Connect with us

International

CCDC expands global talent pool with Ghana-based Orgmento

·        CCDC extends its partnership with Orgmento, a Ghanaian software engineering and data sciences company. Credit: CCDC ·        CCDC extends…

Published

13 mins ago

on

·        CCDC extends its partnership with Orgmento, a Ghanaian software engineering and data sciences company.

Credit: CCDC

·        CCDC extends its partnership with Orgmento, a Ghanaian software engineering and data sciences company.

·        The partnership, which started in 2021, has been strengthened by the shared commitment to engineering excellence from both organizations, and has now been extended for a further 3 years.

·        Software engineering teams from the CCDC and Orgmento will build software to advance structural science.

 

Cambridge, UK. 31 October 2023

The Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centre (CCDC) announces a three-year extension with partners Orgmento, a software engineering and data sciences company based in Accra, Ghana.

Orgmento delivers sustainable professional development in software engineering and data sciences from Africa, supporting clients in creating expertly designed, adaptable software and data solutions that align with their partners’ organizational goals.

Through the partnership, Orgmento software engineers work alongside CCDC colleagues on CCDC structural science software and tools used by scientists across the globe in pharmaceutical discovery, materials development, research and education.

The philosophy of Orgmento focuses on creating a positive impact in Africa by empowering local talent with opportunities to grow and thrive in software engineering and data science. This vision aligns with the values of the CCDC, who are committed to shaping the future of structural science by serving global scientific communities for the public benefit.

The partnership has evolved through various stages, with the Orgmento engineers being upskilled remotely in crystallography and CCDC’s engineering tools and processes, before joining CCDC’s teams as fully-fledged remote contributors.

Dr Jürgen Harter, CEO, CCDC, said “We are delighted to extend our engineering partnership with Orgmento, further strengthening our commitment to supporting research and education in underrepresented communities and making structural data more accessible worldwide.”

“The enrichment derived from the partnership has been immeasurable for all. While Orgmento benefits from the expertise of CCDC in crystallography and structural analysis, the partnership also affords CCDC the opportunity to diversify its global workforce and perspective,” says Patrick Simpe-Asante, Orgmento co-founder and Director of Software Engineering.

“We look forward to continuing to leverage our respective strengths and expertise, as we maintain our partnership with CCDC into the future.” he continued.

While the partnership has been entirely remote for the past 18 months, Sean Large, a senior software engineer at CCDC, had the opportunity to meet the Orgmento software engineering team in-person in Accra, Ghana, this summer. As well as being able to experience Ghanaian culture first-hand, it was also an opportunity to reflect on the onboarding process and further strengthen the already thriving business relations between Orgmento and the CCDC.

Press Contact

Michael Francis, Marketing Manager, mfrancis@ccdc.cam.ac.uk.

Notes to Editors

·       Interviews with CCDC scientists and C-level executives available upon request – please contact us.

·       More information on Orgmento at https://www.orgmento.com/.

·       More information on the CCDC and the CSD.

 

About the CCDC

The Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centre (CCDC) are world-leading experts in structural chemistry data, software and knowledge for materials and life sciences research and development.

We specialize in the collation, preservation and application of scientific structural data for use in pharmaceutical discovery, materials development and research and education.

We compile and distribute the Cambridge Structural Database (CSD), a certified trusted database of fully curated and enhanced organic and metal-organic structures, used by researchers across the globe.

We inspire the next generation of scientists through our educational and outreach activities, and through our PhD sponsorships.

We empower scientists of all backgrounds to achieve their research goals through our FAIRE access programme as part of our non-profit, charitable status.

Our cutting-edge software empowers scientists to extract invaluable insights from CSD and proprietary data, informing and accelerating their research & development.

 

About Orgmento

Orgmento is a software engineering and data sciences company based in Accra, Ghana.

We find the best local talent from the top universities and support them in developing their skills in software engineering, data science, machine learning and artificial intelligence. Our people work in project teams within our partner-organizations, to deliver quality technology solutions.

We design and build scalable enterprise, financial, governmental, and science-based systems for a variety of organizations.

We value long-term relationships and a ‘can do’ attitude, and are passionate about creating a positive impact in Africa.

