McGraw University Students Unite for the Collaborative Project Against Illiteracy

 

McGraw University Students Reiterate Their Commitment for the Digital Coursework and Highlight the Need for a More Involving, Highly Engaging Study Through the Online Networks

ARLINGTON, TX--(Marketwire - August 14, 2012) - Owing to the upsurge in the world illiteracy levels for the year 2012, the students at McGraw University stage up a collaborative project whereby they shall be highlighting various factors that have been contributing to the increasing levels of illiteracy globally and how it has been rippling through the economic scenario of some of the most affluent nations around the world, including the United States.

Amongst myriads of reasons, the students have been discouraged through various factors including inaccessibility to quality educational institutes, high fees and low numbers of funding and scholarship options.

Today, according to the statistics, there are more than 40 million functionally illiterate adults in the US who cannot fill out a job application, follow written instructions, or read to their children. As a consequence, the number of children raised by the illiterate parents leads to a generation of illiterate children and the cycle moves on and on.

The participants highlighted the fact whereby the number of online educational institutes should be increased which would consequently allow more people access to quality online education that is accessible to everyone and the expenses of which can be bolstered through little stream of funding.

About McGraw University

McGraw University is devoted to excellence in teaching, learning, and research, and to developing leaders in many disciplines who make a difference globally. For students who are excited to investigate the biggest issues of the 21st century, McGraw offers an unparalleled student experience and a generous financial aid program with flexible online education programs.

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http://www.linkedin.com/company/mcgraw-university

McGraw University
866-497-4901

 

© 2012 Marketwire, Incorporated. All rights reserved.

Save 20% Off BritRail Passes

Great Value on Autumn and Winter Travel

MONTREAL, CANADA--(Marketwire - August 15, 2012) - Now's the time to appreciate low season travel to Britain, where you can avoid the summer crowds and enjoy great savings! Explore England, Scotland and Wales this November, December, January or February and save up to 20% off BritRail's most popular passes.

Take the classic BritRail Pass: for just $159 USD get 3 consecutive days of unlimited train travel in standard class. That's $53 a day to have the freedom to travel on as many trains as you wish to your choice of destinations throughout England, Scotland and Wales. And for those travelers whose focus falls on England, the BritRail England Pass is a great fit. Also offered with the low season discount, get a 3 day BritRail England Consecutive Pass for $129 USD in standard class and enjoy unlimited rail travel throughout England.

BritRail Passes and BritRail England Passes are offered in a wide range of validities, including Flexi Passes for a period of 3, 4, 8 or 15 travel days to be used within 2 months or Consecutive Passes for a period of 3, 4, 8, 15, 22 days or 1 month of travel. You can also choose a first or standard class BritRail pass, where first class offers benefits on select trains such as free Wi-Fi, more spacious seating, at seat meal service, free newspapers and complimentary tea and biscuits.

Pass holders are always pleased to discover that a BritRail Pass really does cover it all; it includes travel on all trains throughout Great Britain's National Rail network! Hop on and off trains at your leisure, without being restricted to a specific seat on a specific train, and keep to a flexible schedule all your own. A BritRail Pass even covers travel on Airport Express trains, the most convenient way to skip traffic from Heathrow Airport, Gatwick Airport and Stansted Airport to central London.

Take advantage of BritRail's Low Season Discount when booking a BritRail Pass or BritRail England Pass between September 1st, 2012 and February 15th, 2013 for travel in November, December, January or February. Get your BritRail Pass by visiting www.ACPRail.com or www.BritRail.com or by calling ACP Rail's Call Center today at 1 866 938-RAIL (North America). Remember to buy before taking flight as BritRail Passes cannot be purchased in Britain.

ACP Rail International is the exclusive, global BritRail distributor and an established world leader in the marketing and distribution of International rail products to travel agents, tour operators and consumers. If you are a travel agent interested in booking rail passes, tickets, seat reservations, tours and attractions for your clients please visit www.agent.acprail.com or contact sales@acprail.com for more information.

 

Contact Information

   Contacts:
Media Contact:
ACP Rail International
Angela Guezen
Press Liaison
publicrelations@acprail.com
www.ACPRail.com

 

© 2012 Marketwire, Incorporated. All rights reserved.

