Researchers find proteins may point way to new prostate cancer drug targets

Monday, August 6, 2012

Two proteins that act in opposing directions ? one that promotes cancer and one that suppresses cancer ? regulate the same set of genes in prostate cancer, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center researchers have found.

The findings, reported recently in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, point toward potential drug targets and prognostic markers for prostate cancer.

"We are trying to understand the molecular genetics of prostate cancer: what are the genes that are altered in human prostate cancer, and very importantly, how do they lead to cancer when they are changed?" said Sarki Abdulkadir, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology and of Cancer Biology.

Abdulkadir's lab uses mouse models to probe the molecular pathways involved in prostate cancer.

Two separate projects in the lab unexpectedly came together for this study ? one led by postdoctoral fellow Philip Anderson, Ph.D., and the other spearheaded by (then) graduate student Sydika McKissic, Ph.D.

Anderson was using genomic approaches to understand how loss of a tumor suppressor protein, called NKX3.1, promotes prostate cancer. NKX3.1 is a transcription factor, meaning that it binds to and regulates the expression of other genes, turning them "on" or "off."

"It is one of the genes most commonly deleted in human prostate cancer?and is lost very early," explained Abdulkadir.

Anderson isolated the NKX3.1 protein and identified a set of 9,817 genes that bind to the protein. Of that set, he identified 282 genes that are regulated by the protein ? i.e., their expression was altered by loss of NKX3.1.

"So we took those genes...and asked 'what is interesting about these genes?'" said Abdulkadir.

Using bioinformatics tools, the investigators found a quarter of the NKX3.1-regulated genes are also bound by a "famous" oncogene called Myc (which, like NKX3.1, is also a transcription factor).

It was previously known that, as human prostate cancer progresses, NKX3.1 levels decrease and Myc levels increase. The research team's findings showed that these two proteins with opposing functions regulated a similar set of genes.

"What we showed in this paper is that actually in many instances, NKX binds and represses these genes while Myc binds and activates them," Abdulkadir said. "The way we think about it is this: Myc is the 'accelerator' and NKX3.1 is the 'brake' (on cancer growth)."

Meanwhile, McKissic was working to develop a mouse model of prostate cancer. However, mice lacking NKX3.1 alone developed early stage prostate cancer, but the disease would not progress. Abdulkadir suspected that another genetic "hit" or mutation was necessary to progress fully to prostate cancer and suspected that Myc was a good candidate for that second "hit" based on how commonly the gene is altered in human prostate cancer.

So McKissic developed a mouse model in which NKX3.1 was deleted and Myc was overexpressed in the specific prostate cells where cancer arises.

She showed that mice with this combination of genetic alterations did progress to advanced cancer ? and that the same target genes identified in Anderson's project were dysregulated in the mouse model.

To determine clinical relevance, the researchers then analyzed genetic and clinical data from patients with prostate cancer. They found that expression of these target genes was associated with tumor relapse ? specifically, that suppression of a subset of the target genes may predict relapse.

In addition to potential prognostic indicators of relapse, these "cross-regulated" genes may present therapeutic targets to halt progression of prostate cancer.

Future studies on the roles of the individual target genes could help reveal "which of these genes are bigger players than others for things like therapeutics," Abdulkadir said.

###

Vanderbilt University Medical Center: http://www.mc.vanderbilt.edu/npa

Thanks to Vanderbilt University Medical Center for this article.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/122353/Researchers_find_proteins_may_point_way_to_new_prostate_cancer_drug_targets__

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Best Tips for Cheap Auto Insurance Quotes | earthboundcentral.org

Everything on TV, radio, billboards and insurance companies are screaming that they are the cheapest and for a quote. It?s easy to find enough to talk about insurance, but you should know some basics before you start looking for an insurance quote cheap car.

  • The purpose of auto insurance.

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If you understand how and how long have you been ?sounded? to knock on your driver?s history, there is the purchase of an auto insurance quote cheap make your time worth if you look at right time. For small offenses and moving, the insurance rate for three years will be affected. For larger Moving Violations, you will be asked for three to five years depending on the Insurance Act.

If you hit an error on an accident, a car accident, a pedestrian or cyclist or other accidents have against you, it will also be a maximum of five years. In some states, your insurance goes against all claims, even if it is not your fault, as a comprehensive claim. Be smart about when quoting. Compliance with these hours will bring you an insurance quote cheap car, probably.

