INTRODUCTION Pork is a popular meat consumed by non-muslim Singaporeans with about 87,000 tonnes being consumed per year (Kanagalingam, 2005). Currently, Singapore imports its pork from several countries, but Australian and Indonesian pork is consumed most widely due to its ready availability at supermarkets and wet markets. Fresh pork is obtained from pigs raised in Indonesia but slaughtered at Singapore abattoirs, while chilled pork is mainly imported from Australia and is widely known as “Air Pork”. Singaporean consumers are aware of the origin of pork from packaging labels. Results of a recent survey showed that Singapore consumers associate non-Indonesian pork with the presence of an unpleasant mutton-like off-flavour (Leong et al., 2008). One possible cause of off-flavours in pork is by the oxidation of lipids, leading to the formation of aldehydes and short-chain fatty acids (Reindl and Stan, 1982; Devol, et al., 1988). The rate and extent of lipid oxidation depends on a number of factors, the most important being the level of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in muscle (Allen and Foegeding, 1981). Pork contains high levels of unsaturated fatty acids relative to ruminant meat (Enser et al., 1996) and is more susceptible to oxidative deterioration of lipids and myoglobin. Feeding of PUFAs to pigs can improve the nutritional quality of pork, but may also increase the susceptibility to oxidation (Sheard et al., 2000; Kouba et al., 2003; Morel et al., 2006). There have been many reports of PUFA-rich feeds leading to increased lipid oxidation and thus off-flavour in pork (Houben and Krol, 1980; Warnants et al., 1998; Roman et al., 1995; Overland et al., 1996; Leskanich et al., 1997; Wood et al., 2003). There have also been examples of off-flavours in pork arising from the direct transfer of aroma components from feed to meat, including several reports on how feeding of fish oil and high fat fish meal to finisher pigs has caused “fishy” and other off-flavours in pork products (Kjos et al., 1999; Lauridsen et al., 1999; Maw et al., 2001; Jaturasitha et al., 2002). The current paper compares sensory assessments of the flavour of pork from the legs of pigs finished in New Zealand on three diets (Morel et al., 2008) using Singaporean panelists. The objective was to determine the extent to which dietary feed treatments received by the New Zealand pigs influenced the sensory properties of pork using trained and untrained Singaporean panels. Results of sensory analyses of pork from the loins of the same New Zealand pigs using New Zealand panelists were reported by Janz et al. (2008).
INTRODUCTION Pork is a popular meat consumed by non-muslim Singaporeans with about 87,000 tonnes being consumed per year (Kanagalingam, 2005). Currently, Singapore imports its pork from several countries, but Australian and Indonesian pork is consumed most widely due to its ready availability at supermarkets and wet markets. Fresh pork is obtained from pigs raised in Indonesia but slaughtered at Singapore abattoirs, while chilled pork is mainly imported from Australia and is widely known as “Air Pork”. Singaporean consumers are aware of the origin of pork from packaging labels. Results of a recent survey showed that Singapore consumers associate non-Indonesian pork with the presence of an unpleasant mutton-like off-flavour (Leong et al., 2008). One possible cause of off-flavours in pork is by the oxidation of lipids, leading to the formation of aldehydes and short-chain fatty acids (Reindl and Stan, 1982; Devol, et al., 1988). The rate and extent of lipid oxidation depends on a number of factors, the most important being the level of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in muscle (Allen and Foegeding, 1981). Pork contains high levels of unsaturated fatty acids relative to ruminant meat (Enser et al., 1996) and is more susceptible to oxidative deterioration of lipids and myoglobin. Feeding of PUFAs to pigs can improve the nutritional quality of pork, but may also increase the susceptibility to oxidation (Sheard et al., 2000; Kouba et al., 2003; Morel et al., 2006). There have been many reports of PUFA-rich feeds leading to increased lipid oxidation and thus off-flavour in pork (Houben and Krol, 1980; Warnants et al., 1998; Roman et al., 1995; Overland et al., 1996; Leskanich et al., 1997; Wood et al., 2003). There have also been examples of off-flavours in pork arising from the direct transfer of aroma components from feed to meat, including several reports on how feeding of fish oil and high fat fish meal to finisher pigs has caused “fishy” and other off-flavours in pork products (Kjos et al., 1999; Lauridsen et al., 1999; Maw et al., 2001; Jaturasitha et al., 2002). The current paper compares sensory assessments of the flavour of pork from the legs of pigs finished in New Zealand on three diets (Morel et al., 2008) using Singaporean panelists. The objective was to determine the extent to which dietary feed treatments received by the New Zealand pigs influenced the sensory properties of pork using trained and untrained Singaporean panels. Results of sensory analyses of pork from the loins of the same New Zealand pigs using New Zealand panelists were reported by Janz et al. (2008).
Women in Kenya remain disadvantaged, with opportunities for educational, social, and economic advancement inferior to those of men. Women are underrepresented in modern sector wage employment, political and judicial decision making, and all major public service appointments. Numerous social, economic, and cultural barriers limit womens participation in these areas. But womens underrepresentation in education is a primary factor. The benefits of womens education to women and to society in general are immense. In the workplace, education increases skills needed for job entry, improves chances of vertical mobility, and enhances overall labor market productivity. It also has positive consequences at home, including improved health, increased child survival rates, reduced fertility rates, lower infant mortality rates, and better protection against HIV and AIDS (Tembon and Fort 2008). Education of women and girls is therefore not only a moral and human rights issue, but also an economic and development issue. Given the significant benefits of womens education, equity in education is essential to improving circumstances for all Kenyans. As the leading provider of education, the government should acknowledge that compensatory mechanisms may be required to level the playing field for disadvantaged girls, and it should adopt an approach that uses these mechanisms. Making education equitable means adopting policies and initiatives that support equal provisions across genders. Female Education in Kenya Education in Kenya has four basic levels: preschool (ages 4-6), primary (ages 7-14), secondary (ages 15-18), and tertiary. Since attaining political independence from Great Britain in 1963, the Kenyan government has emphasized educations importance to economic development. It has also increased the number of schools at all levels, from about six thousand primary and 150 secondary schools in 1963 to almost twenty thousand primary and four thousand secondary schools in 2004. As a result, the student population has increased substantially, with over 700 percent growth at the primary level and almost 3,000 percent growth at the secondary level (Ministry of Education 2007). But this total expansion in education hides disparities by gender and region.
Holly Furneaux. Queer Dickens: Erotics, Families, Masculinities. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2009. Pp. ix 282. $99. Queer Dickens is one of those books: the kind I am always hoping to read and seldom do. Informed and inspired by contemporary theoretical insights, it examines a body of literature and, as a result, both literature and theory are transformed for the reader. The theory–in this instance, queer theory–brings to the surface new and unexpected conjunctions and complexities in the works of Dickens, challenging orthodoxies about the author and his era. In turn, the literary texts “talk back” to the more recently established truisms of gender and sexuality and show that queer theorys accounts of “families of choice” and other forms of elective affinities as recent challenges to the heteronormative formations of the past in fact have a considerably longer history than often assumed. Furneauxs deliberately provocative title does not preface a reductive biographical reading of Dickens–the man or his work–that simplistically uncovers, for instance, a hidden (homo)sexual past. Rather, the author clearly establishes from the outset the significance of queer theory for allowing a fresh investigation of sexuality, gender and intimacy, “beyond the constricting binary of hetero or homo” sexualities (10). “I define queer,” Furneaux states, “as that which demonstrates that marriage and reproduction are not the only, or indeed the dominant or preferred, modes of being, and, in doing so, undoes an unhelpfully narrow model of identity as determined by a fixed point of sexual orientation” (9). Pursuing lines of enquiry opened up by the work of gender and queer theorists such as Judith Butler, Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick and Sharon Marcus, Queer Dickens is interested in forms of intimacy, affinity and family formation beyond the stereotype of the biological bourgeois family supposedly at the heart of Victorian culture. Furneaux makes a convincing case that in the period of Dickenss career, “there was a greater flexibility in the thinking of the erotic, less focused on object choice, and better able to articulate desires” beyond what are narrowly defined within the sexual (11). She also shows how Dickens contributed to this flexibility, citing numerous examples of same-sex desire, surrogate parents, nurturing masculinity and other alternative domestic configurations in his work. Queer Dickens begins by exploring “the exuberant diversity of Dickenss fictional families,” which incorporate unmarried foster fathers, same-sex couples, single and multiple parenting, as well as maritally-averse bachelors and spinsters (24). In this crucial first chapter, Furneauxs aim is to refute the orthodoxy that the reproductive heterosexual couple occupies the central place in Dickensian family formations. Through an examination of foster fathering and the plot of adoption in novels such as Oliver Twist, David Copperfield and Dombey and Son, Furneaux argues that not only did Dickens consistently emphasize the constructed nature of family, de-privileging genealogy as a guarantee of nurture or intimacy, but that–from Sketches by Boz to the Christmas writings of the 1860s–his writing celebrated a broad range of elective affinities and created “space for other patterns of care and new understandings of family” (69). In the second chapter on “Serial Bachelorhood,” Furneaux brings together an examination of bachelor figures in Dickens with the history of serial publication, arguing that serials offer “a particularly attenuated experience of closure” and may thus effectively disrupt the “marital denouement” associated so strongly with the Victorian novel (83). This chapter demonstrates one of the strengths of this study, in that by giving as much attention to early works such as The Pickwick Papers and Master Humphreys Clock as to the later novels, Queer Dickens is able to track patterns, themes, devices and desires across texts, and persuasively support the revisionist claims contained in this book. Here, Furneaux draws a connection between the prevalence of bachelors in these early stories (some of whom return and circulate among texts) and the “rejection of marriage as a device for closure” (106), reading Dickenss serial bachelors as a means by which a space for “counter-marital, counter-reproductive” narratives could be sustained (84).
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Establishing the Family-Friendly Campus: Models for Effective Practice, Jaime Lester and Margaret Sallee, Eds. (Stylus Publishing, 2009, $79.95 hardback or $29.95 paperback) With this volume on family-friendly policy and practice, editor (and OCWW contributor) Jaime Lester and editor Margaret Sallee have created a much-needed kit for retooling work–life balance in academe. Identifying a need for inclusivity that has expanded with the growth of womens academic roles, Lester and Sallee have compiled an informative baedeker for multiple routes toward institutions that are more family-friendly for both women and men. Highlighting approaches that range from institutional supports for parents (stop-the-clock options, lactation rooms, flexible scheduling) to the grassroots activism that buttresses those options, the book illustrates how effective cultural change connects at all levels of the institution.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Establishing the Family-Friendly Campus: Models for Effective Practice, Jaime Lester and Margaret Sallee, Eds. (Stylus Publishing, 2009, $79.95 hardback or $29.95 paperback) With this volume on family-friendly policy and practice, editor (and OCWW contributor) Jaime Lester and editor Margaret Sallee have created a much-needed kit for retooling work–life balance in academe. Identifying a need for inclusivity that has expanded with the growth of womens academic roles, Lester and Sallee have compiled an informative baedeker for multiple routes toward institutions that are more family-friendly for both women and men. Highlighting approaches that range from institutional supports for parents (stop-the-clock options, lactation rooms, flexible scheduling) to the grassroots activism that buttresses those options, the book illustrates how effective cultural change connects at all levels of the institution.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Establishing the Family-Friendly Campus: Models for Effective Practice, Jaime Lester and Margaret Sallee, Eds. (Stylus Publishing, 2009, $79.95 hardback or $29.95 paperback) With this volume on family-friendly policy and practice, editor (and OCWW contributor) Jaime Lester and editor Margaret Sallee have created a much-needed kit for retooling work–life balance in academe. Identifying a need for inclusivity that has expanded with the growth of womens academic roles, Lester and Sallee have compiled an informative baedeker for multiple routes toward institutions that are more family-friendly for both women and men. Highlighting approaches that range from institutional supports for parents (stop-the-clock options, lactation rooms, flexible scheduling) to the grassroots activism that buttresses those options, the book illustrates how effective cultural change connects at all levels of the institution.
Holly Furneaux. Queer Dickens: Erotics, Families, Masculinities. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2009. Pp. ix 282. $99. Queer Dickens is one of those books: the kind I am always hoping to read and seldom do. Informed and inspired by contemporary theoretical insights, it examines a body of literature and, as a result, both literature and theory are transformed for the reader. The theory–in this instance, queer theory–brings to the surface new and unexpected conjunctions and complexities in the works of Dickens, challenging orthodoxies about the author and his era. In turn, the literary texts “talk back” to the more recently established truisms of gender and sexuality and show that queer theorys accounts of “families of choice” and other forms of elective affinities as recent challenges to the heteronormative formations of the past in fact have a considerably longer history than often assumed. Furneauxs deliberately provocative title does not preface a reductive biographical reading of Dickens–the man or his work–that simplistically uncovers, for instance, a hidden (homo)sexual past. Rather, the author clearly establishes from the outset the significance of queer theory for allowing a fresh investigation of sexuality, gender and intimacy, “beyond the constricting binary of hetero or homo” sexualities (10). “I define queer,” Furneaux states, “as that which demonstrates that marriage and reproduction are not the only, or indeed the dominant or preferred, modes of being, and, in doing so, undoes an unhelpfully narrow model of identity as determined by a fixed point of sexual orientation” (9). Pursuing lines of enquiry opened up by the work of gender and queer theorists such as Judith Butler, Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick and Sharon Marcus, Queer Dickens is interested in forms of intimacy, affinity and family formation beyond the stereotype of the biological bourgeois family supposedly at the heart of Victorian culture. Furneaux makes a convincing case that in the period of Dickenss career, “there was a greater flexibility in the thinking of the erotic, less focused on object choice, and better able to articulate desires” beyond what are narrowly defined within the sexual (11). She also shows how Dickens contributed to this flexibility, citing numerous examples of same-sex desire, surrogate parents, nurturing masculinity and other alternative domestic configurations in his work. Queer Dickens begins by exploring “the exuberant diversity of Dickenss fictional families,” which incorporate unmarried foster fathers, same-sex couples, single and multiple parenting, as well as maritally-averse bachelors and spinsters (24). In this crucial first chapter, Furneauxs aim is to refute the orthodoxy that the reproductive heterosexual couple occupies the central place in Dickensian family formations. Through an examination of foster fathering and the plot of adoption in novels such as Oliver Twist, David Copperfield and Dombey and Son, Furneaux argues that not only did Dickens consistently emphasize the constructed nature of family, de-privileging genealogy as a guarantee of nurture or intimacy, but that–from Sketches by Boz to the Christmas writings of the 1860s–his writing celebrated a broad range of elective affinities and created “space for other patterns of care and new understandings of family” (69). In the second chapter on “Serial Bachelorhood,” Furneaux brings together an examination of bachelor figures in Dickens with the history of serial publication, arguing that serials offer “a particularly attenuated experience of closure” and may thus effectively disrupt the “marital denouement” associated so strongly with the Victorian novel (83). This chapter demonstrates one of the strengths of this study, in that by giving as much attention to early works such as The Pickwick Papers and Master Humphreys Clock as to the later novels, Queer Dickens is able to track patterns, themes, devices and desires across texts, and persuasively support the revisionist claims contained in this book. Here, Furneaux draws a connection between the prevalence of bachelors in these early stories (some of whom return and circulate among texts) and the “rejection of marriage as a device for closure” (106), reading Dickenss serial bachelors as a means by which a space for “counter-marital, counter-reproductive” narratives could be sustained (84).
The Very Last Of The Summer Wine (8.00pm) In which several old men build a rocketpropelled bathtub on wheels with hilarious consequences. Oh, that was last week. Its the end for, surely, the longest-running comedy series ever! CHOICE Mountain Gorilla (8pm) Fascinating look at the gorilla community, narrated by Patrick Stewart (now theres a voice made for documentaries) sees silverback leader Titus try to care for a vulnerable orphan. CHOICE Martin Clunes – Horsepower (8.00pm) Doc Martin star and animal lover Clunes examines the changing role of horses over the years. He also has a punt and looks at police horses in Old Trafford -home of Mane-chester United. CHOICE Alan Carr: Chatty Man (10.00pm) The hair, the teeth, the sexual innuendo – and thats just Alan Carrs guests this week, with Jedward, Whoopi Goldberg and Sex and the Citys Kim Cattrall on the sofa. McFly provide the music.
HES managed in six countries, including two spells with Real Madrid. Hes felt the wrath of angry supporters as well as the golden glow of success. Yet John Toshack, after 32 years in more hot seats than hed care to remember, will still look back on his time with Wales as the hottest of them all. “Its different to a club job but, yes, its been tough,” said the man who begins his final campaign, Euro 2112, in Montenegro next Friday night. “I knew it would be, thats why I insisted on five years rather than three when I got the job.”
On March 2 of 2007, with the implementation of Law 66, Puerto Rico became a smoke-free island by completely banning indoor smoking in public places such as bars, pubs, casinos, hotels, work places with more than one employee, and cars with any passenger under the age of 13 . According to the literature, the immediate impact of smoke-free workplace policies has been to dramatically reduce the exposition to SHS for customers and workers (10-17). Many studies have used the level of respirable particulate matter ([PM.sub.2.5]) as the main indicator of exposure to SHS because it has been demonstrated that smoking is one of the main sources of indoor levels of [PM.sub.2.5] (10). For example, bars in the state of New York experienced an average reduction of 84% in their [PM.sub.2.5] levels after the Clean Indoor Air Act was implemented in July of 2003 (11). In the case of Austin, Texas, bars experienced a reduction from 71% to 99% in their [PM.sub.2.5] levels after a smoking ban was implemented (12). In another study (13), Irish-theme pubs around the globe located in countries or cities with smoke-free legislation were compared with similar pubs in places without smoke-free ordinances. In this case, the results showed an average 91% reduction in [PM.sub.2.5] levels. In March of 2006, a smoking ban was implemented in Scotland, which substantially covered enclosed places including pubs. Evidence shows that, as a result, Scottish pubs experienced an average of 86% reduction in [PM.sub.2.5] levels (14). In Italy, a year after the implementation of an all smoke-free workplace policy in January of 2005, there was an average of 68% reduction in [PM.sub.2.5] levels across bars, restaurants, game rooms, and pubs (15). The main claim of this study is that the smoke-free workplace policy implemented in March of 2007 was effective in reducing the exposure to SHS in restaurants, pubs, and discos in the metropolitan area of San Juan, Puerto Rico. The specific research objectives of the study were three. First, to measure and compare the restaurants, pubs, and discos in the metropolitan area of San Juan at baseline (before the smoke-free workplace policy was implemented) in terms of the levels of respirable particulate matter (PM), the number of smokers, the number of customers, and establishment area. Second, to measure the change in levels of PM, the number of smokers, and the number of customers before and after March 2007. And third, to measure the effect of the smoke-free workplace policy on the level of PM controlling for the number of customers and establishment area.
SO sorry to see The X Factor “in crisis” yet again. Pulling in its biggest audiences of all time. Trust me, the Dark Lord isnt losing any sleep. His carefully staged pantomime is exactly where he wants it. all over the front pages. The talking point of the nation. “Youre fantastically nuts,” Simon told Shirlena. No, Simon. she was clinically nuts. As was glaringly obvious to everyone except you and your production team. She was also useless. And now shes gone. Sob. Meanwhile, massive mistake to improve the voices of the wannabes through the magic of the Auto-Tune editing machine. But are we absolutely sure it was working? Crying “fix” is all part of the pageant. Anything to keep the publicity pot boiling.
INTRODUCTION The essentiality of copper for poultry and livestock is well documented (Davis and Mertz, 1987). Cu is an essential mineral which serves as co-factor in many enzyme systems in the body. Cu-sulfate (CuS[O.sub.4]5[H.sub.2]O) is the most commonly used dietary Cu supplement. Copper in the form of Cu-sulfate improves growth rate and feed efficiency in broilers (Choi and Paik, 1989; Baker et al., 1991) and in pigs (Roof and Mahan, 1982; Edmonds et al., 1985; Cromwell et al., 1989) at supernormal level (125 to 250 mg/kg). Growth promoting effect of dietary Cu has been attributed to its antimicrobial action (Fuller at el., 1960; Bunch et al., 1961; Burnell et al., 1988). Improved availability of Cu from organic Cu complexes compared with the commonly used Cu salts recently has been suggested. Chelates, complexes or proteinates are the organic form of Cu and are usually considered for use in animal diet as alternatives to inorganic Cu source. More bioavailability of Cu is probably due to better absorption, which enhances its efficiency (Downs et al., 2000; Yu et al., 2000; Guo et al., 2001). Baker and Ammerman (1995) reported that relative bioavailability estimate of organic Cu sources ranged from 88% to 147% of the response to cupric sulfate in poultry, Swine, sheep and cattle. Improvements in the digestibility of proteins (Braude, 1965; Castell and Bowland, 1968) and retention of nitrogen (Braude, 1965) have been reported in young pigs fed diet containing added Cu. Studies by Dove and Haydon (1992) and Dove (1995) have indicated that addition of 250 mg Cu/kg improved digestibility and utilization of the fat of weaned pigs, but results have limited and inconclusive for chickens when Cu added to the feed fortified with oil. To increase the energy level in the finisher diet and to obtain higher weight of a broiler chicken, oil and fat are used because of its high energy content. Soybean oil which stimulates growth rate, when included in poultry diet (Nitsan et al., 1997) is most commonly used oil source in Indian condition. Unsaturated vegetable fats (like soybean oil) are more energetic than saturated animal fat. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to investigate the influence of level of dietary inorganic and organic forms of Cu and energy level on performance and nutrient utilization of broiler chicken.
By Jan Biles A group of volunteers is helping to restore a historic farmstead in Wabaunsee County. The Mount Mitchell Prairie Guards recently put down gravel and made other improvements to the road leading to Mount Mitchell Heritage Prairie, a 50-acre hilltop park about three miles south of Wamego, said Michael Stubbs, a founding member of the Mount Mitchell Prairie Guards. The volunteers also worked with Wabaunsee Township and local construction companies to replace culverts and build up the roadbed. The cost of the project was about $6,500, which will be raised by the volunteers.
IRVING, Texas — EFG Technologies, a division of EFG Companies and a leading provider of
CRM solutions for retail automotive dealers, announced today it has been
re-certified by GM OneSource to collect, administer and optimally manage
eLeads, keeping the pipeline full for its dealerships that subscribe to
SalesEDGE.
SalesEDGE CRM’s certification ensures a mutually beneficial relationship
between GM and its dealerships by properly handling the disposition of
incoming leads, resulting in increased sales. In addition to sales
leads, SalesEDGE also processes leads for service, parts, accessories,
certified pre-owned vehicles and fleet and commercial vehicles, as well
as leads originating on eBay.
“Our integration with GM dealerships on SalesEDGE allows them to better
manage the sales process by equally distributing eLeads among teams
according to the lead type,” explains Chuck McGraw, president of EFG
Technologies. “Our seamless technology means a faster and more accurate
response from dealers to the potential consumer that, in this extremely
competitive marketplace, can go a long way in building a positive
consumer buying experience.”
Added McGraw, “GM and successful dealers understand that in today’s
business climate, every point of contact with a consumer is crucial to
fostering a positive car-buying experience and ultimately creating a
“customer for life.” SalesEDGE truly enables the dealer to succeed
through every step of the customer lifecycle from the initial online
inquiry to the first oil change with the service department to the next
vehicle purchase three to five years later.”
