Latest news with #MARL
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Bluspark MARL Named 'Overall Data Solution of the Year' By SupplyTech Breakthrough
Annual Awards Program Recognizes Innovation in the Global Supply Chain Technology and Logistics Industry LOS ANGELES, June 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SupplyTech Breakthrough, a leading independent market intelligence organization that evaluates and recognizes standout technology companies, products and services in the supply chain technology and logistics industry around the globe, today announced that Bluspark, a leading provider of innovative logistics and technology solutions, has received 'Overall Data Solution of the Year' for their MARL AI engine in the 4th annual SupplyTech Breakthrough Awards program. Bluspark's Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning (MARL)-powered freight allocation engine applies AI to help shippers, carriers, and ports coordinate freight in complex, high-velocity global supply chains. The solution simulates a dynamic freight environment using a network of AI agents that represent shippers, carriers, ports, and market demand — each learning from data and adjusting behavior over time. These agents make booking, routing, and scheduling decisions by anticipating capacity constraints, port delays, and demand surges before they occur. The MARL engine offers the ability to detect early signals of disruption, such as a surge in spot rates, upcoming vessel congestion, or blackouts at destination ports, and proactively shift allocation strategies. The system is built on a scalable, cloud-native architecture using Ray RLlib, TensorFlow, and containerized microservices in Kubernetes. Agents are trained in simulated market environments and continuously updated using live data streamed via Apache Kafka. The platform integrates directly with customer TMS systems and carrier APIs, providing a seamless predictive intelligence layer on top of existing workflows. In addition, Bluspark built the system with full traceability and transparency so users can understand why a certain booking decision was made, what the predicted outcomes were, and how each agent weighed the options. 'Bluspark represents the next evolution of applied analytics in the supply chain, combining AI, behavioral learning, and domain expertise to deliver real-world impact. Today's logistics environment is highly volatile with customers demanding tools that are not merely reactive. Systems need to be proactive, anticipating disruption, optimizing decisions, and continuously learning to achieve success,' said Bryan Vaughn, Managing Director of SupplyTech Breakthrough Awards. 'Bluspark delivers exactly that. By enabling customers to see around the corner and act ahead of disruption, this solution isn't just predictive, it's transformational. Bluspark is transforming traditional freight allocation from a rigid, rules-based function into an adaptive, learning-driven system capable of making real-time, predictive decisions across global trade lanes.' The mission of the annual SupplyTech Breakthrough Awards program is to conduct the industry's most comprehensive analysis and evaluation of the top technology companies, solutions and products in the supply chain and logistics industry today. This year's program attracted thousands of nominations from over 15 different countries throughout the world. 'What sets Bluspark apart is not just the use of machine learning, but the ability to orchestrate multiple intelligent agents that learn collaboratively. This mirrors the real-world interplay of stakeholders in the logistics ecosystem — making our predictions far more aligned with operational realities,' said Ken O'Brien, President and CEO of Bluspark. 'Thank you to SupplyTech Breakthrough for the 'Overall Data Solution of the Year' award. We're proud to say that the impact on our customers has been substantial including increased booking success rates, reduced late rejection rates and reduced costs. We'll continue to enhance the AI to deliver predictions not just for visibility but for automated action.' About SupplyTech BreakthroughPart of the Tech Breakthrough organization, a leading global provider of market intelligence and recognition platforms for technology innovation and leadership, the SupplyTech Breakthrough Awards program is devoted to honoring innovation and market disruption in supply chain & logistics technologies, services, companies and products around the world. The annual SupplyTech Breakthrough Awards provide public recognition for the achievements of SupplyTech companies and products in categories including Inventory Management, Supply Chain Visibility, Transportation Management, Material Handling, IoT and Robotics, and more. For more information visit Tech Breakthrough LLC does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in our recognition programs, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with award designations. Tech Breakthrough LLC recognition consists of the opinions of the Tech Breakthrough LLC organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Tech Breakthrough LLC disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this recognition program, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose About BlusparkBluspark, LLC is a leading provider of enterprise logistics and consulting solutions, offering an extensive range of services that streamline supply chains, enhance commercial relationships, and foster long-term business resilience. With a commitment to innovation and exceptional client service, Bluspark delivers measurable outcomes that shape the future of global operations. Media Contact: Bryan Vaughn SupplyTech Breakthrough bryan@ 949.529.4120
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Four-state coalition urging residents to get familiar with MARL
