Underrepresented minority students receive fellowships in digestive disease and nutrition research

Public release date: 17-May-2013
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Contact: Rachel Steigerwald
newsroom@gastro.org
301-272-1603
American Gastroenterological Association

Bethesda, MD (May 17, 2013) Illustrating a commitment to the support of underrepresented minority researchers, the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Research Foundation has announced the inaugural AGA Investing in the Future Student Research Fellowship Award recipients. Supported by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), this new award helps underrepresented minority students to further their research careers in digestive disease and nutrition research.

"By establishing this new award, AGA demonstrates its commitment to fostering and promoting the involvement, advancement and recognition of underrepresented minorities within the GI community," said Byron Cryer, MD, chair of the AGA Underrepresented Minorities Committee. "We are honored to recognize and award these outstanding students, and we hope this award stimulates excitement among underrepresented minorities who are committed to the research and practice of gastroenterology and hepatology."

The AGA Institute established the Investing in the Future Student Research Fellowship program in 2013 after receiving a competitive NIDDK R25 grant for education projects. With this support, AGA will provide 10 honorees with $5,000 to perform eight to 10 weeks of research related to digestive diseases and nutrition. The stipend will cover lodging and travel for the students, as well as a stipend for expenses. In this way, the AGA hopes to stimulate an interest in gastroenterological research and to provide these students with the experience they need to gain admittance into GI training programs.

The 2013 Investing in the Future Student Research Fellowship Award recipients are:

• Oluwapese M. Akinbobola, Ohio University, Columbus
• Joseph Acquaye, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, TN
• Felipe Ayala, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale
• Rafaella Kazaoka, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
• Ermmet Lopez, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan
• Christian Mpoy, Hofstra University, Hampstead, NY
• Julius Musenze, Ohio University, Athens
• Sophia Noguera, University of Wisconsin, La Crosse
• Mariana Rivera, University of Georgia, Athens
• Whitney Williams, Davidson College, NC

These highly qualified students will have the opportunity to work directly with the Investing in the Future mentors, top investigators in the fields of gastroenterology and hepatology who have expressed their commitment to improving the pipeline of underrepresented minority researchers. To view the full Investing in the Future mentor roster, visit http://www.gastro.org/aga-foundation/grants/2013-investing-in-the-future-mentors-roster.

This award shines light on African Americans, Hispanic/Latino Americans, American Indians, Alaska Natives and Natives of the U.S. Pacific Islands from accredited U.S. institutions. Winners were selected by the Investing in the Future mentors and the AGA Research Awards Panel.

###

About the AGA Research Foundation

The AGA Research Foundation, formerly known as the Foundation for Digestive Health and Nutrition, is the cornerstone of AGA's effort to expand digestive disease research funding. Since 1984, the AGA, through its foundations, has provided more than $40 million in research grants to more than 700 scientists. The AGA Research Foundation serves as a bridge to the future of research in gastroenterology and hepatology by providing critical funding to advance the careers of young researchers between the end of training and the establishment of credentials that earn National Institutes of Health grants. Learn more about the AGA Research Foundation or make a contribution at http://www.gastro.org/foundation.

About the AGA Institute

The American Gastroenterological Association is the trusted voice of the GI community. Founded in 1897, the AGA has grown to include 17,000 members from around the globe who are involved in all aspects of the science, practice and advancement of gastroenterology. The AGA Institute administers the practice, research and educational programs of the organization. http://www.gastro.org.

Follow us on Twitter @AmerGastroAssn. Become an AGA fan on Facebook.

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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.

Public release date: 17-May-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Rachel Steigerwald
newsroom@gastro.org
301-272-1603
American Gastroenterological Association

Bethesda, MD (May 17, 2013) Illustrating a commitment to the support of underrepresented minority researchers, the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Research Foundation has announced the inaugural AGA Investing in the Future Student Research Fellowship Award recipients. Supported by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), this new award helps underrepresented minority students to further their research careers in digestive disease and nutrition research.

"By establishing this new award, AGA demonstrates its commitment to fostering and promoting the involvement, advancement and recognition of underrepresented minorities within the GI community," said Byron Cryer, MD, chair of the AGA Underrepresented Minorities Committee. "We are honored to recognize and award these outstanding students, and we hope this award stimulates excitement among underrepresented minorities who are committed to the research and practice of gastroenterology and hepatology."