SalesEDGE is a Web-based performance management tool that provides
dealers with a comprehensive technology solution for managing prospects
and customers through the complete sales and service lifecycle. Key
capabilities include lead management, customer relationship management,
loyalty campaign management and dealer process enhancement.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City Southern (KCS) (NYSE: KSU) subsidiary, The Kansas City
Southern Railway Company (KCSR), today announced the promotions of Mark
A. Redd from general manager Southwest Division to vice president
transportation for the KCSR network, and D. Morris Godwin from assistant
vice president to vice president intermodal and automotive operations.
Mr. Redd has been a railroader for nearly 20 years, beginning his career
as a brakeman and moving into management six years later. He has
provided leadership in both the field and network operations, and
currently serves as the chairman of the operating board for the Port
Terminal Railroad Association in Houston, Texas. He holds a master and a
bachelor of science degree in management.
“Throughout his career, Mark has served in a variety of leadership
positions in network and field operations. As the KCSR network has
developed, he has participated in and provided leadership to a number of
change management initiatives in addition to supervising the daily
operation, so he understands a variety of operational issues and how to
solve them,” said KCS senior vice president operations David R.
Ebbrecht. “I’m confident that his leadership will help take KCSR to the
next level of performance and cost saving measures.”
Mr. Godwin has over 30 years of transportation experience, mostly in the
intermodal business. He joined KCSR in 2007 and has worked for Pacer
International, Trism Specialty Carriers, Unicon International, APL and
Norfolk Southern. He holds a bachelor of science from Georgia State
University.
“Morris has demonstrated exceptional leadership as our intermodal and
automotive business has grown. His extensive experience has been
invaluable to the development of the KCS International Intermodal
Corridor, including the opening of our Rosenberg intermodal facility and
the integration of Puerta Mexico,” said KCS executive vice president
sales and marketing Patrick J. Ottensmeyer.
IRVING, Texas — EFG Technologies, a division of EFG Companies and a leading provider of
CRM solutions for retail automotive dealers, announced today it has been
re-certified by GM OneSource to collect, administer and optimally manage
eLeads, keeping the pipeline full for its dealerships that subscribe to
SalesEDGE.
SalesEDGE CRM’s certification ensures a mutually beneficial relationship
between GM and its dealerships by properly handling the disposition of
incoming leads, resulting in increased sales. In addition to sales
leads, SalesEDGE also processes leads for service, parts, accessories,
certified pre-owned vehicles and fleet and commercial vehicles, as well
as leads originating on eBay.
“Our integration with GM dealerships on SalesEDGE allows them to better
manage the sales process by equally distributing eLeads among teams
according to the lead type,” explains Chuck McGraw, president of EFG
Technologies. “Our seamless technology means a faster and more accurate
response from dealers to the potential consumer that, in this extremely
competitive marketplace, can go a long way in building a positive
consumer buying experience.”
Added McGraw, “GM and successful dealers understand that in today’s
business climate, every point of contact with a consumer is crucial to
fostering a positive car-buying experience and ultimately creating a
“customer for life.” SalesEDGE truly enables the dealer to succeed
through every step of the customer lifecycle from the initial online
inquiry to the first oil change with the service department to the next
vehicle purchase three to five years later.”
SalesEDGE is a Web-based performance management tool that provides
dealers with a comprehensive technology solution for managing prospects
and customers through the complete sales and service lifecycle. Key
capabilities include lead management, customer relationship management,
loyalty campaign management and dealer process enhancement.
Couples are invited to spend some quality time and reconnect with each other with a special hotel package designed to create the perfect honeymoon or romantic getaway. Whether celebrating as newlyweds, commemorating an anniversary or special occasion or just escaping a hectic lifestyle, the El Paso Marriott offers the finest of accommodations and special amenities for a perfect romantic weekend.
With the “Enjoy Your Romantic Stay Package” guests at this newly renovated hotel near Cielo Vista Mall , will receive a deluxe room with a king bed, champagne and chocolate covered strawberries upon arrival, breakfast buffet for two and a late check-out of 3 p.m. Rates for this romantic getaway package start at just $130 and are valid through June 30, 2011.
El Paso offers plenty to see and do and with its convenient airport location this full-service hotel is a prime site for elegant social gatherings and weddings in El Paso . With 13,525 square feet of flexible event space, Marriott Certified Wedding Planners and a creative catering team, this Marriott hotel is an easy choice for small intimate affairs or extreme social events offering seating for up to 1,200 guests.
Couples can enjoy spacious accommodations at the El Paso Marriott that include luxurious feather beds and down comforters, cable/satellite service with premium movie channels, granite bathrooms with relaxing aromatherapy amenities, a sitting area and high-speed Internet access. For added relaxation, the hotel is home to De Leon Spa, one of the finest spas in El Paso , offering a variety of treatments and massages. On-site dining includes the hotels own Red Rim Bistro serving a Southwestern menu for breakfast and lunch, and Pitchers Sports Bar and Grill, an exciting gathering place serving American cuisine and plenty of sports coverage. There are also many popular El Paso restaurants located nearby offering popular local flavors as well as a variety of international cuisine.
The bathroom has recently become the room to give attention to in order to add value to your home. Suddenly, the focus in home style magazines and property developers tips has shifted to renovating this area in order to make your home stand out from the rest.
Home style and DIY television programmes have increased buyers awareness of valuable and also devaluing aspects of houses nowadays, so sellers have to be a lot shrewder in making their house appealing to buyers. But whod have thought something as simple as buying a new shower head could have the desired effect?
Designers say even the smallest of bathrooms can be treated to an illusory makeover, which will help you to improve your bathroom and make it more alluring to buyers. The trick is to emphasise its appeal for bathing and relaxing, say the Shower Doctor.
A spokesperson for the leading shower and shower accessories specialist, commented: The bathroom is a place that should be uncluttered, clean and light to encourage buyers to visualise it as somewhere they can both rest and refresh themselves. Just by maximising the space available and adding neat, functional accessories such as a heated towel rail or a glass shower screen can make a great difference to the selling power of your home.
Property development has recently seen a real shift towards working on the bathroom, as fitting out a whole new kitchen or bathroom or undertaking an extension or conversion is too expensive for many post-recession.
INTRODUCTION Fat deposition of pigs is of economic importance because of market incentives for lean pork production and decreased feeding costs. It is crucial to investigate and characterize new candidate genes and QTL relevant to pig fat deposit traits. To date, several quantitative trait loci (QTL) significantly affecting 10th-rib, average backfat thickness and other production traits have been mapped on SSC7 (Wang et al., 1998; Nagamine et al., 2003). Peroxisomal [[DELTA].sup.3],[[DELTA].sup.2]-enoyl-CoA isomerase (PECI) was located near the boundary of the quantitative trait loci (QTL) region. [[DELTA].sup.3],[[DELTA].sup.2]-enoyl-CoA isomerase (Ecilp) is unique because its activity is necessary for [beta]-oxidation of all unsaturated fatty acids (Geisbrecht et al., 1999). The series of enzyme-catalyzed reactions required for degradation of fatty acids are evolutionarily conserved and accomplished primarily through the p-oxidation pathway. In peroxisomes, ECI was predicted to be a dominant enzyme for 3-cis 3[right arrow]2-trans and 3-trans 3[right arrow]2-trans isomerizations of long-chain intermediates (Zhang et al., 2002). Fatty acid [beta]-oxidation in mammals is considerably more complicated, primarily due to the existence of overlapping but distinct fatty acid poxidation pathways. Mammalian peroxisomes contain at least three fatty acyl-CoA oxidases, both L-specific and D-specific 2-enoyl-CoA hydratase/3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase multifunctional proteins, and at least two thiolases, all of which are encoded by different genes (Palosaari et al., 1990a, 1991; Geisbrecht et al., 1998; Gurvitz et al., 1998; Geisbrecht et al., 1999; Partanen et al., 2004). When the ECI was completely excised in the mouse, it extensively perturbed the metabolism of unsaturated fatty acids, especially for short interval starvation and the fatty acid pattern of complex phospholipids was strongly altered (Palosaari et al., 1990b; Janssen et al., 2002). The PECI gene can be encoded by ECI1 and it is required for growth of saccharomyces cerevisiae on unsaturated fatty acids (Gurvitz et al., 1998). It can be concluded that the PECI gene may play an important role during the metabolic processing of unsaturated fatty acids. Deposition of fat by animals in their bodies is associated with the metabolism of fatty acids, and more research would contribute to understanding of porcine fat deposition. Genomic DNA was isolated from blood of mature Tongcheng pigs (Hubei province, China) by phenol/chloroform extraction. RNA was extracted from muscle tissue of adult Tongcheng pigs and adult Swedish Landrace with TRIzol reagent kit (Life Technologies, Grand Island, NE, USA). RACE (the rapid amplification of cDNA ends) was performed according to the instructions of the SMARTTM RACE cDNA Amplification Kit (Clontech Inc, Palo Alto, CA, USA). The PCR products of RACE were purified with the Wizard PCR Preps DNA Purification System (Promega, Madison, WI, USA). ORF were found by the program SeqMan (DNA star, Madison, WI, USA) and the amino acid sequences were deduced with Primer5.0 (Primer Premier5.0, Premier, Canada). Using the pGEM T-easy vector, DNase I (RNase-free) and M-MLV reverse transcriptase from TaKaRa Dalian (Dalian, China), primers were synthesized (Table 1) and PCR products were sequenced by AuGCT Biotechnology (Bejing, China).
BOSTON PARIS — KIKA™
Clinical Solutions continues to drive EDC technology innovation with
Veracity™ 3.10, the latest release of its market-leading, advanced EDC
platform. KIKA is the leading provider of advanced
EDC solutions for Clinical
Asset Management™ for the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical
device markets.
Veracity™ is a highly configurable, collaborative platform for all
clinical trial stakeholders. Its Web services architecture enables
customers to integrate Veracity™ seamlessly into their clinical IT
systems. It enables all clinical trial stakeholders to collect, monitor,
adjudicate, analyze and manage all clinical study data (CRF, medical
images, lab data, etc) in real time, and store them into a CDISC-ready
database. Veracity is supported by an ISO-certified quality environment.
It enables regulatory compliance including 21 CFR Part 11.
KIKA CEO Linda Beneze said, “Our customers and partners report that
Veracity™ 3.10 improves their ability to collect, control and maximize
their most important clinical trial asset – their data.”
Veracity™ 3.10 delivers several features and improvements, including:
MAZDA has released some pictures of the updated Mazda2 ahead of its Paris Motorshow debut. The 2 will now come with an automatic option; upgraded interior, upgraded exterior styling and an updated suspension to improve ride comfort.
WALTER SMITH is seeking a massive improvement on last seasons disastrous C h a m p i o n s L e a g u e campaign. Rangers finished bottom of their section after failing to win, home or away, against Seville, Stuttgart and Unirea. But while on paper Manchester United, Valencia and Bursaspor are even stronger, t h e I b r ox boss believes his players can step up. Smith (right) said: “Our Champions League performances from last season werent good enough, especially in our home games. “Manchester Uniteds pedigree is already set. Valencia have had a good few changes in their team for the first time in the last three seasons. They have lost four of their main players but have brought in another six or seven Spanish players. “They will be changed from the last two or three seasons where they have had fantastic consistency to finish third behind Barcelona and Real Madrid. “And Bursapor? Well, if you were drawn against Fenerbahce or Galatasaray you would say you wo u l d h ave a struggle. It would be a good game and Bursaspor have won the League and they beat Fenerbahce in the first game of the season.
Foreclosure. Reduced hours. Downsizing. Unemployment. In one month, I was given reduced hours at work, my mother lost her benefits, and a former bishop of mine became unemployed. This current economic calamity is taking no prisoners. We all are squeezed by the downturn. When faced by trials, we sometimes ask, “What did I do to deserve this?” In some cases, this may be appropriate. After all, we all need improvement. But sometimes the answer is that we did nothing. Dr. Truman G. Madsen pointed out that when we ask this question we “assume suffering is always a form of Divine punishment. It is not. (We) are convinced by Jobs friends instead of by Job” (see “Eternal Man” by Truman G. Madsen, p. 55).
Nancy K. Vos (Granny B.)
WHOS AT FIRST MAIN First Mains approximately 60 stores include: – Big box anchors Super Target, J.C. Penney, Dicks Sporting Goods and Lowes Home Improvement Warehouse. – Electronics stores Best Buy and MacSuperstore. – Clothiers Mens Wearhouse and Ross Dress for Less.
WHOS AT FIRST MAIN First Mains approximately 60 stores include: – Big box anchors Super Target, J.C. Penney, Dicks Sporting Goods and Lowes Home Improvement Warehouse. – Electronics stores Best Buy and MacSuperstore. – Clothiers Mens Wearhouse and Ross Dress for Less.
Economic theory provides different methods to assess the economic impact of a health condition, as is cancer. The Cost of Illness (COI), developed by Rice (3-6), is the most widely accepted conceptual framework for cost estimates. COI estimates involve three components: direct costs, morbidity costs and mortality costs. Within this framework, several studies with different approaches have been conducted to determine the economic burden of different diseases (7-17). These studies have concluded that the component with the greatest impact lies in the productivity cost, even more than the costs for medical treatment of patients. For example, the National Institutes of Health(18) estimated the cost of illness for different causes of death in United States (US) for 2007. This study estimated the overall cost of cancer at $219.2 billion, of which, $89 billion correspond to direct costs of health expenditure, $18.2 billion in morbidity costs and $112.0 billion in mortality costs (representing more than 52% of total costs). Others studies of the economic burden of cancer in California (14-15) have concluded that the premature mortality cost of breast cancer is 80% of the total costs of the disease. Also, mortality costs of gynecological cancers like ovarian and cervical cancer represent more than 65% of total cost of these cancers. This pattern has also been observed in the state of Texas and in Sweden, Canada, and Spain (10-11, 17, 19-20). Other studies (20-25) have focused on estimating the productivity cost due to cancer mortality. Although these studies show some discrepancies in their methodology, data sources, and the inclusion of indirect costs components, such variations are not necessarily a weakness. Different arenas of application require different approaches and schemes (e.g., economic burden estimates vs. cost-effectiveness analysis) (4-5, 26). From a societal perspective, estimates of the value of labor productivity loss due to premature mortality are important in determining the economic burden of disease. Previous studies in PR have used the COI approach to estimate the cost of AIDS, schizophrenia and traffic accidents (7, 27-28). For example, cumulative total cost of AIDS in PR from period of 19821989 was estimated to be $ 525.2 million (27). Despite the importance of evaluating the economic impact of cancer in PR, there are no previous studies that have used the COI approach to investigate this issue. In fact, this economic component has been overlooked in cancer investigations in PR. Although the value of a persons life transcends its economic value as a productive unit, cost studies present another dimension of a health problem, providing valuable information for society and for policymakers to decide how to allocate scarce resources more optimally (27). Consequently, the aim of this study is to estimate the labor-market productivity loss in PR, as a result of premature mortality, due to overall cancer and by cause-specific cancers in 2004.
The main goal of the Training Program is to increase the number of Hispanic students knowledgeable and committed to careers in cancer research and cancer medicine. The specific objectives are to prepare Hispanic students to pursue careers in cancer research, cancer medicine, and population sciences and to establish a Career Development Program for clinical and basic scientist faculty at the Comprehensive Cancer Center of the University of Puerto Rico (UPRCCC). The Training Program includes a series of didactic and research experiences, and enrichment activities that include on-campus cancer research at the UPR campuses during the academic year, and summer research and year-round rotations to MDACC. These experiences are complemented and supported by a structured Mentoring Program for students and junior investigators. The mentors are well recognized senior Faculty, mostly from MDACC. Training Opportunities Various research programs are available in UPR and MDACC, all sponsored by the U54 Training Program. In the UPR there is Research Assistantships Stipends Program for Undergraduate and Graduate Students. Students have the opportunity of working in cancer research projects under the guidance of Faculty in mid to senior stages of their academic careers. Most of these scientists are re-gearing their careers to Cancer Research. The students are also required to attend Seminars and Workshops offered through the academic year, mostly offered by visiting world-renowned scientists.
More than 100 HPV types have been identified with more than 30 being sexually transmitted (7). Anogenital HPV types have been classified into low-risk types (non-oncogenic), which are associated with anogenital warts (condyloma acuminata), oral and conjunctival papillomas, recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (in infants and young children), and mild dysplasia (8). High-risk types (oncogenic) are associated with high-grade dysplasia and various cancers. Current estimates of the attributable fraction, the proportion of cancer cases preventable by the elimination of HPV, are very high (9): 100% for cervical, 90% for anal, 40% for vulvar and vaginal, 50% for cancer of the penis, and between 33 and 72% of oropharyngeal cancers (10). Although there has been increasing interest in understanding the burden of HPV infection and related comorbidities in men (11), studies in this group are still quite limited (12), particularly among Hispanics. Research and surveillance data have indicated that Hispanics have been disproportionately affected by HIV/ AIDS (13), Other STIs (14) and may engage disproportionately in high-risk sexual behaviors (15). In addition, a higher incidence of cervical cancer is observed in Puerto Rico and Hispanic women in the US compared with non-Hispanic whites (Figure 1). These factors could reflect a potential higher prevalence of HPV infection in these populations, as well as disparities in screening rates in these groups (16) suggesting that Hispanic and Puerto Rican men might also be at higher risk for HPV infection and related health outcomes. This high incidence might also lead to a significant economic burden. In Puerto Rico for example, it was estimated that the economic impact of HPV related cancers in 2004 was approximately 7.5% (close to 5 million dollars) of the total cancer costs (17). Even though HPV infection is highly prevalent in sexually active men, (18), most research studies have focused only in women. Studies in men are of particular relevance because, as with other STIs, men play a key role in the transmission dynamics to both male and female sexual partners. It is also clear that HPV infection in men is a serious clinical issue, given the association of HPV infection with a variety of cancers in men, including anal cancer and a subset of penile and oral cancers (19). With the world-wide introduction of two new prophylactic vaccines (bivalent vaccine protecting against HPV 16 and 18, and the quadrivalent vaccine protecting against HPV 16, 18, 6 and 11) against oncogenic HPVs causing cervical cancer in women (20), and the recent FDA approval of the quadrivalent vaccine to prevent genital warts also in men, there is an urgency to determine the burden of HPV in Hispanic populations before vaccination programs are implemented on a widespread basis. Knowledge of the burden of the disease and its related morbidities prior to implementation of these programs will allow a better assessment and understanding of the short-term and long-term effectiveness of this primary prevention strategy for cervical neoplasia and genital warts. In addition, it will permit exploring the prevalence of type-specific HPVs in these populations, not currently included in the HPV vaccines available in the market.
Z Mei®, Inc., the maker of the Z Mei Skin Therapy System, today introduced its new Perfecting Eye Cream, the natural skin care treatment specifically created for daily use on the fragile tissues around the eyes. It is specially formulated for wearing all day under makeup, allowing foundations, powders, eye shadow and brow liner to go on perfectly with no dried-out or smeary look. This light but luxurious eye cream features a nutritive cocktail rich in powerful anti-oxidants and healing Chinese herbs that smooth and nourish delicate skin.
“The delicate tissues around the eyes are prone to developing a dry, crepe-like texture as we age. Our new Perfecting Eye Cream helps normalize and correct skin lipid chemistry, increasing elasticity while instantly reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles,” says Rik Vig, co-founder of Z Mei.
The non-irritating natural and naturally-derived ingredients in this soothing eye cream will feel comfortable all day long, no matter how active the wearer. “We created the Perfecting Eye Cream to complement our night-time Correcting Eye Serum. The cream offers all the benefits of the serum to our customers who want an eye treatment thats light enough to be worn throughout the day under makeup,” says Vig.
As with all Z Mei products, the Perfecting Eye Cream contains the Z Meizome, a proprietary liposomic complex developed by Dr. Janet Zand. It is naturally rich in vitamins, minerals and ancient Oriental herbs that penetrate the skin to deliver treatment at the cellular level.
Idell Lewis Privett 1921 ~ 2010
PORTLAND, Ore., Aug. 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — YoCream International, Inc. (Pink Sheets: YOCM), raised $8,000 for the Brian Grant Foundation at a fundraising event held at their Company Store in Portland Oregon. The Company and Foundation announced that all sales revenue generated on July 31st at the YoCream Frozen Yogurt Company Store would go to support Parkinsons awareness, education and research and Portlanders showed up in crowds to show their support. Grant was diagnosed with Early Onset Parkinsons at 36. “The monies raised by YoCream will be used to promote awareness and increase education of Parkinsons,” explained Brian Grant. “The support from my home town and its citizens for me and my foundation is extraordinary. It means so much to me and all of us who have been and will be diagnosed with PD.” This fundraising event kicked off a weekend of activities to generate awareness of the disease. Grants successful SHAKE IT TILL WE MAKE IT benefit included a celebrity gala dinner and golf tournament and raised $350,000 which was given to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinsons research, the leading source of financing for Parkinsons research to speed a cure.
Motor vehicle versus pedestrian crashes are a leading cause of injury and death among children. Because attending school is a major focal point of a childs daily activity, many pedestrian-related injuries among children occur on the way to or from school. Research on this topic has shown a number of factors to be related to motor vehicle versus pedestrian crashes, some of which include: school travel times, season, neighborhood characteristics and the number of schools in the area. School zones have been created in many areas, aimed to reduce the risk of pedestrian-related injuries to children and are meant to be safe places for children to walk during school travel times. However, the question remains as to how effective these zones are and if more should be done to protect our youth. Our study used pedestrian collision data from the City of Torontos Traffic Data Centre and Safety Bureau. The study included all police-reported motor vehicle collisions involving pedestrians with a recorded age less than 18 years that occurred in Toronto, Canada between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2005. The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) provided a list of all 1,050 schools registered in Metropolitan Toronto. School zones, established by the Toronto Transport Operations, are defined as a 150-meter radius around a school. For the purpose of this study, additional zones were designated around schools at increasing distances of 150, 150-300, 300-450 and 450 meters. Frequency of vehicle-pedestrian collisions around schools in each zone was determined. We found that there were a total of 2,717 collisions in Toronto between 2000 and 2005 that involved children under the age of 18. The largest proportion of collisions was in the 10-14 year age group (37%). Almost 50% of collisions occurred during the hours defined as school travel times (7-9 am, 12-1 pm, and 3-5pm). When considering the rate per hour, there was 3.3 times greater rate of injury during school travel time. Furthermore, higher numbers of child pedestrian collisions occurred during the school year (from September to June), with a drop in the summer (July and August). School zones were found to be less than 10% of the surface area of the city, but had a much higher risk of child pedestrian collisions than other areas. The absolute density of injuries (collisions divided by units of area [m2]) and fatalities (fatalities dived by units of area [m2]) were 5.7 and 9.4 times higher in the school zones as compared to the largest zone (450m or more away from the school).
