ScienceDaily (June 26, 2012) ? In 1969, an exploding fireball tore through the sky over Mexico, scattering thousands of pieces of meteorite across the state of Chihuahua. More than 40 years later, the Allende meteorite is still serving the scientific community as a rich source of information about the early stages of our solar system's evolution. Recently, scientists from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) discovered a new mineral embedded in the space rock -- one they believe to be among the oldest minerals formed in the solar system.
Dubbed panguite, the new titanium oxide is named after Pan Gu, the giant from ancient Chinese mythology who established the world by separating yin from yang to create the earth and the sky. The mineral and the mineral name have been approved by the International Mineralogical Association's Commission on New Minerals, Nomenclature and Classification. A paper outlining the discovery and the properties of this new mineral will be published in the July issue of the journal American Mineralogist, and is available online now.
"Panguite is an especially exciting discovery since it is not only a new mineral, but also a material previously unknown to science," says Chi Ma, a senior scientist and director of the Geological and Planetary Sciences division's Analytical Facility at Caltech and corresponding author on the paper.
The Allende meteorite is the largest carbonaceous chondrite -- a diverse class of primitive meteorites -- ever found on our planet and is considered by many the best-studied meteorite in history. As a result of an ongoing nanomineralogy investigation of primitive meteorites -- which Ma has been leading since 2007 -- nine new minerals, including panguite, have been found in the Allende meteorite. Some of those new finds include the minerals allendeite, hexamolybdenum, tistarite, and kangite. Nanomineralogy looks at tiny particles of minerals and the minuscule features within those minerals.
"The intensive studies of objects in this meteorite have had a tremendous influence on current thinking about processes, timing, and chemistry in the primitive solar nebula and small planetary bodies," says coauthor George Rossman, the Eleanor and John R. McMillan Professor of Mineralogy at Caltech.
Panguite was observed first under a scanning electron microscope in an ultra-refractory inclusion embedded in the meteorite. Refractory inclusions are among the first solid objects formed in our solar system, dating back to before the formation of Earth and the other planets. "Refractory" refers to the fact that these inclusions contain minerals that are stable at high temperatures and in extreme environments, which attests to their likely formation as primitive, high-temperature liquids produced by the solar nebula.
According to Ma, studies of panguite and other newly discovered refractory minerals are continuing in an effort to learn more about the conditions under which they formed and subsequently evolved. "Such investigations are essential to understand the origins of our solar system," he says.
Additional authors on the American Mineralogist paper, "Panguite, (Ti4+,Sc,Al,Mg,Zr,Ca)1.8O3, a new ultra-refractory titania mineral from the Allende meteorite: Synchrotron micro-diffraction and EBSD," are John R. Beckett, senior research scientist at Caltech; Oliver Tschauner from the University of Nevada-Las Vegas; and Wenjun Liu from the Argonne National Laboratory. The study was supported through grants from the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Energy, and NASA's Office of Space Science.
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by California Institute of Technology. The original article was written by Katie Neith.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
Chi Ma, Oliver Tschauner, John R. Beckett, George R. Rossman, and Wenjun Liu. Panguite, (Ti4 ,Sc,Al,Mg,Zr,Ca)1.8O3, a new ultra-refractory titania mineral from the Allende meteorite: Synchrotron micro-diffraction and EBSD. American Mineralogist, 2012; 97: 1219%u20131225 [link]
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
GW announces creation of Computational Biology Institute to conduct integrated researchPublic release date: 25-Jun-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Latarsha Gatlin lgatlin@gwu.edu 202-994-5631 George Washington University
Noted biologist Keith Crandall appointed founding director of institute
Keith Crandall, a renowned biologist and population geneticist, has been named founding director of the George Washington University Computational Biology Institute. This newly created position will further strengthen GW's role as a leader in science and research in the region and nationally.
As director, Dr. Crandall will define the scientific vision of the Computational Biology Institute and direct the development and implementation of research plans and organizational structures, with the goal of hiring new faculty as well as integrating existing faculty and resources across the university. He will also serve as professor of biology.
