Miami Florida Hotel's Dedication to Perfection Garners 'Bride's Choice' Award Feb 10, 2012 10:26AM

MIAMI, FL -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 02/10/12 -- An elegant Miami, Florida hotel's dedication to providing couples with the ultimate wedding experience has resulted in national recognition from WeddingWire, a prominent wedding marketplace and sponsor of the prestigious Bride's Choice Awards".

The inspiring Miami Marriott Biscayne Bay has been chosen as a 2012 recipient of the coveted Bride's Choice Awards" for its excellence in quality, service, responsiveness and professionalism within the wedding industry.

WeddingWire Bride's Choice Awards" are awarded based on the reviews of more than 1.2 million newlyweds. Factors include overall rating, number of reviews, review performance from 2011 and consistency of reviews from year to year. As one of this year's winners, the Miami Marriott Biscayne Bay is among the elite top five percent of WeddingWire vendors across the United States and Canada and one of the premier choices for destination weddings in Miami.

WeddingWire is comprised of more than 200,000 wedding professionals from across 20 service categories and through this outstanding awards program is able to recognize the best of the best based on their performance throughout the year. Since inauguration of the awards program four years ago, Wedding Wire and the Bride's Choice Awards" have honored exceptional wedding professionals for their superior service and dedication to the wedding industry. WeddingWire serves the wedding industry by bringing couples and wedding professionals together in an all-in-one marketing platform with comprehensive services and reviews.

Featuring exemplary indoor and outdoor wedding venues, the Miami Marriott Biscayne Bay hotel offers couples a full menu of bridal services including Marriott Certified Wedding Planners, professional catering with remarkable menu offerings and custom services, perfectly appointed guest rooms, an elegant Grand Ballroom for receiving up to 1,350 guests and a fine selection of banquet halls in Miami for memorable weddings and receptions. Whether planning an intimate ceremony or a large reception, the hotel's welcoming choice of perfectly appointed banquet facilities are ideal for making wedding dreams come true. Couples can choose from a variety of wedding packages and services to create a wedding event that truly reflects their style and personalities. The Marriott also offers a unique Honeymoon Gift Registry to help couples live their dreams through a truly memorable honeymoon experience.

About the Miami Marriott Biscayne Bay Hotel The Miami Marriott Biscayne Bay Hotel recently underwent a $31 million renovation so guests can enjoy fine luxuries and exquisite accommodations at this bold downtown Miami hotel's stylish waterfront location. Offering remarkable views of Biscayne Bay and a convenient location near the Miami Art Deco District and popular Bayside Marketplace, the hotel features a contemporary lobby, the new Catch Grill & Bar for fine seafood dining options, a relaxing outdoor Marina Terrace, a fifth floor outdoor pool and sun deck and a full-service concierge lounge for added amenities.

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CONTACT:
Miami Marriott Biscayne Bay
1633 North Bayshore Drive
Miami, Florida 33132 USA
1-305-374-3900

Source: Marriott International


Fitch Publishes Fourth Quarter 2011 Edition of the Student Loan Report Card Feb 10, 2012 10:27AM

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- In 2011, the U.S. Sovereign rating had a significant impact on FFELP student loans as the Outlook was revised to Negative, in line with the U.S. Sovereign rating, according to Fitch Ratings in the fourth quarter 2011 edition of its Student Loan Report Card. The resolution of the Outlook may not occur until 2013.

In this edition, Fitch provides a recap of 2011 including Fitch's outlook for 2012 and a discussion on student loan performance.

Additional information is available at 'www.fitchratings.com'.

Applicable Criteria and Related Research: Student Loan Report Card

http://www.fitchratings.com/creditdesk/reports/report_frame.cfm?rpt_id=670230

ALL FITCH CREDIT RATINGS ARE SUBJECT TO CERTAIN LIMITATIONS AND DISCLAIMERS. PLEASE READ THESE LIMITATIONS AND DISCLAIMERS BY FOLLOWING THIS LINK: HTTP://FITCHRATINGS.COM/UNDERSTANDINGCREDITRATINGS. IN ADDITION, RATING DEFINITIONS AND THE TERMS OF USE OF SUCH RATINGS ARE AVAILABLE ON THE AGENCY'S PUBLIC WEBSITE 'WWW.FITCHRATINGS.COM'. PUBLISHED RATINGS, CRITERIA AND METHODOLOGIES ARE AVAILABLE FROM THIS SITE AT ALL TIMES. FITCH'S CODE OF CONDUCT, CONFIDENTIALITY, CONFLICTS OF INTEREST, AFFILIATE FIREWALL, COMPLIANCE AND OTHER RELEVANT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES ARE ALSO AVAILABLE FROM THE 'CODE OF CONDUCT' SECTION OF THIS SITE.

