CHICAGO, IL-January 24, 2012 – Inquiries for Business Reviews to the Better Business Bureau serving Chicago and northern Illinois (BBB) jumped by over 16-percent in 2011, a sign consumers are taking the initiative to investigate companies before doing business with them.  

“We are very pleased the BBB has become a greater resource for consumers who are following our advice to check out free BBB Business Reviews before signing a contract or making a purchase,” says Steve J. Bernas, president & CEO of the Better Business Bureau serving Chicago and Northern Illinois. “If consumers would consistently do this simple first step, there would be fewer upset and dissatisfied shoppers.”

The total number of inquiries fielded by the BBB in 2011 was 4,482,760, a marked increased over the 3,853,476 in 2010. Visits to the BBB website, www.bbb.org/chicago, increased by 40-percent.

“The reason for the inquiry increases,” explained Bernas, “is the intensive education campaign the BBB has sponsored through its use of billboards, radio, print, online advertising and public events.”

Complaints to the Better Business Bureau serving Chicago and Northern Illinois dropped by nearly 5,000 in 2011 compared to the 55,528 handled in 2010.

The top 10 types of businesses receiving complaints for northern Illinois in 2011 were: Department Stores, Financial Services, Insurance Companies, Auto Repair & Services, New Car Auto Dealers, Airlines, Collection Agencies, Retail Florists, Used Car Auto Dealers, and Restaurants. 

Consumers seeking Free BBB Business Reviews can visit our website at www.bbb.org

###

As a private, non-profit organization, the purpose of the Better Business Bureau is to promote an ethical marketplace. BBBs help resolve buyer/seller complaints by means of conciliation, mediation and arbitration. BBBs also review advertising claims, online business practices and charitable organizations. BBBs develop and issue reports on businesses and nonprofit organizations and encourage people to check out a company or charity before making a purchase or donation.

Educated Consumers Result in Fewer Complaints Says the Better Business Bureau | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

The researchers will partner with the Chicago Public Schools, working with youths with a range of disabilities. The grant also will enable the researchers to form a network of educators and agencies that focus on youths with disabilities.

“While in high school, people with disabilities are protected under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. After high school, they are forced to advocate for themselves,” says Michelle Parker-Katz, UIC clinical professor of special education and co-principal investigator on the study. “They have to navigate a myriad of government and outside agencies.”

The grant will fund the training of 56 certified transition specialists with the advance certification of Learning and Behavior Specialist II to serve in high-need schools. Tuition, fees, and some costs for books and equipment will be waived. Students in the program’s second year will be paid to mentor first-year students.

The researchers said youth with disabilities who drop out are more likely to be incarcerated or underemployed, or to become parents at an early age. Youth with disabilities also are less than half as likely as others to gain any higher education or vocational training.

“Illinois now has only 17 special educators with advanced certification, while 107,629 transition-age students with disabilities are enrolled in public schools,” said Lisa Cushing, associate professor of special education and co-principal investigator. “Only two other universities offer state certification in transition, and they are located several hours from Chicago.”

“Nationally, only 72 percent of youth with disabilities complete high school,” said Parker-Katz. “Even fewer graduate on time, especially among those with emotional disturbances,” said.

Cushing and Parker-Katz will develop training courses and a network to be available in summer 2012.

UIC ranks among the nation’s leading research universities and is Chicago’s largest university with 27,000 students, 12,000 faculty and staff, 15 colleges and the state’s major public medical center. A hallmark of the campus is the Great Cities Commitment, through which UIC faculty, students and staff engage with community, corporate, foundation and government partners in hundreds of programs to improve the quality of life in metropolitan areas around the world.For more information about UIC, please visit www.uic.edu.

Federal Grant Funds Life Transition for Youth with Disabilities | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

CHICAGO, Dec. 2, 2011 /CHICAGOPRESSRELEASE.COM/ – WHAT: ParentsWork will be hosting A Birthday Party With A Twist to celebrate five years of working to improve the lives of Illinois families and raise funds to support its future outreach and education activities. The community-building open house will feature an opportunity for working parents from across the Chicago area to meet and learn about ways to get involved with the organization while sampling the unique pretzel creations of Kim & Scott’s Cafe Twist. Children of all ages will also be able to “twist their own” pretzels at this fun, family-friendly event.

WHEN: Saturday, December 3, 2011, 4:00 – 7:00 PM

WHERE: Kim & Scott’s Cafe Twist
2218 North Lincoln Avenue
Chicago, Illinois

WHO: Chicago-area parents and their families

WHY: The event will help further the organization’s mission of bringing parents of diverse backgrounds together to share their experiences and ideas for changes that would better enable them to fulfill their responsibilities – at home and at work.

VISUALS: Children learning how to twist pretzels and decorating their creations.

For more information about A Birthday Party With A Twist, visit www.parentswork.org.

About ParentsWork
With a growing online network of 800+ members, ParentsWork is a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating more family-supportive communities, schools and workplaces so that all Illinois parents have the time and resources they need to care for their children. Since its inception in 2006, the group has been instrumental in raising awareness about the impact of school schedules on working families and has been a catalyst for significant calendar improvements in Evanston-Skokie School District 65.

This press release was issued through 24-7PressRelease.com.  For further information, visit http://www.24-7pressrelease.com.

SOURCE ParentsWork

http://www.parentswork.org

Premier Illinois Working Parents’ Organization Celebrates 5th Anniversary | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

SAN DIEGO, Oct. 27, 2011 /CHICAGOPRESSRELEASE.COM/ — The Turnaround Management Association (TMA) presented the Butler-Cooley Excellence in Teaching Award Wednesday to two teachers, one of whom is the first award recipient from outside North America, at the opening of the TMA Annual Convention.