"This is the beginning of a true interdisciplinary initiative at George Washington that I expect will positively impact virtually all colleges and schools," said Leo Chalupa, vice president of research at GW. "I believe that Dr. Crandall's recruitment as the founding director of the Computational Biology Institute will be the driving force towards more cross-campus research in many fields including computer science, evolutionary biology and personalized medicine." Personalized medicine is a medical model in healthcare that allows practitioners to tailor medical decisions to the individual patient using genetic or other information.
The George Washington University is one of the first universities to establish an institute dedicated to computational biology. The institute will focus on large-scale integrative bioinformatics and genomics. Informatics are used to answer important biological questions using massive amounts of data, including genetic and molecular data. Many disciplines are becoming more data-intensive, creating a need for the development of new computational tools and approaches that aid in the integration, interpretation and understanding of complex datasets.
To meet this challenge, the institute will foster creation of new positions in computational biology research, enhancing and synergizing disciplines at George Washington such as the biological, biophysical and biomedical sciences as well as computation disciplines such as computer science, math and statistics. The institute will also build upon existing partnerships with regional research centers of excellence, including Children's National Medical Center, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Janelia Farm, INOVA hospital system, Naval Research Laboratory, Virginia Tech-Arlington and the National Institutes Health intramural research program.
"I feel it a great honor to join the George Washington University faculty and direct the new Computational Biology Institute," said Dr. Crandall. "We have an amazing opportunity in this new genomics era to be world leaders in developing and implementing computational approaches to broad questions from biodiversity crisis issues to translational medicine. With the exceptional faculty and outstanding leadership at GW, the institute is sure to be a huge success."
Dr. Crandall comes to George Washington from Brigham Young University where he has served as a faculty member since 1996 and chair of the biology department since 2007. He is a recipient of the Alfred P. Sloan Young Investigator Award, the National Science Foundation Career Award, the National Institutes of Health James A. Shannon Director's Award and a Fulbright Scholar Award to Oxford University. He is past president of the Society of Systematic Biologists.
A recipient of more than $18 million in grant funds, Dr. Crandall brings to George Washington two grant awards. He is the lead investigator and one of 11 researchers from 10 institutions across the country working on a component of the ground-breaking "Open Tree of Life" project funded by the National Science Foundation. Dr. Crandall also is serving as part of a team of researchers studying the affects of the BP oil spill on coastal ecosystems in the Gulf of Mexico.
The George Washington University Computational Biology Institute will be located at the university's Virginia Science and Technology Campus (VSTC) in Ashburn, Va. A second "wet" lab will be housed at Children's National Medical Center.
"One could not imagine a better field to fit the research and educational profile of VSTC," said Ali Eskandarian, dean of GW's Virginia Science and Technology Campus. "The spirit of the campus embodies inter- and multi-disciplinary research that while cutting edge on the discovery front also has the potential for applications to the larger technological and scientific challenges of the society.
"The addition of computational biology to VSTC with such fertile grounds for innovation and discovery brings a new source of vitality to the campus and will play a key role in ushering a new era of growth and activity for the university. The potential for discoveries and growth in this field is enormous."
A prolific researcher, Dr. Crandall publishes an average of 10 to 12 papers a year and has published more than 200 peer-reviewed papers. In 2010, he was designated a "Highly Cited" researcher, a distinction reserved for the top one-half of one percent of all publishing scholars. Dr. Crandall is among the 250 most-cited researchers in the category of "Ecology/Environment" rated by the ISI Web of Knowledge database. He has written 21 papers that have been cited more than 100 times each on subjects ranging from the evolution of HIV to the biogeography of Australian crayfish.
Dr. Crandall has a Ph.D. in population and evolutionary biology and an M.A. in statistics, both from Washington University in St. Louis. He has a B.A. in biology and mathematics from Kalamazoo College.
