I founded Youth for Technology Foundation (YTF) over a decade ago while working in the Corporate Strategy group at Microsoft. I felt a constant thirst to give back and make a difference in the world, no matter how small. I am passionate about technology, in particular the opportunities it affords to people in developing world communities. Born to educators and having been raised in a developing country, I could not help but notice how far behind I was in terms of technology and its application in education from my 'digital peers' in the U.S. I felt compelled to make a difference for others who might otherwise never have the opportunities that I did.
YTF's programs encourage participants to think about issues affecting their communities and the different ways in which tools, like technology, can be applied to solve those issues. YTF Academy strengthens young people's abilities to meet their own subsistence needs and helps prevent vulnerabilities to economic, political and socially unstable environments. In Nigeria, where YTF pioneered the Digital Village movement with the establishment of the Owerri Digital Village, youth contribute an incredible 80 percent to the GDP. As an advocate for community technology, YTF works with local actors, government, academia, private sector, and grassroots organizations to ensure marginalized youth in the developing world have the right opportunities to unlock their potential and improve their standard of living.
YTF's primary market is the 1.7 billion youth, aged 19 to 24, of which 86 percent live in developing countries. We understand that our beneficiaries are not the problem but rather they are part of the solutions we co-develop. Working collaboratively with youth to develop best-fit and needs-driven programs in their communities creates true transformation. This is the core of the work at YTF -- we know that the best way to lead people is by serving them. At YTF, we employ people from the local communities we work in and together we live by the mission of the organization.
Social entrepreneurs are a unique population -- we're driven by passion, not profit. We're not satisfied until we become a part of the change we wish to see, but also understand that change does not happen overnight. We're willing to work on whatever the conviction is for the long haul -- with integrity and authenticity. These values, which acknowledge that you have both potential and shortcomings, are integral to the process of creating change in the world.
I am humbled by my selection as Social Entrepreneur of the Year by the Schwab Foundation, in the knowledge that this recognition is not about my achievements, but rather about the incredible work of the YTF and the inspiring beneficiaries we have served over the last 12 years. I look forward to the opportunity of collaborating with other top leaders from civil society, public, and private sectors to accelerate the inspiring social impact already happening across the globe. Together, we can and we will make a difference.
Njideka U. Harry, Founder and Chief Executive, Youth for Technology Foundation (YTF), Nigeria; Schwab Social Entrepreneur of the Year 2013.
This post is part of a series produced by The Huffington Post and the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, in recognition of the latter's Social Entrepreneurs Class of 2013. For more than a decade, the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship has selected leading models of social innovation from around the world. Today we have 254 from nearly 60 countries, covering renewable energy and sanitation to job training and access to higher education. Follow the Schwab Foundation on Twitter at @schwabfound or nominate a Social Entrepreneur at http://www.schwabfound.org/sf/index.htm. To see all the post in the series, click here.
?
Follow Njideka U. Harry on Twitter: www.twitter.com/youthfortech
Cancer vaccines self-sabotage, channel immune attack to injection sitePublic release date: 3-Mar-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Scott Merville smerville@mdanderson.org 713-792-0661 University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
UT MD Anderson scientists find common vaccine ingredient diverts T cells from tumors
HOUSTON Cancer vaccines that attempt to stimulate an immune system assault fail because the killer T cells aimed at tumors instead find the vaccination site a more inviting target, scientists at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center report in Nature Medicine.
A common substance used in many cancer vaccines to boost immune attack betrays the cause by facilitating a buildup of T cells at the vaccination site, which then summon more T cells to help with the perceived threat.
"Vaccines stimulate production of T cells primed to attack the target cancer, and there are many T cells in the bloodstream after vaccination. We found that only a few get to the tumor while many more are stuck at or double back to the vaccination site," said senior author Willem Overwijk, Ph.D., in MD Anderson's Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology.
The result: largely unscathed tumors while an overstimulated immune response can cause lesions at the injection site. The team found that a major culprit in this failure is incomplete Freund's adjuvant (IFA), a mineral oil-based adjuvant included in many vaccines to stoke the immune response.
"IFA sticks around the vaccination site for up to three months, along with the antigen designed to trigger immunity against the tumor," Overwijk said. "T cells keep attacking and secreting chemokines to call for reinforcements. But it's an unkillable target; T cells can't kill mineral oil."
Eventually, the T cells die. "The vaccination site increasingly resembles a viral infection, with lots of damaged tissue and antigens," Overwijk said.
Switch from IFA to saline adjuvant reverses effect
"Switching to a saline-based adjuvant in a melanoma vaccine reversed the T cell effect in mice," Overwijk said, "Major accumulations of T cells gathered in tumors, shrinking them, with minimal T cell activity at the vaccination site."
Peptide antigens are available for almost all types of cancer, Overwijk said. A saline adjuvant could change the poor performance of cancer vaccines.
A clinical trial of the concept is expected to open later this year led by Craig Singluff Jr., M.D., professor of surgery at the University of Virginia Medical School, and Patrick Hwu, M.D., chair of MD Andersons Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology.
Overwijk and colleagues noted 98 federally approved U.S. clinical trials of vaccines against a variety of cancers have almost all failed, while another 37 trials are open, enrolling patients. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved only one therapeutic vaccine, for treatment of prostate cancer, out of all of those trials.
"Our group and many other researchers have been trying for years to improve the performance of cancer vaccines, to no avail," Overwijk said. "People kept trying because of these beguiling T cell levels in the blood. But our data suggest that the very nature of IFA-based vaccines may make it almost impossible for them to work well."
