Washington, DC (PRBlaze) May 13, 2010 – The Johns Hopkins University’s Zanvyl Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Advanced Academic Programs, will unveil the Center for Biotechnology Education on Thursday, May 13, at its fifth annual biotechnology research symposium, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. in Gilchrest Hall on the Montgomery County campus, 9601 Medical Center Drive in Rockville.

Preparing the leaders of today, tomorrow, and the next generation.

The center will expand the scope of Johns Hopkins’ biotechnology education by adding symposia, workshops, youth development programs and non-credit training to its current offering of graduate degrees, master’s certificates and fellowships.

“The Johns Hopkins University has long played a significant role in scientific research and discovery,” said Patrick Cummings, director of the center and senior associate program chair of the biotechnology program. “In that tradition, we created the Center for Biotechnology Education to help share the knowledge and resources of our premier research institution with students, working professionals, teachers and the general public.”

The establishment of the Center for Biotechnology Educations positions Johns Hopkins University as a leader of educational continuum for regional, national and international biotechnology programming and leadership.

“The center is working to forge strong partnerships with industry and government organizations, area school districts, and other Johns Hopkins entities,” said Richard McCarty, chair of the center and of the Advanced Biotechnology Studies program. “Our goal is to build a pipeline of students and professionals equipped to achieve success in K-12 education, graduate school, and the workplace in the fields of biotechnology, bioinformatics, bioscience regulatory affairs, and bioscience business and leadership.”

The center’s inaugural event will feature keynote speaker Dr. Jesse Goodman, chief scientist and deputy commissioner for science and public health at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and poster presentations from graduate students in Johns Hopkins biotechnology, bioinformatics, and regulatory affairs programs, as well as area high school students.

The administrative office for the Center for Biotechnology Education is on the 6th floor of the Wyman Park Building on the Homewood campus in Baltimore. The center also has an office on the Montgomery County campus, featuring a state-of-the-art laboratory for graduate student training and workshops, as well as a dedicated computer laboratory for bioinformatics workshops.

For more information about Johns Hopkins’ Center for Biotechnology Education, please contact Patrick Cummings at 410-516-5842. The center’s website is http://biotechnology.jhu.edu.

Johns Hopkins University news releases can be found on the World Wide Web at http://releases.jhu.edu/
Information on automatic E-mail delivery of science and medical news releases is available at the same address.

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Toledo, Ohio, (PRblaze) May 11, 2010 - Marco’s Pizza, an authentic Italian pizza company headquartered in Toledo, Ohio, opened its second Oklahoma location on Monday, May 10. Kevin Wilkerson, a resident of Edmond, owns and operates the new store. Wilkerson is also a Marco’s Pizza area representative with plans to develop 40 locations across Oklahoma: 25 stores in Oklahoma City and the Central Oklahoma region and 15 stores in the Tulsa metro and surrounding areas.

The new Marco’s Pizza store is located at 17900 N. Western Avenue in Edmond and the phone number is (405) 513-5355. Marco’s also has a second location in Broken Arrow and will open a Lawton store in June.

“Marco’s Pizza is in the process of expanding nationwide and Oklahoma is a fairly new territory,” said Wilkerson. “We are excited about the opportunity to introduce Edmond and Oklahoma City to Marco’s high-quality pizza. We make fresh dough every day in our stores and use a proprietary sauce recipe and blend of three fresh cheeses. Customers will enjoy the Marco’s Pizza difference.”

Wilkerson, a retired U.S. Army Colonel, has found that franchising requires a range of the leadership and business skills he developed both in the military and as an owner of a mergers and acquisitions firm.

“I have really enjoyed the wide variety of responsibilities as an area representative and the opportunity to work with a team toward the common goal of expanding the Marco’s Pizza brand throughout the region,” he said. “I think people with military backgrounds can often be a great fit for this work and I love being in on the ground floor of a great idea.”

“Marco’s Pizza’s development in Oklahoma City and Tulsa is a wonderful testament to our company’s growth,” said Jack Butorac, Marco’s president and CEO. “Marco’s has a great future in Oklahoma.”