"Those of us at GW who are interested in employing computational analysis to understand complex biological systems are very excited about Dr. Keith Crandall joining our faculty," said L. Courtney Smith, search committee co-chair and professor of biology. "We in the Department of Biology in particular, are looking forward to initiating scientific interactions with Dr. Crandall that augment our research and expand our funding capabilities."
###
The GW Virginia Science and Technology Campus, established in Loudoun County in 1991, is a robust center for innovative research, graduate education and regional corporate partnerships. As the university's science and technology campus, it hosts a dozen centers of excellence in critical areas such as energy science and technology, transportation safety and high performance computing. The GW Virginia Science and Technology Campus also combines its research excellence with more than 20 exceptional graduate degree and certificate programs in business, education, and engineering and unique undergraduate programs in the health sciences. GW has been educating Virginians for more than 50 years, beginning in Hampton Roads in 1958 and expanding its service across the Commonwealth, notably in Arlington, Alexandria and Ashburn. For more information on the Virginia Science and Technology Campus, visit www.gwvirginia.gwu.edu.
In the heart of the nation's capital with additional programs in Virginia, the George Washington University was created by an Act of Congress in 1821. Today, GW is the largest institution of higher education in the District of Columbia. The university offers comprehensive programs of undergraduate and graduate liberal arts study, as well as degree programs in medicine, public health, law, engineering, education, business and international affairs. Each year, GW enrolls a diverse population of undergraduate, graduate and professional students from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and more than 130 countries.
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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.
GW announces creation of Computational Biology Institute to conduct integrated researchPublic release date: 25-Jun-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Latarsha Gatlin lgatlin@gwu.edu 202-994-5631 George Washington University
Noted biologist Keith Crandall appointed founding director of institute
Keith Crandall, a renowned biologist and population geneticist, has been named founding director of the George Washington University Computational Biology Institute. This newly created position will further strengthen GW's role as a leader in science and research in the region and nationally.
As director, Dr. Crandall will define the scientific vision of the Computational Biology Institute and direct the development and implementation of research plans and organizational structures, with the goal of hiring new faculty as well as integrating existing faculty and resources across the university. He will also serve as professor of biology.
"This is the beginning of a true interdisciplinary initiative at George Washington that I expect will positively impact virtually all colleges and schools," said Leo Chalupa, vice president of research at GW. "I believe that Dr. Crandall's recruitment as the founding director of the Computational Biology Institute will be the driving force towards more cross-campus research in many fields including computer science, evolutionary biology and personalized medicine." Personalized medicine is a medical model in healthcare that allows practitioners to tailor medical decisions to the individual patient using genetic or other information.
The George Washington University is one of the first universities to establish an institute dedicated to computational biology. The institute will focus on large-scale integrative bioinformatics and genomics. Informatics are used to answer important biological questions using massive amounts of data, including genetic and molecular data. Many disciplines are becoming more data-intensive, creating a need for the development of new computational tools and approaches that aid in the integration, interpretation and understanding of complex datasets.
To meet this challenge, the institute will foster creation of new positions in computational biology research, enhancing and synergizing disciplines at George Washington such as the biological, biophysical and biomedical sciences as well as computation disciplines such as computer science, math and statistics. The institute will also build upon existing partnerships with regional research centers of excellence, including Children's National Medical Center, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Janelia Farm, INOVA hospital system, Naval Research Laboratory, Virginia Tech-Arlington and the National Institutes Health intramural research program.
"I feel it a great honor to join the George Washington University faculty and direct the new Computational Biology Institute," said Dr. Crandall. "We have an amazing opportunity in this new genomics era to be world leaders in developing and implementing computational approaches to broad questions from biodiversity crisis issues to translational medicine. With the exceptional faculty and outstanding leadership at GW, the institute is sure to be a huge success."
Dr. Crandall comes to George Washington from Brigham Young University where he has served as a faculty member since 1996 and chair of the biology department since 2007. He is a recipient of the Alfred P. Sloan Young Investigator Award, the National Science Foundation Career Award, the National Institutes of Health James A. Shannon Director's Award and a Fulbright Scholar Award to Oxford University. He is past president of the Society of Systematic Biologists.