New Research Busts High-Frequency Trading and Dark Pool Myths -- CMCRC

BEIJING--(Marketwire - August 13, 2012) - Capital Markets Cooperative Research Centre (CMCRC), the Australian independent academic centre for capital market research, has found that high-frequency trading (HFT) actually benefits capital market structures and performance, while dark pools may have damaging effects.

Speaking at an event in Beijing, Professor Frino outlined his research that showed that HFT activity adds real liquidity to markets and has no impact on price volatility -- surprising findings, as HFT has regularly been accused of negatively impacting these measures of market quality.

"High frequency traders now account for more than 50 percent of trading volume in some global markets, whereas seven years ago it was virtually absent from markets," Professor Frino said. "Alongside this trend is an explosion in so-called 'dark pools,' in which investors are executing their trading in invisible or non-transparent markets. Dark pools are making trading on exchanges less relevant."

Professor Frino also spoke about his new research, released last month, indicating that dark liquidity could damage market quality and increase trading costs in certain markets.

Professor Frino designed a mathematical model (an econometric time-series model) that demonstrates the impacts on lit markets when trading moves into dark pools, showing how bid-ask spreads change relative to volume. Designed for the Australian market, it is also applicable to other small markets with fast trading technology, such as Canada and Singapore.

In a two-year HFT project, researchers examined detailed market data provided by the SGX; NASDAQ; Euronext Paris, ASX and LSE. The team looked at the impact of HFT on liquidity provision and volatility, and were surprised by the results.

"Last year at the beginning of the project I spoke extensively to buy-side around the world to gather their views on HFT," said Professor Frino. "Those views were fairly negative, so I expected to find negative effects, but to my surprise that wasn't the case at all."

While HFT liquidity has been described as 'artificial,' Professor Frino's research found that the liquidity they provide is both real and substantial. "We looked at 'make' and 'take' decisions of HFTs, that is, how often they offer a quote that is hit, and how often they hit existing quotes," he said. "We found that overall they are net providers of liquidity -- and this liquidity is as readily used by other market participants as any other kind."

Professor Frino's research also examined the relationship between price volatility and HFT. "We find no evidence of a positive relationship between HFT and price volatility. To the contrary the data suggests that rather than exacerbating price volatility as many have claimed, HFTs may actually play a role in decreasing excessive price volatility," he said. "Part of this function is the way HFT algorithms identify trading opportunities -- they're built to recognise when prices are abnormally high or low, and their response to this naturally pushes prices back towards equilibrium."

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About CMCRC
The Capital Markets Cooperative Research Centre was formed in 2001 to bring together the best in innovative research and technology to the capital markets domain. It is the initiative of a group of researchers, Universities and industry partners who have an impressive track record of commercial success. It attracts the best of Australia's researchers to work together with industry partners to develop new and innovative technologies for the capital markets domain.

Alex Frino is CEO of Capital Markets Co-operative Research Centre (CMCRC) and Professor of Finance at the University of Sydney. He has a PhD in Finance from the University of Sydney and a Master of Philosophy in Finance from Cambridge University.

Alex has strong links with both capital markets industry and academia in Australia and internationally and is a major advocate and motivator for closer collaboration between the two.

Alex has published more than 100 research papers and one book and he has held visiting appointments at the Sydney Futures Exchange and Credit Suisse First Boston. He is a Certified Practising Accountant and serves on the Disciplinary Tribunal of the Australian Securities Exchange.

Contact
Kristin Westlake
The Continuum Partners
Tel: 852-6105-8018
Email: kwestlake@thecontinuumpartners.com

 

 

© 2012 Marketwire, Incorporated. All rights reserved.

Payvision Partners with Virtual Piggy

Offering Secure Family-Friendly Solutions to Safeguard Kids' e-Commerce Spending

 

AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS--(Marketwire - August 14, 2012) - Payvision, independent Payment Solutions Provider specialized in Global Card Processing for the e-Commerce market, is glad to announce its partnership with Virtual Piggy, a highly innovative, California-based technology company which provides parents with Payment Services to safeguard and manage their kids' online spending.

 

Rudolf Booker, CEO of Payvision: "As e-commerce booms, children increasingly shop online on websites which offer Gaming, Toys, Action Sports, Consumer Electronics and Youth Entertainment. As a Global Card Processor, we are enthused to provide Virtual Piggy with an international Acquiring Network which enables Virtual Piggy to expand its global footprint, offering parents worldwide their innovative family-friendly e-commerce solution; a solution which enables kids to manage and spend money within a parent-controlled secure environment in full compliance with the Child Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA)."

