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Independence Holding Company Announces the Preliminary Results of Its Tender Offer to Repurchase up to 1,000,000 Shares of Its Common Stock

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STAMFORD, Conn., May 21, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Independence Holding Company (NYSE: IHC) (“IHC” or the “Company”) announced today the preliminary results of its tender offer to purchase up to 1,000,000 shares of its common stock at a price per share of $27.00, net to the seller in cash, without interest, less any applicable withholding taxes, which expired at 5:00 p.m., Eastern time, on May 21, 2020. Based on the preliminary count by Broadridge Corporate Issuer Solutions, Inc., the Depositary for the tender offer, approximately 36,615 shares of common stock were properly tendered and not withdrawn. Accordingly, IHC expects to accept for purchase a total of 36,615 shares at a purchase price of $27.00 per share, for an aggregate purchase price of $988,605.
The number of shares tendered and not withdrawn are preliminary and are subject to verification by the Depositary and the proper delivery of all shares tendered (including shares tendered pursuant to guaranteed delivery procedures). The actual number of shares validly tendered and not withdrawn will be announced following completion of the verification process, which is expected to be completed on or around May 26, 2020. Promptly after such announcement, the Depositary will issue payment for the shares validly tendered and accepted under the tender offer.As of May 21, 2020, IHC had 14,785,565 shares of common stock outstanding. After giving effect to the results of the tender offer, IHC expects to have approximately 14,748,950 shares of common stock outstanding. IHC remains committed to returning capital to its stockholders through its previously announced share repurchase program. Based on the preliminary results described above, IHC estimates that after the expiration of the tender offer, it may continue to repurchase up to 1,667,725 shares of its common stock under its current repurchase program commencing ten business days after the expiration of the tender offer. Under the repurchase program, IHC may repurchase its shares from time to time in the open market or in privately negotiated transactions. The amount and timing of any repurchases will depend on a number of factors, including, without limitation, the Company’s results of operations, financial position and capital requirements, business and market conditions, including the price of shares of its common stock, and legal, tax, regulatory and contractual constraints or restrictions.The Information Agent for the tender offer is D.F. King & Co., Inc. The Depositary is Broadridge Corporate Issuer Solutions, Inc.  For questions and information, please call the Information Agent at: for banks and brokers: (212) 269-5550; for all others: (877) 864-5057; or email to [email protected].THIS PRESS RELEASE IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER TO BUY OR THE SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO SELL SHARES OF INDEPENDENCE HOLDING COMPANY COMMON STOCK. THE TENDER OFFER IS BEING MADE ONLY PURSUANT TO THE OFFER TO PURCHASE, LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL AND RELATED MATERIALS THAT THE COMPANY DISTRIBUTED TO ITS STOCKHOLDERS AND FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION. STOCKHOLDERS AND INVESTORS SHOULD READ CAREFULLY THE OFFER TO PURCHASE, LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL AND RELATED MATERIALS BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION, INCLUDING THE VARIOUS TERMS OF, AND CONDITIONS TO, THE TENDER OFFER. STOCKHOLDERS AND INVESTORS MAY OBTAIN A FREE COPY OF THE TENDER OFFER STATEMENT ON SCHEDULE TO, AS AMENDED, OFFER TO PURCHASE, LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL AND OTHER DOCUMENTS AT THE SEC’S WEBSITE AT WWW.SEC.GOV OR BY CALLING D.F. KING & CO., INC., THE INFORMATION AGENT FOR THE TENDER OFFER, AT THE NUMBERS ABOVE. STOCKHOLDERS ARE URGED TO CAREFULLY READ THESE MATERIALS PRIOR TO MAKING ANY DECISION WITH RESPECT TO THE TENDER OFFER.About The IHC GroupIndependence Holding Company (NYSE: IHC), formed in 1980, is a holding company that is principally engaged in underwriting, administering and/or distributing group and individual specialty benefit products, including disability, supplemental health, pet, and group life insurance through its subsidiaries (Independence Holding Company and its subsidiaries collectively referred to as “The IHC Group”).  The IHC Group consists of three insurance companies (Standard Security Life Insurance Company of New York, Madison National Life Insurance Company, Inc. and Independence American Insurance Company). We also own the following agencies: (i) PetPartners, Inc., our pet insurance administrator; (ii) IHC Specialty Benefits, Inc., a technology-driven full-service marketing and distribution company that focuses on small employer and individual consumer products through its call center, career agents, and Independence Brokerage Group; and (iii) The INSX Cloud Platform through My1HR, our wholly owned Web Based Entity. Our InsureTech division is comprised of our call centers, field and career agents, in-house MarTech artificial intelligence capabilities and domains, including www.healthedeals.com; www.healthinsurance.org; www.medicareresources.org; www.petplace.com; and www.mypetinsurance.com.

