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As I noted at the time, earlier this year SEC Chair Gary Gensler spoke publicly about the need for revisions to Rule 10b5-1, the regulatory provision that allows corporate executives, subject to certain requirements, to trade in their holdings of their companies’ securities. Rule 10b5-1 has long been criticized because of perceived abuses. On December 15, 2021, the SEC released proposed revisions to the Rule. Among other things, the proposed revisions strengthen the requirements to access the affirmative defenses afforded under the Rule, and also enhance disclosure requirements for companies whose executives enter into trading plans pursuant to the Rule. The proposed changes are subject to a 45-day comment period after the proposed amendments are published in the Federal Register.
The SEC’s December 15, 2021 press release about the proposed changes can be found here. The proposed amendments themselves can be found here. The SEC’s fact sheet about the proposed changes can be found here.
Rule 10b5-1, first put in place in the year 2000, allows corporate executives – who often have a significant amount of their wealth tied up in their personal holdings in the companies’ securities – to safely trade in their companies’ securities without incurring securities law liability. The Rule permits insiders who have traded in company securities to rebut the inference of scienter by showing that the trades were pre-scheduled as part of a formal written trading planning entered into before the trades took place.
The Rules have long been subject to criticism because of perceived abuses. More recently, several academics published a paper in which they concluded that corporate insiders may be using insider trading plans to “game the system.” The academics, who reviewed trading data relating to over 20,000 insider trading plans, reported what they described as “opportunistic, large-scale selling that appears to undermine the purpose of Rule 10b5-1.” The academics identified three trading plan “red flags”: plans with a short “cooling off” period (that is, allowing trading shortly after the plan went into effect); plans involving a single trade; and plans adopted shortly before a quarterly earnings announcement.
The Proposed Amendments
The proposed revisions to Rule 10b5-1 seek to address many of these perceived abuses. The proposed amendments reflect two categories of changes: changes to alter the pre-requisites for a traded to qualify for the affirmative defense afforded under the Rule; and changes to disclosure requirement for companies whose executives have adopted trading plans.
With respect to the proposed additional requirements to qualify for the affirmative defense, the proposed amendments introduce the following: a 120-day “cooling-off period” after a plan’s adoption before trading can commence under the trading arrangement; a requirement that directors and officers must certify that they are not aware of any material non-public information about the company when adopting or modifying a plan; a specification that the affirmative defense does not apply to multiple overlapping trading plans; a specification that trading arrangements to execute a single trade are limited to one plan per 12 month period; and a specification that trading arrangements must be entered into and operated in good faith.
With respect to the enhanced disclosure requirements, the proposed amendments would add the following: a requirement for an issuer to disclose in its annual reports whether or not (and if not why not) the issuer has adopted insider trading policies and procedures (with the added requirement that if an issuer has adopted such policies, to disclose the policies and procedures); a requirement for an issuer to disclose in its annual reports its option grant policies and practices; a requirement for an issuer to disclose in its quarterly reports the adoption and termination of trading plans; a requirement for officers to disclose in their SEC trading forms whether a reported transaction was made pursuant to a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.
Interestingly, the proposed amendments were adopted by a very unusual unanimous vote of Commission’s five commissioners. Clearly, addressing trading abuses has bi-partisan support.
The proposed amendments address several of the “red flag” abuses that the academics identified in their article, to which I linked above. The 120-day cooling off period before a trading plan goes into effect allow a material amount of time to pass before trading can commence under the plan, which should address the concern about the adoption of plans just prior to a quarterly earnings release; the cooling off period would diminish the concern that an executive adopting a plan is doing so as a form of “front running” in advance of good news.
While there is no doubt that steps did need to be taken to address possible abuses of the Rule, the Rule has not been completely off target. In some instances, it has allowed executives to trade securities and to have the protection of the Rule’s affirmative defense.
For example, as discussed in greater detail here, in the Eighth Circuit’s 2008 opinion in the Centene securities class action lawsuit, the appellate court, in affirming the district court’s finding that the plaintiffs had not adequately pled scienter, specifically considered the fact that the individual defendants’ stock sales on which the plaintiffs sought to rely had been made pursuant to a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In another instance, discussed here, the defendants were able to rely on the fact that their trades in company securities had been made pursuant to a written trading plan in support of their motions to dismiss the securities class action lawsuit that had been filed against them.
My point is the adoption of trading plans is still a good idea. Moreover, the concept behind rule – that is, to provide corporate insiders with a way to trade in their company securities – is still valid, as well. Critics correctly have identified ways that the Rule could be abused. But nothing about the need for reform takes away from the fact that adopting a plan is a smart way for corporate executives to try to protect themselves from potential liability under the federal securities laws.
Indeed, a written trading plan is one of the important practical steps that companies and their executives can take as part of securities litigation loss prevention program. The proposed amendments will allow well-advised companies to take advantage of the Rule’s protection while assuring that the insider trading plans are not abused.


text: Hello World! I’m Stormy with StormCloud Productions. Yes, Stormy is my real name! I have been doing Videography since 2006! I specialize in Wedding Videography, it’s my passion! It all started when I went on a trip to Italy my Senior year in high school and I brought my uncles old video camera along for the ride. I got a ton of footage and had no idea what to do with it! While flipping through the class catalog at Eastern Arizona College where I was attending school at the time, the class “Video Editing” jumped out at me! I thought it sounded fun and would give me an opportunity to put together a video of my trip! Boy am I glad I took that class! I found my passion for Wedding Videography and the one thing that I want to do for the rest of my life! Having my precious moments captured on Video is something that I will cherish forever! I hope I get the opportunity to capture some of your precious moments as well!

domain: artistic


text:
Tell Us Your Story
As ANA celebrates its centenary in 2020 we would love to collect as many stories relating to the club.
If you have any memories and stories whether it is rowing related or generally know a bit about ANA, we'd love to hear from you.
It is important to be able to collate these stories to produce a book to celebrate ANA when it turns 100 years and to leave a legacy for the next generation.
Please contact the secretary with your stories and photos.

domain: library


text:
A number of countries require manufacturers of chemicals viz. Industrial chemicals, Pharmaceuticals (Human and Veterinary), Agrochemicals, Cosmetics Products, Food/ Feed Additives and Medical devices, etc., to establish through data that use of these chemicals does not pose any hazards to human health and the environment. Non-hazardous nature needs to be established through studies and data, which will be examined by the regulatory authorities of the concerned countries. Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) is a system, which has been evolved by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) used for achieving the above goals.
National GLP Compliance Monitoring Authority (NGCMA) was established by the Department of Science & Technology (DST), Government of India, with the approval of the Union Cabinet on April 24, 2002.
GLP-compliance certification is voluntary in nature. Industries/ test facilities/laboratories dealing with above chemicals and looking for approval from regulatory authorities before marketing them, may apply to the NGCMA for obtaining GLP Certification.

domain: chemistry


text:
An avatar, to me, is someone that I wish I were but I don’t have the time to be. So I’m going to help that person. I’m going to work with him. I’m going to partner with him in something. I might come to their class at a university. I might help hire some students. I might refer them to some potential funding resources if they’re trying to do some research.
One of the great examples of this is donorschoose.com. They match the needs of teachers and schools to donors who are willing to fund those needs. They’re outsourcing. And so you can have a project that says “I need six flutes for my band class and it’s going to cost me a thousand dollars.” They put it up online. So they get people who say, “Oh, I’ll pay two hundred dollars for that.” And they’ll get five people that put up two hundred dollars and then they’ll buy the flutes.
What they found is they have much increased response rates in people that return if they focus on the teacher and the story of the teacher rather than the project. The teacher becomes the avatar. The teacher is the individual who I can associate with, who I want to track over time and who I will connect to.
In Their Own Words is recorded in Big Think’s studio.
Image courtesy of Shutterstock

