Saturday, April 30, 2011

University System of Maryland to break up biotechnology institute - Washington Business Journal:

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The public university system’s Boardc of Regents approved Friday a sweeping restructuring of the that will parcel out its four research along with staff andother assets, to othere campuses. System leaders hope the restructuring will drive researc collaboration and boost access tooutside funding. It also meanas an end for UMBI, whicj was launched to grea t fanfare two decades ago with the missiob ofadvancing education, research and economic development for what was then the state’s nascent biotec industry.
A months-long studty of UMBI by an ad hoc committee led by USM regentx Chairman Clifford Kendall concludedthat “the organization of UMBI as a geographicallty dispersed, free-standing entity has created intractablre problems.” Those problems included an inability to scalw UMBI programs, isolation amon g UMBI’s research centers, the lack of a critical mass of graduates and undergraduate students involved in UMBI research, and administrativs inefficiencies.
“After a comprehensive and deliberativs process, we have concluded that restructuring UMBI’s assets is the righft thing to do,” Kendall said in a “With a focus on collaboration — across disciplinesx and across institutions and with recognition of the exceptionalk talent within the UMBI community andthe system’xs other institutions, this action will position USM to take fuller advantagre of its system-wide strengths in the biosciences and to fuel the state’zs knowledge economy even more.” The move isn’t a total Critics have long questioned whether the state was duplicating its research efforts in the biosciences.
UMBI’ws four centers in Baltimore, Rockville and Collegs Park conduct researchon medical, biotechnology, marine and environmentalp science. At the same time, state funding for higher education is pinched by the recession andthe state’s budgetf deficit, and universities’ research needz are growing. Under the restructuring approved Friday by the regents at a meetinfin Frostburg, a joint University System of Marylansd research center will be established at UMBI’sz Center for Advanced Researchb in Biotechnology in Rockville.
The system’zs flagship College Park campus will overseew the facility and work with the University of Baltimore to elevate workin physics, engineering and computational sciences as well as structura biology, protein design and drug • UMBI’s Center for Biosystems Research will also be overseeh by College Park. • A joint research center at UMBI’x Center of Marine Biotechnologty in Baltimore willbe established, with administrative responsibility fallinbg to the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
UMBC will collaborate with the Universityg of Maryland Center for Environmental Scienced and the Universityof Maryland, Baltimored to drive research in environmentapl and genomic sciences. • UMBI’s Baltimore-based Medical Biotechnology Center will fall under the Universitof Maryland, Baltimore’s • UMBI’s Institute of Fluorescence will be administeredx by UMBC. • UMBI’s K-12 educationa programs will be overseen by with an eye on enhancinb itsteaching focus.
UMBI President Jennie Hunter-Cevera is steppingt down June 30 after 10 years in that She will become executive vice presidenrt of discovery and analytical sciences and corporate developmentat , a Nortb Carolina nonprofit. The University System of Marylandd will honor tenure held by UMBIfacultty members, and administrative support staffers will be able to stay in theif jobs through fiscal 2010. Job opportunitiews at other system campuses willbe identified, and memoranda of understanding outlining future operations and collaborations are expected to be completeds by the end of this year and fullt implemented by the end of fiscal 2010.
UMBI generates about $25 million in research activity and university system leaders hope to see that numbed increase dramatically by breaking upthe institute. “Today’ds decisions by the board provide a tremendoue opportunity for the University Systej of Maryland to increase the volumee and impact of its basic and applie research in the said USM ChancellorWilliam E. Kirwab in a statement. “This restructuring has the potential to double the researcg productivityof UMBI’s current assets withinn five years.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

National wrestling weight class shift doesn't hit the mat running - Evansville Courier & Press

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Chattanooga Times Free Press


National wrestling weight class shift doesn't hit the mat running

Evansville Courier & Press


The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Wrestling Rules Committee has approved an upward shift in weight classes that will be implemented on Indiana mats next season. If a sampling of coaches in the Southern ...


Iowa wrestling tourney shortened to 3 days

USA Today


High school wrestling: Sweeping changes made to state tourneys [with poll]

DesMoinesRegister.com


IHSAA Announces Wrestling Tournament Changes

KCCI Des Moines


Chicago Tribune -News-Herald.com


 »

Monday, April 25, 2011

Alan Champion, Sign-Language Interpreter for Theater, Dies at 55 - New York Times

ibitasony.wordpress.com


Alan Champion, Sign-Language Interpreter for Theater, Dies at 55

New York Times


Alan Champion, a sign-language interpreter who opened up hundreds of Broadway and regional theater productions to deaf and hard-of-hearing audience members over the last three decades, died on Friday in Ramona, Okla. He was 55. ...