ITS meant to be the best day of a girls life, their moment in the spotlight – but what happens when brides-to-be are hit with the credit crunch? Some girls dream about their big day all their lives and finding the perfect dress is top of the list for their fairytale wedding. They may only wear it once, but for some women their wedding dress will be their biggest wardrobe splurge ever. But it is still possible to walk down the aisle and draw gasps of admiration in a stylish dress that does not have to cost the earth. A number of charities run wedding shops that are packed with recessionbusting gowns and vintage gems.
PORTLAND, Ore. — Bioject Medical Technologies Inc. (OTCBB: BJCT), a leading developer of
needle-free injection therapy systems, today announced that Bioject’s
needle-free injection delivery technology was used to successfully
demonstrate that intradermal administration of fractional doses of
inactivated poliovirus vaccine given to infants is safe and effective
(using seroconversion as an indication of effectiveness), and is
preferred by both health care administrators and parents over typical
full-dose needle and syringe. The study results, published in the June
24, 2010, issue of The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM
Vol. 362 No. 25), also demonstrated a significant cost savings
in use of the fractional-dose intradermal injection as compared with a
full-dose vaccination course of treatment using an auto-disable needle
and syringe.
The study was conducted in Oman and supported by the Ministry of Health
of Oman, the Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH) and the
World Health Organization (WHO) as part of the Global Polio Eradication
Initiative (GPEI). The randomized clinical trial of over 400 infants, of
whom 373 fulfilled the entry criteria, were selected to receive either
fractional-dose inactivated poliovirus vaccine (one-fifth of the full
dose) or a full-dose of the same vaccine over a three course treatment
during the first six months of age. The intradermal fractional-dose was
given with Bioject’s Biojector®2000 (B2000) needle-free injection
delivery device and the full-dose was delivered with an auto-disable
syringe and needle. The study was designed to assess the safety and
efficacy of, and preference for, the needle-free intradermal
fractional-dose and the potential to use a needle-free intradermal
fractional-dose vaccine option with infants in order to prevent polio
infection. The results of the study demonstrate that needle-free
intradermal administration of fractional doses of the polio vaccine was
safe, effective and lower cost than a similar course treatment with full
dose needle-syringe option. In addition, both health caregivers and
parents expressed a preference for the needle-free option because “the
baby does not cry.”
The study was one of the research and development initiatives stemming
from the GPEI’s goal to develop affordable injectable polio vaccine
options for the post-eradication era. GPEI is spearheaded by national
governments, WHO, Rotary International, the US Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) and UNICEF.
“We are pleased to have participated in this significant clinical trial
and to learn about the positive results with intradermal fractional-dose
injection of inactivated polio vaccine using Bioject’s intradermal
delivery technology,” said Dr. Richard Stout, Bioject’s Executive Vice
President and Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Stout added, “Based on the
findings, as reported in the NEJM, we now have evidence that
demonstrates potential cost savings when using intradermal needle-free
injection delivery technology as compared with typical full-dose
injections. In addition, we along with the parents of the treated
infants are delighted to hear that the babies did not cry, leading to a
significant preference for Bioject’s needle-free injection devices. We
look forward to working with other organizations around the world who
are interested in leveraging the benefits of our needle-free intradermal
injection delivery technology for their vaccine portfolios,” commented
Dr. Stout.
Bioject Medical Technologies Inc., based in Portland, Oregon, is
an innovative developer and manufacturer of needle-free injection
therapy systems (NFITS). NFITS provide an empowering technology and work
by forcing medication at high speed through a tiny orifice held against
the skin. This creates a fine stream of high-pressure fluid penetrating
the skin and depositing medication in the tissue beneath. The Company is
focused on developing mutually beneficial agreements with leading
pharmaceutical, biotechnology and veterinary companies.
Toll of Stress Impacting Health Care Costs, Absenteeism and Workplace
Safety
NEW YORK — Employers understand the detrimental effects stress is having on their
organizations, and are responding with multiple strategies to help
workers cope, a recent survey by Buck
Consultants, A Xerox Company, indicates.
The survey, ‘Stress in the Workplace,’ identifies the areas most
affected by stress and the strategies employed by organizations to
reduce stress for their workers. The research was conducted at the
WorldatWork Total Rewards Conference in May 2010. The study analyzes
responses from more than 250 conference attendees, representing more
than 200 organizations of various sizes and industries.
“Most employers realize that a stressed-out workforce drives up health
care costs,” said Barry Hall, principal at Buck Consultants. “Employers
are responding by introducing numerous methods to combat the impact of
work-related stress.”
Hall noted that workplace issues highly affected by stress are:
Food Ingredients business reports record sales and operating
profits for the quarter.
Consolidated gross margin improved and operating loss declined.
Debt was reduced $35 million during first 9 months of FY’10.
CENTENNIAL, Colo. — Penford Corporation (Nasdaq:PENX), a leader in renewable, natural-based
ingredient systems for industrial and food applications, today reported
that consolidated sales for the quarter ended May 31, 2010 were $61.9
million compared with $61.3 million a year ago. Diluted loss per share,
including discontinued operations, was $0.51. Net loss from continuing
operations was $5.8 million, or $0.49 per diluted share, compared to a
net loss of $4.3 million, or $0.39 per diluted share last year. A table
summarizing third quarter results from continuing operations is shown
below:
Women in Kenya remain disadvantaged, with opportunities for educational, social, and economic advancement inferior to those of men. Women are underrepresented in modern sector wage employment, political and judicial decision making, and all major public service appointments. Numerous social, economic, and cultural barriers limit womens participation in these areas. But womens underrepresentation in education is a primary factor. The benefits of womens education to women and to society in general are immense. In the workplace, education increases skills needed for job entry, improves chances of vertical mobility, and enhances overall labor market productivity. It also has positive consequences at home, including improved health, increased child survival rates, reduced fertility rates, lower infant mortality rates, and better protection against HIV and AIDS (Tembon and Fort 2008). Education of women and girls is therefore not only a moral and human rights issue, but also an economic and development issue. Given the significant benefits of womens education, equity in education is essential to improving circumstances for all Kenyans. As the leading provider of education, the government should acknowledge that compensatory mechanisms may be required to level the playing field for disadvantaged girls, and it should adopt an approach that uses these mechanisms. Making education equitable means adopting policies and initiatives that support equal provisions across genders. Female Education in Kenya Education in Kenya has four basic levels: preschool (ages 4-6), primary (ages 7-14), secondary (ages 15-18), and tertiary. Since attaining political independence from Great Britain in 1963, the Kenyan government has emphasized educations importance to economic development. It has also increased the number of schools at all levels, from about six thousand primary and 150 secondary schools in 1963 to almost twenty thousand primary and four thousand secondary schools in 2004. As a result, the student population has increased substantially, with over 700 percent growth at the primary level and almost 3,000 percent growth at the secondary level (Ministry of Education 2007). But this total expansion in education hides disparities by gender and region.
Premier BPO, Inc. today has announced that they have entered into an agreement with JT Healthcare Services, LLC for the purposes of establishing a Chinese based Joint Venture to provide back office billing and data management services. This Joint Venture is expected to support JT Healthcare Services, LLCs planned revenue cycle management business in service to U.S. Hospitals.
Premier BPO, Inc. is a leading provider of BPO and KPO services to North American and European Companies. From its headquarters in Clarksville, Tennessee, Premier BPO delivers its services to the worlds best companies from multiple geographies including China, The Philippines and Pakistan. Premier lowers the cost and improves the quality of a clients back office operations. Premier was founded in 2003 by an industry savvy team of Senior executives, with over 125 years direct combined experience in the outsourcing and off shoring industry who have implemented hundreds of programs, covering thousands of highly educated, deeply skilled agents, in multiple countries across the globe.
Premier has created a strategic relationship with the Chinese government to provide training and facility cost deferrals, building a “center of excellence” specifically dedicated to Medical Billing in Kunshan, China, approximately 45 kilometers from Shanghai, and has access to an extremely large, highly educated work force in the Jiangsu Province which has 115 Colleges and Universities supplying hundreds of thousands of English literate graduates.
JT Healthcare Services, LLC is positioned to be a leading provider of full revenue cycle outsourcing (RCO) services to healthcare providers through aggressive organic and acquisitive growth. Their founding management team consists of seasoned executives that pioneered the industry and built successful RCO businesses with integrated technology offerings. Through this joint venture with Premier BPO, JT Healthcare will leverage a BPO model using scale and automation to elevate service levels while lowering costs and increasing profit margins for hospitals and physician groups in this $50B revenue cycle processing market with huge untapped scale opportunities. Most revenue cycle processing is still performed in-house at hospitals with inefficient and sub-scale back-office operations suffering from economic and governmental pressure to reduce costs and focus on clinical operations.
The partnership created by Premier and JT Healthcare Services will provide end-to-end RCO services which will provide the perfect solution for this crippling drain on health care providers.
WASHINGTON — HHS will host a press conference to announce significant modifications
to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996
Privacy, Security and Enforcement rules, as well as resources and
activities to strengthen the privacy of health information and to help
Americans understand their rights and resources available to safeguard
their personal health information. The press briefing will be held on Thursday,
July 8, 2010, at 10:30 a.m. ET.�Remarks will be followed by a brief
question and answer segment.
Medicare Beneficiaries Whose High Prescription Drug Costs Have Put
Them in the Medicare Part D Donut Hole to Receive $250 Rebate Checks as
a Result of the Affordable Care Act
WASHINGTON — The next round of more than 300,000 eligible seniors who have entered
the Medicare Part D “donut hole” this year have been mailed their
tax-free, one time rebate check for $250, U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced today .
These one-time rebate checks are the first step in closing
the prescription drug coverage gap under the Affordable Care Act. The
first round of checks were distributed in the middle of June. As
qualifying Medicare recipients “fall into the donut hole,” they will be
sent a rebate check by Medicare.
“Seniors and other Medicare recipients in the Medicare donut hole are
struggling to afford the medications they need and their basic living
expenses. Seventy percent of our first round of these $250 rebate checks
were cashed within a week of eligible Medicare recipients receiving
them; so, we know that folks really need some help,” said Secretary
Sebelius. “The Affordable Care Act starts to close the donut hole this
year, giving much-needed relief to millions of seniors. In 2011, the
Affordable Care Act takes an additional step for Medicare beneficiaries
in the donut hole by providing them with a 50 percent discount on their
brand name medications. Every year from 2012 until 2020, the Affordable
Care Act will take progressive steps to close the donut hole.”
On Thursday, July 8, at 2:00 p.m., HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius will
join local officials in Manchester, N.H., for a forum with senior
citizens to discuss the rebate checks and other benefits of the
Affordable Care Act as well as efforts to fight Medicare fraud.
PORTLAND, Ore. — Bioject Medical Technologies Inc. (OTCBB: BJCT), a leading developer of
needle-free injection therapy systems, today announced that Bioject’s
needle-free injection delivery technology was used to successfully
demonstrate that intradermal administration of fractional doses of
inactivated poliovirus vaccine given to infants is safe and effective
(using seroconversion as an indication of effectiveness), and is
preferred by both health care administrators and parents over typical
full-dose needle and syringe. The study results, published in the June
24, 2010, issue of The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM
Vol. 362 No. 25), also demonstrated a significant cost savings
in use of the fractional-dose intradermal injection as compared with a
full-dose vaccination course of treatment using an auto-disable needle
and syringe.
The study was conducted in Oman and supported by the Ministry of Health
of Oman, the Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH) and the
World Health Organization (WHO) as part of the Global Polio Eradication
Initiative (GPEI). The randomized clinical trial of over 400 infants, of
whom 373 fulfilled the entry criteria, were selected to receive either
fractional-dose inactivated poliovirus vaccine (one-fifth of the full
dose) or a full-dose of the same vaccine over a three course treatment
during the first six months of age. The intradermal fractional-dose was
given with Bioject’s Biojector®2000 (B2000) needle-free injection
delivery device and the full-dose was delivered with an auto-disable
syringe and needle. The study was designed to assess the safety and
efficacy of, and preference for, the needle-free intradermal
fractional-dose and the potential to use a needle-free intradermal
fractional-dose vaccine option with infants in order to prevent polio
infection. The results of the study demonstrate that needle-free
intradermal administration of fractional doses of the polio vaccine was
safe, effective and lower cost than a similar course treatment with full
dose needle-syringe option. In addition, both health caregivers and
parents expressed a preference for the needle-free option because “the
baby does not cry.”
The study was one of the research and development initiatives stemming
from the GPEI’s goal to develop affordable injectable polio vaccine
options for the post-eradication era. GPEI is spearheaded by national
governments, WHO, Rotary International, the US Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) and UNICEF.
“We are pleased to have participated in this significant clinical trial
and to learn about the positive results with intradermal fractional-dose
injection of inactivated polio vaccine using Bioject’s intradermal
delivery technology,” said Dr. Richard Stout, Bioject’s Executive Vice
President and Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Stout added, “Based on the
findings, as reported in the NEJM, we now have evidence that
demonstrates potential cost savings when using intradermal needle-free
injection delivery technology as compared with typical full-dose
injections. In addition, we along with the parents of the treated
infants are delighted to hear that the babies did not cry, leading to a
significant preference for Bioject’s needle-free injection devices. We
look forward to working with other organizations around the world who
are interested in leveraging the benefits of our needle-free intradermal
injection delivery technology for their vaccine portfolios,” commented
Dr. Stout.
Bioject Medical Technologies Inc., based in Portland, Oregon, is
an innovative developer and manufacturer of needle-free injection
therapy systems (NFITS). NFITS provide an empowering technology and work
by forcing medication at high speed through a tiny orifice held against
the skin. This creates a fine stream of high-pressure fluid penetrating
the skin and depositing medication in the tissue beneath. The Company is
focused on developing mutually beneficial agreements with leading
pharmaceutical, biotechnology and veterinary companies.
12.2 megapixel Exmor R CMOS Sensor and new Superior Auto mode for superb images with DSLR-style low noise performance
1080i Full HD movie recording for playback on your HD TV
Worlds first compact still cameras with 3D Sweep Panorama
Sweep Multi Angle for exciting 3D-style viewing effects
Background defocus mode for stunning professional effects
Experience a new dimension of photo excitement with this summers colourful additions to the Cyber-shot family of digital cameras from Sony.
Beautifully slim, light and easy to use, the digital camera range, the WX5 and TX9 boast exciting new features for outstanding still picture quality compared with conventional compact cameras. Capable of shooting detail-packed Full HD (1920 x 1080, 50i) AVCHD movie clips, theyre also the first Cyber-shot cameras from Sony that can capture amazing 3D images to enjoy on any 3D-compatible TV.
Superior Auto mode: incredible low-noise images
The WX5 and TX9 are the first in the Sony Cyber-shot camera range that can capture extremely low-noise images, evoking the expressive power of a digital SLR camera.
Powered by the 12.2 megapixel Exmor R CMOS Sensor, Superior Auto mode captures a high-speed burst of up to six frames when you press the shutter button. Camera settings are automatically optimised according to shooting conditions. Cyber-shot then combines information from each frame to create an exquisite, low-noise picture with wide dynamic range, as enjoyed by DSLR photo enthusiasts.
12.2 megapixel Exmor R CMOS Sensor and new Superior Auto mode for superb images with DSLR-style low noise performance
1080i Full HD movie recording for playback on your HD TV
Worlds first compact still cameras with 3D Sweep Panorama
Sweep Multi Angle for exciting 3D-style viewing effects
Background defocus mode for stunning professional effects
Experience a new dimension of photo excitement with this summers colourful additions to the Cyber-shot family of digital cameras from Sony.
Beautifully slim, light and easy to use, the digital camera range, the WX5 and TX9 boast exciting new features for outstanding still picture quality compared with conventional compact cameras. Capable of shooting detail-packed Full HD (1920 x 1080, 50i) AVCHD movie clips, theyre also the first Cyber-shot cameras from Sony that can capture amazing 3D images to enjoy on any 3D-compatible TV.
Superior Auto mode: incredible low-noise images
The WX5 and TX9 are the first in the Sony Cyber-shot camera range that can capture extremely low-noise images, evoking the expressive power of a digital SLR camera.
Powered by the 12.2 megapixel Exmor R CMOS Sensor, Superior Auto mode captures a high-speed burst of up to six frames when you press the shutter button. Camera settings are automatically optimised according to shooting conditions. Cyber-shot then combines information from each frame to create an exquisite, low-noise picture with wide dynamic range, as enjoyed by DSLR photo enthusiasts.
PORTLAND, Maine — Eventective, the Webs most comprehensive resource for event and meeting
space and related services, has introduced a new feature that allows
planners to create websites for their events. This free, easy-to-use
tool is available on Eventective.com and provides a step-by-step process
for building an event website in minutes.
Whether planning a wedding, family reunion, company meeting or other
occasion, planners can customize their websites for any type of event
and conveniently organize and share specific event information with
guests.
No special skills are required to build an event website and each site
can be personalized with many elements, including theme, photos, text,
guestbook, links and custom pages. Websites may be edited at anytime, so
visitors always have the most up-to-date information. Eventective
provides the hosting at no charge and gives planners the option to even
create a unique URL for their site.
To learn more about this new feature, visit Eventective.
The final Flight Safety Investigation Report dealing with the October 9, 2008, CT-114 Tutor crash in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, is now available on the Air Force Directorate of Flight Safety website.
Killed in this accident were Capt Bryan Mitchell, the pilot, and Sgt Charles Senecal, an Air Reservist serving as photographer. The aircraft was on a photo-chase mission to take photographs of 15 Wing aircraft in the Moose Jaw area.
The Flight Safety report concludes that the photo-chase pilot did not realize that his aircraft had descended dangerously low, likely due to his attention being fixated on aircraft in the formation, resulting in a controlled flight into terrain. The report also concludes that the pilot was not experienced with, or trained for, this particular type of mission, and that there was no formal direction available to guide the briefing and conduct of photo-chase missions, which are rarely performed in the Canadian Forces.
The Air Force is examining what preventive measures can be implemented to help prevent such tragic accidents in the future. Additions to Division orders have already been made to aid personnel to better consider and minimize risks associated with low-level photo-chase flights, regardless of the aircraft being flown.
Unicast , a leader in online interactive rich media and video advertising management and services solutions, today announced the results of its Q1 2010 Analytics Benchmark Report.
Beverage/Spirits produced the highest average interaction rate (8.62%) for all ads served across verticals, followed by Retail (8.24%) and TV Entertainment (5.06%).
Consumer Packaged Goods produced the longest average interaction time (56 seconds) across verticals, followed by Sporting Goods (50 seconds) and Technology (36 seconds).
Unicast Messenger Units, which are served in instant messaging platforms, ranked the highest in both interaction rate and average exposure time.
Branded Canvas ad formats, which are fully custom interactive units positioned within full episode video players, produced very high interaction rates and average video view times.
Unicast delivers solutions to online publishers, agencies and advertisers through Rich Media, Online Video, Social Media and 3D ad products and services. By focusing on custom services aligned with client needs and strategies, Unicast has created solutions for some of the top brands on the web, such as: MSN, AOL, MySpace, ABC, NBC and CBS.
“At Unicast, we launched our benchmark analysis program to provide publishers, agencies and advertisers with valuable online campaign insights on ad formats and creative executions,” said Dan Berra, VP of Business Intelligence for Unicast. “We are seeing trends in specific industry verticals and interactive formats and features leading the way with strong interaction rates and engagement times.”
Allied Energy, Inc. (PINKSHEETS: AGGI) announced today that the Company, through its wholly owned subsidiary, Allied Operating Oklahoma, LLC, provided the following operations update for its Cox lease in Rogers County, Oklahoma.
The Micheyla #4 was drilled to a total depth of approximately 1,200 feet in vertical depth and encountered an estimated 15 feet of net pay in the Mississippi Limestone formation.
The Micheyla #1 and #2 wells were put in production in the latter part of May and have sold nearly 800 barrels of crude oil to date.
“We are very pleased with the results we have seen thus far and are currently drilling our fourth location, the Micheyla #3,” said Steve Stengell, Allieds President.
There exist tremendous risks and uncertainty associated with oil and natural gas development including, but not limited to, the geological and mechanical risks associated with drilling, completion and production operations. The Company can make no assurances as it relates to estimated reserves, production rates, reservoir characteristics, net or gross pay-zone, timelines, etc. for any oil and gas project.
BURBANK, Calif. — Disney Interactive Studios today announced that after an explosive
release for video game consoles, Windows PC and iPhone in May, Split/Second
will be speeding onto the PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system and PSPGo. Split/Second,
which was named Best Racing Game by Game Critics Awards: Best of E3
2009, is expected to be available for these new handheld systems this
holiday season.
In Split/Second, players don’t just race to the finish line to
beat their opponents, they build up their power meter through deft
driving and triggering “power plays,” explosive moments that take out
opponents or alter the track. The game takes place within a
hyper-competitive reality television show with city-sized sets rigged
for destruction. Each track has numerous power plays that can be
strategically triggered by skilled drivers. Competitors in Split/Second
don’t just collide with other vehicles to knock them from the track —
they can trigger blockbuster action film-like explosive events that
drastically alter the dynamics of the race. Players must use strategy
and pinpoint timing to derail opponents, tactically alter the track or
create entirely new routes.
“Split/Second has become a hit with fans of racing and action
games, and is the perfect fit for the PSP system,” said Craig Relyea,
senior vice president of global marketing, Disney Interactive Studios.
“The explosive track altering features and fast arcade racing will have
PSP system players worldwide playing it on-the-go or at home.”
Split/Second for the PSP system will include unique handling and
controls designed specifically for Sony’s premier handheld game
platform. The game will feature an exclusive new track and challenges
not found on the current versions. In addition, the game also includes
four-player local multiplayer.
“Since founding the Subversion open source project in 2000, we have continually invested in and worked to serve the Subversion community,” said Richard Murray, vice president, engineering, CollabNet. “Hiring talented developers like Bert Huijben and our eight other Subversion committers as full-time CollabNet employees is part of our long-term corporate strategy to provide Subversion innovation and leadership. Their work is critical to our vision of delivering Agile ALM in the Cloud.”
CollabNet and Subversion: Key Facts
“While promoting Subversion to its leading position in the SCM market, enterprises have provided clear feedback that they are looking for a Subversion stack that goes beyond just certified binaries,” said Mark Phippard, director, Subversion engineering, CollabNet and project owner, Subclipse open source Eclipse plug-in. “This led CollabNet to release CollabNet Subversion Edge as an open source distribution, providing enterprises with the configuration, administration, and governance required to support their Subversion rollouts. Hiring Bert builds upon that strategy, providing CollabNet with the core committers for the number-one plug-ins for Visual Studio (i.e., AnkhSVN) and Eclipse (i.e., Subclipse) integration, which enables CollabNet to provide enterprises with an additional layer of certified capabilities. In addition, Berts strong background in open source Subversion continues CollabNets commitment to extending Subversions user and development communities.”
Wyndham Hotels and Resorts , LLC, a subsidiary of Wyndham Worldwide Corporation (NYSE: WYN), today announced its expansion in the Caribbean with the opening of the 303-room-and-suite Wyndham Kingston Jamaica .
Just ten miles from Jamaicas Norman Manley International Airport, the Wyndham Kingston Jamaica is located in the heart of the capital citys financial and diplomatic district on the southern coast of the Caribbean island, making it an ideal home base for business and leisure travelers.