domain: economics


photo by La Real noticia
Recently, UFC President Dana White announced a rematch between current UFC women’s Bantamweight Champion Holly Holm (10-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) and previously undefeated megastar Ronda Rousey (12-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC). The fight is scheduled to take place at UFC 200 on July 9 in Las Vegas. The announcement comes weeks after Rousey’s devastating loss via KO to Holm. Lenny Fresquez, Holm’s manager, voiced his concerns about the announcement claiming that Holm wanted to get back in the cage as soon as February to defend her title against Miesha Tate and the July 9 date is too soon for Rousey. Rousey, who is still recovering from the fight, has expressed interest in the fight. While everyone including yours truly wants to see the rematch, one has to question whether or not Rousey even deserves a rematch. For me, that answer is a big, fat NO because it is unfair to all of the fighters involved. Let me explain:
Why it is Unfair to Ronda Rousey
You see that picture at the top of this post? It has been said “a picture is worth 1000 words,” and that picture probably tells twice as much at the very least. While it is an incredible shot to cap the match and event, the story that is being glossed over is the extent of Rousey’s injuries.
Rousey was hospitalized immediately after the fight. She ended up losing some teeth and had to have plastic surgery performed on her lip. Hmm, I wonder what caused that? She was suspended from doing any type of training for 45 days. Oh, and by the way, she can’t even eat an apple right now. While July 9 is a long way from now, a good chunk of that time will be spent in recovery for Rousey. Not to be funny, but seeing the way she lost, Rousey needs as much time as she can get to work on her striking game. Unless Holm completely forgets how to sprawl or Rousey starts getting really creative with her takedowns, this rematch will probably play out in a similar fashion to the first one. If Rousey doesn’t want to get embarrassed again, she will need her training. She isn’t going to roll out of bed one morning and figure out how to box with a former boxing champion. While she may have been knocking out her opponents as of late, we now know what happens when she has to go up against a world-class striker like Holm. You just know that somewhere out there, Floyd Mayweather Jr. is thinking to himself each night: “If Ronda looks like that against Holm, what does she think will happen if she steps in the ring with me?” Too bad Floyd hasn’t legitimately knocked someone out in nearly ten years (the Victor Ortiz KO doesn’t count Floyd).
I also think this fight is too soon because it is the very next fight for Rousey. Usually when fighters return from long layoffs (especially coming off of crushing losses), they take tune-up fights. It is common and probably necessary for great fighters to take tune-up fights because it gets those fighters back into the swing of things and gives them their confidence back. If Rousey fought anyone else and easily won, everyone including Rousey would have thought that she was back. How is a fighter supposed to have confidence going up against the same opponent that just put him/her in the hospital and shattered his/her confidence? No one knows what to expect from Rousey going into this fight, which would have been an advantage if Rousey were still an unknown, but she isn’t. We all know what her go-to strategy is and when that doesn’t work, what is she going to do? It’s like watching a movie on TV and expecting the network showing the movie to show a secret ending that wasn’t shown previously in the theaters or on DVD.
Why it is Unfair to Holly Holm
Although Holm was a decorated fighter (as a boxer) way before she got in the octagon to slay the giant Rousey, her KO win over Rousey marked her third fight ever in the UFC, meaning she is still a relatively inexperienced UFC fighter, let alone a UFC champion. For Holm, getting back into the octagon as soon as possible is the best thing she could do right now. The long layoff could make her rusty going into this fight. Considering Rousey’s injuries and Holm’s potential for rust, why wouldn’t Dana White want to schedule this fight when both fighters are at their best? Come July 9, that may not be the case for one of them if not the both of them.
Also, getting Holm back in the octagon way before July would have kept her fresh and got her in the mindset of preparing for what it takes to remain a champion. Any champion will tell you that winning a championship is only the start of the journey, but remaining on top is where the real journey takes place. By the time Holm fights Rousey, she might need to be reminded that she owns a UFC belt and would have to put it on the line. Holm shouldn’t have to wait on Rousey to get prepared to fight her again. Instead, it should be the other way around. If the fight were much closer and Holm had won by a split-decision, I could understand a rematch occurring as soon as possible, but not after a complete thrashing. Rousey should have to work like everyone else to get her chance at getting her belt back. Instead, she is undeservingly being handed one.
Why it is Unfair to Tate & Other Potential Challengers
As you are probably aware by now, Miesha Tate is indeed the third wheel in this situation when she shouldn’t be. Since her second loss to Rousey nearly two years ago, she has won four fights in a row, which is usually enough to get someone a title shot if he/she didn’t completely fall out of the rankings (which she didn’t). Now look at it this way: If Tate fights and loses to another challenger, will she be able to keep her ranking since Dana White snubbed her from a title shot? What about the fighter that beat her? What happens to that fighter’s chances for a title shot? By showing favoritism towards Rousey (and money), White is screwing up the women’s bantamweight division and it’s rankings.
It isn’t any secret that the UFC and Dana White are trying to squeeze every last dollar out of their cash cow Ronda Rousey. However, by rushing this fight to the public, White is costing himself and the UFC money. He is also probably cheating you the fans out of your money by having you believe that both fighters will be 100% healthy and non-rusty on July 9th. I respect Dana White for giving fans the fights they want to see most of the time, but sometimes it isn’t about who’s fighting so much as it is about when they fight. Would I pay to see Holm and Rousey fight again? Sure, but considering Holm’s/Rousey’s situations, a fight between them just isn’t the right time. Besides, by paying for this fight, I would be cheating myself out of a chance to see both fighters when they are at their best. I wouldn’t want to do that and neither should you.


Part of the Duguay-Trouin class light cruisers consisting of the Duguay-Trouin, Lamotte-Picquet and Primaguet, succeeded by the Jeanne d’Arc. Design progress started mid-1919 and in which Italy was considered to be the opponent especially in the control of the Mediterreanean. At the end of the same year was the Project 171 design completed but as the navy and the chief off the general staff had their objections was the design stricken in February 1920. Against the end that year were four designs available using the hull design of the American Omaha-class cruisers. Of these four designs was chosen for design C and two years was the building ordered although there were still objections against the design. For launching the 2 Gourdou-Leseurre GL-812 HY flying boats (later replaced by the GL-832) was on the quarter deck a catapult available. In the 1930’s were the Duguay-Trouin and the Primaguet fitted out with just one Loire 130 plane.
Laid down at the Arsenal de Lorient, France on 17 January 1923, launched on 21 March 1924, commissioned on 5 March 1927, stationed in the Far East (French Indochina) since 1933, participated in defeating a Thai squadron on 14 January 1941, training hulk in October 1941, disarmed in November 1941 and sunk by American aircraft in the so-called South China Sea Raid in the harbour of Saigon on 12 January 1945. Broken up after the Second World War.
General technical specifications of this class. Displacement 7.365 (standard)-9.500 (full load) tons and as dimensions 181,30 (over all) x 17,50 x 5,2 metres or 594.8 x 57.4 x 17 feet. The machinery consisted of 4-shaft oil fired single-reduction geared Parsons turbines supplying 100.000 (design)-102.000 (actual) shp allowing a speed of 30 (design)-33 (actual) knots and with a speed of 15 knots a range of 3.000 nautical miles. Crew numbered 578 men (included 27 officers). The armament consisted of 4x2-15,5cm/6.1” /50 M1920 guns (range 26,1 kilometres), 4x1-7,5cm/3” M1922 anti aircraft guns and 4x3-55cm/22” torpedo tubes. The armour consisted of a 2cm/0.79” thick deck, a 3cm/1.2” thick magazine box with the gun turrets and conning tower also protected by 3cm/1.2”. As an extra protections was the hull divided with 16 transverse bulkheads in watertight compartments and around the machinery compartments even doubled.


In July, the European Commission is expected to bring out its ‘urgent’ review of the European Union’s emissions-trading scheme. This presents the opportunity to re-set a floundering yet ultimately sensible system so that it supports low-carbon investment in a technology-neutral fashion. However, what seems more likely is that the adjustments will remain minor and Europe will continue to invest its hopes in non-market-based initiatives, such as new binding market-share targets for renewable technologies.
A frank debate about Europe’s energy future is needed – not only because regulatory uncertainty is the number-one risk factor that renders Europe less attractive for much-needed energy investments, but also because current policies have produced absurd outcomes:
On the one hand, support schemes for renewable energies have spiralled out of control. For example, Spain recently had to pull the plug on its renewable industry because the price of electricity had risen 17% above the European average due to a fivefold increase in government subsidies. This is not sustainable, especially in times of economic crisis and financial turmoil.
On the other hand, heavily polluting coal and lignite plants are celebrating a revival under the current regulatory regime. In Germany alone, 11 gigawatt of coal power is planned for next year. Natural gas, which is by far the cleanest fossil fuel and a vital back-up for renewable energy sources, is being squeezed out.
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Rather than ‘picking the winners’, the Commission should live up to its mantra of an open energy market and fair competition. An unbiased and market-based approach would avoid messy experiments that cost billions for European taxpayers and consumers. Why not ensure that the decarbonisation of Europe proceeds on the basis of cost efficiency?
Let me give you just one example. In the power sector, the EU could achieve an 80% cut in carbon dioxide by replacing old coal plants with new gas-fired plants. By 2030, this would save €250 billion-€500bn, compared to a pathway with a 60% market share for renewables.
Admittedly, the EU is considering support options for other technologies as well, such as gas-fired power plants in Germany. But rather than working on a case-by-case basis, it would be far more logical to create a carbon market that simply tilts in favour of the most efficient solutions, regardless of the technology. The gas industry does not need subsidies; it needs a level playing field.
Although flawed in its application, the emissions-trading scheme (ETS) provides the basis for a sensible market-based regime. The amount of carbon that can be emitted until 2020 is fixed by law, and polluters are able to choose how to reduce their impact. If properly set up, the system would ensure a fair and flexible approach to bringing down emissions, an approach far less cumbersome than targets for individual technologies. The Commission’s review of the ETS needs to create momentum for a fundamental re-set of the system so that it provides adequate support for low-carbon investment, including in gas.
Let me be very clear: renewable energy sources will have to play an important role in Europe’s energy future, and gas will be a natural partner for that. But setting another round of binding renewable targets (as implied by the Commission’s latest communication on renewable energy), in addition to CO2 reduction obligations and the ETS, would not enable the market to find cost-efficient solutions. Instead, it smacks of an arbitrarily planned economy. If the EU intends to fight climate change, it should measure success in tons of emissions saved rather than the market share of cherry-picked technologies.
Europe’s economy would be best served by a market-driven and technology-neutral framework. Whatever the outcome of this debate and the future of EU climate policy, the message cannot simply be ‘keep at it’. Brussels needs to cut carbon emissions, not the economy, if it wants to avoid an industrial ‘sunset of Europe’.
Aleksandr Medvedev is deputy chairman of the management committee of the Russian energy group Gazprom and director-general of Gazprom Export.


