CT

Ancient scrolls are being ‘read’ by machine learning — with human knowledge to detect language and make sense of them

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Using a non-invasive method that harnesses machine learning, an international trio of scholars retrieved 15 columns of ancient Greek text from within a carbonized papyrus from Herculaneum, a seaside Roman town eight kilometres southeast of Naples, Italy.

Key Points: 
  • Using a non-invasive method that harnesses machine learning, an international trio of scholars retrieved 15 columns of ancient Greek text from within a carbonized papyrus from Herculaneum, a seaside Roman town eight kilometres southeast of Naples, Italy.
  • The work of reading and analyzing the new Greek and Latin texts recovered from the papyri will fall to human beings.

Buried in ash

  • Like Pompeii, Herculaneum was buried by the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE.
  • But in 1752, excavation uncovered hundreds of papyrus scrolls in the library of an elaborate Roman villa.

Carbonized papyri


Starved of oxygen, the intense heat of Vesuvius’ pyroclastic flow carbonized (but did not ignite) the papyri. Resembling lumps of coal to the eye, 18th-century excavators did not immediately recognize them as ancient books.
The papyri are so brittle that many were destroyed by early attempts to access their texts. Studying them has therefore always required ingenuity. In 1754, a conservator and priest at the Vatican library devised a machine for slowly unrolling them.
More recently, multispectral photography has dramatically improved their legibility. But until now, a non-invasive method that would leave the scrolls intact remained out of reach. Its development marks a significant breakthrough. McOsker notes there are 659 items in the catalogue listed as “not unrolled,” but some of these are parts of scrolls.

Sparking innovation

  • The latter are essential as a reference point (or “control”) for innovative approaches.
  • The competition’s design encouraged transparency and collaboration: data published in the pursuit of smaller goals benefited all competitors.

Text mentions music, taste, sight

  • A PhD student studying machine learning, an engineer studying computer science and a robotics student were declared
    the victors.
  • According to McOsker, the text they retrieved mentions music twice, as well as the senses of taste and sight.

Hundreds of rolls to be studied

  • With hundreds of rolls yet to be studied, the new method of recovering the contents of the Herculaneum papyri is only getting started.
  • The production of scans at sufficiently high resolution can’t be done via ordinary equipment, but requires access to a facility with a particle accelerator.
  • Via current techniques, which involve a fair bit of manual manipulation, fully segmenting one scroll would cost US$1–5 million.

Critical minds needed

  • Their role is to analyze the model’s output of legible ancient Greek — and in so doing determine which approaches are most effective.
  • It requires mastery of ancient languages and ideas as well as the puzzle-solver’s ability to fill in the inevitable gaps.
  • For the challenge truly to succeed, we’re going to need critical minds as well as whizbang technology.


C. Michael Sampson receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada for 'the Books of Karanis,' a project that studies fragmentary Greek literature from the Egyptian village Karanis.

AsiaMedic achieves record revenue of S$23.5 million for FY2023 amid expansion of its medical imaging and aesthetics businesses

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, February 28, 2024

The Group's FY2023 revenue increased by S$4.6 million or 25% from S$18.9 million for FY2022 to S$23.5 million due to the increase in revenue from the imaging and aesthetic businesses.

Key Points: 
  • The Group's FY2023 revenue increased by S$4.6 million or 25% from S$18.9 million for FY2022 to S$23.5 million due to the increase in revenue from the imaging and aesthetic businesses.
  • The Group's EBITDA held steady at S$3.4 million for FY2023.
  • Mr Arifin Kwek, Chief Executive Officer of AsiaMedic Limited, said, "We are encouraged by the record high revenue achieved for FY2023 following three consecutive years of revenue growth.
  • The growing referrals from specialist clinics and hospitals reflect the Group's position as a preferred provider of diagnostic imaging and radiology services.

Post University Appoints Accomplished Executive and Academic Leader as Chief Academic Officer

Retrieved on: 
Monday, March 11, 2024

WATERBURY, Conn., March 11, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Post University is pleased to announce the appointment of Sandra G. Affenito, Ph.D., as Chief Academic Officer.