We are Orgmento. Software. Data. Science. Engineered.

 

Additional information/Quotes

“The unwavering commitment and strong work ethic exhibited by Orgmento and their team of engineers has driven a substantial increase in overall productivity at CCDC. Furthermore, the cooperative mindsets and delightful personalities have given rise to a greatly enjoyable and collaborative working environment.” – Sean Large

“As a software engineer, my time at Orgmento/the CCDC has been incredibly enjoyable. I’m amazed by the trust placed in me for important engineering implementations and I value the constant support when things get challenging. This not only brings me great satisfaction but also valuable learning experiences, contributing to my personal growth and technical development. The work environment is fantastic, and I’m excited by our future collaborations in advancing structural science.” – Elvis Yeboah-Duako

“After having taken a career switch, Orgmento/the CCDC is exactly the kind of place I’d have wished for. I have never felt out-of-place. My teams are supportive and always willing to assist and I have access to experienced software engineers and architects who are open and willing to share their knowledge whilst also valuing my input.” – Ayishetu Seidu

 

Read More

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

International

DNA organization influences the growth of deadly brain tumors in response to neuronal signals

A pioneering study at Umeå University, Sweden, has unveiled that the 3D organization of DNA can influence the progression of the aggressive brain tumour…

Published

13 mins ago

on

October 31, 2023

By

A pioneering study at Umeå University, Sweden, has unveiled that the 3D organization of DNA can influence the progression of the aggressive brain tumour known as glioblastoma. Having identified the factors that glioblastoma uses to respond to neurons by growing and spreading, this discovery paves the way for further research into new treatments for brain tumours.

Credit: Mattias Pettersson

A pioneering study at Umeå University, Sweden, has unveiled that the 3D organization of DNA can influence the progression of the aggressive brain tumour known as glioblastoma. Having identified the factors that glioblastoma uses to respond to neurons by growing and spreading, this discovery paves the way for further research into new treatments for brain tumours.

“We have now identified the most important factors behind how the tumour responds to nerve cells, thus becoming more dangerous. These findings offer hope in our long-term battle against this difficult-to-treat cancer, for which the prognosis has not improved in decades,” comments Silvia Remeseiro, Wallenberg fellow at WCMM, Assistant Professor at Umeå University, and lead author of the study.

Glioblastoma is the most fatal type of brain tumour among adults and there is currently no curative treatment. Glioblastoma patients typically face a survival of roughly one year post-diagnosis. Even following current treatment regimes, which include surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, a mere four per cent of patients are still alive five years after diagnosis.

One possible way to understand and tackle this form of cancer is through DNA. It is already known that changes, mutations, in parts of DNA that do not contain genes can increase the risk of cancer and affect how genes function. This is because DNA contains so-called enhancers, “switches” that ensure that the right genes are turned-on in the right cells at the right time. A tight control of genes is crucial. If there are errors in these “switches” or abnormalities on how they contact the genes, changes in gene expression occur, which can eventually lead to cancer. A further step forward was taken when researchers discovered synaptic connections between nerve cells and brain tumours. Nerve cells can send electrical signals to brain tumour cells that make the tumour grow and spread.

This recent study by Umeå researchers highlights that alterations in DNA structure and in enhancers, which in turn affect how genes are expressed, are crucial for the communication between neurons and tumour cells. It offers insights into how glioblastoma cells become more dangerous in response to the signals from the nerve cells. Using cells from glioblastoma patients and advanced techniques to analyse DNA structure and epigenetics, the researchers identified the key players central to this neuron-to-tumour communication, named SMAD3 and PITX1. These two proteins bind to and control the DNA switches that regulate gene expression. In experiments on both cell cultures and mice, it was possible to see how SMAD3 inhibition, together with the signals from the nerve cells, potentiates the tumour’s ability to grow and spread.

“We are optimistic that our discovery can guide efforts to attack glioblastoma by controlling how nerve cells and brain tumours interact. This would enable the development of new treatment strategies targeting this critical communication, which could hopefully improve the prognosis of glioblastoma patients,” concludes Silvia Remeseiro.

DOI

10.1038/s41467-023-41919-x

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Animals

Article Title

Rewiring of the promoter-enhancer interactome and regulatory landscape in glioblastoma orchestrates gene expression underlying neurogliomal synaptic communication.

