The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will launch a project on Monday to improve border security.
Under the pilot project, the two government agencies say they will "exchange data currently collected on third-country nationals -- those who are neither citizens of Canada nor of the U.S., permanent residents of Canada and lawful permanent residents of the United States" at the Pacific Highway in Surrey, B.C. and Blaine, Washington; Douglas (Peace Arch), Surrey, B.C. and in Blaine; the Queenston-Lewiston Bridge in Niagara-on-the Lake, Ont. and the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge in Lewiston, NY, and the Niagara Falls Rainbow Bridge in Niagara Falls and the Rainbow Bridge in Niagara Falls, NY.
"As outlined in the Beyond the Border Action Plan, our governments are committed to maintaining the integrity of our shared border," Vic Toews, Minister of Public Safety, said in a statement Friday. "This sharing of entry and exit information will play a key part in bolstering border security."
In a press release, the CBSA said "a coordinated entry/exit system will help the U.S. and Canada identify persons who potentially overstay their lawful period of admission, track the departure of persons subject to removal orders, and verify that residency requirements are being met by applicants for continued eligibility in immigration programs.
"The process of collecting and sharing personal information will be done in accordance with each country's privacy laws and policies."
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Rwanda defiantly denied claims at the United Nations on Thursday that it was aiding rebels in Democratic Republic of Congo and rejected U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon's summary of a meeting on the crisis, diplomats said.
According to Ban, most states attending a high-level meeting on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly with Rwandan President Paul Kagame and Congolese President Joseph Kigali "condemned all forms of external support" to the rebels.
Kagame said after the meeting that Rwanda rejected allegations it was supporting the M23 rebels and said that "solving the crisis will be impossible if the international community continues to define the issue erroneously."
M23 rebels, who have ties to a warlord wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes, Bosco Ntaganda, have been fighting government soldiers in eastern Congo's North Kivu province since April. Some 320,000 civilians have been displaced.
"Most participants strongly condemned all forms of external support to the M23 and other negative forces in the DRC, and demanded the immediate and permanent cessation of such support," according to the meeting summary. "Some participants cautioned that those supporting the M23 could also be held accountable."
"They stressed ... the urgency of constructive engagement and dialogue between the DRC and Rwanda," it said.
Despite Rwanda's denials, a senior U.N. diplomat has said that privately Kigali was "a bit embarrassed, to say the least, and this could be one of the reasons behind the lull (in fighting) in the Kivu." He said if Rwanda withdrew support then the M23 group, numbering about 1,500, "could be subdued."
The DRC said last month it had asked the U.N. Security Council to place sanctions on Rwanda's defense minister and two top military officials for backing the rebellion.
A U.N. experts' report has accused Rwandan Defense Minister James Kaberebe, chief of defense staff Charles Kayonga, and General Jacques Nziza, a military adviser to President Paul Kagame, of being "in constant contact with M23.
"There can be no possible justification for such support, whether in terms of military hardware, or strategic advice. It must stop," Britain's Minister for Africa, Mark Simmonds, told the U.N. summit. "And there can be no impunity for those who violate human rights. They must be brought to justice."
INTERNATIONAL FORCE?
France said it would support sanctions against M23 and warned neighboring states against supporting the group.
"The M23 is benefiting from external support, including from neighboring DRC states," said French Minister for the Francophone countries Yamina Benguigui. "Nothing can justify the support of an armed rebellion led by war criminals. All support of M23, whatever it is, must stop."
As uneasy neighbors, Congo and Rwanda have gone to war against each other in the past. Rwanda has backed armed movements in the DRC during the past two decades, citing a need to tackle Rwandan rebels operating out of Congo's eastern hills.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met jointly with Kagame and Kabila on Monday in New York and pressed them to resolve the conflict.
In July the United States withdrew some $200,000 in military aid for Rwanda, Washington's first direct punitive action against the Rwandans over the crisis. Several other western European nations also have cut or suspended aid.
The United Nations said it was working with east and central African states on their proposal for a neutral force to tackle the M23 and other armed groups in eastern Congo.
"It is something that generates interest, but we are short of a real concept of operations - who would be in, who would do what, who would pay - and this is why more work needs to be done," said U.N. peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous after the meeting.
"We are already working (with them) to flesh out the concept because at the end of the day it will be submitted to the Security Council and the Security Council will want very precise explanations as to what it is all about," he said.
A resolution mandating military intervention in the DRC would have to be approved by the 15-member Security Council.
"Before endorsing any such support, we and the U.N. Security Council will want to understand the intended role and scope of the force," said Britain's Simmonds. Britain, the United States, France, China and Russia are veto-wielding council members.
A U.N. mission in the DRC, known as MONUSCO, has more than 17,000 troops, but the force is stretched thin across a nation the size of Western Europe and struggles to fulfill its current mandate of protecting civilians.
U.N. helicopter gunships frequently back up outgunned government forces, but even that firepower failed to prevent rebels from taking several towns in July. The U.N. force would work with any neutral force, but could not launch operations.
(Additional reporting by John Irish; Editing by Jackie Frank)
Object reference not set to an instance of an object. Description: An unhandled exception occurred during the execution of the current web request. Please review the stack trace for more information about the error and where it originated in the code.
Exception Details: System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.
Source Error:
An unhandled exception was generated during the execution of the current web request. Information regarding the origin and location of the exception can be identified using the exception stack trace below.
Stack Trace:
[NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.]
detailNews.Page_Load(Object sender, EventArgs e) +133
System.Web.Util.CalliHelper.EventArgFunctionCaller(IntPtr fp, Object o, Object t, EventArgs e) +14
System.Web.Util.CalliEventHandlerDelegateProxy.Callback(Object sender, EventArgs e) +35
System.Web.UI.Control.OnLoad(EventArgs e) +99
System.Web.UI.Control.LoadRecursive() +50
System.Web.UI.Page.ProcessRequestMain(Boolean includeStagesBeforeAsyncPoint, Boolean includeStagesAfterAsyncPoint) +627
Version Information:?Microsoft .NET Framework Version:2.0.50727.3634; ASP.NET Version:2.0.50727.3634
MEDICAL MASSAGE THERAPIST DANIEL SUAREZ OPENS PROFESSIONAL MASSAGE THERAPY OFFICE IN SOUTHBURY - Specializes in Medical, Sports and Orthopedic Massage Plus Myoskeletal Alignment Techniques
Daniel Suarez, licensed massage therapist certified in Medical Massage and Myoskeletal Alignment Therapy, recently opened a therapeutic massage therapy office, Rhythm Therapies: Advanced Massage Therapy, in Suite 102 at Building #2 in the Pomperaug Office Park in Southbury. These services duplicate services he offers at his original practice at 101 North Plains Industrial Road, Suite 104, Building 1B in Wallingford, Connecticut that he established in 2005.