Bijal Damani teachers business and commerce to high school students at the S.N. Kansagara School, part of The Galaxy Education System, in Rajkot, Gujarat, India. Silvestre Arcos teaches middle school math and established a dual language program at M.S. 223, The Laboratory School of Finance and Technology, in New York.

Established in 2004 with a grant from the John Wm. Butler Foundation Inc., the Butler-Cooley Excellence in Teaching Awards Program honors K-12 teachers who have demonstrated their capacity to change the outcome of students’ lives and the communities where they teach. The program is named in honor of relatives of a past TMA chairman who collectively have spent more than 50 years as teachers, and recognizes the central role that teaching has in the life of the association.

TMA administers the program and provides partial funding through the TMA Cornerstone Board-designated Endowment, which supports research and education in the corporate restructuring industry.  Winners receive a $5,000 cash prize, in addition to lodging and partial transportation expenses to the Annual Convention.

Judges for this year’s competition were:

• Tom Henderson, Thomas S. Henderson Attorney at Law, TMA Houston Chapter
• Carlton E. Helming, CTP, principal, Helming & Company PC, TMA Connecticut Chapter
• Abby Myers, retired elementary school principal with Portland Public Schools, as well as a former human resources administrator in Portland, Ore., who began her 35-year career as special education and K-8 classroom teacher
• Pete Lorain, retired human resources director for public schools, Beaverton, Ore.; past president National Middle School Association; middle school principal; and director at district level
• Jim Van Develde, communications director, Lakeland Central School District, Shrub Oak, New York; past North East Region vice president of the National School Public Relations Association; and past two-term president of the New York School Public Relations Association

The Chicago-based Turnaround Management Association (turnaround.org), has more than 9,000 members in 48 regional chapters worldwide who comprise a professional community of turnaround practitioners, attorneys, accountants, investors, lenders, venture capitalists, appraisers, liquidators, executive recruiters and consultants.

SOURCE Turnaround Management Association

http://www.turnaround.org

TMA Awards Its First Butler-Cooley Excellence in Teaching Award to a Teacher Outside of North America | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

The FBI, in conjunction with the Hawaii State Department of Education, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and a host of private and not-for-profit organizations, is working to educate students about serious dangers lurking on the Internet. To further this effort, the partnership is once again sponsoring the fifth annual Internet Safety Awards (ISA), a video contest for Hawaii’s students. The ISA asks students to write, direct, and produce public service announcements that focus on three topics relevant to their online safety:

1. Cyber-bullying
2. Online piracy /plagiarism
3. Social networking precautions

How bad is the problem?

• Over half of all adolescents have reported being bullied while online or via their cell phone
• 52 percent of teens admitted to some form of cheating involving the Internet
• 38 percent of teens said they copied text from websites and turned it in as their own work
• One in 25 youth reported that they have received online sexual solicitation where the solicitor tried to make offline contact

This contest is quite unique in that private industry, law enforcement, and the students themselves have joined forces to combat these dangers. The contest is open to all elementary, middle, intermediate, and high school students attending an accredited public or private school in the state of Hawaii. Video submissions will be accepted until Thursday, March 1, 2012. The winners will be chosen by experts in the fields of online safety, video production, web design, and advertising and will be acknowledged on May 11, 2012 at a red carpet event complete with celebrity presenters, VIPs, and prizes.

Rules, applications, technical specifications for submissions, and other information regarding the contest can be found online at www.internetsafetyawards.org.

FBI Announces Fifth Annual Internet Safety Awards | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Multiple Events Bring Awareness to the Youth Runaway Issue

CHICAGO, Oct. 26, 2011  /CHICAGOPRESSRELEASE.COM/ — “Going green” typically means making eco-friendly choices, but in November it highlights the color and turns the spotlight on National Runaway Prevention Month (NRPM).  NRPM is a public education campaign symbolized by the color green, and is spearheaded by the National Runaway Switchboard (NRS) and the National Network for Youth to raise awareness about the youth runaway crisis in America and to educate people about prevention and solutions.

“The runaway issue has been a silent crisis too long, and this November we need to get Americans talking about it,” said Maureen Blaha, NRS executive director. “The truth is that prevention is possible and help is available.”

To bring greater understanding of this problem, individuals and organizations throughout the country are planning activities during November, including:

• Social Media Day of Action: On Nov. 1, people are encouraged to wear green socks, upload photos of it to Facebook, and tweet these photos while using the hashtag #NRPM2011. NRS will tweet runaway prevention facts throughout the day and host a webinar on the long-term effects of running away, which will stream live at http://ustre.am/E3CP at 12:30 p.m. CT/1:30 p.m. ET. Questions for the panel can be tweeted with the hashtag #NRPM2011.
• Green Light Project: Americans can show support of runaway and at-risk youth by shining a green light on their front porches. This year, Wrigley Field in Chicago is getting involved and promoting 1-800-RUNAWAY and www.1800RUNAWAY.org on its marquee on Nov. 2. Agencies such as Family Connection, Inc., in Alabama and the Huckleberry House in Ohio will hand out green socks and light bulbs to community members.
• Spirit of Youth Benefit: This Chicago event is NRS’ annual fundraiser to recognize individuals and organizations that help to keep America’s runaway, homeless and at-risk youth safe and off the street. The 2011 Spirit of Youth award recipient is artist and civil rights activist Cyndi Lauper, who took part in last year’s Green Light Project. The Cyndi Lauper True Colors Fund will be honored at the benefit on Nov. 18. This year’s platinum sponsor is United Airlines, and the gold sponsors are Carlton Technologies, Chicago Tribune, Greyhound Lines and Radio Flyer.