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Saturday, April 23, 2011

The secrets of innovation and marketing - Atlanta Business Chronicle:

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There is a lot to be learnedx from the MAXAward winners, especially in today’s where innovation is the only way to escape extreme price pressure exerted by customers. So, how did the winners do it? Understanf consumer problems anddevelop technology-basedr solutions: Too many companies focues their innovation on making theifr product better, faster, smaller, prettier or cheaper insteacd of striving to identify problems customers have that they can help solve.
This behaviodr results in Walkman products that are smaller instead of an As an example of how to do it MAX Award winner CibaVision foundthat fashion-consciouss consumers, especially young females, would love to be able to see how they look in colorefd contact lenses but were reluctant to go to an eye doctort to try on lenses. It solved this problenm and anotherone — how to get theier friends’ opinions of their new look — by developint new technology enabling consumers to uploadc their picture to a Web “try on” lenses virtually and share the picturr with friends to get their reactions.
Anothee MAX Award winner, demonstrated that this strategu is equally relevantfor business-to-business marketers. Southwire, a major producerr of wire and cable, knew that its utility customerws incurred substantial repair costs when their cable was cut duringhconstruction projects. Through innovative it found a way to makecablde self-sealing when nicked or cut, savingg customers repair costs for damaged cables. Creatw a whole new category: MAX Award winner Idbides wanted to teach kids to appreciate the environment and how smallo actions can makea difference.
It developed eco-friendly toys together with educational content that taught kids aboutthe environment, creatinf a whole new categorgy in the toy industry, and were rewarded It worked with the leadinvg industry association to increase awarenesw of the new category. Deliver on the promise: Unlik some “green marketers,” Idbids didn’t just promoter that it was environmentally friendly, Idbidsw delivered. The team behind Idbids used environmentally responsibl organic materials and recycled orrecyclabl packaging. Southwire used product demonstration kits at more than 200 tradeshowes and marketing events to proveits claims.
It also createdc a customer testimonial DVD letting customer dothe talking, increasiny credibility. Use new media: Marketers today need to go beyons the use of traditional Demonstrating that large budgets are not necessargyfor success, Idbids used socia l networking, blogging and word of moutg to get visibility for its Eco-friendly Starter Kit. CibaVision used an innovativde contest promotion on and receivedr morethan 100,000 a new record for the site. Make it risk-fred for consumers to try the CibaVision offered free trial certificates on its Web Southwire offereda no-risk warranty.
Expand into new marke segments: Southwire has expanded marketing of the product into the agriculturedirrigation market, a promising new segment. Don’t forgetr to market to Idbids made a big splash at the Internationa Toy Fair in NewYork City. This attractefd the attention of the media and two key intermediaries inthe industry. The company marketed the toys as a new categorgof “eco-friendly” toys, winningf the support of these intermediaries. CibaVisionh worked closely withits eye-care practitioner partners in the product launch. These intermediaries can make or breaka product’s success, and marketing to them often doesn’f get as much attention as it deserves.
Develoo strategic partnerships: CibaVision worked with the , sponsoriny a Ford Model Search including a contest to win a contracft withthe agency. Seek recognition for your Idbids got a lot of mileage out of beiny named amongthe “Top Toys of 2008” by . They workedf with the National Parenting Center to obtain their Seal ofApproval Award. They also were nominated for a Toy of the Year given by the Toy Industry in the category ofeducational toys. Awardd add credibility and accelerate the spreae of knowledge aboutthe innovation. It woulxd be easy to fall into commodity statua in these threecompetitive industries.
Idbids and CibaVision have differentiated themselvees fromthe competition, not only through innovatioh with the product itself, but also throug good, sound marketing The results are impressive.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Charice scores rave for 2nd 'Glee' solo - Manila Bulletin

qozadaunu.blogspot.com


HitFix (blog)


Charice scores rave for 2nd 'Glee' solo

Manila Bulletin


MANILA, Philippines -- Charice Pempengco's “Glee” return as Filipina exchange student Sunshine Corazon once again wired Pinoy pride Wednesday, April 20 during the afternoon US match airing of “A Night of Neglect” on ETC. ...