Article Publication Date

13-Oct-2023

Read More

Continue Reading

International

TikTok, Snapchat, OnlyFans and others to combat AI-generated child abuse content

Major social platforms, AI companies, governments and NGOs issued a joint statement pledging to combat AI-generated abusive content, such as explicit images…

Published

13 mins ago

on

October 31, 2023

By

Major social platforms, AI companies, governments and NGOs issued a joint statement pledging to combat AI-generated abusive content, such as explicit images of children.

A coalition of major social media platforms, artificial intelligence (AI) developers, governments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have issued a joint statement pledging to combat abusive content generated by AI.

On Oct. 30, the United Kingdom issued the policy statement, which includes 27 signatories, including the governments of the United States, Australia, Korea, Germany and Italy, along with social media platforms Snapchat, TikTok and OnlyFans.

It was also undersigned by the AI platforms Stability AI and Ontocord.AI and a number of NGOs working toward internet safety and children’s rights, among others.

The statement says that while AI offers “enormous opportunities” in tackling threats of online child sexual abuse, it can also be utilized by predators to generate such types of material.

It revealed data from the Internet Watch Foundation that, within a month of 11,108 AI-generated images shared in a dark web forum, 2,978 depicted content related to child sexual abuse.

Related: US President Joe Biden urges tech firms to address risks of AI

The U.K. government said the statement stands as a pledge to “seek to understand and, as appropriate, act on the risks arising from AI to tackling child sexual abuse through existing fora.”

“All actors have a role to play in ensuring the safety of children from the risks of frontier AI.”

It encouraged transparency on plans for measuring, monitoring and managing ways AI can be exploited by child sexual offenders and on a country level to build policies regarding the topic.

Additionally, it aims to maintain a dialogue around combating child sexual abuse in the AI age. This statement was released in the run-up to the U.K. hosting its global summit on AI safety this week.

Concerns over child safety in relation to AI have been a major topic of discussion in the face of the rapid emergence and widespread use of the technology.

On Oct. 26, 34 states in the U.S. filed a lawsuit against Meta, the Facebook and Instagram parent company, over child safety concerns.

Magazine: AI Eye: Get better results being nice to ChatGPT, AI fake child porn debate, Amazon’s AI reviews

Read More

Continue Reading

International

The Swiss Have The Highest Per Capita Wealth In The World

The Swiss Have The Highest Per Capita Wealth In The World

When looking at wealth per person on a country-by-country basis, is it more important…

Published

2 hours ago

on

October 31, 2023

By

The Swiss Have The Highest Per Capita Wealth In The World

When looking at wealth per person on a country-by-country basis, is it more important to look at median wealth or average wealth?

Many experts believe that median wealth provides the most accurate picture of wealth since it identifies the middle point of a dataset, with half of the data points above this number, and half falling below it. In this way, it is less impacted by extreme values, and gives a good representation of the “middle of the pack”.

With that said, average wealth gives you a true average, even though it may get distorted by outliers, like the fortunes held by billionaires.

Either way, using data from the 2023 UBS Global Wealth Report, Visual Capitalist's Dorothy Neufeld created the following graphic comparing both average and median wealth across select countries,

Top Countries by Average Wealth per Person

In 2022, global average wealth per adult stood at $84,718.

By these measures, Switzerland ranks at the top at $685,226 per person. Over 15% of the population are millionaires, the third-highest rate in the world. However, when looking at median wealth per person, it stands at $167,353, a difference of over $517,000.

Like Switzerland, five of the top 10 countries by average wealth are in Western Europe, including Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, and Belgium.

