title: Best joint personal loans of 2025

text:
Best Joint Personal Loans of 2025 – Just as the name implies, it is common for one person to be a personal loan applicant, but there are cases where there are two people on a personal loan. In cases where you need to add a co-borrower to your loan application to be eligible for lower interest rates. This type of loan is called a joint personal loan. While we have this, it is important to be aware of the best joint personal loans of 2025. Applying for a joint personal loan allows the lender to consider both borrowers’ income and their credit record.
Due to this, both borrowers are responsible for the loan and are required to repay the loan. This means that both the borrower and the co-borrower share access to the loan taken as well as the repayment. However, the co-borrower does not have access to the funds obtained, but they serve as backup in the loan repayment. Although not all lenders allow co-borrowing, others allow it. Because of this, it is advisable to check around for personal loan lenders willing to accept co-borrowers as well as compare interest rates and terms of joint personal loan lenders you find.
Best Joint Personal Loans of 2025
It makes no sense to opt for the first lender that comes your way without checking for the best lender. In 2025, it is recommended to consider various joint personal loans due to their competitive rates and favorable repayment terms. To cut a long story short, the following are some of the best joint personal loans of 2025:
Borrowers can apply for unsecured joint personal loans from this internet lender. The lender allows borrowers to take loan amounts from $5,000 to $100,000, making it a considerable option for borrowers who intend to borrow higher amounts. In addition, it provides adjustable payback periods between two and seven years.
Another lender that offers joint personal loans is LightStream. This lender offers loans with both high and low interest rates alongside a rate-beat program. LightStream unsecured personal loan amounts range from $5,000 to $100,000. However, this lender’s loan amount varies depending on the purpose of the loan.
For your financial needs, U.S. Bank provides personal loans with fast approval and money availability. Irrespective of whether you want a debt consolidation personal loan or you need the loan to cover large expenses, this lender grants access to quick cash as well as flexible repayment terms. Depending on a borrower’s creditworthiness, this insurance determines and offers interest rates. Aside from this, this lender allows co-borrowers for borrowers with bad credit.
Wells Fargo is a personal loan lender that offers fixed interest rates on loan amounts ranging from $3,000 to $100,000 and a repayment term ranging from 12 to 84 months. While this lender requires you to pay more interest over the life of your loan, your fixed monthly loan payment will reduce as the year goes by.
This online lender offers loan amounts ranging from $1,000 to $50,000 along with a repayment term ranging from two to seven years. It allows borrowers to take joint personal loans and does not charge borrowers any prepayment penalties.
Is it Easier to Apply for a Personal Loan with a Co-Borrower?
Your chances of getting approved for a personal loan are increased if you apply with a co-borrower who has strong credit. The lender determines loan repayment terms and interest rates when applying with a co-borrower, considering both the borrower’s and co-borrower’s income and credit scores. Because of this, applying for a personal loan with a co-borrower does not make loan qualification easier. In cases where one borrower has bad credit, the lender may not want to approve the loan.
Individual vs. Joint Personal Loan: Which Is Better?
A joint personal loan is commonly taken by couples, and while this seems like a good idea, it is not always advisable to get one. Lenders typically assess both borrowers’ credit and income, making joint personal loans unsuitable for spouses with poor credit. If you and your spouse or co-borrower have good credit, it’s advisable to obtain individual personal loans. Here, every borrower is responsible for their loan payments.
Can I Get a Joint Personal Loan if One Borrower Has Bad Credit?
Joint personal loans may be eligible if one borrower has bad credit, but it is not advisable to do so. This is because the credit scores of the two borrowers involved are considered by the lender during the loan application process. For this reason, the borrower with bad credit may be charged higher interest rates or even be denied.


