Gabrielnyc.com Science

(PRWEB) November 28, 2011

Pomology is the science and technology of cultivating and producing fruits and within this discipline, Pomology.org provides a wide range of resources related to temperate, subtropical and tropical fruits.

The Sweet Orange (Citrus sinensis, Rutaceae) is an ancient hybrid between pomelo (C. maxima) and tangerine (C. reticulata). Orange fruits are widely grown in warm climates worldwide, and commonly eaten fresh, or squeezed for their juice. Orange trees are widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical climates.

The Orange section is part of the Fruit Crop Category of Pomology.org and currently contains 59 resources. One of the most popular entries is an article on “Partial Purification of a Growth Factor from Orange Juice Which Affects Citrus Tissue Culture and Its Replacement by Citric Acid” which was published in the science journal “Plant Physiology” in 1975. The authors conclude that citric acid as a natural component of citrus juice is responsible for the growth-promoting activity of orange juice. The growth-promoting activity of juice involves both cell division and cell enlargement. Another popular article from the same journal covers “Endogenous Abscisic Acid in Relation to Bud Growth in Alternate Bearing ‘Valencia’ Orange”.

Other resources provide information on cultivation of oranges including a page on sweet oranges and their hybrids provided by the University of California, College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences’ Citrus Variety Collection. Purdue University’s Center for New Crops and Plant Products publishes a page on Orange which includes a range of topics on the crop such as origin and distribution, varieties, climate, soil, propagation, culture, harvesting, yield, pests and diseases, food uses and value, and toxicity. The section also provides information on Calamondin, the miniature orange which is a native citrus plant in the Philippines and China. The juice of its fruit is primarily used like lime or lemon juice for making acid beverages.

Pomology.org was launched in 1996 and has emerged as a comprehensive aggregator of websites and science references in the applied life science Pomology. The site is now under new management and has just been republished.

Users who wish to submit their own or their company’s website for inclusion in Pomology.org are welcome to submit their listing through the site. Furthermore, the site maintains a number of RSS feeds which enable users to subscribe to their most favorite topics within the site. One of these feeds is the “Most Shared Pomology Content” RSS feed. Pomology.org also maintains the Twitter account @Pomology_ which currently features 1,520 tweets and 105 followers.

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San Jose, California (PRWEB) November 23, 2011

Follow us on LinkedIn ? Adhesives and Sealants are of great use across innumerable industrial and commercial applications. Given its high strung sensitivity to key end-use industries such as packaging, automotive, electronics, footwear, construction repair and remodeling, textiles, consumer goods, and shipbuilding, all of which succumbed to the recent economic recession led slowdown, the global market for adhesives and sealants too suffered significant declines in volume and value sales during the period. Decrease in consumer spending, declines in manufacturing output, and volatility in raw material costs witnessed during this period especially affected demand for adhesives and sealants during 2008 and 2009. Construction, automotive, electronics, and wood-working adhesive end-use witnessed the steepest declines, while packaging and disposable adhesives fared better. While steep deceleration in housing demand, decline in new house starts, sharp fall in number of applications for building permits and subsequent fall in construction activity squeezed market prospects for adhesives and sealants in the construction sector, the hurting fall in new vehicle sales and the resultant production cutbacks, plant closures, capacity idling, and scaling back of operating capacity reduced opportunities for adhesives and sealants in the automotive space.

The global adhesives and sealants market however staged a comeback in the year 2010 witnessing growth in both volume and dollar sales during the year. Innovation and product differentiation based on next generation technology, which assumed critical importance during difficult economic conditions will continue to drive growth in the market over the next few years. Next-generation technologies such as new VOC compliant adhesives and green adhesive and sealants, which made remarkable market entry in recent years, will continue to garner attention and demand from key end-use sectors, given the need for these industries to comply with industrial emissions, water and waste-water concentration and other environmental regulations. Constant pressure on adhesive prices especially throws the spotlight on product differentiation on the basis of formulation and technology. Companies will continue to focus on quality, technology, service, customization, worker safety, environmental improvement, and use of flexible formulations to differentiate their products.

The market will also be driven by growing penetration of adhesives and sealants in new application areas. Medical adhesives and sealants, for instance, are rapidly finding practical usage in newer application areas such as dental and surgical procedures, thereby driving growth in the overall market both in terms of volume and value sales. Specialty adhesives and sealants designed for specific consumer needs in niche markets are also fast gaining traction, thereby boosting market prospects further for the global market.