The AGA Institute established the Investing in the Future Student Research Fellowship program in 2013 after receiving a competitive NIDDK R25 grant for education projects. With this support, AGA will provide 10 honorees with $5,000 to perform eight to 10 weeks of research related to digestive diseases and nutrition. The stipend will cover lodging and travel for the students, as well as a stipend for expenses. In this way, the AGA hopes to stimulate an interest in gastroenterological research and to provide these students with the experience they need to gain admittance into GI training programs.

The 2013 Investing in the Future Student Research Fellowship Award recipients are:

• Oluwapese M. Akinbobola, Ohio University, Columbus
• Joseph Acquaye, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, TN
• Felipe Ayala, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale
• Rafaella Kazaoka, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
• Ermmet Lopez, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan
• Christian Mpoy, Hofstra University, Hampstead, NY
• Julius Musenze, Ohio University, Athens
• Sophia Noguera, University of Wisconsin, La Crosse
• Mariana Rivera, University of Georgia, Athens
• Whitney Williams, Davidson College, NC

These highly qualified students will have the opportunity to work directly with the Investing in the Future mentors, top investigators in the fields of gastroenterology and hepatology who have expressed their commitment to improving the pipeline of underrepresented minority researchers. To view the full Investing in the Future mentor roster, visit http://www.gastro.org/aga-foundation/grants/2013-investing-in-the-future-mentors-roster.

This award shines light on African Americans, Hispanic/Latino Americans, American Indians, Alaska Natives and Natives of the U.S. Pacific Islands from accredited U.S. institutions. Winners were selected by the Investing in the Future mentors and the AGA Research Awards Panel.

###

About the AGA Research Foundation

The AGA Research Foundation, formerly known as the Foundation for Digestive Health and Nutrition, is the cornerstone of AGA's effort to expand digestive disease research funding. Since 1984, the AGA, through its foundations, has provided more than $40 million in research grants to more than 700 scientists. The AGA Research Foundation serves as a bridge to the future of research in gastroenterology and hepatology by providing critical funding to advance the careers of young researchers between the end of training and the establishment of credentials that earn National Institutes of Health grants. Learn more about the AGA Research Foundation or make a contribution at http://www.gastro.org/foundation.

About the AGA Institute

The American Gastroenterological Association is the trusted voice of the GI community. Founded in 1897, the AGA has grown to include 17,000 members from around the globe who are involved in all aspects of the science, practice and advancement of gastroenterology. The AGA Institute administers the practice, research and educational programs of the organization. http://www.gastro.org.

Follow us on Twitter @AmerGastroAssn. Become an AGA fan on Facebook.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

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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.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-05/aga-ums051613.php

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Daily Chronicle | Sheriff's family fosters a healthy home

Alex Scott, 14, and David Scott, 8, play parachute with their foster brother, who cannot be identified, in the front yard of their adopted family's home May 3 in DeKalb. Roger and Marcia Scott have fostered more than 40 children since 1985. Of those children, the Scotts have adopted five. (Monica Maschak ? mmaschak@shawmedia.com)

Some people call Roger and Marcia Scott crazy. Others have called them extraordinary.

They think of themselves simply as parents.

Over the past 25 years, the Scotts have taken in more than 40 foster children, and their family continues to grow.

?I thought I would do this for a few years, help out a few children, and then he would retire and we?d be off on our own,? Marcia Scott said. ?But it just never happened that way.?

DeKalb County Sheriff Roger Scott and Marcia?s family consists of five adopted children: Tom and Angie, both 22; Ebony, 19; Alex, 14; and David, 8. They currently are fostering a 5-year-old boy with special needs and a 16-month-old girl. The DeKalb couple also have three grown biological children and nine grandchildren.

Although the Scotts have gone the extra mile in helping children in need, there are many more who still need help. The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services reported nearly 15,000 children in Illinois were placed in foster care, group homes or institutions last year, while about only 1,700 are adopted each year.

More than 100 of the children placed in foster care in Illinois live in DeKalb County.