In past experiments and clinical trials, tumors were rarely examined for evidence of T cell penetration. In people, they are often inoperable, and there was no indication that it needed to be done. "But a few researchers did analyze human tumors for T cell infiltration and largely found what we found in our mouse experiments," he said.
Mouse studies reveal vaccine self-sabotage
The team studied the fate of melanoma-specific CD8-positive T cells after vaccination with the gp100 peptide with and without IFA.
Both vaccines increased levels of the desired T cells in the blood, but with IFA, the T cells dropped to nearly undetectable levels after three weeks and did not rebound even with an engineered virus-based booster. The vaccine-lacking IFA produced similar peak amounts of the T cells, a response that persisted over time.
The research team fluorescently tagged T cells in the mouse model to see where they went.
Mice without IFA had the bulk of T cells light up in their tumors with minimal presence at the vaccination site.
T cells built up at the injection site in mice that received IFA-based vaccine, with a tiny showing in the tumor.
Response duration was tested in gp100/IFA and control IFA vaccines. The antigen/IFA combination gathered and persisted at the vaccination site, where it could still stimulate the proliferation of injected T cells 96 days after vaccination.
A separate set of experiments showed the antigen/IFA-driven T cells were forced to kill themselves at the vaccination site by a variety of cell suicide-inducing proteins.
Reducing vaccine depots at injection site
Overwijk and colleagues inferred that a possible answer to the problem was to reduce the size and persistence of vaccine "depots" at the injection site.
They tested a vaccine based on a saline solution instead of IFA and found that antigens cleared more quickly but did not spark the desired T cell response. A combination of three stimulatory molecules (covax) was added to the saline/peptide vaccine, producing a strong T cell response. IFA/peptide vaccine produced a strong T cell response but also stronger post-peak T cell suicide.
A comparison of saline/peptide/covax vs. IFA/peptide/covax showed the saline version caused T cells to home to the tumor and destroy them, while the IFA version focused T cells at the vaccination site, killing normal tissue and inducing chemokines that damaged and killed T cells.
"IFA-based vaccination sites essentially outcompete tumor sites for T cell recognition and accumulation, chemokine production and tissue damage," Overwijk said. "It's an engineering flaw in those vaccines that we didn't appreciate until now. Fortunately, our results also directly instruct us how to design new, more powerful vaccine formulas for treating people with cancer."
###
Co-authors are first author Yared Hailemichael, Zhimin Dai, Nina Jaffarzad, Yang Ye, Miguel Medina, Xue-Fei Huang, Stephanie Dorta-Estremera Nathaniel Greeley, , Giovanni Nitti, Weiyi Peng, Chengwen Liu, Yanyan Lou, Brian Rabinovich and Patrick Hwu, all of MD Anderson's Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology; Zhiqiang Wang, Wencai Ma, and Richard Davis, of MD Anderson's Department of Lymphoma and Myeloma; and Kimberly Schluns, of MD Anderson's Department of Immunology.
Dorta-Estremera, Greeley, and Nitti are graduate students in The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, a graduate school operated jointly by MD Anderson and The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. Schluns, Davis, Hwu and Overwijk also are on the GSBS faculty.
Grants from the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health (RO1 1CA143077 and PO1 CA128913) and an award from the Melanoma Research Alliance funded this research.
About MD Anderson
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston ranks as one of the world's most respected centers focused on cancer patient care, research, education and prevention. MD Anderson is one of only 41 comprehensive cancer centers designated by the National Cancer Institute. For nine of the past 11 years, including 2012, MD Anderson has ranked No. 1 in cancer care in "America's Best Hospitals," a survey published annually in U.S. News & World Report. MD Anderson receives a cancer center support grant from the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health (P30 CA016672).
Get M. D. Anderson News Via RSS Follow MDAnderson News on Twitter
[ | 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.
Cancer vaccines self-sabotage, channel immune attack to injection sitePublic release date: 3-Mar-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Scott Merville smerville@mdanderson.org 713-792-0661 University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
UT MD Anderson scientists find common vaccine ingredient diverts T cells from tumors
HOUSTON Cancer vaccines that attempt to stimulate an immune system assault fail because the killer T cells aimed at tumors instead find the vaccination site a more inviting target, scientists at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center report in Nature Medicine.
A common substance used in many cancer vaccines to boost immune attack betrays the cause by facilitating a buildup of T cells at the vaccination site, which then summon more T cells to help with the perceived threat.
"Vaccines stimulate production of T cells primed to attack the target cancer, and there are many T cells in the bloodstream after vaccination. We found that only a few get to the tumor while many more are stuck at or double back to the vaccination site," said senior author Willem Overwijk, Ph.D., in MD Anderson's Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology.
The result: largely unscathed tumors while an overstimulated immune response can cause lesions at the injection site. The team found that a major culprit in this failure is incomplete Freund's adjuvant (IFA), a mineral oil-based adjuvant included in many vaccines to stoke the immune response.
"IFA sticks around the vaccination site for up to three months, along with the antigen designed to trigger immunity against the tumor," Overwijk said. "T cells keep attacking and secreting chemokines to call for reinforcements. But it's an unkillable target; T cells can't kill mineral oil."
Eventually, the T cells die. "The vaccination site increasingly resembles a viral infection, with lots of damaged tissue and antigens," Overwijk said.
Switch from IFA to saline adjuvant reverses effect
"Switching to a saline-based adjuvant in a melanoma vaccine reversed the T cell effect in mice," Overwijk said, "Major accumulations of T cells gathered in tumors, shrinking them, with minimal T cell activity at the vaccination site."
Peptide antigens are available for almost all types of cancer, Overwijk said. A saline adjuvant could change the poor performance of cancer vaccines.
