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SEFE, Inc. (SEFE) CEO Appointed to Board of Directors
In the second of two press releases yesterday, SEFE announced the appointment of chief executive officer Don Johnston to its board of directors.
Adding an exceptional level of financial and corporate management experience to the board, Johnston is expected to be as valuable and visionary on the board as he has been in the chief executive officer position. He has been a CPA for more than 30 years, and served as a senior executive for several companies over the past two decades. Prior to joining SEFE, he served as the chief financial officer for Acme Lift Company, LLC, in Mesa, Arizona. During his 2 1/2-year stint with the company, he led the team that raised over $75 million from Wall Street to recapitalize the business.
Earlier in his career, Johnston was a partner and chief financial officer of Schaefer-Smith-Ankeney Insurance Agency, LLC (SSA) in Phoenix, Arizona. He was a member of the executive team that sold the agency to BBVA/Compass. Prior to working for SSA, Johnston and another executive purchased Standard Printing Company, Inc. in a leveraged buyout. After the transaction, he was given the CFO position. Johnston has worked in public accounting for more than 10 years, performing a variety of accounting, assurance, and tax work for Big 8 and local accounting firms.
“I am proud to join the SEFE board of directors, and believe it gives me another venue to contribute to the company’s success and shareholder value as we take our atmospheric technology and intellectual property portfolio to the next level,” Johnston stated.
The company also announced that David Ide is stepping down from his director position. He plans to join the SEFE Advisory Committee, which is currently in formation.
SEFE CEO Appointed to Board of Directors
In the second of two press releases yesterday, SEFE announced the appointment of chief executive officer Don Johnston to its board of directors.
Adding an exceptional level of financial and corporate management experience to the board, Johnston is expected to be as valuable and visionary on the board as he has been in the chief executive officer position. He has been a CPA for more than 30 years, and served as a senior executive for several companies over the past two decades. Prior to joining SEFE, he served as the chief financial officer for Acme Lift Company, LLC, in Mesa, Arizona. During his 2 1/2-year stint with the company, he led the team that raised over $75 million from Wall Street to recapitalize the business.
Earlier in his career, Johnston was a partner and chief financial officer of Schaefer-Smith-Ankeney Insurance Agency, LLC (SSA) in Phoenix, Arizona. He was a member of the executive team that sold the agency to BBVA/Compass. Prior to working for SSA, Johnston and another executive purchased Standard Printing Company, Inc. in a leveraged buyout. After the transaction, he was given the CFO position. Johnston has worked in public accounting for more than 10 years, performing a variety of accounting, assurance, and tax work for Big 8 and local accounting firms.
“I am proud to join the SEFE board of directors, and believe it gives me another venue to contribute to the company’s success and shareholder value as we take our atmospheric technology and intellectual property portfolio to the next level,” Johnston stated.
The company also announced that David Ide is stepping down from his director position. He plans to join the SEFE Advisory Committee, which is currently in formation.
SEFE, Inc. (SEFE): Investing in the Newest Renewable Source of Electricity
http://seekingalpha.com/article/506511-sefe-investing-in-the-newest-renewable-source-of-electricity
It’s almost impossible to discuss green energy without talking about electricity. Not that electricity should be considered a source of energy. Electricity is generally better viewed as a convenient medium for carrying energy from one point to another, from an initial point of generation to a final point of use. But electricity, and its storage, plays a major role in most renewable energy models. From hydroelectricity, still the biggest source of renewable energy, to wind power and solar PV, electricity is the thing being generated.
This, of course, is the case with virtually all major power generation, with the exception of gasoline where power is extracted at the point of use, usually inside of an automobile, and converted directly to mechanical motion. Electricity is simply an extraordinarily useful form for energy to take. It allows vast amounts of energy to be transported over nothing more than a wire, making it eminently distributable with a minimum of infrastructure.
However, in the case of renewable energy sources, electricity often plays a special role. Not only is it the thing being generated, it is frequently also the thing being stored, due primarily to the unsteady nature of some renewable resources. The dream of every power engineer is to have the generation of power be exactly in sync with the demand for power.
With gasoline, that’s exactly what happens; the energy is generated just when it is needed, namely when a driver steps on the gas pedal and the gasoline is transformed from a liquid and vapor into useful power. But, in the case of electricity, the variability of demand is much tougher to meet.
Electricity goes out to factories, stores, and homes, where the demand for it goes up and down with the time of day, day of the week, and season of the year. For example, overall electrical demand is generally lowest from midnight to 6 AM, and highest during the work day and early evening. Although it’s not easy for power plants to scale up output, and then scale it back down every day, at least fossil fueled plants are able to easily store their fuel source until required. All that coal and natural gas is happy to sit and wait quietly until needed, ready to be loaded and burst into flame as soon as demand heats up.
Even hydroelectric plants can simply divert the flow of water until needed to run the turbines. With wind and solar power, it’s a different story. Engineers have to deal with variable supplies, not just variable demand. The wind and sun run on their own schedule, which may or may not be compatible with the needs of consumers. Cloudy skies or quiet winds can rapidly change the electricity supply/demand dynamic.
In spite of the promise of biofuels and other more controllable renewable resources, the irregular nature of renewable energy has itself been something of a cloud over the industry. Ultimately, it adds to the total cost of each megawatt hour generated, and has been one of burdens of renewable energy. Although exact numbers vary considerably, depending upon who you talk to and what they feel should be considered, few dispute that the cost of wind and solar power generation remains higher than fossil or nuclear, with wind generation far more cost-effective than solar PV.
That’s why it’s worth taking a very close look at a Boulder, Colorado based company called SEFE, Inc. SEFE stands for St. Elmo’s Fire, a weather phenomenon in which a strong electrical field in the atmosphere sometimes causes a bluish glow, almost like flames, to appear around aircraft wings, chimneys, or almost any tall or pointed object. Like lightning, it suggests the atmosphere’s unique electrical potential.
SEFE, Inc. has come up with a way of tapping this inherent electrical power of the atmosphere, a widespread and ever-present electrical differential that represents a true paradigm shift in the generation of electricity, a way that effectively removes both the variability and high costs that plague the most popular representatives of green energy, wind, and solar.
Basically, SEFE believes it now knows how to harvest the constant and powerful static electricity that is continually formed in the earth’s atmosphere. Using proprietary technology that is currently in the process of being protected through multiple patents, the company has designed and is testing a system that is able to use the earth’s massive static differential to generate a direct current from the atmosphere, and then convert it to alternating current for immediate consumption.
It’s a source that they are now confirming is always on, is limitless, does not require extensive infrastructure, is available everywhere on the planet, can be scaled small or large, and has virtually no carbon footprint. In addition, when all factors are added in, the company believes it can generate electricity at a cost less than half that of wind-power, making it highly competitive with even nuclear and fossil.
The company estimates that one of its units could power approximately 140 standard homes, which represents roughly ½ to 1 square mile of typical suburb, indefinitely. There are no specific requirements regarding terrain, geography, or location, since there is no requirement for large installations, fuel delivery, or other infrastructure considerations. It could be used in a population center or on a remote island.
The SEFE system is currently being tested and developed to comply with all necessary federal, state, and local regulations, for a range of locations. While the company says the system is simple and safe enough to be deployed anywhere, they are beginning carefully, by focusing their efforts on the most viable commercial applications:
· Utility/co-op sector for augmenting the industry’s electrical generation capabilities
· Heavy industry requiring on-site generation
· Military – for use in remote bases
· World relief organizations
Most recently, according to their Director of Engineering, Michael Hurowitz, they’ve proven the technology, and are concentrating on being the first to protect it. In a recent press release, he stated, “Since the initial tests proved that this could be a viable energy source, we have been building a portfolio of intellectual property to protect our solutions in order to ensure our place in a growing alternative energy industry. This includes patented technology to provide a low cost and highly available source of electric power.”
With a clean energy market expected to top $250 billion by 2017, any emerging technology that is far greener, with no carbon footprint and far more cost effective, cheaper even than the much vaunted wind power, deserves investor attention.
SEFE: Investing in the Newest Renewable Source of Electricity
http://seekingalpha.com/article/506511-sefe-investing-in-the-newest-renewable-source-of-electricity
It’s almost impossible to discuss green energy without talking about electricity. Not that electricity should be considered a source of energy. Electricity is generally better viewed as a convenient medium for carrying energy from one point to another, from an initial point of generation to a final point of use. But electricity, and its storage, plays a major role in most renewable energy models. From hydroelectricity, still the biggest source of renewable energy, to wind power and solar PV, electricity is the thing being generated.
This, of course, is the case with virtually all major power generation, with the exception of gasoline where power is extracted at the point of use, usually inside of an automobile, and converted directly to mechanical motion. Electricity is simply an extraordinarily useful form for energy to take. It allows vast amounts of energy to be transported over nothing more than a wire, making it eminently distributable with a minimum of infrastructure.
However, in the case of renewable energy sources, electricity often plays a special role. Not only is it the thing being generated, it is frequently also the thing being stored, due primarily to the unsteady nature of some renewable resources. The dream of every power engineer is to have the generation of power be exactly in sync with the demand for power.
With gasoline, that’s exactly what happens; the energy is generated just when it is needed, namely when a driver steps on the gas pedal and the gasoline is transformed from a liquid and vapor into useful power. But, in the case of electricity, the variability of demand is much tougher to meet.
Electricity goes out to factories, stores, and homes, where the demand for it goes up and down with the time of day, day of the week, and season of the year. For example, overall electrical demand is generally lowest from midnight to 6 AM, and highest during the work day and early evening. Although it’s not easy for power plants to scale up output, and then scale it back down every day, at least fossil fueled plants are able to easily store their fuel source until required. All that coal and natural gas is happy to sit and wait quietly until needed, ready to be loaded and burst into flame as soon as demand heats up.
Even hydroelectric plants can simply divert the flow of water until needed to run the turbines. With wind and solar power, it’s a different story. Engineers have to deal with variable supplies, not just variable demand. The wind and sun run on their own schedule, which may or may not be compatible with the needs of consumers. Cloudy skies or quiet winds can rapidly change the electricity supply/demand dynamic.
In spite of the promise of biofuels and other more controllable renewable resources, the irregular nature of renewable energy has itself been something of a cloud over the industry. Ultimately, it adds to the total cost of each megawatt hour generated, and has been one of burdens of renewable energy. Although exact numbers vary considerably, depending upon who you talk to and what they feel should be considered, few dispute that the cost of wind and solar power generation remains higher than fossil or nuclear, with wind generation far more cost-effective than solar PV.
That’s why it’s worth taking a very close look at a Boulder, Colorado based company called SEFE, Inc. SEFE stands for St. Elmo’s Fire, a weather phenomenon in which a strong electrical field in the atmosphere sometimes causes a bluish glow, almost like flames, to appear around aircraft wings, chimneys, or almost any tall or pointed object. Like lightning, it suggests the atmosphere’s unique electrical potential.