May 15—MORGANTOWN — A four-state coalition is urging residents of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland and Virginia to become familiar with the Mid-Atlantic Resiliency Link project — a 105-mile "major highway " of overhead transmission lines stretching from Greene County, Pa. to Frederick County, Va. The project — MARL for short — is to be built by NextEra Energy by fall of 2031. NextEra Energy Transmission Senior Director Kaitlin McCormick has described the 500-kv line as "one of the big, major transmission lines, " requiring a 200-foot right of way along its entire length. While the exact route of the project has yet to be announced, both Monongalia and Preston counties are in the path of at least one option. During a December meeting with the Monongalia County Commission, McCormick described the study area for the to-be-determined route as, "a small component in Pennsylvania, then we'll be crossing through West Virginia, into Maryland, back into West Virginia and then ending in Virginia." PJM Interconnection manages the electrical transmission system for a 13-state region that runs from Michigan to Tennessee, and from Illinois to Delaware. West Virginia is included in that region. So is the Washington D.C. area, for which PJM is predicting a dramatic increase in the number of power-hungry data centers coming online. Data centers are facilities that house computer systems and related equipment used to store, process and distribute data and applications. In other words, these facilities are the backbone that support our modern, digitally-connected lives. And they require a lot of juice. This is one of the major points watchdog groups want people to be aware of — the power lines might run through your community, or even your property, but that doesn't mean you'll be plugged in. Mark Stutzman is the communications director for Engage Mountain Maryland, one of the groups responsible for pulling together the larger, multistate PowerUP For Our Future. "A lot of people don't understand the enormity of the power that these data centers use, " he said, explaining the nearly 200 facilities in Loudoun County, Virginia's "Data Center Alley " pulls as much power as two million homes. "So, think of this project basically as a massive extension cord that's hooking [data centers ] up to Pennsylvania power plants. Marylanders, for example, won't benefit from any of this power, " he said. "These companies, like NextEra, calculate what they're going to charge their customers to cover the cost of building the project. So, it's really quite insidious what's happening, because you would think the customers should be benefiting by this, and they're actually not. The only people benefiting are with the data centers in Northern Virginia ... Ultimately, we, the customers, are the ones footing the bill for all of it. I don't think a lot of people realize that." NextEra refutes that claim, stating the MARL will not only help ensure the reliable delivery of electricity across the PJM region, but spur job opportunities and investment in local economies. For individuals — particularly those notified by postcard earlier this year that their properties may be impacted — the questions are more about what happens if your land is in the chosen path ? Will eminent domain be invoked if you don't give the company an easement ? That was one of the first questions that formed in Rachel Stevens' mind when she received such a postcard back in February. She lives on 13 wooded acres just north of Bruceton Mills, on the West Virginia / Pennsylvania line. While the Stevens family has since learned their property likely won't be distrubed, one or more of their neighbors are still very much up in the air. "People live here because they want a quieter life. They love nature. They love hunting, fishing and recreation, " she said. "I just want people to know what their rights are as landowners. I'm upset for them because the majority I've spoken to don't want this on their land. I've been trying to spread the word because a lot of folks don't know. Even the folks who got postcards, some of them ignored them initially. But this is important because it will be no small impact to their lives if this goes through." For additional information, check out and
Dominion Post
15-05-2025
- Business
- Dominion Post
Four-state coalition urging residents to get familiar with MARL
MORGANTOWN — A four-state coalition is urging residents of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland and Virginia to become familiar with the Mid-Atlantic Resiliency Link project – a 105-mile 'major highway' of overhead transmission lines stretching from Greene County, Pa. to Frederick County, Va. The project – MARL for short – is to be built by NextEra Energy by fall of 2031. NextEra Energy Transmission Senior Director Kaitlin McCormick has described the 500-kv line as 'one of the big, major transmission lines,' requiring a 200-foot right of way along its entire length. While the exact route of the project has yet to be announced, both Monongalia and Preston counties are in the path of at least one option. During a December meeting with the Monongalia County Commission, McCormick described the study area for the to-be-determined route as, 'a small component in Pennsylvania, then we'll be crossing through West Virginia, into Maryland, back into West Virginia and then ending in Virginia.' PJM Interconnection manages the electrical transmission system for a 13-state region that runs from Michigan to Tennessee, and from Illinois to Delaware. West Virginia is included in that region. So is the Washington D.C. area, for which PJM is predicting a dramatic increase in the number of power-hungry data centers coming online. Data centers are facilities that house computer systems and related equipment used to store, process and distribute data and applications. In other words, these facilities are the backbone that support our modern, digitally-connected lives. And they require a lot of juice. This is one of the major points watchdog groups want people to be aware of – the power lines might run through your community, or even your property, but that doesn't mean you'll be plugged in. Mark Stutzman is the communications director for Engage Mountain Maryland, one of the groups responsible for pulling together the larger, multistate PowerUP For Our Future. 'A lot of people don't understand the enormity of the power that these data centers use,' he said, explaining the nearly 200 facilities in Loudoun County, Virginia's 'Data Center Alley' pulls as much power as two million homes. 'So, think of this project basically as a massive extension cord that's hooking [data centers] up to Pennsylvania power plants. Marylanders, for example, won't benefit from any of this power,' he said. 