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The early brunt of a hard-drive shortage resulting from widespread flooding in Thailand is falling on small PC makers, who are raising computer prices to stem losses.
Panasonic said Tuesday it will sell one of its main domestic TV panel factories to a new joint venture focused on producing smaller screens, as Japan's big-name manufacturers continue to seek relief from deep losses in their display businesses.
While some consumer electronics manufacturers have cleaned up their act, making more energy-efficient gadgets with fewer toxic materials, others are continuing to make fine promises but no changes, according to Greenpeace. In response, the environmen...
The devastating floods in Thailand will cause a 28 percent quarter-on-quarter drop in hard disk drive (HDD) production in the fourth quarter, potentially affecting notebook production in early 2012, research firm IHS iSuppli said on Monday.
Western Digital said its primary manufacturing facility in Thailand was flooded over the weekend, with its secondary site also at risk, raising the possibility of a global shortage of hard disk drives (HDD) in the current quarter.
Toshiba announced a new home media server with five terabytes of storage on Monday: It has enough capacity to store 15 days of digital TV broadcasts from six channels.
Amazon compromised on several hardware features of its Kindle Fire to deliver the most affordable mainstream 7-inch media tablet. Arriving on November 15 for $199, the Kindle Fire will enter a crowded market dominated by Apple's iPad.
Toshiba today unveiled the newest addition to its Thrive family of tablets: the Toshiba Thrive 7".
Fearing slow sales and a market dominated by Apple's MacBook Air, major notebook makers plan to release a limited number of <a href="http://www.pcw...
"The earthquake has changed people's values," said Masaaki Osumi, Toshiba's CEO of digital products, as the video wall behind him filled with cataclysmic images of overwhelmed sea defenses, trucks adrift in swirling waters and towns reduced to matchw...
Toshiba is hoping to improve its fortunes in the tablet market with the Android Honeycomb-based AT200, which is only 7.7 millimeters thick.It is also getting onboard Intel's Ultrabook push with the Portégé Z830.
Toshiba enters the nascent 1-terabyte laptop hard drive market with the company's first 2.5-inch 1TB HDD, the MQ01ABD. The drive has an industry-standard 9.5mm height and uses two 500GB platters.
Users of Toshiba's latest Thrive Tablet early next week will receive a software update to resolve a bug that causes the tablet to not wake up from sleep mode.
Toshiba on Wednesday acknowledged a bug that causes its Thrive tablet to not wake up from sleep mode, and the company said it is working on a fix.
Toshiba and SanDisk on Tuesday announced the opening of a chip fabrication plant in Japan that was designed to withstand earthquakes.
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domain: news


text:
Expect the Unexpected
Wildfang founder Emma Mcilroy speaks on gender, style, confidence, and answering the call of the wild.
Gender has always been a mystery to me. Growing up, my two best friends were guys. Additionally, I had two older brothers whom I worshipped. These males were my roles models and equals. I remained blissfully unaware of our anatomical and genetic differences until my early teens. Fortunately, by that time, the foundations of my youth had been solidly set. I’d convinced myself that I had the ability to hold my own in any conversation or workout, irrespective of the gender of those who surrounded me. Undoubtedly the freedom with which I was allowed to find my identity gave me the confidence to tackle any task I set my mind to, without consideration or fear of the ‘norm’. Once, a very smart man gave me a wonderful compliment, which I’ve always held dear. He said, “I feel fortunate to have met you – perhaps because I have grown up in the wilderness, I know the brilliance embodied in the ‘wild’”.
Wildfang is a result of this; a home for female Robin Hoods who steal their style from the boys and want to leave their mark on this world. Traditional gender boundaries mean nothing to them. Your gender should not exist to restrict your fashion choices or your career opportunities. Wildfang is where we truly value what it means to be ‘wild’.
Despite running this “fashion” brand, fashion is something I know very little about. That’s evident in my first grade school photos — complete with heavy knit vest, red corduroy jacket, and thick Mickey Mouse frames from the boy’s section. Fashion always seemed confusing and fragile to me. Instead, I’ve always found the most intoxicating people to be those with true self-confidence. Confidence in who they are, what they do, and why they do it. That confidence spills out in the way they wear their hair, their clothes, the way they speak, the way they listen, the way they move. And that confidence allows them to be free.
Which is really what Wildfang is about: to bring freedom and confidence to millions of women. Some of those women want to make a bold statement, some of those women don’t. But all of them want freedom and confidence to express themselves and be who they are. All of them want to have their style fuel them, rather than hold them back. When you aren’t able to express yourself, life can really suck: you bomb job interviews; you don’t have the guts to ask the girl on that first date; you stop chasing the things that really matter to you.
If there is a line between masculine and feminine, then my personality and style dance all over that line. Growing up, I was athletic, confident, and outspoken, so others would have likely labeled me more masculine than my peers. Now, as an adult, I delight in this ability to swing from one end of the gender spectrum to the other. I relish the chance to go from a button down and skinny tie to four-inch heels and a cocktail dress. Ever since I can remember, I’ve liked to push boundaries and delighted in traveling the path others said I couldn’t take, as the tattoo on my right hip attests (“Expect the unexpected”). There’s nothing more fun than defying convention or proving someone wrong. For me, gender expectations are a part of that convention. And as Patti Smith says: being any gender is a drag.
Learn more about Emma, Wildfang, and shop the collection at wildfang.com.

domain: literature


text:
Subscribe / Renew
|WWTP & Front Street Pump Station Improvements - Phase 3|
McClure and Sons Inc.
|HORIZON HOUSE EXTERIOR REHAB PROJECT # 13468|
|PINEHURST SCHOOL PROJECT|
|PIKE PLACE MARKET WATERFRONT ENTRANCE BID PACKAGES 1, 2 & 4|
|CITY OF CENTRALIA - WASTEWATER DECANT FACILITY|
February 27, 2013
NEW YORK (AP) — JPMorgan is trimming about 4,000 jobs, or about 1.5 percent of its work force, becoming the latest big bank to shrink its staff.
The bank said the cuts will be focused in consumer banking and mortgages. Many of the cuts would come through attrition, but the bank will lay off workers as well, a bank spokeswoman said.
. . .


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What we're about
***** Please note: This meetup group page is more of a placeholder for those people who are not aware of when our meetings are held, rather than an active site which is managed. If you don't see many attendees on a meetup, it doesn't mean that people wont be there. *****
The mission of a Toastmasters club is to provide a mutually supportive and positive learning environment in which every member has the opportunity to develop and practice communication and leadership skills, which in turn foster self-confidence and personal growth.
We are a group of 20+ members who meet on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of every month. A Dinner meeting is held at 6:30 PM for a 7:00 PM start at the Windaroo Lakes Golf Course.
As with all social groups, we are very interested in having new members join us to keep the meetings interesting and fresh as not everyone can make every meeting.
Logan Toastmasters is a club open to all, so anyone can join. Guests are free to come on the condition of buying a meal. That’s certainly too good to miss! Why not bring a friend?

domain: sociology


text:
Toddler girls' short-sleeve Vampirina graphic T-shirt pairs comfort with fun style
Cotton-blend fabric is soft and comfortable to wear year-round
Relaxed fit is easy to pair with a variety of different bottoms
Material: 65% Cotton, 35% Polyester
Length: At waist
Features: Short sleeve, Pullover
Garment sleeve style: Basic sleeve
Care and Cleaning: Machine wash & Tumble dry
Item Number (DPCI): 330-02-1327
Soft and sweet, this Vampirina Short-Sleeve T-Shirt from Disney will keep your girl comfy at all times. This cute Vampirina tee features basic short sleeves and a crewneck that lets it easily pair with a variety of bottoms for versatile styling options. The ruffle accents along the sleeves add an extra dose of appeal to her style, while the eye-catching Vampirina graphics and glittery stars create a fun, playful look. Have her wear it with printed leggings, jeans or skirts to keep her look cute and comfy for any casual outing.
My daughter loves anything with Vampirina, & this shirt is no exception. This shirt fits true to size, unlike some of the other character tshirts that we've tried. It's of decent quality, comparable to the cat & jack tshirts.