Marco’s Pizza stores employ up to 20 to 25 people and offer carryout, delivery, dine-in and online ordering. Marco’s menu features the company’s Ah!thentic Italian pizza, Cheezybread, chicken wings, fresh-baked subs, meatballs, salads, soft drinks and more. Marco’s operates more than 200 stores in 17 states and the Bahamas and has more than 1,000 stores in development, making it the fastest-growing pizza company in the U.S. For more information about Marco’s Pizza visit www.marcos.com. To inquire about franchise opportunities e-mail dallen@marcos.com.

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About Marco’s Franchising, LLC (www.marcos.com)

Headquartered in Toledo, Ohio, Marco’s Pizza (Marco’s Franchising, LLC) is the fastest-growing pizza company in the U.S. (based on the number of stores signed into development since 2007). Marco’s was founded in 1978 by Pasquale (”Pat”) Giammarco and is committed to making Ah!thentic Italian pizza with fresh ingredients. The company has grown from its roots as a beloved Ohio brand to operate more than 200 stores in 17 states and the Bahamas. Marco’s is now recognized as one of the top-performing restaurant franchises in the country.

Los Angeles, CA, (PRblaze) January 08, 2010 - During these turbulent economic times, more than ever before, churches of all denominations from across the nation are feeling the financial pinch.

Web-Jesus.com (http://www.web-jesus.com) through their Christ Coordinates project has put together a unique fund-raising tool that Christian organizations are using to assist them in their donation drives.

Studies have shown that congregations are more likely to give more generously when they get a ‘thank you’ gift in return. Web-Jesus.com’s high-impact and low-cost Christ Coordinates tool has filled that space with a unique never-before-seen idea that attracts Christians organizations of all denominations.

Over an image map of Jesus, there are hundreds of thousands of points with member custom prayers, messages of love, gratitude and bible passages. Each pixel or coordinate retails for $1.99. Christian organizations get them at a deeply discounted price and give them as thank you gifts for donations.

A Christ Coordinate or Prayer Point is a sacred space online appearing over an image of Jesus Christ. Each point carries a custom dedication, image, prayer, and church group affiliation that churches give to their members as a token of their appreciation.

The published coordinates are a permanent statement and proclamation of the owners’ faiths, as well as an online tool that increases the visibility of their churches online.

Web-Jesus.com promotes Christian values through the image of Jesus Christ. The site’s premise takes advantage of “concept grouping” technologies favored by Google.

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Own your personal Jesus Christ Internet coordinate — a sacred place on a beautiful image of Jesus Christ. Leave a testament to your faith and be part of a community of like-minded and wholehearted believers.

Web-Jesus.com
Paul Rinaldi
212 531 1884
info@web-jesus.com
www.web-jesus.com

Ottawa, Canada, (PRblaze) December 12th, 2009 - Hearst Power Distribution (Hearst) has signed an agreement with NorthStar Utilities Solutions, a division of Harris Computer Systems, to implement MeterSense as their Operational Data Store. In conjunction with the Ontario government’s provincial Meter Data Management Repository, MDM/R, MeterSense will provide Hearst with a comprehensive solution to immediately validate the health and status of their metering infrastructure. It will also improve operational efficiencies by allowing Hearst to understand how their assets are performing. Through advanced reporting MeterSense provides invaluable information on distribution system loading and assists utilities in optimizing their assets in the field.

The Province of Ontario has embarked on a plan that will see the implementation of resident smart meters on every household by 2011 and the move to time of use billing. This program is part of the government’s overall strategy to create and promote a conservation culture and encompasses over four million residential smart meters. The incorporation of both smart grid technology and smart meters will facilitate the use advanced information-based technologies to increase grid efficiency, reliability and flexibility.

Hearst contracted with Util-Assist, a leading industry consultant, to issue a request for proposal and review vendors. After a thorough review Hearst chose NorthStar’s MeterSense solution based on its ability to meet both their immediate and long term smart meter objectives.