'These companies, like NextEra, calculate what they're going to charge their customers to cover the cost of building the project. So, it's really quite insidious what's happening, because you would think the customers should be benefiting by this, and they're actually not. The only people benefiting are with the data centers in Northern Virginia … Ultimately, we, the customers, are the ones footing the bill for all of it. I don't think a lot of people realize that.' NextEra refutes that claim, stating the MARL will not only help ensure the reliable delivery of electricity across the PJM region, but spur job opportunities and investment in local economies. For individuals – particularly those notified by postcard earlier this year that their properties may be impacted – the questions are more about what happens if your land is in the chosen path? Will eminent domain be invoked if you don't give the company an easement? That was one of the first questions that formed in Rachel Stevens' mind when she received such a postcard back in February. She lives on 13 wooded acres just north of Bruceton Mills, on the West Virginia / Pennsylvania line. While the Stevens family has since learned their property likely won't be distrubed, one or more of their neighbors are still very much up in the air. 'People live here because they want a quieter life. They love nature. They love hunting, fishing and recreation,' she said. 'I just want people to know what their rights are as landowners. I'm upset for them because the majority I've spoken to don't want this on their land. I've been trying to spread the word because a lot of folks don't know. Even the folks who got postcards, some of them ignored them initially. But this is important because it will be no small impact to their lives if this goes through.' For additional information, check out and
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
2025 MARL Pet Parade
JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – The 2025 MARL Pet Parade will be held just before the Hal's St. Paddy's Parade & Festival in Jackson. The pet parade will begin at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 22 on West Street. Attendees can dress their pets in their best Irish or creative-themed attire for a chance to win trophies. There is a $5 registration fee that benefits the Mississippi Animal Rescue League (MARL). Registration starts at 9:00 a.m. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Gulf Today
18-02-2025
- Health
- Gulf Today
Music playlist that can boost your focus
A playlist of instrumental music with a 'strong rhythm' and 'simple tonality' can help people boost their mood and productivity, particularly while performing demanding tasks, a groundbreaking new study suggests. While a large number of studies point to music's widespread effect on emotions, its influence on human cognition isn't completely clear. However, many commercial music platforms advertise content claiming it could support or improve focus and concentration. But the effects of such content largely remain untested, say researchers from the New York University's Music and Audio Research Laboratory (MARL). In the latest study, scientists compared the effects of four different sets of music on the mood and performance of nearly 200 participants during a cognitively demanding test called the 'flanker task'. The psychology experiment measures the ability of people to focus on a central stimulus, relayed along with a 'flanking' signal. This surrounding stimulus is either matching the target or incongruent to it, requiring participants to focus and respond only to the central target. Four groups of participants with about 50 individuals each performed the flanker task as they listened to four different types of music, including those advertised to support 'work flow' and 'deep focus'. These two music types were mainly selected as they exhibit pronounced differences in musical features expected to drive behaviour despite similar marketing, researchers say. Scientists also compared the effects of popular hit music and office ambience noise on the participants' test outcomes. These included a lyrical song from an American music magazine's 'Hot 100' playlist, and a sample of 'calm office noise'. The special 'work flow' music in the study was sourced from a similarly named playlist in a music therapy app – characterised by strong rhythm, simple tonality, moderate dynamism, and a distributed spectral energy below 6000 hertz. On the contrary, the 'deep focus' music was found to be 'relatively minimalistic' with a weaker rhythm and slower tempo, and a more reserved dynamism. 'Neither work flow nor deep focus music had lyrics,' scientists added. 'Groups were well-balanced in terms of basic demographics, musical training, sensitivity to musical reward, basal mental health status, and stimulus volume,' they said. In the task, participants were presented with a stimulus consisting of a central 'right- or left-pointing arrow' flanked by 'arrows pointing either in the same direction (congruent condition), the opposite direction (incongruent condition), squares (neutral condition), or crosses (no-go condition).' They had to respond to the direction of the arrow in the middle by pressing the corresponding arrow key on the keyboard 'as soon as possible'. In another set of tests, the correct response was to refrain from responding. 'Each participant completed 72 test trials — 18 per condition, half with the centre arrow pointing right, half with it pointing left,' the study noted. Scientists found that listening to work flow music had significant improvements in participants' self reported mood from before to after the flanker task. The effect of work flow music on mood was also observed to be independent of variation in participants' self-reported levels of anxiety, depression, or stress over the past week. 'This suggests that work flow music may be effective for mood management even when people are suffering from emotional distress,' researchers wrote. Participants listening to work flow music also responded 'more quickly over time', the study noted. 'This suggests that work flow music may be useful for people losing focus due to high levels of anxiety,' researchers concluded. 'Tiktok Music' Is Changing The Music Industry: Citing a limitation of the study, they said while each participant group was comparable in terms of their demographics, and music-related as well as mental health variables, there may have been unnoticed group-level differences. However, the findings are still consistent with a large body of research showing that listening to music can have beneficial effects on cognition including verbal learning, memory, as well as attention, scientists said. 'We show that instrumental music intentionally composed to support focus and concentration during work — comprising strong rhythm, simple tonality, broad spectral energy, and moderate dynamism — improves mood and increases processing speed during a cognitively demanding task,' they wrote. 'This work has real-world implications for providing the general population with effective and affordable strategies to regulate mood and performance during routine work tasks,' researchers concluded.