The table below shows average wealth per adult in 2022 across 39 countries analyzed by UBS:

Rank Country Mean Wealth per Adult
1 ???????? Switzerland $685,226
2 ???????? U.S. $551,347
3 ???????? Australia $496,819
4 ???????? Denmark $409,954
5 ???????? New Zealand $388,761
6 ???????? Norway $385,338
7 ???????? Singapore $382,957
8 ???????? Canada $369,577
9 ???????? Netherlands $358,235
10 ???????? Belgium $352,814
11 ???????? France $312,235
12 ???????? UK $302,783
13 ???????? Sweden $296,800
14 ???????? Taiwan $273,788
15 ???????? Germany $256,179
16 ???????? Ireland $247,080
17 ???????? Austria $245,225
18 ???????? Israel $235,445
19 ???????? South Korea $230,760
20 ???????? Spain $224,209
21 ???????? Italy $221,370
22 ???????? Japan $216,078
23 ???????? Finland $179,986
24 ???????? Portugal $158,840
25 ???????? Greece $105,724
26 ???????? Czechia $90,393
27 ???????? China $75,731
28 ???????? Hungary $59,348
29 ???????? Mexico $55,274
30 ???????? Chile $54,082
31 ???????? Poland $52,741
32 ???????? Romania $44,320
33 ???????? Russia $39,514
34 ???????? Thailand $25,956
35 ???????? South Africa $23,956
36 ???????? Türkiye $17,578
37 ???????? Indonesia $17,457
38 ???????? India $16,500
39 ???????? Colombia $15,464
  World $84,718

The U.S. falls second, with a mean wealth per adult of $551,347.

Overall, it is home to 38% of global millionaires, outpacing the second-highest country, China, by more than three times. With a significant wealth gap, income inequality in the U.S. is among the highest across developed nations.

Ranking seventh is Singapore, with the highest average wealth per adult across Asia. Income inequality in Singapore falls at a similar level to America based on its Gini ratio.

Top Countries by Median Wealth per Person

Here’s how wealth shifts when looking from a median wealth per adult basis:

Rank Country Median Wealth per Adult
1 ???????? Belgium $249,937
2 ???????? Australia $247,453
3 ???????? New Zealand $193,065
4 ???????? Denmark $186,041
5 ???????? Switzerland $167,353
6 ???????? UK $151,825
7 ???????? Norway $143,887
8 ???????? Canada $137,633
9 ???????? France $133,137
10 ???????? Netherlands $112,450
11 ???????? Taiwan $108,247
12 ???????? U.S. $107,739
13 ???????? Spain $107,507
14 ???????? Italy $107,315
15 ???????? Japan $103,681
16 ???????? Singapore $99,488
17 ???????? South Korea $92,719
18 ???????? Ireland $90,741
19 ???????? Finland $84,093
20 ???????? Israel $77,604
21 ???????? Sweden $77,515
22 ???????? Portugal $70,409
23 ???????? Austria $68,492
24 ???????? Germany $66,735
25 ???????? Greece $53,501
26 ???????? China $27,273
27 ???????? Hungary $26,416
28 ???????? Czechia $23,502
29 ???????? Romania $21,545
30 ???????? Poland $20,263
31 ???????? Chile $19,544
32 ???????? Mexico $18,920
33 ???????? Thailand $9,602
34 ???????? Russia $8,595
35 ???????? Türkiye $5,488
36 ???????? South Africa $5,141
37 ???????? Indonesia $4,819
38 ???????? Colombia $4,450
39 ???????? India $3,755
  World $8,654

Belgium ranks the highest, climbing past Australia for the first time. High home ownership levels and elevated home prices have led household wealth to rise above other European countries.

Median wealth in the U.S. stood at $107,739, falling in 12th place.

Overall, median wealth has grown the fastest in China, increasing eightfold since 2000 to reach $27,273. The country’s rapid economic growth has lifted many into the middle class, yet wealth inequality has also increased.

Biggest Gaps in Average and Median Wealth

Which countries have the starkest difference between average and median wealth per adult?

Across the dataset, the U.S. saw the steepest gap. Median wealth per adult was $107,739—80.5% lower than average wealth levels. This means that wealth ownership skews disproportionately to the country’s richest.

Following the U.S. were South Africa, Russia, and India for illustrating the widest disparities between average and median wealth.

On the other end of the spectrum was Belgium, where median wealth per adult was the closest to average wealth levels. In this way, median wealth per person was $249,937 while average wealth was $352,814, reflecting less disparity.

Other countries with narrower gaps between median and average wealth per person included Greece, the UK, and Australia.

Tyler Durden Tue, 10/31/2023 - 04:15

Read More

Continue Reading

Trending