their record points streak.

"We're proud of it, but it'll be nice to move on now," defenseman Duncan Keith said after the Blackhawks' 6-2 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Friday night.

The loss was Chicago's first in regulation this season and ended a remarkable run in which they earned at least one point in their first 24 games, an NHL record.

"It's hockey. We've lost games before in our lives. It's not like we're going to sit here and cry," Keith said.

Instead, they'll sit back and celebrate, said coach Joel Quenneville, who told his team afterward "that they should be very proud of what they accomplished. They found different ways to win, night in and night out, and everyone contributed to something that hadn't been done. It's a great feather in our cap, but let's move forward here and try to get better. Certainly it was a lot of fun up to today."

So, they left the ice without a point for once but also with their heads held high.

The Blackhawks (21-1-3) hadn't lost in regulation since a 6-1 rout by Nashville on March 25, 2012, and their last loss in regulation on the road came more than a year ago, with a 5-1 defeat at St. Louis on March 6, 2012.

Dating to last year's regular season, the streak was 30 games.

"That's just mind-boggling," Avalanche center Paul Stastny said. "That's two full months without losing. Hats off to them. But to be the team that was able to stop them ? we had a chance last time and didn't do it ? but the way our schedule was we knew we had back-to-back games and would have two chances to stop it. And that's what we wanted to do, stop their streak and get one going for us."

Chicago's overall points streak was the second-longest in NHL history. The 1979-80 Philadelphia Flyers set the league record with a staggering 35-game unbeaten streak that included 25 wins and 10 ties ? all in the same season.

"It's special," said Matt Duchene, who had a goal and a career-best three assists. "It's obviously something no one had done yet. But what a run by them. I mean, first of all, congratulations to them. What a run they had. I don't think they're going to slow down because of this. But it's pretty special. It's a good feeling in here. We're pretty happy."

Ryan O'Reilly got his first goal since his contract dispute was resolved more than a week ago and assisted on another score in a four-goal onslaught in the second period that turned a 1-1 tie into a laugher. Stastny collected three points.

Duchene, John Mitchell and Jamie McGinn also put pucks past Corey Crawford in the second period for the Avalanche, who had lost six of their previous seven, including a 3-2 heartbreaker at Chicago 48 hours earlier.

Crawford (11-1-3) allowed five goals on 19 shots before being replaced in net by Ray Emery to start the third period.

"I didn't have it tonight," Crawford said. "Didn't give our guys a chance."

Semyon Varlamov had 30 saves for Colorado.

The Avalanche nearly ended the spectacular streak in Chicago on Wednesday night before the Blackhawks pulled out the win when Daniel Carcillo scored the tiebreaking goal with 49.3 seconds left. Chicago was skating without three key forwards and playing its second game in two nights then.

There was no such comeback Friday night at the Pepsi Center for Chicago, which hadn't allowed more than four goals in a game this season or even trailed by more than two goals until the Avs' spectacular second period.

"It's a great confidence booster," Duchene said. "It shows us we can play with anybody in this league."

The crowd chanted, "End of streak! End of streak!" over the final minutes after P.A. Parenteau's 10th goal of the season made it 6-2.

Bryan Bickell's goal with 11:07 pulled the Blackhawks to 5-2 and he nearly scored again from the same spot 90 seconds later, but Varlamov smothered the shot ? and that was that.

The teams got into a scuffle with 5:04 left after Bickell squared off with Gabriel Landeskog, who had checked Keith in the back.

Chicago's Jonathan Toews got the scoring started when he knocked the puck past Varlamov after a turnover on a give-and-go with forward Marian Hossa, who returned from an upper-body injury.

But Colorado scored the next five goals.

Duchene's goal between Crawford's legs made it 2-1. Just 33 seconds later, Mitchell scored on an assist from O'Reilly, who was signed to a two-year $10 million deal last week after the Avalanche matched Calgary's offer sheet following a nasty contract dispute.

O'Reilly's goal came on a slap shot from the top of the right circle 4 seconds into another power play. Duchene set him up with a pass after Stastny won the faceoff.