Suarez specializes in helping to manage and prevent ongoing pain through Medical Massage, Myoskeletal Alignment Techniques, Sports Massage and Orthopedic Massage which he also utilizes for most sports-related injuries. Since opening his office in Southbury in January 2012, he has earned a highly-regarded reputation for integrating numerous, highly-effective techniques into his individualized services for each client. ?These techniques,? he explained, ?are all derived from my extensive training and certification in Manual Therapy, Deep Tissue Massage, Neuromuscular Therapy, Myofascial Release, Sports Massage, Orthopedic Massage, Craniosacral Therapy, Medical Massage, Myoskeletal Alignment and other bodywork modalities.?
A member of the American Massage Therapy Association, Suarez is a graduate of the Connecticut Center for Massage Therapy in Newington, Conn. where he acquired his Connecticut State License in 2004. In 2006, he was certified in Medical Massage by Bob Pecora, PTA,LMT, and through the Upledger Institute in 2007, he was certified in Craniosacral Therapy. In July 2011, he was certified as a Myoskeletal Alignment Therapist utilizing Erik Dalton?s Myoskeletal Alignment Techniques. Today Suarez continues further education in these modalities plus training in Positional Release, Joint Mobilization, Myofascial Release, Muscle Energy, Active and Passive Stretching Techniques, Reflex Therapy, Soft Tissue Mobilization Techniques, 3- dimensional Techniques, and Visceral Manipulation, plus Medical Massage Techniques for headaches, cervical pain, shoulder pain and low back pain.
?Medical Massage and Myoskeletal Alignment Therapy are two areas of my practice,? stated Suarez, ?where I am particularly able to use my intuitive skills in combination with my massage skills to make an almost immediate difference in my client's quality of life. My specialty is in helping acute and chronic pain sufferers get relief, plus those in need of stress relief, preventive maintenance and general relaxation. Many athletes come to my practice seeking natural ways to enhance their athletic performance, which they frequently experience through the benefits of Medical Massage and Myoskeletal alignment techniques?.
Physical pain is not a stranger to Daniel Suarez. At age 14, he was hit by a speeding car and suffered extensive injuries and was unable to walk. For over two and a half? ears, using a wheelchair, walker, crutches then a cane, he regained his ability to walk without assistance. ?Today I am 100% healed and living life pain free,? he stated joyfully. ?Regaining my ability to walk is what guided me to this profession of helping others to relieve acute and chronic pain. While I cannot diagnose the cause of pain, I can use body reading and assessment when a body is out of alignment, and then correct that misalignment through Medical Massage and Myoskeletal Alignment Techniques.?
Suarez commented that he is able to avoid pain in his own body due to his extensive knowledge on effective and proper body mechanics and alignment techniques. ?Because I possess a great deal of knowledge and experience from extensive continuing education on techniques for relieving the body from pain, I can do a lot of massage therapy work without harming my body. It?s all about body mechanics and how I position and use my arms, hands, back and legs to effectively alleviate pain in other people?s bodies and not cause pain or problems in my own body. Many times my clients are amazed at how quickly their pain is eliminated in just one or a few sessions. Positional release is a technique of effectively releasing stress and pain by placing a client?s body in varying positions to relieve pain.?
Previously employed as a lead massage therapist with a local area spa, Suarez opened his Southbury private practice to meet the demands of the specialty massage therapy he provides. ?Medical Massage and body alignment are becoming a lost art form,? he explained. ?These techniques are being overlooked and lost in the medical, pain management and orthopedic field. Today more and more doctors are accepting these modalities and techniques and often refer patients to me to give their clients pain relief. Medical Massage can work very complimentary to other medical and therapeutic treatments including physical and occupational therapy, chiropractic and psychotherapy.?
Suarez stated, ?Studies show that massage can improve the quality of day-to-day quality life, enhance general health, and become an effective part of a health maintenance or wellness plan. In addition to pain management, massage can reduce muscle spasms, stretch and loosen adhesions and scar tissue, improve and strengthen the body?s immune system for overall general health. It is known to promote joint health, improve range of motion and treat musculoskeletal problems. It is also well-known to relieve mental and emotional stress, enhance capacity for calm thinking and creativity, and promote a relaxed state of mental alertness.?
His dedication to helping people alleviate pain has led Suarez to volunteer his services for the past nine years to Relay for Life, the Fight Against Cancer, local area marathons and other sporting events, where he performs both pre- and post-event massage for participants.
To learn more about Daniel Suarez and the services of Rhythm Therapies, visit www.rhythm-therapies.com, email Mr. Suarez at daniel@rhythm-therapies.com, or call 203-267-3173 or 203-376-1312. Gift certificates are available upon request. The practice accepts most credit cards and offers a discount for cash or check payments.
I'm checking the interest on dark fantasy. Angels, demons, vampires, werewolves, necromancers, gifted humans, and such.
I have a majorly long backstory that I wouldn't want to bore you with at the present time, but for the sake of conveying information, here's a basic outline:
-'Angels' are more like deities because their soul purpose is to travel between galaxies creating life on planets that can sustain it. -When the angels created humans, they were different from their other prior creations because they didn't respect the land and the other humans. -The angels leave, thinking that this problem would sort itself out (because angels can't destroy their own creations), but then return after several centuries to try again. Too bad for them, the humans are still alive and have deconstructed their planet to reconstruct it how they see fit. They're also fighting wars among each other. -The second time around, they've brought a younger angel with them who can't understand why her angel brethren would just leave behind the humans in their misery. There must be something we can do... -The other angels don't hear the young one, and in turn, the angel 'loses her innocence' and her heart is corrupt with dark energy, so she crashes into earth after her wings splinter away and turn the color of charcoal, losing her ability to travel through space and becoming the first Fallen Angel that this universe has seen.
-Upon testing her ability to create life, the fallen angel creates a shadow demon by the name of Umbrok. -Shadow demons are tall, dark (bluish-tinted) skinned, red-eyed, sharp-teethed creatures who can take the form of a shadow/smoke. -After conversing together, they decide that Velyssa, the fallen angel is right for believing the way humans act is wrong and that they need a sole ruler over them to keep them in check. -Umbrok begins to recruit humans who are close to death (at first, only humans who have been nearly murdered by their own kind, but it doesn't take long to branch out to the sick, etc.). -Umbrok brings said humans back to the angel who corrupts their souls and turns them into vampires: immortal, blood-thirsty, darkness-thriving creatures. -Vampires can blend in with humans except for their pale skin and fangs. If they have fed recently, and can resist their urge to kill, then they won't have a problem being around humans for a while. Isolation and not drinking human blood makes them weak, and their weakness makes them intolerant of the sun. The sun and fire will return them to their normal 'human weaknesses', making them destroy-able. Set a vampire on fire, and it won't survive for long. -Yes, I said vampires can blend in with humans, however, the corrupt soul within them makes them 'controllable' by the fallen angel, not to the extent where said vampires will do her bidding, but they will lose all of their inhibitions when the fallen so chooses, causing them to have no problem killing even their closest friends or relatives.