“We are thrilled with the addition of Hearst to the MeterSense user community.” said Rob DiMurro, General Manager of NorthStar Utilities Solutions, “Our MeterSense initiative has huge momentum as more utilities realize that they can gain operational efficiencies from a comprehensive meter data management solution like MeterSense.”

About Hearst Power Distribution Company Ltd.:
Hearst Power Distribution Company Ltd. distributes electricity to the residents and businesses of the Town of Hearst.

Ms. Nicole Leduc
General Manager
Hearst Power Distribution Company Ltd.
Hearst, Ontario
(705) 372-2815
nleduc@ntl.sympatico.ca

About MeterSense:
MeterSense is a comprehensive meter data management solution (MDMS) designed to provide utilities with long-term storage of billing and operational data, validation, and through its configurable Rules Engine, intelligent real-time event management. MeterSense is designed to reduce or eliminate the need for manual intervention in handling the significantly increased volume of data utilities are now faced with and act as the central point for integrating meter data and events with other business systems such as CIS, SCADA, GIS, OMS, WMS, and other critical utility systems.

About NorthStar Utilities Solutions:
NorthStar has been serving the utility market for more than 30 years. NorthStar provides utilities with integrated solutions for customer information and billing, financial management and meter data management. Our 200 customer in North American and the Caribbean, benefit from our solutions that let utilities manage their revenues, deliver superior customer service and improve efficiencies while reducing total cost of ownership. For more information on NorthStar Utilities Solutions and the NorthStar product suite please visit our website at www.northstarutilities.com.

To learn more about MeterSense please contact:
Mike Foley, Senior Account Executive
NorthStar Utilities Solutions
A division of Harris Computer Systems
(613) 868-5594
mfoley@northstarutilities.com

About Harris Computer Systems:
Since 1976, Harris has focused on providing feature-rich and robust turnkey solutions to public power and water markets as well as all levels of local government throughout North America. Harris’ focus is on creating long-term relationships with our customers and ensuring that we meet the changing needs of our customers over time. For further information on Harris Computer Systems, please visit our website at www.harriscomputer.com or call 888-847-7747.

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Springfield, MO (PRblaze) August 18th, 2009 - ZenSix Hosting (http://zensix.com) announced today that 100% of their cPanel client base has been acquired by VPSOUTLET LLC (http://vpsoutlet.com). The change affects nearly 300 clients. However, ZenSix will retain their entire DirectAdmin client base.

“Over the past six months we’ve been looking for a way to easily migrate to a DirectAdmin only hosting company,” said ZenSix Owner, Eric Reynolds. “It wasn’t until we started meeting with the people behind VPSOUTLET that we decided an acqusition of these clients to another company would be the best solution for everyone involved. Instead of forcing our clients to switch panels, we found a host that could continue providing them with the same level of support as us, while letting them keep their original panel. It was a win-win-win.”

ZenSix will continue to provide support to the cPanel clients for the next seven days. The official handover of support to VPSOUTLET will take place on August 24th, 2009. On that day, VPSOUTLET is requesting that all clients submit technical/billing support requests at their site: http://billing.vpsoutlet.com – as ZenSix will officially end cPanel support on this day and remove the accounts from their support system.

Anyone with questions about the acqusition is asked to contact Eric Reynolds at ZenSix Hosting.

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Springfield, MO (PRblaze) August 08, 2009 – It was 40 years ago this August that approximately 500,000 young people made a statement to the world while enjoying 3 days of peace, love and music at what Rolling Stone Magazine would describe as “the greatest event in rock music history”.

Despite harsh weather, lack of facilities and a shortage of medical care, legend suggests that 2 young women gave birth at the festival. Eyewitness accounts support the births, and singer John Sebastian is captured on film reporting a birth to the crowd.

Now that these two mysterious individuals are about to celebrate their 40th birthday, a Chicago area concert promoter has launched a worldwide search, and has invited them to step forward and be recognized.

Still Rockin’ Productions of Joliet, IL, is hosting a concert celebrating the 40th anniversary of that monumental music festival. www.stillrockinproductions.com

Billed as The Heroes of Woodstock, several artists who performed at the original 1969 festival will rock the Tsongas Arena in Lowell, MA on August 16 at 6pm. The scheduling of this anniversary concert was designed to coincide with the actual date in 1969, as it is quite possibly the Woodstock babies’ actual birthday.