A recipient of more than $18 million in grant funds, Dr. Crandall brings to George Washington two grant awards. He is the lead investigator and one of 11 researchers from 10 institutions across the country working on a component of the ground-breaking "Open Tree of Life" project funded by the National Science Foundation. Dr. Crandall also is serving as part of a team of researchers studying the affects of the BP oil spill on coastal ecosystems in the Gulf of Mexico.
The George Washington University Computational Biology Institute will be located at the university's Virginia Science and Technology Campus (VSTC) in Ashburn, Va. A second "wet" lab will be housed at Children's National Medical Center.
"One could not imagine a better field to fit the research and educational profile of VSTC," said Ali Eskandarian, dean of GW's Virginia Science and Technology Campus. "The spirit of the campus embodies inter- and multi-disciplinary research that while cutting edge on the discovery front also has the potential for applications to the larger technological and scientific challenges of the society.
"The addition of computational biology to VSTC with such fertile grounds for innovation and discovery brings a new source of vitality to the campus and will play a key role in ushering a new era of growth and activity for the university. The potential for discoveries and growth in this field is enormous."
A prolific researcher, Dr. Crandall publishes an average of 10 to 12 papers a year and has published more than 200 peer-reviewed papers. In 2010, he was designated a "Highly Cited" researcher, a distinction reserved for the top one-half of one percent of all publishing scholars. Dr. Crandall is among the 250 most-cited researchers in the category of "Ecology/Environment" rated by the ISI Web of Knowledge database. He has written 21 papers that have been cited more than 100 times each on subjects ranging from the evolution of HIV to the biogeography of Australian crayfish.
Dr. Crandall has a Ph.D. in population and evolutionary biology and an M.A. in statistics, both from Washington University in St. Louis. He has a B.A. in biology and mathematics from Kalamazoo College.
"Those of us at GW who are interested in employing computational analysis to understand complex biological systems are very excited about Dr. Keith Crandall joining our faculty," said L. Courtney Smith, search committee co-chair and professor of biology. "We in the Department of Biology in particular, are looking forward to initiating scientific interactions with Dr. Crandall that augment our research and expand our funding capabilities."
###
The GW Virginia Science and Technology Campus, established in Loudoun County in 1991, is a robust center for innovative research, graduate education and regional corporate partnerships. As the university's science and technology campus, it hosts a dozen centers of excellence in critical areas such as energy science and technology, transportation safety and high performance computing. The GW Virginia Science and Technology Campus also combines its research excellence with more than 20 exceptional graduate degree and certificate programs in business, education, and engineering and unique undergraduate programs in the health sciences. GW has been educating Virginians for more than 50 years, beginning in Hampton Roads in 1958 and expanding its service across the Commonwealth, notably in Arlington, Alexandria and Ashburn. For more information on the Virginia Science and Technology Campus, visit www.gwvirginia.gwu.edu.
In the heart of the nation's capital with additional programs in Virginia, the George Washington University was created by an Act of Congress in 1821. Today, GW is the largest institution of higher education in the District of Columbia. The university offers comprehensive programs of undergraduate and graduate liberal arts study, as well as degree programs in medicine, public health, law, engineering, education, business and international affairs. Each year, GW enrolls a diverse population of undergraduate, graduate and professional students from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and more than 130 countries.
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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.
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Andrew and I met online, spoke for a while, and finally made it out to a first date dinner at a very fancy restaurant. It was one of those places where they had one server for the drinks, one for appetizers, one for the main course, and a different one for dessert.
Let me put out there that I didn't ask him to take me to that place: he had offered it.
"I can't get over this place," I remember telling him, not long after sitting down. He smiled, and the first server handed us the menus. As soon as I opened mine, my heart nearly stopped. $29 for the cheapest appetizer? Main courses upwards of $200?
I glanced up at Andrew, whose eyes, staring at the menu, seemed to be bugging out of their sockets.