Owned by Ocean Chimo, the Wyndham Kingston Jamaica will undergo extensive renovations of the hotels public spaces and guest rooms to further enhance the guest experience and meet Wyndham standards. The hotel will be managed by Wyndham Hotels and Resorts.
“This opening marks the Wyndham brands exciting return to the island and to the New Kingston community,” said Jeff Wagoner , president of Wyndham Hotels and Resorts. “Jamaica is a vibrant island that draws business travelers and vacationers from around the world. We are proud to welcome the Wyndham Kingston Jamaica to our expanding portfolio and look forward to growing its strong base of corporate and leisure travelers through our robust marketing channels and signature style of personalized service.”
The hotel is situated on seven-and-a-half acres overlooking Emancipation Park and is within close proximity to many of the areas top attractions, including championship golf courses, the National Gallery, the Bob Marley Museum and Castleton Botanical Gardens, located on the banks of the Wag Water River.
Despite Rising Airfares, Travelers Can Still Keep Budgets in Check by
Looking to Hotel Bargains Like Free-Night Stays and Pricing Discounts
“Coming to terms with the fact that the cheap summer airfares of last
year are a thing of the past, we want to show travelers it’s absolutely
still possible to keep travel costs within reason,” said Lesley Harris,
vice president of hotels and vacation packaging for Travelocity. “Hotels
and vacation packages are without a doubt where the biggest savings can
be found, and with the launch of the ‘Free Summer Nights’ sale, this
season’s dream travel experiences are back within reach.”
With similar value-adding hotel promotions, and the addition of new
money-saving tools like Top
Secret Hotels, where customers can shop hotels and find unpublished
rates that are up to 45 percent off three- and four-star hotels,
Travelocity is giving price-conscious consumers an extra boost of
confidence to take a well-deserved vacation. Travelocity customers who
book a hotel or vacation package during the “Free Summer Nights” sale,
between June 18 and August 31, 2010, for stays through September 30,
2010, will receive the 2nd, 3rd or 4th
night stay for free at popular participating hotels in many of this
summer’s top destinations, from San Diego to Vancouver to Cabo San
Lucas, including:
Byline: NICK LAVIGUEUR LEANING lamps will be righted and blown bulbs replaced after Kirklees Council vowed to inspect rows of dodgy Emley street lights. The promise comes after The Examiner took up the case on behalf of Emley Moor reader Dennis Downs. Mr Downs, 79 said he had complained that many lights on the streets around the rural area, including Jagger Lane, Westfield Lane and Pole Lane End, were not working. The retired farmer said it was so dark on the rural roads that concerned motorists had stopped to tell him he was invisible.
ARMED robbers fled empty-handed after trying to raid a garage. Two people went into Costcutters Garage, on King George Road, in South Shields, in the early hours of Sunday and threatened the cashier with a gun. But the staff member managed to alert the police. The robbers approached the cashier at around 12.20am before fleeing the scene. One offender wore a black motorcycle helmet and a black, long-sleeved jacket. The second wore a black hooded top.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Police have identified the man who died Friday while boating on Utah Lake as 69-year-old Jack Turner of South Jordan. Turner and his 16-year-old grandson were fishing when both fell into the water, said Utah County Sheriffs Lt. Dave Bennett. The teen, who was wearing a life jacket, threw his grandfather a flotation device and then swam for help. By the time rescuers reached Turner a half-hour later, they found him floating face down with his arm through the flotation device. He was pronounced dead at Utah Valley Medical Center. Officials have not yet determined the exact cause of death.
Florida State House Candidate David Chalela, “Champion for the American worker,” received an endorsement this week from the Florida AFL-CIO. Also known as The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, the National AFL-CIO union movement represents 11.5 million members, including 3 million members in “Working America,” its community affiliate. The members are teachers and miners, firefighters and farm workers, bakers and engineers, pilots and public employees, doctors and nurses, painters and plumbers and others.
“This so exciting for Davids campaign and the people of Florida because the hardworking people of the Florida AFL-CIO have made this organization to improve the working conditions and quality of life for hardworking Floridians, and these are the same ideals David will fight for in Tallahassee,” said Campaign Manager Ted Hisey. “Davids focus is on job creation for the community, working to keep homeowners in their homes, and promoting quality education. David and the Florida AFL-CIO share the common goal of preserving the American Dream and we will work very hard together to bring jobs to Florida,” said Hisey.
According to Chalela, a former military prosecutor and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, “I am humbled and honored by the endorsement. The wonderful men and women of the Florida AFL-CIO represent the everyday hardworking American people who make this country so great. This campaign is all about turning this community into a jobs powerhouse.”
Chalela faces three opponents in Floridas State House District 56.
Michael D. Baker Music store owner, longtime Colorado Springs resident. Survived by his wife, Charlotte; a son, Kyle; and a daughter, Kendra. Celebration of life service, 3 p.m. Sunday, New Life Church, Campus Theatre, 11025 Voyager Parkway. A reception will follow services at New Life Church, 11025 Voyager Parkway. Shrine of Remembrance.
OUR boiler goes on strike more often than the French football team. Last winter we were left with no heating, no hot water and two weeping children, forcing us to call an “emergency plumber” – surely the two scariest words in the English language. After moaning for an hour and appearing to do nothing more than faff about with a valve, he handed us an invoice for pounds 450 and told us about his upcoming holiday to Barbados. So Im sorry if I cant sympathise with Christine Blower, of the National Union of Teachers, who has criticised plans to launch a new generation of tech colleges. Shes banged on about it creating a “two-tier system with technical schools seen as the poor cousin”.
The American Academy of Family Physicians is one of the largest national medical organizations, representing more than 94,700 family physicians, family medicine residents and medical students nationwide. Founded in 1947, its mission has been to preserve and promote the science and art of Family Medicine and to ensure high-quality, cost-effective health care for patients of all ages. The Mission of the AAFP is to improve the health of patients, families and communities by serving the needs of members with professionalism and creativity. Initiatives include advocacy, practice enhancement, education and health of the public.
This years Assembly includes new features such as The Learning Gallery, with presentations on important, medically relevant issues; exhibitors products, products in clinical development, disease state data, and physician-sponsored evidence-based studies. It also will feature an unparalleled opportunity for exhibitors to showcase the latest in technology, products, equipment, and services related to the specialty of family medicine.
“This is the first of many events on our calendar for the year in building the information database and accessible archives for medical professionals everywhere,” states Dibiase. “With more information comes increase in industry position and overall profitability with the ability to further cross-implement the cutting-edge features of SNI such as the iPhone/iPad news feed application and SNIs one-of-a-kind social networking matrix, Doctor2Doctor, among others. As always, we continue to be the only independent medical news company in the world that manages to deliver both quality and quantity with integrity as a subscription-based provider with no influence from sponsors. We expect to see our paid member base increase significantly over the next few months as we continue to announce company developments, meeting attendance, and key strategic relationships.”
The American Academy of Family Physicians is one of the largest national medical organizations, representing more than 94,700 family physicians, family medicine residents and medical students nationwide. Founded in 1947, its mission has been to preserve and promote the science and art of Family Medicine and to ensure high-quality, cost-effective health care for patients of all ages. The Mission of the AAFP is to improve the health of patients, families and communities by serving the needs of members with professionalism and creativity. Initiatives include advocacy, practice enhancement, education and health of the public.
This years Assembly includes new features such as The Learning Gallery, with presentations on important, medically relevant issues; exhibitors products, products in clinical development, disease state data, and physician-sponsored evidence-based studies. It also will feature an unparalleled opportunity for exhibitors to showcase the latest in technology, products, equipment, and services related to the specialty of family medicine.
“This is the first of many events on our calendar for the year in building the information database and accessible archives for medical professionals everywhere,” states Dibiase. “With more information comes increase in industry position and overall profitability with the ability to further cross-implement the cutting-edge features of SNI such as the iPhone/iPad news feed application and SNIs one-of-a-kind social networking matrix, Doctor2Doctor, among others. As always, we continue to be the only independent medical news company in the world that manages to deliver both quality and quantity with integrity as a subscription-based provider with no influence from sponsors. We expect to see our paid member base increase significantly over the next few months as we continue to announce company developments, meeting attendance, and key strategic relationships.”
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Establishing the Family-Friendly Campus: Models for Effective Practice, Jaime Lester and Margaret Sallee, Eds. (Stylus Publishing, 2009, $79.95 hardback or $29.95 paperback) With this volume on family-friendly policy and practice, editor (and OCWW contributor) Jaime Lester and editor Margaret Sallee have created a much-needed kit for retooling work–life balance in academe. Identifying a need for inclusivity that has expanded with the growth of womens academic roles, Lester and Sallee have compiled an informative baedeker for multiple routes toward institutions that are more family-friendly for both women and men. Highlighting approaches that range from institutional supports for parents (stop-the-clock options, lactation rooms, flexible scheduling) to the grassroots activism that buttresses those options, the book illustrates how effective cultural change connects at all levels of the institution.
Positions Merck to Capitalize on Opportunities for Global Growth
WHITEHOUSE STATION, N.J. — Merck Co., Inc. (NYSE: MRK), known outside the U.S. and Canada as MSD,
today provided further detail on integration plans for the companys
research and development, manufacturing and other business operations as
part of a global restructuring program announced following the November
2009 merger of Merck and Schering-Plough. The consolidation plans
support Mercks strategic direction as a customer focused, innovative
and diversified global health care company, and position the company to
invest in key areas for future growth, including emerging markets,
biologics, vaccines and consumer care.
Merck today announced plans to phase out operations at eight research
sites and eight manufacturing sites, as well as to continue to
consolidate office facilities worldwide, as part of the global merger
restructuring program that began last December. The goal of the
restructuring is to create a flexible RD organization that cultivates
scientific innovation, facilitates external collaboration and drives
pipeline progress and a reliable, more fully utilized and cost efficient
worldwide manufacturing supply chain to support Mercks broader product
portfolio.
Merck continues to expect its total workforce to be reduced by
approximately 15 percent across all areas of the combined company
worldwide as part of the initial phases of its merger restructuring
program. The company said it will continue to hire new employees in
strategic growth areas of the business as necessary.
“Today’s announcement is another important step as we successfully
integrate our global operations on schedule and move forward with
Mercks strategic priorities,” said Richard T. Clark, chairman and chief
executive officer of Merck. “These changes are crucial to drive future
growth and realize the promise of being a global health care leader for
the long term. While we believe these actions are necessary to support
Mercks competitive advantage, they required difficult decisions that
will impact some of our colleagues, their families and local
communities. We will implement our restructuring plans with the utmost
care and respect for the hard-working and talented employees of Merck,”
he said.
PORTLAND, Ore. — Bioject Medical Technologies Inc. (OTCBB: BJCT), a leading developer of
needle-free injection therapy systems, today announced that Bioject’s
needle-free injection delivery technology was used to successfully
demonstrate that intradermal administration of fractional doses of
inactivated poliovirus vaccine given to infants is safe and effective
(using seroconversion as an indication of effectiveness), and is
preferred by both health care administrators and parents over typical
full-dose needle and syringe. The study results, published in the June
24, 2010, issue of The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM
Vol. 362 No. 25), also demonstrated a significant cost savings
in use of the fractional-dose intradermal injection as compared with a
full-dose vaccination course of treatment using an auto-disable needle
and syringe.
The study was conducted in Oman and supported by the Ministry of Health
of Oman, the Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH) and the
World Health Organization (WHO) as part of the Global Polio Eradication
Initiative (GPEI). The randomized clinical trial of over 400 infants, of
whom 373 fulfilled the entry criteria, were selected to receive either
fractional-dose inactivated poliovirus vaccine (one-fifth of the full
dose) or a full-dose of the same vaccine over a three course treatment
during the first six months of age. The intradermal fractional-dose was
given with Bioject’s Biojector®2000 (B2000) needle-free injection
delivery device and the full-dose was delivered with an auto-disable
syringe and needle. The study was designed to assess the safety and
efficacy of, and preference for, the needle-free intradermal
fractional-dose and the potential to use a needle-free intradermal
fractional-dose vaccine option with infants in order to prevent polio
infection. The results of the study demonstrate that needle-free
intradermal administration of fractional doses of the polio vaccine was
safe, effective and lower cost than a similar course treatment with full
dose needle-syringe option. In addition, both health caregivers and
parents expressed a preference for the needle-free option because “the
baby does not cry.”
The study was one of the research and development initiatives stemming
from the GPEI’s goal to develop affordable injectable polio vaccine
options for the post-eradication era. GPEI is spearheaded by national
governments, WHO, Rotary International, the US Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) and UNICEF.
“We are pleased to have participated in this significant clinical trial
and to learn about the positive results with intradermal fractional-dose
injection of inactivated polio vaccine using Bioject’s intradermal
delivery technology,” said Dr. Richard Stout, Bioject’s Executive Vice
President and Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Stout added, “Based on the
findings, as reported in the NEJM, we now have evidence that
demonstrates potential cost savings when using intradermal needle-free
injection delivery technology as compared with typical full-dose
injections. In addition, we along with the parents of the treated
infants are delighted to hear that the babies did not cry, leading to a
significant preference for Bioject’s needle-free injection devices. We
look forward to working with other organizations around the world who
are interested in leveraging the benefits of our needle-free intradermal
injection delivery technology for their vaccine portfolios,” commented
Dr. Stout.
Bioject Medical Technologies Inc., based in Portland, Oregon, is
an innovative developer and manufacturer of needle-free injection
therapy systems (NFITS). NFITS provide an empowering technology and work
by forcing medication at high speed through a tiny orifice held against
the skin. This creates a fine stream of high-pressure fluid penetrating
the skin and depositing medication in the tissue beneath. The Company is
focused on developing mutually beneficial agreements with leading
pharmaceutical, biotechnology and veterinary companies.
Powerful Opportunity for Real Estate Professionals To Help Families
through Partnership with Lowes
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. — Dennis Walsh, CEO of RE-buildUSA™, one of the real estate industrys
most popular speakers, will be presenting a series of free live events
to showcase what many call the “perfect storm of opportunity” in todays
market. The presentation, “Rebuilding America One Dream at a Time,” will
travel through Dayton,
OH July 20th, Columbus,
OH July 21st and Cleveland,
OH July 22nd. These events are sponsored by Lowes and Wells Fargo
Home Mortgage. Walshs message, already shared with thousands of
brokers, agents and mortgage professionals around the country, will give
valuable insight on a program that is helping stabilize the housing
industry.
“Every real estate professional needs to know about this great
opportunity in todays market,” says Dave Liniger, Chairman and
Co-Founder of RE/MAX. Liniger presented the RE-buildUSA™ program to
RE/MAX agents during a live broadcast via RE/MAX University.
Re-buildUSA™, in partnership with Lowe’s, simplifies use of the federal
government’s 203k Renovation Loan program to assist families in
achieving their dream of homeownership, improve communities and grow the
economy. Home improvements are rolled right into the primary mortgage,
allowing both buyers and current homeowners to more easily get the home
they want, while being able to afford their monthly payments and reduce
the overall cost of ownership.
“RE-buildUSA™ is nothing less than the future of real estate,” explains
Ed Krafchow, President CEO, Prudential CA/NV Realty. “If youre
serious about success in this business, youve got to get involved in
this ground-breaking program.”
HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. — Career Education Corporation (NASDAQ:CECO) will report second quarter
2010 financial results on Wednesday, August 4, 2010, after market close
and host a conference call Thursday, August 5, 2010 at 11:00 a.m.
Eastern time.
The colleges, schools and universities that are part of the Career
Education Corporation (“CEC”) family offer high-quality education to a
diverse student population of over 116,000 students across the world in
a variety of career-oriented disciplines. The approximately 90 campuses
that serve these students are located throughout the U.S. and in France,
Italy, the United Kingdom and Monaco, and offer doctoral, master’s,
bachelor’s and associate degrees and diploma and certificate programs.
Approximately 40% of our students attend the web-based virtual campuses
of American InterContinental University, Colorado Technical University,
International Academy of Design Technology and Le Cordon Bleu College
of Culinary Arts.
CEC is an industry leader whose brands are recognized globally. Those
brands include, among others, American InterContinental University
(“AIU”); Brooks Institute; Colorado Technical University (“CTU”);
Harrington College of Design; INSEEC Group (“INSEEC”) Schools, including
the International University of Monaco (“IUM”); International Academy of
Design Technology (“IADT”); Istituto Marangoni; Le Cordon Bleu North
America (“LCB”); and Sanford-Brown Institutes and Colleges. Through our
schools, CEC is committed to providing quality education, enabling
students to graduate and pursue rewarding careers.
National / Four Region Overview: Across the U.S., home prices posted 5.2% quarter-over-quarter gains, placing prices firmly 8.8% above levels experienced one year ago. Regionally, the Midwest and South saw the largest quarterly price growth, while the West and Northeast show more stable quarterly gains.
Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) drilldown: Home price gains across the U.S. were helped largely by the quarterly jump in prices by the top 15 highest performing major markets. Quarterly prices for the group are up an average 12.6%, while yearly price gains are up 17.1%.
Micro Market Analysis: Home prices in the Los Angeles MSA rebounded 13.2% from its market bottom one year ago. While this surpassed the 8.8% gains seen nationally for the same period, conditions varied widely across this large and diverse market.
The Clear Capital HDI Market Report offers the industry, investors and lenders a timely look at pricing conditions, not only at the national and metropolitan level, but within local markets as well. Clear Capital data is built on the most recent data available from recorder/assessor offices, and then further enhanced by adding the Companys proprietary market data for the most comprehensive geographic coverage available.
“Price trends nationwide have seen a considerable upswing driven in large part by the flurry of recent sales attributed to the tax credit and springtime buying activity,” said Dr. Alex Villacorta, Senior Statistician, Clear Capital. “This months national quarterly gains are certainly a positive sign that many markets have responded to the tax credit incentive, but overall markets remain volatile as evidenced by the six month price change keeping mostly flat.”
Panasonic, the leading manufacturer of cordless home telephones worldwide,* today announced that all of its 2010 cordless home telephone systems, available at retailers nationwide, feature proprietary DECT 6.0 PLUS performance for optimal sound quality and extended range. Additionally, the phones offer extended battery life and a variety of time-saving and convenience features designed for the way todays multi-tasking families use their cordless phones.
Panasonics 2010 cordless phones are designed with feedback from extensive consumer research and raise the bar on performance in three key ways:
Improved Voice Quality
In response to consumer demand, Panasonics proprietary DECT 6.0 PLUS technology provides better quality reception by increasing the error-correction rate by 80 times compared with Panasonics prior DECT 6.0 models.
Extended Battery Life
2010 Panasonic cordless phones feature Intelligent Eco Mode, which automatically lowers the handsets power consumption when used near the base station. The result is up to 13 hours of continuous talk time on average, compared to 11 hours of continuous talk time when not using Intelligent Eco Mode.
Double the Transmission Distance with Range Extender Module
The new Range Extender module, included with the KX-TG4053B and sold separately as an accessory for all other 2010 models (SRP $29.95), doubles the effective transmission distance between the base unit and handsets when compared with previous models.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Establishing the Family-Friendly Campus: Models for Effective Practice, Jaime Lester and Margaret Sallee, Eds. (Stylus Publishing, 2009, $79.95 hardback or $29.95 paperback) With this volume on family-friendly policy and practice, editor (and OCWW contributor) Jaime Lester and editor Margaret Sallee have created a much-needed kit for retooling work–life balance in academe. Identifying a need for inclusivity that has expanded with the growth of womens academic roles, Lester and Sallee have compiled an informative baedeker for multiple routes toward institutions that are more family-friendly for both women and men. Highlighting approaches that range from institutional supports for parents (stop-the-clock options, lactation rooms, flexible scheduling) to the grassroots activism that buttresses those options, the book illustrates how effective cultural change connects at all levels of the institution.
Avaya Expands Network of Companies to Create Innovative, IP-Enabled
Unified Communications Applications That Extend the Value of Multivendor
Networks
CUPERTINO, Calif. — Talari Networks, Inc. – the company bringing WAN virtualization and
cloud economics to Enterprise networking – today announced it has been
selected by Avaya Inc., a leading global provider of business
communications applications, systems and services, for membership in the
Avaya DevConnect program.
Talari
Networks is the developer of a new, innovative technology – Adaptive
Private Networking (APN). Talari’s Mercury family of APN appliances
combines diverse, abundant, affordable IP bandwidth sources, creating
broadband links with business-class reliability at consumer prices. As a
result, APN delivers a network with 30 to 100 times the bits per dollar,
ongoing WAN costs reduced by 40% to 90% and greater reliability than
single-provider Frame Relay or MPLS services.
The Avaya
DevConnect program promotes the development, compliance-testing and
co-marketing of innovative third-party products that are compatible with
standards-based Avaya solutions. Member organizations have expertise in
a broad range of technologies – including IP telephony, contact centers
and mobility applications – helping companies extend the value of
multivendor networks and transform voice into an intelligent business
application that delivers true value to the bottom line.
“WAN Virtualization using APN technology allows unified communications
applications to run reliably on a less expensive WAN infrastructure,”
said Andy Gottlieb, CEO of Talari Networks. “Rather than paying more for
their WAN in the move to unified communications, enterprises can
actually pay less, without sacrificing reliability or performance
predictability. As a member of Avaya’s developer community, we will join
other technology leaders to help our customers apply their precious
resources even more efficiently and effectively.”
SUSTA™ Expands Footprint into Florida Grocery Chain
HOLYOKE, Mass. — NXT
Nutritionals Holdings, Inc. (“NXT Nutritionals”) (OTCBB: NXTH)
developer and marketer of SUSTA™ Natural Sweetener, the great tasting,
all-natural, healthier sweetener, today announced its SUSTA™ Natural
Sweetener has been approved in Publix Super Market, Inc. (“Publix”),
expanding SUSTA’s footprint in Florida.
“As one of the largest regional grocery chains in the US, we are
thrilled to the addition of Publix to our footprint,” said Michael
McCarthy, president and CEO of NXT Nutritionals. “We will continue to
build brand awareness and add distribution of SUSTA in other regions of
the country so that we may meet the demand from consumers who are
looking to or may already have selected SUSTA as their choice of
all-natural sweetener.”
“More and more grocery chains are responding to the increasing awareness
of healthy living and the demand for more natural and healthier
products. SUSTA is not only all-natural but also a nutritious sweetener
quite unique to the marketplace today,” added McCarthy.
Women in Kenya remain disadvantaged, with opportunities for educational, social, and economic advancement inferior to those of men. Women are underrepresented in modern sector wage employment, political and judicial decision making, and all major public service appointments. Numerous social, economic, and cultural barriers limit womens participation in these areas. But womens underrepresentation in education is a primary factor. The benefits of womens education to women and to society in general are immense. In the workplace, education increases skills needed for job entry, improves chances of vertical mobility, and enhances overall labor market productivity. It also has positive consequences at home, including improved health, increased child survival rates, reduced fertility rates, lower infant mortality rates, and better protection against HIV and AIDS (Tembon and Fort 2008). Education of women and girls is therefore not only a moral and human rights issue, but also an economic and development issue. Given the significant benefits of womens education, equity in education is essential to improving circumstances for all Kenyans. As the leading provider of education, the government should acknowledge that compensatory mechanisms may be required to level the playing field for disadvantaged girls, and it should adopt an approach that uses these mechanisms. Making education equitable means adopting policies and initiatives that support equal provisions across genders. Female Education in Kenya Education in Kenya has four basic levels: preschool (ages 4-6), primary (ages 7-14), secondary (ages 15-18), and tertiary. Since attaining political independence from Great Britain in 1963, the Kenyan government has emphasized educations importance to economic development. It has also increased the number of schools at all levels, from about six thousand primary and 150 secondary schools in 1963 to almost twenty thousand primary and four thousand secondary schools in 2004. As a result, the student population has increased substantially, with over 700 percent growth at the primary level and almost 3,000 percent growth at the secondary level (Ministry of Education 2007). But this total expansion in education hides disparities by gender and region.
