Mediaboss Marketing

WASHINGTON, DC--(Marketwire -06/13/12)- ePals (SLN.V)

News that Facebook may allow children under 13 to join the social networking site raises important questions about online safety for our youngest Internet users and purposes of learning. All over the world, new learning standards are emerging that focus on communication and collaboration as an important means to provide the writing and media creation, critical thinking and problem solving skills essential to the 21st century work place. Proper use of social media tools in furtherance of learning has the potential to motivate and empower students in ways that traditional home and school learning methods cannot match.

ePals, which operates the largest social learning networking site specifically designed for children and teachers, has been focused on creating a safe and secure education experience for children for more than 15 years. Please see the following Top Five Tips for creating a safe and secure online environment for children.

1. Understand The Differences Between Consumer Social Media and Social Learning Platforms

It's important to distinguish between social media platforms and social learning platforms. Social media tools for education take into account the safety and privacy of students and teachers and are focused on social learning, not just being social.

2. Steer Kids To Safe and Secure Social Networking Sites

Find social networking sites with the TRUSTe seal and that have active tools such as content and language filters. Ensure that forums are screened for appropriate material that creates a safe and secure online environment. Only allow your kids to visit sites that are actively monitored to ensure a safe environment for kids. Examples of top kid-centric sites can be found here.

3. Prevent Cyber Bullying

Teach your child how to recognize and avoid cyber bullies. Only allow your children to access sites where parents, guardians and teachers have the ability to set access levels. Should a student come across a cyber bully make sure they know to report it to a trusted adult -- just like they would with a playground bully.

4. Keep Kids Connected To Learning Over The Summer And Extend Summer Reading Activities

Read this article:
Top Five Tips to Keep Your Young Kids Engaged in Safe Social Networks and Summer Learning

Google may soon bring business-to-business "social ads" to its Google+ social networking platform, according to a recent job listing for a product marketing manager for social ads launch marketing.

Google+ does not currently include any advertising. The company does deliver personalized advertising to users across its properties. Social advertising, however, generally refers to ads that are served to users based on their social contacts' activities on Google+.

Google will apparently first look to introduce the B2B "social features to businesses worldwide," according to the posted job description. The marketing manager will also help determine how Google will talk about the advertising at launch, focusing on "core features," "social ads" and "analytics and platforms," the job listing indicates.

Daina Middleton, U.S. CEO of the digital marketing firm Performics, said that even B2B businesses are struggling with their conventional sales models and are increasingly turning to "social tools."

It's not clear exactly how B2B social advertising would work, and Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But industry insiders suggested it would be similar to business-to-consumer marketing. Martine Hunter, creative director at MLT Creative, suggested it might consist of having people who do purchasing professionally give a "plus one" to particular brands on Google+, essentially recommending them.

Greg Sterling, principal analyst at Sterling Market Intelligence and a blogger on Search Engine Land, suggested that the ads would likely look much like the consumer-facing social ads on Facebook. For example, they might highlight brands that have a certain number of followers, he said. But they would target users who make business purchasing decisions.

It remains unclear whether the social advertising would be served exclusively to users on the Google+ platform or whether users might see them on other Google properties or even across the Web. Google describes its social network as a "social spine" for all of its products, rather than a destination website like competitor Facebook.

Last month, changes to Facebook's data use policy triggered speculation that the company will begin delivering targeted social ads beyond the limits of its own platform.

Cameron Scott covers search, web services and privacy for The IDG News Service. Follow Cameron on Twitter at CScott_IDG.

See the article here:
Google+ Looks Poised to Roll out Social Ads

Researchers have shown that a cold virus known to destroy cancer cells can be delivered to a tumour through the bloodstream without falling prey to killer antibodies on the way.

In a study published Wednesday in the journal Science Translational Medicine, the researchers found the "reovirus" hitches a ride on blood cells and uses them as a shield against the immune-system cells.

The reovirus holds promise as a possible new way of treating cancer because it not only kill cancer cells directly, but also triggers an immune response similar to what a vaccine does that helps eliminate residual cancer cells.

But because the virus, which causes upper respiratory and gastrointestinal illness, is common in the environment, most people have been exposed to it in childhood and therefore have developed antibodies, said Alan Melcher, a professor of clinical oncology and biotherapy at the University of Leeds who co-led the study.

"What people thought that meant was that if you've got antibodies against the virus, if you just inject it into the bloodstream, it can never work because it will just be neutralized by the antibodies," Melcher said Wednesday from Leeds, England.

"But what we were able to show, actually, was that by associating with blood cells in the blood, the virus can effectively hide from the antibodies and therefore get transported through the circulation and so get to the tumour."