tier: cub

shelf: education

text:
Preparation, Training and Support Requirements of Expatriate Trailing Spouses
University of Pretoria
Globalisation has led to an increased need for MNEs to expand their operations and appoint expatriate managers in foreign countries. The failure of these expatriates has been identified as a major concern for multinationals, as failure rates range between 30 and 40 percent and may cost an enterprise up to US$1.2 million. Many studies have found the inability of the trailing spouse to adjust in the host country to be the most common cause of expatriate failure.
As they are more immersed in the host-country’s culture than the expatriate, spouses may experience severe culture shock, isolation, and stress, and need to come to terms with the various differences in healthcare systems, housing arrangements, cuisine, language and gender roles. The adjustment of the trailing spouse has been found to be significantly related to the success of an international assignment, making enterprise-assistance programmes essential.
The aim of this study was to determine the preparation, training and support requirements of trailing spouses in order for MNEs to reduce the likelihood of failure amongst their assignees. A literature study was conducted in order to investigate the causes of failure and to identify best practices for the preparation, training and support of spouses accompanying expatriates on assignment. The literature study was then followed by an empirical study, in which a link to an online questionnaire was distributed through MNEs and online forums to trailing spouses currently on assignment. Spouses were required to answer demographic questions and give their opinion regarding various preparation, training and support requirements by rating their level of agreement, on a four-point Likert Scale, as to whether or not they required any of the listed items for adjustment and whether or not these were provided to them by the enterprise. The data was then analysed using a factor analysis, Cronbach’s Alpha, a t-test, paired t-test, an analysis of the mean scores and other inferential statistics.
This study has revealed that enterprises are not providing expatriate trailing spouses with the preparation, training and support that they require, and has identified what preparation, training and support is required by spouses in order to adjust in the host country. Recommendations have been made based on these findings to assist enterprises in developing preparation and training programmes and providing adequate support to spouses prior to and during the assignment. It is important to remember that the key to expatriate success is the trailing spouse’s adjustment. These recommendations should therefore enable MNEs to design and implement expatriate programmes and processes that take into consideration the needs of trailing spouses in order to reduce the likelihood of expatriate failure.
Dissertation (MCom)-- University of Pretoria, 2016.
International Human Resource Management, Expatriate Management, UCTD
Sustainable Development Goals
Webber, E 2016, Preparation, training and support requirements of expatriate trailing spouses, MCom Dissertation, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, yymmdd <http://hdl.handle.net/2263/51517>


shelf: home-craft

title: Mad March Hare or a sweet Spring Bunny?

text:
Mad March Hare or a sweet Spring Bunny?
This is my second inspirational project for Country View Crafts March theme.
I do love making a piece of home decor especially for special occasions, so this has been added to my Easter display box.
Cut Tim Holtz Mr Rabbit die, prime with white gesso then pounce grey acrylic paint over it.
Add some rusty looking areas and paint in an eye.
Add a circular top to a wooden box and gesso it all.
Scrape gesso over all areas with a palette knife and dry.
Use Scorched Timber, Walnut Stain, Hickory Smoke and Black Soot distress watercolor pencils to create drips and drops on the surfaces.
Use the tiny Tim Holtz Sidekick Order 'Springtime' pack of dies to cut the little rabbit from a scorched timber distress oxide background and the butterflies I cut from a leftover piece of distressed painty background. Add them to the box with some greenery from the Holiday Greens and Festive Gatherings dies.
I added moss and natural elements to the little nest I stuck the rabbit to.....
..... and I stuck this to a base and added more moss and sticks.
I have placed this piece of decor under a cloche to form part of an Easter display in my dining room.
Supplies - products and brands from Country View Crafts
Tim Holtz Mr Rabbit die
DecoArt white gesso and white modelling paste.
DecoArt dark grey and quinacridone gold acrylic paint,
Tim Holtz distress ink scorched timber.
Tim Holtz distress oxide scorched timber.
Tim Holtz idea-ology salvaged rabbits.https://www.countryviewcrafts.co.uk/tim-holtz-idea-ology-102-c.asp
Tim Holtz Sidekick Order 'Springtime' pack of dies. (Retired)
Tim Holtz Sizzix Holiday Greens
Tim Holtz Sizzix Festive Gatherings
Cosmic Shimmer glue