Eileen Liezert ? the northern Illinois regional vice president of Children?s Home and Aid, a private agency that places children in foster homes ? said the need for foster parents is on the rise as the agency receives an additional 50 to 75 children a year.

Marcia was inspired to become a foster parent around the time Roger became sheriff in 1985. She was watching an Oprah special on the need for foster parents and thought she would be up to the challenge. She persuaded her husband, and they eventually became licensed foster parents.

After taking in several children over the years, the Scotts went from foster parents to a family.

?Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think that I would be at the point of adopting our seventh child,? Marcia said.

The relationships the Scotts have formed with their foster children are part of the reason they chose to adopt.

?When they come as babies and they stay six and seven years, what do you do? Pat them on the back and say, ?Oh, it?s been nice having you, but it?s time to move out and find someone else?? ? she said. ?Some people can do that. I just couldn?t do that.?

Ebony Scott said every morning in the house with so many people can be hectic, but that?s why they have established a routine. But she?s grateful for the life she has built with her family.

?You can be raised by a really loving family like we were, or it could be the opposite way,? she said. ?It just depends.?

Even after fostering children for 25 years, Roger said the job can still be difficult.

?Recognize that it?s not easy,? he said. ?It?s not like TV. It?s not like the Duggar family.?

Marcia said her goal of taking in foster children is to provide them with a childhood full of the love and happiness they deserve.

While some people may expect praise for the work they put into raising foster children, the Scotts said it?s become a way of life, and they wouldn?t have it any other way.

?I think the hugs and the smiles make it all worthwhile,? Roger said. ?The piggyback rides. You?re always doing it. Our life is just a recycle.?

Marcia agreed.

?Sometimes people ask me, ?Aren?t you tired of this?? ? she said. ?But how can you be tired of hugs and kisses??

DeKalb County foster care numbers (as of April 30)
? 103 children placed in out-of-home care
? 64 children in foster care
? 38 children living with relatives
? 1 in institution or group home
? 2,500 children legally free for adoption

Source: State of Illinois

There are 15 hours, 49 minutes remaining to comment on this story.

Source: http://www.daily-chronicle.com/2013/05/09/sheriffs-family-fosters-a-healthy-home/axy6lmu/

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Total Recall: Movies Directed by Tyler Perry

We count down the best-reviewed directorial work of the Peeples producer.

The critics haven't exactly been kind to Tyler Perry over the years, but with nearly $700 million in lifetime domestic grosses, he's definitely a filmmaker who understands his audience -- and with that audience preparing to lineup for his latest production, this weekend's Tyler Perry Presents Peeples, we thought now would be the perfect time to take a look back at the best-reviewed entries in his ever-growing filmography. Put on your Sunday dress, pull up those support hose, and grab a shotgun -- it's Tyler Perry Presents Tyler Perry's Total Recall!

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26%

Say what you will about Tyler Perry's movies, but he consistently manages to assemble casts filled with excellent actors -- and for 2007's Daddy's Little Girls, his talent included Idris Elba, Louis Gossett, Jr., and Gabrielle Union. Unfortunately, all that thespian power wasn't enough to rescue the movie from critical brickbats, but for a select few scribes, this story of a blue-collar mechanic (Elba) who falls for a wealthy attorney (Union) threw off enough fizzy rom-com sparks to compensate for its thinly sketched characters and exposition-heavy script. "I entered this moviegoing experience ready for a lot of wincing and eye-rolling," admitted Toddy Burton of the Austin Chronicle, "but dammit if this movie didn't make me laugh and cry."

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26%

Given how regularly she tussles with her kin, you'd think a family reunion would be the last thing Madea would want to plan, but that's exactly what she does in Madea's Family Reunion, the 2006 adaptation of Perry's play in which his infamously cranky matriarch finds herself at the center of a fresh batch of poorly timed familial drama. This time around, Madea has to juggle preparations for the titular event with a mounting series of problems, including her sister's funeral, the court-ordered delivery of a maladjusted teen (Keke Palmer), and the personal travails of her nieces (played by Rochelle Aytes and Lisa Anderson). "Let's not sell Tyler Perry short," urged Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly amidst Family Reunion's poor critical reception. "As the vinegar-witted Madea, he's a drag performer of testy charm, but in his overlit patchwork way he's also making the most primal women's pictures since Joan Crawford flexed her shoulder pads."