SEFE, Inc. has come up with a way of tapping this inherent electrical power of the atmosphere, a widespread and ever-present electrical differential that represents a true paradigm shift in the generation of electricity, a way that effectively removes both the variability and high costs that plague the most popular representatives of green energy, wind, and solar.
Basically, SEFE believes it now knows how to harvest the constant and powerful static electricity that is continually formed in the earth’s atmosphere. Using proprietary technology that is currently in the process of being protected through multiple patents, the company has designed and is testing a system that is able to use the earth’s massive static differential to generate a direct current from the atmosphere, and then convert it to alternating current for immediate consumption.
It’s a source that they are now confirming is always on, is limitless, does not require extensive infrastructure, is available everywhere on the planet, can be scaled small or large, and has virtually no carbon footprint. In addition, when all factors are added in, the company believes it can generate electricity at a cost less than half that of wind-power, making it highly competitive with even nuclear and fossil.
The company estimates that one of its units could power approximately 140 standard homes, which represents roughly ½ to 1 square mile of typical suburb, indefinitely. There are no specific requirements regarding terrain, geography, or location, since there is no requirement for large installations, fuel delivery, or other infrastructure considerations. It could be used in a population center or on a remote island.
The SEFE system is currently being tested and developed to comply with all necessary federal, state, and local regulations, for a range of locations. While the company says the system is simple and safe enough to be deployed anywhere, they are beginning carefully, by focusing their efforts on the most viable commercial applications:
· Utility/co-op sector for augmenting the industry’s electrical generation capabilities
· Heavy industry requiring on-site generation
· Military – for use in remote bases
· World relief organizations
Most recently, according to their Director of Engineering, Michael Hurowitz, they’ve proven the technology, and are concentrating on being the first to protect it. In a recent press release, he stated, “Since the initial tests proved that this could be a viable energy source, we have been building a portfolio of intellectual property to protect our solutions in order to ensure our place in a growing alternative energy industry. This includes patented technology to provide a low cost and highly available source of electric power.”
With a clean energy market expected to top $250 billion by 2017, any emerging technology that is far greener, with no carbon footprint and far more cost effective, cheaper even than the much vaunted wind power, deserves investor attention.
A Cloudy Forecast
http://seekingalpha.com/article/496281-a-cloudy-forecast
This year it is estimated that fully 80% of new commercial computer enterprise applications will have a cloud-based offering. Whether this turns out to be true, when it comes to the future of information processing, virtually every forecast sees clouds on the horizon in leading roles. It’s a market seen as too disruptive to ignore, expected to top $200 billion in revenues before 2020. It threatens the status quo, much as did the rise of the Internet itself. (Microsoft was late in embracing the Internet. Don’t look for it to be as slow when it comes to clouds.)
The question now seems only to be the form that the revolution will take, whether it will evolve into “Platform as a Service,” “Software as a Service,” or remain more broad-based as Enterprise Content Management markets, all which fall under the general industry of cloud computing. Additionally, security issues have to be resolved to the point that businesses will feel comfortable storing customer-sensitive data in clouds.
Cloud computing is simply a way to deliver software and applications over the Internet and manage data stored remotely. For the customers of cloud providers, it eliminates the need for your PC to be connected to a server. The information accessed by users is found in the “cloud,” data and software stored in remote servers. Space on these servers is usually leased from the cloud provider. Software can be modified company-wide much more quickly, lowering upgrade costs and downtime. It also permits employees to work remotely from any place they can establish an Internet connection. Furthermore, the expense of maintaining the cloud is passed on to the cloud provider.
The key revenue drivers in this industry are licensing revenue (income from leasing software and applications to end-users), leasing revenue (income from leasing data-storage space), consulting revenue, and sales income from the sale of specific software and applications to the end users. Any company that uses computers could potentially benefit from cloud computing. The distribution channel is the same for all providers: the Internet. Companies in this sector can literally compete on a global basis because all the customer needs is a reliable Internet connection.
Consolidation is anticipated among providers, so underlying it all, of course, is the question of who will gobble up whom. IBM (NYSE: IBM), SAP (NYSE: SAP), and Oracle (NASDAQ: ORCL) have all sought to acquire cloud and SaaS technology companies, a quick way to establish a cloud presence. In the meantime, Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN), Google (NASDAQ: GOOG), and Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) have already planted their flags.
• Amazon Web Services offers a cloud computing platform through a collection of web services for remote computing, such as EC2 and S3, designed primarily to help developers. EC2, for example, offers developers Amazon’s strong computing environment, essentially renting virtual computers, allowing developers to build failure-resistant applications.
• Apple’s iCloud allows users to store music, photos, and documents, which can then be seamlessly grabbed by any user devices, meaning total 24/7 wireless access. The result is the company’s latest step toward a fully cloud-based central processing station and warehouse for all things Apple.
• Google Cloud Connect brings a cloud to MS Office (or brings Office to a cloud). It lets users share, backup, and edit MS Word, PowerPoint, and Excel documents over a cloud, with a system that coordinates activities in order to avoid confusion. Documents can even be edited offline, and synchronized later when online.
A brief sampling of the investment opportunities in cloud computing can be found by looking at the following 3 companies, one new-comer, and 2 old-hands:
• GlobalWise Investments (OTCBB: GWIV), via its wholly-owned subsidiary, Intellinetics, is an example of a company that offers investors a chance to experience significant growth. GWIV has developed a platform that defines a new industry benchmark and game-changing approach by combining advanced virtualization and automated content management with an open and service-oriented architecture using web services. Trading at $1.55 a share, the company has a market cap of $50.51M. Because GlobalWise only recently became a publicly traded company, available historical financial data is limited. However, revenues increased 26.7% YOY for 2010 to 2011. Gross profit increased 26% in the same period. The company has multiple growth initiatives in place to accelerate the pace of future expansion.
• Broadvision (NASDAQ: BVSN) offers a cloud-based “network of networks” enterprise social platform, for the virtual, mobile, social enterprise. Basically, it’s designed to help businesses connect with employees, customers, and partners, and it’s fully cloud-based. Trading at $25.29 a share, the company has a market cap of $116.11M. Although recently falling on hard times — last year, revenues declined by approximately 19.8% compared to the numbers reported for 2010 — the company is well established in the industry and could be poised for a turnaround.
• More risk-adverse investors wanting a piece of the cloud action should look at Salesforce.com (NYSE: CRM). Salesforce.com, an enterprise cloud computing company, provides a social enterprise cloud platform and apps to help employees collaborate easily and connect with customers. Trading at $154.67 a share, the company has a market cap of $21.11B. Revenues for 2011 were 37.1% greater than the value reported for the prior year. According to MSN Money, over the last five years revenues have grown by an average of 35.45% per year.
As with any industry, cloud computing does have risks. Successful implementation of cloud technology is complex, and very easy to get wrong. There are constantly changing security-related and cost-related questions, issues which may not be fully appreciated at first consideration. Moreover, in spite of what is sometimes promised, cloud-based applications can be difficult to manage and to grow if not planned correctly. Although in-house processing and storage carries risks, working in a shared cloud environment means accepting and dealing with different degrees and types of processing and data risks to which some users may not easily adjust. In addition, individual user needs are dynamic, fluctuating as products change, and cloud options and pricing are changing at the same time, making it a singularly difficult world to predict.
Nevertheless, the move to the cloud by companies big and small is only accelerating, with new product and service offerings appearing daily, reminiscent of the 1990s when people first started hearing names like eBay (NASDAQ: EBAY) and Amazon. Some companies offer limited applications, some offer comprehensive platforms, but all can benefit customers by providing reduced software and hardware costs, simpler IT infrastructure, and increased efficiencies: all which can directly boost net income.
Investors wanting growth or diversification should take a close look at the clouds. In so doing, they will get a forecast of the future of large-scale computing and the companies that will provide out-sourced IT services, an area that shows potential signs of significant growth.
A Cloudy Forecast
http://seekingalpha.com/article/496281-a-cloudy-forecast
This year it is estimated that fully 80% of new commercial computer enterprise applications will have a cloud-based offering. Whether this turns out to be true, when it comes to the future of information processing, virtually every forecast sees clouds on the horizon in leading roles. It’s a market seen as too disruptive to ignore, expected to top $200 billion in revenues before 2020. It threatens the status quo, much as did the rise of the Internet itself. (Microsoft was late in embracing the Internet. Don’t look for it to be as slow when it comes to clouds.)
The question now seems only to be the form that the revolution will take, whether it will evolve into “Platform as a Service,” “Software as a Service,” or remain more broad-based as Enterprise Content Management markets, all which fall under the general industry of cloud computing. Additionally, security issues have to be resolved to the point that businesses will feel comfortable storing customer-sensitive data in clouds.
Cloud computing is simply a way to deliver software and applications over the Internet and manage data stored remotely. For the customers of cloud providers, it eliminates the need for your PC to be connected to a server. The information accessed by users is found in the “cloud,” data and software stored in remote servers. Space on these servers is usually leased from the cloud provider. Software can be modified company-wide much more quickly, lowering upgrade costs and downtime. It also permits employees to work remotely from any place they can establish an Internet connection. Furthermore, the expense of maintaining the cloud is passed on to the cloud provider.
The key revenue drivers in this industry are licensing revenue (income from leasing software and applications to end-users), leasing revenue (income from leasing data-storage space), consulting revenue, and sales income from the sale of specific software and applications to the end users. Any company that uses computers could potentially benefit from cloud computing. The distribution channel is the same for all providers: the Internet. Companies in this sector can literally compete on a global basis because all the customer needs is a reliable Internet connection.
Consolidation is anticipated among providers, so underlying it all, of course, is the question of who will gobble up whom. IBM (NYSE: IBM), SAP (NYSE: SAP), and Oracle (NASDAQ: ORCL) have all sought to acquire cloud and SaaS technology companies, a quick way to establish a cloud presence. In the meantime, Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN), Google (NASDAQ: GOOG), and Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) have already planted their flags.
• Amazon Web Services offers a cloud computing platform through a collection of web services for remote computing, such as EC2 and S3, designed primarily to help developers. EC2, for example, offers developers Amazon’s strong computing environment, essentially renting virtual computers, allowing developers to build failure-resistant applications.
• Apple’s iCloud allows users to store music, photos, and documents, which can then be seamlessly grabbed by any user devices, meaning total 24/7 wireless access. The result is the company’s latest step toward a fully cloud-based central processing station and warehouse for all things Apple.