Fitch RatingsNicole EdwardsDirector+1-212-908-9114Fitch, Inc.One State Street PlazaNew York, NY 10004orCynthia UllrichSenior Director+1-212-908-0609orMedia RelationsSandro Scenga+1-212-908-0278sandro.scenga@fitchratings.com

Source: Fitch Ratings


Boy Scouts of America Delegation Delivers Annual Report to the Nation to Top Washington Officials, Details 2011 Accomplishments Feb 10, 2012 10:25AM

IRVING, Texas, Feb. 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- A delegation of nine young people from across the country will represent the Boy Scouts of America® in Washington, D.C., February 11–15, to present the organization's annual Report to the Nation to top U.S. officials. The report is designated in the BSA's congressional charter and will highlight the organization's achievements in 2011, the first year in Scouting's second century. The BSA's new national theme, Prepared. For Life.™, has defined the organization's path forward under four pillars: learning, service, leadership, and adventure.

"Innovation is a cornerstone of Scouting. While the fundamental nature of what we teach—things like character, leadership, and service—will never change, we continually update our programs to meet the needs of today's kids," said Chief Scout Executive Bob Mazzuca. "As we move into Scouting's second century, we are focused on critical issues to today's youth with new healthy-living initiatives and a greater emphasis on science, technology, engineering, and math [STEM] in Scouting programs. We're proud to be able to share our progress with our nation's leaders."

Collectively, Scouts across America give more than 25 million hours of volunteer time annually, at a value of more than a half-billion dollars (based on a national volunteer-hour value of $21.36). In 2011, 51,473 young men earned the Eagle Scout Award through the completion of 21 life skills merit badges and an extensive self-directed service project. The average number of hours spent on Eagle Scout projects is 130, which means that in 2011, Eagle Scout service projects alone represented almost 6.7 million hours of community service.

Scouts across the country also learned the value of physical health and well-being with the introduction of SCOUTStrong™, a formal BSA initiative that seeks to ensure Scouts and all young people are healthy in mind, body, and spirit. And more than 1 million Scouts attended BSA camps in 2011—with Scouts camping out more than 5 million nights throughout the year—continuing the organization's longtime focus on adventure in the great outdoors.

In 2011, the BSA also continued its ongoing affiliation with ExxonMobil, NASA, and other organizations to cultivate initiatives that encourage interest in STEM-related educational and career opportunities.

Report to the Nation Delegation

Being selected to the Report to the Nation delegation is a tremendous honor for the nine Scouts and the communities they represent.  Each Scout represents the more than 100 million Scouts who have been part of the BSA since its inception in 1910 and the millions who will follow. This year's delegation is made up of the following young people:

  • Venturing president Dan Carriveau; Little Chute, Wisconsin
  • Boy Scout Jordan Evans; Colorado Springs, Colorado
  • Cub Scout Daniel Green; Silver Lake, Ohio
  • National Sea Scout boatswain Eva Hogan; Houston, Texas
  • Boy Scout Kauhikoa "Koa" Kalamau; Kapolei, Hawaii
  • Boy Scout Nicholas Kulick; Catharpin, Virginia 
  • Boy Scout R.J. McCullen III; El Paso, Texas
  • Boy Scout Jack Pape; Omaha, Nebraska
  • Order of the Arrow National Chief John Rehm; Turbotville, Pennsylvania

Meeting with Top Washington Officials

Arriving in the nation's capital on Saturday, Feb. 11, the delegation is scheduled for visits throughout the week with U.S. Cabinet members and House and Senate leadership, as well as tours of the White House, CIA, Pentagon, and Supreme Court. The delegation will deliver this year's report to Speaker of the House Rep. John Boehner, and for the first time, will participate in a service project benefitting the National Cathedral. Additional details include:

  • Saturday, Feb. 11: Tour NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and have dinner with NASA's John Wolfgang.
  • Sunday, Feb. 12: Participate in service project at the National Cathedral.
  • Monday, Feb. 13: Share the Report to the Nation with Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta; Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Army Chief of Staff Gen. Raymond Odierno; and Navy Vice Admiral William E. Gortney, director of the Joint Staff.
  • Tuesday, Feb. 14: Lunch with Surgeon General Dr. Regina Benjamin, visit to the Supreme Court, tour CIA headquarters with Director Gen. David Petraeus. 
  • Wednesday, Feb. 15: Deliver official Report to the Nation to Speaker of the House Rep. John Boehner, House Minority Leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Rep. Harry Reid, and Senate Minority Leader Rep. Mitch McConnell; and celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Eagle Scout rank with a gathering of legislators on Capitol Hill.

To keep track of the Report to the Nation delegates as they embark on this once-in-a-lifetime experience in Washington, D.C., follow @boyscouts on Twitter or "Boy Scouts of America" on Facebook.

About the Boy Scouts of America

The Boy Scouts of America prepares young people for life by providing the nation's foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training. The Scouting organization is composed of 2.7 million youth members between the ages of 7 and 21, and more than a million volunteers in local councils throughout the United States and its territories. For more information on the Boy Scouts of America, please visit www.scouting.org.