As stated by new market research report on Adhesives and Sealants, Europe represents the largest regional market for adhesives, both by volume and value sales. Asia-Pacific represents the fastest growing regional market for adhesives with volume sales from the region waxing at a CAGR of about 4.6% during the analysis period. Asia-Pacific is also the fastest growing regional market for sealants. Growth in the Asia-Pacific adhesives and sealants market is primarily led by China, given the infrastructure development investments and growing number of construction projects in the nation. By chemical type, Styrene Butadiene Rubber Adhesives is the fastest growing product segment, by volume sales in the adhesives category, while Latex Sealants is the fastest growing product segment by volume sales in the sealants category.

Major players in the marketplace include 3M Company, Acucote Inc., Adhesives Research Inc., AkzoNobel Chemicals B.V., Ashland, Inc., Avery Dennison Corporation, BASF SE, Bayer MaterialScience AG, Beardow and Adams (Adhesives) Ltd., Bolton Group, Bostik Inc., Chemence Ltd., Collano AG, Creative Materials Inc., DIC Corporation, The Dow Chemical Company, DYMAX Corporation, Dynea International Oy, ExxonMobil Chemical Company, Ferro Corporation, Franklin International Inc., H.B. Fuller Company, Henkel Corporation, Huntsman Polyurethanes, ITW Performance Polymers Consumer Division, Konishi Co., Ltd., LORD Corporation, MACtac, Mapei S.p.A., Momentive, PPG Aerospace, RPM International, Inc., Sartomer Company, Inc., Scapa Group Plc., Shurtape Technologies, LLC, Sika AG, Super Glue Corporation, Tesa AG, United Resin Corporation, Wisdom Adhesives Company, among others.

The research report titled ?Adhesives and Sealants: A Global Strategic Business Report? announced by Global Industry Analysts, Inc., provides a comprehensive review of market trends and issues, competition, drivers, technology trends, product overview, product introductions/innovations, and recent industry activity. The study provides market estimates and projections in value (US$ ) and volume (Pounds) for geographic markets such as United States, Canada, Japan, Europe (France, Germany, Italy, UK, and Rest of Europe), Asia-Pacific, and Rest of World. By chemical type, Adhesives market is analyzed by following segment Styrene Butadiene Rubber, Phenolic, Polyolefin, Epoxy, Starch & Dextrin, Acrylic (Cyanoacrylic & Others, Acrylic PSA, and Acrylic Emulsion), Urea Formaldehyde, Polyvinyl Acetal, Polyvinyl Acetate, Neoprene, Thermoplastic Rubber, Polyurethane, Natural Rubber, Protein, Furan, Polyvinyl Chloride, Reclaimed Rubber, Silicate, Silicone Rubber, Polyamide, Polyvinyl Alcohol, Nitrile, Butyl Rubber & PIB, Polyester, Ethylene, Bitumen, and Miscellaneous. Market for Sealants are analyzed by chemical types, such as, Anaerobic, Acrylic, Latex, Bitumen, Butyl Rubber, Epoxy, Oleoresinous, Polysulphide, Polyurethane, Polyvinyl-based, Polyvinyl Alcohol, Polyvinyl Chloride-based, Reclaimed Rubber, Silicone, Styrene Butadiene Rubber, Thermoplastic Rubber, and Miscellaneous.

For more details about this comprehensive market research report, please visit ?

http://www.strategyr.com/Adhesives_and_Sealants_Market_Report.asp

About Global Industry Analysts, Inc.

Global Industry Analysts, Inc., (GIA) is a leading publisher of off-the-shelf market research. Founded in 1987, the company currently employs over 800 people worldwide. Annually, GIA publishes more than 1300 full-scale research reports and analyzes 40,000+ market and technology trends while monitoring more than 126,000 Companies worldwide. Serving over 9500 clients in 27 countries, GIA is recognized today, as one of the world’s largest and reputed market research firms.

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Global Industry Analysts, Inc.