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Artificial Intelligence

QSAN Unveils Latest Solutions for AI Era at COMPUTEX 2024

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Introducing Next-Gen NVMe Array and All-New Container Platform
TAIPEI, April 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — AI is sweeping the globe, transforming industries and spurring enterprises to adopt AI in business. As companies gear up to seize this incredible opportunity of rapid business growth, upgrading their IT infrastructure is the first step. At COMPUTEX 2024, QSAN will unveil state-of-the-art solutions to assist enterprises in the AI era.

Unparalleled Performance All NVMe Flash ArrayThe next-generation XCubeFAS 5226 is now delivering extremely fast performance. It features low latency, high throughput, and robust IOPs to accelerate demanding workloads for the upcoming AI era.
Innovative Container PlatformThe KubeSwift series is an innovative appliance that empowers SMBs with CaaS (Container as a Service) capabilities. This all-in-one solution streamlines containerized application deployment, management, and scaling, providing a robust foundation for modern IT infrastructures.
High Scalability Enterprise Unified StorageAs artificial intelligence continues to advance, the value of data will grow exponentially, driving the need for expanded storage capacity. XCubeNXT is an enterprise unified storage system with PB-level scalability, high availability, and multi-functional connectivity. It aims to prepare for storing massive amounts of material generated by AI.
Register for QSAN Tech Talk
QSAN will host tech talks to provide insights into storage technology and the future. Professionals will have in-depth discussions on topics such as AI applications, storage technology trends, market analysis, and prediction. Register for tech talk for more forecasts.
Make an Appointment with a QSAN Expert Consultant
Tailor-made storage consulting will also be available at COMPUTEX 2024. For the best chance of accelerating your business, make an appointment with a QSAN expert.
QSAN at 2024 COMPUTEX Information
Event Date: June 4 ~ 7, 2024Event Time: (GMT+8) 9:30 AM ~ 05:30 PMBooth No.: M1435a (AI Computing & System Integration)Location: 4F, Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center, Hall 1 (TaiNEX 1)Address: No.1, Jingmao 2nd Rd., Nangang District, Taipei City 115, Taiwan
QSAN Showroom for Tech Talk and Expert Consultant
Event Date: June 4 ~ 7, 2024Event Time: (GMT+8) 10:00 AM ~ 05:30 PMLocation: QSAN ShowRoomAddress: No. 2, Ln. 1, Fukang St., Nangang District, Taipei City 115, Taiwan
For more information, please visit: www.QSAN.com
Media Contacts Email: [email protected] Address: 4F., No.103, RuiHu Street, NeiHu District, Taipei, Taiwan11494 Phone: +886-2-7720-2118

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Kanazawa University research: Biochemical tails tell a story

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KANAZAWA, Japan, April 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Researchers at Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University report in Nano Letters how the use of high-speed atomic force microscopy helps to understand the crucial role played by certain biomolecules in DNA wrapping dynamics.