Now to the point, what it takes to build a cheap car insurance quote know just take the time to understand your exact driving record, the value of your car and customize your quotes, to maximize your coverage without their finances . Looking for an insurance quote cheap car? Then you should visit Cheap-Car-Insurance-Today.com, is one of the best insurance sites that offer you the possibility to book online at any given time, wherever you find. It should be looking for cheap car insurance in California, California, or be in Florida and across the country looking for cheap car insurance in Florida. Anyway, visit this site, learn more about auto insurance, and then look for more great quotes!

Source: http://www.earthboundcentral.org/best-tips-for-cheap-auto-insurance-quotes.html

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European market rally runs out of steam

People watch the electric stock index display of a securities firm in Tokyo Wednesday, July 4, 2012. Asian stock markets were boosted Wednesday by hopes European central bankers will buoy economic growth with new stimulus measures. Japan's Nikkei 225 index rose 0.5 percent to 9,111.66. (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi)

People watch the electric stock index display of a securities firm in Tokyo Wednesday, July 4, 2012. Asian stock markets were boosted Wednesday by hopes European central bankers will buoy economic growth with new stimulus measures. Japan's Nikkei 225 index rose 0.5 percent to 9,111.66. (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi)

An investor looks at the stock price monitor at a private securities company Wednesday, July 4, 2012 in Shanghai, China. Global stocks were muted Wednesday in holiday-thinned trade as markets looked to European central bankers for new steps to buoy sluggish economic growth. (AP Photo)

(AP) ? European stocks gave up some of their recent gains Wednesday after more disappointing economic data reinforced fears over Europe's economy in the run-up to key central bank policy statements.

With trading subdued because the U.S. is on holiday for Independence Day, investors in Europe have had little incentive to push stocks higher following a three-day rally.

Markets have largely welcomed last Friday's agreement by the leaders of the 17 euro countries to allow Europe's bailout fund to capitalize banks directly and to buy bonds of imperiled countries. Stocks, particularly in Europe, have rallied hard, as have the euro and oil prices.

However, with the eurozone economy showing signs of heading back into recession, the crisis has the potential to flare up again. Mounting concerns over the state of the U.S. economic recovery are also keeping sentiment in check, especially ahead of Friday's closely-watched nonfarm payrolls report for June. The payrolls data often set the market tone for a week or two after their release.

Before the payrolls data, the European Central Bank is expected on Thursday to reduce its main borrowing rate below 1 percent for the first time ever in an attempt to shore up the eurozone economy. A services sector survey Wednesday from financial information company Markit added to the prevailing view that the eurozone is heading back for recession.

The Bank of England is also expected to do more to help the British economy, which is already in recession, at its meeting on Thursday. The consensus view is that it will pump another 50 billion pounds into the economy.

"There is plenty of scope for disappointment given the high expectations, so traders will be cautious ahead of the meetings, and also as we approach non-farm payrolls," said David Morrison, senior market strategist at GFT Markets.

In Europe, the FTSE 100 index of leading British shares was down 0.3 percent at 5,673 while Germany's DAX fell 0.5 percent to 6,547. The CAC-40 in France was 0.4 percent lower at 3,258.

The euro was down 0.2 percent at $1.2583, while oil prices gave up some ground amid the softer tone in Europe ? benchmark oil for August delivery was down 35 cents at $87.31 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Earlier in Asia, stocks ended mostly higher. Japan's Nikkei 225 index rose 0.4 percent to 9,104.17 and South Korea's Kospi gained 0.4 percent to 1,874.45. China's Shanghai Composite fell 0.1 percent to 2,227.31 and Hong Kong's Hang Seng was down 0.1 percent at 19,709.75.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-07-04-World%20Markets/id-0cbb0f2543e14a0f983ef6bb82f86c21

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Quantum computing, no cooling required: Room-temperature quantum bits store data for nearly two seconds

ScienceDaily (July 3, 2012) ? It's a challenge that's long been one of the holy grails of quantum computing: how to create the key building blocks known as quantum bits, or qubits, that exist in a solid-state system at room temperature.

Most current systems, by comparison, rely on complex and expensive equipment designed to trap a single atom or electron in a vacuum and then cool the entire system to close to absolute zero.

A group of Harvard scientists, led by Professor of Physics Mikhail Lukin and including graduate students Georg Kucsko and Peter Maurer and postdoctoral researcher Christian Latta, say they've cracked the problem, and they did it by turning to one of the purest materials on Earth: diamonds.

