State Schools Chief Jack OConnell Announces Free Online Tool to Help Families Find the Right Colleges for Their Children

Sacramento (Vocus) September 20, 2010

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack OConnell today urged college-bound students to sign up for CollegeWeekLive UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA DAY, a free online event on October 7 showcasing all of the University of California (UC) campuses.

Parents know its expensive to pack up the car and visit each college or university that their children are interested in attending, said OConnell. Now you can take virtual tours of every UC campus and explore several academic programs right from your computer. Its fast, its free, and it makes economic sense to narrow down your search for schools online before you actually visit them.

CollegeWeekLive is a virtual college fair that connects hundreds of thousands of students to colleges and universities worldwide online at http://www.CollegeWeekLive.com. Families can get tips on preparing for college admissions tests, writing a winning application essay, and the interview admissions process. Families can speak directly with admissions experts, get information on scholarships and how to pay for college, and even take virtual tours of campus. CollegeWeekLive connects colleges directly with students, parents, and counselors live online in real time. Prospective students can also connect with current UC students for networking via live video webcasts and text chat.

CollegeWeekLive, University of California Day is unique because each of the nine undergraduate campuses will be represented, said Walter A. Robinson, Assistant Vice Chancellor and Director of UC Berkeleys Office of Undergraduate Admissions. UC Day gives any prospective UC applicant a chance to get to know each of the campuses, from anywhere in the world. Each campus will staff virtual booths, feature live video streams, and be available for chats. We urge all prospective students, their parents, and counselors to participate and discover the special qualities each campus has to offer.

Prospective students can explore different aspects of student life at each of the schools, such as admissions, academics, athletics, financial aid, and campus housing. Attendees can also participate in any of several live video webcam sessions with currently enrolled students from the different UC system schools to get a more informal take on collegiate life.

To register for the next CollegeWeekLive UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA DAY on October 7, please visit http://www.CollegeWeekLive.com.

The California Department of Education (CDE) is a state agency led by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell. The core purpose of CDE is to lead and support the continuous improvement of student achievement, with a specific focus on closing achievement gaps. For more information, please visit http://www.cde.ca.gov or by mobile device at http://m.cde.ca.gov/. You may also follow Superintendent O'Connell (@SSPIJack) on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/sspijack.

About CollegeWeekLive

CollegeWeekLive (http://www.CollegeWeekLive.com) provides the worlds largest college fairs and online admissions events. With hundreds of colleges and universities exhibiting and more than 350,000 registrants, CollegeWeekLive revolutionizes college admissions, making the process easier and more cost-effective by bringing students, parents, counselors, and colleges together online, transcending time and distance. CollegeWeekLive is free for students, parents, and counselors.

CollegeWeekLive is produced by PlatformQ, whose mission is to connect people, companies, organizations and associations worldwide to meet, interact and learn from leading experts and thought leaders through proven interactive tools at online events.

CollegeWeekLive and PlatformQ are trademarks of PlatformQ, LLC. All other trademarks or service marks are property of their respective owners.

CONTACT: Tina Jung

PHONE: 916-319-0818

E-MAIL: tjung(at)cde.ca(dot)gov

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Pearson, Fayetteville Technical Community College Prepare to Serve Additional Military, Civilian Personnel and Families

Fayetteville, NC (PRWEB) March 30, 2010

Like many community colleges across the US, Fayetteville Technical Community College has seen a spike in enrollments due to the recession. But Fayetteville also faces other, unique challenges: The community is home to Fort Bragg, whose residents have coped with multiple military deployments over the past decade.

And now, Fayetteville is preparing for an influx of 40,000 additional military and civilian personnel and their families beginning in March 2011, the result of the US Department of Defense Base Realignment & Closure Commission's (BRAC) decision to relocate the US Army Reserve Command to Fort Bragg from Georgia.

In anticipation of these changes, nearly 100 community and education leaders came together recently for a summit to discuss issues impacting the region as a result of the population increases, including managing the expected growth in community college enrollments and proven solutions that improve student success in hybrid and online learning environments. The summit was sponsored by Pearson Learning Solutions, a business unit of Pearson, a global leader in education, technology and services.