A clinical trial of the concept is expected to open later this year led by Craig Singluff Jr., M.D., professor of surgery at the University of Virginia Medical School, and Patrick Hwu, M.D., chair of MD Andersons Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology.
Overwijk and colleagues noted 98 federally approved U.S. clinical trials of vaccines against a variety of cancers have almost all failed, while another 37 trials are open, enrolling patients. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved only one therapeutic vaccine, for treatment of prostate cancer, out of all of those trials.
"Our group and many other researchers have been trying for years to improve the performance of cancer vaccines, to no avail," Overwijk said. "People kept trying because of these beguiling T cell levels in the blood. But our data suggest that the very nature of IFA-based vaccines may make it almost impossible for them to work well."
In past experiments and clinical trials, tumors were rarely examined for evidence of T cell penetration. In people, they are often inoperable, and there was no indication that it needed to be done. "But a few researchers did analyze human tumors for T cell infiltration and largely found what we found in our mouse experiments," he said.
Mouse studies reveal vaccine self-sabotage
The team studied the fate of melanoma-specific CD8-positive T cells after vaccination with the gp100 peptide with and without IFA.
Both vaccines increased levels of the desired T cells in the blood, but with IFA, the T cells dropped to nearly undetectable levels after three weeks and did not rebound even with an engineered virus-based booster. The vaccine-lacking IFA produced similar peak amounts of the T cells, a response that persisted over time.
The research team fluorescently tagged T cells in the mouse model to see where they went.
Mice without IFA had the bulk of T cells light up in their tumors with minimal presence at the vaccination site.
T cells built up at the injection site in mice that received IFA-based vaccine, with a tiny showing in the tumor.
Response duration was tested in gp100/IFA and control IFA vaccines. The antigen/IFA combination gathered and persisted at the vaccination site, where it could still stimulate the proliferation of injected T cells 96 days after vaccination.
A separate set of experiments showed the antigen/IFA-driven T cells were forced to kill themselves at the vaccination site by a variety of cell suicide-inducing proteins.
Reducing vaccine depots at injection site
Overwijk and colleagues inferred that a possible answer to the problem was to reduce the size and persistence of vaccine "depots" at the injection site.
They tested a vaccine based on a saline solution instead of IFA and found that antigens cleared more quickly but did not spark the desired T cell response. A combination of three stimulatory molecules (covax) was added to the saline/peptide vaccine, producing a strong T cell response. IFA/peptide vaccine produced a strong T cell response but also stronger post-peak T cell suicide.
A comparison of saline/peptide/covax vs. IFA/peptide/covax showed the saline version caused T cells to home to the tumor and destroy them, while the IFA version focused T cells at the vaccination site, killing normal tissue and inducing chemokines that damaged and killed T cells.
"IFA-based vaccination sites essentially outcompete tumor sites for T cell recognition and accumulation, chemokine production and tissue damage," Overwijk said. "It's an engineering flaw in those vaccines that we didn't appreciate until now. Fortunately, our results also directly instruct us how to design new, more powerful vaccine formulas for treating people with cancer."
###
Co-authors are first author Yared Hailemichael, Zhimin Dai, Nina Jaffarzad, Yang Ye, Miguel Medina, Xue-Fei Huang, Stephanie Dorta-Estremera Nathaniel Greeley, , Giovanni Nitti, Weiyi Peng, Chengwen Liu, Yanyan Lou, Brian Rabinovich and Patrick Hwu, all of MD Anderson's Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology; Zhiqiang Wang, Wencai Ma, and Richard Davis, of MD Anderson's Department of Lymphoma and Myeloma; and Kimberly Schluns, of MD Anderson's Department of Immunology.
Dorta-Estremera, Greeley, and Nitti are graduate students in The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, a graduate school operated jointly by MD Anderson and The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. Schluns, Davis, Hwu and Overwijk also are on the GSBS faculty.
Grants from the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health (RO1 1CA143077 and PO1 CA128913) and an award from the Melanoma Research Alliance funded this research.
About MD Anderson
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston ranks as one of the world's most respected centers focused on cancer patient care, research, education and prevention. MD Anderson is one of only 41 comprehensive cancer centers designated by the National Cancer Institute. For nine of the past 11 years, including 2012, MD Anderson has ranked No. 1 in cancer care in "America's Best Hospitals," a survey published annually in U.S. News & World Report. MD Anderson receives a cancer center support grant from the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health (P30 CA016672).
Get M. D. Anderson News Via RSS Follow MDAnderson News on Twitter
[ | 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.