domain: design


text:
The Knights Inn Rowland is a Tourist hotel. Located in ROWLAND - NORTH CAROLINA area. Shopping is within walking distance and the nightlife/restaurants are located in the hotel.
The Super 8 Rowland is a Tourist hotel. Located in ROWLAND - NORTH CAROLINA area. Shopping is accessible by bus/taxi and the nightlife/restaurants are located in the hotel.
The Rowland Days Inn property is located on the border of North Carolina and South Carolina across from the famous tourist attraction-South of the Border. It is the halfway stop between New York and Orlando, Florida.Free Continental Daybreak BreakfastAll Rooms Hairdryer, AM-FM Clock RadioSome Rooms Available with Refrigerators Myrtle Beach is 70 miles from the property. Darlington and Rockingham Speedway is about 40 miles.UNC Pembroke University is 20 milesFort Bragg Pope Air Force is about 50 miles from the property. We also have a Sun-Do Gas Station on the property open 24 hours. Tar Heel Diner open for Dinner from 5-10pm.Airports Include: Fayetteville NC 40 miles, Florence, SC 32 miles, Lumberton, NC 15 miles.
Please select your Flight

domain: geography


text:
Independent Banking Advisory Service
Established in 1992
Personal Guarantee, Personal Guarantees and Demands for Payment
Directors Personal Guarantee Debt Claims - If you have been asked to pay a demand because the bank forced your business to close down or removed the business account lending you will require specialist advice to determine if the Director’s Personal Guarantees you signed before those events can be contested or now used against the bank’s claim on you.
IBAS provides experienced specialist and practical advice to our members on how to deal with and control the bank’s ‘collection’ activities after demand of the debt has been made on a Director’s Personal Guarantee. What can you do and how best to do it? Can you dilute your director’s personal liability under a bank’s director personal guarantee debt demand?
Those questions and many others have been asked in cases where IBAS investigate bankers and the bank’s actions.
IBAS will explain and identify all the issues for you when we take up any business banking case under membership - but before we can offer membership, we need to understand your case and what has already taken place.
As a non proﬁt organization we cannot help everyone who enquires and we need to select cases which most require our specialist assistance. Often, a number of emails will be necessary for us to understand the speciﬁcs and what is being claimed. Once we have determined that we can assist with a case we can then offer IBAS membership.
IBAS is now in it's 25th year helping/guiding those with UK Business Banking disputes and Director's Personal Guarantee business debt claims - IBAS is the only UK non profit organization which provides business banking customers with specialist business banking assistance and specialist business banking guidance and also IBAS specialist business banking investigations.
IBAS members are advised on all matters which may be raised in the course of their membership such as: Bankruptcy, Codes of Conduct issues, Company borrowings - which are now threatening the business owner’s home, Bank enforcing bank demands, Joint and Several Liability debts and Guarantees - how will that alter individual claims, penalty or overcharged interest, Charging Orders, Orders for Sale, Payment obtained from property equity, Full & Final settlements, phased payments and many others. It is a normality that many of our members will have homes on which the bank can ‘see’ available equity - which the bank will know they can leverage by their actions to obtain payment of their debt claim/s. IBAS investigations centre on ﬁnding the facts with which we can best protect our member’s interest and their homes.
Independent Banking Advisory Service (IBAS) - IBAS launched in 1992 as a specialist unincorporated business banking membership organization assisting bank customers with UK business banking account loan disputes and business banking debt disputes with their bank. Our analysis and investigation of business bank loans, business bank accounts, business banking contracts, business banking account facilities and business banking debt recovery information has been instrumental in our member's success.
'I found IBAS to be Impressive & professional with no nonsense. I followed IBAS strategy totally and the result was spectacular. Thanks for putting my life back on track and saving me a bucket load of money - I cannot thank you enough. I would now start with IBAS and ignore all the others who are 'selling' an imitation of these guys but without IBAS knowledge! - AT November 2016
IBAS business banking dispute negotiating experience and proven strategy provides claims and defences for business bank customers. IBAS has excellent banking investigation reputation and has also featured on BBC TV, BBC TV News, ITV, Meridian and Sky News and in Sunday Times, Times, Daily Mail, Daily Express and Daily Mirror editorials evidenced in IBAS News Archive.
If you've received a bank's director's personal guarantee debt claim demand IBAS should be your first call. We know that bank debt recovery departments prey on your fears and we all tend to not act logically if we are scared. With a personal issue, we also act even less logically. That means bank recovery unit's 'scare tactics' work very well to obtain what they want - which is a quick payment proposal or offer to pay. But, instead of telephoning the bank you should be seeking experienced help first and on the claim being made - IBAS can help you to 'control' the bank's 'claim' whilst also investigating all the issues.
The ﬁrst question in your mind when you receive a demand on your personal guarantee will probably be is the personal guarantee valid? or maybe your questions is can this personal guarantee be contested in any way - if so how? Banks seek security for lending in many ways but the PG is the easiest and the simplest for a banker to take (and the least resisted by the customer) particularly when bankers have not been truthful and stated: ʻitʼs only a piece of paperʼ or ʻthe bank will never rely on itʻ or when security on the home is being taken - the well used phrase of: ʻdonʼt worry we will never take your home, even if the business failsʼ.
Those are areas in which IBAS has been ʻworkingʼ since 1992. We have found over time through our investigations that what was said before the personal guarantee signing or before other security for borrowings was taken is probably the most contested ʻbanking relationshipʻ dialogue. We do not think there is any mystery to that. Whilst bankers are very well aware of the legality of the signed Personal Guarantee (their banking exams specifically cover all aspects of taking valid security for the bankʼs beneﬁt) and also how the bank will enforce on it later when required - it is often the ʻsellingʼ of the signing of a personal guarantee for a business which has been ʻmiss statedʼ by bankers in their quest to obtain the maximum security for their lending and in meeting loan/account/security targets. IBAS investigation on such matters focus on obtaining all information and evidence to properly investigate not only the circumstances of the lending but also the circumstances around the taking of all security by the bank.
One of our members wrote: 'I understand that so many cases are lost before they start because under threats from the bank the customer provides an offer of payment - without understanding there may be a defence to the bank's claim. Having been induced to make that offer, the bank then goes for the jugular. - DeeJay
The following statement is posted online:"The fact that IBAS have the knowledge and provide assistance in formulating the strategy, which was provided to me under membership and which provided the necessary case law ammunition and support (letters continually making the correct points) to prevent the bank gaining the upper hand (preventing me making offers which I wanted to make, just to get this case against me closed, and which would have destroyed any defence) - that strength of position then also enabled me to 'face off' the bank's threat (although the bank/solicitors knew their claim was flawed) and this strength of resistance then forced them to discontinue their action - this is all a matter of fact and something which IBAS should be very pleased about." Source
"I know that IBAS provided me with the necessary tools to defend against Barclays successfully.” - said DeeJay - Do you want the 'necessary tools' that IBAS provides to challenge a bank's personal guarantee debt claim and demand?
The case above illustrates the extreme caution required by any Guarantor and also how dangerous Director's Personal Guarantees may be later for those who have signed them. It also illustrates how IBAS guides it's members with Director's Personal Guarantee debt claims for a resolution and also how IBAS Strategy has proved it will succeed.
It's impossible for someone facing a Director's personal guarantee debt demand claim to compare their situation with another's. Challenges to Director's Personal Guarantee debt demand claims require banking knowledge and banking experience. IBAS has dealt with PG demands since 1992 and we advise members based on our experience of individual bank debt recovery units attitudes and their bank's practices. IBAS membership provides an opportunity to fully investigate director's personal guarantee demand claims for flaws. IBAS membership provides exceptionally experienced professional help from 'case' investigations on large volumes of business banking cases and director personal guarantee bank debt claims.
The current practice for all banks 'chasing' payment from a directors bank personal guarantee debt demand is for their debt recovery unit to obtain by any means possible a signed asset/expenditure form or personal financial statement. That's the bank's first priority at or after demand on a Director's Personal Guarantee to the bank. Providing that information at that time to the bank will destroy any further attempt to negotiate the debt on the Director's Personal Guarantee claim. Some bank debt recovery officers telephone customer's immediately after demand to gain an immediate payment proposal. If they obtain a proposal of any kind - it will allow the bank to enforce the debt quickly into a full legal claim. Judgment and enforcement of such a debt from a Director's Personal Guarantee debt claim will inevitably mean legal 'pressure' on the family home. In some cases the bank will seek to obtain an 'order for sale' so the bank can sell the property to repay the bank's demand.
Bank debt recovery officers are trained to not only 'control' any conversation with customers once they have them on the phone but by using their bank training and legal knowledge provided for debt recovery means that they have a very distinct legal and psychological advantage. Particularly, when a customer is attempting to 'negotiate' themselves using the telephone. A bank customer is immediately placed under pressure and at a disadvantage as the bank's debt recovery officer takes control of the conversation to obtain what they want. Customers have no knowledge of a bank's debt recovery strategy or how it operates until they are faced with it.
Bank debt recovery units are also very skilled at defending the bank's position and they will mislead or misinform you to do so. They also know how the law is used because they are trained to use their legal position and knowledge to prevent defences from arising at an early stage in the bank's claim.
Bank loans, business loans, overdrafts and mortgages can require directors or partners to provide the bank with personal guarantees or bank guarantees and many director's personal guarantees or partner's personal guarantees are provided to lenders much too easily. Spouses, other relatives, friends and business acquaintances can be 'drawn' into providing personal guarantees to a bank where they have no control over the borrowings. Often, guarantors have little or no input or control with business borrowings or the increased volume of business borrowings on which they have provided guarantees.A hastily provided signature may prove to be a very costly error and a very stressful experience.

domain: finance


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Humana CEO Bruce Broussard, Gov. Matt Bevin and U.S. Sens. Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul have been named to Modern Healthcare’s list of the “100 Most Influential People in Healthcare 2018.”
The program honors individuals in health care who are deemed by their peers and the senior editors of Modern Healthcare to be the most influential individuals in the industry in terms of leadership and impact.
Broussard, who held a 12-way tie for No. 2 on the listing, was cited for his efforts to expand Humana’s reach. Modern Healthcare noted that the Louisville-based company’s acquisition of Curo Health Services and Kindred Healthcare has paved the way for the creation of the nation’s largest hospice operator, and a partnership with Walgreens will launch new retail clinics.
As Senate majority leader, Sen. Mitch McConnell (No. 43) has major sway over the nation’s health policy. The magazine notes that the most significant issue on McConnell’s agenda at this time is the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to fill the vacant seat on the U.S. Supreme Court, which will see a number of health-care-related issues come before the high court in the years ahead. Sen. Rand Paul (No. 49), who is himself a physician, will be a crucial vote in the Kavanaugh nomination. Paul has also been a long-time advocate for association health plans as a way to address problems with the health-care system.
Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin (No. 50) has drawn attention for his efforts to implement work/volunteer requirements for Medicaid recipients who are physically able.