For more information, visit www.1800RUNAWAY.org.

SOURCE National Runaway Switchboard

From Wrigley Field to Home Turfs Across the Country, America is "Going Green" for National Runaway Prevention Month | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

OAK BROOK, Ill., Oct. 24, 2011 /CHICAGOPRESSRELEASE.COM/ — Follett Higher Education Group’s Rent-A-Text continues to grow, and remains the most popular choice for students looking to save big on course materials. Just this fall, students across the country saved nearly $90 million compared to the cost of buying new books by using Rent-A-Text. Students also bought more CafeScribe® digital textbooks as sales more than doubled compared to last year’s figures.  

“The growth and popularity of both Rent-A-Text and CafeScribe® digital textbooks show that we have been successful in meeting the evolving needs of our customers,” said Thomas A. Christopher, President of Follett Higher Education Group. “We will continue to grow our offerings to ensure students have more choices and better access to affordable course materials on all of the campuses we serve, both in-store and online.”

Textbook rentals doubled this year compared to last, making Follett’s Rent-A-Text the fastest growing in-store and online bookstore rental program. The company has already rented more than 4.5 million textbooks and saved students more than $215 million. Follett’s rental programs are expected to save students more than $200 million in the 2011-2012 academic year alone.  

Students at California State University Northridge took full advantage of the rental options available at the Matador Bookstore and rented approximately 25,000 books, more than any other Rent-A-Text school. The most popular rental title for the fall semester was “They Say, I Say: The Moves that Matter in Academic Writing,” (W.W. Norton & Company).

In a national survey conducted by Follett this September, 99 percent of students expressed satisfaction for the program and a majority of students said they had a better opinion of their bookstore after using Rent-A-Text. Students also reported buying additional course materials and textbooks with their savings.

Rent-A-Text is available at more than 860 Follett-managed bookstores in the United States and Canada. The program provides savings, on average, of 50 percent or more compared to new textbook prices and is also available online through efollett.com. As a leader in the textbook industry, Follett also offers rental solutions to virtual and independently-managed bookstores.  

Explosion in Digital Sales

This fall, Follett announced a new version of its CafeScribe® platform that makes digital textbooks smarter with better study tools, more accessibility on different types of devices and more book titles than ever before.  

Already, students are taking advantage of the CafeScribe® application’s unique study tools with hundreds of thousands of highlights, notes and bookmarks created. One of the many dynamic tools available through the new version of the product is Snap Summary, which allows users to quickly and easily compile their notes and highlights into a powerful study and reference tool.

“The CafeScribe® application is truly a dynamic digital textbook platform that allows students to interact with their textbooks,” said Christopher. “We are committed to serving the current and future needs of the academic community and we are confident that CafeScribe® digital textbooks will continue to be an affordable and reliable choice for our students.”

During the fall semester, “Guide to First-Year Composition” (CafeCustom) topped the charts as the best selling digital title, and students at Florida State College at Jacksonville bought the most digital textbooks.  Students at Ivy Tech Community College, Trine University, University of Texas and Arizona State University were also strong adopters of digital course materials. Confirming Follett’s belief that digital content will take hold first in problem-based disciplines, students in accounting, mathematics and computer science bought the most digital titles this fall.  

CafeScribe® digital textbooks are available at CafeScribe.com, Follett campus stores, independently-managed bookstores and through efollett.com, the most visited-collegiate ecommerce site. To provide students with the opportunity to experiment with digital for free, Follett offers three-day trials for most CafeScribe® titles. The company created the Try Now, Buy Later program because it found that after using digital textbooks, two-thirds of students prefer the option to print.

For the most up-to-date list of Follett-managed campuses and virtual bookstores offering Rent-A-Text, visit www.rent-a-text.com. For more information on Follett Textbook Rental for independent bookstores, visit www.follettbooks.com. For more information on CafeScribe®, visit www.cafescribe.com.  

About Follett Higher Education Group

Follett Higher Education Group of Oak Brook, Illinois, is the leading provider of bookstore services and the foremost supplier of used books in North America. Follett services five million students and over 400,000 faculty members through more than 930 stores. Follett also services more than 1,600 independent campus stores with its wholesale services, and has the most visited ecommerce collegiate website, efollett.com, that provides services and products through a network of more than 900 campus stores.

About Follett

Follett Corporation is a $2.7 billion, privately-held company that provides products, services and solutions to the educational marketplace. Follett Corporation was founded in 1873, and today is headquartered in River Grove, Illinois.

SOURCE Follett Higher Education Group

http://www.fheg.follett.com
http://www.follett.com
http://www.rent-a-text.com

Follett Higher Education Group’s Rent-A-Text Saves Students Nearly $90 Million in Just Three Months | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

October 20, 2011

Originally reported by Illinois Statehouse News. Read the original article here.

Illinois students not making the grade on state tests | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

By Andrew Thomason | Illinois Statehouse News

SPRINGFIELD — Illinois taxpayers can voice their opinions on how the state should spend money on elementary and secondary education at five public hearings throughout the state.

“Public feedback in the budget making process is extremely critical in these tough economic times, because it provides insight into local priorities and puts a face to the more than 2 million students served through state funds in Illinois public schools,” James Baumann, Finance and Audit Committee chairman for the board, said in a written statement.

School funding in Illinois is generally set up so local tax money makes up 55 percent of a school’s budget, state funding accounts for 35 percent and federal funds make up the remaining 15 percent.

Part of the discussion Wednesday will involve who pays what.