I said, "Oh my God... we don't have to eat here. It'll be close to a thousand-dollar check, and that's even if we skip dessert!"
Andrew looked like a condemned prisoner. He said, "No, no. I said we should go here, and we'll do it."
His use of "we" made me wonder if that meant that he wanted us to split the check. I'd have been 100% okay with leaving that place, going somewhere cheaper, and splitting things. However, as a 20-something with rent and bills to pay, spending over a month's budget of food on a single dinner struck me as ludicrous.
I said, "I can't afford to spend this much. Seriously. Let's go."
"We're not going anywhere," he said, scanning the menu and not looking at me. "If you can't afford to help, then I'll have to pay for it all. Nothing to worry about."
I felt like he was letting his pride overwhelm his good sense. From what I knew of him (he was a public school teacher), he wasn't super-wealthy, or even sort-of-wealthy. There was really no need at all for him, or really anyone, to spend that much on dinner.
"Really," I said, "I appreciate the sentiment, but I honest to God won't care if we go somewhere else." Honestly, if he had chosen to go someplace else, I guarantee I would've found that far more attractive than what he did next.
He pointed to a duck dish on the menu and said, "Have you looked at that? That looks good." Had he not heard a word I had just said? He took his menu back and groaned and moaned, likely at the prices.
The drink waiter came by and we both ordered waters. The appetizer waiter came by, and I ordered the $29 appetizer (what looked to be a simple house salad), intending for that to be the only thing I'd order, and further, I would insist on paying for it.
He ordered the same thing, and we didn't order anything else. He was silent the entire time, and when the check came, as I had intended, I offered him the money for my appetizer.
He said, "No. I'll pay for it. I'll pay for everything in the entire world, ever!" He put his card into the check folio and slammed it onto the table. When the check waiter came over to grab it, Andrew barked, "My money!" at him, and as the waiter took it away, Andrew said, "My goddamn money!"
The waiter returned with the receipt for Andrew to sign, and Andrew grumbled, "Damn women, making me spend all my goddamn money..."
"Hey. You insisted on coming here, staying here, and paying for this. Name one thing I made you do."
"You've got tits," he said, slamming the folio closed and standing up. "Tits made me do it."
He walked out. My tits and I left shortly thereafter, once we had regained composure.
On June 15th,? the ongoing conflict between Paraguay?s government and impoverished peasant who had occupied the Morumbi Ranch in the Curuguaty region escalated into armed conflict between national police forces and occupiers.? At the Morumbi ranch, the occupiers? refusal to obey orders resulted in the deaths of six police officers and eleven occupiers. The police had received orders to intervene and clear out the occupiers at the Morumbi ranch.? Called 'carperos' (tent-dwellers) for their ramshackle dwellings on occupied land, peasant farmers had repeatedly shown signs of belligerence and refused to vacate the forested area at the ranch. This confrontation was considered by the local press to be a massacre of national proportions, causing a political turmoil and further deteriorating the fragile support for President Fernando Lugo in the National Congress.?
In Curuguaty, I witnessed the violence that pitted the occupiers against Paraguayan security forces. The peasants occupying the ranch were equipped with Molotov bombs and rifles, with a considerable amount of back up. It was clear that among the campesinofarmers there were snipers or well trained shooters who fired rounds at six police officers, wounding them in those parts of their bodies not covered by body armor - e.g. neck, upper part of the chest and shoulders.Snipers were shooting from a medium to close distance and the bullets were coming from above, therefore from tree tops.
Former President Lugo, last week faced impeachment proceedings that sealed his political doom after he took actions in support of landless peasants who had occupied farms and plantations. Lugo has been accused of showing poor leadership, having declined to resolve agricultural reform and land distribution to the poor, who comprise more than thirty five percent of the Paraguay?s people.
Lugo, a former Roman Catholic bishop, was removed from office in a 39-4 vote on June 22 by the opposition-controlled Senate for fomenting land seizures and violence, just 24 hours after the lower house of Congress voted to impeach him. Riot police held back thousands of Lugo supporters gathered outside Congress in the capital city, Asuncion.