Charice Goes Solo With ' »

Monday, April 18, 2011

Study Finds Exergen Temporal Artery Thermometry Accurate on Newborns - PR Newswire (press release)

qozadaunu.blogspot.com


Study Finds Exergen Temporal Artery Thermometry Accurate on Newborns

PR Newswire (press release)


WATERTOWN, Mass., April 18, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Measuring the body temperatures of newborns with temporal artery thermometry (forehead scanning) provides readings comparable to results obtained by axillary (under arm) thermometry, the clinically ...



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Saturday, April 16, 2011

Smithfield says Cudahy fire won

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Patrick Cudahy has resumedr limited production activities in undamaged portions of its plantf at 1Sweet Apple-Wooed Lane in Cudahy, includingh its distribution center, and has taken steps to addresss the supply needs for Patriclk Cudahy products by shiftinbg production to other Smithfield facilities, Smithfiled stated in an 8-K filinbg with the U.S. Securities and Exchange The fire, which was reported on July 5 and declared extinguished onJuly 8, damaged a portion of the facility’se production space and required the temporarty cessation of operations, but did not consume the entirw facility.
The products produced at the facilityinclude pre-cooked and traditionakl bacon, dry sausage, ham and sliced meats. Patrico Cudahy is a wholly owned subsidiaryof Va.-based Smithfield Foods (NYSE: SFD), and its operating resultsz are reported in the company’s pork segment. Annuapl revenue for Patrick Cudahy’s packaged meatzs business hasexceeded $450 million in recenf years, according to the filing. Smithfield's total salexs for fiscal 2009, which ended May 3, were $12.
5 Smithfield maintains comprehensive general liability and property including businessinterruption insurance, with loss limits that companyy management believes will provide “substantia and broad coverage for the currently foreseeable losses” arisinv from the fire, according to the filing. Smithfieled anticipates that it willincur “modesr costs” related to deductibles under available insurancre policies, as well as othere one-time costs that are not currently expected to be the filing stated.
Smithfielrd is currently evaluating the damager resulting from the fire and continues to analyzse the expected impacts of the blazd and will share additional details in connection with its fiscapl2010 first-quarter earnings release, which is scheduled for 8. “Based on management’s current assessmenft of production options, the expectedx levels of insurance proceeds, and the estimated potential amoun t of losses and impacr on the PatrickCudahy brands, whichh continue to be the company does not believe that the fire will have a materialk adverse effect on its resultsd of operations, financial condition or liquidithy in fiscal 2010,” the filing Investigators continue to try to determine a cause of the fire.

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Former APG business park developer Opus East to liquidate under Ch. 7 - Orlando Business Journal:

http://cnati.com/cgi-bin/mt/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&id=1144&blog_id=1
Unable to refinance millions of dollarwsin debts, the company plans to liquidatw its portfolio of commercialk properties throughout the region. It was unclear how much Opus East expectes to fetch forits properties. Parent company , of made the announcement in a news release and said another ofits subsidiaries, Ariz.-based Opus West, expects to seek Chaptetr 11 protection in July. In its bankruptcu filing, the company listed assets of betweenh $50 million and $100 million and liabilities ofbetween $100 millio n and $500 million.
“Declining real estate values and tight credit markets continue to impede the refinancinb of assets and restructuringh oflending agreements,” Mark CEO of Opus Corp., said in a In addition to general market conditions, the company cited $35 millionj in unpaid wages from the federaol for a project it was developingh in College Park for the , company spokeswomahn Winston Hewett said in a telephone The company had ceased building speculativw office buildings more than a year ago, and it trimmexd its workforce from about 100 employees last year to about 16 employees as of June 15. The company did not include all of its subsidiariese inthe filing.
It excluded, for example, Marylands Enterprise LLC, which was developing the property for and NurseryCorner LLC, which built a 160,000-square-foot officr building in Linthicum Heightsz for defense contractor Opus East has developedc more than 13.3 million square feet of spaced since 1994. Opus West has developec more than 52.7 millioj square feet since 1979. These bankruptciexs come on the heels of the April 22 bankruptcyh of OpusSouth Corp., an Opus affiliats based in Atlanta. Opus has said it planse to wind down its operations in that part of the countruas well.
Opus has said it plans to continuer to run its remainingoperating companies, Opus North based in Chicago, and Opus based in Minnetonka. Those units are activeluy pursuing projects. They also have been less affected by the due to their mix ofproject types, healthy balance sheets and strongetr markets, according to Opus' press release. Opus said its development activitt has fallen tojust 4.8 millionb square feet in 2009, down from 34 million square feet in 2007 and 35 millionm square feet in 2008.