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Set in a Norse-inspired world and packed with myth, magic, and vengeance, this second book in John Gwynne’s Bloodsworn trilogy is the next chapter an epic saga that follows a band of warriors as they face the wrath of ancient gods and change the shape of the world.
Lik-Rifa, the dragon god of legend, has been freed from her eternal prison. Now she plots a new age of blood and conquest.
As Orka continues the hunt for her missing son, the Bloodsworn sweep south in a desperate race to save one of their own – and Varg takes the first steps on the path of vengeance.
Elvar has sworn to fulfil her blood oath and rescue a prisoner from the clutches of Lik-Rifa and her dragonborn followers, but first she must persuade the Battle-Grim to follow her.
Yet even the might of the Bloodsworn and Battle-Grim cannot stand alone against a dragon god.
Their hope lies within the mad writings of a chained god. A book of forbidden magic with the power to raise the wolf god Ulfrir from the dead . . .and bring about a battle that will shake the foundations of the earth.
Praise for The Shadow of the Gods
“There is not a dull chapter in this fantasy epic.” —Vulture (Best of the Year)
"A satisfying and riveting read. It’s everything I’ve come to expect from a John Gwynne book." —Robin Hobb
"A masterfully crafted, brutally compelling Norse-inspired epic." —Anthony Ryan
"A masterclass in storytelling . . . epic, gritty fantasy with an uncompromising amount of heart." —FanFiAddict
For more from John Gwynne, check out:
The Bloodsworn Trilogy
The Shadow of the Gods
Of Blood and Bone
A Time of Dread
A Time of Blood
A Time of Courage
The Faithful and the Fallen
Download and start listening now!
About the Narrator
Colin Mace is an actor recently seen in the National Theatre’s One Man, Two Guvnors. He starred in the critically acclaimed drama The Night Watch for the BBC, Shirley for BBC2, as well as several episodes of Eastenders. His theater credits include “Ted Narracott” in War Horse at the National Theatre and West End, as well as Cash at WYP, and The 39 Steps and The Odysee at the Lyric Hammersmith. Other television credits includes Peep Show, Abolition, The Bill, Down to Earth, and The Project.


NEW DELHI – A woman from an Indian state was allegedly lured into a forest by her Facebook friend and was sexually assaulted by a group of 25 men in early May.
Reports in Indian media stated that the victim was allegedly kidnapped before getting gang-raped in a forest in Haryana – a North Indian state.
The incident came into light more than a week after the victim faced the heinous assault. She approached the law enforcers of the Hasanpur police station almost 9 days after the crime when she eventually gathered the strength to narrate her worst nightmare.
The case was lodged against the main accused that is identified as Sagar from Dehradun, has been now under police custody.
The victim’s complaint stated that the victim befriended the accused on Facebook the accused some time ago. The man later asked her to meet him in Palwal and when she arrived at the spot, the group of Sagar joined them
The gang forcibly took the girl to the woods where they sexually assaulted her for more than a day and later they dumped her near the scrap godown at Badarpur after she lost her consciousness.
The women also alleged the scrap dealer for sexual assault. She also mentioned that Sagar threatened her not to approach the police.
A police official while speaking with an Indian news outlet told that the survivor hailed from Uttarakhand and was living in the country’s capital for her job. Sagar, on the pretext of taking the victim to his house, took her to a secluded place from where he group of men gang-raped her’.
The officer further added that a manhunt has been launched by cops to apprehend other accused. And further probe into the matter is underway.
Pakistani rupee witnessed marginal losses against US dollar, and other currencies in the open market.
On Wednesday, the dollar was being quoted at 285.6 for selling and 288.65 for buying purposes.
Euro price stands at 312 for buying and 315 for selling. British Pound rate stands at 360 for buying, and 363 for selling.
UAE Dirham AED stands at 78.25 whereas the Saudi Riyal also witnessed fall and new price stands at 76.25.
|UK Pound Sterling||GBP||360||363|
|Hong Kong Dollar||HKD||36.24||36.59|
|New Zealand Dollar||NZD||173.44||175.44|
KARACHI – The gold price moved up down in the local market in line with massive increase in international market.
On Wednesday, the single tola of 24 Karat gold was available at Rs218,000, and the price for 10-gram gold saw an increase of Rs943 to reach Rs186,900.
Meanwhile, the 22 Karat Gold price stands at Rs199,830, 21 karat rate for each tola is Rs190,750 and 18k gold rate hoveres around Rs163,500.00.
In international market, the price of precious metal went up by $29 to settle at $2,044 per ounce.
|Lahore||PKR 218,000||PKR 2,610|
|Karachi||PKR 218,000||PKR 2,610|
|Islamabad||PKR 218,000||PKR 2,610|
|Peshawar||PKR 218,000||PKR 2,610|
|Quetta||PKR 218,000||PKR 2,610|
|Sialkot||PKR 218,000||PKR 2,610|
|Attock||PKR 218,000||PKR 2,610|
|Gujranwala||PKR 218,000||PKR 2,610|
|Jehlum||PKR 218,000||PKR 2,610|
|Multan||PKR 218,000||PKR 2,610|
|Bahawalpur||PKR 218,000||PKR 2,610|
|Gujrat||PKR 218,000||PKR 2,610|
|Nawabshah||PKR 218,000||PKR 2,610|
|Chakwal||PKR 218,000||PKR 2,610|
|Hyderabad||PKR 218,000||PKR 2,610|
|Nowshehra||PKR 218,000||PKR 2,610|
|Sargodha||PKR 218,000||PKR 2,610|
|Faisalabad||PKR 218,000||PKR 2,610|
|Mirpur||PKR 218,000||PKR 2,610|


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A little about Natural Charters:
The Natural charters out of both Deale Maryland, from the Happy Harbor Inn, and Sunset Marina in West Ocean City MD. The Happy Harbor is just south of Annapolis on the Western shore of the Chesapeake Bay, while Sunset Marina is at the southern end of Ocean City across the bay from the boardwalk. The two marinas are great places yet very different. The Happy Harbor Inn is a small place that’s been around since 1933. Its quaint, rugged, and friendly. Sunset Marina is relatively new and is often a destination. It’s a large, full service marina with all the amenities. Both maintain the small town friendly atmosphere and are fiercely dedicated to the sportfisherman.
Our charter season always begins in April out of Deale, MD fishing for trophy rockfish (Striped Bass). Shortly after the spring season, usually in June, we move the boat to off-shore fish in Ocean City, MD. We run charters out of Sunset Marina through September until we head home for fall rockfish. Once back home in Deale we fish the Chesapeake Bay through December 15th for the close of the rockfish season. This end of season rockfish often produces the best grade of fish that we see all year in the bay.
We fish the summer months in Ocean City for tuna, marlin, mahi (dolphin), shark, and wahoo. Our primary months in Ocean City are July and August as we focus on the tournaments. The other months we are fishing the Chesapeake Bay out of the Happy Harbor in Deale MD. The Happy Harbor is our home marina.
We can coordinate multiple charter boats to accommodate any size fishing party and welcome everyone; family, business, bachelor parties, bachelorette parties and personal cruises. We can also have your charter catered. We believe in respectful treatment of our customers. We have repeat customers have been fishing with us for many years, and many are now close friends. We like to catch fish and are competitive in our attitude and approach but never at the expense of ‘your’ charter. We want to see you have great time. Its about you and your group.
Capt. Rich is a graduate from the University of Maryland, holds a 100 ton USCG Masters license, and maintains current Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) certification through Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Services. The safety of the charters are our first priority. Capt Rich is an owner/operator and has been running fishing charters for 15 years. He’s married with three children and lives on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay in Southern MD.
- DCA – Deale Captains Association
- MCBA -Maryland Charter Boat Association)
- UBCA – Upper Bay Charter Boat Association
- NACO – National Association of Charter Boat Operators
- Maritime Consortium Inc
Email: email@example.com or call us at: 301-704-7231, Mailing Address: PO Box 332 Deale MD 20751