Using a pair of impurities in ultra-pure, laboratory-grown diamonds, the researchers were able to create quantum bits and store information in them for nearly two seconds, an increase of nearly six orders of magnitude over the life span of earlier systems. The work, described in the June 8 issue of Science, is a critical first step in the eventual construction of a functional quantum computer, and has a host of other potential applications.

"What we've been able to achieve in terms of control is quite unprecedented," Lukin said. "We have a qubit, at room temperature, that we can measure with very high efficiency and fidelity. We can encode data in it, and we can store it for a relatively long time. We believe this work is limited only by technical issues, so it looks feasible to increase the life span into the range of hours. At that point, a host of real-world applications become possible."

In addition to a practical quantum computer, Lukin envisions the system being used in applications that include "quantum cash" (a payment system for bank transactions and credit cards that relies on the coding of quantum bits to thwart counterfeiters) and quantum networks (a highly secure communications method that uses quantum bits to transmit data).

"This research is an important step forward in research toward one day building a practical quantum computer," said Kucsko, who works in Lukin's lab and is one of two first authors of the paper. "For the first time, we have a system that has a reasonable timescale for memory and simplicity, so this is now something we can pursue."

The groundwork for Lukin's breakthrough was laid several years ago, when researchers discovered that nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers, atomic-scale impurities in lab-grown diamonds, behave in the same way as single atoms. Like individual atoms, each center possesses a spin, which can be polarized, similar to on a bar magnet. Using lasers, researchers are able not only to control the spin, but to detect its orientation as it changes over time.

But the idea of using the NV centers to form the backbone of a quantum computer simply wasn't practical, largely because they can only hold data for about one-millionth of a second before their quantum properties -- and any data they may have held -- are lost.

The culprit, Lukin said, was another impurity in the diamond crystal.

In initial experiments, the team used diamonds that contained 99 percent carbon-12 atoms, which have no spin. The remainder, however, was made up of carbon-13 atoms, a tricky isotope that contains a spin in the atom's nucleus. Though weak, the interaction with those spins was causing the NV centers' short life spans.

With this latest research, however, Lukin and his team turned what was once a challenge -- the interaction between the NV center and carbon-13 atoms? -- to their advantage.

"The nuclear spin of the carbon-13 makes an ideal quantum bit, because they are very isolated," Lukin said. "Because they interact with so few outside forces, they have relatively long coherence times. Of course, the same properties that make them ideal qubits also make them difficult to measure and manipulate."

The solution Lukin and his team came up with was surprisingly elegant. Rather than trying to find a way to measure the spin of the carbon atoms, they used the NV center to do it for them.

Working with researchers at Element Six, a British-based company that specializes in manufacturing artificial diamonds, they developed a new technique to create crystals that were even more pure: 99.99 percent carbon-12. Researchers then bombard the crystal with nitrogen to create the NV center, which interacts with a nearby carbon-13 atom.

The result of that interaction is that the NV center mirrors the state of the carbon atom, meaning researchers can encode a bit of information into the spin of the atom, then "read" that data by monitoring the NV center.

"The system we've developed uses this very local probe, the NV center, to allow us to monitor that spin," Lukin said. "As a result, for the first time, we can encode a bit of information into that spin, and use this system to read it out."

However, encoding information into the spin of the carbon-13 atom and reading it out using the NV center is only a step on the road to a quantum computer. To truly be useful, researchers had to determine how to take advantage of the atom's quantum properties -- that is, its ability to occupy two states simultaneously.

That ability to be in two states at the same time is a key principle of quantum computers. As opposed to traditional computers, which encode bits of information as either zero or one, quantum computers rely on atomic-scale quantum mechanics to give quantum bits both values at once. That property, in theory, allows quantum computers to perform multiple computations in parallel, making them vastly more powerful than traditional computers, which perform operations in sequence.

The solution, Lukin explained, was a two-step process.

The first step is to cut the connection between the NV center and the carbon atom. Using massive amounts of laser light, researcher are able to effectively keep the NV center occupied and prevent it from interacting with the carbon atom. In step two, the diamond crystal is bombarded with a specific set of radio frequency pulses, suppressing the interaction between the carbon-13 atom and any nearby atoms.

"By limiting interactions with the carbon-13 atom, we can extend the life of the qubit and hold the data for longer," Lukin said. "The end result is that we're able to push the coherence time from a millisecond to nearly two seconds."