“It would be a wonderful tribute to the Woodstock generation if these two individuals would come out of anonymity and be recognized for their 40th birthday”, said Dale Thomas, President of Still Rockin’ Productions.

The Woodstock babies are asked to provide documentation of their place and date of birth which will be independently researched.

If they choose to be found, they will be honored on stage at the concert and treated to a ‘happy birthday’ greeting sung by Jefferson Starship, Canned Heat, Big Brother and the Holding Company, Ten Years After, Country Joe McDonald and other 1969 Woodstock veterans. A package of product endorsement offers also awaits the lucky original hippies.

Will they step forward or remain a legend of that epic gathering in 1969?

“If they are out there, what better time to come forward than on your 40th birthday”, said Thomas.

For more information surrounding the Woodstock 40th Anniversary, visit www.theheroesofwoodstock.com.

Contact: Dale Thomas ph: 815-341-2558

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Springfield, MO (PRblaze) August 05, 2009 – If you are watching Discovery Channel’s Shark Week, you are seeing the world’s top shark experts. Want to meet them in person? Then go to eBay and bid on lunch or dinner with your favorite shark expert. Meet for lunch or dinner, learn why they love sharks, and hear some great stories about sharks.

Shark celebrities and shark experts are allowing themselves to be auctioned on eBay during Shark Week 2009 to raise funds for the Shark Research Institute’s conservation programs. Up for auction are dinners (or lunches) with 29 of the world’s best-known shark people. It is a unique opportunity to “talk shark” face-to-face, one-on-one, with an authority on sharks.

Some of celebrities and shark experts being auctioned include: Dr. Sylvia Earle, National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence and unquestionably the most eloquent spokesperson for ocean conservation; legendary filmmakers Tom Campbell, Jeff Kurr, Howard Hall Marty Snyderman and Jonathan Bird; award-winning underwater photographers Amos Nachoum and Don Tipton, marine painter and author Richard Ellis and Sherman Lagoon’s Jim Toomey.

Other celebrities on the auction block this week: Jeff Gallant, of Drummondville, Quebec, Canada who studies the elusive Greenland Shark, Chris Fallows who studies and films the aerial acrobatics of huge white sharks off the coast of South Africa; Ralph Collier, the expert on shark attacks along the Pacific coast, and Dr. Richard Fernicola, the author of Twelve Days of Terror, the definitive book on the 1916 shark attacks along the New Jersey shore that was the inspiration for Jaws. Also up for auction are: Jupp Kerckerinck, Dr. Alessandro De Maddalena, Doc Anes, Dr.Jennifer V. Schmidt, Ph.D., Jason Holmberg, Mark Marks, Dr. Erich Ritter, Dean Fessler, Marie Levine, Dr. Alex Antoniou, Matt Potenski, Steve Fox, Eli Martinez, Neil Hammerschlag and Patric Douglas.

Each one has a wealth of information and tales to share with their highest bidder.

How it works: Bid on a shark expert or celebrity that lives or works nearby, unless you are willing to drive or fly to the expert’s location. The winning bidder pays for the celebrity’s meal, and may bring guests. (An exception is field researcher Chris Fallows who will be taking his winning bidder out to sea with him to observe white sharks.) Shark Research Institute will introduce each winning bidder to his or her shark celebrity, then the two schedule a day, time and place to meet.

The auction runs throughout Shark Week 2009: Sunday, August 2 to August 8. The easiest way to enter the auction is through the Shark Research Institute’s home page at www.sharks.org.

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Springfield, MO (PRblaze) August 05, 2009 – The Furama Resort (www.furamavietnam.com), Da Nang is an ideal venue for conference and incentive planners who are looking for new destinations in Southeast-Asia. Set in its own extensive private grounds the resort is just 15 minutes from the centre of Da Nang and its international airport.

The resort has recently put into operation the International Convention Palace to satisfy the growing MICE market with an increasing number of meetings and incentive groups selecting central Vietnam.