Telephone: 408-528-9966

Fax: 408-528-9977

Email: press(at)StrategyR(dot)com

Web Site: http://www.StrategyR.com/

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Walnut Creek, CA (PRWEB) November 23, 2011

Pat Vitucci, a Bay Area Independent Financial Advisor, was recently honored as the top producer at his Broker/Dealer, National Planning Corporation? (NPC?), for the first nine months of 2011. NPC is a full-service, independent broker-dealer located in Santa Monica, CA. National Planning Corporation is part of one of the nation?s largest independent broker dealer networks and has over 1600 financial representatives throughout the United States.

Pat Vitucci is the President/CEO for Vitucci & Associates, headquartered in Walnut Creek, CA, with 10 other offices in the Greater San Francisco Bay Area.

?I am very proud to accept this honor?, said Vitucci. ?It is a pleasure to work with NPC. I owe a lot of credit to them and my clients who put their trust in me to manage their investments. I also could not have achieved this award without the support and commitment of my knowledgeable staff.?

Pat Vitucci provides financial advice for several radio and television stations and hosts his own hour-long radio show called ?Your Financial Life.? He conducts seminars on various financial topics throughout the Bay Area, sometimes in conjunction with other industry professionals, and has lectured at many organizations, both civic and fraternal, and at numerous corporate-sponsored events.

Pat?s mantra??Don?t Invest And Forget??is not only the title of his recent book, but reflects his approach to managing investments with an active asset allocation method of continually evaluating and redeploying clients? portfolios based upon changing market conditions.

Pat Vitucci has been an active leader in the financial services industry for more than 30 years. He has served in various capacities in his corporate life, including as President of Broker Relations and President of a subsidiary of a major financial corporation. He lives in Alamo and was educated at, Monmouth University in New Jersey where he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Economics.

Independent Broker-Dealer Network rankings by gross revenue, Jan-Sept 2011. Award is not indicative of investment performance.

Security and advisory services offered through National Planning Corporation (NPC), member FINRA, SIPC and a Registered Investment Advisor. Vitucci &Associates and NPC are separate and unrelated companies. Asset allocation cannot ensure a profit or protect against a loss. 78809

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Dallas, Texas (PRWEB) November 23, 2011

Fatboy?, a leading trendsetter in lifestyle products, announced today it will be an official sponsor of TEDxSMU and TEDxKids @SMU, December 2 and 3 at the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre in Dallas. The event known for connecting thought leaders, solution seekers, and the merely curious returns this year with Fatboy? originals and Fatboy? juniors as the seating option for those that are fortunate enough to attend this impactful event.

?The TEDxSMU conference is widely recognized and highly regarded in the design, entertainment and technology industry for its creativity and innovation,? said Paula Masters, President of Fatboy USA. ?The success of TEDxSMU speaks to the reach and impact these presentations have on people around the globe and we are proud to have been selected to enhance the environment with our stylish beanbags,? continued Masters.

Licensed by the people who host the renowned TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design) conference annually in Long Beach, Calif., the TEDxSMU events are independently organized but follow the same format of lightning-fast talks on a central theme paired with compelling visuals. TED events are held around the world, many of them live-streamed, addressing a wide range of topics related to science and culture. The theme for TEDxSMU in 2011 will be disruption ? a discussion of events, discoveries and how they impact us personally and as a community.

?Our driving goal for this year?s TEDxSMU conference has been to incorporate ?disruption? throughout the whole experience. The Fatboy? beanbags are perfect for making sure our audience knows this day is going to be anything but ordinary. We are thrilled and grateful for the partnership, and I particularly can?t wait to see how the students at TEDxKids @SMU react!? said Sharon Lyle, TEDxSMU Director.

TEDxSMU is an all-day event for pre-registered participants, and the 2010 program ranged from personal discussions of physical and mental journeys to demonstrations of high-tech gadgetry. Architect Joshua Prince-Ramus used the Wyly Theatre as a teaching tool throughout the program, opening the moveable walls of the theatre he designed to the sights and sounds of downtown Dallas at the end of the day.

TEDxKids @SMU is a half-day program designed for middle school students who hear incredible speakers, experience hands-on demos and learn during interactive breaks. In 2010, 300 middle school students learned about evolution from a Canadian rapper, witnessed a breakthrough invention called the EyeWriter, and applauded for peer presenters who spoke about micro lending, politics and poetry.

In exchange for free admission to TEDxKids @SMU, student attendees are required to complete a service project. Through projects at SMU, at school, and with local nonprofits, students who attended TEDxKids@SMU in 2010 have contributed more than 1,625 service hours to the community.