Key Points: 
  • WATERBURY, Conn., March 11, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Post University is pleased to announce the appointment of Sandra G. Affenito, Ph.D., as Chief Academic Officer.
  • As Chief Academic Officer, Dr. Affenito will provide the executive leadership and vision to ensure enriched, personalized learning experiences for all students to realize their fullest potential.
  • “I am thrilled to welcome Sandra to the Post family and look forward to her insight and guidance as we plan for the future,” said Post University CEO and President John L. Hopkins.
  • She is a 2020 Executive Leadership Academy (ELA) Fellow of the University of California, Berkeley-Leading in a Multicultural and Global Environment.

Two XPO Leaders Named Top Women to Watch in Transportation

Retrieved on: 
Monday, March 11, 2024

GREENWICH, Conn. , March 11, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- XPO (NYSE: XPO), a leading provider of freight transportation in North America, announced today that senior service center manager Tena Fisher and vice president of human resources Nicole Neumann have been named 2024 Top Women to Watch in Transportation by the Women In Trucking Association.

Key Points: 
  • GREENWICH, Conn. , March 11, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- XPO (NYSE: XPO), a leading provider of freight transportation in North America, announced today that senior service center manager Tena Fisher and vice president of human resources Nicole Neumann have been named 2024 Top Women to Watch in Transportation by the Women In Trucking Association.
  • Tena Fisher is a 26-year veteran of freight transportation and has served as an inspiration to other women looking to advance at XPO.
  • Having spent the majority of her career working in supply chain and transportation, she created a successful HR path for herself and mentored countless women along the way.
  • Through development programs and outreach initiatives, Neumann has advocated for personal growth and professional advancement opportunities for all employees across XPO.

NewLake Capital Partners Reports Fourth Quarter and Full-Year 2023 Financial Results; Raises First Quarter 2024 Common Stock Dividend to $0.41 per Share

Retrieved on: 
Monday, March 11, 2024

NEW CANAAN, Conn., March 11, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NewLake Capital Partners, Inc. (OCTQX: NLCP) (the “Company” or “NewLake”), a leading provider of real estate capital to state-licensed cannabis operators, today announced its financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2023, and declared its first quarter of 2024 dividend.

Key Points: 
  • Anthony Coniglio, President and Chief Executive Officer, said, “We are pleased to deliver solid fourth quarter and full year financial results.
  • Declared a fourth quarter dividend of $0.40 per share of common stock, an increase of 2.6% year-over-year.
  • For the twelve months ended December 31, 2023, the Company declared dividends of $1.57 per share of common stock, an increase of 9.0% year-over-year.
  • The following tables present the Company’s investment activity for the twelve months ended December 31, 2023 (dollars in thousands):

Acreage Celebrates Launch of Adult-Use Sales at Vernon, Connecticut Dispensary

Retrieved on: 
Monday, March 11, 2024

NEW YORK, March 11, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Acreage Holdings, Inc. (“Acreage” or the “Company”) (CSE: ACRG.A.U, ACRG.B.U) (OTCQX: ACRHF, ACRDF), a vertically integrated, multi-state operator of cannabis cultivation and retailing facilities in the U.S., today announced the commencement of adult-use sales at its Vernon, Connecticut dispensary.

Key Points: 
  • NEW YORK, March 11, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Acreage Holdings, Inc. (“Acreage” or the “Company”) (CSE: ACRG.A.U, ACRG.B.U) (OTCQX: ACRHF, ACRDF), a vertically integrated, multi-state operator of cannabis cultivation and retailing facilities in the U.S., today announced the commencement of adult-use sales at its Vernon, Connecticut dispensary.
  • The Botanist Vernon is now operating as a hybrid dispensary, providing its full suite of products to both medical patients and adult-use customers.
  • The dispensary has a wide range of products both in-store and online, including flower, pre-rolls, vapes, edibles, and accessories.
  • For a seamless experience, patients will have the option to either shop in-store or pre-order products online for pick up directly at the dispensary.

Infinite Reality Soft Launches Its No-Code Platform, Infinite Reality Engine, at South by Southwest 2024

Retrieved on: 
Monday, March 11, 2024

NORWALK, Conn., March 11, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Infinite Reality (“iR”), the global leader in immersive experiences, announced today that it has soft launched its no-code platform, Infinite Reality Engine (“iR Engine”), during an invite-only preview at the South by Southwest® (SXSW) conference beginning March 10 through March 13, 2024.