— Iteris to lead program management for implementation of over
$900 million transportation infrastructure projects –
SANTA ANA, Calif. — Iteris, Inc. (NYSE Amex: ITI), a leader in the traffic management market
that focuses on the application and development of advanced
technologies, today announced that the company has been awarded a major
contract to assist the South Bay Cities Council of Governments (SBCCOG)
located in Los Angeles County to develop an Implementation Plan and
provide Program/Project Management for the South Bay Measure R Highway
Program. Building on previous transportation study recommendations and
needed gap closures, this work will help move transportation projects
forward rapidly in partnership with Caltrans. Iteris will also assist
South Bay cities in facilitating document completion and streamlining
the construction process. This project will employ a monitoring system
to track progress and provide early identification of implementation
obstacles. The three-year contract, with funding provided from South Bay
Measure R Highway funds through the Los Angeles County Metropolitan
Transportation Authority (Metro), has a total value of $2.0 million.
Measure R is a one-half cent sales tax approved by Los Angeles County
voters in November 2008 to meet the transportation needs of Los Angeles
County. Metro oversees the distribution of the funds. The South Bay sub
region is expected to receive approximately $906 million over the
30-year life of Measure R. Although Measure R is expected to provide a
significant amount of funding to the South Bay, the intent of this
program is also to leverage the Measure R funds with other available and
possible new revenue sources.
“Iteris has a long history of assisting the South Bay Cities on
transportation projects,” said Abbas Mohaddes, president and chief
executive officer of Iteris. “We are delighted to provide our services
with this significant assignment to help implement such a significant
program to improve mobility in this important region of Los Angeles
County.” Mr. Mohaddes continued, “Additionally, this contract award is
an excellent example of how local transportation projects continue to
receive funding in these challenging economic times.”
Bluelounge, the award-winning international design studio known for sleek, minimalist design home and office organization products including CableBox, StudioDesk, and The Sanctuary, today announced a new product SKU to its growing portfolio of functional home and office design products, the CableBox Mini, a successor to the popular CableBox. The CableBox Mini has a smaller form factor and comes in vibrant colors — ideal for the office and home electronics users with limited space around their workspace or for users who want to display the CableBox Mini as a personal expression on their desk.
CableBox Mini includes a short power strip/power surge protector for convenience. AC Adapters and surplus cable lengths are hidden away seamlessly within CableBox Minis sleek, sturdy container. In addition to cable storage, CableBox Mini can be used to protect routers, hubs and other devices in its fire retardant plastic casing.
“We created the CableBox Mini for our customers who required the utility of the original CableBox product in a smaller form factor for the spaces they work and live in,” says Bluelounge Principal and Designer, Dominic Symons. “The CableBox Mini provides a smart solution for those with limited space and multiple, grouped together devices that require a single power source. And its compact design allows for attractive, out-in-the-open placement and fits nearly anywhere — on your desk, next to the computer, in the kitchen, bedroom or even hidden behind the desk. This creates a simple, versatile solution to hide cable clusters.”
CableBox Mini is a simple solution, ideal for small spaces with big problems. It is available in a variety of colors including blue, green, orange, pink, yellow and white. The bright colors and compact size allow the CableBox Mini to be used on the desktop too. It organizes clutter into a single dust free container. CableBox Mini is 9″ x 4″ x 5″ and retails for $29.95. Made from material that is fire retardant (UL 94).
Grammy winning producer T Bone Burnett will be presenting and releasing Universal Republic singing duo The Secret Sisters — and their highly anticipated debut album, Silver Threads And Golden Needles — on a brand new Universal Republic label created by Burnett especially for this release: Beladroit Records. The album will be in stores October 5, 2010.
The Alabama-reared siblings, Laura and Lydia Rogers, whose new album is steeped in the familial camaraderie and mesmerizing harmonies braced by their Mussel Shoals roots, recorded their inaugural musical effort at Nashvilles renowned Blackbird Studio. Produced by revered country knob-turner Dave Cobb (Waylon Jennings and Jamey Johnson), and executive-produced by Burnett, The Secret Sisters sound captured on their debut has been described by Burnett as “as close to pure as it gets, and Ive been doing this for forty years.”
The multiple-Grammy winners enthusiasm for The Secret Sisters attests to their burgeoning stature as one of the years rare musical finds: “In The Secret Sisters, you can hear the history of rural American music from the 1920s and a reverence for every musical genre since,” stated T Bone Burnett. “Popular music requires the absolute honesty of The Secret Sisters, and Im thrilled to be involved in presenting them to the world.”
Scheduled to hit stores and online platforms this fall, Silver Threads And Golden Needles was recorded in a marathon two-week recording time frame. The producers also brought in vintage analogue recording equipment and vintage microphones, determined to properly capture The Secret Sisters magical harmonizing and stunning vocal power. The duos signature sound is evident on songs such as “Why Dont Ya Love Me,” “Why Baby Why,” and the lilting anthem “Tennessee Me,” among others.
Hailing direct from the fertile musical territory of Mussel Shoals, AL, The Secret Sisters co-wrote several of the songs on the new album. The girls also re-worked found treasures, including the Frank Sinatra classic “Something Stupid,” as well as enlisting the support of legendary country musicians such as pedal steel great Robbie Turner and piano legend Pig Robbins, among others.
WSOP Academy is the only live and online poker school licensed and endorsed by the #1 name in poker, the World Series of Poker. With no setup fees and only $14.95/month during the beta period (July 1 – September 1, 2010), WSOPAcademy.com makes the best poker training affordable to every player.
“The WSOP Academy Online is unlike any other training site. It gives players a clear training roadmap, with a tested protocol that improves confidence and ensures your game is getting better each time you train,” said 11-time WSOP Champion Phil Hellmuth. “We teach players with real hands from real tournaments with exclusive WSOP content, giving them our first-hand view of every flop, turn and river. This is the place where the next generation will learn to become champions.”
Designed for the novice player, the WSOP Academy Online provides an A-Z curriculum of highly interactive and engaging poker training from the games biggest champions. Instructors include Annie Duke, Phil Hellmuth, Greg Raymer, Mark Seif, Mark Gregorich and Gavin Griffin. Exclusive to the WSOP Academy, 25-year FBI veteran Joe Navarro translates his people-reading skills to spotting bluffs and tells at the poker table. The schools groundbreaking curriculum includes:
Training Roadmap: Players need a curriculum that builds a base of knowledge about the game and then expands on each skill learned. WSOPAcademy.com is the only site that provides a comprehensive training roadmap, divided into 12 chapters with real-time testing and live feedback before and after each lesson. This helps students retain the strategies they learn and have confidence the next time they sit at the table.
Certification Course : The WSOP Academys live certification class has been molding champion players since 2007. Now the in-depth training and certification from the worlds foremost poker champions is affordable to everyone online. First semester graduates are eligible to win a seat at a live WSOP Academy event and second semester players have a shot to win a spot in Hellmuths Home Game. Training content is delivered three courses at a time, allowing students to master each winning strategy at their own pace.
Bracelet Winners Corner: The Bracelet Winners Corner is a 30-minute coaching module in which students learn directly from the champs. For the first time and in their own words, the champs describe the strategies, missteps and moves they employed to win their WSOP bracelets. The Corner launches with the first of several episodes featuring exclusive, unseen WSOP footage from Phil Hellmuths epic 11 th WSOP Bracelet win.
Hellmuths Home Game: WSOPAcademy.com students sit down with Hellmuth in the first weekly online TV show dedicated to poker strategy. Hosted by Ali Nejad, Phil and friends play a series of cash games sit-and-gos, providing uncensored insights and play-by-play commentary.
Navarros Poker Tells Center: Joe Navarro spent twenty-five years with the FBI interrogating spies. Now exclusively at WSOPAcademy.com, Joe teaches how to hide and find body and face tells, while honing key observation skills that central to the championship mindset.
ChoiceStream, the premiere personalization service provider for the worlds largest brands including Tesco, Zappos.com, Borders, Blockbuster, Ticketmaster and ATT, today announced that it has been chosen by EPIX, the next generation multiplatform, premium entertainment channel from Viacom, Paramount Pictures unit, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. and Lionsgate, to provide movie recommendations for EPIX subscribers on EpixHD.com.
With access to more than 15,000 motion pictures spanning the vast libraries of its partners and other studios, EPIX is a powerful entertainment experience that provides its entire monthly line-up of new Hollywood titles, classic feature films, original series, music and comedy specials through its linear channel, video-on-demand and online at EpixHD.com. EPIX has made the commitment to deliver the industrys most expansive online collection of movies, making more than 3,000 titles available online to subscribers via EpixHD.com.
ChoiceStreams personalized movie recommendations technology is helping subscribers browse and find movie titles in EpixHD.coms vast library and get recommendations on movies based on viewing behavior and preferences, as well as movie attributes, so that they can find titles quickly and easily.
“Delivering a better movie experience by providing recommendations that match each individual subscribers tastes and interests is what ChoiceStream has been doing for top media and entertainment companies for nearly a decade,” said ChoiceStream CEO and co-founder Steve Johnson. “EPIX recognizes that personalized recommendations enhance the user experience by allowing paying subscribers to easily navigate the enormous number of movies in its library.”
“We have access to such a broad catalog of movies that its imperative we do all we can to help our viewers find titles they can enjoy, quickly and easily,” said Thomas Carpenter, VP Operations and Digital Chief of Staff for EPIX. “ChoiceStream has helped us to do just that, by creating a personalized online experience that will help subscribers get the most entertainment from their time on EpixHD.com.”
Positions Merck to Capitalize on Opportunities for Global Growth
WHITEHOUSE STATION, N.J. — Merck Co., Inc. (NYSE: MRK), known outside the U.S. and Canada as MSD,
today provided further detail on integration plans for the companys
research and development, manufacturing and other business operations as
part of a global restructuring program announced following the November
2009 merger of Merck and Schering-Plough. The consolidation plans
support Mercks strategic direction as a customer focused, innovative
and diversified global health care company, and position the company to
invest in key areas for future growth, including emerging markets,
biologics, vaccines and consumer care.
Merck today announced plans to phase out operations at eight research
sites and eight manufacturing sites, as well as to continue to
consolidate office facilities worldwide, as part of the global merger
restructuring program that began last December. The goal of the
restructuring is to create a flexible RD organization that cultivates
scientific innovation, facilitates external collaboration and drives
pipeline progress and a reliable, more fully utilized and cost efficient
worldwide manufacturing supply chain to support Mercks broader product
portfolio.
Merck continues to expect its total workforce to be reduced by
approximately 15 percent across all areas of the combined company
worldwide as part of the initial phases of its merger restructuring
program. The company said it will continue to hire new employees in
strategic growth areas of the business as necessary.
“Today’s announcement is another important step as we successfully
integrate our global operations on schedule and move forward with
Mercks strategic priorities,” said Richard T. Clark, chairman and chief
executive officer of Merck. “These changes are crucial to drive future
growth and realize the promise of being a global health care leader for
the long term. While we believe these actions are necessary to support
Mercks competitive advantage, they required difficult decisions that
will impact some of our colleagues, their families and local
communities. We will implement our restructuring plans with the utmost
care and respect for the hard-working and talented employees of Merck,”
he said.
Funds Earmarked to “.Encourage Cutting Edge and Innovative
Biomedical Exploration”
RUTHERFORD, Calif. — The International Mental Health Research Organization (IMHRO) today
announced a collaboration with the Johnson Johnson Corporate Office of
Science and Technology (COSAT). Under the terms of this collaboration,
COSAT will provide a $250,000 grant towards the funding of IMHROs
Rising Star Awards. COSATs grant will be matched by IMHRO to establish
the COSAT-IMHRO Rising Star Awards Program, which, in 2010, will fund
two Rising Star Awards.
The objective of the COSAT-IMHRO Rising Star Awards Program is to
advance the understanding of underlying disease mechanisms in bipolar
disorder, schizophrenia and major depression with the great potential to
benefit patients and the healthcare system. The IMHRO Rising Star Awards
support cutting edge research programs throughout the world on the study
of psychiatric brain disorders, and are distributed annually at the
Staglin Family Music Festival For Mental Health, held this year in
September in Rutherford, Napa Valley, California.
“Our approach at IMHRO is to fund the best science as determined by our
independent scientific advisory board,” stated Garen Staglin, co-founder
of IMHRO, and proprietor of Staglin Family Vineyard. “This collaboration
will fund research of key scientists and will bring us closer than ever
to helping find the causes and cures for mental illness.”
The COSAT-IMHRO Rising Star Awards Program is intended to advance the
translation of discoveries from basic science research into therapies
for major psychiatric diseases. Understanding the mechanism of action
and the role in the brain of genes that are altered in psychiatric
disease supplies the first clue as to how these disorders arise. This
grant program fosters the next steps toward discovering therapies
through research into approaches that re-normalize or compensate for the
alterations that have already been discovered.
— Iteris to lead program management for implementation of over
$900 million transportation infrastructure projects –
SANTA ANA, Calif. — Iteris, Inc. (NYSE Amex: ITI), a leader in the traffic management market
that focuses on the application and development of advanced
technologies, today announced that the company has been awarded a major
contract to assist the South Bay Cities Council of Governments (SBCCOG)
located in Los Angeles County to develop an Implementation Plan and
provide Program/Project Management for the South Bay Measure R Highway
Program. Building on previous transportation study recommendations and
needed gap closures, this work will help move transportation projects
forward rapidly in partnership with Caltrans. Iteris will also assist
South Bay cities in facilitating document completion and streamlining
the construction process. This project will employ a monitoring system
to track progress and provide early identification of implementation
obstacles. The three-year contract, with funding provided from South Bay
Measure R Highway funds through the Los Angeles County Metropolitan
Transportation Authority (Metro), has a total value of $2.0 million.
Measure R is a one-half cent sales tax approved by Los Angeles County
voters in November 2008 to meet the transportation needs of Los Angeles
County. Metro oversees the distribution of the funds. The South Bay sub
region is expected to receive approximately $906 million over the
30-year life of Measure R. Although Measure R is expected to provide a
significant amount of funding to the South Bay, the intent of this
program is also to leverage the Measure R funds with other available and
possible new revenue sources.
“Iteris has a long history of assisting the South Bay Cities on
transportation projects,” said Abbas Mohaddes, president and chief
executive officer of Iteris. “We are delighted to provide our services
with this significant assignment to help implement such a significant
program to improve mobility in this important region of Los Angeles
County.” Mr. Mohaddes continued, “Additionally, this contract award is
an excellent example of how local transportation projects continue to
receive funding in these challenging economic times.”
Women in Kenya remain disadvantaged, with opportunities for educational, social, and economic advancement inferior to those of men. Women are underrepresented in modern sector wage employment, political and judicial decision making, and all major public service appointments. Numerous social, economic, and cultural barriers limit womens participation in these areas. But womens underrepresentation in education is a primary factor. The benefits of womens education to women and to society in general are immense. In the workplace, education increases skills needed for job entry, improves chances of vertical mobility, and enhances overall labor market productivity. It also has positive consequences at home, including improved health, increased child survival rates, reduced fertility rates, lower infant mortality rates, and better protection against HIV and AIDS (Tembon and Fort 2008). Education of women and girls is therefore not only a moral and human rights issue, but also an economic and development issue. Given the significant benefits of womens education, equity in education is essential to improving circumstances for all Kenyans. As the leading provider of education, the government should acknowledge that compensatory mechanisms may be required to level the playing field for disadvantaged girls, and it should adopt an approach that uses these mechanisms. Making education equitable means adopting policies and initiatives that support equal provisions across genders. Female Education in Kenya Education in Kenya has four basic levels: preschool (ages 4-6), primary (ages 7-14), secondary (ages 15-18), and tertiary. Since attaining political independence from Great Britain in 1963, the Kenyan government has emphasized educations importance to economic development. It has also increased the number of schools at all levels, from about six thousand primary and 150 secondary schools in 1963 to almost twenty thousand primary and four thousand secondary schools in 2004. As a result, the student population has increased substantially, with over 700 percent growth at the primary level and almost 3,000 percent growth at the secondary level (Ministry of Education 2007). But this total expansion in education hides disparities by gender and region.
Premier BPO, Inc. today has announced that they have entered into an agreement with JT Healthcare Services, LLC for the purposes of establishing a Chinese based Joint Venture to provide back office billing and data management services. This Joint Venture is expected to support JT Healthcare Services, LLCs planned revenue cycle management business in service to U.S. Hospitals.
Premier BPO, Inc. is a leading provider of BPO and KPO services to North American and European Companies. From its headquarters in Clarksville, Tennessee, Premier BPO delivers its services to the worlds best companies from multiple geographies including China, The Philippines and Pakistan. Premier lowers the cost and improves the quality of a clients back office operations. Premier was founded in 2003 by an industry savvy team of Senior executives, with over 125 years direct combined experience in the outsourcing and off shoring industry who have implemented hundreds of programs, covering thousands of highly educated, deeply skilled agents, in multiple countries across the globe.
Premier has created a strategic relationship with the Chinese government to provide training and facility cost deferrals, building a “center of excellence” specifically dedicated to Medical Billing in Kunshan, China, approximately 45 kilometers from Shanghai, and has access to an extremely large, highly educated work force in the Jiangsu Province which has 115 Colleges and Universities supplying hundreds of thousands of English literate graduates.
JT Healthcare Services, LLC is positioned to be a leading provider of full revenue cycle outsourcing (RCO) services to healthcare providers through aggressive organic and acquisitive growth. Their founding management team consists of seasoned executives that pioneered the industry and built successful RCO businesses with integrated technology offerings. Through this joint venture with Premier BPO, JT Healthcare will leverage a BPO model using scale and automation to elevate service levels while lowering costs and increasing profit margins for hospitals and physician groups in this $50B revenue cycle processing market with huge untapped scale opportunities. Most revenue cycle processing is still performed in-house at hospitals with inefficient and sub-scale back-office operations suffering from economic and governmental pressure to reduce costs and focus on clinical operations.
The partnership created by Premier and JT Healthcare Services will provide end-to-end RCO services which will provide the perfect solution for this crippling drain on health care providers.
Graphic.ly Launches First Windows 7 App for Comics, Expands Community
Functions in Online Store to Drive Conversation about New, Trending
Titles
BOULDER, Colo. — Graphic.ly, the digital media platform for comic books and communities,
announces a new application for Windows 7-based devices, as well as
improvements to its online comics store that will make it easier for
people to start and participate in conversations about new and popular
titles. The Windows 7 app is optimized for touch interfaces to take
advantage the upcoming Windows-based tablets.
Graphic.ly becomes the first of a new breed of comic apps that is
available on Windows 7-based devices, following its launch of a desktop
AIR and iPhone application. The company plans to launch apps for mobile
platforms, such as the iPad, Android and Windows Phone 7, and a web
application throughout the year. In addition, the store will get new
features and a layout that will highlight fresh and popular titles in
the comics store, as well as friend-recommended titles for people to
share and discover new content.
“This is the year that will change comics forever, extending the
experience of welcoming and acceptance of the comic book store into the
digital marketplace where they’ll be exposed to the largest audience
ever,” said Micah Baldwin, CEO of Graphic.ly. “To maximize that
audience, we’re going to lead the charge to bring the digital media
store to every platform and device. Today we’re proud to be the first on
Windows 7 and there will be more to come.”
Graphic.ly offers comic titles from the largest comics publishers,
including Archaia, Arcana, Archie, BOOM! Studios, IDW Publishing, and
TopCow. Hundreds of independent publishers also offer titles for sale in
the Graphic.ly online store. Today, more than 600 titles are available
for prices ranging from free to $1.99 in the Graphic.ly store.
CINCINNATI — Macy’s, Inc. (NYSE: M) today reported total sales of $2.229 billion for
the five weeks ended July 3, 2010, an increase of 9.0 percent compared
with total sales of $2.044 billion in the five weeks ended July 4, 2009.
On a same-store basis, Macy’s, Inc. sales were up 6.5 percent in June.
“We are pleased with our sales in June. They reflect continued progress
in implementation of our strategies, particularly My Macy’s localization
and the increased effectiveness and efficiency of our unified national
organization. We remain on track in our drive for sales and market share
growth, improved earnings and strong cash flow,” said Terry J. Lundgren,
chairman, president and chief executive officer of Macy’s, Inc. “While
various calendar shifts complicate month-by-month sales comparisons, it
is important to note that Macy’s, Inc.’s same-store sales in May/June
combined, plus the Sunday and Monday of Independence Day weekend, were
up approximately 5 percent over the prior year. This is consistent with
our year-to-date trend. We are optimistic as we look ahead to our fall
merchandise offerings, including the early August introduction of the
new Material Girl juniors brand exclusively at Macy’s.”
For the year to date, Macy’s, Inc.’s sales totaled $9.589 billion, up
6.7 percent from total sales of $8.987 billion in the first 22 weeks of
2009. On a same-store basis, Macy’s, Inc.’s year-to-date sales were up
4.9 percent.
Online sales (macys.com and bloomingdales.com combined) were up 37.6
percent in June 2010 and 32.5 percent for the year to date. Online sales
are included in the same-store sales calculation for Macys, Inc.
Macy’s, Inc. expects same-store sales for the second quarter of 2010 to
be approximately 4.5% ahead of last year. The company also continues to
expect same-store sales in the full-year 2010 to be up by 3 percent to
3.5 percent.
Quepasa Corporation (OTCBB: QPSA), owner of Quepasa.com, an online social network targeting the Latino community, today announced the launch of a new DSM Campaign promoting Ultimate Fighting Championship, the worlds leading mixed martial arts sports association. The UFC campaign is Quepasas first DSM in the entertainment vertical, and builds upon the success of the Quepasa UFC community, launched in March of this year.
Quepasa DSM, or Distributed Social Media, is a social media advertising solution designed to help brands reach and engage with Latinos across the social web. In this latest campaign, “Why I Watch,” participants are invited to create and share UFC video highlight reels for the chance to win UFC memorabilia along with other UFC merchandise not readily found in Latin America. The viral nature of the campaign will extend Quepasa members enthusiasm for UFC wherever they go online, giving UFC a unique opportunity to let its most passionate supporters distribute content and build brand awareness.
“The UFC is a natural fit for Quepasa and its community on the site has seen impressive growth since launch. This DSM campaign gives fans the opportunity to win great prizes and build brand awareness on behalf of the UFC while doing it,” says Steve Kaplan VP of Product for Quepasa.
Quepasa CEO, John Abbott, adds: “The UFC has been very supportive of our efforts to build its fan base and brand in the Latin American market, and we are very excited to expand our relationship with them through a DSM campaign. DSM is a vehicle for content brands like UFC to socialize and virally distribute their marketing messages, and we look forward to their continued success on our platform.”