Duchene got his third assist when he dug out a loose puck from the boards in a scramble with Keith and kicked it out to McGinn, who put made it 5-1.

Remarkable though it was, the streak had become somewhat of a burden for the Blackhawks.

"It's gained a lot of momentum over the last little while and our opponents, they treated it like it was a very important game," Quenneville said. "You look at the standings and everyone has a meaningful game, but it seemed like there was added incentive as we've gone along. We welcomed the challenge."

After a while, it seemed the streak had taken on a life of its own.

"I'd say the last handful of games the talk about it kind of got out of control," Toews said. "The guys in our locker room, we always focused on the same thing, being prepared to play our team game. We never really got distracted by that. Maybe it does take a little bit of pressure off us and we can sit back and look at the good things we've done."

The Blackhawks' run comes with somewhat of an asterisk because they actually lost three games along the way ? all in shootouts. Under NHL rules, that's still worth a point, but that makes it different from what the Flyers accomplished nearly a quarter-century ago.

During the Flyers' streak there was no overtime until the playoffs, and the shootout was still a far-off creation. If the teams were tied after 60 minutes, that's how it ended and each got a point.

Nowadays, both teams still receive a point if the game is tied at the end of regulation. Then, the team that scores in a five-minute, four-skaters-a-side overtime period or wins the shootout gets an extra point.

"It's over," Crawford said. "Move on to the next game."

NOTES: Avalanche D Erik Johnson returned to the lineup after missing 11 games with a head injury. ... The Blackhawks were without F Patrick Sharp, who left Wednesday's home win over the Avalanche with a shoulder injury after being checked along the boards by Colorado's Ryan O'Byrne.

___

Follow Arnie Melendrez Stapleton on Twitter: http://twitter.com/arniestapleton

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-03-09-Blackhawks-Avalanche%20Folo/id-66de4e3240ba44b99274d161fba31ea4

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GPS in Business is No Big Brother

What if you could monitor exactly what your employees are doing, how fast they?re working, and even where they are? Initially, it sounds a little creepy ? from both the managers? and employees? view ? but GPS monitoring and tracking services are increasingly becoming a popular way to manage service calls, deliveries, and vehicles. It?s not about ?Big Brother? watching over and micromanaging every aspect of a team. It is a way to gain a better understanding of an always-in-motion business, providing important data to improve service and reduce inefficiencies.

Tracking the Benefits

By being able to see where your sales team is, the route that was taken, and how fast the vehicle was moving, fleet managers and businesses will be able to both track and reflect upon important information that can lead to significant solutions for problems in the field.?

GPS can help to:

? Track sales calls and time spent in order to help with scheduling and billing.

? Provide information on routes to specific locations so adjustments can be made to decrease wasted time and fuel costs. Sales professionals will be able to meet more potential clients in a shorter period of time, and they will appreciate the efficiency and effectiveness of their daily schedules.?

? Provide a platform of accountability, in which both the sales fleet and managers trust one another.?

? Increase productivity, as managers are able to see where a team member is and if he is located near another destination point. ??

? Determine the most efficient mileage of a vehicle.

In order to use GPS technology to its full potential, you need to choose the right provider that can provide the data to make informed revisions to processes. Software providers can either keep track of geofences or specific points of interest ? and some do both. If your sales staff wants to mark potential clients, then you will want different types of tracking programs.?

Route the Conversation

At first, you?re likely to encounter resistance. The staff will see it as invasive and maybe even a way for upper-level management to find a cause for termination. There may be loud and opinionated protests, so you need to understand exactly why this will benefit your team, besides the monetary advantages.

It?s important to present GPS monitoring as a system that will help your team, rather than hinder its success. The main concern is the safety of your team members. If they run into an unsafe situation ? an accident occurs, a vehicle breaks down, or a client turns out to be a little unhinged ? you want to be able to assist them as quickly as possible.?