Researchers at the California Institute of Technology and the Max-Planck-Institut f?r Quantenoptik also participated in the research. Funding was provided by theNational Science Foundation, the Center for Ultracold Atoms, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Element 6, the Packard Foundation, the European Union, the Swiss National Science Foundation, and the Sherman Fairchild Foundation.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Harvard University.

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


Journal Reference:

  1. P. C. Maurer, G. Kucsko, C. Latta, L. Jiang, N. Y. Yao, S. D. Bennett, F. Pastawski, D. Hunger, N. Chisholm, M. Markham, D. J. Twitchen, J. I. Cirac, M. D. Lukin. Room-Temperature Quantum Bit Memory Exceeding One Second. Science, 2012; 336 (6086): 1283 DOI: 10.1126/science.1220513

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.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/S11f360Mpis/120703181909.htm

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Timbuktu shrine destruction a 'war crime': ICC

Islamist rebels in northern Mali smashed four more tombs of ancient Muslim saints in Timbuktu as the International Criminal Court warned their campaign of destruction was a war crime.

The hardline Islamists who seized control of Timbuktu along with the rest of northern Mali three months ago, consider the shrines to be idolatrous and have wrecked seven tombs in two days.

Mali's government and the international community have expressed horror and outrage at the destruction of cultural treasures in the fabled city, an ancient desert crossroads and centre of learning known as the "City of 333 Saints".

"My message to those involved in these criminal acts is clear: stop the destruction of the religious buildings now," ICC Chief Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda told AFP in an interview in Dakar.

"This is a war crime which my office has authority to fully investigate."

She said that Mali was signatory to the Rome Statute which established the ICC, which states in Article 8 that deliberate attacks against undefended civilian buildings which are not military objectives are a war crime.

"This includes attacks against historical monuments as well as destruction of buildings dedicated to religion," said Bensouda.

On Saturday the Islamists destroyed the tombs of Sidi Mahmoud, Sidi Moctar and Alpha Moya, and on Sunday attacked four more including Cheikh el-Kebir's mausoleum as residents stood by helplessly.

Crying "Allahu Akbar" (God is Greatest), the men carrying chisels and hoes smashed the tombs.

"There are many of us watching them destroy the mausoleum. It hurts but we can't do anything. These madmen are armed, we can't do anything but they will be cursed that is for sure," a journalist said on condition of anonymity.

He said the destruction at the Djingareyber cemetery ended in the late afternoon, with four tombs in total destroyed. The Islamists also destroyed earthenware jars and other artifacts around the tombs.

The cemetery is situated in the south of Timbuktu in the suburb of the eponymous Djingareyber mosque built from mud in 1327.

Another resident of Timbuktu, a former tour operator, said the Islamists had also threatened to destroy the ancient mosques.

"This morning (Sunday) the Islamists told us that if there are saints inside the mosques, they will also destroy these mosques."

Several saints are buried inside the city's three historic mosques. Timbuktu is also home to 16 cemeteries and mausoleums, according to the UNESCO website.

The Islamist fighters from Ansar Dine (Defenders of Faith) are among the Al-Qaeda-linked armed groups which occupied the north of Mali in the chaos that emerged after a March coup in Bamako.

Their presence in Timbuktu and continued violence in the region prompted UNESCO on Thursday to list the city as an endangered site.

"It is Islam which is good," Ansar Dine spokesman Sanda Ould Boumama said when asked about the outpouring of anger and emotion over the destruction of the mausolea.

"God is unique. All of this is haram (forbidden in Islam). We are all Muslims. UNESCO is what?" Boumama said on Saturday.

He said the group was acting in the name of God and would "destroy every mausoleum in the city. All of them, without exception".

Mali's Culture and Tourism Minister Fadima Diallo on Sunday urged the United Nations to take action to preserve her country's heritage.

"Mali exhorts the UN to take concrete steps to stop these crimes against the cultural heritage of my people," she told UNESCO's annual meeting in the Russian city of Saint Petersburg.

"I am pleading for the international community's solidarity," she said, ending her emotional address by saying: "God help Mali".

United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon deplored the destruction of tombs, with his spokesman Martin Nesirky quoting him as saying: "Such attacks against cultural heritage sites are totally unjustified."

Nesirky added: "The secretary-general calls on all parties to exercise their responsibility to preserve the cultural heritage of Mali."