Key Points: 
  • NORWALK, Conn., March 11, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Infinite Reality (“iR”), the global leader in immersive experiences, announced today that it has soft launched its no-code platform, Infinite Reality Engine (“iR Engine”), during an invite-only preview at the South by Southwest® (SXSW) conference beginning March 10 through March 13, 2024.
  • Following on from the February 2024 acquisition of Ethereal Engine, iR has developed iR Engine, a cutting-edge spatial web platform that empowers creators and brands, regardless of technical ability, to build immersive web experiences with ease.
  • The platform’s end-to-end frameworks power scalable multiplayer interactions, complete with voice, video, expressive avatars and a dedicated visual editor.
  • It has been a long road, but we have now reached a pivotal moment where our dream has become a reality."

Allyx Therapeutics Announces Positive Phase 1b Multiple Ascending Dose Data and Advances ALX-001 to Patients

Retrieved on: 
Monday, March 11, 2024

NEW HAVEN, Conn., March 11, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Allyx Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotechnology company, announced that its lead compound, ALX-001, is ready to proceed to Phase 2 clinical development in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. This announcement was made in conjunction with the presentation of positive findings from the company’s Phase 1b multiple ascending dose study at the AD/PD™ 2024 Conference in Lisbon. ALX-001 is a highly selective, first-in-class, synapse-targeted, disease-modifying oral therapy in development for neurodegenerative diseases.

Key Points: 
  • This announcement was made in conjunction with the presentation of positive findings from the company’s Phase 1b multiple ascending dose study at the AD/PD™ 2024 Conference in Lisbon.
  • ALX-001 is a highly selective, first-in-class, synapse-targeted, disease-modifying oral therapy in development for neurodegenerative diseases.
  • The multiple ascending dose study (NCT05804383) examined the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of twice-daily oral doses of ALX-001 in 32 heathy adult participants aged 50-80.
  • Allyx Therapeutics has initiated a 28-day safety study of ALX-001 in Alzheimer’s disease patients (NCT05804383) and is initiating a study in Parkinson’s disease patients.

Hudson Global to Report Fourth Quarter 2023 Financial Results on March 14th

Retrieved on: 
Friday, March 8, 2024

OLD GREENWICH, Conn., March 08, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hudson Global, Inc. (Nasdaq: HSON), a leading global talent solutions company, will issue its fourth quarter financial results for the period ended December 31, 2023, before the market opens on Thursday, March 14, 2024.

Key Points: 
  • OLD GREENWICH, Conn., March 08, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hudson Global, Inc. (Nasdaq: HSON), a leading global talent solutions company, will issue its fourth quarter financial results for the period ended December 31, 2023, before the market opens on Thursday, March 14, 2024.
  • The company will host a conference call to review its results that same day at 10:00 am ET (7:00 am PT).
  • If you wish to join the conference call, please use the dial-in information below:
    A simultaneous webcast of the call may be accessed online via the investor relations section of the company’s website, hudsonrpo.com .
  • The archived call will also be available on the investor relations section of the company's website, hudsonrpo.com .

HMG Strategy Enters Strategic Partnership with T200 to Foster Connections and Share Thought Leadership Between Female C-Suite Technology Leaders

Retrieved on: 
Friday, March 8, 2024

The partnership is designed to strengthen networking connections between top-tier C-level female business technology leaders while enabling them to share thought leadership on issues relative to their roles.

Key Points: 
  • The partnership is designed to strengthen networking connections between top-tier C-level female business technology leaders while enabling them to share thought leadership on issues relative to their roles.
  • “In 2020, we launched our Global Women in Technology Summit series as a means for female technology leaders to network and connect with each other on the opportunities and challenges they face in their roles,” said Hunter Muller, Founder and CEO of HMG Strategy.
  • In 2024, HMG Strategy is planning 100 digital events, in-person summits, dinners and other events.
  • To learn more about HMG Strategy’s upcoming schedule of CIO & CISO summits, click here .