-After this first 'controlling' happens (I'll continue on referring to it as the 'blood oath'), it sends out a beacon of dark energy into the galaxies (due to a miscalculation on power needed to control these vampires by Velyssa) alerting the angels of the evil afoot. -The angels return to see vampires beginning to pick off the human race bit by bit without any means to fight back, so they believe that it is their duty to give them power against these creatures. -The angels seek out those who are pure of heart and grant them an ability that would help them defend themselves.
-Umbrok reports the angels and their happenings to Velyssa who further commands Umbrok to bring her those who seek power, but the angels hadn't given it to them. -When Velyssa receives these humans, she removes the 'death-force' within their soul (corrupting it and making them controllable via the blood oath), leaving behind only their life-force making them further ageless and able to control the dead. These corrupted humans are known as necromancers and they typically lose their minds with power and infatuation for the dead. -Let it be noted that a 'death-force' taken from a human doesn't simply disappear. Velyssa renders it into a demon of death. -When the blood oath takes them over, the necromancers use their powers and they and the reanimated dead go on a mindless killing spree.
-Death demons are tall, like shadow demons, but their skin is completely white. Their hair is transparent, like fishing wire. Their eyes have lone, ghostly pupils within them. They look as if their made of simply skin and bones (no muscle). Wherever they go, they can absorb the life from around them, turning it into their strength/muscle. They can only teleport in their weakest form.
-Before the angels hear about the necromancers and death demons, they plan to take their leave. They can't remain on one planet forever. -However, they mean to give future humans a chance to protect themselves, so they visit certain elders in certain regions and grant them the power to give abilities to other humans. -Once the angels leave, humans begin swarming the elders and they have to check each visitor for purity of heart before they can grant them any power. -Another setback would be that the elders have only a basic idea of how to use these abilities, and upon first attempts, it is perceived that a human might not have received any power, however, on the night of the first following full moon, these humans who were the rare anomaly to not receive power transformed into wicked creatures who killed and pillaged everything in sight until morning.
---
Well, that introduces the basis of the story line. Except that there is another, (I believe) final type of demon referred to as 'The Wicked'. They look just like humans, though some are known to have horns or wings, and they also have strange eye color (purple, red, dark green, etc.). They have no special abilities beyond being extraordinarily charming and persuasive. They look harmless enough, but their job is to take advantage of a human's sinful nature and send them to the brink of their destruction, so a shadow demon or death demon can recruit them to the fallen angel. They can pose as the perfect best friend or lover and make you develop habits and addictions that can break a person down.
Anyway, that's my story. I'm sorry it's so long. If you have any questions, I'd love to answer them.
See a crescent moon in a Martian sky Science editor Alan Boyle's blog: A fresh picture from NASA's Curiosity rover shows the Martian moon Phobos as a crescent shining over the Red Planet at dusk.
At LinchPinSEO we value supporting fellow professionals in our industry and spreading the love. With that in mind, we have decided to start doing interviews with digital media professionals who are reshaping the lives of their clients in a positive and impactful way.This week we are interviewing Kevin Kelly, the social media marketer obsessed with marathons and coffee.
I am very excited to introduce a man whose energy and passion for the social media community is only matched by his obsession for running and coffee. Kevin is outspoken, humorous and extremely engaging. He works hard for his clients, is not afraid to say hello and has been on the social media scene since its inception. Let?s get to know Kevin and his company, K2 Marketing.
1. Who is Kevin Kelly?
I am a coffee guzzling, marathon running, networking-aholic, and social media loving giant hailing from the great state of Ohio. I am a consultant who helps businesses grow their brand and increase revenue through social media marketing. And I lead seminars and conduct training on topics such as Social Media, Networking, Sales and Marketing.
2. When did you become a part of the social media community, and why?
I have been part of the social media community since its inception in the days of dial-up internet. As the business owner of a small recruiting firm, initially I was looking for inexpensive ways to market my business and social media provided that opportunity. As the years went by, I found the market had more of a demand for social media marketing than it did for recruiting and I transitioned into the wild world of social media marketing.
3. Please tell us about your company K2 Marketing.
K2 Marketing is a company I formed specifically to provide social media marketing to small and medium sized businesses. All of our services are tailored to customer?s specific needs. The majority of the clients utilize us to create and manage all of their social media content, including but not limited to Twitter and Facebook.
4. Anyone who follows you online knows running and coffee are a big part of your life. Why are they so important to you?
Running is a metaphor for how I live my life. It is an outlet for me and a challenge. It helps me maintain a healthy mindset, and I love the challenge of marathon running. There are no excuses and no shortcuts. It is just you and the road and you have to put the miles in and train and push through the rough days and the occasional pain. Coffee, is perhaps the greatest creation of all-time. It?s as if there is something in it that keeps me wanting to drink more.
5. What do you love about marketing and social media?
Marketing, Social Media, Sales ? it all comes down to people and developing relationships. I like helping businesses develop relationships with prospects and turning those prospects into clients. I also enjoying seeing a business owner grow their business. It?s exciting to be around people who are experiencing success and living their dream.
6. Why did you choose your current profession, and what other professions have you had?
I pursued basketball as a young lad while I managing my recruiting business. In life after basketball, I transitioned my business into a social media marketing firm and began leading seminars on networking, social media marketing and other topics.
7. You have a large community of friends and followers online in several different social networks ? why do you think that is?
I would like to say that it?s because I am awesome and people want to be surrounded by me, but that is not the case. It takes effort. I share a variety of content that attracts a wide audience and actively work on building relationships with people who follow me. And I think it?s because I share a good balance between humor, news and tips, and a bit about myself. They see I am a real person.
8. Which social network is your personal favorite?
I would have to say it?s my personal Facebook page. I am active on Twitter, though it is difficult to form relationships with a large number of people. On Facebook, I feel like there?s more of an exchange with friends that resembles in-person interaction. And I find that people share a more accurate picture of who they really are on Facebook.
9. What is your favorite social network for businesses?
As of right now, I would say Twitter. You can reach the most amount of people in the quickest period of time. Facebook would be second. Linkedin is a great network for business professionals, but for a business (besides networking and recruiting) it does not offer much.