For more information, please visit http://www.tedxsmu.org/events/

About Fatboy?

Fatboy? is an imaginative lifestyle brand that excels in thinking outside the box. The Dutch company has been challenging the concepts of lifestyle product since 2002, when it set out to create the perfect lounge chair? designed for fashion, for comfort, and tailored for an unmatched lounging experience. Today, Fatboy? brings energizing comfort and smiles to people in over sixty countries worldwide with a growing line of lifestyle products all designed in the name of a wonder-fuller life. Wrap yourself in the Fatboy? brand experience and share the legacy by visiting http://www.fatboyusa.com and http://www.facebook.com/FatboyUSA.

About TEDxSMU

Bringing together ideas and interesting people from around the world and around the corner, TEDxSMU andTEDxKids @SMU are single-day conferences in Dallas, TX. Now in its third year, TEDxSMU is jointly produced by Southern Methodist University and the Idea Fund of the Communities Foundation of Texas. TEDxKids @SMU (the first TEDx event designed for students) hosts 350 middle school students for a free four-hour conference, in exchange for completing four hours of community service. TEDxSMU attendees must apply and be selected in order to participate in the full-day conference.

About TED

TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. Started as a four-day conference in California 25 years ago, TED has grown to support those world-changing ideas with multiple initiatives. The annual TED Conference invites the world?s leading thinkers and doers to speak for 18 minutes. Their talks are then made available, free, at TED.com. TED speakers have included Bill Gates, Al Gore, Jane Goodall, Elizabeth Gilbert, Sir Richard Branson, Nandan Nilekani, Philippe Starck, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Isabel Allende and UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown. The annual TED Conference takes place in Long Beach, California, with simulcast in Palm Springs; TEDGlobal is held each year in Oxford, UK. TED?s media initiatives include TED.com, where new TEDTalks are posted daily, and the Open Translation Project, which provides subtitles and interactive transcripts as well as the ability for any TEDTalk to be translated by volunteers worldwide. TED has established the annual TED Prize, where exceptional individuals with a wish to change the world are given the opportunity to put their wishes into action; TEDx, which offers individuals or groups a way to host local, self-organized events around the world, and the TEDFellows program, helping world-changing innovators from around the globe to become part of the TED community and, with its help, amplify the impact of their remarkable projects and activities.

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Colorado Springs, CO (PRWEB) November 22, 2011

Cognitive First (Cog1st, the CogRead Literacy Campaign) announces a grant in support of a groundbreaking study being conducted by Virginia State University and funded by the National Science Foundation. The study, underway at Waskom Independent School District in Waskom,Texas, has the potential to help every student in that district and will provide valuable information to the fields of science and education.

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A $ 1 million grant from the National Science Foundation will fund the largest part of the study which takes place at the high school level and examines how cognitive skills training can help students improve their learning ability and physically change the brain.

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?This is an amazing opportunity to boost the learning skills and potential of every single student at our school with no cost to parents or the district,? says Waskom High School Principal Stuart Musick. ?The cognitive testing alone will provide valuable information for our teachers and families regarding each student?s strengths and weaknesses, and will give us the insight we need to help strengthen those skills to improve grades and performance.?

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Every student in the district completed testing with the Gibson Test in October to evaluate his or her cognitive skills?the mental tools we all use to think, learn, reason, read, remember and pay attention. These skills include things like memory, attention, logic and reasoning, auditory and visual processing and processing speed. Significant grants from Cog1st helped cover the cost of testing and will also pay for online brain training for some students at the elementary level.

According to Larry Hargrave, founder of Cognitive First, access to online reading readiness and learning skill development tools is a critical ingredient to improve reading proficiency and graduation rates. ?We are pleased to be donating access to evaluations and online exercise sets being used in this study. Our nonprofit currently offers any parent free access to an exercise that strengthens phonemic awareness skills and helps to prevent reading difficulties. We also sponsor teachers, schools and community organizations with a reading readiness exercise set, along with cognitive skill evaluations (2nd grade and above) and comprehensive online brain skill training packages for under-resourced and at-risk children.?