Ban also reiterated his support for ongoing efforts of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the African Union and countries in the region to "help the government and people of Mali resolve the current crisis through dialogue."

The attacks were reminiscent of the Taliban blowing up the giant Buddhas of the Bamiyan valley in Afghanistan -- an ancient Buddhist shrine on the Silk Road and a world heritage site -- in 2001 after branding them un-Islamic.

UNESCO session chairwoman Yeleonor Mitrofanova told a meeting in Saint Petersburg that the destruction was tragic news.

"I appeal to all those engaged in the conflict in Timbuktu to exercise their responsibility -- for the sake of future generations, spare the legacy of their past," she said.

In a matter of months Mali has gone from one of west Africa's stable democracies to a nation gripped by deadly chaos.

The March 22 coup eased the way for Tuareg separatist rebels -- descendants of those who founded Timbuktu in the fifth century -- to carry out the armed takeover of an area larger than France they consider their homeland.

However the previously unknown Ansar Dine group fighting on their flanks seized the upper hand, openly allied with Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, and have since pushed the Tuareg from all positions of power.

The international community fears the vast desert area will become a new haven for terrorist activity and the Islamists have threatened any country that joins a possible military intervention force in Mali.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/mali-islamists-destroying-more-timbuktu-shrines-002033698.html

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Kenya police: church attacks kill 15, wound 40

An armed Kenyan policeman walks inside the African Inland Church, as a body of one of those killed in the attack lies on the ground underneath church pews, in Garissa, Kenya, on Sunday, July 1, 2012. Grenade and gunfire attacks on two Kenyan churches near the border with Somalia killed 10 people and wounded 40 on Sunday in what was likely an attack by militants from Somalia, an official said. (AP Photo/Chris Mann)

An armed Kenyan policeman walks inside the African Inland Church, as a body of one of those killed in the attack lies on the ground underneath church pews, in Garissa, Kenya, on Sunday, July 1, 2012. Grenade and gunfire attacks on two Kenyan churches near the border with Somalia killed 10 people and wounded 40 on Sunday in what was likely an attack by militants from Somalia, an official said. (AP Photo/Chris Mann)

Members of the Kenyan security forces inspect the scene, as a body lies covered by a sheet, outside the African Inland Church in Garissa, Kenya Sunday, July 1, 2012. Gunmen killed two policemen guarding a church, snatched their rifles and then opened fire on the congregation with bullets and grenades on Sunday, killing at least 10 people and wounding at least 40, security officials said, with militants from Somalia being immediately suspected. (AP Photo/Chris Mann)

An unexploded grenade lies at the scene outside the African Inland Church in Garissa, Kenya Sunday, July 1, 2012. Gunmen killed two policemen guarding a church, snatched their rifles and then opened fire on the congregation with bullets and grenades on Sunday, killing at least 10 people and wounding at least 40, security officials said, with militants from Somalia being immediately suspected. (AP Photo/Chris Mann)

Bodies of some of those killed in the attack lie on the ground underneath church pews inside the African Inland Church, in Garissa, Kenya Sunday, July 1, 2012. Gunmen killed two policemen guarding a church, snatched their rifles and then opened fire on the congregation with bullets and grenades on Sunday, killing at least 10 people and wounding at least 40, security officials said, with militants from Somalia being immediately suspected. (AP Photo/Chris Mann)

Members of the Kenyan security forces guard the scene outside the African Inland Church in Garissa, Kenya Sunday, July 1, 2012. Gunmen killed two policemen guarding a church, snatched their rifles and then opened fire on the congregation with bullets and grenades on Sunday, killing at least 10 people and wounding at least 40, security officials said, with militants from Somalia being immediately suspected. (AP Photo/Chris Mann)

(AP) ? Gunmen killed two policemen guarding a church, snatched their rifles and then opened fire on the congregation from inside and out on Sunday, killing 15 people and wounding 40, security officials said.

Two gunmen entered the simple wooden church in the city of Garissa at around 10:15 a.m. Sunday, while two others waited outside, police commander Philip Ndolo said. When the congregation fled the attack inside, they ran straight into another hail of bullets from gunmen outside, he said. At least one grenade was detonated in the attack.

Overturned wooden benches littered the church afterward. A victim wearing a simple blue dress lay on the sandy earth outside. Witnesses reported seeing the four gunmen flee in dark blue outfits and masks.