• Google Cloud Connect brings a cloud to MS Office (or brings Office to a cloud). It lets users share, backup, and edit MS Word, PowerPoint, and Excel documents over a cloud, with a system that coordinates activities in order to avoid confusion. Documents can even be edited offline, and synchronized later when online.
A brief sampling of the investment opportunities in cloud computing can be found by looking at the following 3 companies, one new-comer, and 2 old-hands:
• GlobalWise Investments (OTCBB: GWIV), via its wholly-owned subsidiary, Intellinetics, is an example of a company that offers investors a chance to experience significant growth. GWIV has developed a platform that defines a new industry benchmark and game-changing approach by combining advanced virtualization and automated content management with an open and service-oriented architecture using web services. Trading at $1.55 a share, the company has a market cap of $50.51M. Because GlobalWise only recently became a publicly traded company, available historical financial data is limited. However, revenues increased 26.7% YOY for 2010 to 2011. Gross profit increased 26% in the same period. The company has multiple growth initiatives in place to accelerate the pace of future expansion.
• Broadvision (NASDAQ: BVSN) offers a cloud-based “network of networks” enterprise social platform, for the virtual, mobile, social enterprise. Basically, it’s designed to help businesses connect with employees, customers, and partners, and it’s fully cloud-based. Trading at $25.29 a share, the company has a market cap of $116.11M. Although recently falling on hard times — last year, revenues declined by approximately 19.8% compared to the numbers reported for 2010 — the company is well established in the industry and could be poised for a turnaround.
• More risk-adverse investors wanting a piece of the cloud action should look at Salesforce.com (NYSE: CRM). Salesforce.com, an enterprise cloud computing company, provides a social enterprise cloud platform and apps to help employees collaborate easily and connect with customers. Trading at $154.67 a share, the company has a market cap of $21.11B. Revenues for 2011 were 37.1% greater than the value reported for the prior year. According to MSN Money, over the last five years revenues have grown by an average of 35.45% per year.
As with any industry, cloud computing does have risks. Successful implementation of cloud technology is complex, and very easy to get wrong. There are constantly changing security-related and cost-related questions, issues which may not be fully appreciated at first consideration. Moreover, in spite of what is sometimes promised, cloud-based applications can be difficult to manage and to grow if not planned correctly. Although in-house processing and storage carries risks, working in a shared cloud environment means accepting and dealing with different degrees and types of processing and data risks to which some users may not easily adjust. In addition, individual user needs are dynamic, fluctuating as products change, and cloud options and pricing are changing at the same time, making it a singularly difficult world to predict.
Nevertheless, the move to the cloud by companies big and small is only accelerating, with new product and service offerings appearing daily, reminiscent of the 1990s when people first started hearing names like eBay (NASDAQ: EBAY) and Amazon. Some companies offer limited applications, some offer comprehensive platforms, but all can benefit customers by providing reduced software and hardware costs, simpler IT infrastructure, and increased efficiencies: all which can directly boost net income.
Investors wanting growth or diversification should take a close look at the clouds. In so doing, they will get a forecast of the future of large-scale computing and the companies that will provide out-sourced IT services, an area that shows potential signs of significant growth.
Brigus Gold Corp. (BRD) Drilling Program at Black Fox Complex Returns Gold Assays Up to 5.95 Grams Per Tonne Over 56.7 Meters
Today, Brigus Gold, the rapidly evolving gold producer with a sizeable North American footprint (including strategic locations in Mexico and the Dominican Republic, in addition to Saskatchewan), reported that the exploration and drilling program on the southern portion of the company’s wholly owned Black Fox Complex in the Timmins Gold District of Ontario continues returning high-grade gold assays from the 147 Zone.
Returning values like 5.95 grams/tonne over 56.7 meters (from 47m to 103.7m, hole GF12-415) is sure to send a positive message to shareholders about the future of the Black Fox Complex, which has also proved a substantial boon to the proximal Township of Black River-Matheson.
VP of Exploration at BRD, Howard Bird, was pleased with the continued impressive results of the ongoing drilling program at the 147 Zone and cited these results as further confirmation of the “continuity of this high grade gold zone.”
The near surface intercepts in holes GF12-412 (1.58 g/t over 14m, including 45.17 g/t over 6m) and GF12-415 are solidly inside the projected open pit design area. A preliminary economic assessment of the 147, as well as the nearby Contact zone (just four kilometers southeast of the Black Fox Mine), is expected for Q3 this year along with an updated resource statement.
With the initial resource estimate for these zones (Dec 2011) the gold resource at the Black Fox Complex has increased 50% and these zones offer BRD a near term production spring board to hit growth targets, with the close proximity of the zones to existing infrastructure making it all the sweeter. Consider that the massive 18 sq km property is only 25% explored via systematic means, meaning significant upside potential yet remains, with the possibility of more zones emerging as things progress.
The 147 Zone runs for some 250m (north-south) and the mineralization is largely hosted within mafic volcanic units associated with pyrite and minor to moderate quartz veining (generally referred to as “flow ore”, which accounts for roughly half of the type current underground reserves). The Contact zone is just northwest of the 147 and also has the other two main types of mineralization found at the site, carbonate ore (low-sulfide mineralization) and mineralization hosted by silicified felsic dikes.
The BRD exploration team oversaw 32-year veteran full service, surface, and underground drilling services provider Norex Drilling for the surface work, with analytical testing of samples conducted by Polymet Labs of Cobalt, Ontario (ISO 9001:2000 certified in North America for standard fire assay). Qualified Person for BRD reviewing the technical exploration data is Senior Exploration Project Manager John Dixon, P. Geo. and the company inserted blanks, standards, and duplicates for quality control purposes.
Goldman Sachs CFO, David Viniar, characterized the economic recovery today as essentially fragile, with mixed investor sentiment and flagging client momentum (the core vector which drives Goldman) leading ongoing concerns about the European debt crisis. With key U.S. reports this week like housing starts, existing home sales, and The Philly Fed Report overshadowing ECB determinations about continued easing, as well as German growth, precious metals continue to stick hard lines despite bearish near-term technicals. Gold is holding above $1600 (June gold last traded down $9.30 an ounce at $1,640.40) as markets stabilize, with silver maintaining resistance at the $31 level (closed $31.53, Apr 16). The Perth Mint, which processes all of Australia’s bullion, reported gold sales fell by 9.6% last month on U.S. recovery signs, yet for many investors getting back into the market today will mean increasing portfolio share of mining companies, gold, silver, and precious metals-related assets.
For more information on the assay report (including details of the newest drill holes with a location map), or to stay up to date on the latest developments at Brigus Gold Corp., please visit the company’s website at: www.BrigusGold.com
GlobalWise Investments, Inc. (GWIV) Inks Channel Sales Partnership to Further Penetrate the Healthcare Industry
GlobalWise Investments and its wholly owned subsidiary Intellinetics, a leading-edge technology company focused on the design, implementation, and management of cloud-based Enterprise Content Management (“ECM”) systems in both the public and private sectors, just announced the execution of a Channel Sales Partnership with FormFast.
For two decades, FormFast has been the recognized leader in e-forms software that has enabled healthcare organizations to achieve significant process improvement across the enterprise. With custom workflow solutions ranging from HR, contract management, risk management, and compliance, FormFast is the top-ranked workflow provider for over 950 high performance hospitals in achieving their goal of being paperless.
“We are very pleased to announce our partnership with Intellinetics and the addition of the Intellivue™ ECM Solution to our product portfolio,” stated Rob Harding, CEO of FormFast. “Intellivue™ will help us expand in several key markets where we already have a presence. Intellivue™ has focused on tight integration with key line-of-business applications, with an aggressive pricing strategy that fits a wide range of our healthcare customers.”
“By partnering with Intellinetics, FormFast expands their product portfolio to include an affordable, cloud-based ECM solution for healthcare providers,” commented William. J. “BJ” Santiago, CEO of GlobalWise. “We expect this relationship will open many new doors in the healthcare industry for Intellinetics. FormFast has an extensive hospital and healthcare provider network of clients who have a primary need to implement an affordable ECM solution like Intellivue™. Channel Partnerships such as this one are a key component in our growth strategy and I expect to see multiple new healthcare client relationships as a result of this exciting new Channel Partner.”
“Healthcare organizations are very cost conscious and we believe the Intellivue™ platform is the perfect fit for organizations whose budget limitations fall within a range of $60,000 to $100,000 for an ECM solution. I look forward to working with FormFast to generate new sales opportunities in the coming months,” concluded Mr. Santiago.
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (KTOS) Subsidiary Releases Line of Cyber Security Products
Yesterday, Kratos Defense & Security Solutions announced that its subsidiary, RT Logic, released CyberC4TM, a family of cyber security products designed specifically for the satellite industry. As satellite networks become more netcentric, and therefore more vulnerable, missions can be impeded. The new product line addresses the major cyber security gaps in these satellite networks.
As an integrated solution, CyberC4 products provide a system-wide approach to the range of threats to satellite ground networks, from typical to worst-case scenarios. The product suite includes: CyberC4:Armor for hardening SATCOM equipment against exploits; CyberC4:Capture for protecting against insider threats; CyberC4:Alert for network-wide, real-time cyber security situational awareness; and CyberC4:Guard for AFSCN-related communications across black and red domains within secure networks. Each product can be used individually or integrated together as a unified and layered “defense in-depth” solution.
“The migration of satellite ground networks to IP-based technologies is delivering tremendous benefits in cost, performance, and interoperability, but along with increased cyber security risks,” said Jerry Meleski, Vice President of RT Logic. “With the CyberC4 family of products, RT Logic is addressing that problem for our customers across the various cyber attack surfaces.”
The CyberC4 products will be demonstrated at Kratos’ booth at the National Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, CO, from April 16-19, 2012. Kratos will showcase its products in booth #408. For more information on the symposium, please visit www.nationalspacesymposium.org
For more information on the CyberC4 products, please visit www.RTLogic.com/cyber
Walgreens (WAG) Partners with Car Charging Group, Inc. (CCGI) to Expand Electric Vehicle Charging Services in Florida
Walgreens recently announced that the company has expanded electric vehicle (EV) charging services in the Tampa/St. Petersburg, FL area with the help of Car Charging Group. There are also plans set to expand EV charging services into further areas of Florida, as well as in Arizona, Ohio, and Texas.
Walgreens is the nation’s largest drugstore chain, with nearly 8,000 locations across all 50 states and Puerto Rico. Car Charging Group is focused on building a nationwide network of EV charging services. The company offers a client-friendly business model in that all costs associated with installing an EV charging service at a specific location are paid for by Car Charging Group themselves, including equipment installation and maintenance, along with related services.
The EV charging stations, known as Level II, supply 240 volts with 32 amps of power, which quickly refuel an electric vehicle’s battery. The system is operated via an RIFD keychain card that a driver receives when creating a CarCharging account with Car Charging Group. The card is then used to facilitate payment at CarCharging stations, as well as other stations within the ChargePoint Network. ChargePoint also offers a mobile app that allows for locating ChargePoint stations.