10. What is your approach to social media marketing?
The key is to have a plan, be organized and disciplined enough to stay on track, yet flexible enough to adapt and change when needed. There is not one turn-key marketing plan that will work for every company. You have to know your business, your target audience, and create a plan on how to reach that target audience. Then, be organized. Plan all marketing activities. Never conduct an action or post something on a social network that does not have a purpose. Stay grounded, but make sure you?re on your toes and ready to adapt.
11. What types of clients do you target?
I typically target small business to consumer businesses with 5-25 employees. These businesses typically do not have a full-time employee dedicated to social media marketing or a marketing department. They typically spend a lot of money on older traditional marketing strategies and see declining returns on their marketing dollars. They often know they should be marketing through social media, but don?t know where to begin.
12. What is your favorite and least favorite aspect of social media marketing?
Least Favorite is fighting preconceived notions and social media stereotypes. Many people do not understand social media and fear what they don?t know. They hear stories of privacy being breached and have preconceived notions that can?t be changed even when confronted with conclusive facts and logic.
My Favorite is relationship building. When social media marketing is done right, a customer/follower believes that they actually have a relationship with the business they follow online.
13. How long did it take to build a successful business?
That is a loaded question. What is success? I turned a profit in the second month, but mostly because there was such a big demand for social media marketing and few people offered services. The industry has changed a great deal in a few years. There are not a lot of options for businesses looking for help with their social media marketing. Success for me goes well beyond hitting certain revenue marks or maintain a certain percentage of growth.
13. What advice do you have for others wanting to begin or grow their own social media marketing business?
Plan, Plan, Plan. It is relatively easy to quickly develop a revenue stream of a few thousand with a social media marketing business, but it is very difficult to grow a business beyond that.
Find one service to offer that can develop a consistent stream of income that you can use as a foundation to grow your business. Think of a landscaper ? they don?t want to cut grass for a living, they want to create backyard masterpieces. But cutting grass pays the bills each month and is their lead into offering more service. If you are a good graphic designer, think about offering a service where you design and format Facebook and Twitter logos and backgrounds, etc. Find a service that will generate a consistent stream of income and it will get your business off to a great start and help limit the stress of wondering how you will be paying the bills.
14. What tools could you not live without and why?
My cell phone. I have been known to text, tweet and Facebook while running. Second might be duct tape. I am not handy whatsoever, so if anything breaks duct tape is my only chance of fixing it.
15. Do you have any mentors?
My first mentor was my grandpa. He demonstrated and taught me what it is to be a man. I have had a few business mentors over the years, and I feel it is important to have a business mentor who will shoot straight with you and hold you accountable.
16. What trait or asset is most valuable to social media marketers?
The ability to prioritize, and the discipline to stick to your priorities. In my life, people, family and friends are always my top priority over work or my own self-interests. In social media marketing, setting priorities is not that easy. Social media marketing involves numereous tasks, not just daily but often hourly. One must be able to prioritize and stick to those priorities or they will become overwhelmed and unsuccessful.
To learn more about Kevin Kelly, find him on Twitter @KP_Kelly, contact K2 Marketing on Facebook or email him at kevin@k2marketing.org.
David and Larissa Green have experienced everything from international missions to stateside local church ministry since they graduated from Moody in 2005 with degrees in world missions and evangelism (for David) and Bible (for Larissa). In the midst of it all, God laid adoption on their hearts, and their hope is to be an encouragement to the Christian community in considering foster care.
After graduation, the Greens served as English teachers in East Asia with SEND International for one year, then moved to Plevna, Kansas, where David serves as a pastor for Plevna Community Bible Church.
In 2007, Larissa suffered from a life-threatening infection and underwent major surgery which made it unlikely that she and David would ever have biological children. Instead of giving up plans for a family, David and Larissa decided to foster children. ?We became foster parents with the hope of adopting, but it was a huge step of faith,? they said. In foster care, adoption is never a guaranteed outcome, and the Greens? faith was tested but did not waver even after they were forced to send two children back to their birth mother.
In late 2010, David and Larissa received two more foster children. Daniel Edward (Danny) was 2 ? and Emily Helena (Emmy) was just three days old. The children came into their home at the same time and were both born in a nearby town, but were not biological siblings. ?We did not expect to keep Danny ? when he became available to adopt it was a big surprise,? Larissa said.
Plans were also made for Emmy?s adoption, but they were interrupted briefly when it was thought that Emmy would return to her biological father. ?This was a dark and very scary time for us,? the Greens explained, ?but we thank the Lord that the truth about her birth dad?s behavior became known, and she also became available.?
The state terminated the rights of both Danny?s and Emmy?s birthparents in late 2011. Both adoptions were finalized on April 23, 2012. Because Emmy and Danny were adopted through foster care, the Greens did not have to pay for their adoption. Instead, they actually received financial support.
?If anyone is interested in adopting, please consider foster care! It has a ?bad rap,? but it is truly one of the best ways to care for children who desperately need love,? Larissa said. ?It is also very likely that you will be able to adopt a child someday without incurring debt.?
The Greens, still licensed to do foster care, just received an eight-month-old girl named Mari. She will be with them for an undetermined amount of time. David continues to serve as a pastor at PCBC while Larissa stays at home with their kids. She is currently home schooling Danny and remains active in the women?s and children?s ministries at church. Larissa also writes about foster care and adoption on her blog, http://houseofgreen.wordpress.com/. For now, they say they are learning all they can about parenting God?s way, while remaining active in ministry to their community.
ScienceDaily (Sep. 26, 2012) ? This year's largest earthquake, a magnitude 8.6 temblor on April 11 centered in the East Indian Ocean off Sumatra, did little damage, but it triggered quakes around the world for at least a week, according to a new analysis by seismologists from the University of California, Berkeley, and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
The April 11 quake was unusually large -- the tenth largest in the last 100 years and, similar to a few other recent large quakes, triggered small quakes during the three hours it took for seismic waves to travel through Earth's crust.
The new study shows, however, that some faults weren't rattled enough by the seismic waves to fail immediately, but were primed to break up to six days later.
The findings are a warning to those living in seismically active regions worldwide that the risk from a large earthquake could persist -- even on the opposite side of the globe -- for more than a few hours, the experts said.
"Until now, we seismologists have always said, 'Don't worry about distant earthquakes triggering local quakes,'" said Roland Burgmann, professor of earth and planetary science at UC Berkeley and coauthor of the study. "This study now says that, while it is very rare -- it may only happen every few decades -- it is a real possibility if the right kind of earthquake happens."
"We found a lot of big events around the world, including a 7.0 quake in Baja California and quakes in Indonesia and Japan, that created significant local shaking," Burgmann added. "If those quakes had been in an urban area, it could potentially have been disastrous."
Burgmann and Fred F. Pollitz, Ross S. Stein and Volkan Sevilgen of the USGS will report their results online on Sept. 26 in advance of publication in the journal Nature.