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29%

Two decades after Jim Varney's Ernest ended up in the big house, Tyler Perry followed suit with Madea Goes to Jail, an adaptation of his play about the pistol-packing granny's adventures in the hoosegow. In court after being arrested for the high-speed chase she led police through during Meet the Browns, Madea gets off on a technicality, only to go on an immediate rampage that finds her threatening uninvited houseguests with a machine gun and clearing a Kmart parking space with a forklift truck. Safely behind bars, she meets up with a hooker with a heart of gold (played, to many audience members' intense discomfort, by Keshia Knight Pulliam of Cosby Show fame) and before long, everyone gets a happy ending (not that kind -- get your mind out of the gutter). That's a lot of plot for one movie to handle, and quite a few critics felt Perry bungled the tricky business of integrating Madea Goes to Jail's drama with its comedy -- but that was a minor complaint for Melissa Anderson of the Village Voice, who shrugged, "As ridiculous as his films frequently are, Perry, a shrewd yet benevolent showman, knows and loves his audience."

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32%

Like many of Perry's movies, Good Deeds' title contains a touch of punny humor -- its protagonist (played by Perry, natch) is a good guy named Walter Deeds -- but it's also a simple statement of purpose. For this 2012 drama, Perry tried taking a look at just how powerful one good deed can be, showing Walter as a well-meaning but socially insulated businessman whose chance encounter with a struggling cleaning lady (Thandie Newton) sparks a profound change in his life. It's the type of premise that demands a feather-light touch from a filmmaker, and unfortunately, most critics agreed that Perry's direction and screenplay smothered Good Deeds in poorly paced, dully delivered drama. Slant Magazine's Rob Humanick offered one of the few dissenting opinions, however, asserting that "Perry's considerate plotting is deliberate, perhaps even overlong, but with an attuned sense of people's evolving feelings and relationships."

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32%

Another Tyler Perry play that made the jump from stage to screen, Meet the Browns follows the adventures of a struggling single mother (Angela Bassett) who gets a double whammy: first she loses her job, then she finds out that her father (who she's never even met) has died. Far from a mopey drama, however, Browns provides its desperate protagonist with a family she never knew she had -- including, of course, an irascible, linebacker-shaped old lady named Madea. At this point, the lines were already pretty well drawn between Perry's audience and his critics, and for the most part, they stayed on opposite sides for Meet the Browns, although it did resonate with some scribes -- like Entertainment Weekly's Lisa Schwarzbaum, who wrote, "The importance of faith, church, kin, staying off drugs, sharing food, repenting from sin, forgiving sinners, appreciating a good black man, rejecting a bad one, and honoring black matriarchy is enumerated with typical, reassuring Perry broadness."

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1927420/news/1927420/

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Using bacteria to stop malaria

May 9, 2013 ? Mosquitoes are deadly efficient disease transmitters. Research conducted at Michigan State University, however, demonstrates that they also can be part of the solution for diseases such as malaria.

A study in the current issue of Science shows that the transmission of malaria via mosquitoes to humans can be interrupted by using a strain of the bacteria Wolbachia in the insects. In a sense, Wolbachia would act as a vaccine of sorts for mosquitoes that would protect them from malaria parasites. Treating mosquitoes would prevent them from transmitting malaria to humans, a disease that in 2010 affected 219 million people and caused an estimated 660,000 deaths.

"Wolbachia-based malaria control strategy has been discussed for the last two decades," said Zhiyong Xi, MSU assistant professor of microbiology and molecular genetics. "Our work is the first to demonstrate Wolbachia can be stably established in a key malaria vector, the mosquito species Anopheles stephensi, which opens the door to use Wolbachia for malaria control."

First, Xi's team successfully demonstrated how Wolbachia can be carried by this malaria mosquito vector and how the insects can spread the bacteria throughout the entire mosquito population. Secondly, researchers showed that the bacteria can prevent those mosquitoes from transmitting malaria parasites to humans.

"We developed the mosquito line carrying a stable Wolbachia infection," Xi said. "We then seeded them into uninfected populations and repeatedly produced a population of predominantly Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes."

