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AVISTAR COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION (NASD: AVSR)
"Up 100.00% on Tuesday"

Detailed Quote: http://www.otcpicks.com/quotes/AVSR.php

Avistar Communications Corporation develops, markets, and supports a suite of vBusiness video-enabled eBusiness applications in the United States, Europe, and Asia. The company offers networked video communications software and hardware products and services. Its products include applications for interactive video calling, content creation and publishing, broadcast video, and video-on-demand, as well as data sharing, directory services, and network management. Avistar Communications also provides various services for installation, design, and adoption of its video communications products. The company, through its subsidiary, Collaboration Properties, Inc., engages in the prosecution, maintenance, support, and licensing of the intellectual property that company develops. In addition, it provides software development, consulting, implementation, training, maintenance, and support services. Further, the company licenses its technology and patents to companies in the video conferencing market. Avistar Communications sells its system directly to enterprises primarily in the financial services industry. The company was founded in 1993. It was formerly known as Avistar Systems Corporation and changed its name to Avistar Communications Corporation in 2000. The company is headquartered in Redwood Shores, California.

AVSR News:

January 7 - Leucadia National Leads $7 Million Investment in Avistar

Company Insiders Invest $3 Million of Total to Fund Growth

Avistar Communications Corporation (NASD: AVSR), a provider of video-enabled unified communications solutions, announced that it concluded a financing round on January 4, 2008 of $7 million of convertible debt, led by Leucadia National Corporation (NYSE: LUK). Five of Avistar’s seven Directors, including its new CEO and its Chairman, were among the other investors who contributed $3 million of the total. Raising working capital to fund implementation of its new “go-to-market” strategies is a central element of Avistar’s turnaround strategy, as described by the company in a press release dated November 8, 2007.

“Avistar’s management is pleased to begin an association with Leucadia, which shares our confidence in the growth opportunities for our business. We believe the investment by Leucadia and a number of members of the Board and management is a strong validation of our new strategic initiatives, the significant structural changes that are now beginning to gain traction, recognition of the progress made by the new management team in a very short period of time, and the long-term earning potential of our intellectual property and product portfolio,” said Simon Moss, Avistar’s new CEO. “Leucadia’s investment track record, as evidenced by its 33% compounded annual growth rate in share price from 1978-2006, speaks volumes about its ability to identify successful long term investments that others miss. I believe Avistar will benefit greatly from its association with Leucadia and look forward to a successful and robust relationship.”

The notes are convertible into Avistar common stock after the first anniversary, and carry a 4.5% interest rate. The notes purchased by the investors have a conversion price of $.70 and a two year term. Avistar’s common shares closed at $.38 on Nasdaq’s Capital Market on Friday, January 4, 2008.

“Avistar has had a consistent annual growth rate in revenue and income from our licensing activities of greater than 40% over the last several years, owing to a sizable and highly monetize-able patent portfolio and field-tested product portfolio”, said Robert Habig, Avistar’s CFO. “We believe we are effectively positioned in terms of business strategy, existing clients demonstrating the value-added benefits and scalability of our products, and our technology portfolio, to address opportunities created by an accelerating unified communications market.”

ABOUT LEUCADIA NATIONAL CORPORATION

Leucadia National Corporation is a diversified holding company engaged in a variety of businesses, including manufacturing, telecommunications, property management services, gaming entertainment, real estate activities, medical product development and winery operations. The company concentrates on return on investment and cash flow to maximize long-term shareholder value. Leucadia National Corporation (LUK) is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange.

HIDALGO MINING INTERNATIONAL (OTC: HMIT)
"Up 50.00% on Tuesday"

Detailed Quote: http://www.otcpicks.com/quotes/HMIT.php

Hidalgo Mining International (OTC: HMIT), an innovative mining company located in Port Washington, NY, strives to increase its shareholders while implementing an aggressive rollup plan to achieve mining production on a global scale. HMIT's management and directors feel they have the vision, drive and experience to become a highly successful, major multi-national producing mining company.

HMIT News:

January 8 - Hidalgo Mining (HMIT) Completes Over $1 Million in Financing to Begin Production

Hidalgo Mining International (OTC: HMIT), an innovative mining company headquartered in Port Washington, NY, announced that the company has successfully completed over $US one million dollars in financing to begin the purchase and mobilization of equipment and personnel to begin gold mining production in West Africa.

Mark Daniel Klok, President of HMIT, stated: "We received incredibly favorable terms and have up to four years to satisfy our obligations under the terms of this financing agreement. Completion of this funding has allowed the company to hire the necessary employees as well as to purchase the equipment necessary for the Guinea Project. The initial steps have already been put into place to start on the roadwork to access the property in Guinea, which requires the use of excavators and bulldozers to clear access so tractor-trailers with the rest of the equipment can get to the property and we anticipate being able to actually start production by the end of February/beginning of March."

Klok went on to state: "With the completion of this financing, we feel we are right on track to generate north of $US 6 million dollars in revenue in our first year of production. This would obviously not include any production occurring as a result of any of the additional acquisitions we anticipate closing in the near future."