In addition to keeping your team safe, GPS tracking is a way to hold everyone accountable for performance. It?s a way for employees to show they are doing their jobs, covering routes, and being where they need to be on time. Sales reps no longer have to worry about a manager accusing them of slacking. With a GPS system, the company will have access to the long history of employees who provide unparalleled service in a timely and efficient way. This can be used during performance reviews and meetings to even ask for a raise or showcase an employee?s dedication to improvement.?

If your team is still a little wary of being tracked, try working with a partner on a trial run. Before long, the team will be in awe of the number of calls they are covering each day, their ability to better manage the routes, and the improved service they can provide ? leading to more sales and even more satisfied clients.?

What if you could monitor exactly what your employees are doing, how fast they?re working, and even where they are? Initially, it sounds a little creepy ? from both the managers? and employees? view ? but GPS monitoring and tracking services are increasingly becoming a popular way to manage service calls, deliveries, and vehicles. It?s not about ?Big Brother? watching over and micromanaging every aspect of a team. It is a way to gain a better understanding of an always-in-motion business, providing important data to improve service and reduce inefficiencies.

Tracking the Benefits

By being able to see where your sales team is, the route that was taken, and how fast the vehicle was moving, fleet managers and businesses will be able to both track and reflect upon important information that can lead to significant solutions for problems in the field.?

GPS can help to:

• Track sales calls and time spent in order to help with scheduling and billing.
• Provide information on routes to specific locations so adjustments can be made to decrease wasted time and fuel costs. Sales professionals will be able to meet more potential clients in a shorter period of time, and they will appreciate the efficiency and effectiveness of their daily schedules.?
• Provide a platform of accountability, in which both the sales fleet and managers trust one another.?
• Increase productivity, as managers are able to see where a team member is and if he is located near another destination point. ??
• Determine the most efficient mileage of a vehicle.

In order to use GPS technology to its full potential, you need to choose the right provider that can provide the data to make informed revisions to processes. Software providers can either keep track of geofences or specific points of interest ? and some do both. If your sales staff wants to mark potential clients, then you will want different types of tracking programs.?

Route the Conversation

At first, you?re likely to encounter resistance. The staff will see it as invasive and maybe even a way for upper-level management to find a cause for termination. There may be loud and opinionated protests, so you need to understand exactly why this will benefit your team, besides the monetary advantages.

It?s important to present GPS monitoring as a system that will help your team, rather than hinder its success. The main concern is the safety of your team members. If they run into an unsafe situation ? an accident occurs, a vehicle breaks down, or a client turns out to be a little unhinged ? you want to be able to assist them as quickly as possible.?

In addition to keeping your team safe, GPS tracking is a way to hold everyone accountable for performance. It?s a way for employees to show they are doing their jobs, covering routes, and being where they need to be on time. Sales reps no longer have to worry about a manager accusing them of slacking. With a GPS system, the company will have access to the long history of employees who provide unparalleled service in a timely and efficient way. This can be used during performance reviews and meetings to even ask for a raise or showcase an employee?s dedication to improvement.?

If your team is still a little wary of being tracked, try working with a partner on a trial run. Before long, the team will be in awe of the number of calls they are covering each day, their ability to better manage the routes, and the improved service they can provide ? leading to more sales and even more satisfied clients.?

Source: http://www.eyesonsales.com/content/article/gps_in_business_is_no_big_brother/

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Suu Kyi vows to bring new blood to party

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) ? Myanmar's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Saturday vowed to inject new blood into her party and urged members to rise above petty differences as they elect new leadership for the first time in the 25-year history of the National League for Democracy.

"Choose leaders without any personal grudge," she told the assembled crowd of more than 1,000 delegates and guests. "Don't think of yourself. Don't think of your friends. Have firm policies and conviction and the courage to sacrifice, if you want to claim yourself a politician."

The three-day NLD congress, which opened Friday, is an important step toward making the party more reflective of its democratic ideals. It is a sign of how far Myanmar has come with political reform that the gathering is allowed at all. But it's also a test for the NLD, which is working to transform itself from a party of one into a structurally viable political opposition in time for national elections in 2015.