Burgmann, Pollitz, a research seismologist, and their colleagues also analyzed earthquake occurrences after five other recent temblors larger than 8.5 -- including the deadly 9.2 Sumatra-Andaman quake in 2004 and the 9.0 Tohoku quake that killed thousands in Japan in 2011 -- but saw only a very modest increase in global earthquake activity after these quakes. They said this could be because the East Indian Ocean quake was a "strike-slip" quake that more effectively generates waves, called Love waves, that travel just under the surface and are energetic enough to affect distant fault zones.
Burgmann explained that most large quakes take place at subduction zones, where the ocean bottom sinks below another tectonic plate. This was the origin of the Sumatra-Andaman quake, which produced a record tsunami that took more than 200,000 lives. The 2012 East Indian Ocean quake involved lateral movement -- referred to as strike-slip, the same type of movement that occurs along California's San Andreas Fault -- and was the largest strike-slip quake ever recorded.
"This was one of the weirdest earthquakes we have ever seen," Burgmann said. "It was like the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, a strike-slip event, but it was huge -- 15 times more energetic. This earthquake and an 8.3 that followed were in a very diffuse zone in an oceanic plate close to the Sumatra subduction zone, but it wasn't a single fault that produced the quake, it was a crisscrossing of three or four faults that all ruptured in sequence to make such a big earthquake, and they ruptured deep."
The seismologists analysis found five times the expected number of quakes during the six days following the April 11 quake and aftershock. An unusually low occurrence of quakes during the 6-12 days before that 8.6 quake may have accentuated the impact, possibly because there were many very-close-to-failure faults sensitive to a triggering shock wave, Pollitz said.
One possible mechanism for the delayed action, Burgmann said, is that the East Indian Ocean quake triggered a cascade of smaller, undetectable quakes on these faults that led to larger ruptures later on.
Alternatively, large quakes could trigger nearly undetectable tremors or microquakes that are a sign of slow slip underground.
"One possibility is that the earthquake immediately triggers slow slip in some places, maybe accompanied by detectable tremor, and then that runs away into a bigger earthquake," Burgmann speculated. "Some slow slip events take days to a week or more to evolve."
The work was supported by the USGS.
Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:
Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:
Story Source:
The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of California - Berkeley. The original article was written by Robert Sanders.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
Fred F. Pollitz, Ross S. Stein, Volkan Sevilgen, Roland B?rgmann. The 11 April 2012 east Indian Ocean earthquake triggered large aftershocks worldwide. Nature, 2012; DOI: 10.1038/nature11504
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
Adobe has kicked off their Edge development tool suite today with the release of Edge Animate and PhoneGap -- tools designed to develop HTML5 and wean the Internet off of Flash, as well as package things up for smartphones.
While this is exciting news for developers, its significance shouldn't be lost on the rest of us. I've been lamenting for weeks that Flash on the Internet won't ever die until easy to use and robust tools are provided, both to ease development time and costs as well as drive the platform (meaning pure HTML5 on the web) forward. The reason we ever needed Flash players on our computers or smartphones was because it was so easy to use it became the de facto web standard for interactive animations. Just because the Flash player for mobile was going the way of the dodo, didn't mean the existing content developers would abandon its use. Tools like the Edge suite are what it's going to take.
In addition to the full IDE for creating the content, Adobe has released a few other tools to assist web developers. Edge Inspect is a cross platform debugger, Edge WebFonts bundles over 500 free fonts (including two new fonts from Adobe) and the one we're pretty interested in -- PhoneGap. PhoneGap is a cloud based utility that can take HTML5, CSS, and JavaScript created with tools like Edge Animate and bundle it all up in an application for iOS, Android, Windows Phone, webOS, BlackBerry OS, Bada, or Symbian.
If you're a developer, be sure to head to Adobe's site, as Edge Animate is being offered for free as a promotion, and free beats $499 any day of the week. It looks like the gap left when Adobe killed off mobile Flash Player should be filling up nicely in short order. Quick -- someone tell Facebook.
Have you ever wondered how significantly a lot more life would be in a position to supply if you may basically obtain the motivation to attempt new items or boost the way you reside?
It appears strange that the lives of several folks might be changed for the far better virtually immediately but a tiny issue such as motivation holds them back. Even so, by employing the energy of hypnosis you genuinely can drastically enhance your levels of motivation, overcome this barrier and start achieving significantly a lot more in all places of your life, no matter whether in perform, at school, or in your hobbies and other pursuits.
In life, motivation is vital for quite a few diverse points and with no it we basically might not perform. It will allow us to eating plan and exercising when we will need to; lower procrastination so far more tasks get completed and fulfilling responsibilities to make us really feel content. If you really feel you are lacking in any if those places, motivation hypnosis may possibly quickly support you turn your life about.
Ahead of I get completely into this, right here is a modest background facts on hypnosis and how it can assist
How Hypnosis Can Support
Hypnosis is a Straightforward system to support strengthen issue elements of life and is looked upon by a lot of as a state of mental and physical relaxation. It is vital to keep in mind that your thoughts is usually in your personal manage below those circumstances and they genuinely happen when you are awake, so you are fully conscious of what is going on about you.
Quite a few great hypnosis web sites will sell you CDs for dilemma regions of life that you wish to change. Motivation hypnosis is very typical and can target motivation as a entire, but might be far more successful if a tiny region is focused on. It will allow behavioural modifications as it increases communication in between the conscious and subconscious thoughts, permitting you to make rational choices in a a lot a lot more efficient way.
Is Hypnosis Completely Simple?
This is an good question for these that are interested in the inner-mechanics of the brain. It is as well an fantastic point to start from for these that are interested in giving thought to ideas of free of charge will and choice. In regard to these that merely will need to rather smoking or will need to smile far more always Nonetheless the answer is fairly a distinct one.
Effectively with out getting also mysterious, as it appears most men and women are with regards to hypnosis those days let me tell you comprehensively that NO ? hypnosis is not totally Simple. It can be a efficient tool, but it needs your cooperation. You can not be Created to do something you do not need to have to do, and it needs your mental positivity and drive for success nevertheless ? if you have this then it will strengthen your probabilities of success massively.
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks were little changed on Tuesday after U.S. markets began to drag later in New York trade as investors sought a catalyst to justify further gains after the latest stimulus plan.
The euro rose but was still about two cents from the 4-1/2-month peak posted against the U.S. dollar. Lingering concerns over Spain's funding problems and renewed worries about global growth weighed on markets.
Earlier Wall Street had been buoyed by end-of-quarter buying by funds and a higher-than-expected reading of confidence among American consumers.
But as the day wore on in New York and major U.S asset manager BlackRock said the strong equity rally this year has run its course, the gains were erased as analysts debated whether the drop was temporary or stocks had more room to run.