 

SOURCE Boy Scouts of America


Cornerstone Real Estate Advisers Names CEO of European Operations Feb 10, 2012 10:25AM

HARTFORD, Conn., Feb. 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Cornerstone Real Estate Advisers, one of the world's largest real estate investment advisers, has named Charles Weeks as chief executive officer of its European operations.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120210/NE51416)

Weeks, who previously was Cornerstone's co-head of business development for Europe, succeeds Iain Reid, who is retiring. Weeks' appointment will become effective in mid-March.

"I am confident that Charles will provide the necessary leadership to continue our growth in Europe and build upon the strong foundations that we already have in place," said David J. Reilly, Cornerstone's CEO. "We appreciate all that Iain has done to establish Cornerstone's European operations and to help the company grow its global presence."

Weeks has more than two decades of experience in the European real estate investment markets and worked closely with Reid for 16 of those years, which will contribute to a seamless leadership transition.

"This is an exciting time for the European business, despite challenging market conditions," said Weeks. "Capital flows are happening in both directions, new investment markets are opening, a number of our European projects are gaining traction and there is significant investment in the European business to grow and expand our platform."

Weeks will oversee a growing European operation that, among other initiatives:

  • Provides European investors with opportunities to invest in Cornerstone's real estate funds;
  • Gives U.S. investors opportunities to invest in strategies specific to the European markets; and
  • Will expand into debt origination in the United Kingdom, targeting high quality, fixed rate, commercial mortgage loans.

Reid expressed confidence in Weeks' leadership and "the rest of the great team, old and new, that makes up Cornerstone Europe in the UK, the Netherlands and the Nordics. Continuity in the business is a huge asset and it gives me particular pleasure to hand over responsibilities to Charles, who has been my close colleague for 16 years."

For more information about Cornerstone, visit www.cornerstoneadvisers.com.

About Cornerstone Real Estate Advisers LLC

Cornerstone Real Estate Advisers LLC, with affiliate and subsidiary offices in the US, UK, Europe and Asia, is one of the world's largest real estate investment advisers. It provides core and value-added investment and advisory services, including a comprehensive suite of real estate debt, equity and securities expertise and services, to institutional and other qualified investors around the globe. Cornerstone is a member of the MassMutual Financial Group. Cornerstone and its subsidiaries have assets under management totaling more than $32 billion. More information is at www.cornerstoneadvisers.com

Contact: Patrick Collins617-553-0349pcollins@madisoncommunications.com

SOURCE Cornerstone Real Estate Advisers


American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) 2012 Annual Meeting Daily Hot Topics and News Summaries Feb 10, 2012 10:24AM

SAN FRANCISCO – The 2012 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) takes place this week at the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco. Each day, the public relations department will send the most newsworthy components of the meeting.  To schedule an interview about any of the topics below, contact AAOS public relations.

Media Highlights

Study Finds that Authors with Financial Conflicts are Reporting Negative Outcome in Major Orthopaedic Journals  

  • Results confirm integrity of scientific reporting and publication peer review process

As a conflict of interest can increase the potential for research bias and study outcomes, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) and major orthopaedic journals require all presenters and authors to disclose potential professional conflicts. A systematic review of three major orthopaedic journals – the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (American and British editions) and the Journal of Arthroplasty (JOA) – was conducted for all articles related to metal-on-metal total hip replacement between October 1999 and May 2011. Of the 411 metal-on-metal total hip studies, 64 reported data pertaining to survivorship, failure and revision rates and were included in the analysis. Over time, the articles became increasingly negative. This negative trend persisted when analyzing the subgroup of studies written by authors with financial disclosures. Fifty-nine percent (38) of the studies reported a conflict of interest. Papers published by authors with a conflict of interest were equally likely to report negative results compared to authors without conflicts. While these results are encouraging and speak to the integrity of scientific reporting, efforts to ensure data transparency and more robust disclosure programs should continue.

About the AAOSWith more than 37,000 members, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, (www.aaos.org) or (www.orthoinfo.org) is the premier not-for-profit organization that provides education programs for orthopaedic surgeons and allied health professionals, champions the interests of patients and advances the highest quality of musculoskeletal health. Orthopaedic surgeons and the Academy are the authoritative sources of information for patients and the general public on musculoskeletal conditions, treatments and related issues. An advocate for improved care, the Academy is participating in the Bone and Joint Initiative (www.usbjd.org), the global initiative to raise awareness of musculoskeletal health, stimulate research and improve people's quality of life.  The Academy's 2012 Annual Meeting is being held February 7 - 11, 2012 at the San Francisco Moscone Center in San Francisco.

For more information, contact:Kristina Goel, 847-384-4034, 312-388-5241, goel@aaos.orgLauren Pearson Riley, 847-384-4031, 708-227-1773, pearson@aaos.org

/PRNewswire-USNewswire -- Feb. 10, 2012/

SOURCE American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons


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