EFAB said its suggestion could be accomplished by raising the foundation level per student from $6,119 to $8,360 and offering more money to schools in areas with high poverty rates.

How much each school district receives annually from the state depends on how much local property is worth. Ninety-three percent of school districts qualify for the foundation level of general state aid, which was $6,119 this school year. The rest qualify for significantly less money, while extremely poor districts are eligible for more than the foundation level.

Any increase in general state aid next year would be the first such increase since the 2008 school year.

It’s not a matter of withholding extra money for education. Instead, legislators are putting paying outstanding bills and other obligations without borrowing ahead of increasing education funding, Eddy said.

“For years, we had foundation level increases and we shorted pension payments, that’s kind of how we did that during the (former Gov. Rod) Blagojevich years,” he said.

This spring marked the first time in two years the state made its contribution to Illinois’ five public pension funds without borrowing. The Legislature and Quinn increased income taxes earlier this year that will likely result in an extra $6.5 billion annually, but that money is tied up in eliminating the state’s structural deficit.

Plus, the state has almost $4 billion in overdue bills to schools, social service providers and other business partners that are set to receive any extra money the state brings in.  

Larger pension payments, more money tied up in Medicaid and other factors have translated into an effective freeze of general state aid to schools. Schools have had to cut programs and lay off staff because of the cost of normal inflation outpacing money from the state and local tax bases.

Local school districts could raise their property taxes to generate more money, but for places like Carthage, that’s a nonstarter among community members.

“We’re a farming community, a low-income community. I don’t think you’re going to be able to squeeze anymore out of” the residents, Hardy said.

Hardy’s district receives 1.47 percent of the value of a property in the district. Under that formula, the owner of a house worth $100,000 would pay $1,470 annually to the school district of about 400 youth.

“It’s just getting tougher on the teachers and tougher on the administration to keep things going, to keep the doors open,” Hardy said.

TAKE ACTION

Illinois State Board of Education Public Budget Hearings:

Oct. 19, Springfield, 4 to 6 p.m., ISBE office, 100 N. First St.

Oct. 24, Edwardsville, 3 to 5 p.m., Jon Davis Wrestling Center, 6168 Center Grove Road

Oct. 27, Champaign, 3 to 5 p.m., Champaign Public Library, 200 W. Green St.

Nov. 1, Wheeling, 3 to 5 p.m., Wheeling School District 21, 999 W. Dundee Road

Nov. 29, Chicago, 3 to 6 p.m. James R. Thompson Center, 100 W. Randolph St.

Originally reported by Illinois Statehouse News. Read the original article here.

Schools looking for more money next year | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

CHICAGO, October 14, 2011 /CHICAGOPRESSRELEASE.COM/ –

Die folgende Erklärung stammt von Nalini Rajamannan, MD, die Bundesmittel von ARRA/NIH erhält, über ihre Entlassung als außerordentliche Professorin für Medizin bei der Northwestern University:  

(Foto: http://photos.CHICAGOPRESSRELEASE.COM.com/prnh/20111013/CG86104)

Mit Wirkung vom 30. September 2011 bin ich von der Northwestern University entlassen worden. Ich glaube, dass dies aufgrund meiner Bestrebungen geschehen ist, meine Patienten zu schützen, denen Geräte in der Erprobungsphase in ihr Herz implantiert wurden. Dies wurde kürzlich in einem von Paul Basken geschriebenen Artikel im Chronicle of Higher Education, datiert 11. Oktober 2011, bestätigt. In 2007 begann ich Northwestern über vorgesehene Kommunikationswege darüber zu informieren, dass zahlreichen Patienten ohne ihre unterrichtete Zustimmung nicht zugelassene Geräte in ihr Herz chirurgisch implantiert wurden. Die meisten dieser Patienten sind bis heute noch nicht über diese Geschehnisse informiert und könnten daher darunter leiden. Obwohl seit dem bestätigt wurde, dass zum Zeitpunkt der Implantation das experimentelle Gerät in der Tat nicht von der FDA genehmigt war, wies Northwestern diese Auffassung zurück.

Seit meiner Berichterstattung haben die Northwestern University und ihre verschiedenen angeschlossenen Institutionen, unter anderen das Northwestern Memorial Hospital und die Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation, meine Anstellung dementiert. Logischerweise kann dies nur damit begründet sein, dass ich meiner ethischen Verantwortung gefolgt bin und das unangemessene Verhalten gemeldet habe. Während Northwestern mir letztendlich mit der Hoffnung gekündigt hat, mich zum Schweigen zu bringen, ist es offensichtlich, dass die Universität weiterhin die Auswirkungen auf Patienten ignoriert, denen ein nicht genehmigtes Gerät implantiert wurde, obwohl es eigentlich ihre Aufgabe war, Patienten zu schützen. Viele dieser Patienten leiden immer noch nach diesem chirurgischen Eingriff und haben möglicherweise keine Ahnung, was der Grund für ihr Leiden sein könnte.  

Untersuchungen des United States Congress und der FDA dauern an, aber die Patienten sind nach 5 Jahren immer noch in Unkenntnis. Die Gesetze, die Patienten schützen sollten, sind vom Nürnberger Ärzteprozess nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg abgeleitet und unter dem Begriff Nürnberger Kodex bekannt. Diese Gesetze haben zur Aufgabe, Menschen vor Experimenten an ihnen zu schützen. Ich bin der Meinung, dass diesen Gesetzen in diesem Fall nicht gefolgt wurde, und das daher unschuldige Opfer darunter leiden.