In plants and animals, the basic packaging units of DNA, which carry genetic information, are the so-called nucleosomes. A nucleosome consists of a segment of DNA wound around eight proteins known as histones. During gene expression (the process lying at the basis of protein production), nucleosomes are involved in various dynamical structural changes, such as nucleosome sliding, DNA unwrapping and other DNA–histone interactions. Of particular importance in these processes are the end structures, or tails, of the histones. Histone tails undergo chemical modifications, changing the histone’s functionality as needed. Detailed studies, and especially visualizations, of nucleosome dynamics are crucial for better understanding the role of histone tails. Mikihiro Shibata from Kanazawa University and colleagues have now succeeded in making video recordings of tail-less nucleosomes, showing that the absence of histone tails significantly increases a nucleosome’s dynamic activity.
The scientists used high-speed atomic force microscopy (HS-AFM), a powerful nanoimaging tool for visualizing molecular structures and their dynamics at high spatial and temporal resolution. For this, the nucleosomes needed to be put onto a substrate. Shibata and colleagues used a film of so-called pillar[5]arenes (molecules with a pentagonal tubular structure) as the substrate, forming an ideal surface as the nucleosomes are easily adsorbed to it without dynamical processes getting suppressed.
The researchers first looked at nucleosomes for which all eight histones lacked tails. Based on their HS-AFM observations, they concluded that nucleosome sliding and DNA unwrapping/rewrapping occurred more often than for normal (canonical) nucleosomes. This suggests that without tails, the histone–DNA interaction is weakened, leading to a situation in which DNA can more easily detach from the histones.
To better understand the roles of specific histone tails, Shibata and colleagues prepared nucleosomes where one type of histone was tailless. There are four different types of histones, called H2A, H2B, H3 and H4. HS-AFM experiments on the nucleosomes revealed that H2B and H3 tail-less nucleosomes showed an increased frequency of dynamics. Conversely, this means that canonical H2B and H3 histones are essential for nucleosome stability.
The scientists point out that they could not observe any actual motion of histone tails — most likely the temporal resolution of the study, 0.3 seconds, was much slower than the rate of the wrapping/unwrapping dynamics of the tails. Despite this limitation, the work of Shibata and colleagues clearly proves that the tails of H2B and H3 histones are the main contributors to nucleosome dynamics. Regarding future work, quoting the researchers, “a technique for tagging histone tail tips might enable HS-AFM to capture the movements of the histone tails themselves.”
Background
High-speed atomic force microscopy
The general principle of atomic force microscopy (AFM) is to make a very small tip scan the surface of a sample. During this horizontal (xy) scan, the tip, which is attached to a small cantilever, follows the sample’s vertical (z) profile, inducing a force on the cantilever that can be measured. The magnitude of the force at the xy position can be related to the z value; the xyz data generated during a scan then result in a height map providing structural information about the investigated sample. In high-speed-AFM (HS-AFM), the working principle is slightly more involved: the cantilever is made to oscillate near its resonance frequency. When the tip is moved around a surface, the variations in the amplitude (or the frequency) of the cantilever’s oscillation — resulting from the tip’s interaction with the sample’s surface — are recorded, as these provide a measure for the local z value. AFM does not involve lenses, so its resolution is not restricted by the so-called diffraction limit as in X-ray diffraction, for example.
HS-AFM results in a video, where the time interval between frames depends on the speed with which a single image can be generated (by xy-scanning the sample). Researchers at Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University have in recent years developed HS-AFM further, so that it can be applied to study biochemical molecules and biomolecular processes in real-time. Mikihiro Shibata and colleagues have now applied the method to study nucleosome dynamics in detail, and in particular the role of the molecular endings of histones — proteins that play a crucial role in DNA accessibility.
Reference
Shin Morioka, Takumi Oishi, Suguru Hatazawa, Takahiro Kakuta, Tomoki Ogoshi, Kenichi Umeda, Noriyuki Kodera, Hitoshi Kurumizaka, and Mikihiro Shibata. High-Speed Atomic Force Microscopy Reveals the Nucleosome Sliding and DNA Unwrapping/Wrapping Dynamics of Tail-less Nucleosomes, Nano Letters ,2024.
DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.4c00801https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.nanolett.4c00801 
https://nanolsi.kanazawa-u.ac.jp/wp/wp-content/uploads/Figure-1-12.png Figure 1.
High-speed atomic force microscopy visualization of nucleosome dynamics with canonical (top) and tail-less (bottom) histones.© 2024 American Chemical Society
ContactHiroe YonedaSenior Specialist in Project Planning and OutreachNanoLSI Administration Office, Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI)Kanazawa UniversityKakuma-machi, Kanazawa 920-1192, JapanEmail: [email protected]: +81 (76) 234-4555
About Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University
Understanding nanoscale mechanisms of life phenomena by exploring “uncharted nano-realms”
Cells are the basic units of almost all life forms. We are developing nanoprobe technologies that allow direct imaging, analysis, and manipulation of the behavior and dynamics of important macromolecules in living organisms, such as proteins and nucleic acids, at the surface and interior of cells. We aim at acquiring a fundamental understanding of the various life phenomena at the nanoscale.https://nanolsi.kanazawa-u.ac.jp/en/
About the World Premier International Research Center Initiative (WPI)
The WPI program was launched in 2007 by Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) to foster globally visible research centers boasting the highest standards and outstanding research environments. Numbering more than a dozen and operating at institutions throughout the country, these centers are given a high degree of autonomy, allowing them to engage in innovative modes of management and research. The program is administered by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS).
See the latest research news from the centers at the WPI News Portal: https://www.eurekalert.org/newsportal/WPI
Main WPI program site: www.jsps.go.jp/english/e-toplevel
About Kanazawa University
As the leading comprehensive university on the Sea of Japan coast, Kanazawa University has contributed greatly to higher education and academic research in Japan since it was founded in 1949. The University has three colleges and 17 schools offering courses in subjects that include medicine, computer engineering, and humanities.
The University is located on the coast of the Sea of Japan in Kanazawa – a city rich in history and culture. The city of Kanazawa has a highly respected intellectual profile since the time of the fiefdom (1598-1867). Kanazawa University is divided into two main campuses: Kakuma and Takaramachi for its approximately 10,200 students including 600 from overseas.http://www.kanazawa-u.ac.jp/e/
 