shelf: history-culture

text:
Sydney Contemporary announces largest fair to date including inaugural Photo Sydney
The ninth edition of Sydney Contemporary at Carriageworks features 114 exhibitors and more than 500 artists – and this year…
2025 Archibald finalists announced: conversation with curator Beatrice Gralton
This is the curator's first time delivering the finalist exhibition for three of Australia's most prestigious and best loved prizes.
New kimono exhibition unfurls at NGV International
The iconic Japanese garment will be on display in historical and contemporary guises.
Vale Allan Mitelman – a bold and prolific printmaker
A humble gentleman with a deep legacy, Allan Mitelman's loss has saddened the visual arts sector.
Canberra opens Our Story, a new exhibition exploring Aboriginal-Chinese heritage in Australia
Telling the untold story of Aboriginal-Chinese Australia.
Masterpiece by Edvard Munch gifted to the National Gallery of Australia
The National Gallery of Australia is screaming for joy over a new Munch acquisition... no, it's not that one.
THE LUME headed for permanent closure in June
After five years and a series of innovative immersive exhibitions, THE LUME is closing the doors of its Melbourne venue.
Over 150 works from the NGV to be showcased in substantial new exhibition: Floribunda (2025)
Showcasing one of the NGV's largest loans, 'Floribunda' will bring a whole new world of flowers to Narre Warren.
A town of street art welcomes the return of Wall to Wall Festival
Many Australians wouldn’t know where Mordi Village is, but it is on the radar for many international street artists.
Unpacking the 11th Asia Pacific Triennial, and its bounceback
Sensitivity over the spectacular makes for a more nuanced survey of the region.


shelf: civic-law

title: 400 azeri soldiers civilians accused conspiring armenians

text:
New details concerning the spy scandal in Azerbaijan have surfaced. A former serviceman of Azerbaijan’s army has revealed that a shepherd and his herd were involved in an investigation, during which hundreds of people in Azerbaijan were interrogated, while some of them were even charged with high treason.
In May 2017, the Azerbaijani law enforcement agencies reported on the arrest of a group of soldiers and civilians suspected of transferring classified military information to Armenia. In a joint statement, the country’s attorney general, the ministry of defense and the ministry of internal affairs said that a “preliminary investigation” had been initiated in the treason case against the arrested person.
According to the serviceman, around 400 Azerbaijani soldiers and civilians, including shepherds and prostitutes, were interrogate or arrested for allegedly conspiring with the Armenian intelligence services.
They were further accused of receiving money for the transfer of classified military information, which jeopardized the security of the country.
The shepherd was reportedly detained by border Azerbaijani guards but was later released by the commander of the post who took one of the shepherd’s sheep instead.
The soldiers began to argue with the commander, as according to them, Armenian troops could see in which direction the sheep would go and thus find out that there are no landmines in that area. They told the commander that he was endangering all the soldiers.
Accusations of cooperation with the enemy were reported to one of the commanders in a neighboring military unit, and an investigation was soon launched, which significantly expanded, as hundreds of servicemen and civilians were detained and questioned. Some were released, others are still awaiting trial on charges of treason.


shelf: science-engineering

title: Google search rankings the human component

text:
The Googlebot is Google’s automated program for searching and indexing content on the Internet. In the realm of SEO, the first part of good optimization is all about crafting textual content that’s visible and makes sense to Googlebot. After Googlebot indexes a page, the Google algorithm takes the content text and automatically ranks it on the search results page according to the search terms that the user enters into Google search. If your optimized website performs well for the term “electronic widgets,” for example, the Google algorithm will place your site near or at the top of the search results whenever someone uses Google to search for “electronic widgets.” Did you know that in addition to its automated components like Googlebot and the algorithm that Google also uses human site raters in the ranking of websites?
Google employs hundreds of site raters who rate a huge number of websites on relevancy. The input collected from this team doesn’t directly influence the search results, but it does influence the Google engineers in changing the algorithm to better serve more relevant results to the search engine user.
In this great video, Google senior software engineer Matt Cutts, demystifies this process by explaining how human website raters are used in testing changes to the Google algorithm. Essentially, after a change to the automatic search ranking is made, Google performs many test queries and evaluates what has changed in the results. The new search results are checked against the results before the change, and then presented to the human raters – in what Matt Cutts calls a “blind taste test” – to determine which set of search engine results are more relevant and useful. Only after analyzing and evaluating the feedback of the human raters are the new search results then tested with a small, carefully selected number of Internet users. Only if this last round of surveys on the algorithm change prove the results more accurate and useful will the updated algorithm be integrated into Google Search for the use of the public. It’s an exhaustive process, but that’s how much Google wants its search engine to be the most relevant on the web.
Watch the video here:


shelf: software-docs

text:
Unlocking the Power of LLM Agents: A Comprehensive Guide
In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, the integration of Large Language Models (LLMs) into various applications has revolutionized the way we approach complex problem-solving and task execution. One such application is the use of LLM-powered agents, which have emerged as a game-changer in enterprise settings. But what exactly are LLM agents, and how do they work? In this article, we’ll delve into the world of LLM agents, exploring their framework, architecture, examples, and more.
LLM Agent Framework: The Building Blocks of Intelligent Automation
To understand the potential of LLM agents, it’s essential to grasp their underlying framework. An LLM agent is a software entity that utilizes a Large Language Model as its primary controller or “brain.” This LLM serves as the central nervous system, processing user requests and executing tasks with unprecedented efficiency.
The Role of the LLM in LLM Agents
The LLM plays a vital role in an LLM agent’s architecture. It processes natural language inputs, generates project plans, writes code, runs simulations, and even provides customer support. This capability enables businesses to automate complex tasks, freeing up resources for more strategic initiatives.
LLM Agent Architecture: A Modular Approach
An LLM agent’s architecture is modular in design, allowing businesses to tailor the solution to their specific needs. The framework comprises various components, including:
- Linguistic Processing: The LLM processes user input and generates responses.
- Task Execution: The LLM executes tasks based on user requests, such as generating project plans or writing code.
- Integration: The LLM integrates with other systems and applications to access relevant data and resources.
LLM Agent Examples: Real-World Applications
LLM agents are already being used in various industries and use cases. Some examples include:
- Customer Support: LLM-powered agents can provide 24/7 support, answering customer queries and resolving issues efficiently.
- Project Management: LLM agents can generate project plans, allocate resources, and track progress in real-time.
- Code Generation: LLM agents can write code for software development projects, saving time and increasing productivity.
LLM Agents Langchain: Unlocking Human-Like Intelligence
LLM agents are not just limited to executing tasks; they can also engage in conversations and interact with users like a human. This is made possible through the use of Langchain, a technology that enables LLMs to reason and respond to complex queries.
LLM Agent Workflow: A Step-by-Step Guide
So, how do LLM agents work? Here’s a simplified workflow:
- User Input: The user inputs a request or query into the system.
- Linguistic Processing: The LLM processes the input and generates a response.
- Task Execution: The LLM executes the task based on the user’s request.
- Output: The result of the task execution is presented to the user.
LLM Agent Survey: Understanding User Needs
To ensure the successful adoption of LLM agents, it’s essential to understand user needs and preferences. A survey can help identify pain points, gather feedback, and inform development priorities.
LLM Agents Explained: Demystifying AI-Powered Automation
In conclusion, LLM agents are software entities that leverage Large Language Models to automate complex tasks and execute user requests with unprecedented efficiency. By understanding the framework, architecture, examples, and workflow of LLM agents, businesses can unlock the full potential of this technology and drive innovation in their respective industries.
LLM Agent GitHub: Open-Source Collaboration
The LLM agent community is actively working on open-source projects, sharing knowledge, and collaborating on development. The GitHub repository serves as a hub for these efforts, allowing developers to contribute, learn from each other, and push the boundaries of what’s possible with LLM agents.
LLM Agent Papers: Research and Development
Research papers play a vital role in advancing the field of LLM agents. These papers explore new applications, discuss challenges, and propose innovative solutions. By staying up-to-date with the latest research, businesses can stay ahead of the curve and harness the power of LLM agents to drive growth and success.
In conclusion, LLM agents have the potential to revolutionize various industries by automating complex tasks and executing user requests with unprecedented efficiency. By understanding their framework, architecture, examples, and workflow, businesses can unlock the full potential of this technology and drive innovation in their respective fields. Whether it’s customer support, project management, or code generation, LLM agents are poised to transform the way we work and interact with technology.
Share this content:


shelf: health

title: A perfect result with Poenix+

text:
A perfect result with Poenix+
Find out more about Phoenix +
Phoenix+ Radiofrequency with Soothesoft Technology
WELCOME TO THE ERA OF LIMITLESS BEAUTY
Phoenix RF500+ technology is the perfect solution for estheticians committed to delivering remarkable results to their clients. Whether you want to fight the signs of aging, reduce localized fat or improve skin texture, Phoenix RF500+ guarantees a quality result.
Stimulates collagen production, ideal for facial treatments, reduces wrinkles and fine lines. Provides immediate and long-lasting results.
Intended to reduce fat and cellulite, this technology is perfect for body contouring. Helps to sculpt and tone.
Photostimulation expands your treatment options, from facial rejuvenation to cellulite reduction. Photostimulation does not cause discomfort or significant side effects, which guarantees the satisfaction of your clients.
BIPOLAR RESISTIVE DIATHERMY
Perfect for facial and body reshaping, bipolar radiofrequency improves skin texture, firms and defines contours.
Committed to excellence and aesthetic renewal
Discover what’s new in Radiofrequency
Intuitive and more manageable software
Designed to facilitate the execution of the treatment in an easy and fast way.
New Electrodes: Capillary and Orbicular
With specific treatment programs for each of the electrodes.
Return Plate with Soothesoft Technology
Its warmth offers greater comfort and convenience for your customers.
DIFFERENT TREATMENTS FOR MAXIMUM EFFECTIVENESS
Achieve rejuvenated, firmed and luminous skin with each session. In addition to reducing wrinkles and fine lines, it improves skin tone and elasticity.
It reduces orange peel skin and flaccidity, leading to firmer, smoother and more uniform skin, as well as a reduction in body volume.
The treatment generates an increase in temperature that promotes circulation and cellular activity, thus stimulating hair growth.
A free program in which you will be able to configure each parameter according to the customer’s needs.
Maximum consumption: 200W
Capacitive Rf power: 500VA
Resistive RF power: 200 W
Bipolar resistive Rf power: 100 W
Interfaz: Pantalla táctil en color de 10″ con retroiluminación LED
Capacitive electrodes: 20/30/40/60/60/80 mm and specific capillary electrodes


shelf: finance

title: Software updates

text:
We’ve re-engineered Cypher’s core engine, reducing its response time by half. Now, Cypher delivers faster insights, quicker analysis, and more seamless interactions—giving you the critical information you need in record time.
Switching between ticker symbols in Market Replay is now 40% faster, making your experience smoother, especially when trading multiple symbols simultaneously.
TraderSync’s Market Replay now features “Go-To,” allowing you to instantly jump to specific moments or market sessions (e.g., London session) during backtesting. Save time, streamline analysis, and focus precisely on the sessions or executions most relevant to your strategy.
TraderSync’s Market Replay Simulator now supports every futures ticker from CME, featuring precise 250ms tick-level updates and real-time Time & Sales data. Effortlessly replay multiple tickers simultaneously without restarting your session, utilize custom leverage, and rapidly transform trading concepts into proven strategies.
TraderSync’s Market Replay Simulator now covers a decade of historical Forex and Crypto data, giving you more confidence and accuracy when backtesting your trading strategies.
Our Market Replay Simulator now supports custom leverage and customizable volume units (Standard, Mini, Micro, Nano, Units). Practice your trading strategies realistically by tailoring your leverage and lot sizes exactly as you would in live trading, making backtesting more accurate and effective.
Forex traders now have a custom indicator in Market Replay highlighting Asia, London, and New York sessions—making it easy to spot session-specific patterns, highs, and lows, and optimize trading strategy.
No more manual syncing! TraderSync now automatically updates your trades from most brokers, trading platforms, and crypto exchanges. This seamless automation keeps your trading data current without effort—saving you valuable time and ensuring you always have the latest insights at your fingertips.
We’ve substantially re-engineered our trade import process, accelerating import speeds by 30% for all brokers. Quickly sync your trades and dive into analysis faster, enhancing your productivity and saving valuable time.
You can now simultaneously trade and analyse multiple tickers in Market Replay using our new multi-chart functionality. Monitor price action across several symbols at once, enhancing your backtesting efficiency.