ScienceDaily: Living Well Newshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/news/living_well/ Stories about health and wellness, lifestyle issues and trends, family concerns and other topics about everyday life.en-usFri, 01 Mar 2013 05:33:30 ESTFri, 01 Mar 2013 05:33:30 EST60ScienceDaily: Living Well Newshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gifhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/news/living_well/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily.Cancer doesn't change young girls' desire to have children, study showshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130301034833.htm Researchers have found that healthy adolescent females have predetermined expectations for becoming parents in the future, but have concerns about fertility and childbearing should they develop a life-threatening illness, such as cancer.Fri, 01 Mar 2013 03:48:48 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130301034833.htmProblems with identifying meat? The answer is to check the barcodehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228194659.htm Want to know what you are eating? DNA barcodes can be used to identify even very closely related species, finds a new article. Results from the study show that the labelling of game meat in South Africa is very poor with different species being substituted almost 80 percent of the time.Thu, 28 Feb 2013 19:46:46 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228194659.htmBrain can't cope with making a left-hand turn and talking on hands-free cell phonehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228124142.htm Most serious traffic accidents occur when drivers are making a left-hand turn at a busy intersection. When those drivers are also talking on a hands-free cell phone, "that could be the most dangerous thing they ever do on the road," said an expert.Thu, 28 Feb 2013 12:41:41 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228124142.htmAction video games boost reading skills, study of children with dyslexia suggestshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228124132.htm Much to the chagrin of parents who think their kids should spend less time playing video games and more time studying, time spent playing action video games can actually make dyslexic children read better, new research suggests. In fact, 12 hours of video game play did more for reading skills than is normally achieved with a year of spontaneous reading development or demanding traditional reading treatments.Thu, 28 Feb 2013 12:41:41 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228124132.htm'Crazy-busy' Canadians under pressure on the jobhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228103458.htm Having more control in the workplace can have negative consequences for individuals, but it depends on the form of job control. Having control over one's work schedule and job autonomy are associated with lower levels of job pressure.Thu, 28 Feb 2013 10:34:34 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228103458.htmEating junk food while pregnant may make your child a junk food addicthttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228103443.htm A healthy diet during pregnancy is critical to the future health of your children. New research suggests that pregnant mothers who consume junk food cause developmental changes of the opioid signaling pathway in the brains of their unborn children. Consequently, these children are less sensitive to opioids released upon consumption of foods high in fat and sugar, and need to eat more to achieve a "feel good" response.Thu, 28 Feb 2013 10:34:34 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228103443.htmReading, writing, arithmetic, and aerobics: Evaluating the new 'R' in academic performancehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228080547.htm Although the long-term consequences of childhood obesity are well documented, some school districts have reduced physical education classes to devote more time to the three Rs in education -- reading, writing, and arithmetic. However, there is new evidence that leaving out an important fourth R -- aerobics -- could actually be counterproductive for increasing test scores. A new study studied the associations between aerobic fitness, body mass index, and passing scores on standardized math and reading tests.Thu, 28 Feb 2013 08:05:05 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228080547.htmWhy some people get zits and others don'thttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228080135.htm Researchers have discovered that acne bacteria contain "bad" strains associated with pimples and "good" strains that may protect the skin. The findings could lead to a myriad of new therapies to prevent and treat the disfiguring skin disorder.Thu, 28 Feb 2013 08:01:01 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228080135.htmCan your breath identify stress?http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227225636.htm The perennial stress-buster -- a deep breath -- could become stress-detector. According to a new pilot study, there are six markers in the breath that could be candidates for use as indicators of stress.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 22:56:56 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227225636.htmSitting less and moving about more could be more important than vigorous exercise to reduce risk of type 2 diabeteshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227183526.htm New research reveals that individuals at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes would benefit from being told to sit less and move around more often -- rather than simply exercising regularly. The experts suggest that reducing sitting time by 90 minutes in total per day could lead to important health benefits.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 18:35:35 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227183526.htmHeading a soccer ball may affect cognitive performancehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227183458.htm Sports-related head injuries are a growing concern, and new research suggests that even less forceful actions like 'heading' a soccer ball may cause changes in performance on certain cognitive tasks, according to new research.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 18:34:34 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227183458.htmHigher indoor humidity inactivates flu virus particleshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227183456.htm Higher humidity levels indoors can significantly reduce the infectivity of influenza virus particles released by coughing, according to new research.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 18:34:34 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227183456.htmPraising children for their personal qualities may backfirehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227183316.htm Praising children, especially those with low self-esteem, for their personal qualities rather than their efforts may make them feel more ashamed when they fail, according to new research.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 18:33:33 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227183316.htmResearch explores factors that impact adolescent mental healthhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227151258.htm Research indicates that half of all lifetime cases of mental illness begin by age 14, well before adulthood. Three new studies investigate the cognitive, genetic and environmental factors that may contribute to mental health disorders in adolescence.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 15:12:12 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227151258.htmLipid researcher, 98, reports on the dietary causes of heart diseasehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227151254.htm A 98-year-old researcher argues that, contrary to decades of clinical assumptions and advice to patients, dietary cholesterol is good for your heart -- unless that cholesterol is unnaturally oxidized (by frying foods in reused oil, eating lots of polyunsaturated fats, or smoking).Wed, 27 Feb 2013 15:12:12 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227151254.htmName your neighborhood, define your health?http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227134342.htm Does your neighborhood really define health? Most of us make a choice between suburbs, countryside, or city and settle down. But others, particularly those living in poverty, don?t always get to make that choice ?