The facility is set in the resort’s lush tropical garden. The 2,500 square metre convention centre has the largest conference hall in the Central Vietnam plus five other smaller conference rooms to seat up to 500 people.

The Convention Palace is equipped with the most up-to-date communication technologies for international conferences and meetings, such as high-speed internet access, audio-visual systems and modern translation equipment. An environmentally-friendly air-conditioning system has been installed to keep the centre comfortable all year round.

The centre’s opening was marked by the Asia Pacific Economic Forum Senior Officials Meeting III, with 45 meetings held over 10 days in mid-September 2006. Furama Da Nang Resort & Spa prepared the logistics for meetings and provided care and comfort for 1,500 delegates from 21 member economies.

Furama Da Nang Resort & Spa track record proves it to be an ideal place for international meetings, as well as a relaxing haven for tourists. In a decade of operation, the resort has been selected to host dignitaries and VIPs and some of the world’s important events. It was consecutively voted the best resort in Vietnam by local and international magazines.

Da Nang Grand Ballroom: Da Nang grand ballroom features the largest and most advanced international convention centre in the Central Vietnam. At full capacity the Grand Ballroom houses 800 delegates for meetings and 600 for banquets.

Gallery Rooms: The Gallery Rooms can accommodate receptions of up to 120 people, with table set-up dining for up to 80 people and meetings for up to 100 people. The meeting room is full of natural light when the doors open to the terrace viewing the resort’s lagoon.

Ocean Room: The Ocean Room is located on the upper level of the main pavilion. It can accommodate receptions of up to 450 people, with table set-up dining for up to 250 people and seminars for up to 220 people.

The Business Centre offers the latest communications facilities as well as work stations, desktop computers and printers, a small private meeting room and a full range of business and secretarial services. High-speed Internet access is available from 6 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

All 198 luxurious rooms and suites feature a spacious private balcony or terrace. Each room equipped with bathroom, three telephone sets, mini bar, AC and fan, satellite TV, business desk and tea/coffee making facilities, security lock.

Just a short drive from Danang lay four UNESCO-listed World Heritage Sites: the former imperial city of Hue (2 hours), the ancient ‘Silk Road’ trading port of Hoi An (30 minutes away), the spiritual centre of the Champa civilization, My Son (90 minutes) and the mystical Phong Nha Caves in Quang Binh province (3 hours), considered by some an access to the inner earth.

Planing a mice trip to Vietnam, go to http://www.luxurytravelvietnam.com for more information and mice booking.

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San Francisco, CA (PRblaze) January 24, 2009 – As awards season heads to a crescendo, Internet TV superstars Alex Albrecht, Dan Trachtenberg and Jeff Cannata, hosts of the Totally Rad Show name the “Raddest of 2008.” The awards show, available today at www.revision3.com/trs was filmed in front of a live audience, with the hosts honoring the Raddest in their core coverage areas of movies, TV and video in 2008.

And the awards are…

Totally Rad Movie of 2008: The Wrestler, a drama centered on retired professional wrestler Randy “The Ram” Robinson as he makes his way through the independent circuit, trying to get back in the game for one final showdown with his former rival.
“It’s the obvious pick and I feel very good about it.” – Jeff Cannata
“Wrestler is my #1 and our #1.” – Alex Albrecht

Totally Rad Video Game of 2008: Left 4 Dead, a co-operative, survival horror, first-person shooter video game. It was developed by Turtle Rock Studios, which was purchased by the Valve Corporation part-way into development. The game uses the Source game engine and is available for Windows-based personal computers and the Xbox 360.
“I cannot remember a game that has a higher fun per minute quotient than this game. There is more fun packed in this game, by design, than any game I can remember recently.” – Jeff Cannata

Totally Rad TV Show of 2008: Lost, an American serial drama television series. It follows the lives of plane crash survivors on a mysterious tropical island, after a commercial passenger jet flying between Sydney, Australia and Los Angeles crashes somewhere in the South Pacific. Each episode typically features a primary storyline on the island as well as a secondary storyline from another point in a character’s life.
“[Lost] brings a seriousness to really geeky ideas… Every level that could be good – sound, picture – is all great in this show. ” – Dan Trachtenberg

Hosted by Alex Albrecht, Jeff Cannata and Dan Trachtenberg, the Totally Rad Show is Revision3’s explosion of movie, video game, TV and comics news and reviews. Four dudes in a garage. One green screen. A cubic ass-ton of enthusiasm. The Totally Rad Show is all about the feeling of sharing a great new movie, video game, TV show or comic. If it’s out there and it is rad, it is on the Totally Rad Show.