The basis for Xi's latest findings is connected to the success of his work using Wolbachia to halt Dengue fever. For this research, Xi focused on the mosquito species Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti. This work helped launch a global effort to develop Wolbachia-based strategies to eliminate dengue and other diseases.

The key to the malaria research was identifying the correct species of Wolbachia -- wAlbB -- and then injecting it into mosquito embryos. Out of the thousands of embryos injected by research associate Guowu Bian, one developed into a female that carried Wolbachia. The mosquito line derived from this female has maintained Wolbachia wAlbB infection with a 100 percent infection frequency through 34 generations. The number could grow higher as this is simply the last generation the researchers have bred thus far, Xi said.

The team then introduced various ratios of Wolbachia-infected females into a noninfected mosquito population. In each case, the entire population carried the bacteria in eight generations or less.

Using this promising approach to tackle malaria -- the biggest vector-borne disease -- gives scientists and world health officials another important tool to fight malaria.

Once Wolbachia has been released into a mosquito population, it is quite possible that it won't need to be reapplied, making it more economical than other methods like pesticide or human vaccine. This adds special value to the feasibility of this control strategy, considering most of the malaria endemic areas are suffering from poverty, Xi said.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/w98qD0MIGM0/130509142106.htm

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British embassy temporarily withdraws some staff from Libya

MADRID, May 9 (Reuters) - Real Madrid are waiting to discover the extent of an ankle injury suffered by playmaker Mesut Ozil in Wednesday's 6-2 La Liga win at home to Malaga. The Germany international, who scored Real's third goal, was carried off on a stretcher after landing awkwardly late in the second half and may be a doubt for the King's Cup final against Atletico Madrid on May 17. "He has an ankle problem and we hope that the evolution is good," assistant coach Aitor Karanka told a post-match news conference. "We have to wait and we'll see in the next few days how he is. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/british-embassy-temporarily-withdraws-staff-libya-124800504.html

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Chris Kelly -- Celebs Arrive at ATL Church for Kris Kross Rapper's Funeral [Live Stream]

Kris Kross Funeral
Daddy Mac Breaks Down
'I Know Chris Is in Heaven'

Breaking News

12:04 PM PT -- Chris "Daddy Mac" Smith is on the podium.? He's very emotional, crying.

Smith said, "It's been like a struggle for me everyday."

"I know Chris is in heaven."

"He was a true friend."

"I just wanna say I love you man ... and I'm gonna miss you dearly."

"My life? ... it ain't ever gonna be the same, but I just hope our legacy for hip-hop is never forgotten. I'm gonna do my part to make sure Chris' legacy will live on."

11:46 AM PT -- The live video feed from the funeral is pretty shaky ... but hang tight, should be back up soon.

11:37 AM PT -- Keke Wyatt is also performing. The R&B singer called the ceremony a "Home Going" ... and said, "God is in the mist."

11:29 AM PT -- Two of the members of Xscape are performing at the funeral.

11:17 AM PT -- Da Brat -- along with several other mourners -- is wearing her pants on backwards, as a tribute to Chris (picture below).

11:10 AM PT -- There are reports Dupri is wearing his pants on backwards as a tribute to Chris.

11:01 AM PT -- Chris Smith -- aka Daddy Mac -- just arrived to the funeral with Jermaine Dupri.

10:39 AM PT -- Da Brat has just arrived.

The funeral for Kris Kross rapper Chris Kelly is set to begin in Atlanta at 11 AM PT ... and guests have already begun to arrive at the Baptist Church for the ceremony.?

Several members from the singing group Xscape are among the mourners. Xscape belonged to the same record label as Kris Kross.

As we reported, Chris was pronounced dead last Wednesday after his body was found unresponsive in his Georgia home. His mother told police he'd been doing a mixture of cocaine and heroin the night before, and had an "extensive history of drug use."

Chris -- AKA "Mac Daddy" -- was 34.

Source: http://www.tmz.com/2013/05/09/kris-kross-chris-kelly-funeral/

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Israeli attack exposes Assad's air defense weakness: rebels

By Khaled Yacoub Oweis

AMMAN (Reuters) - It was too late when air raid sirens wailed at one of Syria's most fortified military compounds. Israeli jets were already attacking the Hameh complex and civilian employees in nearby housing were scrambling for cover with their families.