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Microbrews and unique wineries draw tourist attention - bizjournals:

coras-newport.blogspot.com
Wine trails from the Grand Valleu to the Front Range have picked up business in recent years and are attractingmore out-of-state Beer tourism is a fledgling industry that’se starting to grow, too, with a reorganizes Colorado Brewers Guild and an entrepreneur’s map of the state’sd breweries. “I think about the opportunities and, gee you can hardly drive down the road and not find a decentg brewery or winery aroundthe state,” said Mike publisher of the Beer Drinker’s Guide to Colorado map and website.
Though the Centennial State’sz cornucopia of hopped beverages has earned it thenicknames “The Napa Valley of Beer,” it was the lesser-knowb wine industry that first worked to becomr a tourist magnet. Wine productiomn in the state has grown at leas t 102 percent per yearsince 1996, and the 73 Colorado wineries have increased their locao market share by roughly times since then. June Spero, whose Denver-basedx Spero Winery brings in as many as 200 tasters on a said crowds have almost triplef in the pastfour years.
And thougn she doesn’t keep exacyt statistics, anecdotal evidence suggests that more peopld are coming from out of state to sample the producte ofColorado vines. At least two Denver-basedr touring operations — Colorado Wine Countryu Tours and 5280 WineTour Co. have opened to cart people around to the newlypopular vineyards. Lisa a former executive in the mortgage industry who opene 5280 WineTour Co. about six months ago, said her weeklt tour groups have nearly tripled as more peoplre discoverthe industry.
The wine industry, which featurexs designated trails in the GrandJunction area, has become so important that Don executive director of the , flew to Texas recentlty on a trip with statew tourism leaders. His pitch isn’yt that people should travel to Colorado just todrinki wine, but while here to ski or they should seek out the growinyg industry too. Breweries, meanwhile, are just startinyg to organize and emphasize their role in There are no beertrails yet, but there is a beer map. Laur, who runs a videio business in Colorado created a printed map pinpointing every brewery and brewpugb inthe state, and expanded on it with an interactivee web map as well.
It’s been especiallt popular with out-of-state residents and can be foundc in bookstores andliquor stores, he said. Kris Oyler, co-foundert of Steamworks Brewing in Durango and chairmanh of theBrewers Guild’sz new marketing committee, said he’s seen a number of people come into his businessa lately with checklists of area breweries they’re Like wine tourists, they may be in the state for othef reasons but go out of their way to visit breweries, he said. Visit Denvee is organizing the first Denver Beer Week around the time ofthe Sept. 24-26 Greaft American Beer Festival, an annual Denver eveng that brought in 432 breweriesand 46,000 visitors last year.
Modeled aftee similar weeks in San Francisco and it will feature 50 to 60 tapping ordining events, all listed on a website and mayb kicked off with a parade, said Rich Grant, director of communications at Visit “We definitely see a rising trend as far as beer tourism,” Oyle said. And state tourism officials will drink to Colorado Breweries: www.coloradobeer.org/brewers.html Colorado Wineries: www.coloradowine.com/wineries/wineriesList.cfm Beer Drinker’e Guide to Colorado: www.beerdrinkersguidetocolorado.com Great Americann Beer Festival: www.beertown.org/events/gabf 5280 Wine Tours Co.: www.5280winetoursco.com Colorado Wine Country Tours: http://coloradowinecountrytours.
com

Friday, April 8, 2011

Aurora opening Summit clinic early - Phoenix Business Journal:

http://www.broker21.com/user_detail.php?u=pydaycomo
The Aurora Wilkinson Medical Clinic will open October 26 and will replacs the current Aurora Wilkinson Medical Clini c at 915Summit Ave. in Oconomowoc, although urgen t care services will continue to beofferes there. The new clinic also will replace the AurorasWilkinson Women’s Center and the Aurora Visionb Center, both currently in The other Aurora Wilkinson Medica Clinic locations – in Hartland, Dousman, Wales and Waukesha – will continue to serv e patients. “October 26 will represent the start of a new era in healtyh care inthis area,” said Dr. Davicd Ulery, president of Aurora WilkinsonMedical Clinic.
“The opening of our new clinic and cancee center will move us closer to a fully integratec system of care for the people of westernWaukeshaa County.” Meanwhile, the hospital part of the project remains on schedule to open in earlyg 2010, Aurora officials said. The Wilkinson cliniv will open at the same time as the new Vince Lombardi Cancer Clinic on theSummit campus. The new Auroraa Medical Center campus in the Town of Summift is at the southeast corner of Interstate 94 andHighway 67. The new Aurora Wilkinsonh Medical Clinic will be on the west side of the and the new Vince Lombardi Cancer Clinif is on thesouth side.