 
 

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Geek+ and System Teknik deploy first PopPick solution in the Nordics for the pharmacy group Med24.dk

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DUSSELDORF, Germany, April 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Geekplus, the global leader in mobile robot and smart logistics solutions, has deployed the first Shelf-to-Person PopPick project in the Nordics for one of the biggest online pharmacy wholesalers in the region, Med24.dk. System Teknik partnered on the Denmark project, which includes three PopPick stations and 30 Shelf-to-Person robots, bringing a flexible solution to a region where fixed automation still dominates.  

“With the rise of e-commerce, Med24.dk had been struggling with huge sales growth coupled with fast delivery demands from customers in Denmark, Norway, Sweden searching for pharmacy, health and beauty products. Peak season events had also caused considerable strain to their operations,” said Blond Shkodrani, channel partner manager for the Nordics at Geekplus. “Due to their overwhelming success, Med24.dk needed a modular, automated order fulfillment solution for fast, efficient order fulfillment.”
The Geekplus modular Shelf-to-Person solution optimizes warehouse operations using mobile robots to transport shelves. In a region where fixed and cubic solutions have been the trend during recent years, Shelf-to-Person handles goods of all sizes while removing the need for infrastructure investment, making it the most flexible response to order fulfillment challenges.
PopPick workstations use two retrieval arms and four presentation locations to present pickers with multiple, moveable 78-tote racks at one time, resulting in an industry-leading throughput of 450 totes per hour. PopPick can store goods of all types and sizes; the solution is not limited to small pieces and improves ergonomics for workers while picking. It also takes up less space than traditional systems, so customers can use more stations without adding facility space.
“We are very pleased to invest in flooring robots from Geekplus,” said Med24.dk CEO Nils Træholt. “We believe that this new and innovative technology can help us realize our growth ambitions, while maintaining good delivery times for the benefit of our customers.”
Morten Kirch, System Teknik’s CSO, added: “Due to Med24.dk’s growth, we are thrilled to be able to deliver a tailor-made, automated solution that matches their needs.”
Geekplus offers a suite of Goods-to-Person mobile order fulfillment solutions — the only comprehensive robotic offering controlled by a single software platform.
“Through trusted partners like System Teknik, we’re showing customers all over Europe that Geekplus truly is a one-stop shop for modular warehouse automation,” Shkodrani said.
Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2395198/Med24_Geekplus_PopPick.jpg Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2373458/Geekplus_logo.jpg
 
 

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/geek-and-system-teknik-deploy-first-poppick-solution-in-the-nordics-for-the-pharmacy-group-med24dk-302125816.html

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