BRISBANE, Calif. — bebe stores, inc. (Nasdaq:BEBE) today reported retail sales of $119.2
million for the fiscal quarter ended July 3, 2010, a decrease of 4.4%
compared to sales of $124.6 million for the fiscal quarter ended July 4,
2009. Comparable store sales for the fiscal quarter ended July 3, 2010
decreased 3.4% compared to a decrease of 29.6% in the prior year.
Beginning in November fiscal 2010 comparable store sales exclude PH8
stores as of the end of the fourth quarter due to the conversion of BEBE
SPORT stores to PH8 stores.
Retail sales for the year-to-date period ended July 3, 2010 were $481.7
million compared to $580.3 million for the year-to-date period ended
July 4, 2009, a decrease of 17.0%. Comparable store sales for the
year-to-date period ending July 3, 2010 decreased 17.1% compared to a
decrease of 20.9% for the year-to-date period ending July 4, 2009.
As of July 3, 2010, average finished goods inventory per square foot
decreased 12.8% as compared to the prior year.
bebe stores, inc. provides additional information on a recorded message.
Interested parties are invited to listen to the message by calling
1-877-232-3757.
Harmonic Inc. (NASDAQ: HLIT) today announced that its cutting-edge contribution and distribution solutions were deployed to facilitate the live broadcast of the 2010 FIFA World Cup by the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), the official South African Broadcaster of the FIFA World Cup. The tournament has been played in 10 stadiums in nine South African cities from June 11 to July 11, 2010. The SABC selected Harmonic Ellipse 1000 contribution encoders, Electra® 8000 HD broadcast encoders and ProView integrated receiver/decoders (IRDs) along with Atecoms ATM adaptors from local Harmonic partner Graphic Image Technologies (GIT) for this widely-viewed, multi-venue sports event. Harmonic and GIT were selected due to their video quality, scalability, support, integration and performance.
To bring the matches live to fans, an Electra 8000 dual-channel HD encoder and 12 Ellipse 1000 SD encoders, ProView 2900 SD IRDs and ProView 7000 HD decoders were seamlessly integrated through Atecom Falcon ATM units over the local Telcos ATM network into SABCs video infrastructure. The link-up facilitated networking the FIFA International Broadcast Centre (IBC) to the SABCs Broadcasting Centre at the Sandton Convention Centre (SCC) and their master control room (MCR) in Auckland Park for final broadcast.
“We chose Harmonic to improve and power our broadcasts simply because the company, through its local partner GIT, provided a good quality, cost-effective, integrated and feature-rich video solution to meet our needs,” said David Wilson, Hi-Tech Manager TVOB at South African Broadcasting Corporation. “This latest deployment provided the added performance we needed to bring the World Cup matches, in good quality, to our viewers.”
“With Harmonics contribution and distribution solutions, we were able to offer SABC, the host broadcaster, a unique and integrated solution that further enhances scalability, improves performance and eases management of their video services,” said Mark Chertkow at Graphic Image Technologies, Harmonics local partner in South Africa. “With this deployment, SABC has expanded its use of Harmonics video delivery solutions and implemented an efficient solution for increasing its live event programming.”
The Ellipse 1000 encoder is ideal for fixed contribution over IP and legacy ATM/PDH/SDH networks. A professional, high quality encoder, it provides efficient bit-rate utilization for delivery of high quality video. The Ellipse 1000 simultaneously encodes video feeds as MPEG-2 SD 4:2:0/4:2:2 and MPEG-4 AVC SD 4:2:0, providing a smooth and cost-effective migration path from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 AVC encoding schemes. It is firmware-upgradeable to MPEG-4 AVC HD as well, making it one of the most versatile encoders available.
ST. LOUIS — Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. (NYSE:BBW), an interactive,
entertainment-based retailer of customized stuffed animals, will report
results for its fiscal 2010 second quarter ended July 3, 2010, on July
29, 2010 prior to the opening of trading on the New York Stock Exchange.
The Company will host its quarterly investor conference call to discuss
the results at 9 a.m. ET on July 29, 2010.
Replays of the conference call will be available via the Internet and
telephone. The replay of the conference call webcast will be available
at the investor relations Web site for one year. A telephone replay will
be available beginning at approximately noon ET on July 29, 2010, until
midnight ET on August 12, 2010. The telephone replay is available by
calling (617) 801-6888. The access code is 83126016.
Unicast , a leader in online interactive rich media and video advertising management and services solutions, today announced the results of its Q1 2010 Analytics Benchmark Report.
Beverage/Spirits produced the highest average interaction rate (8.62%) for all ads served across verticals, followed by Retail (8.24%) and TV Entertainment (5.06%).
Consumer Packaged Goods produced the longest average interaction time (56 seconds) across verticals, followed by Sporting Goods (50 seconds) and Technology (36 seconds).
Unicast Messenger Units, which are served in instant messaging platforms, ranked the highest in both interaction rate and average exposure time.
Branded Canvas ad formats, which are fully custom interactive units positioned within full episode video players, produced very high interaction rates and average video view times.
Unicast delivers solutions to online publishers, agencies and advertisers through Rich Media, Online Video, Social Media and 3D ad products and services. By focusing on custom services aligned with client needs and strategies, Unicast has created solutions for some of the top brands on the web, such as: MSN, AOL, MySpace, ABC, NBC and CBS.
“At Unicast, we launched our benchmark analysis program to provide publishers, agencies and advertisers with valuable online campaign insights on ad formats and creative executions,” said Dan Berra, VP of Business Intelligence for Unicast. “We are seeing trends in specific industry verticals and interactive formats and features leading the way with strong interaction rates and engagement times.”
Future US, the special-interest media company, today announced the promotion of John Gower to Vice President of Future Plus, the companys custom publishing division. Gower oversees the strategy, editorial direction and business performance for all of Future Plus media including the just-launched @Gamer magazine, developed for customers of Best Buy; World of Warcraft: Official Magazine, produced in collaboration with Blizzard Entertainment Inc.; NVISION, created for NVIDIA; and Crochet Today!, which supports the marketing efforts of crafts leader Coats Clark. Other Future Plus partners include Apple, Kmart, Paul Reed Smith Guitars, RIM and Toys”R”Us.
“John is developing a big business for Future, as continuing shifts in entertainment and technology create new communications challenges for marketers,” said John Marcom, President of Future US. “We are finding that custom print and digital programs help deepen and extend customer relationships in ways that conventional advertising messaging just cant.”
“Our ability to produce targeted, beautiful and highly measurable magazines and websites has made Future Plus one of the fastest growing custom publishing agencies in the US. Our primary role is to develop profitable conversations with customers for some of the biggest brands in the world,” said Gower. “As mainstream brands like Best Buy look for a unique way to connect with their customers — including the millions of gamers who frequent their stores — Future Plus truly meets that need in a way that no other content creator can.”
Gower joined Future in 2004 and using his 15 years of media experience, helped make Future Plus UK an award-winning publishing force, securing business from major retailers, blue-chip companies and globally recognized brands. In 2007, he transferred to Future US to lead the newly created Future Plus US custom publishing division. Gower has established partnerships with NVIDIA, Toys”R”Us, Best Buy, and Blizzard Entertainment, Inc., which resulted in the 2010 launch of the ultimate World of Warcraft magazine targeted at the more than 11.5 million gamers across the globe.
Under Gowers leadership, Future Plus develops independent publications that have built in consumer and advertising revenue streams, which offset partnership risk. The divisions unique approach helped it achieve a 24 percent revenue gain in the first half of 2010.
WASHINGTON — HHS will host a press conference to announce significant modifications
to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996
Privacy, Security and Enforcement rules, as well as resources and
activities to strengthen the privacy of health information and to help
Americans understand their rights and resources available to safeguard
their personal health information. The press briefing will be held on Thursday,
July 8, 2010, at 10:30 a.m. ET.�Remarks will be followed by a brief
question and answer segment.
EAST LANSING, Mich. NAPA, Calif. — American Physicians Capital Inc. (APCapital) (NASDAQ:ACAP), a major
provider of health care liability insurance, and The Doctors Company,
the largest national insurer of physician and surgeon medical liability,
today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement
pursuant to which The Doctors Company will acquire APCapital for $41.50
per share in cash, or an aggregate purchase price of approximately $386
million. The $41.50 per share in cash purchase price represents a
premium of approximately 31 percent over the $31.76 per share closing
price of ACAP on July 7, 2010, the last trading day prior to today’s
announcement.
R. Kevin Clinton, President and CEO of APCapital said, “This transaction
delivers significant value to our shareholders. Additionally, our
insureds will benefit as they become members of one of the largest and
most respected professional liability companies in the nation. I would
like to recognize our employees, agents, and medical society partners
for their dedication and commitment to APCapital. They are the driving
force behind the success of our company.”
“We are extremely pleased to announce this partnership between two
physician-founded companies and we look forward to delivering enhanced
value to our member insureds through the financial strength of a
combined organization with a relentless commitment to protecting,
defending, and rewarding the practice of good medicine,” said Richard E.
Anderson, MD, FACP, chairman and CEO of The Doctors Company. “Members
will benefit from our partnership and will continue to receive
aggressive claims defense, unmatched legislative and patient safety
advocacy, outstanding service, and industry leading member benefits.”
With this merger, The Doctors Company further expands its position as
the largest national insurer of physician and surgeon medical liability
to nearly 55,000 member insureds.
The Board of Directors of APCapital has approved the proposed
transaction and has resolved to recommend that its shareholders approve
the merger. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter
of 2010 and is subject to customary closing conditions, including the
receipt of regulatory approvals, and approval by a majority of
APCapital’s shareholders.
Toll of Stress Impacting Health Care Costs, Absenteeism and Workplace
Safety
NEW YORK — Employers understand the detrimental effects stress is having on their
organizations, and are responding with multiple strategies to help
workers cope, a recent survey by Buck
Consultants, A Xerox Company, indicates.
The survey, ‘Stress in the Workplace,’ identifies the areas most
affected by stress and the strategies employed by organizations to
reduce stress for their workers. The research was conducted at the
WorldatWork Total Rewards Conference in May 2010. The study analyzes
responses from more than 250 conference attendees, representing more
than 200 organizations of various sizes and industries.
“Most employers realize that a stressed-out workforce drives up health
care costs,” said Barry Hall, principal at Buck Consultants. “Employers
are responding by introducing numerous methods to combat the impact of
work-related stress.”
Hall noted that workplace issues highly affected by stress are:
Readership Climbs 20% and Revenue Jumps 40% as New Projects
Attract Readers and Advertisers
SAN FRANCISCO — New partnerships, applications, important investigative reporting,
thought leadership and awards are attracting more readers and
advertisers to Salon.com,
the trusted news and culture site known for quality journalism. Salon
today announced that unique visits to the site are up by 20% for the
second quarter of 2010 over the same time period last year, while
revenue increased 40% over the same period.
While all referral traffic is up 120% year over year, Salon social media
traffic is up by a whopping 720%. Experts say referral traffic (from
search engines, social media sites, and third-party sites) is the key to
overall audience growth, but that it can be tricky to attract because it
is directly dependent on site content. If the content is meaningful and
well written, others will link to it.
The results come on the heels of steady growth in the previous quarter,
where the company also saw substantial growth in unique visitors and
referrals.
“As the cacophony of Internet-driven media grows ever louder, the
compelling perspective and crisp personality of Salon becomes ever more
attractive,” explained Salon Media Group CEO Richard Gingras. “We are
pleased that our efforts to evolve and expand Salon are bearing
excellent results.”
Oracle (NASDAQ: ORCL)
To streamline the management of complex legislative policy rules, Oracle has announced the availability of Oracle Enterprise Taxation and Policy Management which combines the benefits of Oracle Enterprise Taxation Management and Oracle Policy Automation.
Oracle Enterprise Taxation and Policy Management can:
Help public sector authorities reduce the time and cost to modify systems when legislative policies change.
Provide detailed analysis of proposed policy changes and potential revenue impact.
Enhance the ability to navigate risk-scoring rules to assess tax declarations for further investigation to help improve audit selection capabilities and target success rates.
Provide authorized business users with access to amend policy rules in the core administration system directly without lengthy IT development cycles.
“Capgemini applauds Oracle for enhancing Oracle Enterprise Taxation Management with the capabilities of Oracle Policy Automation. Several of Capgeminis clients have saved significant costs and time and recognized new business benefits using Oracle Policy Automation. The combination allows public sector authorities to capture, maintain and embed new tax rules into core processing with a simple tool that helps reduce the costs of programming or scripting,” said Ian Pretty, vice president, tax and welfare lead, Global Public Sector, Capgemini.
“In an ever-evolving industry, public sector authorities require great flexibility to help manage the impact of policy changes. Oracle Enterprise Taxation and Policy Management can help our customers save time and costs associated with incorporating new legislative rules into their administrative systems,” said Stephan Scholl, senior vice president and general manager, Oracle Tax and Utilities Global Business Unit.
Wall Street News Alerts “stocks to watch” this morning are: H H Imports Inc. (OTCBB: HNHI), Time Warner Inc. (NYSE: TWX), The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) and DIRECTV (NASDAQ: DTV).
Yesterday after the markets closed, H H Imports Inc. (OTCBB: HNHI), a leading developer and distributor of products and services primarily through infomercials and other direct response channels of distribution, issued a press release announcing that its Board of Directors and shareholders holding a majority of its common stock have approved a change in the Companys name to IBC Global, Inc. and that it has filed an information statement with the S.E.C. relating to the name change.
One of the Companys subsidiaries, “Inventors Business Center, LLC” (”IBC”), was founded to capitalize on the tremendous number of products and product ideas that were being offered to Kevin Harrington, the Companys Chairman, as a result of his numerous appearances on the national network broadcast show, “Shark Tank.”
As a result of the success to date of IBC, as well as the Companys intention to open multiple IBC offices on a global basis, the Company shall change its name to “IBC Global, Inc.” to more accurately reflect its current business.
In addition, the Company released details of its business plan and its Alternative Public Offering (”APO”) which was accomplished by completing its previously announced Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”) by and between H H Imports, Inc. (”H H”), TV Goods Holding Corporation and a subsidiary of H H, pursuant to which the wholly owned subsidiary merged with TV Goods and TV Goods continues to operate its business as a wholly owned subsidiary of H H.
Women in Kenya remain disadvantaged, with opportunities for educational, social, and economic advancement inferior to those of men. Women are underrepresented in modern sector wage employment, political and judicial decision making, and all major public service appointments. Numerous social, economic, and cultural barriers limit womens participation in these areas. But womens underrepresentation in education is a primary factor. The benefits of womens education to women and to society in general are immense. In the workplace, education increases skills needed for job entry, improves chances of vertical mobility, and enhances overall labor market productivity. It also has positive consequences at home, including improved health, increased child survival rates, reduced fertility rates, lower infant mortality rates, and better protection against HIV and AIDS (Tembon and Fort 2008). Education of women and girls is therefore not only a moral and human rights issue, but also an economic and development issue. Given the significant benefits of womens education, equity in education is essential to improving circumstances for all Kenyans. As the leading provider of education, the government should acknowledge that compensatory mechanisms may be required to level the playing field for disadvantaged girls, and it should adopt an approach that uses these mechanisms. Making education equitable means adopting policies and initiatives that support equal provisions across genders. Female Education in Kenya Education in Kenya has four basic levels: preschool (ages 4-6), primary (ages 7-14), secondary (ages 15-18), and tertiary. Since attaining political independence from Great Britain in 1963, the Kenyan government has emphasized educations importance to economic development. It has also increased the number of schools at all levels, from about six thousand primary and 150 secondary schools in 1963 to almost twenty thousand primary and four thousand secondary schools in 2004. As a result, the student population has increased substantially, with over 700 percent growth at the primary level and almost 3,000 percent growth at the secondary level (Ministry of Education 2007). But this total expansion in education hides disparities by gender and region.
SUSTA™ Expands Footprint into Florida Grocery Chain
HOLYOKE, Mass. — NXT
Nutritionals Holdings, Inc. (“NXT Nutritionals”) (OTCBB: NXTH)
developer and marketer of SUSTA™ Natural Sweetener, the great tasting,
all-natural, healthier sweetener, today announced its SUSTA™ Natural
Sweetener has been approved in Publix Super Market, Inc. (“Publix”),
expanding SUSTA’s footprint in Florida.
“As one of the largest regional grocery chains in the US, we are
thrilled to the addition of Publix to our footprint,” said Michael
McCarthy, president and CEO of NXT Nutritionals. “We will continue to
build brand awareness and add distribution of SUSTA in other regions of
the country so that we may meet the demand from consumers who are
looking to or may already have selected SUSTA as their choice of
all-natural sweetener.”
“More and more grocery chains are responding to the increasing awareness
of healthy living and the demand for more natural and healthier
products. SUSTA is not only all-natural but also a nutritious sweetener
quite unique to the marketplace today,” added McCarthy.
FRAMINGHAM, Mass. — Recent International Data Corporation (IDC)
research shows that the worldwide revenue for the collaborative
applications market was $7.6 billion in 2009, representing a decline of
0.3% with the top 3 vendors in 2009 (based on worldwide revenue) being
Microsoft, IBM, and Cisco. These vendors accounted for 55.8% of the
market total.
“A large portion of collaborative applications market players showed
revenue declines in 2009 from 2008. However, those companies with some
of the largest year-over-year growth came from the emerging social
platforms submarket,” says Erin
Traudt, research director for IDCs Enterprise
Collaboration and Social Solutions program. “IDC believes that with
a minimal decline during a very tough economy, the worldwide
collaborative applications market is poised for a positive rebound in
2010 and that key submarkets such as social platforms, conferencing
applications, and team collaborative applications (TCAs) are helping to
sustain the market as customers continue to benefit from the enhanced
productivity and lower costs associated with these solutions.”
According to recent IDC survey results, when IT professionals were asked
if they had to choose between best of breed versus the collaborative
applications provided by their current vendor, 64% of respondents
indicated that best of breed would make the strongest business case. IDC
believes vendors offering pre-integrated packages with select partner
applications should be well positioned to take advantage of this
opportunity as many IT departments are still being tasked with
integrating point solutions that have been purchased over the years.
Therefore, open architectures and APIs will be particularly important to
encourage adoption and broader ecosystem development.
Recent related IDC vendor share research includes:
A QUARTER of teenagers deliberately get sunburn because they think it makes for a better tan. And one in three use no sun cream, a survey showed yesterday. Teenage Cancer Trust, which released the figures, is launching an anti-burn campaign with ex-East-Ender Michelle Ryan and Skins star Nicholas Hoult.
July marks the delectable dessert chain’s anniversary as well as
National Ice Cream Month
IRVINE, Calif. — Tastee-Freez, America’s favorite establishment for soft-serve treats and
high-quality quick service food, kicks off its 60th anniversary in July
2010, which is fittingly also National Ice Cream Month. One of the
longest-lived franchise operations in the United States, Tastee-Freez is
available in the majority of Wienerschnitzel and Hamburger Stand
locations, as well as Tastee-Freez signature restaurants located
in 18 states across the country.
“For 60 years, Tastee-Freez has been providing frozen treats that bring
back fond memories of cool, creamy soft-serve and an era gone by,” said
Tim Mulks, general manager of Tastee-Freez. “We look forward to many
more years of providing guests with delicious new desserts as well as
our old-fashioned favorites.”
In 1950, Leo Moranz, an inventor, and Harry Axene, an entrepreneur, came
together to create what would later become one of America’s favorite
establishments for delicious soft-serve treats and high-quality quick
service food. The two men formed a partnership to market a revolutionary
new soft-serve pump and freezer which far exceeded the technology of any
existing equipment, allowing for faster service and a higher quality,
great-tasting product. Within five years after the first freezer was
sold, walk-up stands bearing the Tastee-Freez name opened across the
country to sell cones and sundaes to an eager public. Moranz and Axene
allowed stands to use the Tastee-Freez name in exchange for rent paid on
the ice cream pump needed to operate each freezer.
Since franchising first gained popularity in the early 1950s, the food
service industry has seen many chains come and go. Tastee-Freez has
strived to meet the ever-changing needs of its franchisees and their
customers, and has increased its menu offerings over the years to
include a wide variety of options. The majority of Tastee-Freez
locations have evolved to become full quick service operations, offering
a variety of lunch and dinner options in addition to the famous
soft-serve treats. The signature restaurants are located in Alaska,
Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Iowa,
Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma,
Ohio, South Carolina, Vermont and Virginia.
New Social Media Application Allows Consumers to Send Tangible Treats
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Cold
Stone Creamery, the world’s most innovative ice cream concept, today
launched a social media application that allows customers to send a Cold
Stone Creamery gift to their friends and family via Facebook
or email. The Cold Stone Creamery eGift
program is an innovative part of Cold Stone Creamery’s executive
team’s initiative to increase in-store AUVs and drive franchisee
profitability.
“Social media is becoming increasingly pervasive and perpetuating a
question of how to link a company’s social media presence with
real-world sales and profitability,” said Dan Beem, president of Cold
Stone Creamery. “We saw an opportunity to engage Cold Stone’s loyal
customer base and social media following to drive a measurable impact on
in-store sales. Our strategy for profitability continues to include
innovation across the entire brand, whether that’s a creative new ice
cream product or a cutting-edge social media solution.”
According to research firm Inside Network Inc., the U.S. market for
virtual goods is currently estimated at $1.6 billion. Social networking
sites account for approximately half the total market for virtual
goods—twice as much as one year ago.
Unlike traditional virtual gifting, Cold Stone’s eGift application
allows users to send a code for a tangible gift to any recipient’s
Facebook or email, instantly redeemable in any of Cold Stone’s 1,300
locations nationwide. The application, developed by e-commerce and
payment processing industry leader First
Data Corporation, facilitates an intuitive and secure transaction
process through First Data’s proprietary technology.
INTRODUCTION Pork is a popular meat consumed by non-muslim Singaporeans with about 87,000 tonnes being consumed per year (Kanagalingam, 2005). Currently, Singapore imports its pork from several countries, but Australian and Indonesian pork is consumed most widely due to its ready availability at supermarkets and wet markets. Fresh pork is obtained from pigs raised in Indonesia but slaughtered at Singapore abattoirs, while chilled pork is mainly imported from Australia and is widely known as “Air Pork”. Singaporean consumers are aware of the origin of pork from packaging labels. Results of a recent survey showed that Singapore consumers associate non-Indonesian pork with the presence of an unpleasant mutton-like off-flavour (Leong et al., 2008). One possible cause of off-flavours in pork is by the oxidation of lipids, leading to the formation of aldehydes and short-chain fatty acids (Reindl and Stan, 1982; Devol, et al., 1988). The rate and extent of lipid oxidation depends on a number of factors, the most important being the level of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in muscle (Allen and Foegeding, 1981). Pork contains high levels of unsaturated fatty acids relative to ruminant meat (Enser et al., 1996) and is more susceptible to oxidative deterioration of lipids and myoglobin. Feeding of PUFAs to pigs can improve the nutritional quality of pork, but may also increase the susceptibility to oxidation (Sheard et al., 2000; Kouba et al., 2003; Morel et al., 2006). There have been many reports of PUFA-rich feeds leading to increased lipid oxidation and thus off-flavour in pork (Houben and Krol, 1980; Warnants et al., 1998; Roman et al., 1995; Overland et al., 1996; Leskanich et al., 1997; Wood et al., 2003). There have also been examples of off-flavours in pork arising from the direct transfer of aroma components from feed to meat, including several reports on how feeding of fish oil and high fat fish meal to finisher pigs has caused “fishy” and other off-flavours in pork products (Kjos et al., 1999; Lauridsen et al., 1999; Maw et al., 2001; Jaturasitha et al., 2002). The current paper compares sensory assessments of the flavour of pork from the legs of pigs finished in New Zealand on three diets (Morel et al., 2008) using Singaporean panelists. The objective was to determine the extent to which dietary feed treatments received by the New Zealand pigs influenced the sensory properties of pork using trained and untrained Singaporean panels. Results of sensory analyses of pork from the loins of the same New Zealand pigs using New Zealand panelists were reported by Janz et al. (2008).