Walgreens market vice president, Marlin Hutchens, said, “Environmental sustainability is part of Walgreens commitment to help our customers live well, stay well and get well. As more people choose greener, healthier lifestyles, we are excited to work with Car Charging Group to expand convenient EV charging options in the Orlando and Tampa/St. Petersburg areas as well as in several new states and markets to come.”
“Walgreens dedication to the EV movement is unmatched by any other major retailer,” commented Michael D. Farkas, CEO of Car Charging Group, Inc. “Walgreens stores are ideal locations for EV drivers to top-off their batteries while shopping. Walgreens commitment to providing EV charging services to its customers nationwide is a testament to its support of environmental sustainability and of electric vehicle use.”
TriQuint Semiconductor, Inc. (TQNT) Signs Agreement with U.S. Army to Support Development of Gallium Nitride Devices
TriQuint Semiconductor, a leading RF solutions supplier and technology innovator, announced today that it has entered into a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the U.S. Army Research Laboratory to investigate and produce innovative new high-frequency and mixed signal integrated circuits based on TriQuint’s proprietary gallium nitride technology. The CRADA will expedite the advancement of new programs supporting communications, radar, electronic warfare, and similar applications.
This agreement gives researchers from the Army access to TriQuint’s extensive knowledge of development, fabrication, and packaging in this arena. This collaboration is expected to benefit both parties in their endeavor to accelerate the maturation of gallium nitride technology. TriQuint’s new E/D (enhancement-depletion mode) gallium nitride technology is expected to serve as the backbone for circuits created as a result of this initiative.
This new agreement will leverage the gallium nitride technology, which TriQuint has already created through on-going R&D programs. The revolutionary process has already been utilized in Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency initiatives, including the Nitride Electronic NeXt-Generation (NEXT) program that TriQuint now leads. Within the NEXT program, TriQuint continues to establish benchmark performance standards for mixed-signal (digital and RF) devices. TriQuint’s success with gallium nitride processes led to its selection as a prime contractor in the Microscale Power Conversion program. This program will be developing ultra-fast, high power DC-DC switch modulator technology for advanced integrated RF amplifiers. Compound Semiconductor recognized TriQuint’s contribution to this program on March 12 with a 2012 CS Industry Award.
“Creative partnerships through Cooperative Research and Development Agreements encourage outside businesses and university organizations to share in the discovery of and investment in technologies. In this case, ARL is leveraging industrial fabrication capabilities allowing ARL to maximize its return on investment,” said John Miller, Army Research Laboratory Director. “These advanced IC processes, coupled with ARL’s design expertise, could lead to innovations and advancements in both military and consumer applications in communications, radar and electronic warfare.”
“TriQuint’s gallium nitride research leads the industry. This new CRADA is another example of ways that our work in one program benefits other DoD agencies and service branches. We will provide access to our extensive development capabilities and the ARL will provide designs and test circuits in support of their advanced programs,” said James L. Klein, TriQuint Vice President and General Manager for Defense Products and Foundry Services.
Canadian Solar, Inc. (CSIQ) Reaches Agreement with SkyPower Limited to Expand Their Product Pipeline and Positions Both Companies for International Growth
Canadian Solar announced today that has entered into a breakthrough purchase and international joint venture agreement with SkyPower Limited. The agreement joins one of the world’s largest solar companies and Canada’s largest owner and developer of solar projects into a powerful team to fabricate and deploy solar energy solutions in Ontario, as well as jointly develop solar projects in other select emerging markets internationally.
Canadian Solar will acquire a majority interest in 16 of SkyPower’s solar projects, representing approximately 190-200MW DC. All 16 of the projects were awarded a 20-year power purchase contract by the Ontario Power Authority. Fifteen of the projects were issued under Ontario’s Feed-In-Tariff Program, with the remaining project being issued as part of Ontario’s Renewable Energy Standard Offer Program. All of the projects are in the advanced permitting stage and are expected to begin construction in 2013 and fully operational in 2014. In total, they are expected to generate over C$ 800 million (US$ 800 million) in revenue for Canadian Solar.
Another facet of the agreement is that Canadian Solar and SkyPower will form a 50:50 international joint venture focused on the development of solar power plants in select emerging markets. Canadian Solar believes this strategic international partnership will start generating revenue as early as the next two to three years.
The transaction price is approximately C$ 185 million (US$ 185 million) to be paid over at certain milestones. Canadian solar will assume certain security deposits. Concurrent with the transaction SkyPower will receive a five-year warrant for 9.9% of Canadian Solar’s outstanding shares, featuring a strike price of US$ 5.00.
Dr. Shawn Qu, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Canadian Solar, remarked: “We are pleased to expand our partnership with SkyPower after successfully building three projects for them in Ontario over the past 12 months. This transaction solidifies our Ontario pipeline well into 2014 and supports our stated goal of achieving 40 percent of revenue from providing solar power plants and total system solutions in 2013. Importantly, while the total mega wattage in the transaction is significant, at approximately 190 to 200 MW, the actual project sizes are directly aligned with our strategy of concentrating on smaller utility scale projects that individually are less risky to finance and execute on. We remain open to larger projects should the opportunity be matched with our ability to obtain financing and construct the projects and we are excited about the opportunity to expand our relationship with SkyPower in select international markets through our new joint venture.”
Kerry Adler, President and Chief Executive Officer of SkyPower, said: “We have a successful history working together with Canadian Solar on developing and building solar projects in Canada. We are pleased to have such a strong partner in terms of industry expertise, brand and bankability. We will continue to invest in and build our extensive solar pipeline across Ontario and we look forward to expanding internationally in select markets under this new joint venture.”
PROLOR Biotech, Inc. (PBTH) Reports Positive Results for Diabetes Drug Candidate
PROLOR Biotech is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company using unique technologies, including its patented CTP technology, to develop longer-acting proprietary versions of already approved therapeutic proteins. The company’s CTP technology is applicable to virtually all proteins.
The company today reported positive preclinical results from an animal study of its long-acting obesity/Type II diabetes drug candidate, MOD-6030. The study was set up to track the potential therapeutic effect of the drug when injected once weekly as measured by weight loss, reduction in food intake, glycemic control, and cholesterol levels. MOD-6030 is a long-acting version of oxyntomodulin, a naturally occurring hormone that acts as a natural signal to reduce food intake and increase energy expenditure following the ingestion of food.
In the study, MOD-6030 was administered to diet-induced obese mice once a week over a 30-day period. The results were that the drug showed significant efficacy in reducing weight, lowering blood glucose levels, increasing insulin sensitivity, and reducing cholesterol levels as compared to a control group that received a placebo. The mice receiving MOD-6030 achieved on average a 28% weight loss, a 29% reduction in food intake, a 19% drop in blood glucose levels, a 57% reduction in cholesterol levels, and a significant loss in body fat.
The study is great news for PROLOR Biotech. The company’s CEO Dr. Abraham Havron said, “We believe there is great demand among obese patients and their physicians for therapies that will help patients lose weight and reduce elevated glucose levels.”
For further information about PROLOR Biotech and all its potential drug candidates, please visit the company’s website at www.prolor-biotech.com
Oasis Petroleum, Inc. (OAS) Updates Williston Basin Activity
Oasis Petroleum issued an update on the company’s recent oil and gas activity, including details on production and other operational data. The company is active mostly in the Williston Basin in North Dakota where it is working on the Bakken and Three Forks formations.
Oasis Petroleum reported average production of 17,633 barrels of oil equivalent (BOE) per day in the first quarter of 2012. This represented sequential growth of 16% and year-over-year growth of 118%.
Oasis Petroleum put 26 gross wells onto production during the most recent quarter, compared to only eight in the same quarter of 2011. The large difference was due to harsh winter conditions experienced in the Williston Basin in the first quarter of 2011. The company currently has an additional 33 gross wells either waiting on completion or being drilled.
Oasis Petroleum is also rapidly increasing natural gas production in the Williston Basin through connection to third party infrastructure that can handle associated gas production. The company reported that 83% of its operated wells were connected to infrastructure as of the end of March 2012. These wells produced 10 million cubic feet of natural gas per day in March 2012, compared to only 6.3 million cubic feet per day in December 2011.
For more information on the company, go to www.oasispetroleum.com
Uranium Energy Corp. (UEC) and Energy Density
The story of energy, and how it has driven the development of historical economies, is largely the story of increasing energy density and scalability. From the invention of fire and the first use of wood, to the burning of coal and then oil products like kerosene and gasoline, the world has inevitably moved to those available fuels with higher energy densities, basically the amount of energy stored within a given mass of fuel. This is because energy density plays a big role in the ultimate determination of cost per unit energy. It was generally more efficient to use coal than wood, and more efficient still to use gasoline and other oil products than to use coal. Coals abundance, of course, continues to give it a cost advantage, so it isn’t going away any time soon, but the search for higher energy density remains a key factor.
It’s not enough, of course, for an energy source to simply have a high energy density. It must be a workable source of power, able to be scaled up and integrated without an unacceptably high cost. The energy density of solar power could, for example, be considered to be infinite, since light is considered, at least in normal definitions, to have energy but zero mass. And yet solar power, like wind power, is pushed almost exclusively by environmental concerns, not by efficiency comparisons with fossil fuels. This is because there continue to be technology and infrastructure issues that keep such renewable resources on the sidelines, playing no more than a supporting energy role.
In the increasingly anxious search for a way to reduce carbon emissions, the frustration of trying to find a source that is workable and efficient, with a high energy density, while also being carbon free, has led to an inescapable conclusion: Regardless of cheap coal or natural gas, nuclear power will play a major role in the world’s energy future. Nuclear fuel has an energy density thousands to millions of times higher than conventional chemical fuels, and it is also proven and scalable, with reliable sources. In addition, of course, it is essentially carbon emission free.
For Uranium Energy Corp., an emerging player holding a unique position in the nuclear power industry, it all but guarantees a positive future. UEC has not only procured the rights to a massive database of uranium exploration and mining activity in the country, allowing it to spot and grab the most promising uranium sites, the company also has its own functional uranium processing plant, a rarity in the industry.
For more information, see the company website at www.UraniumEnergy.com
SEFE, Inc. (SEFE) Provides Overview of Patent for Strain Reduction System
SEFE, a solutions-driven sustainability company developing and deploying a promising solution to our world’s energy problems, today highlighted its pending patent for Strain Reduction On A Balloon System In Extreme Weather Conditions. The patent for the strain reduction device was filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office as application #13/103,988.