WELLMAN INCORPORATED (OTC: WMAN)
"Up 35.71% on Tuesday"

Detailed Quote: http://www.otcpicks.com/quotes/WMAN.php

Wellman, Inc. manufactures and markets polyethylene terephthalate (PET) resins and polyester staple fibers. It operates in two segments, Chemical-Based and Recycled-Based. The Chemical-Based segment offers PermaClear, PermaClear HP, and Thermaclear Ti solid-stated PET resin from chemical-based raw materials for use in the manufacture of plastic beverage bottles and other food packaging; and Fortrel chemical-based polyester staple fiber for use in non-woven, home furnishing, and industrial products. The Recycled-Based segment provides Wellamid and Wellamid Ecolon recycled-based nylon engineering resin in the United States for use in the injection molding industry. The company operates primarily in the United States, Ireland, and the Netherlands. Wellman was founded in 1927 and is based in Fort Mill, South Carolina.

WMAN News:

January 8 - Wellman Appoints Chief Operating Officer

Wellman, Inc. (OTC: WMAN) announced the promotion of Mark Ruday to Chief Operating Officer reporting to Tom Duff, Wellman’s Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Wellman, Inc. Mr. Duff stated, “Mark has provided important leadership and this promotion formalized the role he was performing. His leadership will help maintain our focus on business operations while exploring strategic alternatives for the Company. We expect that he will continue to add significant value to the Company in his new position.”

Reporting to Mr. Ruday will be Steve Ates, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Ian Shaw, Vice President of Manufacturing and Research & Development, and Barry Taylor, Vice President of Human Resources and Safety, Health, and Environmental.

Mr. Ruday has held various operations and accounting positions in the Company, including his current position of Vice President, Business Operations and prior to that as Vice President, Controller and Chief Accounting Officer. He is a graduate of Brown University with a dual degree in Economics and Organizational Behavior & Management and received a Masters Degree in Accounting from Bryant College.

CONVERTED ORGANICS INCORPORATED (NASD: COIN)
"Up 37.84% on Tuesday"

Detailed Quote: http://www.otcpicks.com/quotes/COIN.php

Converted Organics, Inc., a development stage company, intends to manufacture, sell, and distribute natural soil amendment products combining nutritional and disease suppression characteristics. It uses organic food waste as raw material to manufacture soil amendment products. Converted Organics plans to sell and distribute these products in the agribusiness, turf management, and retail markets. The company was founded in 2003 and is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts.

COIN News:

December 18 - Converted Organics Inc. Declares Fourth Quarter Stock Dividend

Converted Organics Inc. (NASD: COIN, COINW, COINZ) declared a quarterly common stock dividend of one (1) share of common stock for each twenty (20) shares of common stock outstanding, payable to all holders of record of the common stock on the last day of December 2007. No fractional shares will be issued in connection with this stock dividend program. This dividend will be payable on January 14, 2008 to all shareholders of record on December 31, 2007.

DISTRIBUTED ENERGY SYSTEMS (NASD: DESC)
"Up 28.93% on Tuesday"

Detailed Quote: http://www.otcpicks.com/quotes/DESC.php

Distributed Energy Systems Corp. designs, builds, and installs stand-alone and grid-connected electric power systems for industrial, commercial, and governmental customers. Its generating systems convert energy derived from wind, sunlight, oil, natural gas, diesel, and bio-fuels into electricity, using power generation technologies integrated with custom controls and power electronics. It sells its systems to grid-connected customers and to customers who need power solutions for remote locations or environmentally benign alternatives to centrally distributed electricity. The company also offers hydrogen generators, which utilize proprietary proton exchange membrane and electrochemical technology to produce hydrogen through the electrolysis of water, to domestic and international customers for industrial, utility, and research applications. It also develops additional technologies and products for the distributed energy market, including systems that provide backup power and energy storage, hydrogen generators that produce hydrogen for fuel cell vehicles, power network architectures that link diverse power generating sources, and advanced wind turbine generators. The company was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Wallingford, Connecticut.

DESC News:

January 8 - Distributed Energy Systems Books Orders for 7 Advanced Wind Turbines

Distributed Energy Systems Corp. (NASD: DESC), an innovative leader in wind power technology, announced today it received orders for seven Northwind 100 wind turbines for use in Alaska and the Northeast region of the United States.

Four of the advanced 100 kilowatt wind systems were sold to the Alaska Village Electric Cooperative (AVEC), a utility responsible for providing power to 53 villages in Alaska. The other three wind turbines were ordered by Sustainable Energy Developments, Inc., (SED) an Ontario, NY-based company, currently developing wind projects with businesses, municipalities, residences, schools and farms in the Northeast.

Bud Cherry, chief executive officer of Distributed Energy Systems, said: "These important sales emphasize DESC's commitment to supplying state of the art, reliable, and cost effective wind turbines in extremely diverse environments. This latest follow-on sale to AVEC — their 15th through 18th Northwind units — is gratifying to us, underscoring once again this established customer's continuing satisfaction with the Northwind 100. We also welcome the partnership with Sustainable Energy Developments as we bring the Northwind 100 into the "lower 48" marketplace."