 

"As Virtual Piggy expands internationally, and as the mobile payment market continues to grow it is important for us to work with secure, integrated payment solutions that have the ability to handle the mobile market and have a global reach," says Dr. Jo Webber, CEO and Founder of Virtual Piggy. "For us Payvision meets both criteria with their innovative technology and extensive worldwide payment network."

 

About Payvision

 

Payvision, an independent payment solutions provider, specialized in global card processing for the e-commerce market, offers Acquiring Banks, PSP/ISO and their Merchants a secure PCI-DSS Compliant, PSD Licensed international payment processing platform, enhanced with innovative technology. Payvision provides its customers 24/7 Support, 150+ transaction currencies and regional card settlement currencies, a high-end reporting interface and a solid risk management solution.

 

Founded in 2002 Payvision is headquartered in Amsterdam and has expanded its global services in over 40 countries with offices in New York, Utah, Madrid, Paris, Singapore, Hong Kong and Macau. Please visit www.payvision.com for more information.

 

About Virtual Piggy, Inc.

 

Virtual Piggy, Inc. is the first e-commerce solution that enables kids to manage and spend money within a parent-controlled environment. The technology company delivers online security platforms designed for the Under 18 age group in the global online market, and also enables online businesses the ability to function in a manner consistent with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act ("COPPA") and similar international children's privacy laws. Virtual Piggy enables the Under 18 audience to play, transact and socialize in a secure online environment guided by parental permission, oversight and control. The company is based in Philadelphia, PA and on the Web at: www.virtualpiggy.com.

 

Contacts:
Media Contact:
press@payvision.com
www.payvision.com

 

© 2012 Marketwire, Incorporated. All rights reserved.

Milestone Aviation Group Signs Contract for 19 Additional Sikorsky S-92® Helicopters

Total Order for 22 Aircraft Valued at Close to US$700 Million at List Prices

 

DUBLIN, IRELAND--(Marketwire - August 14, 2012) - Milestone Aviation Group, the global leader in helicopter leasing, announced today that it has signed a contract to purchase nineteen additional Sikorsky S-92® helicopters. These aircraft are in addition to the three S-92 aircraft Milestone purchased from Sikorsky in February 2012. The first two aircraft are scheduled for completed delivery in late 2012 and the final aircraft is scheduled for delivery in 2016. The 22-aircraft order is valued at US$682 million at list prices.

 

"This acquisition represents Milestone's largest helicopter order to date and we are very pleased to partner with Sikorsky again," said Milestone Chairman Richard Santulli. "The S-92 has quickly established itself as one of the dominant helicopters in the world for a range of missions including offshore oil and gas and search and rescue. We have a great relationship with Sikorsky and by offering 100% operating lease financing on this aircraft, we can help introduce it to an ever-wider market of high quality operators around the world."

 

The new aircraft will serve a variety of roles with operators worldwide, such as transporting workers to offshore oil and gas platforms, air ambulance, search and rescue, and civil defence. The offshore oil and gas environment is now the largest area of opportunity for heavy duty, mission-critical helicopters, and nearly 88% of Milestone's aircraft are currently operating in oilfield services, with more in associated search-and-rescue tasks. Industry research indicates that this trend is expected to continue for many years.

 

These 22 aircraft join a growing inventory of Sikorsky aircraft that Milestone has purchased directly from Sikorsky since December 2010, including seven S-76C++(tm) helicopters. In addition to these direct orders Milestone has provided 100% operating lease financing for 12 additional Sikorsky aircraft.

 

Milestone launched in August 2010 having raised US$500 million in equity from the Jordan Company and Nautic Partners to provide operating lease financing to the helicopter industry. Since inception Milestone has leased 53 aircraft valued at more than US$600 million. The company presently leases helicopters to 20 operators spread over four continents including leases with three of the four largest global helicopter operators. By the end of 2012, the company expects to have leased assets operating on six continents and valued at more than US$1 billion.

 

Note to the Editor:

 

ABOUT MILESTONE AVIATION GROUP
Milestone Aviation Group is the first global aircraft leasing company exclusively focused on helicopters. Milestone's global aircraft leasing platform addresses the liquidity needs of the market through 100% operating lease financing. Since launching in August 2010, Milestone has leased over 50 aircraft valued at more than US$600 million. Further information is available at www.milestoneaviation.com.

