Ex-Im Bank Export Assistance

Information about Ex-Im Bank's working capital financing, which is intended to make loans available to U.S. exporters, can be accessed here. As the website states:

Exporters may use the guaranteed financing to:

Purchase finished products for export
Pay for raw materials, equipment, supplies, labor and overhead to produce goods and/or provide services for export
Cover standby letters of credit serving as bid bonds, performance bonds, or payment guarantees
Finance foreign receivables

Ninety percent of the bank loan, including principal and interest, is usually guaranteed by Ex-Im Bank. Perhaps as good a feature as any for start-up exporters is the fact that there is no minimun transaction amount.

Those with small finance needs are encouraged to contact the Small Business Administration.

Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems

MEMS IN MEDICINE is an informative, well written article. Author Ken Gilleo, Ph.D., conveys technical information in a reader friendly way. He enables those, not having expertise in biotechnology, to grasp details while enjoying the effort- no small feat. MEMs is an acronym for Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems which are chips in semiconductor fabs. They perform both electronic functions and mechanical actions making them both sensory and control devices. They are found in ink jet printers and automobiles and other types of items as well. Perhaps even more meaningful to many of us, they have medical utility involving blood pressure measurement and ion detection.

MEMS are able to integrate systems by using miniature devices and micron size parts. Examples provided by Ken Gilleo include separators, injectors and micron sized motors as well as miniature gears, propellers, turbines, pumps, radiation sensors and mirrors. The miniaturized technology enables the integration of data derived from physical phenomenon as diverse as light, sound, motion, biochemistry and radio waves. Computation is centered on a single chip. The idea being a mimicking of our senses- sight, hearing, smell and touch. The chip is the "brain center" able to regulate input and output, respond to signals, exercise control and organize data. MEMS offers the possibility of exceeding current human sensory capabilities as well as providing for correction of missing functions.

Besides sensory functions possibilities like the detection of defective DNA, pumping fluids and drug dispensal are in the offing. A merging of motion, sensory capabilities and computation offers powerful potential. The technology is still in its infancy and biomedical electronic system industries are growing within the United States while the more standard electronic industries, for the most part, have left the USA for foreign lands.

Contractors and Consumer Protection

When employing a contractor to build or repair homes or construct additions to homes, consumers can take certain steps to maximize the likelihood that all will go as anticipated and if something does go wrong they will know where to turn in order to remedy matters. Construction Contractors Board is a webpage of the state of Oregon. I particularly like this site as it contains some good advice and information. The layout looks professional as well. Be advised that regulations vary by state. The law in Oregon may not be the same as the law in New Jersey. However, there is a great deal of consistency in critical areas of concern.

Another website offers advice for consumers who live in New Jersey. From the link:

In New Jersey, contractors that build new homes, do home repairs, or do home improvements must be registered by the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs. To find out if a home improvement contractor is registered, a search can be done at New Jersey's Consumer Affairs website at http://www.state.nj.us/cgi-bin/consumeraffairs/search/ searchentry.pl?searchprofession=1301. To find out if a new homebuilder contractor is registered, call (609) 984-7910. To find out if a home repair contractor is registered, call the Department of Banking and Insurance at (609) 292-5340.

Here is information from the Find Law website also intended for New Jersey consumers:

Contact: Bureau of Home Owner Protection

New Jersey Department of Community Affairs
CN 805
Trenton, NJ 08625-0805
(609) 530-6357

Biotechnology Information Resources

BioNJ

Bio Exchange

Biotech Informa

Select Science

Bioentrepreneur

Nature Biotechnology

Florida BioDatabase

National Biotech Register

Product Information from Biocompare

Sites for Writers

Here are some sites that could be of use to individuals interested in writing professionally:

Business Guide for Writers

Freelance Writing

Constant Content

Elance

Guru

Get a Freelancer

Ray Edwards

Indeed

Writing Career

Craigslist

Freelance Parent

Writer Beware Blogs

Journalism Jobs

Freelance Writing Jobs

Worldwide Freelance Writer

American Medical Writers Association

National Association of Science Writers

The 25 Absolute Best Web Resources for Writers

Style and Writing Guides

Publications Focused on Health Issues and their Submission Guidelines

Diabetes Health

Cure

360

Arthritis Today

Press Releases

Writing a New Product or Service Press Release

Trade Publications

Free Trade Magazine Subscriptions & Technical Document Downloads