The company’s breakthrough Harmony III unit was carefully designed to collect atmospheric energy under a wide range of conditions. Knowing the system is subjected to higher forces during extreme weather, SEFE engineers have developed and are testing a number of mechanisms and innovations to maintain safety and integrity while continuing to generate electricity.
The patent-pending strain reduction system is achieved by using an elastic bungee between a balloon and the tether attached to the balloon. As wind pushes on the balloon, immediate pressure caused by the wind is absorbed by the elastic bungee rather than the balloon or the tether, effectively reducing immediate force and tension and protecting the components from damage.
“We appreciate each piece of intellectual property developed by our team as an additional protection of value for our shareholders,” stated Don Johnston, SEFE’s CEO. “One of our goals is to build ownership around our core technology, in order to protect our position within this space. This particular patent is related to our Harmony unit’s ability to withstand the elements while doing its job collecting atmospheric electricity.”
To learn more about the company, visit www.sefelectric.com
SEFE Provides Overview of Patent for Strain Reduction System
SEFE, a solutions-driven sustainability company developing and deploying a promising solution to our world’s energy problems, today highlighted its pending patent for Strain Reduction On A Balloon System In Extreme Weather Conditions. The patent for the strain reduction device was filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office as application #13/103,988.
The company’s breakthrough Harmony III unit was carefully designed to collect atmospheric energy under a wide range of conditions. Knowing the system is subjected to higher forces during extreme weather, SEFE engineers have developed and are testing a number of mechanisms and innovations to maintain safety and integrity while continuing to generate electricity.
The patent-pending strain reduction system is achieved by using an elastic bungee between a balloon and the tether attached to the balloon. As wind pushes on the balloon, immediate pressure caused by the wind is absorbed by the elastic bungee rather than the balloon or the tether, effectively reducing immediate force and tension and protecting the components from damage.
“We appreciate each piece of intellectual property developed by our team as an additional protection of value for our shareholders,” stated Don Johnston, SEFE’s CEO. “One of our goals is to build ownership around our core technology, in order to protect our position within this space. This particular patent is related to our Harmony unit’s ability to withstand the elements while doing its job collecting atmospheric electricity.”
SEFE, Inc. (SEFE) Provides Overview of Patent for Strain Reduction System
SEFE, a solutions-driven sustainability company developing and deploying a promising solution to our world’s energy problems, today highlighted its pending patent for Strain Reduction On A Balloon System In Extreme Weather Conditions. The patent for the strain reduction device was filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office as application #13/103,988.
The company’s breakthrough Harmony III unit was carefully designed to collect atmospheric energy under a wide range of conditions. Knowing the system is subjected to higher forces during extreme weather, SEFE engineers have developed and are testing a number of mechanisms and innovations to maintain safety and integrity while continuing to generate electricity.
The patent-pending strain reduction system is achieved by using an elastic bungee between a balloon and the tether attached to the balloon. As wind pushes on the balloon, immediate pressure caused by the wind is absorbed by the elastic bungee rather than the balloon or the tether, effectively reducing immediate force and tension and protecting the components from damage.
“We appreciate each piece of intellectual property developed by our team as an additional protection of value for our shareholders,” stated Don Johnston, SEFE’s CEO. “One of our goals is to build ownership around our core technology, in order to protect our position within this space. This particular patent is related to our Harmony unit’s ability to withstand the elements while doing its job collecting atmospheric electricity.”
Uranium Energy Corp. (UEC) and Energy Density
The story of energy, and how it has driven the development of historical economies, is largely the story of increasing energy density and scalability. From the invention of fire and the first use of wood, to the burning of coal and then oil products like kerosene and gasoline, the world has inevitably moved to those available fuels with higher energy densities, basically the amount of energy stored within a given mass of fuel. This is because energy density plays a big role in the ultimate determination of cost per unit energy. It was generally more efficient to use coal than wood, and more efficient still to use gasoline and other oil products than to use coal. Coals abundance, of course, continues to give it a cost advantage, so it isn’t going away any time soon, but the search for higher energy density remains a key factor.
It’s not enough, of course, for an energy source to simply have a high energy density. It must be a workable source of power, able to be scaled up and integrated without an unacceptably high cost. The energy density of solar power could, for example, be considered to be infinite, since light is considered, at least in normal definitions, to have energy but zero mass. And yet solar power, like wind power, is pushed almost exclusively by environmental concerns, not by efficiency comparisons with fossil fuels. This is because there continue to be technology and infrastructure issues that keep such renewable resources on the sidelines, playing no more than a supporting energy role.
In the increasingly anxious search for a way to reduce carbon emissions, the frustration of trying to find a source that is workable and efficient, with a high energy density, while also being carbon free, has led to an inescapable conclusion: Regardless of cheap coal or natural gas, nuclear power will play a major role in the world’s energy future. Nuclear fuel has an energy density thousands to millions of times higher than conventional chemical fuels, and it is also proven and scalable, with reliable sources. In addition, of course, it is essentially carbon emission free.
For Uranium Energy Corp., an emerging player holding a unique position in the nuclear power industry, it all but guarantees a positive future. UEC has not only procured the rights to a massive database of uranium exploration and mining activity in the country, allowing it to spot and grab the most promising uranium sites, the company also has its own functional uranium processing plant, a rarity in the industry.
UEC and Energy Density
The story of energy, and how it has driven the development of historical economies, is largely the story of increasing energy density and scalability. From the invention of fire and the first use of wood, to the burning of coal and then oil products like kerosene and gasoline, the world has inevitably moved to those available fuels with higher energy densities, basically the amount of energy stored within a given mass of fuel. This is because energy density plays a big role in the ultimate determination of cost per unit energy. It was generally more efficient to use coal than wood, and more efficient still to use gasoline and other oil products than to use coal. Coals abundance, of course, continues to give it a cost advantage, so it isn’t going away any time soon, but the search for higher energy density remains a key factor.
It’s not enough, of course, for an energy source to simply have a high energy density. It must be a workable source of power, able to be scaled up and integrated without an unacceptably high cost. The energy density of solar power could, for example, be considered to be infinite, since light is considered, at least in normal definitions, to have energy but zero mass. And yet solar power, like wind power, is pushed almost exclusively by environmental concerns, not by efficiency comparisons with fossil fuels. This is because there continue to be technology and infrastructure issues that keep such renewable resources on the sidelines, playing no more than a supporting energy role.
In the increasingly anxious search for a way to reduce carbon emissions, the frustration of trying to find a source that is workable and efficient, with a high energy density, while also being carbon free, has led to an inescapable conclusion: Regardless of cheap coal or natural gas, nuclear power will play a major role in the world’s energy future. Nuclear fuel has an energy density thousands to millions of times higher than conventional chemical fuels, and it is also proven and scalable, with reliable sources. In addition, of course, it is essentially carbon emission free.
For Uranium Energy Corp., an emerging player holding a unique position in the nuclear power industry, it all but guarantees a positive future. UEC has not only procured the rights to a massive database of uranium exploration and mining activity in the country, allowing it to spot and grab the most promising uranium sites, the company also has its own functional uranium processing plant, a rarity in the industry.
SEFE Patents at United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) Website
http://assignments.uspto.gov/assignments/q?db=pat&qt=asnr&reel=&frame=&pat=&pub=&asnr=sefe%2C+inc&asnri=&asne=&asnei=&asns=
GlobalWise Investments, Inc. (GWIV) Inks Channel Sales Partnership to Further Penetrate the Healthcare Industry
GlobalWise Investments and its wholly owned subsidiary Intellinetics, a leading-edge technology company focused on the design, implementation, and management of cloud-based Enterprise Content Management (“ECM”) systems in both the public and private sectors, just announced the execution of a Channel Sales Partnership with FormFast.
For two decades, FormFast has been the recognized leader in e-forms software that has enabled healthcare organizations to achieve significant process improvement across the enterprise. With custom workflow solutions ranging from HR, contract management, risk management, and compliance, FormFast is the top-ranked workflow provider for over 950 high performance hospitals in achieving their goal of being paperless.
“We are very pleased to announce our partnership with Intellinetics and the addition of the Intellivue™ ECM Solution to our product portfolio,” stated Rob Harding, CEO of FormFast. “Intellivue™ will help us expand in several key markets where we already have a presence. Intellivue™ has focused on tight integration with key line-of-business applications, with an aggressive pricing strategy that fits a wide range of our healthcare customers.”
“By partnering with Intellinetics, FormFast expands their product portfolio to include an affordable, cloud-based ECM solution for healthcare providers,” commented William. J. “BJ” Santiago, CEO of GlobalWise. “We expect this relationship will open many new doors in the healthcare industry for Intellinetics. FormFast has an extensive hospital and healthcare provider network of clients who have a primary need to implement an affordable ECM solution like Intellivue™. Channel Partnerships such as this one are a key component in our growth strategy and I expect to see multiple new healthcare client relationships as a result of this exciting new Channel Partner.”
“Healthcare organizations are very cost conscious and we believe the Intellivue™ platform is the perfect fit for organizations whose budget limitations fall within a range of $60,000 to $100,000 for an ECM solution. I look forward to working with FormFast to generate new sales opportunities in the coming months,” concluded Mr. Santiago.
GWIV Inks Channel Sales Partnership to Further Penetrate the Healthcare Industry
GlobalWise Investments and its wholly owned subsidiary Intellinetics, a leading-edge technology company focused on the design, implementation, and management of cloud-based Enterprise Content Management (“ECM”) systems in both the public and private sectors, just announced the execution of a Channel Sales Partnership with FormFast.
For two decades, FormFast has been the recognized leader in e-forms software that has enabled healthcare organizations to achieve significant process improvement across the enterprise. With custom workflow solutions ranging from HR, contract management, risk management, and compliance, FormFast is the top-ranked workflow provider for over 950 high performance hospitals in achieving their goal of being paperless.
“We are very pleased to announce our partnership with Intellinetics and the addition of the Intellivue™ ECM Solution to our product portfolio,” stated Rob Harding, CEO of FormFast. “Intellivue™ will help us expand in several key markets where we already have a presence. Intellivue™ has focused on tight integration with key line-of-business applications, with an aggressive pricing strategy that fits a wide range of our healthcare customers.”
“By partnering with Intellinetics, FormFast expands their product portfolio to include an affordable, cloud-based ECM solution for healthcare providers,” commented William. J. “BJ” Santiago, CEO of GlobalWise. “We expect this relationship will open many new doors in the healthcare industry for Intellinetics. FormFast has an extensive hospital and healthcare provider network of clients who have a primary need to implement an affordable ECM solution like Intellivue™. Channel Partnerships such as this one are a key component in our growth strategy and I expect to see multiple new healthcare client relationships as a result of this exciting new Channel Partner.”