"We were deep in prayers preparing to give our offerings," said a visibly shaken David Mwange, a churchgoer. "We first had a loud bang from outside which we mistook to be coming from the rooftops. We then had gun shots which made us to lie down. Within no time we had gunshots all over. Everybody was shouting and wailing in pain."

The bloodiest of the two attacks came against the African Inland Church in Garissa, a city some 195 kilometers (120 miles) west of the Somali border. Ndolo said 15 people were killed and at least 40 wounded. A grenade attack against a second church in Garissa wounded three people.

Garissa Mayor Ismail Garat called the church assault "evil."

"We are not used to witnessing such kinds of acts in our country, where people are just shot in broad daylight. We really want to know who the heartless people who did this are," he said.

Ndolo told reporters he wanted an investigation carried out before assigning blame to the group many people in this region assume is at fault: al-Shabab, the most dangerous militant group in Somalia.

Another security official said two attackers walked up to the two policemen guarding the church, shot them at point-blank range and took their rifles. The official spoke only on condition he wasn't identified because he is not allowed to speak to media.

The police were guarding the church because of the increasingly dangerous security situation near the border with Somalia and because Somalia's Islamist militants have made Christian churches a common target.

The Vatican spokesman condemned the "vile" and "disgraceful" attacks and said they showed the necessity of defending the rights of Christians to celebrate their faith and "oppose irresponsible acts that fuel hatred among religions."

The White House also condemned the attacks, saying: "At a time of transition, peace and stability are essential to Kenya's progress. We support those who recognize Kenya's ethnic and religious diversity as one of the country's greatest strengths."

Garissa is one of two major Kenyan towns near the border with Somalia. It lies just to the west of the Dadaab refugee camp, which houses nearly 500,000 Somali refugees. On Friday armed attackers kidnapped four international workers with the Norwegian Refugee Council and are believed to have taken them over the border into Somalia.

A top security official suggested after that assault that the attackers came from within the camp. Kenyan officials have long complained Dadaab and its inhabitants are a threat to Kenya's security. Kenyan officials hope to see the Dadaab refugees move back to Somalia, but they cannot force the refugees to move without breaking international law and courting wide international condemnation.

Areas of northern and eastern Kenya along the border with Somalia have suffered a series of gunfire and grenade attacks over the last year. Militants attacked a church in Garissa in December, killing two people.

Kenya sent troops into Somalia last October to hunt al-Shabab fighters. The militants, who are allied with al-Qaida, have threatened repeatedly to carry out revenge attacks for Kenya's push into Somalia. Sunday's attacks appear to be part of that trend.

___

Associated Press reporters Tom Odula, Adow Jubat and Boniface Ongeri contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-07-01-Kenya-Church%20Attacks/id-77853555b8d14ea0a9e39e841ff6c612

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Auditors: Spanish banks need up to $78BN

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Living In Alameda by Evelyn Kennedy, Alameda Realtor ? Shop ...

This week?s happenings in the Park Street Business District:?View Calendar

If you?re interested in reading about things pertaining to Alameda, you might want to check out Evelyn Kennedy?s blog site,??Living in Alameda.??Evelyn?s stories feature local businesses as well as restaurants and unique events. She especially loves to focus on the history of Alameda, its charming neighborhoods, and our lovely architecture. Her weekly article ?Things to Do in Alameda? is posted every Friday and is all about events for the whole family to enjoy in Alameda.

In addition learning more?about our wonderful City of Alameda,?you can?read?Evelyn?s latest real estate tips. Recent articles included topics such as ?What Should I Do Before I Sell My Alameda Home??, ?Tips to Improve Curb Appeal of ?My Alameda Home,? and ?Snap Shot of Real Estate Market in Alameda.?

You can check out Evelyn?s ?Living in Alameda? blog at:?www.activerain.com/blogs/evelynkennedy

# # # #

Real estate is a very competitive business. When looking for an agent, you want to look for one who will provide great service, be accessible at a moment?s notice, have a comprehensive knowledge of the market, and be able to interpret and explain clearly the technical aspects of any sales transaction. You can count on Evelyn Kennedy, real estate agent for Gallagher & Lindsey Realtors?(2424 Central Ave), ?to work hard to weave together all these elements into the service she provides. In addition, she feels her most important job is to remain in constant communication with her clients. Whether called upon to soothe buyers? and sellers? anxieties or to answer questions, Evelyn is sure to return your call promptly.