"As we prepare to welcome thousands of new residents to our region, we must focus on the enormous impact they will have on our education system," said Barbara Tansey, Vice President of Academics and Student Services at Fayetteville Technical Community College. "We have been working diligently with the BRAC Regional Task Force to determine how the expected population growth will affect the region's community colleges, and we are grateful to Pearson for convening the summit as part of our ongoing efforts."

"Community colleges are the pillars of local communities across the US," said Don Kilburn, CEO of Pearson Learning Solutions. "We continue to work in partnership with North Carolina's colleges to arm them with the technology and tools they'll need to successfully manage increasing enrollments and promote their students' success in hybrid and online learning environments."

The summit included presentations and facilitated discussions about topics such as strategies to improve achievement and retention; using technology and customized solutions to personalize learning and enhance student engagement; and best practices and resources to enhance courseware and course design.

The keynote address was presented by Carolyn Jarmon of the National Center for Academic Transformation (NCAT). Ms. Jarmon is widely published on the topics of effective delivery of student services and distance education and is a sought-after consultant by institutions and corporations interested in learning in distributed environments.

Pearson provides complete, customizable online courses in many disciplines including allied health, business, criminal justice, and education, plus a full suite of custom media options for the classroom. Pearson's courseware services and library offerings are powered by best practices in instructional design and crafted by a team of course writers, subject matter experts and technologists.

About Pearson Learning Solutions

Pearson Learning Solutions (PLS) is a business unit within Pearson, a global leader in education, technology and services. As an education partner and consultant to higher education institutions, PLS is committed to designing total, client-driven education solutions. We are a team of world-class education experts, instructional designers, curriculum development experts, education course writers, development editors and experienced textbook publishers. We tailor solutions to each institution's individual needs whether that is for off-the-shelf online, in the classroom or blended courses or fully customized curriculum development. We also provide a wide range of tools to help students, faculty and institutions succeed.

About Fayetteville Technical Community College

Fayetteville Technical Community College was established in 1961 and serves over 34,000 students annually by providing 150 affordable occupational, technical, general education, college transfer, and continuing education programs to meet students' needs and desires as well as the community.

About National Center of Academic Transformation

The National Center for Academic Transformation (NCAT) is an independent, not-for-profit organization that provides leadership in using information technology to redesign learning environments to produce better learning outcomes for students at a reduced cost to the institution. For more information, visit the NCAT website http://www.thencat.org/index.html.

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Find More Textbooks College Press Releases

New Release Puts Families on the Road to Good Health with Twists on Favorite Recipes; Book by Eleanor Fahey

Bridgewater, NJ (PRWEB) August 30, 2011

To begin cooking without grains and refined sugars, you may have to invest a little more time into food preparation. The benefits, however, to your overall health and well-being will be well worth the effort. This new comprehensive cookbook features more than 200 practical recipes that are free of grains, gluten, and refined sugars. The recipes contain easy steps that will help even the most inexperienced cooks obtain excellent results. The author developed the recipes in her own home kitchen, testing them many times. Readers will be able to enjoy some of their favorite foods that are not only delicious but also easy to digest.

Comfort Cooking provides recipes in all categories: appetizers, dips, soups, stews, breads, poultry, meat, fish, meatless meals, vegetables, fruits, and salad dressings. Those who love dessert will appreciate the recipes for pies, tarts, cakes, cupcakes, cookies, and frozen desserts. Readers will learn how to make ketchup in 15 minutes and delicious key lime pie, decadent walnut brownies, and flavorful Moroccan-style chicken. The author has thought of everything, including a detailed index, a chapter on cooking techniques and a source list for shopping information.

Author Eleanor Fahey, a professional home economist, taught foods and nutrition at a public high school for more than a decade. She was inspired to write this book, which took more than seven years to develop, because she herself is allergic to grains and refined sugars. After failing to find a cookbook that worked for her, she began to experiment with her own family recipes by replacing the ingredients that caused distress with other digestible ingredients.

For more information, visit http://www.cookingwithoutgrains.com

Comfort Cooking Without Grains And Refined Sugars: More Than 200 Grain-, Gluten-, And Refined Sugar-Free Recipes For Everyday Living

Eleanor Fahey

Dog Ear Publishing

ISBN: 978-160844-731-2

324 pages

$ 19.95 US

Available at Ingram, Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble

and fine bookstores everywhere

About Dog Ear Publishing, LLC

Dog Ear Publishing offers completely customized self-publishing services for independent authors. We provide cost-effective, fast, and highly profitable services to publish and distribute independently published books. Our book publishing and distribution services reach worldwide. Dog Ear authors retain all rights and complete creative control throughout the entire self-publishing process. Self-publishing services are available globally at http://www.dogearpublishing.net and from our offices in Indianapolis.