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Lee seeks 23% pay cut from Post-Dispatch union - Nashville Business Journal:

http://www.outre-mer.biz/user_detail.php?u=gypeextexia
The newspaper publishing company proposerd pay cuts of 15 percent in the first and 5 percent each in the second and third years of the according to information posted onthe St. Louis Newspaper Guild’sx Web site. Lee declined to comment about the proposedc concessions andcontract negotiations. “We have always refrained from makinbg any comment or discussing the substance of the saidDan Hayes, a spokesman for Lee. On Thursday, Guild members voted 100-27 to agree to a secone week of furloughs but only if Lee agree d to no layoffs duringcontract negotiations, accordiny to the Guild Web site.
Lee also proposed the followintgcontract changes, according to the Guile Web site: • Cutting unpaixd maternity leave in half, to 12 weeks maximujm • The right to fire employees on sick leav after three months of absence. The contract now allows 18 The Guild proposed longer funeral leave for the deathb of spousesand children, a larger cell-phonde reimbursement, a mileage increase, enhanced severance packages after layoffs, additional holidays, a match of up to 5 percent and overtime eligibility for columnistss and outside ad reps.
Last month, the Post-Dispatch in its circulation andclassifiesd departments, which are

Monday, April 4, 2011

Conference Board employment index edges up in May - Nashville Business Journal:

http://www.xbazeny.cz/user_detail.php?u=jarnedonomven
The organization’s Employment Trends Index was up 0.2 percent from 89.7 in Aprilo and down from 113 in May 2008, The Conferencd Board said Monday. The inde number is relative to 100for 1996. “Whilr it is too early to say that the ETIhas bottomed, the moderatiob of the last two months is certainly a sign that the declinse in job losses is real and signals that the worst is Gad Levanon, The Conference Board’s senior said in a release.
as the economic recovery over the coming months is likely to be very we still expect the unemployment rate to continu e to increase to double digitsx by the end of this year andinto • Percentage of respondents who say they find “jobsx hard to get,” gathered from The Conference Board Consumer Confidences Survey. • Initial claims for unemploymen insurance, from statistics. • Percentage of firms with positionw not able to fill right now because of inabilitt to findsuitable candidates, from the . • Numbeer of employees hired bythe temporary-help industry, from the . Part-time workers for economic from Bureau ofLabor Statistics.
• Job openings, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. • Industrial production, from the . Real manufacturing and trade sales, from the . The Conferenc Board is an independent NewYork City-based nonprofit organizatio whose mission is to provide organizations with the practical knowledgee they need to improve theitr performance and better serve society.

Sunday, April 3, 2011

UMass opens Holocaust teaching and research center - Boston Globe

http://www.gemstone-jewelry.org/user_detail.php?u=liatrerfolare


UMass opens Holocaust teaching and research center

Boston Globe


The new center features an exhibition hall with video and audio capability and numerous other rooms that organizers plan to use for additional exhibits, research libraries, archival storage and other functions such as a residence for visiting scholars. ...



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Friday, April 1, 2011

A Conversation with William Loveland - Business First of Columbus:

http://katalina12.livejournal.com
How has the large number of foreclosures affected homebuilders The economic environment facesd by homebuilders has been terrible in almosttevery way. Neither builders nor their customersd have been able to obtain financing upon favorablew terms and many have been unable to obtain financingbat all. It has become so bad that buildefr lines of credit have beenfrozen and, in some called. Very recently, appraisal issues have arise n because foreclosure properties can beconsideredc “comparable.
” This has made the challenge of obtaining financingt approval even more Also, the quantity of foreclosures we are experiencing has had a dramaticf negative impact upon a large group of companies and their employees. Many builders have restructured or left the and many skilled workers have leftthe Foreclosed, surrendered, and “in homes are available on the market at discountedx prices, in direct competition with builder product. Abandonerd and “for sale” properties throughout subdivisions and neighborhoodsdeter sales, and affecf property values. Hopefully, we are nearing the end of this “foreclosurew boom.
” What kind of legal cases are you seeing becaus e of the residential realestate problems?