- the choice that could actually determine our quality and length of life. So how does this choice affect our health?Wed, 27 Feb 2013 13:43:43 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227134342.htmContaminated diet contributes to exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals: Phthalates and BPAhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227121903.htm While water bottles may tout BPA-free labels and personal care products declare phthalates not among their ingredients, these assurances may not be enough. According to a new study, we may be exposed to these chemicals in our diet, even if our diet is organic and we prepare, cook, and store foods in non-plastic containers. Children may be most vulnerable.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 12:19:19 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227121903.htmTrust makes you delusional and that's not all bad: Trusting partners remember transgressions in ways that benefit the relationshiphttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227113100.htm New research is the first to systematically examine the role of trust in biasing memories of transgressions in romantic partnerships. People who are highly trusting tended to remember transgressions in a way that benefits the relationship, remembering partner transgressions as less severe than they originally reported. People low on trust demonstrated the opposite pattern, remembering partner transgressions as being more severe than how they originally reported.?Wed, 27 Feb 2013 11:31:31 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227113100.htmDefining the new normal in aginghttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227113058.htm Researcher says terms such as "normal," "healthy" or "successful" aging can prejudice our views of seniors.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 11:30:30 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227113058.htmNew studies link gene to selfish behavior in kids, find other children natural givershttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227102940.htm Most parents would agree that raising a generous child is an admirable goal -- but how, exactly, is that accomplished? New results shed light on how generosity and related behaviors -- such as kindness, caring and empathy -- develop, or don't develop, in children from 2 years old through adolescence.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 10:29:29 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227102940.htmMarried opposite-sex couples have better overall health than same-sex couples who live togetherhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227102100.htm Same-sex couples who live together have worse health than married opposite-sex couples and similar health as opposite-sex couples who are living together (after adjusting for socioeconomic differences), according to a new study.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 10:21:21 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227102100.htmPessimism about the future may lead to longer, healthier lifehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227101929.htm Older people who have low expectations for a satisfying future may be more likely to live longer, healthier lives than those who see brighter days ahead, according to new research.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 10:19:19 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227101929.htmDo thin models and celebrities really help sell to women?http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227085840.htm Advertisers who put images of female celebrities and models next to their products spark scorn rather than shopping, according to new research.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 08:58:58 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227085840.htmToo much vitamin D during pregnancy can cause food allergies, research suggestshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227085838.htm Pregnant women should avoid taking vitamin D supplements, new research suggests. Substitution appears to raise the risk of children developing a food allergy after birth.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 08:58:58 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227085838.htmSame-sex cohabitors less healthy than those in heterosexual marriages, study suggestshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227085706.htm Same-sex cohabitors report worse health than people of the same socioeconomic status who are in heterosexual marriages, according to a new study, which may provide fuel for gay marriage proponents.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 08:57:57 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227085706.htmIncreased risk of sleep disorder narcolepsy in children who received swine flu vaccinehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226194006.htm A study finds an increased risk of narcolepsy in children and adolescents who received the A/H1N1 2009 influenza vaccine (Pandemrix) during the pandemic in England.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 19:40:40 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226194006.htmTexting Gloves Dangerous in Winter, Says experthttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226141235.htm Fingers are one of the first body parts to suffer from the cold and popular fingerless texting gloves can lead to frostbite and in worst cases, amputation, says an expert.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 14:12:12 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226141235.htmTexting becoming a pain in the neckhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226101259.htm Orthopedic surgeon, spine specialist says excessive leaning head forward and down, while looking at a phone or other mobile device could result in what some people call ?text neck.?Tue, 26 Feb 2013 10:12:12 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226101259.htmSleep reinforces learning: Children?s brains transform subconsciously learned material into active knowledgehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226081155.htm During sleep, our brains store what we have learned during the day a process even more effective in children than in adults, new research shows.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 08:11:11 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226081155.htmMediterranean diet helps cut risk of heart attack, stroke: Results of PREDIMED study presentedhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225181536.htm Results of a major study aimed at assessing the efficacy of the Mediterranean diet in the primary prevention of cardiovascular diseases show that such a diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil or tree nuts reduces by 30 percent the risk of suffering a cardiovascular death, a myocardial infarction or a stroke.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 18:15:15 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225181536.htmDoing good is good for you: Volunteer adolescents enjoy healthier heartshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225162229.htm Giving back through volunteering is good for your heart, even at a young age, according to researchers.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 16:22:22 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225162229.htmTargeting CPR education in high-risk neighborhoods could save more liveshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225153046.htm Targeting CPR education in high-risk neighborhoods could increase the number of bystanders giving CPR and decrease deaths from cardiac arrest, according to a new statement.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 15:30:30 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225153046.htmGender gap disappears in school math competitionshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225153029.htm The idea that boys are better at math and in competitions has persisted for a long time - primarily because of the competition format. A new study shows that competitions that extend beyond a single round result in parity between the sexes.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 15:30:30 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225153029.htmGlobal surveys show environment ranks low among public concernshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225131541.htm A newly released international study reveals that the issue of climate change is not a priority for people in the United States and around the world. The surveys showed that when asked to rank priority worries, people were five times more likely to point to the economy over the environment.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 13:15:15 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225131541.htmMoments of spirituality can induce liberal attitudes, researchers findhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225131532.htm People become more politically liberal immediately after practising a spiritual exercise such as meditation, researchers have found.