In her 22 years as a realtor, Evelyn?s goal has always been to provide the best possible service to her clients. She adds value to your transaction by being knowledgeable and competent in all areas of her profession. Evelyn has invested a great deal of time and effort in specialized training, earning advanced designations, and staying active in real estate associations. Her list of special designations and business associations include:

  • Realtor of the Year, 2009 ? Alameda Association of Realtors
  • Certified Residential Specialist ? The CRS is the highest Designation awarded to sales associates in the residential sales field, recognizing professional accomplishments in both experience and education.
  • SRES? Specialist ? SRES designees demonstrate requisite knowledge and expertise to counsel senior clients through the major financial and lifestyle transitions involved in relocating, refinancing, or selling a home.
  • E-PRO? Certification ? awarded to real estate agents who have completed extensive training using the Web.
  • Member of Alameda Association of Realtors, Oakland Association of Realtors, California Association of Realtors, and National Association of Realtors.

Evelyn considers involvement in community activities to be very important. She is an active member of the?Executive Committee of the Alameda Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), a program devoted to training people who live and work in Alameda to respond in any type of disaster situation. She is also active with the Alameda Welfare Council, The League of Women Voters of Alameda, and the Park Street Business Association as a Board Member.

Additionally, Evelyn was a docent with the Oakland Museum Natural Science Department for 11 years. But I would be remiss if I didn?t also mention that she is a longtime committee member of the annual Park Street Art & Wine Faire, which will be held this year during the weekend of July 28 & 29.

Evelyn came to Alameda 38 years ago with her husband Jim and their daughter Jennifer because they loved the small town quality of the city. That is also why Evelyn enjoys selling real estate in Alameda ? she thinks Alameda is a great place to live and loves introducing people to our community.

# # # #

The Park Street Business District offers great food & drink establishments, charming shops, and fun things to do! Learn what?s happening in the historic downtown district, including this week?s calendar highlights, by visiting our website at www.shopparkstreet.com/news. You can also find the ?Park Street Business Association? on Facebook and Twitter.

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Google's Penguin Update Continues to Smack Small Business

Last week, a small business owner talked to me about his new marketing plan. It went something like this: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, MySpace, blog, blog outreach, YouTube videos, forum posting, SEO articles written and posted to Squidoo, every other article site then promoted on StumbleUpon, Digg, Reddit and every other appropriate sharing site.

He figured someone could do this in ten hours a week. I told him he was in over his head. I told him he needed to focus on a few keys areas to start ? Facebook and Pinterest since he was selling a very visual and colorful product. I also told him to forget article marketing, it not only wouldn?t help his business but it might actually hurt. I don?t think he liked my advice.

Now, let?s all open our Wall Street Journal to the Small Business section: ?As Google Tweaks Searches, Some Get Lost in the Web.?

The story focuses on two small online business who have suffered devastating losses since the latest Google search update known as Penguin. The owner of Oh My Dog Supplies says his sales went from $68,000 in March (pre-Penguin) to $25,000 this month (expected based on current sales). He blames the loss in traffic on Google search and thinks it?s the result of two actions. He once paid for a large number of inbound links and he posts marketing articles to EzineArticles and Squidoo.

Under the new Penguin reign, these kinds of marketing ploys are considered spam. Google sees them as ways of artificially inflating the relevance of a website. As such, they are not helpful to searchers and so Google penalizes the sites for being deceptive.

The author of the article admits that some companies have gained from the Penguin update but those that took a hit are suffering, to the point of possibly losing their business.

The people the Wall Street Journal profiled in the article are all legitimate, small business owners who were only doing what they thought was best. They followed advice (Did they know that buying links has always been a questionable tactic? Not likely.) and did all the things some marketers say you should do to get noticed. Marketing, however, is not their field. They?re people who simply wanted to share their passion for pets and sports and art and found they could turn that passion into profit. Now, though, you can bet that passion is waning as they scramble to regain what they lost through no fault of their own.

I?m not saying Google is wrong. They?re right to want to clean out the spammers and the snake oil salesmen. I?m saying that it?s time to stop marketing based on the way it?s always been. The rules have changed and they?re going to keep changing. What business owners have to do is follow the path that makes the most sense for their company and forget the rest.

You know what Google likes? Relevant, accurate, informative content that is better than what the competitor has to offer. That?s how you rise in the rankings and that?s how you stay on top the next time Google makes another update.

What are your thoughts on Google?s Penguin update? Good news, bad news, or just another twist in the path?

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