Dog Ear Publishing self-publishing that actually makes sense.

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EntertainmentCenterSpot.com Brings Families Together with Exciting new Products from Legends Furniture and Parker House

Golden, CO (PRWEB) May 10, 2011

In the age of tablets, texting, emails and handheld media players, our society has become increasingly disconnected from each other, especially within the family. Dad is on the PC checking stocks, mom is on her iPhone checking e-mails and the kids are engaged in videogames or on the laptop. With the availability of immediate entertainment on the go, spending time together in the entertainment room as a family has become a novelty.

Although not true for all families, its been reported by many experts that quality family time has been diminished down to an absolute bare minimum these days, said Vaughn Johnson, Web Marketing Specialist for InteriorMark, LLC. Johnson went on to say, There is a disturbing trend of people barely spending time together, even during dinner everyone can check their Tweets and e-mails within seconds of taking their next bite. What better way to bring the family together than to enjoy a movie on a brand new corner entertainment center from Parker House or Legends Furniture?

EntertainmentCenterSpot.com now features two amazing companies; Parker House and Legends Furniture. With the addition of these two leading furniture manufacturers, EntertainentCenterSpot.com offers a full line of library wall units, corner entertainment centers, corner TV stands and full scale entertainment centers. Each of these products incorporates the finest hardwoods and veneers topped off with a beautiful scratch-resistant finish. Many products also feature innovations such as built-in iPod docks or power stations, cable management and a comprehensive manufacturers warranty.

An entertainment room can be the heart of a happy home. Now families can spend quality time together while enjoying their new furniture that seems to make the TV seem more attractive. Parker House library wall units are stunning, and Legends Furniture solid wood and classic features work well in almost any home. Instead of everybody retiring to their rooms at night, youll bring the family together for movies, sports, documentaries, and educational programming.

Even though the internet has caused distance between some families, it can also help bring families together. The stunning products featured on EntertainmentCenterSpot.com can be chosen by the entire family on their computer. Spending time together looking at entertainment centers is a great way to families to get to know each other once again.

About Entertainmentcenterspot.com -- EntertainmentCenterSpot.com is a division of InteriorMark, LLC, who is the market leading retailer of entertainment centers, wall units, TV stands, motorized TV lifts, AV racks and other specialty furniture for AV equipment. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to enhance and decorate a living room space or dedicated home theater environment. InteriorMark is a member of the National Home Furnishing Association and Western Home Furnishings Association, and is an A-rated member of the Better Business Bureau.

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More On Line Movies Press Releases

Quinazoline Program Makes Progress Toward Drug Treatment for Spinal Muscular Atrophy -- Families of SMA 2010 Program Update

Elk Grove Village, IL (PRWEB) June 30, 2010

Late last year, Families of Spinal Muscular Atrophy (FSMA) announced that it had entered into a groundbreaking exclusive license agreement with Repligen Corporation for the development of a potential treatment for Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). FSMA is dedicated to creating a treatment and cure for SMA by funding and advancing comprehensive research and drug discovery programs.

The FSMA funded Quinazoline Program has had several significant milestones - the first ever pre-IND (Investigational New Drug) meeting for SMA with the FDA took place in 2009, and FSMA then obtained Orphan Drug Designation for the drug. In the next step of the process toward finding a viable treatment for SMA, the well-established biopharmaceutical company Repligen Corporation, with extensive experience in clinical development in neurological indications, now takes on responsibility and funding for clinical development of a new SMA drug.

SMA, the leading genetic killer of children under the age of two, is typically marked by the degeneration of muscle movement including the muscles that control crawling, walking, swallowing and breathing. There are no approved therapies for the treatment of SMA to date, which affects one in every 6,000 babies. One in every 40 people carry the gene that causes SMA, indicating approximately 7.5 million carriers in the United States.

Families of SMA has made remarkable progress in defining a series of highly potent compounds which may be clinical candidates for SMA, stated Walter C. Herlihy, President and Chief Executive Officer of Repligen Corporation. We look forward to working with FSMA and their collaborators in the development of what we hope will be an important new treatment for SMA.