The MSCI world equity index was little changed at 336.288. European shares gained 0.4 percent.
"Any downdraft is going to be abbreviated with the recognition of the fact the Fed has effectively put a floor in the market, and it's not just the Fed, it's the ECB as well," said Peter Kenny, managing director at Knight Capital in Jersey City, New Jersey. "What we are kind of dealing with here is a rudderless ship - there is no economic data to support any sort of robust buy activity."
The Dow Jones industrial average was down 26.50 points, or 0.20 percent, at 13,532.42. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index was down 3.03 points, or 0.21 percent, at 1,453.86. The Nasdaq Composite Index was down 7.46 points, or 0.24 percent, at 3,153.32.
U.S. stocks rose at the open after comments late on Monday from the president of the San Francisco Fed suggested the central bank was not done taking action to stimulate the economy. That overshadowed a pessimistic outlook from Caterpillar.
U.S. stocks were also supported early by a private sector report showing U.S. consumer confidence jumped to its highest level in seven months in September as Americans were more optimistic about the job market and income prospects.
"There are some incrementally positive consumer numbers and housing data," said Dan Veru, chief investment officer at Palisade Capital Management LLC in Fort Lee, New Jersey, which oversees $3.6 billion. "It's in the face of a weaker forecast from Caterpillar but difficult to get too upset about stuff they are talking about for 2015."
Caterpillar shares fell 2.8 percent in New York trade. On Monday, Caterpillar Inc cut its 2015 profit outlook, warning that weaker commodity prices would result in a bigger-than-expected decline in demand.
EURO HIGHER
U.S. data showed single-family home prices rose for a sixth month in a row in July, though the improvement was not as strong as expected and had minimal impact on trading.
The euro rose 0.2 percent at $1.2947.
The euro extended gains against the greenback after the U.S. consumer confidence data. The overall support for the single currency rally in recent weeks was the European Central Bank's offer to provide bailout funds to indebted governments - if they seek its help and are willing to accept tough conditions.
But investors were not making huge bets.
"Fears about Europe's situation remain among investors, with the focus mostly on Spain, but Greece is also still a concern," said Kimihiko Tomita, head of foreign exchange for State Street Global Markets in Tokyo.
At the center of market concerns is what happens next in Spain, where the government is due this week to present its draft budget for 2013, outline new structural reforms for the economy and release the results of stress tests on the banking sector.
There are also concerns about Greece, which is due to hear soon from the "troika" of international lenders - the IMF, ECB and European Commission - on the prospects of further loans to finance government outlays.
U.S. Treasury debt prices were mixed.
The benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury note was up 3/32, with the yield at 1.7025 percent. The 2-year U.S. Treasury note was down 1/32, with the yield at 0.2703 percent.
GROWTH CONCERNS
After the recent central bank actions, many investors have become convinced that markets can rally further. But they believe any gains are highly dependent on signs the slowdown in the global economy has bottomed.
"The majority of central banks are in total, outspoken reflationary mode. That's a big story," said Didier Duret, chief investment officer at ABN Amro Private Banking in London.
"They are intervening actively for a very clear reasons: to support the economy in the U.S., to support the funding in Europe and to support also the economies in emerging markets."
Duret said the main trigger for the next move up will likely be signs of a strengthening U.S. recovery.
(Reporting by Nick Olivari; Additional reporting by Chuck Mikolajczak, Ryan Vlastelica, Richard Leong and Julie Haviv in New York and Richard Hubbard in London; Editing by Kenneth Barry)
The iPhone 5 is not only equipped with an iSight camera that takes great 8 megapixel, f2.4 pictures, but also records incredible 1080p HD video as well. The FaceTime camera has also been improved and will finally record 720p HD video. Of all the improvements to video recording with the iPhone 5, however, the ability to take photos while simultaneously shooting video is definitely the cherry on top.
To see examples of the iPhone 5's cameras in action, check out the video above! Then follow along after the break for my full review of the iPhone 5 video cameras.
Video recording with the iPhone 5
One of the noticeable changes you'll see when recording video with the iPhone 5 is that the UI has been adjusted to take advantage of the screen's 16:9 aspect ratio. The video you're recording will completely fill the screen and all your controls will appear as transparent buttons so that you can see everything that's being recorded. While recording video, there are only 3 items on the screen, the record button, the elapsed time, and a new button for taking pictures.
Simultaneously recording video and taking photos with the iPhone 5
One of the special features of the iPhone 5 is the ability to take photos while simultaneously shooting 1080p HD video. To do so, simply tap the camera icon while recording video. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the camera shutter was very fast even when recording video at the same time. As is demonstrated in the video, it's super easy to rapidly take photos while recording video.
Personally, I have opted out of recording video in the past because I didn't want to miss out on a great photo, but now that I can take photos while recording video, that'll never happen again.
Front facing camera quality of the iPhone 5
Although the main iSight camera on the iPhone 5 didn't receive any big upgrades in quality, the front-facing camera has greatly improved. For the first time, the iPhone's FaceTime camera now records in 720p HD video. It's definitely not as good as the rear-facing iSight camera, but compared to it's predecessor, the new FaceTime camera does a phenomenal job. In the past, I've just recorded myself with the rear-facing camera even though I couldn't see myself just because I hated the poor quality of the front-facing camera. Not anymore. If I need to record myself talking to the camera, I'll use the front-facing camera from here on out.
Low-light video recording with the iPhone 5
A big weakness of every iPhone's video camera has been the quality of video that was recorded in low-light scenarios. Unfortunately, but as expected, this continues to be a weakness with the iPhone 5. Although special situations, like the clip of the burning candle, can produce stunning results, everyday poor indoor lighting will result in low-quality, grainy videos. You can still capture memories, but the quality won't be anything to brag about.
The bottom line
The iPhone 5 may not have received a huge boost in quality over the iPhone 4S, but since the iPhone 4S does a great job at recording 1080p HD video, that's ok. The beauty is that the same great quality is delivered in a much thinner package. Additionally, the larger screen with a 16:9 aspect ratio improves upon the video recording experience. Although the rear-facing iSight camera didn't receive significant improvements over the iPhone 4S, including in low-light, there's no denying that the front-facing FaceTime camera on the iPhone 5 blows the iPhone 4S away. Of all the changes, however, my absolute favorite is the ability to take photos while recording video.
Is the iPhone 5 capable of recording professional-quality video? No. Is it the best portable video camera I've ever owned? Absolutely.
If you are considering new options to expand the exposure of your business you should look into internet marketing. Internet marketing allows you to engage your target audience even when that audience lives miles away. This article will help you explore the avenues that are open to you in the arena of Internet marketing, and how using some of these techniques will benefit you.