INTRODUCTION Fat deposition of pigs is of economic importance because of market incentives for lean pork production and decreased feeding costs. It is crucial to investigate and characterize new candidate genes and QTL relevant to pig fat deposit traits. To date, several quantitative trait loci (QTL) significantly affecting 10th-rib, average backfat thickness and other production traits have been mapped on SSC7 (Wang et al., 1998; Nagamine et al., 2003). Peroxisomal [[DELTA].sup.3],[[DELTA].sup.2]-enoyl-CoA isomerase (PECI) was located near the boundary of the quantitative trait loci (QTL) region. [[DELTA].sup.3],[[DELTA].sup.2]-enoyl-CoA isomerase (Ecilp) is unique because its activity is necessary for [beta]-oxidation of all unsaturated fatty acids (Geisbrecht et al., 1999). The series of enzyme-catalyzed reactions required for degradation of fatty acids are evolutionarily conserved and accomplished primarily through the p-oxidation pathway. In peroxisomes, ECI was predicted to be a dominant enzyme for 3-cis 3[right arrow]2-trans and 3-trans 3[right arrow]2-trans isomerizations of long-chain intermediates (Zhang et al., 2002). Fatty acid [beta]-oxidation in mammals is considerably more complicated, primarily due to the existence of overlapping but distinct fatty acid poxidation pathways. Mammalian peroxisomes contain at least three fatty acyl-CoA oxidases, both L-specific and D-specific 2-enoyl-CoA hydratase/3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase multifunctional proteins, and at least two thiolases, all of which are encoded by different genes (Palosaari et al., 1990a, 1991; Geisbrecht et al., 1998; Gurvitz et al., 1998; Geisbrecht et al., 1999; Partanen et al., 2004). When the ECI was completely excised in the mouse, it extensively perturbed the metabolism of unsaturated fatty acids, especially for short interval starvation and the fatty acid pattern of complex phospholipids was strongly altered (Palosaari et al., 1990b; Janssen et al., 2002). The PECI gene can be encoded by ECI1 and it is required for growth of saccharomyces cerevisiae on unsaturated fatty acids (Gurvitz et al., 1998). It can be concluded that the PECI gene may play an important role during the metabolic processing of unsaturated fatty acids. Deposition of fat by animals in their bodies is associated with the metabolism of fatty acids, and more research would contribute to understanding of porcine fat deposition. Genomic DNA was isolated from blood of mature Tongcheng pigs (Hubei province, China) by phenol/chloroform extraction. RNA was extracted from muscle tissue of adult Tongcheng pigs and adult Swedish Landrace with TRIzol reagent kit (Life Technologies, Grand Island, NE, USA). RACE (the rapid amplification of cDNA ends) was performed according to the instructions of the SMARTTM RACE cDNA Amplification Kit (Clontech Inc, Palo Alto, CA, USA). The PCR products of RACE were purified with the Wizard PCR Preps DNA Purification System (Promega, Madison, WI, USA). ORF were found by the program SeqMan (DNA star, Madison, WI, USA) and the amino acid sequences were deduced with Primer5.0 (Primer Premier5.0, Premier, Canada). Using the pGEM T-easy vector, DNase I (RNase-free) and M-MLV reverse transcriptase from TaKaRa Dalian (Dalian, China), primers were synthesized (Table 1) and PCR products were sequenced by AuGCT Biotechnology (Bejing, China).
— Iteris to lead program management for implementation of over
$900 million transportation infrastructure projects –
SANTA ANA, Calif. — Iteris, Inc. (NYSE Amex: ITI), a leader in the traffic management market
that focuses on the application and development of advanced
technologies, today announced that the company has been awarded a major
contract to assist the South Bay Cities Council of Governments (SBCCOG)
located in Los Angeles County to develop an Implementation Plan and
provide Program/Project Management for the South Bay Measure R Highway
Program. Building on previous transportation study recommendations and
needed gap closures, this work will help move transportation projects
forward rapidly in partnership with Caltrans. Iteris will also assist
South Bay cities in facilitating document completion and streamlining
the construction process. This project will employ a monitoring system
to track progress and provide early identification of implementation
obstacles. The three-year contract, with funding provided from South Bay
Measure R Highway funds through the Los Angeles County Metropolitan
Transportation Authority (Metro), has a total value of $2.0 million.
Measure R is a one-half cent sales tax approved by Los Angeles County
voters in November 2008 to meet the transportation needs of Los Angeles
County. Metro oversees the distribution of the funds. The South Bay sub
region is expected to receive approximately $906 million over the
30-year life of Measure R. Although Measure R is expected to provide a
significant amount of funding to the South Bay, the intent of this
program is also to leverage the Measure R funds with other available and
possible new revenue sources.
“Iteris has a long history of assisting the South Bay Cities on
transportation projects,” said Abbas Mohaddes, president and chief
executive officer of Iteris. “We are delighted to provide our services
with this significant assignment to help implement such a significant
program to improve mobility in this important region of Los Angeles
County.” Mr. Mohaddes continued, “Additionally, this contract award is
an excellent example of how local transportation projects continue to
receive funding in these challenging economic times.”
ThreatMetrix, a fast growing provider of fraud prevention solutions that do not require personally identifiable information (PII), today announced that Adknowledge, the largest privately-owned ad network, has selected ThreatMetrix to help control online fraud and abuse on its Super Rewards platform for online games and social networks.
Super Rewards is a leading provider of monetization solutions for online games and social networks. The Super Rewards “offer wall” delivers highly targeted advertising offers to millions of global web site and social network users. Super Rewards allows online publishers to incorporate its monetization platform as a seamless and integral component to their online games. Online gamers can earn in-game points by completing offers, such as filling out surveys, watching videos, or subscribing to online services that are of value to them.
“We work with thousands of publishers with hundreds of millions of users around the world,” said Adam Caplan, vice president virtual currency, Adknowledge. “Some users are so passionate about the games they play that they will go to extraordinary lengths to acquire excess virtual currency, including abusing advertising offers that we make available on our platform. In other cases, fraudsters will use stolen credit cards or other abusive payment mechanisms to accumulate virtual currency to sell to others in the game for profit. Its critical for us to separate the abusers from the vast majority of users who are interested in the brands and the products they sign up for, or validly pay for the virtual currency they use.”
As online gaming continues to grow, Super Rewards understands that maintaining a strong fraud protection system is vital. In order to accomplish this goal, Super Rewards strengthened its in-house fraud prevention systems by adding the ThreatMetrix Fraud Network to its anti-fraud measures. ThreatMetrix global reputations, customizable rules, and tracking, greatly extend Super Rewards ability to mitigate abuse on specific levels, often before they reach its publishers.
“When users sign up for specific advertising offers without having any real interest in the associated brands or products, we risk degrading the quality of leads that we provide to advertisers,” said Caplan. “Our goal with the ThreatMetrix Fraud Network is to improve the quality of leads we provide to our advertisers and reduce the dollar amount of refunds and chargebacks from both payment technology providers and advertisers. The bottom line is that we jeopardize the integrity of our brand and the viability of our business if fraud and abuse are left unchecked. Thats why we partnered with ThreatMetrix to fortify our fraud protection systems.”
Readership Climbs 20% and Revenue Jumps 40% as New Projects
Attract Readers and Advertisers
SAN FRANCISCO — New partnerships, applications, important investigative reporting,
thought leadership and awards are attracting more readers and
advertisers to Salon.com,
the trusted news and culture site known for quality journalism. Salon
today announced that unique visits to the site are up by 20% for the
second quarter of 2010 over the same time period last year, while
revenue increased 40% over the same period.
While all referral traffic is up 120% year over year, Salon social media
traffic is up by a whopping 720%. Experts say referral traffic (from
search engines, social media sites, and third-party sites) is the key to
overall audience growth, but that it can be tricky to attract because it
is directly dependent on site content. If the content is meaningful and
well written, others will link to it.
The results come on the heels of steady growth in the previous quarter,
where the company also saw substantial growth in unique visitors and
referrals.
“As the cacophony of Internet-driven media grows ever louder, the
compelling perspective and crisp personality of Salon becomes ever more
attractive,” explained Salon Media Group CEO Richard Gingras. “We are
pleased that our efforts to evolve and expand Salon are bearing
excellent results.”
Expanded Availability Enhances Revenue Opportunities for Small and
Mid-Sized Businesses and Advertisers
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The Western Union Company (NYSE:WU) today announced the expanded
availability of the Western Union cash payment option for Google
AdSense. First introduced in a limited number of countries in November
2007, the reliable and flexible Western Union payment option is now
available in 30 countries including China, Morocco, Jamaica, Philippines
and Ecuador. The companies have recently added six new payout countries
including the UAE, Lebanon, Croatia, Moldova, Slovenia and Tunisia and
expect to add additional countries later this year.
AdSense is a program for online publishers who want to make money from
their online content–social networks, mobile applications, media and
news sites, blogs, e-commerce sites, and Web portals–by placing ads
against that content without requiring direct advertiser relationships
through their own sales force.
The Western Union payment option delivers cash payments quickly and
conveniently to site owners and publishers who use AdSense. Check
collection and clearing processes can be lengthy, especially when funds
are sent internationally. Western Union delivers AdSense revenue in cash
on the next business day following the payment, eliminating the lengthy
check clearing process.
SAN FRANCISCO — Biomagnetics Diagnostics Corp., (PINK SHEETS:BMGP
– News)
a developer of revolutionary technology for diagnostic systems for HIV,
hepatitis, tuberculosis and malaria detection, today announced the
signing of an agreement with Los Alamos National Security, LLC where Los
Alamos National Laboratory’s (LANL) scientific and engineering staffs
will attempt to identify new potential human tuberculosis biomarkers and
will develop a validated assay to detect human tuberculosis using a
currently known biomarker to be used in combination with the
waveguide-based optical biosensor platform for the detection of disease
causing pathogens, developed at LANL and recently licensed to
Biomagnetics Diagnostics late 2009.
These collaborative research efforts are designed to speed to market a
revolutionary device for human tuberculosis diagnosis. This device is
based on LANL developed pathogen detection methodologies that can detect
pathogens that inflict humans across the globe. Current state of the art
tuberculosis detection technologies rely mainly on using DNA signatures
and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or anti-body based enzyme-linked
immunoabsorbent (ELISA) assays, both of which require many hours to
produce results and ELISA does so with relatively low confidence because
of the low specificity of the assays. The integrated optical biosensor
technology that will result from this collaborative research effort may
prove to substantially reduce the time and expense, and increase the
sensitivity for human tuberculosis detection.
“We cannot think of a stronger partner to help us develop this
revolutionary technology for tuberculosis diagnosis and we are clearly
pleased to be working with all of the top-flight people at Los Alamos
National Security, LLC and LANL,” commented Clayton Hardman, CEO of
Biomagnetics. “The traditional definitive diagnosis of tuberculosis is
made by culturing Mycrobacterium tuberculosis organisms from a specimen
taken from the patient, an expensive and time-consuming approach to
diagnosis. Newer techniques such as the blood tests QuantiFERON-TB Gold
In Tube and T-SPOT TB, significantly speed diagnosis but are still quite
expensive and require highly trained personnel and specialized
facilities. Our development holds the promise to produce a revolutionary
device that can be used at the point of patient care by relatively
untrained personnel to diagnose human tuberculosis in a matter of
minutes at a cost profile that is significantly below what is likely
achievable by any other currently known methodology or system. Our goal
is to make this concept a reality for the medical and public health
communities over the short term.”
Melrose Jewelers USA: Melrose Jewelers, USAs #1 Online Rolex Watch Retailer, today announced the top 5 Rolex President watches demanded in the USA on its website, MelroseJewelers.com, this summer. These watches include both pave diamond dial presidents and string diamond dial presidents signifying a return to exuberant tastes in the luxury goods marketplace.
Vanessa Puzio of Melrose Jewelers states, “This is the 1st time in nearly 3 years where we have seen very high demand for diamond-encrusted Rolex President watches resurface, especially for men. The Rolex brand has been in the news for various reasons and it seems that the brand may be gaining back its market share at the $10,000 and $20,000 price points. With nearly 2 million users to our luxury goods website, MelroseJewelers.com has become an accurate barometer of consumer sentiment. That sentiment is turning very positive for the first time since the financial meltdown of 2008.”
Ranking from 1 to 5 in popularity, the Rolex President watches Men Women in the USA wanted are as follows. These models can be viewed by visiting Melrose Jewelers website (MelroseJewelers.com) and typing in the ID # (in parentheses) in the search box in the top left corner.
Melrose Jewelers is the nations leading online retailer of Rolex wrist watches including mens watches and ladies luxury watches and its associates have, collectively, over 220 years of experience in importing, restoring, and retailing Rolex and other luxury watches. Melrose Jewelers was founded with one simple premise: Buying a Rolex or other luxury watch shouldnt be mysterious or complicated. Similar to the innovative yet simple business models of Progressive Insurance, CarMax, or Blue Nile, Melrose Jewelers provides customers with low, no-haggle pricing, luxury used Rolex wristwatches that are either new and unworn or pre owned and restored to original factory specifications both inside and outside, and a comprehensive 2-year warranty. Melrose Jewelers also employs a staff of top university-educated Trained Experts that provide customer service that extends from your initial sales call until years after youve received your purchase. Melrose Jewelers is a proud member of the Jewelers Vigilance Committee, the Manufacturers and Jewelers Association of America, the International Watch Jewelry Guild, the National Association of Watch Collectors, and the California Sheriffs Association. Melrose Jewelers uses only Conflict-Free Diamonds and those imported through the Kimberley Process as signed into act by U.S. Congress in 2003. Melrose Jewelers is not an authorized agent or affiliated with Rolex USA, Rolex S.A., Rolex International, Breitling, or Patek Philippe luxury watches. Rolex Day Date, Rolex President, Rolex GMT Master, Rolex Daytona, Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust, Rolex PearlMaster, Rolex Masterpiece, Rolex Super President, Rolex Submariner, Rolex Yacht-Master, Rolex Explorer and Rolex Sea Dweller are all trademarks of Rolex S.A. Melrose Jewelers watches contain custom, aftermarket diamonds which will void the warranty of new Rolex watches. Melrose Jewelers warranties its watches directly and Rolex S.A. has no obligation to warranty any watches sold by Melrose Jewelers.
Readership Climbs 20% and Revenue Jumps 40% as New Projects
Attract Readers and Advertisers
SAN FRANCISCO — New partnerships, applications, important investigative reporting,
thought leadership and awards are attracting more readers and
advertisers to Salon.com,
the trusted news and culture site known for quality journalism. Salon
today announced that unique visits to the site are up by 20% for the
second quarter of 2010 over the same time period last year, while
revenue increased 40% over the same period.
While all referral traffic is up 120% year over year, Salon social media
traffic is up by a whopping 720%. Experts say referral traffic (from
search engines, social media sites, and third-party sites) is the key to
overall audience growth, but that it can be tricky to attract because it
is directly dependent on site content. If the content is meaningful and
well written, others will link to it.
The results come on the heels of steady growth in the previous quarter,
where the company also saw substantial growth in unique visitors and
referrals.
“As the cacophony of Internet-driven media grows ever louder, the
compelling perspective and crisp personality of Salon becomes ever more
attractive,” explained Salon Media Group CEO Richard Gingras. “We are
pleased that our efforts to evolve and expand Salon are bearing
excellent results.”
Innovative Solution Expected to Dramatically Expand Access to AR
for Users Worldwide; Empowers Designers, Agencies, Non-Programmers to
Develop AR Apps
LOS ANGELES — Total Immersion, the global leader in augmented reality, today announced
the launch of its new software and security solution: D’Fusion® for
Adobe® Flash® Player.
The product is the long-awaited solution to the increasing demand from
online marketing professionals and advertisers for easily accessible
augmented reality experiences for a wide audience of consumers. Adobe®
Flash® Player already reaches 99 percent of Internet-enabled desktops,
avoiding the need for an AR specific plug-in download.
The new release of D’Fusion® for Adobe® Flash® Player enables
development of applications with Adobe® Flash® ActionScript® language
using Marker-Less Tracking Lite (MLT) technology. This process uses
existing 2D and 3D materials to directly recognize images printed on the
packaging or the product itself. This is a significant advantage for
advertisers, since it does not require additional AR-specific markers on
the materials to trigger the experience.
In line with its content protection and “brand image” securing policy,
Total Immersion has proposed an innovative security mechanism with this
new module, preventing third parties from misusing media.
ThreatMetrix, a fast growing provider of fraud prevention solutions that do not require personally identifiable information (PII), today announced that Adknowledge, the largest privately-owned ad network, has selected ThreatMetrix to help control online fraud and abuse on its Super Rewards platform for online games and social networks.
Super Rewards is a leading provider of monetization solutions for online games and social networks. The Super Rewards “offer wall” delivers highly targeted advertising offers to millions of global web site and social network users. Super Rewards allows online publishers to incorporate its monetization platform as a seamless and integral component to their online games. Online gamers can earn in-game points by completing offers, such as filling out surveys, watching videos, or subscribing to online services that are of value to them.
“We work with thousands of publishers with hundreds of millions of users around the world,” said Adam Caplan, vice president virtual currency, Adknowledge. “Some users are so passionate about the games they play that they will go to extraordinary lengths to acquire excess virtual currency, including abusing advertising offers that we make available on our platform. In other cases, fraudsters will use stolen credit cards or other abusive payment mechanisms to accumulate virtual currency to sell to others in the game for profit. Its critical for us to separate the abusers from the vast majority of users who are interested in the brands and the products they sign up for, or validly pay for the virtual currency they use.”
As online gaming continues to grow, Super Rewards understands that maintaining a strong fraud protection system is vital. In order to accomplish this goal, Super Rewards strengthened its in-house fraud prevention systems by adding the ThreatMetrix Fraud Network to its anti-fraud measures. ThreatMetrix global reputations, customizable rules, and tracking, greatly extend Super Rewards ability to mitigate abuse on specific levels, often before they reach its publishers.
“When users sign up for specific advertising offers without having any real interest in the associated brands or products, we risk degrading the quality of leads that we provide to advertisers,” said Caplan. “Our goal with the ThreatMetrix Fraud Network is to improve the quality of leads we provide to our advertisers and reduce the dollar amount of refunds and chargebacks from both payment technology providers and advertisers. The bottom line is that we jeopardize the integrity of our brand and the viability of our business if fraud and abuse are left unchecked. Thats why we partnered with ThreatMetrix to fortify our fraud protection systems.”
It seems like a paradox, but eating actually can help you maintain a healthy weight and even lose a few pounds, especially when comes to breakfast. Many of us skimp on this important first meal of the day, either because were in a rush or it seems like a good place to cut a few calories. Unfortunately, this usually leads to feeling starved by mid-morning. Thats when the temptation is greatest to grab a doughnut or other carb-dense food for a quick (and counterproductive) energy fix. Studies have shown that people who eat a healthy breakfast have an easier time dieting (because theyre not hungry all the time) and are better at keeping off the weight they lose. Of course, this isnt license to start the day with a stack of syrup-drenched pancakes. Instead, choose foods that are low-calorie and filling, such as fresh fruits and vegetables or low-fat dairy products, such as yogurt or skim milk. Like fruits and vegetables, whole-grain cereals are filled with plenty of nutrients and dietary fiber, which makes you feel full longer.
TIC Gums has introduced a line of stabilizers for protein beverages. TIC Pretested Colloid 760 MB Powder is a unique stabilizer blend for pasteurized chocolate milk, syrup, eggnog and buttermilk. Dairyblend MB2 stabilizes chocolate dairy and milk beverages, especially those that require challenging ultra high-temperature processes. Meanwhile, the Ticaloid 875 gum system was specially developed for use in protein fortified products, including those that are identified as 95% organic.
Veria, the premier natural health and wellness TV network, is pleased to announce that it will donate a Choke Cherry tree to Chicagos Kilbourn Park and Organic Greenhouse. The indigenous plant, also known as Prunus Virginiana, is most commonly known for producing the berries that give jam, jelly or syrup its distinctive, rich flavor.
Kilbourn Park and Organic Greenhouse is highly regarded as one of Chicagos natural outlets for educational outreach and harvesting programs. In 2008, the park received the first-ever public fruit tree orchard in a major metropolitan city. Verias Choke Cherry tree will be added to the bountiful selection of apple, pear, plum and cherry trees already in blossom at the park.
The “organic” donation reinforces Verias belief that real change and real results in communities across America can only be achieved through charitable partnerships, social causes and philanthropic initiatives.
“At Veria, our vision is to inspire and promote understanding, appreciation and progress in natural health and wellness in cities and towns across the great American landscape,” says Hal Rosenberg, General Manager of Veria. “Giving back to the diverse communities where Americans live, work and play is a natural extension of Veria as a lifestyle brand, television network and digital media website.”
As the leading natural health and wellness TV network, Verias philosophy is that good health is a fundamental, and necessary, right shared by all, regardless of age, gender and ethnicity. With more than 26 original, entertaining lifestyle-themed series, Veria TV shines the spotlight on the human faces and stories of people across the country.
Enhancing Connectivity and Storage Solutions in the Northeast Natural
Gas Market
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Inergy, L.P. (NYSE:NRGY) (“Inergy”) announced today that its wholly
owned, regulated subsidiary Central New York Oil And Gas Company, LLC
(“CNYOG”) has executed the binding precedent agreements necessary for
the filing of regulatory applications and construction of the previously
announced MARC I Hub Line Project.
Inergy’s MARC I Hub Line Project and the previously announced
North-South Project, when placed into service, will allow Inergy to
wheel volumes on a firm transportation basis through approximately 75
miles of pipe to and from Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company’s (“TGP”) 300
Line (“TGP”), Transco’s Leidy Line (“Transco”), and the Millennium
Pipeline and all points in between. The two projects combined are
expected to add over 45,000 horsepower of additional compression and
875,000 dekatherms per day of transportation capacity to Inergy’s
midstream business in the Northeast.
The MARC I Hub Line Project is a 43 mile, 30” bi-directional pipeline
located in Bradford, Sullivan, and Lycoming counties in Pennsylvania.