“Healthcare organizations are very cost conscious and we believe the Intellivue™ platform is the perfect fit for organizations whose budget limitations fall within a range of $60,000 to $100,000 for an ECM solution. I look forward to working with FormFast to generate new sales opportunities in the coming months,” concluded Mr. Santiago.
Fanatics, Inc. Signs Agreement to Acquire Dreams, Inc. (DRJ) in $183 Million Deal
Fanatics, a leading online retailer of licensed sports products, today announced that it has signed a definitive merger agreement with the multi-channel, technology-driven retailer of licensed sports products, Dreams. This merger is a major one for this particular industry.
The agreement calls for Fanatics to acquire all the outstanding shares of Dreams for $3.45 a share in cash, representing a premium of 32% over the closing stock price of $2.61 on the prior trading day, April 13. The overall value of the transaction is $183 million, taking into account $25 million of outstanding Dreams’ debt. Dreams’ board of directors and major shareholders have approved the deal and it is expected to close sometime in the third quarter of this year.
Fanatics CEO Alan Trager stated, “Today is an exciting day for all sports fans.” The deal should work since the two companies share a similar culture which is focused on improving customers experience, innovation and growth. The merger is expected to enable Fanatics to accelerate its investments in product assortment, mobile and e-commerce technology, and also add a regional fulfillment infrastructure to better serve both companies’ customers and partners.”
Fanatics was able to pull off the deal thanks to an equity financing agreement with Insight Venture Partners.
For additional information about Fanatics, please its website at www.fanatics.com and for further information on Dreams, visit the company’s website at www.Dreamscorp.com
Primary Solutions had been in place since last year (early "test case" channel partner). Based on what we were told, we believe both Imagesoft and B2B to be new (within the last 90 days) but are not sure if they were pre or post RM (we're checking now). The pace of channel partner additions has increased significantly post RM. Our observation is that it takes approx. 60-90 days to move a potential partner through the sales process, negotiate a contract, and get them signed and on-board.
RF Monolithics, Inc. (RFMI) Reaches Agreement to Be Acquired by Murata Electronics North America, Inc.
RF Monolithics, an industry leader in machine-to-machine (M2M) wireless communications, announced today that it has reached an agreement to be acquired by Murata Electronics North America for $1.78 per share to holders of RFM common shares. This price provides an 80% premium over the Nasdaq closing price as of April 12, 2012. The acquisition is scheduled to close during the third calendar quarter of 2012. Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd, the parent company of Murata Electronics North America, is the world’s premier supplier of passive electronic components.
The executives at RF Monolithics believe that this agreement will bring a significant premium to the company’s shareholders, as the natural fit between the two companies allowed for the two sides to reach a favorable price. This acquisition adds RFM’s solutions-driven, technology-enabled wireless connectivity for a broad range of wireless applications to Murata’s already impressive electronics portfolio.
Farlin Halsey, President and CEO of RFM, stated, “RFM is very proud of its heritage. We owe our success to our talented and dedicated team at all levels. On behalf of management and RFM’s Board of Directors, I would like to thank all our dedicated employees for their hard work.”
“RFM’s proven success in developing business in the healthcare, energy and industrial markets complements Murata’s growth strategy. Additionally, leveraging RFM’s expertise in design and development of production-ready RF modules, SAW based and RFIC short-range radios, stand-alone radio systems and platforms for M2M applications will enable Murata to increase the value of the wireless module solutions delivered to Murata’s existing and future customers in the global marketplace,” said David M. Kirk, President and CEO of Murata Electronics North America, Inc., the Regional Headquarters of Murata Americas.
To learn more about RF Monolithics, visit www.rfm.com
VistaGen Therapeutics, Inc. (VSTA) to Speed Development of Drug Screening and Cell Therapy for Immune System Disorders through License Agreement
Today before the opening bell, VistaGen Therapeutics, a biotechnology company applying stem cell technology for drug rescue, announced it has licensed breakthrough stem cell culture technology from the McEwen Centre for Regenerative Medicine located at the University Health Network (UHN) in Toronto, Canada.
VistaGen will be utilizing the licensed technology to develop hematopoietic precursor stem cells from human pluripotent stem cells, with the goal of developing drug screening and cell therapy applications for human blood system disorders. The breakthrough technology is included in a new United States patent application.
Hematopoietic precursor stem cells give rise to all red and white blood cells and platelets in the body. VistaGen will use the UHN invention to improve the cell culture methods used to efficiently produce hematopoietic stem cell populations.
“This technology dramatically advances our ability to produce and purify this important blood stem cell precursor for both in vitro drug screening and in vivo cell therapy applications,” said H. Ralph Snodgrass, PhD, VistaGen’s President and Chief Scientific Officer.
“In addition to defining new cell culture methods for our use, the technology describes the surface characteristics of stem cell-derived adult hematopoietic stem cells. Most groups study embryonic blood development from stem cells, but, for the first time, we are able to not only purify the stem cell-derived precursor of all adult hematopoietic cells, but also pinpoint the precise timing when adult blood cell differentiation takes place in these cultures,” Snodgrass added. “It is our belief that these early cells will be the precursors of the ultimate adult, bone marrow-repopulating hematopoietic stem cells.”
Bone marrow-derived hematopoietic stem cells are able to repopulate the blood and immune system when transplanted into patients prepared for bone marrow transplantation. These cells have important potential therapeutic applications for the restoration of healthy blood and immune systems in individuals undergoing transplantation therapies for cancer, organ grafts, HIV infections, or for acquired or genetic blood and immune deficiencies.
SEFE, Inc. (SEFE) Relocates HQ to Boulder, Colorado
Earlier this morning, SEFE announced that its corporate headquarters will be moved to Boulder, Colo., effective immediately.
The move will streamline operations by bringing the headquarters to the company’s recently opened Science and Technology Center, also in Boulder. According to the release, SEFE is currently ramping up its testing plans, including the proprietary atmospheric energy detection system that will begin during Q2 2012.
“The Arizona office served its purpose as a low-cost, easily accessed location during the startup phase of the Company, but was never intended to be a permanent solution,” stated SEFE CEO Don Johnston. “Now that we are taking design, testing, and commercialization to the next level, having the lab and the corporate headquarters in close proximity in Boulder should prove to be a major benefit.”
The Company’s new corporate headquarters address will be 4700 Sterling Dr., Boulder, CO 80301.
For more information, visit www.SEFElectric.com
Harvest Natural Resources, Inc. (HNR) Reports Financial and Operational Update for First Quarter of 2012
Harvest Natural Resources reported an operational update on its recent oil and gas activities across its global portfolio of assets. The company also released a summary of recent financial activity involving the debt and equity markets.
During the first quarter of 2012, Harvest Natural Resources drilled four wells in Venezuela and produced an average of 32,700 barrels of oil per day from various fields that the company operates here. The company reported rapid production growth from Venezuela and exited 2011 with production of 37,500 barrels of oil per day.
Harvest Natural Resources estimates that the company will spend $300 million in capital in Venezuela in 2012, and that oil production from this country will average 40,300 barrels per day during the year.
In March 2012, Harvest Natural Resources entered into an exchange agreement with holders of the company’s senior convertible bonds. The agreement was accepted by approximately 50% of the holders and reduced debt outstanding on this issue to $15.6 million for the company.
Harvest Natural Resources also entered into an equity distribution agreement with a third party to issue up to $75 million of common stock. The shares are expected to be sold at the current market prices.
For more information on the company, go to www.harvestnr.com
Voyager Oil & Gas, Inc. (VOG) Offers Update Operations, Williston Basin Footprint Increased to 33k Net Acres
Today, Voyager Oil & Gas, which has made a name for itself in the Williston Basin (producing in the Bakken/Three Forks formations in North Dakota and Montana), offered an update on operations:
• Some 33k net acres total in the Williston Basin (as of Mar 31, 2012)
• 100% of acreage acquired in Q1 2012 has received authorization for expenditure
• Q1 2012 average production up 50% over Q4 2011, with some 600 BOEPD
• 5.03 net (120 gross) wells producing in the Bakken/Three Forks, up 68% from Dec 31, 2011, with an additional 2.05 net (42 gross) wells drilling or awaiting completion
• On track to meet 2012 guidance of adding 6 net wells and spudding 10 this year
• Form 10-Q quarterly financial/operational report to be filed Tuesday, May 8
An expected significant increase in second quarter production, charged by higher working interest wells coming into production, should please VOG shareholders, reaffirming confidence in management’s strategy. Assuming all active drilling/completion is successful, VOG will have 7.08 net (162 gross) producing wells in the Williston Basin, a very strong position.
With estimates of 95% of Q1 2012 BOE sales coming from crude oil and the company continuing to fund growth via operational cash flows, the existing Macquarie Bank credit facility back drop will prove all the more flexible. The Tranche B facility (LIBOR plus 7.5%) which is convertible to the lower cost Tranche A facility (LIBOR plus 3.25%) gives VOG a low capital cost to development funding ratio.
With full authorization for expenditure on all of the Q1 acquired acreage (899 net mineral acres at an average cost of $2,048/acre), all mineral right leaseholds obtained in Q1 are expected to be held by production, adding to production/cash flow over the next several months. As some 215 rigs currently operate in the Williston Basin (210 in North Dakota, 5-10 in Montana), VOG is confident that development of its mineral right leases into producing wells will be rapidly accelerated as the pace of drilling activity continues to mount.
VOG projects that 50% of the company’s acreage will be in held by production status by the end of 2012 and currently has some 29% held by production (wells which are producing, being drilled or awaiting completion). Zero lease expirations in Q1 2012, with roughly 5% (1,735 net acres) of total leasehold interests set to expire in 2012, offering VOG a very positive outlook as per taking this acreage into held by production status prior to expiration.
VOG participates as a minority or non-operator in most of these Williston Basin leasehold interests (representing less than controlling interests).
Additionally, proximal acreage which is on the development path (VOG has the option to develop or trade with other operators who seek controlling interests), like the 7,500 net acres in which the company holds a controlling interest (or the component equivalent thereof), is in play. Another example would be the majority working interest in at least four 1,280-acre units and one 640-acre unit held by VOG, in addition to interests in some 40% of sixteen 640-acre sections.
This is a very broad acreage position in one of the hottest petroleum regions in North America, and as oil prices rose last week in Asia on strength of Middle East supply chain disruptions, in conjunction with flagging U.S. jobs data, VOG shareholders will be eager to see upcoming production numbers. The company remains confident in its domestic exploration/development strategy, even as oil rounds out to $102 today, with Iranian nuclear talks ending on a positive note. Global demand retains dominant trend lines and the market for oil is only going to get more aggressive, with U.S. and North American sources taking a larger and larger slice of the global input pie, companies like VOG will see their growth aspirations met with ample consumption.