Aim to always have some free samples or coupons in the shipping boxes. These boxes relate back to the product your customer will be receiving. This can increase customers? appreciation of your products and give them an additional reason to return to your site.
Offer a freebie that is personalized with your brand and your website name. If you choose to offer an e-book, you should then look for other websites to give it out for free. Many websites will provide free articles or e-books if you submit yours to them.
TIP! Adding a limited-time offer to your product can be a powerful motivator for some consumers. Free shipping or giveaways can increase the traffic that comes onto your page.
Adding a glossary of specific terms is useful in helping to show your site to be a respected source of information in your chosen niche. This will be immensely helpful for prospective customers, actual customers and competitors alike. If your website contains pertinent information, others will be drawn to it. Your site will soon be viewed as an expert site in the field.
Analyzing users common complaints can give you clues toward choosing a great niche. Your products or services needs to be an answer to a common problem. In this way you can locate similar problems in need of solutions. As soon as you?re aware of some problems, you can easily come up with solutions. This is a good technique that will help you find your market?s niche. It may also help you figure out what your mission statement could be.
Internet marketing is said to be made up of science and art. If you are planning on starting an Internet campaign, you should consider learning about both aspects. Pursue an analytic approach when it comes to sales and profits stats, etc., yet try to be creative and inventive when it comes to visual, design, and motivational aspects.
TIP! Hold events and promotions to attract traffic. Possibly, you could offer a particular e-book for $1 for one or two days.
As you begin to market your products online, you will eventually create a website. Start your website small. Search engines may jump over a site with too many index pages.
Creating a solid internet marketing plan will enable you to identify your most successful products. Now you need to build off of those most successful items to drive more sales. Once you identify the popular products, highlight other items than are similar and can complement the best selling items. The cost of advertising is reduced, as the main product is already popular and highlighted.
Use this excellent internet marketing advice! Always keep a clear objective, and understand that it needs to be on the landing page. Your landing page should focus on selling your goods or services. It should be clear to the visitor what you?re promoting immediately upon visiting your site. You only have one opportunity to hold the attention of the reader, so if you make things complicated, they are bound to leave again.
TIP! You want to be indexed by Google to do internet marketing the right way. Although there are other search engines, Google is hands down the most-used engine out there.
As previously mentioned, Internet marketing can enable you to communicate with a market effectively. Being familiar with innovated marketing methods will help you create a campaign that suits your personal goals and needs. Use these tips to take your company to a new level
Franchise Business Law Blog: Food Trucks -Part II: Franchising
Food Trucks -Part II: Franchising
Last week we posted on the food truck revolution in the United States. The post dealt with broad issues related to the food truck industry. Today?s post is about the food truck in the franchise context. The Pros and Cons set out in last week?s post (Food Truck (R)evolution)?all apply in a franchise setting. The ability to test a market, the advantage of the travelling billboard and ability to move to the customers all are advantages to a franchisor. However, determining whether or not a food truck can and should be a part of your franchise is something that takes a lot of consideration and analysis. This post is meant to give a few ideas on how a food truck could work into your existing franchise system, or how it can become a franchise system all on its own. The existing franchise system can use the food truck in a number of ways. The most apparent way, at least to me, is to add a food truck as a separate franchise offering. Instead of offering a restaurant franchise in the traditional store-front sense, you can offer a prospective franchisee to become your food truck franchisee. The advantage is potential cost savings with lower overhead and start-up costs for the franchisee. If you do decide to go this route, you have the option of either wrapping in the food truck concept into your current Franchise Disclosure Document (?FDD?), or to have a separate FDD for the food truck concept. The decision on which route to take should be made with your qualified franchise attorney. If you do not want to add the food truck as a franchise offering, you could purchase a franchise truck (or several), outfit it, wrap it and offer it for ?rent? to your franchisees in an area so that they can use it for special event purposes. This increases your exposure and helps to reach out to an audience that might not know your restaurant exists. This also is a great add-on benefit to your franchisees that are looking for ways to increase business and to get their name more fully into the community. A new restaurant concept that starts as a food truck could expand their food truck business by offering food truck franchises. Unlike an existing restaurant franchise system, this type of franchise is limited to just the food truck. The advantage is that it potentially keeps franchisee costs down and gives someone the option for a (often seemingly) part-time business that the traditional store-front restaurant often does not allow for. No matter how you choose to incorporate the food truck into your business, always talk to a qualified professional, including attorneys, and those in the industry, who can help you decide the best option for your business.?
Contact: Elaine Schmidt eschmidt@mednet.ucla.edu 310-794-2272 University of California - Los Angeles Health Sciences
UCLA/Pitt scientists uncover virus with potential to stop pimples in their tracks
Watch out, acne. Doctors soon may have a new weapon against zits: a harmless virus living on our skin that naturally seeks out and kills the bacteria that cause pimples.
The Sept. 25 online edition of the American Society for Microbiology's mBio publishes the findings by scientists at UCLA and the University of Pittsburgh.
"Acne affects millions of people, yet we have few treatments that are both safe and effective," said principal investigator Dr. Robert Modlin, chief of dermatology and professor of microbiology, immunology and molecular genetics at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. "Harnessing a virus that naturally preys on the bacteria that causes pimples could offer a promising new tool against the physical and emotional scars of severe acne."
The scientists looked at two little microbes that share a big name: Propionibacterium acnes, a bacterium thriving in our pores that can trigger acne; and P. acnes phages, a family of viruses that live on human skin. The viruses are harmless to humans, but programmed to infect and kill the aforementioned P. acnes bacteria.
When P. acnes bacteria aggravate the immune system, it causes the swollen, red bumps associated with acne. Most effective treatments work by reducing the number of P. acnes bacteria on the skin.
"We know that sex hormones, facial oil and the immune system play a role in causing acne, however, a lot of research implicates P. acnes as an important trigger," explained first author Laura Marinelli, a UCLA postdoctoral researcher in Modlin's laboratory. "Sometimes they set off an inflammatory response that contributes to the development of acne."
Using over-the-counter pore cleansing strips from the drugstore, the researchers lifted acne bacteria and the P. acnes viruses from the noses of both pimply and clear-skinned volunteers.
When the team sequenced the bacteriophages' genomes, they discovered that the viruses possess multiple features such as small size, limited diversity and the broad ability to kill their hosts that make them ideal candidates for the development of a new anti-acne therapy.
"Our findings provide valuable insights into acne and the bacterium that causes it," observed corresponding author Graham Hatfull, Eberly Family Professor of Biotechnology, professor of biological sciences at the University of Pittsburgh and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute researcher. "The lack of genetic diversity among the phages that attack the acne bacterium implies that viral-based strategies may help control this distressing skin disorder."
