The 107 female authors everyone should have on their bookshelf
New Evidence Suggests 'Screaming Woman' Mummy Died In Pain
For nearly a century, the "Screaming Woman" mummy found in Luxor, Egypt, haunted viewers with her open-mouth facial expression. Now, new evidence by researchers in Egypt suggest more harrowing details.
On Friday, Cairo University radiologist Dr. Sahar Saleem and anthropologist Samia El-Merghan reported that the woman may have "died screaming from agony or pain." The evidence was found using CT scans and other tools. The study was published Friday in the journal Frontiers in Medicine.
The researchers added that the woman's facial expression might have been caused by cadaveric spasm, which occurs during "severe physical or emotional activity."
They also estimated that the woman died at 48 years old and was about 5-foot-1.
The findings were not definitive and the study emphasized that a mummy's appearance could be affected by a range of factors, from the burial procedures to post-mortem alterations.
But it proved more plausible than the theory that embalmers simply neglected to properly wrap her mouth closed — which likely explained other ancient Egyptian mummies with open mouths.
But the researchers did not find evidence to suggest that the woman had a poor mummification process.
"The funerary techniques the embalmers employed on the corpse of mummy CIT8, including the use of a wig, rings, pricey imported embalming materials, and placing the mummy in a wooden coffin, [indicated] good mummification quality," they wrote.
The mummy's cause of death remains unknown. The "Screaming Woman" was discovered between 1935 and 1936 near the tomb of Senmut in Luxor and later stored at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. She was believed to be his relative, according to the study.
Senmut was an architect during the reign of ancient Egypt's most powerful female leader, Queen Hatshepsut. Senmut's final years also remain a mystery.
Copyright 2024 NPR
'Wick Was Like A Wild West Frontier Town': Caithness Distilleries Feature In New A9 Guidebook
Caithness distilleries loom large in a newly published travel guide to many of the visitor attractions and historic sites to be found close to the A9.
It should come as no surprise that The A9 Handbook highlights the thriving drinks sector in the far north as the author is Gavin D Smith, who is recognised as one of the world's leading whisky writers and acts as Whisky Magazine's contributing editor for Scotland. He also happens to have a Caithness family connection.
The Inverness to Scrabster section of the book contains informative and up-to-date entries on Pulteney Distillery, Wolfburn Distillery, North Point Distillery, 8 Doors Distillery and Dunnet Bay Distillers, as well as non-distillery locations such as heritage centres and castles.
A whiff of alcohol lingers over Smith's description of Wick in its herring-boom era when well over 1000 boats were based there along with some 3800 fishermen and 4000 curers. At one point there had been 22 pubs in Wick, with another 23 in Pulteneytown, and an estimated 800 gallons of whisky were being consumed every week.
"Not surprisingly, there was often something of a 'Wild West' frontier town feel about Wick, and drunkenness and fighting were common," Smith writes.
He also notes how, from 1922 until 1947, Wick became "one of few places outside the USA to impose prohibition".
In his preface, Smith recalls that his first A9 journey was in 1961. "I have to admit that it didn't make a great impression on me, but in my defence, I was only eight months old.
"My family lived in north-east England, but my paternal grandfather hailed from Reiss… and I was taken north to be shown off to relatives. In those days, a car journey from County Durham to Wick was quite an undertaking, involving at least two overnight stops, whereas it can now be accomplished in around seven-and-a-half hours." He adds: "What I celebrate every time I take to the wheel on the 'Great Road North' is that the scenery remains as awe-inspiring as ever and there are many more attractions to visit within proximity of the road than ever before." The A9 Handbook (192 pages, softback, full colour) is published by Orkney-based Posthouse Publishing, priced £14.95. It can be ordered through www.Posthousepublishing.Com The book looks at more than 140 places of interest to visit and explore along the full length of what it describes as "Scotland's spine".
8 Doors Distillery at John O'Groats is featured in The A9 Handbook, by Gavin D Smith.
Martin and Claire Murray at Dunnet Bay Distillers. The A9 Handbook, by Gavin D Smith, reflects the thriving drinks scene in the far north. Do you want to respond to this article? If so, click here to submit your thoughts and they may be published in print. Quantitative Biology Journal Features Groundbreaking Perspectives On Large Cellular Models
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The framework of large cellular model (LCM)
view moreCredit: Hao M, Wei L, Yang F, Yao J, Theodoris CV, Wang B, et al.
In a landmark move to advance the frontiers of artificial intelligence, the Quantitative Biology (QB) journal has published a comprehensive commentary titled "Current Opinions on Large Cellular Models," highlighting the cutting-edge developments in the field of large cellular models (LCMs). The journal has brought together a consortium of leading scholars from China, the United States, and Canada to delve into the future of AI-driven biological research.
The commentary features influential authors behind some of the most impactful LCMs, such as scBERT, Geneformer, scGPT, scFoundation, and GeneCompass. These AI models have revolutionized the way single-cell data is processed and analyzed, offering unprecedented insights into biological processes and scientific discoveries.
"The integration of AI, particularly large-scale pre-training technologies, is charting a new course for the future of quantitative biology research," said Xuegong Zhang, a prominent voice in the field and a contributing author of the commentary.
The commentary offers a detailed overview of the general framework (Figure 1) and core AI concepts behind these models, as well as a forward-looking discussion on how these models can be effectively integrated with biological knowledge. It also addresses the critical challenges faced during the research and development of LCMs, including the scaling law issues and the need for data pre-training.
JournalQuantitative Biology
Method of ResearchExperimental study
Subject of ResearchNot applicable
Article TitleCurrent opinions on large cellular models
Article Publication Date1-Jul-2024
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