The company has developed an impressive 144k net acre footprint in addition to the 33k core net acres in the Bakken/Three Forks:
• 2.4k net acres targeting the Niobrara (Colorado/Wyoming)
• 800 net acres targeting a Red River prospect (Montana)
• 33.5k net acres via joint venture targeting the Heath Shale formation (Montana)
• 74.7k net acres via joint venture in and around the Tiger Ridge natural gas field (Montana)
For more information on Voyager Oil & Gas, Inc., or on to learn more about current and upcoming operations, please visit the company’s website at: www.VoyagerOil.com
FluoroPharma Medical Due Diligence Summary
Company Website
http://www.fluoropharma.com
FluoroPharma IR Kit
http://fpmi.missionir.com/ir
FluoroPharma Fact Sheet
http://fpmi.missionir.com/factsheet
FluoroPharma Presentation
http://fpmi.missionir.com/presentation
Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Wiki
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Positron_emission_tomography
Stock Info
http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=FPMI.OB
http://www.otcmarkets.com/stock/FPMI/quote
Abbreviated Company Profile
FluoroPharma Medical, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing patented Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging products to improve patient management by evaluating cardiac disease at the cellular and molecular levels. The company is currently advancing two products in clinical trials to fulfill critical unmet medical needs. The agents will provide clinicians important tools for detecting and assessing pathology before critical manifestations of disease.
Molecular imaging fulfills numerous unmet needs in diagnosis by enabling visualization, characterization and measurement of biological processes at the molecular and cellular level. Unlike traditional imaging modalities – MRI, CT, and Ultrasound – that reveal the anatomical abnormalities and cause for disease, PET provides insight into physiology and can detect disease before anatomical manifestation is identified. According to GAI, the market for molecular imaging agents currently exceeds $1.7 billion annually and promises rapid growth for the foreseeable future.
Key Investment Highlights
• Phase 2 data is expected mid-2012 on at least one agent
• Clinical Trials Confirmed Technologies are Safe and are Now
• Establishing their Efficacy
• Intellectual Property in Place to Protect Proprietary Innovations Around the World
• Cash On Hand to Accelerate Business Strategy
• Technology Targets Multiple, Multimillion Dollar Healthcare Markets with Strong / Unmet Medical Needs
Company News
http://www.fluoropharma.com/media-center/company-news
Share Structure
Shares Outstanding 21,094,024 a/o September 30, 2011
Authorized Shares 200,000,000 a/o September 30, 2011
Management
David R. Elmaleh, PhD
Chairman, Director and Chief Scientific Advisor
Dr. Elmaleh, the scientific founder of FluoroPharma Inc., is an Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School and the Director of Contrast Media Chemistry at the Massachusetts General Hospital. He is an inventor of three drugs that are in use in man or in late stage clinical trials including: The radiopharmaceutical preparation of (2FDG) which has been used in over a million PET imaging procedures, Beta-methyl modified fatty acid (BMIPP) a commercially successful cardiac SPECT agent, and Altropane which has completed Phase III clinical trials. His recent work has included extensive research on imaging compounds to improve the speed and effectiveness of cardiovascular disease diagnosis which constitutes the technology licensed from MGH to FluoroPharma. He is a co-author on over 120 publications and an inventor of over 40 issued and pending patents in a range of disciplines, including molecular imaging and pharmaceuticals. Dr. Elmaleh is a recipient of numerous NIH and DOE awards, and has participated as a reviewer for the National Institute of Health (NIH). He is the Scientific Founder of Biostream (changed name to Molecular Insight Pharmaceuticals) and several other start-ups. He holds a BSc in Physics and Chemistry, and an MS and PhD in Chemistry from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Thijs Spoor
Director, CEO & President
Mr. Spoor previously held the title of CFO for Sunstone BioSciences. Mr. Spoor holds a Nuclear Pharmacy degree from the University of Toronto as well as an M.B.A. from Columbia University with concentrations in finance and accounting. Mr. Spoor has been a guest lecturer at Columbia Business School, Kings College in London and the University of Newcastle in Australia and has presented at medical grand rounds and psychiatric grand rounds at various hospitals on the role of brain imaging.
Prior to joining Sunstone BioSciences, he worked as a consultant at Oliver Wyman focusing on helping pharmaceutical and medical device companies evaluate their global revenue potential given the complex interplay of regulatory approvals, the reimbursement environment, as well as the impact of physician preference within constantly evolving standards of care. He further specialized on the implications of healthcare reform on new product approval and health insurance reform.
Mr. Spoor has also been an equity research analyst at J.P. Morgan and Credit Suisse covering the Biotechnology and Medical Device industries. Mr. Spoor worked in the pharmaceutical industry spending 10 years with Amersham / GE Healthcare where he worked in 7 countries in a variety of roles including setting up GMP facilities meeting ISO 9001 standards, accountability for the entire nuclear cardiology portfolio and most recently as the Director of New Product Opportunities leading the PET strategic plan.
Boyan Goumnerov, MD
COO & Vice President Clinical Trials
Prior to his appointment with FluoroPharma Dr. Goumnerov has held executive positions in the healthcare and biomedical research fields most recent of which are President of VasoStent, Inc. and managing director of CardioVas Inc.- start-up medical device companies targeting the field of intravascular cardiac imaging and therapy. His academic background includes research within the departments of Surgery and Molecular Biology at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and The Shriners Burn Hospital for Children, Boston, where he held academic appointments with Harvard Medical School. Dr. Goumnerov also did extensive work within the Department of Pathology/Neuropathology at Children's Hospital Boston, in developing image analysis protocols for evaluation of neuromuscular diseases before moving to MGH. He is co-author of numerous scientific publications. Dr. Goumnerov obtained his M.D. from the Medical University of Sofia, Bulgaria, and worked as a clinician prior to relocating to the US.
Auditors
Weaver Martin & Samyn
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Suite 300
Kansas City, MO, 64111
United States
Transfer Agent
Holladay Stock Transfer
2939 N. 67th Place
Scottsdale, AZ 85251
T: (480) 481-3940
Company Contact
FluoroPharma Medical, Inc.
Boston, Massachusetts
http://www.fluoropharma.com
T: (617) 456-0633
E: info@fluoropharma.com
IR Contact
Mission Investor Relations
Atlanta, Georgia
http://www.missionir.com
T: (404) 941-8975
E: mir@missionir.net
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SEFE, Inc. (SEFE) Relocates HQ to Boulder, Colorado
Earlier this morning, SEFE announced that its corporate headquarters will be moved to Boulder, Colo., effective immediately.
The move will streamline operations by bringing the headquarters to the company’s recently opened Science and Technology Center, also in Boulder. According to the release, SEFE is currently ramping up its testing plans, including the proprietary atmospheric energy detection system that will begin during Q2 2012.
“The Arizona office served its purpose as a low-cost, easily accessed location during the startup phase of the Company, but was never intended to be a permanent solution,” stated SEFE CEO Don Johnston. “Now that we are taking design, testing, and commercialization to the next level, having the lab and the corporate headquarters in close proximity in Boulder should prove to be a major benefit.”
The Company’s new corporate headquarters address will be 4700 Sterling Dr., Boulder, CO 80301.
For more information, visit www.SEFElectric.com
SEFE Relocates HQ to Boulder, Colorado
Earlier this morning, SEFE announced that its corporate headquarters will be moved to Boulder, Colo., effective immediately.
The move will streamline operations by bringing the headquarters to the company’s recently opened Science and Technology Center, also in Boulder. According to the release, SEFE is currently ramping up its testing plans, including the proprietary atmospheric energy detection system that will begin during Q2 2012.
“The Arizona office served its purpose as a low-cost, easily accessed location during the startup phase of the Company, but was never intended to be a permanent solution,” stated SEFE CEO Don Johnston. “Now that we are taking design, testing, and commercialization to the next level, having the lab and the corporate headquarters in close proximity in Boulder should prove to be a major benefit.”
The Company’s new corporate headquarters address will be 4700 Sterling Dr., Boulder, CO 80301.
For more information, visit www.SEFElectric.com
VistaGen Therapeutics, Inc. (VSTA) to Speed Development of Drug Screening and Cell Therapy for Immune System Disorders through License Agreement
Today before the opening bell, VistaGen Therapeutics, a biotechnology company applying stem cell technology for drug rescue, announced it has licensed breakthrough stem cell culture technology from the McEwen Centre for Regenerative Medicine located at the University Health Network (UHN) in Toronto, Canada.
VistaGen will be utilizing the licensed technology to develop hematopoietic precursor stem cells from human pluripotent stem cells, with the goal of developing drug screening and cell therapy applications for human blood system disorders. The breakthrough technology is included in a new United States patent application.
Hematopoietic precursor stem cells give rise to all red and white blood cells and platelets in the body. VistaGen will use the UHN invention to improve the cell culture methods used to efficiently produce hematopoietic stem cell populations.
“This technology dramatically advances our ability to produce and purify this important blood stem cell precursor for both in vitro drug screening and in vivo cell therapy applications,” said H. Ralph Snodgrass, PhD, VistaGen’s President and Chief Scientific Officer.
“In addition to defining new cell culture methods for our use, the technology describes the surface characteristics of stem cell-derived adult hematopoietic stem cells. Most groups study embryonic blood development from stem cells, but, for the first time, we are able to not only purify the stem cell-derived precursor of all adult hematopoietic cells, but also pinpoint the precise timing when adult blood cell differentiation takes place in these cultures,” Snodgrass added. “It is our belief that these early cells will be the precursors of the ultimate adult, bone marrow-repopulating hematopoietic stem cells.”
Bone marrow-derived hematopoietic stem cells are able to repopulate the blood and immune system when transplanted into patients prepared for bone marrow transplantation. These cells have important potential therapeutic applications for the restoration of healthy blood and immune systems in individuals undergoing transplantation therapies for cancer, organ grafts, HIV infections, or for acquired or genetic blood and immune deficiencies.
VSTA to Speed Development of Drug Screening and Cell Therapy for Immune System Disorders through License Agreement
Today before the opening bell, VistaGen Therapeutics, a biotechnology company applying stem cell technology for drug rescue, announced it has licensed breakthrough stem cell culture technology from the McEwen Centre for Regenerative Medicine located at the University Health Network (UHN) in Toronto, Canada.
VistaGen will be utilizing the licensed technology to develop hematopoietic precursor stem cells from human pluripotent stem cells, with the goal of developing drug screening and cell therapy applications for human blood system disorders. The breakthrough technology is included in a new United States patent application.
Hematopoietic precursor stem cells give rise to all red and white blood cells and platelets in the body. VistaGen will use the UHN invention to improve the cell culture methods used to efficiently produce hematopoietic stem cell populations.