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The study is more in-depth at the high school level where principal investigator Dr. Oliver Hill, Jr. and other researchers from Virginia State University will oversee the study which includes brain scans for some students. High school students will be randomly placed into three groups: a control group that gets normal academic instruction, a second group that receives extra online brain training at school for 15 weeks, and a third group that will undergo 15 weeks of one-to-one cognitive skills training with their own personal brain trainer from LearningRx.

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?We know this brain training methodology brings dramatic improvements in learning and reading ability for students of any age and academic ability,? says Donesa Walker of LearningRx Shreveport. ?We?re thrilled to be a part of this extensive study that will not only help the students of Waskom ISD, it will help students everywhere by showing how this type of training can physically change the brain to be faster, smarter and more efficient.?

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Changes in the brain will be measured with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) before and after the 15 week period by university researchers who are collaborating on the study. Participants will be randomly chosen for the brain scans.

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Cognitive First is joined by administrators, researchers, cognitive skills experts and brain trainers to make this opportunity happen. More information about the possibility of sponsored programs for children in your community is available at the Cog1st.org website.

About Cog1st

Cognitive First? (Cog1st, the CogRead Literacy Campaign) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping under-resourced and at-risk students become proficient readers and learners.?Cog1st provides parents, schools and community programs with online screening to evaluate core learning skills and with online exercise sets to help ensure that children have the foundational skills to empower their educational success.?Program grants for Title 1 schools are available.?

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About LearningRx? brain training specializes in treating the cause ? not the symptoms ? of learning struggles. The programs? game-like exercises and 1:1 trainer-to-student ratios provide guaranteed dramatic improvement. With more than 75 centers across the country, LearningRx brain training can help anyone ? from 5 to 85 ? increase the speed, power or function of their brain.

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About the Gibson Test

The Gibson Test of ?brain skills is the online cognitive skills assessment used by Cog1st and in the Waskom ISD study. Pediatric visual processing specialist Dr. Ken Gibson developed the assessment as an affordable option to uncover cognitive weaknesses that contribute to reading and learning struggles. In less than 40 minutes the online test can uncover weak skills and give parents or teachers a guide to make learning easier.

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Grants Pass, OR (PRWEB) November 18, 2011

On September 26, 2011, Sharon Kleyne, Founder of Bio Logic Aqua Research and Host of the Sharon Kleyne Hour Power of Water radio talk show, interviewed DeWayne Cecil, PhD, Western Region Climate Services Director for NOAA. They discussed alarming trends in the global fresh water supply, educating global leaders on the subject, the need for applied science, and fresh water supply and water conservation in China.

The interview may be heard on World Talk Radio, Voice America, Green Talk Network, Apple iTunes, sponsored by Nature’s Tears EyeMist.

Dr. Cecil talked about projects through the Western Region Climate Services Department to educate Western Governors on the water supply crisis. His office also initiates and supports programs to educate teachers and to attract the next generation of applied science professionals and Earth science professionals.

Dr. Cecil has concluded that Earth’s climate is changing and is undergoing a warming and drying trend that is creating dry air and global fresh water shortages. Mrs. Kleyne believes that fresh water and dry air are the most important issues connected with global climate change.

Dr. Cecil suggests that the biggest problem is a rapidly growing Earth population competing for a fixed global water supply. Sharon Kleyne agreed, noting that the Earth’s human population grew by 1,481,350 in the past week and is now 6,964,550,515 (As of November 15, it had passed the seven billion mark). Earth’s population is expected to reach nine billion by 2050.

According to Dr. Cecil, Earth’s fixed fresh water supply can support a half-billion people in a “Western Style” lifestyle. It certainly can’t support seven billion.

The United States and China, Dr. Cecil explained, are about equal in land area. China has about four times the population (300 million versus 1.3 billion).

China has 200 cities with populations over a million. The US has nine (New York, Los Angles, Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Antonio, San Diego and Dallas).

China has no water policy and no energy policy. Most of its major rivers are badly polluted and not a viable fresh water supply source. Most of China’s fresh water is in the south.

Dr. Cecil believes that fresh water supply issues can be resolved in both the United States and China. He believes that humans are much better at reacting to crises than planning for a crisis.