AVEC's four new Northwind 100 units are planned to be installed in its remote village diesel systems in Mekoryuk and Savoonga, which border the Bering Sea. In these wind-diesel applications, the Northwind 100 offsets the ever-increasing costs of diesel power generation. "In 2007, three Northwind 100 turbines provided over 20% of the electrical production for two interconnected villages on Nelson Island." said Brent Petrie, special projects manager for the Alaska Village Electric Cooperative. "That installation alone displaced approximately $85,000 in diesel fuel costs in 2007." Petrie said AVEC is evaluating the potential installation of wind turbines in up to 27 of the 53 communities it serves.

"The Northwind 100 will be a crucial part of SED's continued success in the Northeast," said Kevin Schulte, CEO and Co-Founder of SED. "The demand of projects requiring this size turbine matched with the respect we have for Distributed Energy Systems made the partnership and purchase of the three Northwind 100s a no-brainer."

With 100kW of rated power, the Northwind 100 was designed for use in wind- diesel applications, and more recently has been released as an alternative power generator for small businesses, commercial farms, small communities, schools and universities, and small corporate and industrial sites. The turbine uses gearless design and direct-drive architecture to deliver high energy capture and low maintenance requirements to a mainstream wind energy marketplace.

ABOUT ALASKA VILLAGE ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE

The Alaska Village Electric Cooperative is a non-profit electric utility, owned by the people it serves in 53 villages throughout interior and western Alaska. The AVEC service area is the largest of any electric cooperative in the world. Members come from many different cultures, speak different languages and some live hundreds of miles apart. The utility currently uses 150 diesel generators and purchases five million gallons to fuel annually to produce electric power throughout its service area.

ABOUT SUSTAINABLE ENERGY DEVELOPMENTS

Sustainable Energy Developments, Inc. (SED) develops wind projects with businesses, municipalities, residences, schools, and farms. SED also acts as the general contractor for decentralized wind project development throughout the northeast and currently is developing numerous projects in Massachusetts, in conjunction with the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MTC). SED and its principals have developed projects ranging from ten kilowatts to several megawatts, working with a wide variety of clients to determine appropriate wind turbine layouts based on wind resource assessment and analysis; negotiate interconnection points, agreements and financing arrangements; secure permitting and regulatory approval; and oversee project construction and maintenance.

AURIGA LABORATORIES (OTCBB: ARGA)
"Up 33.93% on Tuesday"

Detailed Quote: http://www.otcpicks.com/quotes/ARGA.php

Auriga Laboratories, Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company, engages in the development of pharmaceutical products for respiratory, dermatology, and psychiatry markets. The company's product line includes Aquoral, a prescription product for the treatment of xerostomia or dry mouth; Zinx for relief of symptoms associated with common cold and allergies; Extendryl for the treatment of cough, cold, and allergy symptoms; and Levall used in the treatment and relief from cough, congestion, and rhinitis associated with respiratory infections, such as the common cold, influenza, bronchitis, and sinusitis. It also offers dermatology products, such as Akurza and Xyralid. The company has product development license agreements with Athlon Pharmaceuticals and Cornerstone Biopharma. Auriga Laboratories was founded in 2005 and is based in Los Angeles, California.

ARGA News:

January 7 - Auriga Laboratories Signs Co-Promotion Agreement With MiddleBrook Pharmaceuticals for Keflex(R) 750 mg

Auriga Laboratories, Inc. (OTCBB: ARGA), a specialty pharmaceutical company, announced that the signing of a co-promotion agreement with MiddleBrook Pharmaceuticals, Inc., pursuant to which Auriga will co-promote Keflex® 750 mg capsules (cephalexin capsules, USP), to Primary Care Specialists in the U.S.

Cephalexin, the generic form of Keflex, is the third most prescribed outpatient antibiotic in the U.S., with approximately 25 million prescriptions written annually. Cephalexin is the number-one most prescribed oral cephalosporin antibiotic and is also the number-one recommended oral antibiotic therapy for uncomplicated skin and skin structure infections.

The co-promotion will begin during the 1st Quarter of 2008. "This agreement solidifies Auriga's commitment to enhance our product portfolio. Currently, over 50% of cephalexin prescriptions are written by Primary Care Specialists which makes Keflex® 750 mg a highly synergistic addition to Auriga's current primary care promotional efforts," said Philip S. Pesin, CEO of Auriga.

ABOUT KEFLEX:

Keflex (cephalexin capsules, USP) is a first-generation cephalosporin antibiotic shown to be active against strains of both gram-positive and gram-negative aerobes in vitro and in clinical infections. Keflex is indicated for treatment of the following infections: respiratory tract infections, otitis media, skin and skin structure infections, bone infections, and genitourinary tract infections. For more information on Keflex and prescribing information, visit www.middlebrookpharma.com/products_antibiotics/keflex_antibiotics.aspx.