Erklärung von Nalini M. Rajamannan, MD über ihre Entlassung von der Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois aufgrund der Anschuldigung, eine Informantin über Humanexperimente mit FDA-Geräten in der Erprobungsphase zu sein | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

CHICAGO, October 14, 2011 /CHICAGOPRESSRELEASE.COM/ –

Declaración de la doctora Nalini M. Rajamannan sobre su cese en la Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, por haber denunciado la experimentación en humanos con dispositivos de investigación de la FDA

- Con foto

La siguiente es una declaración de la doctora Nalini Rajamannan, que cuenta con una financiación federal ARRA/NIH, sobre su cese en la Northwestern University como Profesora Asociada de Medicina:  

(Foto: http://photos.CHICAGOPRESSRELEASE.COM.com/prnh/20111013/CG86104)

Con efecto el día 30 de septiembre de 2011 me despidieron de la Northwestern University a causa, pienso, de mis intentos de proteger a mis pacientes que tenían dispositivos de investigación colocados en el corazón. Esto fue confirmado recientemente en un artículo escrito por medio de Paul Basken en Chronicle of Higher Education, con fecha de 11 de octubre de 2011. En 2007 empecé a informar a los canales correspondientes en Northwestern del hecho de que varios pacientes tenían un dispositivo no aprobado implantado quirúrgicamente en el corazón sin su consentimiento informado. La mayor parte de estos pacientes siguen sin saber que esto ha ocurrido, y pueden estar sufriendo como resultado de ello. Northwestern rechazó esta idea, aunque se ha confirmado que el dispositivo experimental no estaba aprobado por la FDA en el momento de su implante.

Desde mi informe, la Northwestern University y diversas entidades relacionadas, incluyendo el Northwestern Memorial Hospital y la Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation, han denegado mi ejercicio laboral. Lógicamente, esto solo puede deberse a que cumplí con mi deber ético e informé de la conducta inapropiada. A pesar de que Northwestern puede haberme despedido finalmente de mi puesto con la esperanza de silenciarme, está claro que siguen ignorando los efectos sobre los pacientes que recibieron el dispositivo no aprobado y a los que deberían proteger. Muchos de estos pacientes siguen padeciendo después de aplicarse la cirugía y es posible que no conozcan la conexión causal del sufrimiento que padecen.  

Hay investigaciones en curso por parte del Congreso y de la FDA, pero los pacientes, después de 5 años, siguen sin saberlo aún. Las leyes que deberían proteger a estos seres humanos derivan de las leyes de Nuremberg, redactadas después de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, y son conocidas como Common Rule. Estas leyes fueron creadas para proteger a los seres humanos del sometimiento a experimentación humana. Creo que estas leyes no se están cumpliendo en este caso y que hay gente inocente que está sufriendo a causa de ello.

Nota para los redactores:

La foto(s) que acompaña este comunicado está disponible por medio de PA Photowire. Se puede descargar desde http://www.pa-mediapoint.press.net o verse a través de http://www.mediapoint.press.net o de http://www.CHICAGOPRESSRELEASE.COM.co.uk.

Nota para los redactores:

La foto que acompaña este comunicado esté disponible a través de la European Pressphoto Agency (EPA) desde http://www.epa-photos.com.

Declaración de la doctora Nalini M. Rajamannan sobre su cese en la Northwestern University, Chicago, IL | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

GURNEE, Ill., Oct. 4, 2011 /CHICAGOPRESSRELEASE.COM/ — Computer Systems Institute (CSI) today announced the appointment of Michelle Movitz as president of its Gurnee campus, which offers eight-month career programs in computer network systems administration, administrative assisting, medical assisting, and medical billing and coding. Movitz’ appointment follows a move to a larger Gurnee location earlier this year that doubled the campus’ capacity to 500 students.

Movitz previously spent 13 years with The Kaplan Educational Centers, most recently as Midwest regional director running and overseeing 32 sites. She holds a BS from DePaul University and an MBA from The DePaul University Graduate School of Business.

“With the rapid enrollment increases at our Gurnee campus, Michelle fulfills our need for a president capable of managing growth in an education environment,” said CSI President and CEO Ella Zibitsker. “Her long tenure with Kaplan, her commitment to education, and particularly the management experience in career education that she gained as a Kaplan executive will help us continue to provide quality career training to the unemployed and underemployed in northeast Lake County and southeast Wisconsin.”

CSI career programs are designed to quickly prepare students for employment in high-demand industries. Graduating students are equipped with the knowledge to take certification exams that facilitate job placement, including CompTIA, Network+, MCP and MCSA exams for network systems administration; National Healthcareer Association and American Medical Technologist exams for healthcare; and Microsoft Office Specialist and Customer Service exams for business.

CSI underwrites the cost of these certification exams as part of its effort to assist students in their job search. The school also offers stipends for academic performance, no-charge retakes of failed classes, a free fast-track GED preparation program, clothing swaps, and other unique support services that help students succeed in the classroom as well as the job market.  

CSI has served more than 10,000 graduates since 1989. The school is accredited by the North Central Association, licensed by the Illinois State Board of Education, and approved by the Department of Veterans Affairs to accept the GI bill. It is also a Microsoft IT Academy and approved by the Illinois Board of Higher Education.

The Gurnee campus opened in 2005 and has expanded twice in the last six years. The new 31,000-square-foot facility – located at 5330 Grand Avenue, across the street from Six Flags Great America – includes 25 computer-equipped classrooms and labs with morning, afternoon, evening and weekend classes.

About Computer Systems Institute
CSI is a postsecondary education provider that offers a variety of career programs in information technology, healthcare and business administration designed to be completed in less than one year, as well as English-as-a-Second-Language programs serving students from around the world. Founded in 1989, the school has six Chicago-area campuses in the Chicago Loop, Skokie, Lombard, Gurnee, Wheeling and Elgin with a broad range of support services to facilitate academic and career success. For more information, visit www.csinow.edu.