 

Contact Information

Milestone Media Contacts:
Eric Berman or Nathan Riggs
of Kekst and Company 
+1 (212) 521-4894 / +1 (212) 521-4804

 

© 2012 Marketwire, Incorporated. All rights reserved.

First U.S. Patient Implanted With BIOTRONIK Lumax 740 Defibrillator Equipped With SMART(R) Detection to Avoid Unnecessary Shocks

 

Unique Algorithm Differentiates Atrial From  Ventricular Arrhythmias to Avoid Risk for Potential Long-Term Medical Consequences of Painful and Inappropriate Shocks 

LAKE OSWEGO, OR--(Marketwire - August 15, 2012) - BIOTRONIK, a leading manufacturer of innovative medical technology, announced today that the first patient in the United States has been implanted with the company's Lumax 740 dual-chamber implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD).

 

"Patients on anti-arrhythmic medication may have slower ventricular tachycardias, which can influence a patient's hemodynamics and directly affect a device's ability to discriminate arrhythmias and successfully restore a normal rhythm," said Larry A. Chinitz, M.D, Director, Cardiac Electrophysiology, Invasive Cardiology at the NYU Heart Rhythm Center, NYU School of Medicine. "In addition, the presence of atrial arrhythmias can confuse the device if it isn't able to tell the difference between a lethal arrhythmia and a non-lethal arrhythmia."

 

Lumax 740 has a unique feature, called SMART^® detection, which aids in rhythm discrimination and reduces unnecessary therapies. It continues to discriminate between atrial and ventricular arrhythmias, with a high level of specificity, even when an arrhythmia is redetected. Reducing unnecessary therapies also reduces the risk for long-term medical consequences that may result from inappropriate shocks. Atrial arrhythmias are the main culprit for patients receiving inappropriate shocks.

 

"The Lumax 740 series is based on a revolutionary technology," commented Rex Richmond, Vice President Marketing BIOTRONIK, Inc. "It incorporates state-of-the-art circuitry in a remarkably efficient design, offering industry-leading longevity nearly to a decade of service."

"Our focus on quality is core to our design principles," continued Richmond, "and we know that high quality and durable systems are better for patients and less costly for the healthcare system over time. For five decades, BIOTRONIK has been completely focused on manufacturing the most reliable devices and leads. We, and our customers, are proud of the bar we've set for the industry in that respect."

 

Managing heart failure progression
Increased lung fluid levels can be one indicator of heart failure progression. Lumax 740 devices contain BIOTRONIK's TI feature, which measures thoracic impedance. The patient's physician can use this information as additional insight to manage critically important aspects of patient care, including drugs used to adjust fluid levels.

 

Of vital importance is timely access to this critical information, which has been unavailable until now. With the Lumax 740 system, its innovative BIOTRONIK Home Monitoring^® technology automatically transmits a patient's clinical and device status on a daily basis -- making it readily available to the physician without the need for any patient interaction. BIOTRONIK Home Monitoring^® is the industry's only remote patient management system with FDA- and CE-approval for early detection of clinically relevant events. TI is one of nine meaningful heart failure parameters transferred by BIOTRONIK Home Monitoring^®. Several parameters allow for customizable alert settings.

 

About Lumax 740
The Lumax series of ICDs and CRT-Ds offers unique technologies that are useful now -- and into the future as a patient's cardiac health changes. Lumax 740 is more informative to help manage a patient's heart failure progression; more specific to help reduce the chances of patients receiving an inappropriate shock as confirmed by the ECOST¹ study; and more durable with extended longevity and an ICD lead backed by BIOTRONIK's unsurpassed record of reliability. The device's implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) lead is backed by BIOTRONIK's unsurpassed record of reliability.

 

About BIOTRONIK SE & Co. KG
As one of the world's leading cardiovascular medical device companies, with several million implanted devices, BIOTRONIK is represented in over 100 countries with its global workforce of more than 5,600 employees. Known for having its fingers on the pulse of the medical community, BIOTRONIK assesses the challenges physicians face and provides the best solutions for all phases of patient care, ranging from diagnosis and treatment to patient management. Quality, innovation and clinical excellence define BIOTRONIK and its growing success -- and deliver confidence and peace of mind to physicians and their patients worldwide.

