When Mandie Miller left her job as an on-air traffic reporter in Charlotte, N.C., to have her first child, she started baking cakes for friends, just for fun. The response was so positive that in April 2009 she started a business, Got What It Cakes.
Ms. Miller put up a Web site, but about five months later her sister created a Got What It Cakes Facebook page. That's when the business started to grow. Cake orders went from two or three a weekend to six to 10; now Ms. Miller is turning away another 10 each weekend. Annual revenue at the end of her second year in business was a little more than $40,000.
Got What It Cakes is part of a new wave of online commerce: F-commerce. Social media specialists say the term was coined in 2009 to describe the growing number of businesses that sell through a Facebook page. Payvment, a start-up that provides support for Facebook shopping transactions, says it has 170,000 clients and is signing on about 1,500 stores a week, most with fewer than five employees.
(Reuters) - Chevron Corp, the second-largest U.S. oil company, reported a lower quarterly profit on Friday as oil prices weakened from a year earlier, though fatter refining margins cushioned the blow.
Second-quarter net income fell to $7.2 billion, or $3.66 per share, from $7.7 billion, or $3.85 per share, in the year-ago quarter.
The company's upstream business - oil and gas production - posted an 18 percent profit drop to $5.6 billion, while its downstream refining business saw profit jump 80 percent to $1.88 billion.
Chevron said earlier this month that industry benchmark margins on the Gulf Coast rose more than $4 per barrel to $24.89, while West Coast margins improved to $21.32 per barrel, their highest three-month average in four years.
Chevron's largest refinery is in Mississippi, with 330,000 barrels per day of capacity, while its two California plants can together refine 518,000 bpd.
Profits at larger rival Exxon Mobil Corp fell short of expectations on Thursday as oil and gas output sagged and its chemical unit faced weak margins.
Shares in Chevron rose less than 1 percent in premarket trading.
(Reporting by Matt Daily in New York and Braden Reddall in San Francisco; Editing by Gerald E. McCormick and John Wallace)
Breast cancer patients who lack RB gene respond better to neoadjuvant chemotherapyPublic release date: 26-Jul-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Steve Graff stephen.graff@jefferson.edu 215-955-5291 Thomas Jefferson University
Findings initiate prospective clinical trial at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson
PHILADELPHIABreast cancer patients whose tumors lacked the retinoblastoma tumor suppressor gene (RB) had an improved pathological response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy, researchers at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson report in a retrospective study published in a recent online issue of Clinical Cancer Research.
Many breast cancer patients undergo neoadjuvant therapy to reduce the size or extent of the cancer before surgical intervention. Complete response of the tumor to such treatment signifies an improved overall prognosis. Today, no marker is applied to identify tumors which will respond to such treatment, and as a result, only a subset of patients exhibit benefit from it.
"We found that loss of RB was associated with better pathological response rates in breast cancer patientsat various stages and representing multiple molecular subtypeswho were administered neoadjuvant chemotherapy," said Agnieszka Witkiewicz, M.D., Associate Professor of Pathology, Anatomy and Cell Biology at Thomas Jefferson University.
Erik Knudsen, Ph.D, Professor of Cancer Biology and the Hilary Koprowski Chair in Cancer Biology, was excited that discoveries from his life-long research on the RB-pathway were making there way into the clinic.
"This represents a potential new biomarker that could be used to tailor treatment plans for women considering neoadjuvant therapy and is a testament to the importance of cancer research," he said.
For the study, researchers, including Gordon Schwartz, M.D., Director of the Jefferson Breast Care Center and Adam Ertel, Ph.D., Bioinformatics Specialist, Department of Cancer Biology, performed a combination of gene expression profiling to identify those with RB loss and direct histological analysis in over 1,000 breast cancer patients who had undergone neoadjuvant therapy. These patients represented distinct subtypes of breast cancer and were treated with multiple different therapeutic regimens.
RB loss was associated, the team found, with an improved response to all the neoadjuvant regimens investigated in the major subtypes of breast cancer.
"Together, these data indicate that the loss of RB, which occurs relatively frequently in locally advanced disease, could be a useful tool for defining patients that experience an improved response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy," said Dr. Witkiewicz. "Based on these findings, we have initiated a prospective clinical trial at Jefferson, evaluating the association of RB and another marker, PTEN, with the response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy."