SOURCE Computer Systems Institute

http://www.csinow.edu

Computer Systems Institute Taps Michelle Movitz to Head Gurnee Campus | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

SHANGHAI, CHINA – September 22, 2011. During his economic and business trade mission throughout China, Governor Pat Quinn today announced the signing of a memorandum of cooperation between the Illinois Science & Technology Coalition (ISTC), an Illinois-based association that represents leading research universities and technology companies, iBIO, an Illinois-based life sciences industry association, and China-based Shanghai Bio Pharmaceutics Association (SBIA) to increase economic opportunities for both regions in the bio-technology field.

“Illinois and China are each leading global sources for biotechnology, life sciences and medical innovation,” Governor Quinn said. “This agreement provides a framework for Illinois and China to enhance business and education partnerships and collaborate on the scientific breakthroughs that will accelerate company growth and foster the creation of jobs.”

The agreement, which was signed during a breakfast ceremony in Shanghai today, will create an important line of communication between the organizations, allow for collaboration among researchers and industry, and open the lines of communication amongst technology parks to increase exports and investment.

As the home of more than 200 institutions of higher education, as well as several prestigious national labs, the state of Illinois is uniquely positioned as a Midwestern and national leader in science and technology research and development. In Illinois, academic research expenditures in the biosciences totaled $1.3 billion in 2008, according to the Battelle Memorial Institute. Illinois has 58,000 workers directly employed in the biosciences sector at more than 2,000 biotech establishments (with an average wage of nearly $90,000). Indirectly, this sector supports more than 330,000 Illinois jobs. Six of the top 20 pharma and life sciences firms also have their North American HQ’s headquarters in Illinois.

“Collaboration and partnership strengthen our ability to tackle tough scientific and technological problems,” said ISTC President Matthew Summy. “We look forward to working with the SBIA to identify and produce solutions that not only offer the potential to improve medical treatment, but also offer the promise of increased investment and new jobs.”

The mission of the Illinois Science & Technology Coalition is to cultivate economic development in Illinois by working with public and private partners to attract and retain research, development and innovation resources and talent to the state.

SBIA is a non-profit organization that represents biopharmaceutical companies and research institutions in Shanghai by participating in policy-making and creating industry networks to improve the competitiveness of the bio-pharmaceutical industry. With six bio-pharmaceutics parks, Shanghai has become one of the main platforms for bio-tech innovation and development in the world.

The mission of iBio is to make Illinois and the surrounding Midwest one of the world’s top life sciences centers, a great place to do business and grow new technology ventures. The national BIO organization selected Governor Quinn as the 2011 BIO “Governor of the Year” at the recent BIO International Convention in Washington D.C.

For updates on Governor Quinn’s trip, visit www.Illinois.gov or follow him on Twitter at @GovernorQuinn. More information about Illinois trade and business opportunities can be found on the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity’s website at http://www.illinoisbiz.biz.

Governor Quinn Announces Agreement to Enhance Illinois’ Biotech Industry – Furthers Efforts to Build on Illinois’ Global Competitiveness, Create Jobs | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

ESTUDIANTE DE NUEVO MÉXICO GANA BOLETOS AEREOS PARA VIAJAR A LATINOAMÉRICA EN EL CONCURSO DE ¡ADELANTE! FUND

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CHICAGO, 7 de septiembre, 2011 /CHICAGOPRESSRELEASE.COM/ — United Airlines, subsidiaria de United Continental Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: UAL) y el ¡Adelante! U.S. Education Leadership Fund han seleccionado a las ganadoras del concurso Destino: Latinoamérica para estudiantes universitarios de origen hispano.

Jamila Hull, de 22 años, originaria de Las Cruces, Nuevo México y estudiante de alemán y conservación de museos quien cursa su último año de estudios en la Universidad Estatal de Nuevo México (New Mexico State University), ganó el primer lugar con un video de tres minutos recalcando las cinco razones por las cuales visitar Brasil. El video de Hull se puede ver en la página de Internet www.adelantefund.org y en la página YouTube de ¡Adelante! en http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o03EmTDtfCw.

“Desde la bella región de Ipanema hasta al centro de la Amazonia, Brasil cautiva y le da la bienvenida a sus visitantes”, dijo Hull. “Gracias a la gran cantidad de cultura y tradición de este hermoso país, visitar Brasil es una experiencia incomparable”.

Se les requirió a los participantes producir un video de 2 a 3 minutos recalcando las cinco razones por las cuales se debiera visitar uno de los 23 países a donde vuela United en Latinoamérica y el Caribe. Un panel de jurados de United, ¡Adelante! y MarketVision, la agencia de relaciones públicas de United para el mercado latino, seleccionaron el video ganador. Hull ganó cuatro boletos aéreos para viajar a cualquier destino donde vuela United en Estados Unidos, México, Centro América y el Caribe.

“Jamila realmente logró captar la emoción y belleza de Brasil”, dijo María Cristina Osorio, directora de relaciones públicas para Latinoamérica y el Caribe y el mercado latino en los EEUU de United Airlines. “Nos impresionó, tanto la creatividad de los estudiantes que mandaron sus videos para el concurso de Destino, como su habilidad de exhibir la gran diversidad de Latinoamérica.”

La ganadora del segundo lugar, Lauren Klibingat, quien estudia economía en la Universidad de California en San Diego, produjo un video sobre porqué visitar Panamá. Klibingat, originaria de Los Ángeles, recibirá dos boletos.