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Declines in the abundance and condition of Great Lakes Alewives have been reported periodically during the last two decades, and the reasons for these declines remain unclear. To better understand how food web changes may influence Alewife growth and Wisconsin growth model predictions, we fed Alewives isocaloric diets high in omega-6 fatty acids (corn oil) or high in omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil). Alewives were fed the experimental diets at either 1% (“low ration”) or 3% (“high ration”) of their wet body weight per day. After six weeks, Alewives maintained on the high ration diets were significantly larger than those fed the low ration diets. Moreover, Alewives given the high ration fish oil diet were significantly larger than those maintained on the high ration corn oil diet after six weeks of growth. Body lipid, energy density and total body energy of Alewives on the high ration diets were significantly higher than those fed the low ration diets, and total body energy was significantly higher in Alewives given the high ration fish oil diet compared to those on the high ration corn oil diet. The current Wisconsin bioenergetics model underestimated growth and overestimated food consumption by Alewives in our study. Alewife thiaminase activity was similar among treatment groups. Overall, our results suggest that future food web changes in Lake Ontario, particularly if they involve decreases in the abundance of lipid rich prey items such as Mysis, may reduce Alewife growth rates and total body energy due to reductions in the availability of dietary omega-3 fatty acids.
The amount and quality of lipids in the diet has a particularly strong influence on growth and condition of fishes. Lipids are stored by fishes when food is plentiful and are mobilized when food is scarce (Halver and Hardy, 2002). Stored lipids provide energy for normal growth and metabolism, for production of gametes, and for surviving extended periods of food deprivation (Henderson and Tocher, 1987). Moreover, the specific types of lipids and fatty acids available to fishes play a key role in fish condition, growth and health. Highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFA) such as eircosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid: EPA (C20:5n-3) and DHA (C22:6n-3) are essential fatty acids for most fishes, meaning that they cannot be synthesized endogenously and must instead be obtained through diet (Bell et al., 1986). Food sources available to fishes vary in their fatty acid composition, and marine food webs typically contain much higher levels of omega-3 HUFA than freshwater food webs, where a lack of essential fatty acids can present significant challenges for fishes (Sargent et al., 2002). HUFA are known to be important in maintaining cell membrane function, improving cold tolerance, mitigating stress responses and contributing to healthy cardiovascular and immune system function in fish and higher vertebrates (Snyder and Hennessey, 2003; Tocher, 2003). Given the vital role of these compounds, it is not surprising that dietary deficiencies of omega-3 HUFA in fishes can result in decreased growth and survival, increased incidences of disease, and a variety of other metabolic disorders (Sargent et al., 2002; Tocher, 2003).
Alewives (Alosa pseudoharengus) are presently an important component of the Lake Ontario and Lake Michigan food webs. They are the primary prey of salmon and trout, and support a valuable recreational fishery (Madenjian et al., 2005). Alewives also have significant impacts on zooplankton communities through predation, on native fishes through competition for food and via predation on larvae, and on reproductive success of piscivores due to the detrimental effects of the thiaminase that they contain (Madenjian et al., 2002; Honeyfield et al., 2005). Declines in the abundance and condition of Lake Ontario (Murry et al., 2010) and Lake Michigan Alewives (Madenjian et al., 2003, 2005) have been reported periodically during the last two decades, and the reasons for these declines remain unclear. Given their broad ecological impacts, understanding key factors that influence Alewife growth remains a priority in Great Lakes fisheries management.
The diet of Alewives has been altered by continuing changes in the Lake Ontario food web. Feeding habits of Alewives shifted from a diet consisting largely of native copepods and cladocerans containing 40–70% lipid (Goulden et al., 1998) to one containing significant numbers of Bythotrephes containing lower lipid concentrations (10–19%; Bilkovic and Lehman, 1997) when this non-native cladoceran invaded Lake Ontario in the mid-1980's (Mills et al., 1992). Although the occurrence of Bythotrephes in Lake Ontario is now sporadic, another related non-native predatory cladoceran, Cercopagis pengoi, is well-established and is an important component of Alewife diets, especially during summer months (Storch et al., 2007; Walsh et al., 2008; Stewart et al., 2010a). The invasion of Lake Ontario by dreissenid mussels in the 1990's altered nearshore nutrient and food web dynamics (Hecky et al., 2004), and the effects of dreissenids coupled with predation from Bythotrephes and Cercopagis may be responsible for a significant decline in nearshore zooplankton abundance in the lake (Stewart et al., 2009). This reduced availability of food in nearshore areas may not adequately support Alewife growth, and Alewives may now need to rely even more heavily on Mysis in offshore areas to obtain sufficient energy and essential nutrients (Stewart et al., 2009) especially with the continuing disappearance of the amphipod Diporeia (Nalepa et al., 2006). Mysis and Diporeia contain high concentrations of lipids (average 25%–40%; Cavaletto and Gardner, 1998) and essential omega-3 fatty acids. With the loss of Diporeia, Mysis has become an increasingly important component of the diet of Alewives over the last two decades in Lake Ontario (Walsh et al., 2008; Stewart et al., 2009). Although Mysis are currently abundant in Lake Ontario, any future declines could limit the ability of Alewives to obtain sufficient energy and essential fatty acids through their diet. Over the long term, reduction in the availability of Mysis could result in reduced abundance of Alewives, or instead, Alewife abundance might remain high but growth rates and condition levels could be greatly reduced.
Bioenergetics models simulate growth or estimate food consumption of fishes, and these models have many applications in contemporary fisheries management. The Wisconsin bioenergetics model for Alewives (Stewart and Binkowski, 1986) has been used extensively in Great Lakes fisheries management for a variety of purposes, including optimization of salmonine stocking rates, modeling transfer of contaminants, and studying the impacts of Alewives on their zooplankton prey. Despite the usefulness of bioenergetics models, a recent review indicates that many bioenergetics models are inaccurate when predicting fish growth, and the authors conclude that more studies on the effects of low food rations and prey type are needed to improve the predictions of current models (Bajer et al., 2004). Hence, a better understanding of Alewife nutrition, coupled with knowledge of Alewife diets in the Great Lakes, should improve the accuracy of current growth models for this species.
In summary, continued invasions by non-native species and ongoing alterations of food webs in Lake Ontario and throughout the Great Lakes point toward dramatic changes in sources and availability of essential nutrients such as fatty acids. Herein we report our findings on a laboratory study examining the effect of dietary omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids on Alewife growth. The results will improve our ability to understand the impacts of continued food web alterations on their growth, which is especially important as long as Alewives are an important prey fish of top predators in the Lake Ontario food web and throughout the Great Lakes basin.
Materials and methods
We obtained adult (age 1–2 years) Alewives from Waneta Lake, an inland freshwater lake in central New York, USA. Two hundred eighty Alewife were lightly sedated with tricaine methanesulfonate (MS-222) and individual weights recorded. Fish were distributed among eight 760 litre circular tanks at densities of 35 fish tank−1, and the temperature of the water was maintained at 16.0 ± 0.5°C with a 12L:12D photoperiod. We formulated two isocaloric, isonitrogenous diets with either fish oil or corn oil as the added source of lipids. One diet had marine fish oil as the primary source of fatty acids; this diet was rich in omega-3 fatty acids and had elevated levels of highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFA) including EPA (C20:5n-3) and DHA (C22:6n-3). The second diet contained corn oil as the primary source of fatty acids; this diet was rich in omega-6 fatty acids and provided high amounts of linoleic acid (C18:2n-6) and low amounts of EPA and DHA (Table 1). In terms of natural prey of Alewives, the fish oil diet would resemble Mysis or Diporeia (high in HUFA), while the corn oil diet would be more similar to cladocerans or other prey that typically have low HUFA levels. Each diet was provided to the fish at either a low or a high amount (1% or 3% of wet body weight per day, respectively) assigned to replicate tanks. Feeding rates were adjusted after three weeks based on the number and weight of fish in each tank. Midway through the experiment (week 3) and at the conclusion of the study (week 6), all 35 fish from each tank were sedated with MS-222 (50 mg l−1) and individually weighed. No mortality occurred during the experiment (either as a result of sedation or from other causes), and fish exhibited normal feeding behavior the day after receiving anesthesia. At six weeks, fish were euthanized with an overdose of MS-222 (275 mg l−1) and individual fish were weighed, wrapped in plastic wrap followed by aluminum foil, and frozen at −20 C for later analysis.
Feed and whole body lipids were extracted for fatty acid analysis following standard procedures (Folch et al., 1957) with chloroform/methanol (2:1 v/v) and 0.01% BHT as an antioxidant. Fatty acid methyl esters (FAMES) were prepared using mild alkaline methanolysis and were identified via gas chromatography following the methods of Wei (2007). We determined energy content for six composite samples (two fish per sample) from each diet/ration treatment. Each composite sample was dried to a constant weight at 60 C, ground with a mortar and pestle, and energy content of two 1 g subsamples was determined with a Parr Digital Bomb Calorimeter (Model 1356). We expressed energy content in two ways: as energy density (J g−1 wet weight) and as total body energy (energy density × wet weight). Thiaminase activity was measured using the 4-nitrophenol (4NTP) assay of Hanes et al. (2007) as modified by Honeyfield et al. (2010). Whole Alewives collected at the end of the study (6-weeks) were ground frozen along with dry ice to produce powdered homogenate to be used in the thiaminase analysis. Alewife thiaminase activity is reported as the mean of three fish per tank.
We used the Wisconsin fish bioenergetics modeling software version 3.0 (Hanson et al., 1997) to predict weight of Alewives after 3 weeks and after 6 weeks of growth; inputs for the model included water temperature, starting weight, energy density of the feeds, and food consumption. The model used to predict total food consumption was based on holding temperature, starting weight, and ending weight after each 3-week interval of growth. For the simulations, only data from the low ration treatments was used, since the Alewives at this ration level routinely consumed all food provided. Data from the high ration groups were not included in the modeling runs since uneaten food sometimes remained in the holding tanks and hence direct consumption could not always be accurately estimated.