Importance of the Quinazoline Program

Through FSMAs leadership, ten years of research has resulted in a drug candidate that is targeted to treat the underlying cause of SMA. The licensed Quinazoline compounds increase the amount of SMN protein made from the back-up gene in SMA called SMN2. In preclinical studies, the drug has been shown to efficiently cross the blood brain barrier - a critical feature for a neurological drug - and prolong survival significantly in two different mouse models of SMA.

Quinazoline Program Update - Repligen Corporation

The clinical candidate identified by FSMA is at a pre-clinical research phase in which detailed studies of safety, pharmacology, and toxicology are being conducted. In parallel, mouse models of SMA disease are being used to document efficacy of the drug and examine what dose and dose schedule might give the best treatment result. These two lines of research will culminate in designing and seeking approval to test the drug first in healthy volunteers and then in patients. Early phase clinical trials will be conducted in adult volunteers and then patients to establish the safety and pharmacology of the drug.

While always difficult to predict progress milestones accurately, the preclinical work and early clinical safety and pharmacology studies in healthy humans will be the focus of the program for the next 1-2 years. If successful in establishing a safe dose which is also thought to be efficacious, future studies can examine the efficacy of the drug treatment in SMA patients, according to James Rusche, PhD, Senior Vice President, Research and Development of Repligen Corporation.

Progress Made

FSMAs first venture into drug discovery began in 2000 as a collaboration with Aurora Biosciences, since acquired by Vertex Pharmaceuticals. The initial goal of the collaboration was to develop screening tools to search for chemical compounds that could increase SMN levels from the SMN2 gene. Several compounds with the capability of doing this were discovered and one of these compound classes called Quinazolines were chemically modified at deCODE Chemistry with full funding by FSMA to optimize and generate drug-like properties. In late 2007 a clinical candidate was selected.

In August of 2009, FSMA received FDA Orphan Drug Designation for Quinazoline495, our clinical candidate in this program, for the treatment of SMA.

FSMA then conducted the first ever SMA pre-IND meeting with the FDA.

In October of 2009, Families of SMA licensed this series of compounds to Repligen Corporation for development as a potential treatment for Spinal Muscular Atrophy.

Under the guidance of drug discovery and development experts, FSMA has made investments of $ 13 million during the last decade to bring this groundbreaking program to the cusp of clinical development.

Importantly, the Quinazoline program also shows that SMA drug discovery is feasible! This has encouraged many others in the government and industry to invest in SMA research.

FSMA Funds Key Drug Discovery Programs

One of FSMAs primary and critical goals is to help build the size of its SMA drug pipeline, which simply means increasing the number of viable SMA candidate therapies in pre-clinical or clinical drug development. To date FSMA has been involved in five such ventures, including the groundbreaking Quinazoline Program.

Traditionally it has been difficult to attract major pharmaceutical companies to conduct research for orphan diseases like SMA, which have small patient populations with small potential for profit. Therefore FSMA has taken the strategy of providing seed funding to encourage biotech and pharmaceutical partners to engage in SMA drug research. The objective is to reduce the risk for industrial partners by simultaneously providing funding, research tools, scientific expertise, and established clinical networks. This strategy effectively lowers the barriers for embarking in SMA drug discovery bringing us closer to discovering new therapies and ultimately, a cure for SMA.

About Families of Spinal Muscular Atrophy

FSMA is dedicated to creating a treatment and cure for SMA by: Funding and advancing a comprehensive research program; Supporting SMA families through networking, information and services; Improving care for all SMA patients; Educating health professionals and the public about SMA; Enlisting government support a; Embracing all touched by SMA in a caring community. http://www.curesma.org

About Repligen Corporation

Repligen Corporation is a biopharmaceutical company in Waltham, Massachusetts that focuses on the development of innovative therapeutic drugs for unmet medical needs especially in the field of neurodegenerative disease. Repligen has licensed the compounds developed by FSMA that hold promise as a treatment for SMA.

Contact Information

Families of SMA

925 Busse Road

Elk Grove Village, IL 60007

Phone (800) 886-1762

Fax (847) 367-7623

Email info(at)fsma(dot)org

http://www.curesma.org

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