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The clinical trial is open to patients who have a diagnosis of triple negative breast cancer and are eligible for neoadjuvant chemotherapy. (clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01514565).
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Breast cancer patients who lack RB gene respond better to neoadjuvant chemotherapyPublic release date: 26-Jul-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Steve Graff stephen.graff@jefferson.edu 215-955-5291 Thomas Jefferson University
Findings initiate prospective clinical trial at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson
PHILADELPHIABreast cancer patients whose tumors lacked the retinoblastoma tumor suppressor gene (RB) had an improved pathological response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy, researchers at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson report in a retrospective study published in a recent online issue of Clinical Cancer Research.
Many breast cancer patients undergo neoadjuvant therapy to reduce the size or extent of the cancer before surgical intervention. Complete response of the tumor to such treatment signifies an improved overall prognosis. Today, no marker is applied to identify tumors which will respond to such treatment, and as a result, only a subset of patients exhibit benefit from it.
"We found that loss of RB was associated with better pathological response rates in breast cancer patientsat various stages and representing multiple molecular subtypeswho were administered neoadjuvant chemotherapy," said Agnieszka Witkiewicz, M.D., Associate Professor of Pathology, Anatomy and Cell Biology at Thomas Jefferson University.
Erik Knudsen, Ph.D, Professor of Cancer Biology and the Hilary Koprowski Chair in Cancer Biology, was excited that discoveries from his life-long research on the RB-pathway were making there way into the clinic.
"This represents a potential new biomarker that could be used to tailor treatment plans for women considering neoadjuvant therapy and is a testament to the importance of cancer research," he said.
For the study, researchers, including Gordon Schwartz, M.D., Director of the Jefferson Breast Care Center and Adam Ertel, Ph.D., Bioinformatics Specialist, Department of Cancer Biology, performed a combination of gene expression profiling to identify those with RB loss and direct histological analysis in over 1,000 breast cancer patients who had undergone neoadjuvant therapy. These patients represented distinct subtypes of breast cancer and were treated with multiple different therapeutic regimens.
RB loss was associated, the team found, with an improved response to all the neoadjuvant regimens investigated in the major subtypes of breast cancer.
"Together, these data indicate that the loss of RB, which occurs relatively frequently in locally advanced disease, could be a useful tool for defining patients that experience an improved response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy," said Dr. Witkiewicz. "Based on these findings, we have initiated a prospective clinical trial at Jefferson, evaluating the association of RB and another marker, PTEN, with the response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy."
###
The clinical trial is open to patients who have a diagnosis of triple negative breast cancer and are eligible for neoadjuvant chemotherapy. (clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01514565).
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Responsible for developing and evaluating quantitative analytics / modeling. Responsible recommending lending and recovery strategy for Sterling?s consumer credit card. Makes recommendations on strategy changes as a result of multivariate analysis. Responsible for conducting statistical analyses to provide measured impacts relative to strategic initiatives. Communicates forecasted and actual results of strategy changes to key business owners to ensure consistent execution across the portfolio. Work many highly analytic solutions that require not only analytics but a business manager view. Acts as a senior level resource or resident expert on analytic / quantitative techniques.
The candidate will be a Senior Business Analyst within the Credit Risk Management team with day-to-day strategic assessment and development responsibility. He/she must have broad experience with credit exposure models and techniques for all consumer market products and have the ability to provide technical guidance to team members as well as non-technical explanations at all levels of seniority. Regular interaction with Managers and Directors in Credit Risk Management, VP?s of Credit Operations should be expected. Senior Business Analyst is an ambassador for Credit Risk Management with responsibility for local representation. Ability to make independent decisions that change policies, while being consistent with corporate strategy, while effectively escalating and sharing information with the rest of the Credit Risk Management team and Operational VP?s in Credit. A broad knowledge of financial products and markets especially consumer credit risk. Strong communication and presentation skills. Strong self-starter and motivated individual with a desire to favorably impact the business through profit maximizing opportunities. A Masters Degree in a quantitative discipline (statistics, economics, operations research or finance) or a professional certification preferred. Excellent quantitative / analytic skills. Capable of developing financial exposure models. Acute understanding of risk-return. Extremely adaptable. Highly developed skills in this role. Potential for growth to next level is evident. 3-5 years direct experience in a similar role. Experience in the development and validation of risk and financial models. Highly proficient with analytical tools, software (SAS) and data mining. Working knowledge of Adaptive Control Systems (Strategy Manager, Probe, Triad etc?)