Listen to the Sharon Kleyne Hour Power of Water Mondays, 10 a.m., PST/PDT. The syndicated talk radio show is heard on Voice America/World Talk Radio, Green Talk Network and Apple iTunes. Go to http://www.SharonKleyneHour.com for written educational summaries and replays of past shows. Also visit http://www.naturestears.com, whatistheeye.wordpress.com, “Nature’s Tears EyeMist” on Facebook and “Bio-Logic Aqua” on Twitter.

Sharon Kleyne Hour Power of Water is sponsored by Bio-Logic Aqua Research and Nature’s Tears? EyeMist?, available on Amazon.com, Drugstore.com and http://www.BioLogicAqua.com.

?2011 Bio-Logic Aqua Research

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ST. LOUIS (PRWEB) November 18, 2011

The Missouri Community College Association (MCCA) recently presented Deborah Patterson, president of the Monsanto Fund, with the Distinguished Business and Industry Award for her contributions to St. Louis Community College (STLCC). Over the years, Patterson has dedicated herself to increasing worker training and retraining activities, especially in the area of biotechnology, by supporting new programs at STLCC.

?The Distinguished Business and Industry Award is typically presented to a business, rather than an individual, that aligns with our support areas including customized job training programs, engagement with community colleges and economic development,? said Zora Mulligan, MCCA executive director and CEO. ?However, because of her significant contributions to St. Louis Community College, we are proud to recognize Deborah Patterson with this prestigious award.?

Support from Patterson and the Monsanto Fund has been critical as STLCC sought to meet the needs for the growing career fields in the life sciences industry. In 2001, STLCC established Missouri?s first two-year associate degree program in biotechnology, and in 2006, the college created a districtwide initiative, the Center for Plant and Life Sciences. Most recently, STLCC partnered with the Bio-Research and Development Growth Park (BRDG Park) at the Danforth Plant Science Center to expand STLCC?s Center for Plant and Life Sciences. Monsanto Fund was instrumental in making this new facility a reality by providing a $ 250,000 grant for the expansion and science equipment.

?Deborah has made substantial contributions to St. Louis Community College to help our students realize the many opportunities available in the life sciences,? said Myrtle Dorsey, Ph.D., STLCC chancellor. ?We thank her for her determination to help further St. Louis workforce training and for her unwavering commitment to providing educational opportunities to all students who seek them.?

In addition to her duties as Monsanto Fund president, Patterson leads Monsanto Company?s global contributions and employee engagement programs. As the philanthropic arm of Monsanto, the fund is committed to strengthening both farming communities and the communities where Monsanto employees live and work by providing basic education support and meeting critical needs in communities.

?I am proud to accept this award on behalf of the work done through the Monsanto Fund,? said Patterson. ?Education creates economic opportunity, stabilizes communities and gives everyone the opportunity to succeed. The St. Louis Community College system offers a great education at an affordable price. Through the fantastic programming offered; students will have access to better economic opportunities.?

About the Missouri Community College Association

Missouri’s community colleges are governed by locally elected boards of trustees. The colleges work together to advance common agendas through the Missouri Community College Association, or MCCA, which is headquartered in Jefferson City and led by Executive Director/CEO Zora Mulligan. MCCA has more than 1,700 members, including administrators, faculty, classified staff, students and retirees.

About the Monsanto Fund

The Monsanto Fund, the philanthropic arm of the Monsanto Company, is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to strengthening the communities where farmers and Monsanto Company employees live and work. Visit the Monsanto Fund at http://www.monsantofund.org.

About St. Louis Community College

Established in 1962, St. Louis Community College (STLCC) is the largest community college district in Missouri and one of the largest in the United States. STLCC has four campuses ? Florissant Valley, Forest Park, Meramec and Wildwood ? and annually serves nearly 80,000 students through credit courses, continuing education and workforce development programs. For more information about STLCC, visit http://www.stlcc.edu.

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Silver Spring, MD (PRWEB) November 17, 2011

New research funded by the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, and the conservation charities Elephant Family Foundation and Aspinall Foundation, reveals significant growth in the sale of illegal ivory in China. The Association of Zoos and Aquariums explores this story on its Explore blog.

The Elephant Trade Monitoring System (ETIS), which tracks global ivory and elephant product confiscations for CITES parties, shows a trend in the illegal trade of ivory that has been growing since 1998 as a direct result of emerging demand in China. The increase in demand has led to the poaching of thousands of elephants each year ?with Asian elephants being particularly threatened as their population in the wild is down to an estimated 40,000 spread across a fragmented and shrinking habitat.