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 13:15:15 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225131532.htmMemory strategy may help depressed people remember the good timeshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225122047.htm New research highlights a memory strategy that may help people who suffer from depression in recalling positive day-to-day experiences.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 12:20:20 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225122047.htmA question of accountability: What happens when employees are left in the dark?http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225112320.htm All employees are accountable for something, but very few fully understand exactly what they are accountable for, according to a new study.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 11:23:23 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225112320.htmCatfight? Workplace conflicts between women get bad raphttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225092248.htm A new study suggests troubling perceptions exist when it comes to women involved in disputes at work.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 09:22:22 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225092248.htmMost babies slow to grow catch up by early teenshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225092246.htm New research shows that most babies who are slow to put on weight in the first nine months of life have caught up to within the normal range by the age of 13, but remain lighter and shorter than many of their peers. There are significant differences in the pattern of "catchup," depending on the infant's age when the slow weight gain occurs.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 09:22:22 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225092246.htmParents talking about their own drug use to children could be detrimentalhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130222083127.htm Parents know that one day they will have to talk to their children about drug use. The hardest part is to decide whether or not talking about ones own drug use will be useful in communicating an antidrug message. Recent research found that children whose parents did not disclose drug use, but delivered a strong antidrug message, were more likely to exhibit antidrug attitudes.Fri, 22 Feb 2013 08:31:31 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130222083127.htmSmarter lunchrooms make lunch choices child's playhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130222083125.htm In Jan. 2012, the United States Department of Agriculture passed a series of regulations designed to make school lunches more nutritious, which included requiring schools to increase whole grain offerings and making students select either a fruit or vegetable with their purchased lunch. However, children cannot be forced to eat these healthier lunches. In a new study, researchers determined that small, inexpensive changes to school cafeterias influenced the choice and consumption of healthier foods.Fri, 22 Feb 2013 08:31:31 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130222083125.htmInfluenza study: Meet virus' new enemyhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130221194241.htm Virologists have discovered a new class of molecular compounds capable of killing the influenza virus. Working on the premise that too much of a good thing can be a killer, the scientists have advanced previous researchers' methods of manipulating an enzyme that is key to how influenza replicates and spreads. The new compounds will lead to a new generation of anti-influenza drugs that the virus' strains can't adapt to, and resist, as easily as they do Tamiflu.Thu, 21 Feb 2013 19:42:42 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130221194241.htmScientists make older adults less forgetful in memory testshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130221143946.htm Scientists have found compelling evidence that older adults can eliminate forgetfulness and perform as well as younger adults on memory tests. The cognitive boost comes from a surprising source -- a distraction learning strategy.Thu, 21 Feb 2013 14:39:39 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130221143946.htmShould grandma join Facebook? It may give her a cognitive boost, study findshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130221143912.htm Preliminary research findings suggest learning to use Facebook may help give adults older than 65 a cognitive boost. The study shows that seniors who learned to use Facebook saw improvements in their ability to continuously monitor and quickly add or delete the contents of their working memory.Thu, 21 Feb 2013 14:39:39 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130221143912.htmHeavy backpacks may damage nerves, muscles and skeleton, study suggestshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130221141604.htm Damage to muscles and the skeleton is the frequent consequence of carrying heavy backpacks and occupational gear on our backs. New research confirms that damage to the nerves that travel through the neck and shoulders is also a serious risk.Thu, 21 Feb 2013 14:16:16 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130221141604.htmWanted: A life outside the workplacehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130221115801.htm New research suggests the growing number of workers who are single and without children have trouble finding the time or energy to participate in non-work interests, just like those with spouses and kids.Thu, 21 Feb 2013 11:58:58 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130221115801.htmIn rich and poor nations, giving makes people feel better than getting, research findshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130221104357.htm Feeling good about spending money on someone else rather than for personal benefit may be a universal response among people in both impoverished countries and rich nations, according to new research.Thu, 21 Feb 2013 10:43:43 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130221104357.htmAccidental poisonings leading cause of deaths at home, study findshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130221104157.htm An increasing number of people die from unintentional home injury, in large part due to accidental drug overdose, according to a new study.Thu, 21 Feb 2013 10:41:41 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130221104157.htmSocial capital -- the benefit of Facebook 'friends'http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130221084618.htm Intense Facebook usage is found to have a positive effect on psychological well-being, according to a new study.?Thu, 21 Feb 2013 08:46:46 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130221084618.htmWhen children can hop on one leg: Motor development in children under 5 can now be tested reliablyhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130221084602.htm Researchers have determined normative data for different exercises such as hopping or running. This enables parents and experts to gauge the motor skills of young children for the first time objectively and thus identify abnormalities at an early stage.Thu, 21 Feb 2013 08:46:46 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130221084602.htmTalking about being old is important indicator of body dissatisfactionhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130220203711.htm Similar to talking about being fat, talking about being old is an important an indicator of body dissatisfaction, shows new research. Body dissatisfaction is known to be correlated with, and predictive of, physical and mental health problems including binge eating, emotional eating, stress, low self-esteem, depression, and use of unhealthy weight control behaviors. High levels of talking about weight and being fat, ?fat talk?, is known to be a good indicator of body dissatisfaction.Wed, 20 Feb 2013 20:37:37 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130220203711.htmScrap 'unwinnable' drugs war and divert funds into curbing global antibiotic misuse, experts sayhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130220184955.htm Governments around the world should stop squandering resources fighting an "unwinnable war" against illegal drugs, such as cocaine and heroin. Instead, they should use the cash to curb antibiotic misuse, which poses a far more serious threat to human health, claims a leading ethicist.Wed, 20 Feb 2013 18:49:49 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130220184955.htmMosquitoes exposed to DEET once are less repelled by it a few hours later, study claimshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130220184949.htm Mosquitoes are able to ignore the smell of the insect repellent DEET within a few hours of being exposed to it, according to new research.Wed, 20 Feb 2013 18:49:49 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130220184949.htmBackground checks, permanent records needed for all firearm transfers, not just gun sales by retailers, experts urgehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130220163633.htm Gun violence in the United States can be substantially reduced if Congress expands requirements for background checks on retail gun sales to cover firearm transfers between private parties, a new report concludes.Wed, 20 Feb 2013 16:36:36 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130220163633.htmBullied children can suffer lasting psychological harm as adultshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130220163629.htm Bullied children grow into adults who are at increased risk of developing anxiety disorders, depression and suicidal thoughts, according to a new study.Wed, 20 Feb 2013 16:36:36 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130220163629.htmEmployees shed pounds in worksite-based weight loss intervention with behavioral counselinghttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130220163557.htm Workplace-based programs that include dietary advice coupled with behavioral counseling appear to be a promising approach for men and women with significant weight loss goals, based on the results of a pilot study. Employees enrolled in the intervention arm of a randomized controlled trial lost on average, 18 pounds over a six-month period compared to a two pound weight gain in a control group.Wed, 20 Feb 2013 16:35:35 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130220163557.htmSeparated bike lanes, slower vehicle speeds greatly reduce bicycle injurieshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130220131744.htm Using your bicycle to commute to work has numerous health and environmental benefits. Yet, the largest Canadian study on cycling injuries suggests cyclists are at risk of injury due to the lack of cycling infrastructure in large urban centers.Wed, 20 Feb 2013 13:17:17 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130220131744.htmResveratrol shows promise to protect hearing, cognitionhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130220131742.htm Resveratrol, a substance found in red grapes and red wine, may have the potential to protect against hearing and cognitive decline, according to a new study.Wed, 20 Feb 2013 13:17:17 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130220131742.htmCure for common hangover? 'Pill' mimics action of human liver in fighting alcohol intoxicationhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130220114337.htm In a discovery that could promise a quick fix to the common hangover, a team of engineers has identified a method for speeding up the body's reaction to the consumption of alcohol.Wed, 20 Feb 2013 11:43:43 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130220114337.htmHealthy rivalry could boost sport and business performancehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130220113859.htm New research shows that people can recover from poor performance when rivals comment on their failures. The research shows that while criticism from team members sends individuals into downward performance spirals, external criticism can be a trigger that boosts performance as people try to prove the outsiders wrong.Wed, 20 Feb 2013 11:38:38 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130220113859.htm
The two Van Allen Probes orbit through the radiation belts that surround Earth, shown in cross section in this artist's impression.Image: NASA
When NASA scientists launched twin spacecraft to probe the Van Allen radiation belts last summer, they were expecting to study two rings of high-energy particles circling Earth. Instead they found three, overturning a 50-year-old model of the giant rings? structure.
First discovered in 1958, the Van Allen belts have been thought to comprise two reservoirs of high-speed, electrically charged particles, corralled into separate doughnut-shaped rings by Earth?s magnetic field. The outer ring orbits at a distance of some 10,000?60,000 kilometers above Earth, and encircles an inner band of even more energetic particles, roughly 100?10,000 kilometers above Earth. That?s the configuration the belts were in when James Van Allen first spotted them using satellite data half a century ago, and that?s also the structure that NASA?s twin Van Allen Probes recorded when they began operation on 1 September 2012.
But just two days later, telescopes on the probes revealed the emergence of an additional, narrow belt of charged particles sandwiched between the inner ring and a now highly eroded outer ring. ?It was so unexpected that we thought there was something wrong with the instrument,? says Daniel Baker, a space physicist at the University of Colorado in Boulder.
The new ring persisted, however, and Baker and his team now attributes its creation to an interplanetary shock wave ? a traveling outburst of solar-wind particles from the Sun ? that has been detected by other craft. The shock wave scoured away much of the outer ring and then divided the remains into two distinct sections, he suggests.?
For nearly all of September, the middle ring remained while the outer ring continued to wax and wane. On 1 October, however, another interplanetary shock wave, more energetic than the previous one, obliterated both the outer and middle rings, leaving only the inner Van Allen belt intact. Seven or eight days later, a third shock wave somehow restored the original structure of the two belts as depicted in textbooks, Baker says.
Baker goes on to say that data collected by the probes on 9 October revealed that ?suddenly the whole outer belt was lit up again but with the [middle] ring gone.?
The findings, which are reported today in Science, demonstrate that solar outbursts are indeed a strong driving force behind the structure of the belts and that similar activity might be common, especially now, near the peak of the 11-year solar cycle, Baker says. Nonetheless, he adds, details about the dramatic reshaping of the outer belt and the location of the month-long middle ring cannot be explained by current theory.?
Understanding the three-zone structure ?will be a subject of future research by theorists and numerical modelers all over the world?, says Yuri Shprits, a geophysicist at the University of California, Los Angeles, who was not involved with the study.
This article is reproduced with permission from the magazine Nature. The article was first published on February 28, 2013.
Video internet marketing is putting more money in the bank than most other forms of marketing combined.
Are you getting your fair share? If not, why not? Video internet marketing isn?t too tough to learn and once you have shared a few videos the results you get might well surprise, even shock you. So why don?t we take a scroll across this hot marketing arena to find you a place once and for all.
Currently about 30 percent of web businesses use video internet marketing in one way or another. Some businesses promote their videos on YouTube and other preferred video hosting and sharing sites. Others put engaging videos on their web pages, blog posts and e-business sites. And unless you have been living under a rock, certainly you have noticed almost every new affiliate marketing launch leads with a video.
The reason is easy.
Video sells.
Video clips provides you the ability to promote product awareness as well as boost lead generation and with the increasing number of people by having smart phones, apps and high-speed Internet hookups its is only going to get even better and even more people watching videos. If you really think about it, the new tablets that are on the market are perfect for watching videos and streaming content.
The modern technology is now almost at its best as well as very quick, everybody will have a gadget where they are able to access the internet as well as video through a portable gadget.
Ideas for Video Internet Marketing
Using the boost in video on the internet, it really has become a critical tool in any internet marketing campaign, and they are found in most internet marketing courses. Unless you wish to get left in the dust, you need to begin to use video internet marketing within your business. So these days, take the jump into leveraging off of this hypnotic tool for marketing and boosting profitability. I mean come on, most of your competition is doing it, so why aren?t you?
Do not let juvenile fears of seeing yourself on camera, or the ?not knowing? quit you from starting and even becoming successful.