 

For more information: http://www.biotronik.com/

 

Reference
¹ Kacet S, presentation at ESC Congress 2011 in Paris, France.

U.S. Contact
Rex Richmond
Vice President, Marketing
BIOTRONIK, Inc.
6024 Jean Road
Lake Oswego, OR 97035
(800) 547-0394, Ext. 8222
(503) 451-8222
Email: rex.richmond@biotronik.com

International Contact
Sandy Hathaway
Senior Director, Global Communications
BIOTRONIK SE & Co. KG
Woermannkehre 1
12359 Berlin
Tel. +49 (0) 30 68905 1602
Email: sandy.hathaway@biotronik.com

DSI Earns Placement on Leading Analyst Firm's Magic Quadrant for Mobile Application Development Platforms

Placement Based on Completeness of Vision and Ability to Execute in the Dynamic Mobile Computing Market

KANSAS CITY, MO--(Marketwire - August 14, 2012) - Data Systems International, Inc. (DSI), a global provider of enterprise mobility solutions, has been placed on Gartner, Inc.'s 2012 Magic Quadrant for Mobile Application Development Platforms (MADP) report, which assesses 22 vendors of business-to-consumer, business-to-business and business-to-enterprise mobile applications. [1]

According to the Gartner report, key criteria for inclusion into the market assessment included market traction, organizational scale, financial viability, ownership of intellectual property and dedicated development resources. Meeting these key criteria allowed DSI to join other industry leaders within the rapidly growing MADP market.

"DSI's placement on the Gartner Magic Quadrant is a major milestone in the 33-year history of our company," said Matt McGraw, President & CEO of DSI. "We realize how competitive this industry is, so to be recognized by Gartner speaks volumes about DSI's investment in developing innovative mobile technology solutions that optimize our customers' business processes."

With expertise in industry processes and a proven implementation approach, DSI has a track record for delivering predictable results. The company has delivered projects on time and on budget to more than 1,000 businesses around the world that have turned to DSI's mobile platform to improve operations and boost productivity.

"Our focus is on implementing innovative mobile solutions to improve processes and performance across the business," said Sandra Spence, MIS Applications Manager at Chivas Brothers, a global leader in luxury Scotch whisky based in the United Kingdom. "DSI provides a mobile platform that enables us to push the boundaries of the traditional office without losing control and traceability. With one platform provided by one supplier, we've achieved a near paperless warehouse operation and mobilized our most critical management workflows."

DSI's platform meets important requirements for organizations evaluating MADP vendors, including multi-device support, a mobile-oriented integrated development environment (IDE) and disconnected application usage -- key capabilities for companies deploying B2E mobile applications to their workforces.

To download a complimentary copy of Gartner's Magic Quadrant for Mobile Application Development Platforms report, please click here.

Visit DSI's corporate website to learn more about the dcLINK Mobile Application Platform and other Enterprise Mobility Solutions® from DSI.

[1] Gartner, Inc., "Magic Quadrant for Mobile Application Development Platforms", William Clark, Ian Finley, Song Chuang, 26 April 2012

 

About the Magic Quadrant

Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner's research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

 

About DSI

Founded in 1979, Data Systems International, Inc. (DSI) is a global provider of Enterprise Mobility Solutions®, helping companies worldwide increase productivity and profitability.

DSI enables enterprise-wide mobility -- regardless of data source, device type, operating system or network connectivity -- with dcLINK®, the company's flagship mobile application development platform, pre-built mobile applications, mobile data collection solutions and enterprise labeling technologies.

Based in Kansas City, Missouri, DSI serves clients globally through its offices in Australia, Canada, China, France, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States; through its network of business partners around the world; and through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Unibar Inc. For more information, please visit www.DSIonline.com.

 

For customers interested in learning more about DSI products and solutions:
DSI Americas
Phone: +1 (855) 280-1176
Sales: info@DSIonline.com

DSI Asia Pacific
Phone: +65 6871 5330
Sales: software.ap@DSIonline.com

DSI EMEA
Phone: +44 118 9637 552
Sales: software.emea@DSIonline.com

 

Contact Information

For more information, media and analysts:
Scott Lutz
DSI
+1 (816) 416-5270
Scott.Lutz@DSIonline.com

Johann Poppenbeck
DSI
+1 (816) 416-5220
Johann.Poppenbeck@DSIonline.com

 

© 2012 Marketwire, Incorporated. All rights reserved.