(Former President Lugo)
On June 20th, five days later, the former President gave a belated press conference and condemned the use of violence by the occupiers while giving assurances that public order and democratic government would be upheld. On the same day, the Colorado Party decided to propose an impeachment plan or a political trial against former President Lugo and condemned his passive attitude towards the occupiers. On the following day, the Authentic Radical Liberal Party (PLRA) supported the impeachment while its president, BlasLlano, called upon the four PLRA ministers to immediately resign from their positions in the Paraguayan executive branch.? The lower chamber of Congress voted in favor of a political trial, and the following day the Senate also approved going ahead with a political trial of President Fernando Lugo.? In the Senate, there were a few deliberations in favor and against the political trial, but ultimately it was the loss of the lives of seventeen people that caused Lugo to lose his presidential seat.
Federico Franco, who had served as Lugo?s vice-president, was elected by the Paraguayan national Congress on June 22nd, at 6:30 pm to serve out Lugo?s term until elections are held in 2013.? A few hours later, the newly installed President Franco called upon his fellow countrymen from Lopez Palace for support and maturity. He assured the public that the rule of law will prevail throughout the Paraguay. ?
Speaking at a news conference on June 23, Franco said ?there is no coup here,? in reference to objections raised by former President Lugo?s supporters in Paraguay and foreign governments. Speaking confidently to the international press, and flanked by officers of the military, Franco admitted that his situation is not easy and that there are ?complications with the international community,? even while he defended the legality of Fernando Lugo?s impeachment and dismissal. ?There is no coup here, no institutional breakdown. It is a legal situation that the Paraguayan Constitution and the laws allow in order to make a change when the situation is non-viable.? Franco added, ?I?m calm,? and said his priority is to organize his homeland and make the necessary contacts with neighboring countries at the appropriate time.
After taking office, President Franco also confirmed a zero tolerance for violent groups such as the Paraguayan Peoples? Army (Ejercito Popular Paraguayo - EPP), which are at war against the Paraguayan government.
On the same occasion, President Franco announced the first persons to be named to his cabinet: Minister of Interior CarmeloCaballero and Foreign Minister Jos?F?lixFern?ndezEstigarribia. The latter is expected to secure the support of the governments of neighboring countries for the nascent government. President Franco announced that the new National Police Commander is Aldo Pastore, who has done an excellent job in the past against organized crime and regional drug cartels.? Pastore has been closely involved in the conflict with the EPP. His deputy will be Carlos Altenburger. Within the next week, other nominations to the cabinet are expected.
Various member nations of the Union of South American Nations - UNASUR, including; Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil and Ecuador - have refused to recognize the newly-elected Paraguayan head of state and his incoming government.? Bolivian President Evo Morales, Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez have registered their categorical refusal to recognize the newly formed Franco government.? Miguel Insulza, president of the Organization of American States, expressed concern for the effect that the move against Lugo would have upon democracy in Paraguay.
In Argentina, Peronist supporters of President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner will hold a special session on June 25 in which they will discuss their objections to the? ?institutional coup? which took place in Paraguay on July 22. Peronist Senator Miguel Angel Pichetto said that his caucus? views were congruent with the Kirchner?s that they would not recognize ?the government that came out after the shameful coup which ousted president Fernando Lugo.? Pichetto claimed that Paraguay?s congress did not guarantee Lugo?s right to a legal defense, and that what happened was ?clearly an institutional coup, which recalls the worst antidemocratic experiences in Latin America.?
As someone who has lived in Paraguay during the last years of President Nicanor Duarte Frutos presidency, and during the first year of President Lugo?s administration, I must emphasize that Paraguay?s political system suffers from fragile democratic standards, a damaged justice system, lack of agrarian reform, corruption in all areas of society, impunity, and over 2.5 million people living below the poverty line.? Throughout 2012, Fernando Lugo rapidly lost his peoples? support, due to his 75 expensive trips abroad, which cost Paraguayan tax payers dearly.? It is clearly time for Paraguay to have a new figure at the helm of state, with the support of both the Colorado Party and the Authentic Radical Liberal party. The two arch-rival parties have now orchestrated an alliance that has brought to power the first president the Authentic Radical Liberal Party since September 1940, when President Jose Felix Estigarribia died in a plane crash. ?