About Revision3
Revision3 is the first media company that gets it. Born from the Internet, Revision3 is the home of Internet Television, creating and producing shows for a new audience: passionate, committed fans who want to watch shows about technology, modern culture and music that entertain, educate and help to expand their life experiences.

The company was founded in 2005 by technology visionaries Kevin Rose, Jay Adelson and David Prager because they couldn’t find anything they wanted to watch on traditional television. The company is now led by Internet TV pioneer Jim Louderback. With more than 60 million views to date (and six million per month), Revision3’s programs can be found everywhere from Revision3 to a wide range of platforms, including iTunes, YouTube, Joost, Hulu, Viddler, Blip.TV and TIVO. Shows can be watched on any device, from a cell phone to an Apple iPod to a computer or a TV.

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Contact: Sarah Hawes, 646.695.7050, sarah@rosengrouppr.com

Dallas, TX (PRblaze) January 03, 2009 - Mike Dolatkhah knew all about the dirty tactics moving companies used to rip off customers: Quoting one price, and then charging customers more when their items were loaded on the moving truck. Or promising customers a large moving truck, but sending a small truck to make customers pay more for extra trips.

So Dolatkhah set out to create a new concept in the moving industry — Dr. Move Inc.

He set out to differentiate Dr. Move.com from its competitors by honoring the prices it quoted customers, and bringing the moving industry up to the demands of the 21st century with an online reservation system that allows customers to reserve, pay for and schedule their move online.

“A lot of movers won’t show customers the contract until the day customers move and by then you’re like, ‘“Wow, what’s this?’” Dolatkhah said. “I wanted a way that customers could see what the price of their move was upfront so there would be no surprises. My main goal is to give customers an honest upfront price that won’t change on their moving day.”

Dr. Move accomplishes this with a website that that allows customers to “view” their reservations online — backed by Dr. Move’s guarantee that the flat-rate price it quotes customers won’t change on their moving day.

There is no need for an in-home visit for a moving estimate, and customers can get a quote in minutes — 24 hours a day, anywhere there is an internet connection.

The process is relatively simple and can be completed virtually all online:

Customers log on to Dr. Move’s website, enter the number of items they want moved, and get an instant quote. Dr. Move e-mails customers a contract, which includes an inventory of items that are to be moved. Customers fax or e-mail the contract back to Dr. Move and pay for their reservations online. Customers can view and edit their reservation and inventory online at any time.

“We disclose everything beforehand,” Dolatkhah said. “The same form that customers see on our website is the form that our movers have. What you see is what you get; no funny business.”

As long as customers don’t change the number of items they want moved or change their moving conditions, Dr. Move promises to honor its prices — even if there are unexpected delays.

“If we say we will charge you $300 and it takes 20 hours to do the job, I’m going to eat it at that price,” Dolatkhah said. “If traffic is backed up for 5 hours, customers pay the same price we quoted.”

Now, Dolatkhah has set his sights on expanding the concept of Dr. Move nationwide.

With locations in Austin, Houston and Dallas, Dolatkhah plans to franchise Dr. Move throughout the U.S.

Not bad for a company that Dolatkhah started in 2003 when the then-college graduate found himself with no money and no job. Dolatkhah rented a moving van and began moving customers.

A few months later, Dolatkhah bought a trailer and a truck. Now Dr. Move handles residential and commercial moves for thousands of customers.

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DrMove
Mike Dolatkhah, Dr. Move Inc.
1-888-DRMOVE-1
Mike@DrMove.com
http://www.drmove.com