“Estamos muy orgullosos del contenido y la calidad de los videos que recibimos como parte del concurso de Destino: Latinoamérica”, expresó Jay Zambrano, director ejecutivo de ¡Adelante! “Nos emocionó ver que tantos estudiantes aprecian la cultura, historia y tierra de nuestros amigos latinoamericanos a través del hemisferio oeste. Felicitamos a todos los que participaron.”

United Airlines también les proporcionará boletos aéreos a 10 estudiantes becados de ¡Adelante! para que puedan asistir al evento anual del Instituto de Liderazgo en San Antonio en octubre.

¡Adelante! U.S. Education Leadership Fund, una organización sin fines de lucro localizada en San Antonio, Texas, fue fundada en 1993. El Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) y Miller Brewing Company fueron las organizaciones fundadoras de ¡Adelante! Fund, cuya misión es motivar a estudiantes hispanos a graduarse y ser líderes, por medio de becas, prácticas profesionales, y capacitación de liderazgo. ¡Adelante! continúa con la misma misión hasta hoy, ofreciendo apoyo financiero para ayudar a estudiantes hispanos a graduarse y preparándoles para ser líderes al entrar en la fuerza de trabajo. Desde ser designada como una organización 501(c)3 en 1997, ¡Adelante! Fund ha otorgado cerca de $1 millón en becas a aspirantes alrededor de la nación, y ha proporcionado desarrollo profesional, talleres de liderazgo y oportunidades para pasantías a cientos de jóvenes estudiantes hispanos. Para más información o para hacer una contribución, visite www.adelantefund.org o contactar a Jay Zambrano, Director Ejecutivo, al 210-692-1971 o jzambrano@adelantefund.org.

United Continental Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: UAL) es la empresa controladora de United Airlines y Continental Airlines. Junto con United Express, Continental Express y Continental Connection, estas aerolíneas operan en total aproximadamente 5,765 vuelos diarios a 377 aeropuertos en seis continentes desde sus centros de operaciones en Chicago, Cleveland, Denver, Guam, Houston, Los Ángeles, Nueva York/Newark Liberty, San Francisco, Tokio y Washington, D.C. United y Continental son integrantes de Star Alliance, que ofrece más de 21,200 vuelos diarios a 1,185 aeropuertos en 185 países. Los más de 80,000 trabajadores de United y Continental radican en todos los estados de la Unión Americana y en muchos países del mundo. Para más información sobre United Continental Holdings, Inc., visite unitedcontinentalholdings.com. Para más información sobre las aerolíneas, visite united.com y continental.com, y sígalas a través de Twitter y Facebook.

United Airlines y ¡Adelante! Fund anuncian ganadora de concurso "Destino: Latinoamérica | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

LISLE, Ill., Aug. 30, 2011 /CHICAGOPRESSRELEASE.COM/ — Earlier this year, Inside Higher Education reported that a recent survey found 98 percent of higher education institutions are on Facebook and 84 percent of these institutions are on Twitter.

Not only is social media dominating how people interact online, college recruiters nationwide are constantly seeking more creative ways to engage their target student population within the highly competitive academic market.

College officials use social media as a news resource that can quickly share information about events, meetings and needed alerts. For a university, being technologically savvy plays a pivotal role in how students perceive an institution and increases the likelihood of student applications.

Understanding the need to reach and appeal to students of diverse interests,  Benedictine University, located  in Lisle, Ill, just outside of Chicago, embarked upon a social media endeavor aimed at showing  the world that Benedictine University is not only a strong academic institution, but also a place where life lived in balance means everyone gets to have some fun occasionally.

This understanding led the University to invest considerable effort and finances in two professionally-produced videos, titled “Who’s That Chick” and “Imma B,” for their YouTube channel.

“Today’s networking and the use of social media moved our efforts from “luxury” to “necessity,” said Charles Gregory, Benedictine executive vice president.

A 2015 college graduate will never have lived in a world without the Internet. Students today can take virtual campus tours via a smartphone application, receive an initial college acceptance letter via Facebook and have access to college resources 24/7.

Social media is now a survival skill for colleges and they are using it to garner student participation inside and outside the virtual world.

“Our community has grown in size, diversity, academic offerings and physical plant.  These videos are an excellent way to inform, entertain and familiarize students with our University. We are proud of our rich 125 year history and traditions, but we also recognize the need to embrace technology,” Gregory added.

Benedictine debuted its latest video, “Imma B,” in August for the start of the new school year. This light-hearted video focuses on the idea that all members of the University are Benedictine- a distinction that sets the school apart from many others. It’s set to the beat of the Black Eyed Peas song “Imma B,” with original lyrics.

To view the videos, visit: http://www.youtube.com/benu1887

SOURCE Benedictine University

Being "Social" is Now a College Survival Skill | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

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EDWARDSVILLE, Ill., Aug. 15, 2011 /CHICAGOPRESSRELEASE.COM/ — Changing demographics and new reform laws will require Illinois public school districts to provide principals with new kinds of support and training if they want principals to successfully implement new reform laws and boost student achievement.

This is one of the findings in a new, comprehensive report on Illinois’ 3,600 public school principals. The report documents shifting demographic and turnover trends among elementary and high school principals; the areas in which principals are having a direct impact on student performance; and principals’ own beliefs about their strengths and weaknesses as administrators. The report, released today by the Illinois Education Research Council (IERC), Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville.

Key Findings from The Principal Report: The State of School Leadership in Illinois, include:

Principal Demographics are Shifting Rapidly

• The average age of principals is decreasing, due to a retiring baby boom generation.
• The proportion of female principals doubled between 1990 and 2008, and more women than men have led Illinois schools since 2005. The number of minorities serving as principals is also growing.