That transformation has not come without conflict, as the party struggles to infuse its ranks with new faces, expertise and diversity without sidelining long-standing members.

Suu Kyi said it is important to learn from past weaknesses and vowed to decentralize decision-making and inject the leadership with "new blood."

"The NLD has been accused of using centralized systems. It is partly true because we were unable to operate freely," she said. "But the situation has changed."

On Friday, the congress elected seven members, including Suu Kyi, to its top leadership body, the central executive committee. All come from the ranks of party faithful and most are in their late 60s. The NLD plans to elect around a dozen more members to body. They have also elected 100 of a planned 150 members to the party's second-line central committee.

Suu Kyi concluded her 20-minute speech with a broad call for unity, welcoming ethnic minority leaders, new party members and a vice-chairman of the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party, Htay Oo, as honored guests.

"This is very positive for the future and it will be very beneficial for the people if we walk hand in hand," she said.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/suu-kyi-vows-bring-blood-party-053122849.html

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RelayRides Founder Shelby Clark Steps Down From Day-To-Day Role, Will Remain On The Board

RelayRides founder and chief community officer Shelby Clark announced today that he is leaving his day-to-day role with the company, but will remain on the company's board of directors. The move comes as the company has added and promoted a bunch of executives with more operational experience, and as Clark is looking to get back into founder mode and start something new.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/bEO7ge1EOZg/

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TSX hits 5-week high on surge in gold, U.S. data

TORONTO (Reuters) - Canada's main stock index hit a five-week high Wednesday, with gold-mining shares leading the way on higher bullion prices, and sentiment getting a boost from U.S. economic data and central banker comments.

Private employers in the United States, Canada's biggest trade partner, hired more workers than expected in February, and demand for a range of factory goods was solid in January.

The U.S. Federal Reserve, in its Beige Book, said economic growth continued to improve gradually in January and early February as consumer spending picked up and the country's battered housing market maintained a broad-based recovery.

But analysts said the U.S. central bank did not seem to suggest it was close to withdrawing monetary stimulus.

"The market is being supported by expectations for continued stimulus from central banks," said Fergal Smith, a managing market strategist at Action Economics.

Gold stocks, which tend to react positively to commentary backing easy monetary policies, rallied the most and helped the materials group climb 3.4 percent.

"The materials sector has been beaten down. So it's more of a corrective bounce," Smith said. "You could also point to greater optimism because of the U.S. data or the Fed's Beige Book, which was consistent with no change of policy."

The materials group is down nearly 10 percent since the start of the year and is the worst-performing sector.

The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index <.gsptse> unofficially closed up 95.92 points, or 0.75 percent, at 12,831.96, after reaching 12,833.49, its highest level since January 30. Eight of the 10 main sectors on the index were higher.

In Canada, the central bank softened its stance on the need for interest rate hikes on Wednesday, saying it will likely hold its benchmark rate steady for "a period of time" but that its next move would still probably be a hike rather than a cut.

Central bankers around the world have been reiterating their support for easy monetary policies, for now.

"No one is taking the punch bowl away yet," said Paul Hand, managing director at RBC Capital Markets. "In the short term, investors aren't worried about any dramatic shift in interest rate policy or liquidity positions.

"You've got the fragile economy in the U.S. and in Europe you have an economy ranging from barely moving forward to still looking for a bottom," he added.

The materials sector, which includes mining stocks, was aided by a 0.4 percent rise in gold prices.

Goldcorp Inc added 4.7 percent to C$34.44, and Barrick Gold Corp was up 4.5 percent to C$30.61.

Energy shares gained almost 1 percent, with Suncor Energy Inc rising 1.4 percent to C$31.28.

In company news, Torstar Corp , publisher of the Toronto Star, Canada's largest daily newspaper, cut 67 jobs and said it would rein in costs in 2013. It reported a big drop in quarterly profit and said the revenue outlook for its main media business was uncertain. The stock shed nearly 12 percent to C$7.00.

(Editing by Nick Zieminski)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/tsx-may-open-higher-global-recovery-hopes-132930865--finance.html

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