The truth is, producing a video isn?t nearly as hard as you may think. And really it is possible to use plenty of totally free video editing software readily available to you. You are able to pickup a camera from Walmart for about $50 which will capture 3 hours of video. Although these are not the best cameras in the world, it is possible to get great high quality sound and picture from these inexpensive devices. No need to break the bank and purchase tons of dollars worth of gear for the very first few videos. Realistically you can even use your smart phone, I have seen tons of people do it, what am I talking about, I have even done it! If you are wanting a system that shows you even more video marketing tips, and allows you to make a few dollars on the side, you need to watch this video!
If you are really against the idea of getting in front of the camera, consider creating a nice power-point show and recording the slide show to video using voice over technology. Camtasia is a top end product you can use for this if you have got the budget or think about using CamStudio if you?re a bit tight on funds now. Even less complicated.
If you need to get your feet wet is by using Animoto. Animoto is a domain you can to product a nice video internet marketing campaign by simply uploading several images and graphic and words.
Another great tool to use is one that I use quite often for my power-point videos is SnagIt, great tool and so easy to use, and the best part, under 50.00 for a lifetime license. This is a real no brainer!
Video tutorials (the way to do this, the way to do that, or what I like to call ? how-to-videos) is a superb strategy to get started. Generate a storyboard, or outline with the topics you need to cover in your video so your not just making it up as you go along. These types of ?do it yourself, how to? videos are getting plenty of attention and positive feedback now days thanks to peoples interest in reality TV kind of entertainment.
For more sales and profits online, you want more people to go to your website and marketing with video will help you to accomplish this. Video internet marketing is hot and it may continue to grow even hotter. Make sure it happens in your business.
See How I Use Video Marketing In My Business Below
If you enjoyed this post on what to consider when it comes to video internet marketing, I would greatly appreciate you sharing it with others on Facebook and Twitter?.also leave a comment below if you have used any of these products mentioned and what were your results?
I was a once over worked under paid and definitively under appreciated retail manager that had enough of the corporate rat race. I found a creative solution to work less, make more money and live the life that i wanted to live and not what others wanted me to. click here right now to see the simple little system that I'm using that can help you make more money in any business you are in right now!
Incoming search terms:
Tagged as: animoto, camtasia, internet music marketing, reelseo, snagit, video email marketing, video internet advertising, Video internet marketing, video market online, video online marketing, video search engine optimization, video seo
BEIRUT (AP) ? A list of key military players in the Syrian civil war:
?Syrian regime: Despite major defections and the loss of significant territory to rebels, the Syrian military remains a potent force against a poorly armed opposition. President Bashar Assad's inner circle has largely remained cohesive and united, avoiding high-level defections that sapped the strength of other regimes, such as Moammar Gadhafi's in Libya, during Arab Spring uprisings. Assad's closest advisers include his younger brother, Maher, who commands forces protecting the capital, as well as the heads of four intelligence agencies that are playing key roles in the government's crackdown.
?Pro-regime militiamen: Shadowy fighters, known as shabiha, recruited from the ruling elite's Alawite sect operate as hired muscle for the Syrian regime. They are believed to be carrying out some of the most brutal attacks of the conflict, allowing Assad's government to deny direct responsibility for them.
?Supreme Military Council: Syria's main rebel units, known together as the Free Syrian Army, regrouped in December under a unified rebel command called the Supreme Military Council, following promises of more military assistance once a central council was in place. The Western-backed council is headed by Gen. Salim Idriss, who defected from the Syrian army, and a 30-member group of senior officers. Idriss spent 35 years in the Syrian military and is seen as a secular-minded moderate. The non-lethal aid the U.S. pledged Thursday in Rome will be directed to the military council.
?Local brigades and military councils: Local units made up of tens of thousands of autonomous rebel fighters have very little, if any, central organization or command structure. Many of the fighters defected from the military; others are Syrian citizens who took up arms against the regime.
?Jabhat al-Nusra: An Islamist extremist group that has been behind some of the rebels' most significant battlefield successes. The U.S. has designated al-Nusra a terrorist organization, saying it is affiliated with the al-Qaida network. Al-Nusra has claimed responsibility for most of the deadliest suicide bombings targeting regime and military facilities. The presence of Islamic extremists among the rebels is one reason the West has not equipped the Syrian opposition with sophisticated weapons, such as anti-aircraft missiles. Al-Nusra has gained popularity among some rebels for its effectiveness while alienating other, more secular-minded fighters.
?Foreign fighters: Syria has become a magnet for foreign fighters and jihadists who also flocked to the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. No credible count of them exists, but anecdotal evidence suggests fighters from Libya, Yemen, Tunisia, the Netherlands and Britain are fighting against Assad's regime. Rebel commanders downplay the presence of foreign fighters, saying the conflict is purely a Syrian uprising.
Every week, a new and interesting human being tackles our decidedly geeky take on the Proustian Q&A. This is the Engadget Questionnaire.
In this edition of our weekly question and answer session, Ben Heck -- the master of mods and host of The Ben Heck Show -- discusses the paradigm shift of personal assistants and how E.T. was saved by a Speak & Spell. Head on past the break for the full lot of responses.
![[ Back to EurekAlert! ]](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_uPSNpK3CbAby9mmlwNvFymzc-XKE7sNkfgiPS7ZQEIiGxEmR-LDh4t28N3C7WmjwWeNvNlcjstKBXG7ARyfIxgi9tJO4XAIoI-kWXyzKA=s0-d){kind=small}
Public release date: 3-Mar-2013
Share ] 
The reason is easy.
If you enjoyed this post on what to consider when it comes to video internet marketing, I would greatly appreciate you sharing it with others on Facebook and Twitter?.also leave a comment below if you have used any of these products mentioned and what were your results?