To combat these issues and more, AZA-accredited zoos participate in more than 85 elephant conservation and research projects, which include field-based training of park guards and land managers, habitat restoration, activities focused on reducing human-elephant conflict, ecotourism, and community-based initiatives. AZA institutions caring for elephants have provided millions in support of elephant conservation projects around the world.

The Explore blog brings you exciting, informative, and inspiring wildlife conservation features, zoo and aquarium stories, and profiles. Visit http://wildexplorer.org to get your wild animal fix!

Founded in 1924, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of zoos and aquariums in the areas of conservation, education, science, and recreation. Look for the AZA logo whenever you visit a zoo or aquarium as your assurance that you are supporting a facility dedicated to providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for you, and a better future for all living things. The AZA is a leader in global wildlife conservation, and your link to helping animals in their native habitats. To learn more visit http://www.aza.org.

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Hamden, CT (PRWEB) November 16, 2011

A pharmacology expert dedicated to optimizing the physician/pharmacist relationship has joined the faculty of The Frank H. Netter, M.D., School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University.

Victoria Richards, of North Haven, Conn. recently joined Quinnipiac as an assistant professor of basic medical sciences. She will teach pharmacology to medical students. She is also designing the curriculum.

?I want to be able to be part of merging that very important relationship between the pharmacist, the patient and the physician,? Richards said. ?Pharmacology is really an umbrella that covers all the medical disciplines.?

Richards comes to Quinnipiac from the A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona, where she was an assistant professor of pharmacology.

Because schools of osteopathy stress an integrated approach in training physicians, Richards is well prepared for Quinnipiac?s medical education model.

The Frank H. Netter, M.D., School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University will follow an interdisciplinary approach to curriculum, one that will integrate medical students with their peers studying other health disciplines in the School of Health Sciences and School of Nursing.

In January 2010, Quinnipiac began the complex accreditation process to establish a medical school with an emphasis on primary care. The university plans to enroll the charter class by fall 2013.

?Victoria brings all the assets we are looking for in our founding faculty,? said Bruce Koeppen, founding dean of The Frank H. Netter, M.D., School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University. ?She has experience in interprofessional education and teaching pharmacology across an integrated curriculum. She also has experience in course and curriculum development and leadership.?

Richards earned her doctorate in pharmacology and toxicology from the University of Arizona, Tucson and a master?s degree in biology and chemistry from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She received her bachelor?s degree in biological sciences from the University of California, Irvine.

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(PRWEB) November 14, 2011

Michael Phillips, a Managing Director at H.I.G. Capital commented on the Acquisition of Next Generation Vending, ?We are very excited to invest in Next Generation along with its exceptional management team. Management?s outstanding track record and demonstrated ability to close 11 acquisitions over the past 3 years, while at the same time significantly improving profitability, is a testament to the team?s capabilities and depth. We look forward to assisting Next Generation to maintain its leadership position as the largest vending company in the Northeast and to continue to grow its footprint and implement RMS technology.?

Michael is a Managing Director based in H.I.G.’s Boston office. He is responsible for investment origination, transaction negotiation, and portfolio company oversight. Michael has led numerous LBO transactions with a focus on business services, manufacturing, automotive components, commodity-based enterprises, consumer products, and information technology, and currently serves on the board of directors for several H.I.G. companies.

Michael has more than ten years of M&A/private equity experience, working with firms ranging from mid-market, privately-held organizations to multi-national public organizations. Prior to joining H.I.G., Michael was with Bain & Company, one of the world’s leading management consulting firms. While at Bain, Michael directed diligence efforts for leading private equity investors, helping to improve investment returns. He also has significant experience with post-merger integration, developing growth strategies and the implementation of operational improvement initiatives at mid-market and large cap companies. Previously, Michael worked in private equity at Electra Partners on LBO transactions and growth equity investments and in investment banking at Lehman Brothers.

Michael earned his Bachelor of Science in Engineering degree from Princeton University and an M.B.A. from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

H.I.G. Capital is a leading global private equity investment firm based in Miami. The firm has more than $ 8.5 billion of capital under management. H.I.G. specializes in providing capital to small and medium sized businesses and has offices in Atlanta, Boston, New York and San Francisco, as well as Hamburg, London and Paris in Europe.

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