The planned pipeline will extend between Inergy’s Stagecoach South
Lateral Interconnect with TGP near its compressor station 319 and
Transco near its compressor station 517. The MARC I Hub Line Project is
expected to have a minimum of 550,000 dekatherms per day of firm
transportation capacity. Inergy has reached commercial terms and
executed precedent agreements with minimum ten-year terms with anchor
shippers. Inergy has commenced a binding open season to determine the
final size and scope of the project which will conclude Friday, July 16,
2010. Inergy expects to file a Natural Gas Act 7(c) application with the
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for a Certificate of Public
Convenience and Necessity this summer. Inergy expects the MARC I Hub
Line Project to be placed into service in mid-2012.
The planned North-South Project consists of adding additional
compression and measurement facilities to the existing Inergy Stagecoach
Laterals and when completed is expected to have firm transportation
capacity of 325,000 dekatherms per day. The North-South Project is
supported by long-term contracts and is expected to be placed into
service by late 2011.
INTRODUCTION Zearalenone (ZEA) is produced by Fusarium fungi growing on grains worldwide and is mostly found in its derived products. Concentrations depend on climatic conditions, as well as on the conditions of feed storage and production (Rotter et al., 1996; Voss et al., 2007). With a similar structure to estrogen, zearalenone has been demonstrated to affect swine reproduction (Etienne and Jemmali, 1982; Young et al., 1990). Besides its estrogenic effects, zearalenone has also been shown to be hepatotoxic (Maaroufi et al., 1996), immunotoxic (Abbes et al., 2006), and genotoxic (Abbes et al., 2007) under high dosages in different species. In swine, zearalenone research has mainly focussed on breeding performance and the reproductive system (Long and Diekman, 1984) with little information of the effect of ZEA on nutrient availability. In addition, most toxicological data on animals has been obtained using medium to high doses of ZEA (2 to 90 mg/kg of feed). Such high dosages are not commonly found in animal feeds; therefore, one of the objectives of the present study was to investigate the effects of ZEA in pigs under low dosage. Clay enterosorbent has been used in feeds for counteracting mycotoxicoses in farm animals for several decades (Mayura et al., 1998; Abbes et al., 2007). Although in vitro data have shown that clay enterosorbent could effectively bind ZEA (Sabater-V et al., 2007; Feng et al., 2008), its in vivo effectiveness has not been thoroughly examined. Information on the effects of different levels of natural clay enterosorbent on the growth, nutrient availability, and genital organs of post-weaning female pigs fed low levels of ZEA is only fragmentary and conflicting. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of low ZEA dosage (1 mg/kg) on growth performance, nutrient availability, vulva size, relative weights of genital organs and histological damage of the ovary in post-weaning female pigs; efficacy of a clay enterosorbent in preventing ZEA-induced adverse effects was also evaluated. MATERIALS AND METHODS
Positions Merck to Capitalize on Opportunities for Global Growth
WHITEHOUSE STATION, N.J. — Merck Co., Inc. (NYSE: MRK), known outside the U.S. and Canada as MSD,
today provided further detail on integration plans for the companys
research and development, manufacturing and other business operations as
part of a global restructuring program announced following the November
2009 merger of Merck and Schering-Plough. The consolidation plans
support Mercks strategic direction as a customer focused, innovative
and diversified global health care company, and position the company to
invest in key areas for future growth, including emerging markets,
biologics, vaccines and consumer care.
Merck today announced plans to phase out operations at eight research
sites and eight manufacturing sites, as well as to continue to
consolidate office facilities worldwide, as part of the global merger
restructuring program that began last December. The goal of the
restructuring is to create a flexible RD organization that cultivates
scientific innovation, facilitates external collaboration and drives
pipeline progress and a reliable, more fully utilized and cost efficient
worldwide manufacturing supply chain to support Mercks broader product
portfolio.
Merck continues to expect its total workforce to be reduced by
approximately 15 percent across all areas of the combined company
worldwide as part of the initial phases of its merger restructuring
program. The company said it will continue to hire new employees in
strategic growth areas of the business as necessary.
“Today’s announcement is another important step as we successfully
integrate our global operations on schedule and move forward with
Mercks strategic priorities,” said Richard T. Clark, chairman and chief
executive officer of Merck. “These changes are crucial to drive future
growth and realize the promise of being a global health care leader for
the long term. While we believe these actions are necessary to support
Mercks competitive advantage, they required difficult decisions that
will impact some of our colleagues, their families and local
communities. We will implement our restructuring plans with the utmost
care and respect for the hard-working and talented employees of Merck,”
he said.
Women in Kenya remain disadvantaged, with opportunities for educational, social, and economic advancement inferior to those of men. Women are underrepresented in modern sector wage employment, political and judicial decision making, and all major public service appointments. Numerous social, economic, and cultural barriers limit womens participation in these areas. But womens underrepresentation in education is a primary factor. The benefits of womens education to women and to society in general are immense. In the workplace, education increases skills needed for job entry, improves chances of vertical mobility, and enhances overall labor market productivity. It also has positive consequences at home, including improved health, increased child survival rates, reduced fertility rates, lower infant mortality rates, and better protection against HIV and AIDS (Tembon and Fort 2008). Education of women and girls is therefore not only a moral and human rights issue, but also an economic and development issue. Given the significant benefits of womens education, equity in education is essential to improving circumstances for all Kenyans. As the leading provider of education, the government should acknowledge that compensatory mechanisms may be required to level the playing field for disadvantaged girls, and it should adopt an approach that uses these mechanisms. Making education equitable means adopting policies and initiatives that support equal provisions across genders. Female Education in Kenya Education in Kenya has four basic levels: preschool (ages 4-6), primary (ages 7-14), secondary (ages 15-18), and tertiary. Since attaining political independence from Great Britain in 1963, the Kenyan government has emphasized educations importance to economic development. It has also increased the number of schools at all levels, from about six thousand primary and 150 secondary schools in 1963 to almost twenty thousand primary and four thousand secondary schools in 2004. As a result, the student population has increased substantially, with over 700 percent growth at the primary level and almost 3,000 percent growth at the secondary level (Ministry of Education 2007). But this total expansion in education hides disparities by gender and region.
Virgin Bingo had an extremely lucky winner on Friday night. Brand new customer, “Scattyhat”, won GBP 31,470 on the Virtue Fusion slot, Mayan Mania. Scattyhat, from Shoreham by Sea in Sussex, is a new player who came across Virgin Bingo only three weeks ago simply by typing “bingo” into an online search engine.
Scattyhat, who recently returned from a holiday in Greece, told Virgin Bingo: “The massive win still hasnt sunk in! I plan to use my prize money to pay off bills, and with whats left over, who knows? Maybe another holiday in Greece?!”
Alan Thomas, Head of CRM at Virgin Games, commented: “Im thrilled to bits that Virgin Bingo has produced another big winner. This sort of money, particularly in these current harder times, can make a real difference to a persons life, and we hope Scattyhat enjoys every penny!”
Scattyhat won the bronze pot from a GBP 2 spin, when 5 x Mayan Volcanoes appeared on a win line.
BURBANK, Calif. — Disney Interactive Studios today announced that after an explosive
release for video game consoles, Windows PC and iPhone in May, Split/Second
will be speeding onto the PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system and PSPGo. Split/Second,
which was named Best Racing Game by Game Critics Awards: Best of E3
2009, is expected to be available for these new handheld systems this
holiday season.
In Split/Second, players don’t just race to the finish line to
beat their opponents, they build up their power meter through deft
driving and triggering “power plays,” explosive moments that take out
opponents or alter the track. The game takes place within a
hyper-competitive reality television show with city-sized sets rigged
for destruction. Each track has numerous power plays that can be
strategically triggered by skilled drivers. Competitors in Split/Second
don’t just collide with other vehicles to knock them from the track —
they can trigger blockbuster action film-like explosive events that
drastically alter the dynamics of the race. Players must use strategy
and pinpoint timing to derail opponents, tactically alter the track or
create entirely new routes.
“Split/Second has become a hit with fans of racing and action
games, and is the perfect fit for the PSP system,” said Craig Relyea,
senior vice president of global marketing, Disney Interactive Studios.
“The explosive track altering features and fast arcade racing will have
PSP system players worldwide playing it on-the-go or at home.”
Split/Second for the PSP system will include unique handling and
controls designed specifically for Sony’s premier handheld game
platform. The game will feature an exclusive new track and challenges
not found on the current versions. In addition, the game also includes
four-player local multiplayer.
John Cho and Kal Penn Head the Ensemble Cast in the First 3-D
Installment of the Comedy Franchise
BURBANK, Calif. — The ensemble cast has been set for Mandate Pictures’ and New Line
Cinema’s third installment of the Harold Kumar film franchise, which
began with the 2004 cult hit “Harold Kumar Go to White Castle.” John
Cho (“Star Trek,” TV’s “Flash Forward”) and Kal Penn (“Superman
Returns,” TV’s “House”) reprise their title roles in the holiday-themed
comedy, which recently began principal photography on location in
Michigan.
The first of the Harold Kumar comedies to be shot in 3-D, the film is
being directed by Todd Strauss-Schulson, marking his major feature film
directorial debut. Academy Award®-winning producer Greg
Shapiro (“The Hurt Locker”) and Mandate president Nathan Kahane return
as producers. The screenplay is by Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg,
who wrote the previous two movies and directed the second, “Harold and
Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay.” They are also serving as
co-producers, together with Nicole Brown, who is overseeing the project
on behalf of Mandate.
It would not be a “Harold Kumar” film without Neil Patrick Harris, who
reunites with Cho and Penn in the cast. Returning “Harold Kumar” cast
members also include Paula Garcés (TV’s “The Shield”) as Maria; Danneel
Harris (TV’s “One Tree Hill”) as Vanessa; Bobby Lee (“Pineapple
Express”) as Kenneth Park; and Eddie Kaye Thomas (“American Pie,” HBO’s
“How to Make It in America”) as Rosenberg.
Joining the “Harold Kumar” ensemble are Tom Lennon (“17 Again,” TV’s
“Reno 911”) and Danny Trejo (“Grindhouse”). Rounding out the new film
cast are Amir Blumenfeld (TV’s “Pranked,” CollegeHumor.com), David
Burtka (TV’s “How I Met Your Mother”), Fred Melamed (“A Serious Man”),
Patton Oswalt (“The Informant!”) and Richard Riehle (“Halloween II”).
Despite the U.S. Supreme Courts recent finding in favor of the employer in City of Ontario v. Quon, the now famous “sexting” case serves as a wake-up call for employers in both the public and private sectors, warns Charles G. Meyer, Chair of LeClairRyans Labor Employment practice team. While the decision specifically addresses public employees expected rights to privacy and whether the citys audit of its employee text messages violated the Fourth Amendment issue of employee expectations of privacy while using employer technology, the ruling has broad implications for virtually every employer in this age of emailing, texting, tweeting and Facebooking.
The Supreme Courts June 17th ruling reversed an earlier decision by the Ninth Circuit Court and unanimously held that a public employers search of text messages sent and received by an employee on a city-owned pager was reasonable and did not violate the employees Fourth Amendment right to privacy because the search was motivated by a legitimate work related purpose. Notwithstanding this ruling in the employers favor, the case highlights important lessons for public and private employers seeking both to manage employee expectations of privacy in electronic communications and to preserve the ability to monitor employee use of company resources, Meyer notes. As the Court observed under the circumstances of the case, this particular search would be regarded as “reasonable and normal in the private employer context.”
One of the most critical takeaways for employers in this case is the importance of having a written policy addressing privacy and employee communications in place. “Although the Supreme Court assumed, without deciding, that Quon had a reasonable expectation of privacy in his text messages, it hinted that the existence of a written policy would be a relevant factor in evaluating any employees expectation of privacy,” Meyer explains. “The implication is clear. In order to preserve the ability to monitor employee use of company-owned equipment while simultaneously limiting potential liability for that monitoring, employers should maintain written policies regarding employee use of electronic equipment and communications.”
Additionally, employers are well-advised to review and update such policies on a regular basis to ensure they continue to cover all relevant forms of communication and equipment. Meyer points out that “a policy written just a few years ago might not be sufficient to address equipment and applications that have emerged as some of the fastest-growing communication channels recently. While there is no arguing against the potential advantages this new wave of communication processes can provide, when that communication is taking place through company-owned devices and networks, it raises a host of new concerns, including both privacy and liability.”
Besides being regularly reviewed and updated to encompass any relevant new communication technology that might have emerged since the previous review, employers written electronic communications policies should explicitly state that employees messaging and communications on electronic devices issued by the company are subject to monitoring, and that employees have no expectation of privacy in the use of such devices, Meyer advises. Employers should require all employees to sign a document acknowledging they have read and understand the companys policy.
Red Herring announced its Top 100 Award in recognition of the leading private technology companies from North America, celebrating these startups innovations and technologies across their respective industries. Red Herring editors were among the first to recognize companies such as Facebook, Twitter, Google, Yahoo, Skype, Salesforce.com, YouTube, and eBay would change the way we live and work. “Choosing the companies with the strongest potential was by no means a small feat,” said Alex Vieux, publisher and CEO of Red Herring. “After rigorous contemplation and discussion, we narrowed our list down from hundreds of candidates from across North America to the Top 100 Winners.” Mr. Vieux continued, “We believe PanTerra embodies the vision, drive and innovation that define a successful entrepreneurial venture.”
Technology Marketing Corporation (TMC) also named WorldSmart as a recipient of its 2009 Unified Communications magazine Product of the Year Award. Rich Tehrani, CEO, TMC was quoted saying, “It is an honor to grant PanTerra the 2009 Product of the Year Award for WorldSmart. PanTerra has proven their dedication to quality and excellence while supporting the needs in the marketplace.” Mr. Tehrani continued, “We look forward to seeing continued advancement in technology solutions from PanTerra in the future.”
Arthur Chang said, “We believe the receipt of these esteemed awards reflects PanTerras continuing commitment to delivering the most comprehensive cloud-based Unified Communications solution available and wrapping that solution with a company committed to excellence in customer support and long term satisfaction. Our growing customer list is a result of these commitments. We are proud to be recognised by both Red Herring and TMC.”
ThreatMetrix, a fast growing provider of fraud prevention solutions that do not require personally identifiable information (PII), today announced that Adknowledge, the largest privately-owned ad network, has selected ThreatMetrix to help control online fraud and abuse on its Super Rewards platform for online games and social networks.
Super Rewards is a leading provider of monetization solutions for online games and social networks. The Super Rewards “offer wall” delivers highly targeted advertising offers to millions of global web site and social network users. Super Rewards allows online publishers to incorporate its monetization platform as a seamless and integral component to their online games. Online gamers can earn in-game points by completing offers, such as filling out surveys, watching videos, or subscribing to online services that are of value to them.
“We work with thousands of publishers with hundreds of millions of users around the world,” said Adam Caplan, vice president virtual currency, Adknowledge. “Some users are so passionate about the games they play that they will go to extraordinary lengths to acquire excess virtual currency, including abusing advertising offers that we make available on our platform. In other cases, fraudsters will use stolen credit cards or other abusive payment mechanisms to accumulate virtual currency to sell to others in the game for profit. Its critical for us to separate the abusers from the vast majority of users who are interested in the brands and the products they sign up for, or validly pay for the virtual currency they use.”
As online gaming continues to grow, Super Rewards understands that maintaining a strong fraud protection system is vital. In order to accomplish this goal, Super Rewards strengthened its in-house fraud prevention systems by adding the ThreatMetrix Fraud Network to its anti-fraud measures. ThreatMetrix global reputations, customizable rules, and tracking, greatly extend Super Rewards ability to mitigate abuse on specific levels, often before they reach its publishers.
“When users sign up for specific advertising offers without having any real interest in the associated brands or products, we risk degrading the quality of leads that we provide to advertisers,” said Caplan. “Our goal with the ThreatMetrix Fraud Network is to improve the quality of leads we provide to our advertisers and reduce the dollar amount of refunds and chargebacks from both payment technology providers and advertisers. The bottom line is that we jeopardize the integrity of our brand and the viability of our business if fraud and abuse are left unchecked. Thats why we partnered with ThreatMetrix to fortify our fraud protection systems.”
CHICAGO — Navigant Consulting, Inc. (NYSE: NCI) announced today that Dr. Mohan Rao
has joined Navigant Economics as a Managing Director in Chicago.
Dr. Rao specializes in economic analysis in complex intellectual
property and antitrust litigation, including patent and trademark
infringement, misappropriation of trade secrets, false advertising,
commercial success, and antitrust analysis ranging from monopolization
and exclusive dealing to price discrimination and price fixing. He is a
nationally recognized expert on intellectual property issues facing
corporations in transactions and complex litigation including valuation,
business strategy, and the interplay between intellectual property and
antitrust.
“Intellectual assets continue to be a strategic and economic focus for
companies across many industries and geographies,” stated John Garvey,
Managing Director at Navigant Economics. “Dr. Rao’s intellectual
property expertise spans the array of services companies require to
protect and maximize those assets. His addition will substantially
expand the breadth and depth of our offerings to our clients.”
Dr. Rao has served as an economics expert in U.S. and foreign courts and
in domestic and international arbitration proceedings on significant
litigation matters. Dr. Rao teaches finance in the McCormick School of
Engineering and Applied Science at Northwestern University. Earlier, he
served on the faculty at UCLA and as a Teaching Fellow at Harvard
University. He has taught and published on a wide range of topics,
including intellectual property valuation and strategy, high technology
competition, econometrics, international trade, and defense economics.
Select publications include the chapters on “Econometric Analysis” and
“Economic Analysis in Securities Class Actions” in the Litigation
Services Handbook and “Innovation Markets” in Market Definition
in Antitrust: Theory and Case Studies.
Dr. Rao served as the Chair of the Valuation Committee of the Licensing
Executives Society and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the
Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago, on the Board of Trustees of the
Rotary/One Foundation, and is a member of the Economic Club of Chicago.
Caribbean Casino and Gaming Corp (PINKSHEETS: CGAQ) announced today that it is providing a comp system for all participating restaurants, bars, fishing boats, snorkeling trips, hotels and golf courses via its “All Inclusive City Comps.” The new comp system will allow players to Name their Place and receive comp certificates to a wide variety of entertainment and dining establishments throughout the city of Sosua, and Santiago, thereafter.
CEO Steven Swank stated, “Offering an all inclusive city to our VIP players motivates them to play more and show our appreciation for their play time while building customer loyalty. There is no other system like this in the Dominican Republic and it will attract more visitors from the United States.”
The new comp system is based on a working relationship with the local entertainment companies where those same companies work for the casino by distributing match play tickets to every customer for every purchase that is made. It offers non-stop branding with a call to action for every customer patronizing participating establishments.
Mr. Swank continued, “Unlike others typical local promotions that entail printed flyers pushed into a non-visible corner of an establishment, CGAQ will have their name in front of every customer within participating establishments. Further, it is not just a branding campaign, it offers a call to action campaign with our progressive match play program. The more the customers buy from participating establishments, the more they get in match play. This motivates customers to buy more locally and ensure distribution is in place. Once they are in the door, our staff will ensure they have a great time playing with their match play and more.”
CGAQ plans to bring the progressive match play program, with its all inclusive city comp system, to all surrounding cities including Caberette. The program maximizes the physical locations ability to profit, while it builds a bigger clientele for its online gaming and sports wagering division.
Association is 38th state hotel and lodging association to endorse
Heartland
PRINCETON, N.J. — The Texas Hotel Lodging Association (THLA) has selected Heartland
Payment Systems, one of the nation’s largest payments processors, as its
exclusive endorsed provider of card processing, gift marketing, payroll
services, tip management and check management services. The THLA is a
non-profit trade organization that represents all aspects of the lodging
and tourism industry in the state of Texas. With more than 1,800
members, the THLA is the second largest hotel association in the
country.
“The savings and value that Heartland offers hotels has resulted in
Heartland becoming the official endorsed vendor for the members of the
Texas Hotel Lodging Association,” said Scott Joslove, president/CEO of
the THLA. “We are joining forces with Heartland because it offers a
comprehensive suite of business products and services — including the
first-ever unified payments processing platform in the lodging industry.
Our membership will benefit greatly from the expertise and service
Heartland provides.”
The THLA is the 38th state hotel and lodging association that endorses
Heartland. Heartland is the official preferred provider of card
processing, gift marketing, payroll services, tip management and check
management for the American Hotel Lodging Association.
“Heartland’s payments and related business solutions provide hotel
owners and operators with the ability to improve their bottom lines and
their businesses,” said Dennis Carpenter, Heartland’s director of
association alliances. “We look forward to serving properties throughout
Texas — from the largest hotel and conference center to the most
charming bed and breakfast.”
Despite Rising Airfares, Travelers Can Still Keep Budgets in Check by
Looking to Hotel Bargains Like Free-Night Stays and Pricing Discounts
“Coming to terms with the fact that the cheap summer airfares of last
year are a thing of the past, we want to show travelers it’s absolutely
still possible to keep travel costs within reason,” said Lesley Harris,
vice president of hotels and vacation packaging for Travelocity. “Hotels
and vacation packages are without a doubt where the biggest savings can
be found, and with the launch of the ‘Free Summer Nights’ sale, this
season’s dream travel experiences are back within reach.”
With similar value-adding hotel promotions, and the addition of new
money-saving tools like Top
Secret Hotels, where customers can shop hotels and find unpublished
rates that are up to 45 percent off three- and four-star hotels,
Travelocity is giving price-conscious consumers an extra boost of
confidence to take a well-deserved vacation. Travelocity customers who
book a hotel or vacation package during the “Free Summer Nights” sale,
between June 18 and August 31, 2010, for stays through September 30,
2010, will receive the 2nd, 3rd or 4th
night stay for free at popular participating hotels in many of this
summer’s top destinations, from San Diego to Vancouver to Cabo San
Lucas, including:
HOUSTON — Rick’s Cabaret International, Inc. (NASDAQ: RICK), the nation’s
leading chain of upscale gentlemen’s clubs, had revenues of $6.36
million at its nightclubs in June.
The June revenues brought total nightclub sales for the company’s third
quarter ending June 30 to $19.58 million.
Eric Langan, President and CEO of the company, said: “Generally
our revenues are holding up, although we are working on improving sales
at several clubs that have been impacted by market-specific economic
weakness.”
Companywide revenues were up 4.2 percent compared with the $6.1 million
reported in 2009. Same club-same month revenues compared with 2009 were
off 5.4 percent, primarily because of lower revenues at the Las Vegas
Rick’s Cabaret and at the Club Onyx locations in Philadelphia and
Charlotte.
Food Ingredients business reports record sales and operating
profits for the quarter.
Consolidated gross margin improved and operating loss declined.
Debt was reduced $35 million during first 9 months of FY’10.
CENTENNIAL, Colo. — Penford Corporation (Nasdaq:PENX), a leader in renewable, natural-based
ingredient systems for industrial and food applications, today reported
that consolidated sales for the quarter ended May 31, 2010 were $61.9
million compared with $61.3 million a year ago. Diluted loss per share,
including discontinued operations, was $0.51. Net loss from continuing
operations was $5.8 million, or $0.49 per diluted share, compared to a
net loss of $4.3 million, or $0.39 per diluted share last year. A table
summarizing third quarter results from continuing operations is shown
below:
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| « Aug | ||||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
| 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
| 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
| 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | |||
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