The study involved 10 patients with advanced colorectal cancer who were due to have surgery on tumours that had spread to the liver. All patients were given up to five intravenous doses of the reovirus in the weeks before their operations.

Blood tests carried out shortly after treatment found the active virus tagging along with blood cells, but later tests showed the virus was quickly cleared from the bloodstream.

However, when researchers looked at the malignant liver tissue removed during surgery up to four weeks later, they found "viral factories" and active virus in the tumour but not in normal liver tissue.

"It seems that reovirus is even cleverer than we had thought. By piggybacking on blood cells, the virus is managing to hide from the body's natural immune response and reach its target intact," Melcher said. "This could be hugely significant for the uptake of viral therapies like this in clinical practice."

See the original post here:
Cold virus holds promise as tumour-fighting cancer therapy

Date: Wednesday Jun. 13, 2012 3:37 PM ET

Researchers have shown that a cold virus known to destroy cancer cells can be delivered to a tumour through the bloodstream without falling prey to killer antibodies on the way.

In a study published Wednesday in the journal Science Translational Medicine, the researchers found the "reovirus" hitches a ride on blood cells and uses them as a shield against the immune-system cells.

The reovirus holds promise as a possible new way of treating cancer because it not only kill cancer cells directly, but also triggers an immune response -- similar to what a vaccine does -- that helps eliminate residual cancer cells.

But because the virus, which causes upper respiratory and gastrointestinal illness, is common in the environment, most people have been exposed to it in childhood and therefore have developed antibodies, said Alan Melcher, a professor of clinical oncology and biotherapy at the University of Leeds who co-led the study.

"What people thought that meant was that if you've got antibodies against the virus, if you just inject it into the bloodstream, it can never work because it will just be neutralized by the antibodies," Melcher said Wednesday from Leeds, England.

"But what we were able to show, actually, was that by associating with blood cells in the blood, the virus can effectively hide from the antibodies and therefore get transported through the circulation and so get to the tumour."

The study involved 10 patients with advanced colorectal cancer who were due to have surgery on tumours that had spread to the liver. All patients were given up to five intravenous doses of the reovirus in the weeks before their operations.

Blood tests carried out shortly after treatment found the active virus tagging along with blood cells, but later tests showed the virus was quickly cleared from the bloodstream.

However, when researchers looked at the malignant liver tissue removed during surgery up to four weeks later, they found "viral factories" and active virus in the tumour -- but not in normal liver tissue.

Continued here:
Cold virus holds promise as cancer therapy: study

Researchers have shown that a cold virus known to destroy cancer cells can be delivered to a tumour through the bloodstream without falling prey to killer antibodies on the way.

In a study published Wednesday in the journal Science Translational Medicine, the researchers found the reovirus hitches a ride on blood cells and uses them as a shield against the immune-system cells.

The reovirus holds promise as a possible new way of treating cancer because it not only kills cancer cells directly, but also triggers an immune response similar to what a vaccine does that helps eliminate residual cancer cells.

But because the virus, which causes upper respiratory and gastrointestinal illness, is common in the environment, most people have been exposed to it in childhood and therefore have developed antibodies, said Alan Melcher, a professor of clinical oncology and biotherapy at the University of Leeds in England, who co-led the study.

What people thought that meant was that if youve got antibodies against the virus, if you just inject it into the bloodstream, it can never work because it will just be neutralized by the antibodies, Melcher said Wednesday from Leeds. But what we were able to show, actually, was that by associating with blood cells in the blood, the virus can effectively hide from the antibodies and therefore get transported through the circulation and so get to the tumour.

The study involved 10 patients with advanced colorectal cancer who were due to have surgery on tumours that had spread to the liver. All patients were given up to five intravenous doses of the reovirus in the weeks before their operations.

Blood tests carried out shortly after treatment found the active virus tagging along with blood cells, but later tests showed the virus was quickly cleared from the bloodstream.

However, when researchers looked at the malignant liver tissue removed during surgery up to four weeks later, they found viral factories and active virus in the tumour but not in normal liver tissue.

It seems that reovirus is even cleverer than we had thought. By piggybacking on blood cells, the virus is managing to hide from the bodys natural immune response and reach its target intact, Melcher said. This could be hugely significant for the uptake of viral therapies like this in clinical practice.

The study was not intended to see if the reovirus can shrink or eliminate tumours that question is being explored in much larger trials of patients with a variety of cancers but it does provide proof-of-concept that intravenously delivered reovirus-based cancer therapy is possible, he said.

Read this article:
Virus’s tricks may used to beat cancer