We used ANOVAs with post-hoc Tukey tests to compare mean body weight among treatments midway through the experiment (week 3); ANOVAs with Tukey tests were also used at the conclusion of the experiment (week 6) to compare final body weight,% body lipid, energy density, and total body energy. Individual fatty acids and fatty acid indices in dietary and body lipids were compared using t-tests. Data were examined for normality and homogeneity of variances and were transformed as necessary, and significance was assumed at the p < 0.05 level. Mean values are presented as mean ± SE.
Fatty acid composition of whole body lipids from Alewives fed the fish oil diet and the corn oil diet reflected dietary composition. With respect to fatty acid indices, the fish oil diet had elevated levels of omega-3 fatty acids, saturated fatty acids (SAFA), and omega-3 highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFA), and lower levels of omega-6 fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) compared to the corn oil diet. These same trends were found in whole body lipids from the fish themselves, with Alewives fed the fish oil diet showing significantly higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids, SAFA, and n3 HUFA, and significantly lower levels of omega-6 fatty acids and PUFA, compared to Alewives maintained on the corn oil diet (Table 1). With respect to individual fatty acids, the fish oil diet contained high levels of a number of fatty acids including C16:0, EPA (C20:5n3), and DHA (C22:6n3) compared to the corn oil diet, and these fatty acids were significantly higher in Alewives maintained on the fish oil diet compared to those given the corn oil diet (Table 1).
At the initiation of the study, mean body weight did not differ significantly among treatment groups and ranged from 11.42 – 11.52 g (Figure 1). After 3 weeks of feeding, fish weight was significantly lower in the low ration (1%) treatments compared to the high ration (3%) treatments, but there were no differences between diet treatments (fish oil and corn oil) at either ration level (Figure 1). After 6 weeks of growth, the differences in weight between the low ration and high ration treatments were more pronounced; moreover, for the high ration treatments, body weight of the Alewives maintained on fish oil were significantly higher than those of the Alewives given the corn oil diet (Figure 1). Mean Alewife thiaminase activity was 17.55 ± 1.93 μmol g−1 min−1 and did not differ by oil type or ration level.
At the conclusion of the study, lipid content (% body lipid) was significantly higher in the high ration treatments (12.6 ± 1.03%) compared to the low ration treatments (7.1 ± 0.64%), but there were no significant differences between Alewives given the corn oil and fish oil diets. Energy density (J g−1) was also significantly higher in the high ration treatments (8759 ± 206 J g−1) compared to the low ration treatments (6794 ± 216 J g−1), with no significant differences between corn oil and fish oil treatments. Total body energy was significantly higher in the high ration treatments (162,004 ± 2845 J) compared to the low ration treatments (93,725 ± 2983 J). In addition, for the high ration treatments, total body energy was significantly higher in Alewives given the fish oil diet (167,190 ± 3041 J) compared to Alewives maintained on the corn oil diet (156,818 ± 2649 J).
The Wisconsin fish bioenergetics model underestimated the increase in weight after 3 weeks by 9.2% for Alewives on the corn oil diet and 10.0% for Alewives on the fish oil diet; after 6 weeks, model predictions underestimated growth by 14.7% for the corn oil diet and 17.4% for the fish oil diet. The model also overestimated the consumption required to produce the changes in weight we observed over the 6 weeks of the study. A typical low-ration Alewife maintained on the fish oil diet was given 4.95 g of feed over the course of the study, while the model predicted that 6.34 g would have been consumed; the model therefore overestimated consumption by 28.1%. Similarly, a typical low-ration Alewife maintained on the corn oil diet was given 4.97 g of feed while the model predicted consumption of 6.15 g, overestimating actual consumption by 23.7%.
Growth of fishes is strongly influenced by the quantity of food they consume, i.e. their daily caloric intake (Halver and Hardy, 2002); hence the large difference in growth we observed between the low and high ration groups is to be expected. However, despite consuming an equal number of calories, Alewives in the high ration groups achieved significantly larger sizes when fed the fish oil diet compared to the corn oil diet. The difference in weight between these groups at the end of the study (mean body weight of 19.2 g in the fish oil group compared to 17.8 g in the corn oil group; Figure 1) represents a difference of approximately 8%. Projected over a normal growing season of 3–5 months for Alewives in the Great Lakes region, this difference in growth could result in a 20% difference in body size due simply to the effects of nutritional quality, not quantity. The fish oil diet contained high levels of essential fatty acids, especially highly unsaturated omega-3 fatty acids such as EPA (C20:5n3) and DHA (C22:6n3); in contrast, the corn oil diet contained low levels of these fatty acids, and much higher levels of omega-6 fatty acids, especially lenoleic acid (C18:2n6). Increased dietary levels of essential omega-3 fatty acids such as EPA and DHA have been found to increase growth in a number of fish species (Sargent et al., 2002), and these fatty acids have other positive health effects in fishes including mitigating stress responses and contributing to healthy cardiovascular and immune system function (Arts and Kohler, 2009). Although the mechanism by which EPA and DHA enhance growth in fishes is still uncertain, these fatty acids may reduce resting metabolic rates and allow more energy to be used for somatic growth (McKenzie, 2001).
Under natural conditions, energy density of Alewives can vary greatly. For Alewives in Lake Ontario, Rand et al. (1994) reported energy densities ranging from approximately 4,200–7,000 J g−1 over a two-year period. In our study, energy densities ranged from 6558–8810 J g−1 after 6 weeks of growth in the laboratory. These values suggest that even in our low ration treatments, the Alewives were relatively well-fed, and this is consistent with the fact that they were able to achieve positive growth over the course of the study. When energy content is expressed as total body energy (energy density x body weight), Alewives consuming the fish oil diet at the high ration level had energy values that were approximately 7% higher than Alewives consuming the corn oil diet at the same ration level. Thus, reduced growth rates and lower total body energy of Alewives can clearly be brought about by a change in the nutritional quality of the food they consume. Under such conditions, piscivores feeding on Alewives would have to increase foraging efficiency and rates of capture of individual Alewives to avoid a reduction in caloric intake and possible limitations on their own growth rates. Chinook salmon may have employed this strategy in response to declines in average size and energy density of Alewives in Lake Ontario in the 1980's, when it is estimated that Chinook salmon increased their average daily consumption of Alewives from 1.5 fish d−1 to 3.7 fish d−1 (Rand et al., 1994).
Using information provided in Rand et al. (1994) and Stewart et al. (2010b), we can estimate that Lake Ontario Alewives of similar size to those used in our study typically have short-term specific growth rates in the range of 0.30–0.40%. The increases in body size that we observed over the 6-week duration of our laboratory study correspond to specific growth rates in the range of 0.40–0.50% for the low ration treatments and 1.0–1.25% for the high ration treatments. This comparison of our laboratory growth rates to those estimated from field data suggest that Lake Ontario Alewives have a much higher growth potential than is typically observed in wild fish, and significantly higher growth rates may be observed in the future if daily consumption rates (on a per-fish basis) increased either through greater availability of food or decreases in Alewife population size.
When applied to data from our study, the current Wisconsin Alewife bioenergetics model underestimated growth by 9.2–17.4% and overestimated consumption by 23.7–28.1%. These results may help to explain previous modeling results suggesting that predator demand in Lake Ontario exceeded Alewife production (Jones et al., 1993), although assumptions regarding Chinook salmon consumption, temperature preferences, and degree of natural reproduction may also have played a role in biasing these estimates (Murry et al., 2010). Overall, the results of our study clearly demonstrate the importance of nutritional quality on growth of Alewives, and it is likely that incorporating both nutritional quality and caloric intake in Alewife bioenergetics models would improve growth estimates. For example, nutritional parameters could be added to existing Alewife bioenergetics models to reflect higher growth rates in Alewives consuming prey rich in essential fatty acids. Determining specific values for such nutritional parameters would require more detailed study of the fatty acid composition of Alewife prey, and how specific fatty acids influence Alewife growth at various ration levels.
Thiaminase activity was not affected by diet in this study, which compared two sources of lipid fed at a low or high feeding rate. As previously observed, the thiaminase activity of Alewife held in captivity (Lepak et al., 2008) is about two-fold higher than the thiaminase activity in wild-caught Alewife (Fitzsimons et al., 2005; Tillitt et al., 2005). The reason for elevated thiaminase in captive-held Alewife is not clear.
Disruption of the lower food web in Lake Ontario due to invasion by non-native invertebrates has not yet resulted in sustained negative effects on growth and condition of Alewives (O’Gorman et al., 2008). However, Mysis has been available and has become an increasingly important component of Alewife diets in Lake Ontario since the 1990's, providing an important source of dietary lipids and essential fatty acids. In contrast, in Lake Michigan in the mid-1990s and in Lake Huron several years later, the virtual disappearance of Diporeia (another rich source of dietary lipids and essential fatty acids) resulted in dramatic declines in abundance and condition of Alewives (Madenjian et al., 2003; Nalepa et al., 2006; Pothoven and Madenjian, 2008). The results of our study strongly suggest that a diet rich in essential fatty acids, in particular omega-3 highly unsaturated fatty acids such as EPA and DHA, will contribute to high growth rates in Alewives. Hence, although Mysis are currently abundant in Lake Ontario, any future declines in this important food item could limit the ability of Alewives to obtain sufficient energy and essential fatty acids from their diet, perhaps leading to declines in abundance, growth, and condition similar to those that have already occurred in Lakes Michigan and Huron. As the food web in Lake Ontario continues to change, it is clear that detailed knowledge of the nutritional status of both Alewife and their prey will be vital to understanding the long-term impact of these changes.
This research was supported by a grant from the SUNY Research Foundation to RJS. We thank W. Schregel (SUNY College at Buffalo) and W. Ridge (USGS) for their assistance with laboratory work.