? Strong proficiency in MSOffice.
? Knowledge of database structures and queries.
? Financial services industry experience required.
Desired Skills
? Previous experience with Monte Carlo simulation models, BASEL II exposure, model validation and development.
? Previous experience initiating and developing quantitative projects and multiple streams of complex projects.
? Previous experience managing complex reviews of systems and procedures.
? Previous experience dealing with senior level management.
? Holistic view of risk.
? Ability to balance tactical and strategic.
? Understanding of how Credit Risk Management adds value to business.
For centuries, individuals have removed sport fishing, sometimes for foods, at times being an interest. Whatever the reason for angling could be, it is crucial that you happen to be properly well-informed on the subject so you may make the most out of the knowledge. In this article, you will certainly be due to the most beneficial angling ideas readily available.
Understanding of this type of water is extremely important to angling productively. Every time it really is probable, dedicate you to ultimately learning the regional problems, by revisiting the identical place throughout a number of journeys. With frequent publicity, you can expect to create a far better notion of the fish?s behavior, and recommended places. The greater typically you go to the certain area, the more fish you can expect to get there.
To evaluate the sharpness of the hooks, make use of fingernails! Just lightly pull the connect over your fingernails or toenails to see if this makes a damage. When it does, your hook is distinct adequate to do its career, but when it doesn?t, you?ll should either swap the catch or improve it once again.
Be as peaceful as possible to capture much more sea food. Sea food are sensitive to seem, and you will generate them with the noise of your sound. Stay away from conversing and extreme movements. Digging close to in your handle package is sufficient remain from developing an effective day time of sport fishing.
In case you are seeing that sea food are not biting you might like to look at chumming. To accomplish this you would probably both include some bits of food items the species of fish would be interested in or blend some up by using an oar to scrape the bottom. Just be certain that it is authorized within the status you will be in given that some suggests do prohibit it.
Do not use lure on any sea food that you just do not want to continue to keep. This is because a great deal of fish usually ingest the bait together with the hook attached, and you also could truly injured the fish by trying to eliminate it. In the event that does take place then you ought to minimize the line nearby the mouth before you permit it to go.
Remember to training the essentials well before heading out to the water, if you?re new to sportfishing. Process such things as baiting hooks and tying knots. You don?t wish to head out in a fishing boat until these tasks really feel organic. Process makes excellent, and practicing these jobs could have you sportfishing like a master.
Ideally you may have identified some beneficial ways to improve your capacity or pleasure of angling with all the information and facts on this page. Even when you are not too great at it, sportfishing could be this kind of pleasurable activity so when you need to do find ways to enhance your capability, it might be much more satisfying. Put these tips to great use on your own following sport fishing endeavor to have an even more time.
BALTIMORE (AP) ? The 74-year-old mother of Hall of Fame infielder Cal Ripken was safe Wednesday, a day after an armed man abducted her from her home northeast of Baltimore, police said.
Vi Ripken was kidnapped between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. Tuesday by a man who forced her into her car, according to Aberdeen police. She was found about 6:15 a.m. Wednesday unharmed in her car near her home in Aberdeen, some 25 miles from Baltimore.
Ripken earned the nickname "Iron Man" for playing in 2,632 consecutive games during his 21-year career with the Baltimore Orioles and is a hero to many baseball fans.
Vi Ripken described her abductor as a tall, thin white man with glasses, but police spokesman Lt. Fred Budnick had no other details.
"This has been a very trying time for our family, but we are grateful and relieved that mom is back with us, safe and healthy," the Ripken family said in a statement. "We want to thank everyone for their tremendous support, especially all of the law enforcement agencies that worked so hard and quickly."
The family said that it could not comment further due to the ongoing investigation.
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Public release date: 26-Jul-2012
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