“This technology dramatically advances our ability to produce and purify this important blood stem cell precursor for both in vitro drug screening and in vivo cell therapy applications,” said H. Ralph Snodgrass, PhD, VistaGen’s President and Chief Scientific Officer.
“In addition to defining new cell culture methods for our use, the technology describes the surface characteristics of stem cell-derived adult hematopoietic stem cells. Most groups study embryonic blood development from stem cells, but, for the first time, we are able to not only purify the stem cell-derived precursor of all adult hematopoietic cells, but also pinpoint the precise timing when adult blood cell differentiation takes place in these cultures,” Snodgrass added. “It is our belief that these early cells will be the precursors of the ultimate adult, bone marrow-repopulating hematopoietic stem cells.”
Bone marrow-derived hematopoietic stem cells are able to repopulate the blood and immune system when transplanted into patients prepared for bone marrow transplantation. These cells have important potential therapeutic applications for the restoration of healthy blood and immune systems in individuals undergoing transplantation therapies for cancer, organ grafts, HIV infections, or for acquired or genetic blood and immune deficiencies.
Alderon Iron Ore Corp. (AXX) Secures C$194M Deal with China’s Top Steel Producer Hebei to Develop Kami Iron Ore Project in Canada
Today, Alderon Iron Ore, the Canadian iron ore development company with a solid footprint in Western Labrador via their 100% owned Kami Project, announced signing of a major, definitive subscription agreement with China’s steel producing juggernaut, Hebei Iron & Steel Group Co., Ltd. (formed from the merger of Tangsteel and Hansteel in Hebei province back in 2008), which turns out some 30M tonnes annually and is the second largest producer in the world.
Hebei Iron & Steel, in addition to a C$194M strategic investment into AXX and the Kami Project (in exchange for 19.9% of outstanding AXX shares at C$3.42/share, as well as a 25% interest in a newly formed limited partnership created to own the Kami Project), has come to terms with Alderon Iron Ore regarding all other material agreements governing the relationship, in addition to the agreement to buy iron ore concentrate output from Kami. These definitive agreements will be executed upon closing. In accordance with dictates thus set forth, the entire C$194 (which will be contributed within 15 business days of Hebei receiving the feasibility study) will go to exploration/development at Kami, as well as associated corporate expenses.
Chairman of Hebei Iron & Steel, Wang Yifang, hailed the formation of this “long standing partnership” as a key move in the larger bid to expand into overseas mining assets, characterizing Kami as high-quality, containing abundant resources, and being strategically located. Locking down a continuous stream of high-quality iron ores is precisely what Hebei Iron & Steel needs to ensure growth projections and the partnership with AXX, securing project financing for Kami is seen as naturally leading to the evolution of a world-class iron ore mine in the heart of Canada’s premier iron ore district.
President and CEO of AXX, Tayfun Eldem, echoed these sentiments roundly, saying of the deal that it would be a major catalyst for the company, as Alderon moves to further validate, and gain material leverage over risks associated with developing the Kami Project. Eldem explained that this deal provides a significant component for the projected equity requirements needed to build Kami, viewing the ability of AXX to finance the remainder as well within reason, especially with access to more financial institutions with Hebei being at the table, including Chinese banks.
Hebei has agreed to fully assist in securing any debt financing and should prove indispensible as an ally when approaching Chinese banks.
Executive Chairman of AXX, Mark Morabito, cited the roaring Chinese economy and vast experience of Hebei in the steel industry as primer for an explosive combination that should propel the company to world-class status. Developing the Kami Project in conjunction with such a senior steel industry titan will give every opportunity for success and AXX is ready to hit the ground running now that sufficient capital has been obtained.
Upon acquisition of the 25% interest in Kami, obligations call for purchase of 60% of annual output (up to a maximum of 4.8M tonnes of the first 8M) by Heibei, as soon as commercial production starts. Hebei will get a good deal on the ore (monthly average price per DMT for iron ore sinter feed fines quoted by Platts Iron Ore Index), at what is essentially a 5% discount from the Platts Price, making this arrangement a shoe-in for Hebei’s team. Hebei Iron & Steel has been looking for precisely this kind of setup and the quality of the ore coming out of Kami is superb, so the approvals required on the agreements by the PRC government should go very smoothly.
Alderon has agreed not to solicit or approve any other transactions for 75 days and is entitled to terminate both the subscription agreement and transactions proposed in the definitive agreements if Hebei can’t get the PRC to sign off in the next 90 days (and Alderon enters into an alternate transaction proposal, provided Alderon pays Hebei a termination fee of C$10.25mm). The subscription and definitive agreements are also subject to approval by the TSX and NYSE Amex. Hebei obtains the right to nominate two directors to the AXX Board via the private placement and Alderon has also granted a pre-emptive right for Hebei to maintain its interest in the company in certain circumstances.
For more information on the Kami Project, the agreements, or to learn more about Alderon Iron Ore Corp., please visit the company’s website at: www.AlderonIronOre.com
VLOV, Inc. (VLOV) Posts Solid Q4, FY2011 Financial Performance
VLOV, a men’s lifestyle apparel designer in the People’s Republic of China, today announced its financial results for the three and 12 months ended December 31, 2011, reflecting record revenue and increased brand awareness. (All amounts in thousands, in U.S. dollars, except for percentages).
The company reported full year 2011 net sales at $88,826, an increase of 20.3 percent compared with net sales of $73,834 reported for 2010.
Total cost of sales for 2011 was $50,064, an increase of 18.1 percent compared to total cost of sales of $43,863 reported for the comparable 12 months of 2010. Cost of sales as a percentage of net sales decreased to 56.3 percent of total net sales for 2011 from 59.4 percent of total net sales for 2010. Gross margin as a percentage of net sales increased to 43.6 percent for 2011 compared to 40.5 percent for 2010.
Net income for 2011 was $13,928, a decrease of 7.0 percent compared to net income of $14,986 reported for 2010. Adjusted net income (non-GAAP) increased by 5.1 percent to $13,289 compared to adjusted net income of $12,635 reported for 2010.
As of December 31, 2011, VLOV had $14.7 million in cash and cash equivalents; $56.4 million in current assets; and $14.0 million in total liabilities. As of April 10, 2012, VLOV had $23.6 million in cash and cash equivalents.
“Fiscal 2011 was a year of important accomplishments and successes,” Qingqing Wu, chairman and CEO of VLOV stated in the press release. “We had record revenue while broadening global awareness of our brand by presenting at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in both Beijing and New York City.”
For the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2011, VLOV reported a 25.4 percent increase in net sales to $31.0 million; gross margin of 44 percent; and adjusted net income (non-GAAP) of $4.3 million, or adjusted earnings per share of $0.55.
“We were able to achieve significant growth in both revenue and earnings during the fourth quarter despite fewer store locations collectively operated by our distributors. We remain committed to working closely with our distributors who have been extremely pleased with our initiatives to build VLOV’s global brand image and who are making investments to further elevate their VLOV stores. We also plan to open additional stores in Fujian and most importantly, continue to provide our customers with fashion-forward designs that embody their successful lifestyle,” Wu stated.
VLOV sells its products through distributors in 393 points of sale (POS) throughout China. The company currently owns and operates 20 stores in Fujian Province: 13 store locations acquired June 30, 2011, and seven additional stores opened since the acquisition.
For more information visit www.vlov.net
FluoroPharma Medical (FPMI) Takes On the CAD Stress Test
FluoroPharma, a developer of imaging agents used in association with positron emission tomography (PET) scanning, was founded in 2003 by Dr. David Elmaleh, currently the company’s Chief Scientific Officer, who has gathered around him some of the most knowledgeable people in the radiopharmaceutical and medical technology industries. Together they are developing a protected portfolio of PET tracer agents, including their lead products, CardioPET, BFPET, and VasoPET, designed for use in evaluating different processes associated with coronary artery disease (CAD), the country’s #1 killer. Nearly one-third of all Americans are believed to have some form of cardiovascular disease.
People with CAD typically have plaque accumulations on their coronary artery walls. As a result, their heart cells can end up getting a reduced supply of oxygen, which can eventually cause increasing chest pain and ultimately a heart attack. CAD is a progressive disease, and can lead to sudden death, with little or no warning. That’s where cardiac imaging comes in. Using PET technology, with the specially designed tracer chemicals from FluoroPharma, doctors can detect regions of metabolic insufficiency and measure cardiovascular blood flow and inflamed plaque, giving them a vital lead in identifying heart disease before the first symptoms even appear.
Traditionally, for low to moderate risk patients, an exercise stress test was used to measure heart function, determining the heart’s ability to respond to external stress. The patient is attached to an EKG monitor, while undergoing various levels of activity on a treadmill or stationary bicycle. However, such tests are known for their relatively low accuracy and poor reliability in evaluating the patient’s risk of heart attack. And stress tests have no way of detecting what are called vulnerable plaques, which are plaques more likely to cause an attack. But someday soon the traditional stress test could go the way of the dinosaur. VasoPET in particular is being designed to identify such vulnerable plaques, providing a much earlier and more accurate CAD picture than any stress test. Together with the other FluoroPharma cardio related products, doctors will at last be able to gain a clear view of heart disease at its earliest stages, potentially saving lives and countering the huge social and economic costs associated with CAD.
For more information, see the company website at www.FluoroPharma.com
SEFE, Inc. (SEFE) Reveals Patent-Pending Atmospheric Energy Collector
Earlier today, SEFE introduced another critical component in its innovative Harmony III atmospheric energy system. The Atmospheric Energy Collector is a proprietary invention that puts the company one step closer to commercializing its revolutionary technology within the $300 billion-plus clean energy industry.
The collector, assigned pending patent 13/103,963 by the USPTO, includes a windsock arrangement that has a large upwind opening on one side tapering to a small downwind opening on the other side. The upwind side is secured to a tether made from an electrically conducting material. The windsock, extended outward by wind, collects the atmospheric energy and transfers it to the tether.
“As these pieces come together, we continue to move the science forward,” stated Don Johnston, CEO of SEFE. “As the first and only company in a position to exploit atmospheric energy, and particularly with the launch of our new Science and Technology Center in Boulder, we’re in the process of designing and testing the exclusive technologies that will take us into the next phase.”
Following on the heels of this week’s announcements about patents secured for an Atmospheric Static Electricity Collector and Dynamic Electrical Converter System, today’s news further underscores the company’s strategy of staking out a strong intellectual property position within the atmospheric energy realm to protect the technology as well as increase value for shareholders. According to SEFE, it has 26 patents in various stages of approval with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
“The processes involved with the operation of SEFE’s Harmony units are often as important as the physical inventions themselves,” commented Michael Hurowitz, SEFE’s Director of Engineering. “Our team works quickly to protect our new intellectual property in order to increase value for our shareholders, as well as secure market opportunities for SEFE.”
For more information visit www.SEFElectric.com