"Phages are programmed to target and kill specific bacteria, so P. acnes phages will attack only P. acnes bacteria, but not others like E. coli," added Marinelli. "This trait suggests that they offer strong potential for targeted therapeutic use."
Acne affects nearly 90 percent of Americans at some point in their lives, yet scientists know little about what causes the disorder and have made narrow progress in developing new strategies for treating it. Dermatologists' arsenal of anti-acne tools -- benzoyl peroxide, antibiotics and Accutane hasn't expanded in decades.
"Antibiotics such as tetracycline are so widely used that many acne strains have developed resistance, and drugs like Accutane, while effective, can produce risky side effects, limiting their use," explained coauthor Dr. Jenny Kim, director of the UCLA Clinic for Acne, Rosacea and Aesthetics. "Acne can dramatically disfigure people and undermine their self-esteem, especially in teens. We can change patients' lives with treatment. It's time we identified a new way to safely treat the common disorder."
The research team plans to isolate the active protein from the P. acnes virus and test whether it is as effective as the whole virus in killing acne bacteria. If laboratory testing proves successful, the researchers will study the compound's safety and effectiveness in combating acne in people.
###
The study was supported by grants from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (R21AR060382, R01 AR053542 and F32AR060655) at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md.
Additional coauthors included Sorel Fitz-Gibbon, Megan Inkeles, Shawn Cokus, Matteo Pellegrini and Jeffrey F. Miller, all of UCLA; former UCLA researchers Clarmyra Hayes and Anya Loncaric, now of the California Institute of Technology and Solta Medical, respectively; and Charles Bowman, Daniel Russell and Deborah Jacobs-Sera of the University of Pittsburgh.
The Clinic for Acne, Rosacea and Aesthetics at the UCLA Division of Dermatology at the David Geffen School of Medicine offers comprehensive care for acne and rosacea, as well as the scarring and discoloration that can result from these conditions. The clinic's goal is to educate the public and help patients develop habits leading to healthy skin. Current research projects include studying the effect of Vitamin-D on immune response to acne, the effect of Omega-3 fatty acids on acne and its treatment, and the use of a mobile device application for acne management. To schedule an appointment, call (310) 825-6911.
[ | 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.
Contact: Elaine Schmidt eschmidt@mednet.ucla.edu 310-794-2272 University of California - Los Angeles Health Sciences
UCLA/Pitt scientists uncover virus with potential to stop pimples in their tracks
Watch out, acne. Doctors soon may have a new weapon against zits: a harmless virus living on our skin that naturally seeks out and kills the bacteria that cause pimples.
The Sept. 25 online edition of the American Society for Microbiology's mBio publishes the findings by scientists at UCLA and the University of Pittsburgh.
"Acne affects millions of people, yet we have few treatments that are both safe and effective," said principal investigator Dr. Robert Modlin, chief of dermatology and professor of microbiology, immunology and molecular genetics at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. "Harnessing a virus that naturally preys on the bacteria that causes pimples could offer a promising new tool against the physical and emotional scars of severe acne."
The scientists looked at two little microbes that share a big name: Propionibacterium acnes, a bacterium thriving in our pores that can trigger acne; and P. acnes phages, a family of viruses that live on human skin. The viruses are harmless to humans, but programmed to infect and kill the aforementioned P. acnes bacteria.
When P. acnes bacteria aggravate the immune system, it causes the swollen, red bumps associated with acne. Most effective treatments work by reducing the number of P. acnes bacteria on the skin.
"We know that sex hormones, facial oil and the immune system play a role in causing acne, however, a lot of research implicates P. acnes as an important trigger," explained first author Laura Marinelli, a UCLA postdoctoral researcher in Modlin's laboratory. "Sometimes they set off an inflammatory response that contributes to the development of acne."
Using over-the-counter pore cleansing strips from the drugstore, the researchers lifted acne bacteria and the P. acnes viruses from the noses of both pimply and clear-skinned volunteers.
When the team sequenced the bacteriophages' genomes, they discovered that the viruses possess multiple features such as small size, limited diversity and the broad ability to kill their hosts that make them ideal candidates for the development of a new anti-acne therapy.
"Our findings provide valuable insights into acne and the bacterium that causes it," observed corresponding author Graham Hatfull, Eberly Family Professor of Biotechnology, professor of biological sciences at the University of Pittsburgh and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute researcher. "The lack of genetic diversity among the phages that attack the acne bacterium implies that viral-based strategies may help control this distressing skin disorder."
"Phages are programmed to target and kill specific bacteria, so P. acnes phages will attack only P. acnes bacteria, but not others like E. coli," added Marinelli. "This trait suggests that they offer strong potential for targeted therapeutic use."
Acne affects nearly 90 percent of Americans at some point in their lives, yet scientists know little about what causes the disorder and have made narrow progress in developing new strategies for treating it. Dermatologists' arsenal of anti-acne tools -- benzoyl peroxide, antibiotics and Accutane hasn't expanded in decades.
"Antibiotics such as tetracycline are so widely used that many acne strains have developed resistance, and drugs like Accutane, while effective, can produce risky side effects, limiting their use," explained coauthor Dr. Jenny Kim, director of the UCLA Clinic for Acne, Rosacea and Aesthetics. "Acne can dramatically disfigure people and undermine their self-esteem, especially in teens. We can change patients' lives with treatment. It's time we identified a new way to safely treat the common disorder."
The research team plans to isolate the active protein from the P. acnes virus and test whether it is as effective as the whole virus in killing acne bacteria. If laboratory testing proves successful, the researchers will study the compound's safety and effectiveness in combating acne in people.
###
The study was supported by grants from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (R21AR060382, R01 AR053542 and F32AR060655) at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md.
Additional coauthors included Sorel Fitz-Gibbon, Megan Inkeles, Shawn Cokus, Matteo Pellegrini and Jeffrey F. Miller, all of UCLA; former UCLA researchers Clarmyra Hayes and Anya Loncaric, now of the California Institute of Technology and Solta Medical, respectively; and Charles Bowman, Daniel Russell and Deborah Jacobs-Sera of the University of Pittsburgh.
The Clinic for Acne, Rosacea and Aesthetics at the UCLA Division of Dermatology at the David Geffen School of Medicine offers comprehensive care for acne and rosacea, as well as the scarring and discoloration that can result from these conditions. The clinic's goal is to educate the public and help patients develop habits leading to healthy skin. Current research projects include studying the effect of Vitamin-D on immune response to acne, the effect of Omega-3 fatty acids on acne and its treatment, and the use of a mobile device application for acne management. To schedule an appointment, call (310) 825-6911.
[ | 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.
![[ Back to EurekAlert! ]](http://www.eurekalert.org/images/back2e.gif){kind=small}
Public release date: 25-Sep-2012
Share ]