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Paint Out Loud...the story behind the art
Even I am fascinated when I look back at the beginning of a painting and then forward to the finished piece. Often I feel "How did that happen?" sometimes it is "HOW did that happen?" - you see the difference? There are times when I am dismayed.
One of the reasons I love oil paint is that it smears so well, it makes great texture, and it will cover up what I don't like . If you have read my "About" you know that I try to proceed with as little thinking as possible. You could make lots of jokes about that, but it is harder than it sounds. I want to guide the paint gently, but I want it to take its own path and time to get there. So much happens along the way that makes the painting beautiful. If I have been controlling it, those beautiful areas would not be there.
I started this painting on a large canvas - 30 x 40, turned vertically, which seems to be my preference. I had a photo to start with and I laid in loose areas and lines with wild colors in acrylic. Then I put the photo away and had fun.
Often I am not sure what colors will be used. Maybe I have thought I want to use red. And I'll start with red, but possibly the other colors I pull out don't look good with it, so then everything changes. Maybe the red will have to go.
Below is my progress on my painting, "Evening Lit", Oil on Canvas, 30 x 40. Click here for information.
A little video about how I started this painting. This is really a fun part of painting for me. I believe in the beauty of paint and I want to provide the hands that allow it to smear and drip and change colors and intensity. For me it is important to work up some energy on the canvas.
Typically when I am painting, I like to know that I have the time to take it almost to completion. I used to do alot of stop and starts, but I try not to do that anymore...it breaks the energy. I will take breaks during the process. Step away and come back and look at it again. Or I will take it outside in a different light to see what it looks like, or put it up on a wall in my house and get some distance from it. But I do that once I have started moving the painting in a direction.
At some point in all the fun I have to start making decisions. For this painting those decisions are directed by my inspiration. I must leave some things out, I must choose a color direction, I must make sure there are enough darks. But even when I do that, I try my best not to think too much, and to be as intuitive and spontaneous as possible.
I am looking for the surprises that happen with the paint and this spontaneous approach and almost always they are the most beautiful.
I started with a canvas that has already been painting, but for a number of reasons just did not make the cut. I like painting-over. Lots of nice texture and color alrea;dy there. The photo below is right after I covered over the canvas. It is beautiful just like this!
If you want to watch my progress go on to the next post: http://www.nandavisart.com/paint-out-loud/aretha-and-i-working-together
Aretha and I working together
Aretha and I Part 1
Can you think of more fun than grooving with Aretha Franklin while you do your "thing"? This is a series of how Aretha Franklin helped me create a lovely painting....I had so much fun. Never underestimate the power of great music! I am sure you know that.
Often I paint in silence, it feels soothing to me, but for this painting I was definitely in the mood for some great rhythm and soul and Aretha was my go-to. I got great energy from her music - who wouldn't.
The canvas already had a completed piece on it that was nice - but nice is all....so I decided to use the great texture that was there and paint over it. The music helped to distract me from what was already down so that I could go in a completely fresh direction.
I hope you'll follow the series and see how I go from painting over a piece, to a new completed piece...ah, what would I have done without Aretha?
Next post shows photos of stages in the painting, and then the final painting:http://www.nandavisart.com/paint-out-loud/aretha-and-i-completing-a-painting
"Sunflower", Oil on canvas, 24 x 30
I want to show you the stages of paint. You've seen the videos in my earlier posts, now this shows you another shot of the development.
Thank you for staying with me through this painting process. This one was fun and I am happy with the results. Did you see how I started? It might be interesting for you if you missed it: http://www.nandavisart.com/paint-out-loud/aretha-and-i-part-2-painting-energy-and-inspiration
"Sunflower" Oil on canvas, 24 x 30
Instead of napping I started going through some old photos. You know how that is - you can get lost in those. And I have lots of nice photos that I have taken in various places thinking I might paint them one day. And this one image just called to me "hey, paint me!"
Maybe it was the colors that I needed on the gloomy day - the yellows and touch of orange - but I was hooked. Just what I needed to get a little lift.
I decided this one would go with the other oil paintings in my small works:
I squeezed out lots of paint, pulled out my palette knives and laid in the areas. Next I loaded up a knife and started pulling luscious paint across the panel. And I got lost in it - and the image also allowed me to carve into the paint. Look closely and you can see how thick the oil paint is in places - all the elements I needed to brighten my gloomy day - gloomy no more.
I've been "dancing" with this canvas for a couple of days now - but we are not hearing the same music...LOL. I've been painting pretty small for a while and have this nice big canvas and I want to cover it with luscious color and texture and I will want you to oooh and ahhh. Hmmmm.
We haven't become one yet and so I am pushing paint from one side of the canvas to the other side hoping there will be an interesting collision and this painting will start taking shape. I know it will happen, but I don't know when.
I made a commitment to myself in the last couple of years is to paint the way I want to - make the strokes and marks that I want, that feel good to me. Actually it was a decision to give in to what I do naturally, and just like with the paint, let what I do naturally take over.
My theory is that if I do that, and am persistent, that I will create work that I feel very good about and that also someone else will connect with it. I will no longer paint what I think will be popular or in a way that I think will be popular. That was hard to give up - following what I thought would be "popular" - because, yes, it is important to me to sell paintings.
Those actually were hard decisions. It means I have to free myself from so many things. For approximately the past year I have been able to paint consistently for the first time in my life. It has really changed everything. I began to understand that my specific hand and eye will create something with my spin on it - and that will be satisfying and sometimes exhausting, but it is a big step forward for me since I have never truly trusted myself.
Deep subject. And I wasn't trying to discover any of that, but in the process of working to become a better painter, I have learned some things about my life process. And to get even deeper there seems to be a correlation with this painting, and how I do it, and the themes in my life. More on that later.
For now I am waiting for the dance to begin with this canvas and the paint. I'm just getting warmed up, following the steps I know and some time soon we will hear the same music. It's pretty exciting when that happens. Beautiful things appear.
Be sure to watch Part 2 and don't miss Part 3.
(So appreciate a comment or share on facebook or other social media. It helps other people find me.)
Part 2 Watch the colors grow!
Although most of my work now is with oil paint, I love starting with acrylics. They are everything that oils are not - fast drying, easy clean up and so great for finding your direction. And because they dry so quickly I can put layers on and often I can scrape through the oils and - there they are! Fun! It is very easy to be spontaneous with acrylics and warm up and get set up for possibilities.
I have been working pretty small for a while so a large canvas feels good. Alot of space to cover, however, so you better have some pretty interesting things to "say". And one of the things the early part of a work is about - is finding out what I want to say.
The acrylics give me a chance to practice what I want to say - and they give layers of color and texture, that will mostly be covered over, but parts of them peek through or I scrape through to them. They are important. Sometimes it is hard to leave behind those beautiful accidents when I move on to pull a piece together and make it really work. - does that sound philisophical? I think it is.
Even though I am wanting to know what I will "say", in this painting the first part for me is about not controlling. My favorite painting tools that keep me from too much control are kitchen spatulas. In Part 3 when you see the finished piece I think you will appreciate the beauty of loose movements with the painting tools.
As the areas of color began to work together I can see where to assert myself. It really becomes fun. The colors grow and support each other. One makes the others stand out more, and they take shapes, and combine and the canvas moves toward becoming a work of art. My gift of color and texture and content on a flat 2D surface.
I am beginning to feel excited as it comes together - I must be moving in the right directions and I got here by letting everything , including myself, work together - with a little nudge here and there.
If you missed the videos of me starting I think you'll find it interesting in Part 1 and for sure don't miss Part 3!
(Comments and share are very appreciated)
Part 3....It is a Painting!
I was interested in painting emotion. And I was interested in painting figures
I hired two dancers and spent a couple of hours with them - me with a camera . I put on great music and let them express themselves. They started moving around, "warming" up to the music and the presence of one another.
I stayed silent and out of the way and took lots of photos and at that time I wasn't thinking about how they would look in a painting - I was also lost in the music and in the movement of these two dancers.
Slowly they began to come together and instead of poses, they let the music lead them, and they moved and danced and it was wonderful.
"Two" is one of the paintings that came from that session. I actually love it.
When I began painting "Two" I decided that I wanted darker colors - not bright, and as the painting developed I decided that it was important to lose some of the lines and shapes that would separate the figures. In places I wanted it to work as one figure. I feel it is a very intimate painting.
I painted it about 6 years ago and it has been one of the pieces that I decided I did not want to sell. Now, 2017, I am taking it off my wall and offering it for sale.
It is 24 x 36, oil painting, unframed. Shipping is included and the price is $825. This is at present, a part of my collection that I am offering...available only through this offering for now. If you are interested, please contact me at firstname.lastname@example.org. I want to find a good home for this wonderful painting, "Two".
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