Around Damascus the warplanes staged a series of raids in the early hours of Sunday including on President Bashar al-Assad's air defenses, opposition and rebel sources said. But none had more devastating results than at Hameh, a high-walled site linked to his chemical and biological weapons program.

"Families ran to basements and stayed there," said one witness of the attack on Hameh that lit up the night sky and shook the ground kilometers (miles) away. "We heard ambulances. There were very few workers at the compound at that time but an attack of this scale must have killed a lot of soldiers among the guards and patrols."

The raids have raised fears that Israel could be drawn into Syria's civil war, in which the United Nations says 70,000 people have died since an uprising against Assad family rule began two years ago. Damascus has accused Israel of effectively helping what it calls al Qaeda Islamist terrorists.

Western intelligence sources said the attacks were designed to prevent Syria sending Iranian-supplied missiles to the Shi'ite Hezbollah group in neighboring Lebanon for possible use against Israel. An Israeli general played down the consequences on Monday, saying: "There are no winds of war".

The witness said windows were blown out in workers' flats several hundred meters (yards) from Hameh's perimeter, even though the centre of the blasts was further away on the huge site, which is surrounded by air defenses.

Opposition sources said the warplanes also hit facilities manned by Assad's Republican Guards on Mount Qasioun, which overlooks central Damascus, and the nearby Barada River basin.

The area is believed to be a supply route to Hezbollah, according to residents, activists and opposition military sources. Their statements could not be verified due to restrictions on media operating in Syria.

RIGHT ON TARGET

One rebel commander said Assad's forces have been fortifying their positions on Qasioun since the uprising began in March 2011. "The Israelis still managed to get to the weapons stores. The secondary explosions indicate that they were right on target," he said, adding that Syrian air defenses, already weakened by the civil war "could not do anything".

Other opposition sources also said the targets included air defenses comprising Russian-made surface to air missiles and heavy anti-aircraft guns, deployed on Qasioun and overlooking the rebellious Damascus district of Barzeh.

"The destruction appeared to be massive. We have heard that the army has asked rank and file personnel based in Qasioun and those on leave to stay away. The military usually does this sort of thing when there is a big mess to sort out," said one activist in Damascus, who did not want to be named.

Assad's forces have fired on rebels from Qasioun, which is largely a closed military zone apart from a strip of restaurants, flattening areas of Damascus below.

However, it was unclear whether Israel was effectively helping the rebels by raiding the Qasioun sites, as Damascus has said, or attacked the air defenses purely to safeguard its own operations against Iranian-supplied missiles.

The Syrian government has said that Israel raided three military sites. Several media published what they described as a photo supplied by the official Syrian news agency showing a huge pile of collapsed concrete at a flattened building in an unspecified site they said was targeted by the Israelis. Reuters could not verify the photo.

Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, a strong opponent of Assad, said on Tuesday the Israeli air strikes had given the Syrian government an opportunity to cover up its own killings.

"The air strike Israel carried out on Damascus is completely unacceptable. There is no rationale, no pretext that can excuse this operation," Erdogan told parliament in Ankara.

Opposition sources familiar with the Hameh site said a large section of the compound housing missile systems appeared to have been hit. Mobile missile launchers, part of a Russian-supplied SA-17 air defense system deployed elsewhere on Qasioun, also appear to have been destroyed, they said

Western intelligence agencies suspect work on chemical weapons has been conducted at Hameh. Assad's government and the rebels have accused each other of carrying out three chemical weapons attacks, one near Aleppo and another near Damascus in March, and another near Homs in December.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition monitoring group based in Britain, said at least 42 Syrian soldiers were killed and 100 others are missing.

Other opposition sources put the death toll at 300 soldiers, mostly belonging to the Republican Guards, an elite unit that forms the last line of defense for Damascus and comprises mainly members of Assad's Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shi'ite Islam that has controlled Syria since the 1960s.

Although casualties among Assad's troops appeared to be high, opposition sources said the raids were mainly targeted on storage facilities. "Whatever they hit, there is little chance that anything was left intact," another source in Damascus said.

(editing by David Stamp)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/israeli-attack-exposes-assads-air-defense-weakness-rebels-111504677.html

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