As he forms his government, President Franco will immediately begin to analyze the situation in Curuguaty in the following days.? President Franco, who was once a fervent supporter of Lugo, is known to be an honest political figure and very popular among the poor campesinos and Paraguay?s people overall. There are many expectations for reform during Franco?s government. This will have to be in short order, since he is only expected to stay in office for a little more than thirteen months, until August 15th, 2013.
?
Spero columnist Peter Tase is a former Peace Corps volunteer who reports from Asuncion, Paraguay.
The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author only, not of Spero News.
Business Development Manager ? Corporate Financial Software Sales London 35-40k Base, 70-80k OTE + Benefits
Our client is a leading provider of corporate performance management software solutions. With their ever-expanding portfolio of solutions which cover Strategy Management, Budgeting, Forecasting, Consolidation, Reporting and Data Management to name a few of their key areas, they are well placed for further growth. They now have an exciting opening for a Business Development Manager to join their successful London based team, which focus on corporate sales.
As a Business Development Manager your time will be split (60/40) between our clients North London office and your national territory, where you will generate new revenue streams through liaising at FC and FD level within corporate prospects throughout London and beyond. With average order values in the 30-50k range, varying lead times and achievable annual targets you can expect the full support of all internal departments to ensure sales are fully implemented and supported. Contact Certus Sales Recruitment for a full description of this exciting new business software sales role
The ideal candidate will be educated to degree standard and possess a minimum of 4 years sales experience gained selling software into the corporate sector. You will be on the way up in your career, show stability and be consultative and professional in your approach with high levels of motivation and first class communication and presentation skills. You will be hungry, committed and looking for an excellent opportunity to build a solid career in a company where the earning potential is truly unlimited. This role requires you to work well in a team driven environment as well as autonomously. It would be advantageous to have prior knowledge of financial/management software solutions but not a necessity as training will be available to intelligent candidates with entrepreneurial flair and the right aptitude.
The successful candidate can expect a base salary of 35-40k with an uncapped OTE of 70-80k in the first year plus additional benefits.
Certus is an established and experienced specialist sales recruitment and marketing recruitment consultancy, providing sales and marketing recruitment services to the business to business marketplace throughout the UK. We are experts in the recruitment of internal and external (field sales) sales professionals from Graduate & Sales Trainee through to Sales Manager and Sales Director levels. With specialist Sales divisions covering: Commercial Sales, FMCG, Information, Financial, Medical and Pharmaceutical, IT/Technology (Software, Hardware, Telco and Services), Media, Rec2Rec and a Marketing division covering everything from Marketing Executives through to PR Managers and Marketing Director level positions; we are well positioned to deliver cost effective recruitment solutions in a timely manner. To find out more about Certus, please visit http://www.certussales.com and http://www.certusmarketing.com ?????
Google this week announced that they will cut the price for Google Maps API by up to 88% for high-traffic web sites. Suspiciously enough, the announcement came soon after Apple announced that they would be ditching Google Maps in iOS 6.
?While the Maps API remains free for the vast majority of sites, some developers were worried about the potential costs. In response, we have lowered the online price from US $4 per 1,000 map loads to 50? per 1,000 map loads? commented Google Maps API product manager Thor Mitchell. ?We?re beginning to monitor Maps API usage starting today, and, based on current usage, fees will only apply to the top 0.35% of sites regularly exceeding the published limits of 25,000 map loads every day for 90 consecutive days. We aren?t automating the application of these limits, so if your site consistently uses more than the free maps allowance we?ll contact you to discuss your options. Please rest assured that your map will not stop working due to a sudden surge in popularity.?
Read the full announcement over at the Google Geo Developers Blog
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Public release date: 25-Jun-2012
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