Certain Principal Experiences Correlate Closely with Higher Student Performance

• The number of principals with previous Associate Principal experience at their current school nearly doubled statewide since 2001 and increased fivefold in Chicago. IERC’s analyses of this data confirms for the Illinois’ elementary and middle schools what other recent research suggests: that principals who served as AP at their current school tend to show greater gains in student achievement
• The research also shows that principals who earned master’s or doctoral degrees from more academically rigorous institutions tended to work in schools with higher student achievement.

Student Growth on Standardized Tests Currently Plays Small Role in Evaluating or Hiring Teachers

• Many Illinois principals report that they fundamentally disagree with using student test scores and gains as central measures of school and teacher success.

Principals cited school climate, student attendance and quality of teacher applicants as more important measures of school success. Even fewer principals said absolute student test scores were a very important measure of school success.

Principals Struggle to Prioritize Tasks and Feel Less Effective at Tasks Research Suggests are Most Important

• More than half of principals ranked instruction-related tasks like coaching teachers as their most important work, but less than a third felt very effective at doing it.  Less than half of all principals felt effective hiring teachers or setting budgets, two tasks where principal effectiveness is crucial to raising student achievement.

Among the report’s recommendations:

• Support and training to implement new teacher evaluation standards mandated by Illinois’ Performance Evaluation Reform Act (PERA).
• More training in research-based practices for teacher hiring.
• Principal mentoring and other programs to help new principals hit the ground running.
• Encourage retention of principals by helping them create positive school cultures and by giving them the authority and autonomy to run their schools.
• Professional development in self-reported areas they identified as needing improvement, including data analysis and coaching teachers.

The Illinois Education Research Council at Southern Illinois University provides education research to support P-20 education policy making and program development.

SOURCE Illinois Education Research Council

More Principal Training & Mentoring Required For State to Meet Reform Goals And Boost Student Achievement | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

CHICAGO – August 13, 2011. Governor Pat Quinn today signed House Bill 1547, creating the Commission to End the Disparities Facing the African-American Community. The commission will research the disparities facing African-Americans in the areas of healthcare, health services, employment, education, criminal justice, housing, and other social and economic issues. Its findings will be reported to the General Assembly.

“We know that disparities exist within the African-American community, preventing some from achieving their full potential,” Governor Quinn said. “In Illinois, we want everybody in, and nobody left out. We won’t shy away from examining the root causes of inequality, and working to correct them.”

The commission will be comprised of a bipartisan group of legislators from both houses of the General Assembly, the directors of the Departments of Human Services, Healthcare and Family Services, Children and Family Services, Public Health, Aging, Labor, Employment Security, Commerce and Economic Opportunity, State Board of Education, Board of Higher Education, Corrections, Juvenile Justice, or their designees.

It will also include the Executive Director of the Illinois African-American Family Commission, and up to 10 other individuals representing African-American communities around the state with backgrounds in the research areas. The president of the Illinois Senate and speaker of the Illinois House will name co-chairs for this Commission, and all members will serve without compensation.

The Commission must hold one or more public hearings, and report findings with recommendations to the General Assembly by Dec. 31, 2013. The Jane Addams College of Social Work at the University of Illinois at Chicago will provide staff and administrative support services.

House Bill 1547, which was sponsored by Rep. Monique Davis (D-Chicago) and Sen. Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago), goes into effect immediately.

Governor Quinn Signs Bill Creating Commission to Research Disparity in the African-American Community – Commission Will Explore Inequalities Across a Wide Variety of Areas | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Religious beliefs shape health care attitudes among U.S. Muslims | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

CICERO, Ill., Aug. 5, 2011 /CHICAGOPRESSRELEASE.COM/ — Eric J. Bergevin, President & CEO of West Town Savings Bank, announces that at the recent West Town Savings Bank annual shareholders’ meeting, Mr. Marc McConnell was named Chairman of the Board of Directors.

Mr. McConnell joined the WTSB Board of Directors in 2009.  Mr. McConnell serves as Vice Chairman of Art’s-Way Manufacturing Co., Inc. of Armstrong, IA (Nasdaq: ARTW), as President of Bauer Corporation of Wooster, OH, and Vice-Chairman of McConnell Holdings, Inc. of Kinston, NC among other business interest.

Mr. Bergevin further announces that Elizabeth B. Frye, M.D., F.A.C.P. was elected to the WTSB Board of Directors.  Dr. Frye currently serves as a Consultant with Witt/Kieffer, Ford, Hadelman & Lloyd, Inc. focusing on the search and placement of senior executives in hospitals, health systems and integrated group practices.  Dr. Frye’s prior experience includes: Senior Vice President, Ambulatory Services, Loyola University Health System; Assistant Chair for Postgraduate Medical Education, Program Director of Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Loyola University Medical Center; Director, Ambulatory Care, MacNeal Hospital.

Chartered in 1922, West Town Savings Bank is a $110 Million community bank which operates

• Two full service bank branches in Cicero, IL and North Riverside, IL,
• Two Commercial and Consumer Loan Production Offices that operate as Albemarle Bank & Trust A West Town Bank in Edenton, NC and Greenville, NC,
• One Commercial and Consumer Loan Production Office that operates as The Gate City’s Community Bank A West Town Bank in Greensboro, NC,
• 16 Residential Mortgage Loan Offices in 6 states.

www.westtownsavingsbank.com

SOURCE West Town Savings Bank

http://www.westtownsavingsbank.com

West Town Savings Bank Names Marc McConnell Chairman of the Board of Directors and Elects Elizabeth B. Frye, M.D., F.A.C.P. to the Board | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.