tier: polar

title: Csun students discuss aids walk in heso meeting

text:
CSUN Health Education Student Organization (HESO) held its first meeting in order to give information regarding its attendance to the AIDS Walk in Los Angeles this upcoming month.
HESO has been active on campus for over 20 years, striving to inspire a sense of community among students. This organization also supports and creates awareness with campus services in relation to the promotion of health.
The organization is currently participating in the 10K fundraising walk held in Grand Park on Oct. 23
Celebrity guests, AIDS activists, music artists, and elected officials will also attend the event along with supporters raising money to fight HIV and AIDS.
“Not a lot of people are aware of events like this and we encourage others to participate in supporting our community,” Alejandra Valle,CSUN HESO president, said.
Funds raised at the event will help with APLA Health’s prevention, care, and advocacy programs for all those affected by the disease in Los Angeles County.
Gabriela Cardenas, senior public health major, attended the meeting to benefit from the opportunities offered by this organization.
“I didn’t know about the AIDS walk until coming to the meeting,” Cardenas said.
Stephanie Zuniga is the Public Relations Coordinator for HESO and her goals for the semester is to get involved with community events.
“Be involved in causes around your community, it feels good to support,” Zuniga said.
Valle said the organization also provides students with networking, workshops, health tips, and volunteer opportunities. “You give and you get back,” Valle said.
The Aids Walk will begin at 10 a.m. and usually takes about 2.5 hours to complete.
If you would like to sign up and walk with HESO members this upcoming month, email firstname.lastname@example.org for more information.


title: Home

text:
As an employee in Kuala Lumpur, it is very difficult to get a decent place. I was saving money for a place since I started working but recently, the property prices shot up tremendously. 3 years ago, single storey houses in Happy Garden, Old Klang Road were selling at RM200,000. But now, they’re selling them at RM400,000. BIG FAT FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
Fortunately, my Dad was kind enough to give my wife and I a roof to stay. The only problem is that the house was a run down house. We had to renovate it.
When I first saw this place, I thought it was haunted. My contractor was scared when he first entered the house. He even did a little ceremony to “calm the spirits” before starting the construction. I even consulted a fengshui master to check whether it’s haunted!
Fengshui master said, “Not haunted-lar”. Suddenly the house doesn’t feel so scary anymore.
Here are some pictures showing the transformation of the house.
I always thought this toilet was haunted.
I had to smash some walls, change all the toilets, piping and wiring system, repaint the house, replace the tiles and kitchen roof, rebuild a kitchen and build a pergola. It all costs me slightly above RM200,000. It was all worth it! But now I’m poor. Please don’t rob me.
I had a little hiccup when my house got broken in by copper wire thieves. They carted away all my copper wires. Bastards!!
After that my contractor devised a way to seal the house..
He used an old door to cover the window.
As for furniture, I got mine from a local manufacturer by the name Hin Lim. Their stuff is reasonably priced but the only problem is that we need assemble the furniture ourselves. The dining table was fairly easy but the sofa was tough as their wood is hard.
Fortunately, my buddies KF and Umeng helped me to setup my sofa. I think we went home with blisters on our hands.
My wife and I moved in during Chinese New Year and we had couple of open houses. One of them was a Luk-Luk party. We had a Luk-luk truck to come our place for RM800. I didn’t need to prepare or clean up much!
I still have couple of outstanding furnitures that I need to buy. But without a fixed salary now (since I started my own law firm), I have to be vigilant when spending.
Hope things will turn out well!


title: Empire lost by john jones

text:
“Empire Lost” by John Jones is a riveting and thought-provoking novel that takes readers on a captivating journey through history, politics, and human emotions. With a mix of suspense, drama, and historical elements, Jones weaves a tale that keeps readers eagerly turning the pages from start to finish.
Set against the backdrop of a crumbling empire, the story follows the lives of three main characters whose fates become intertwined in unexpected ways. With vivid descriptions and well-developed characters, Jones brings to life a world on the brink of change, where loyalties are tested and destinies are shaped by the tumultuous events unfolding around them.
The author’s writing style is engaging and accessible, making it easy for readers to immerse themselves in the story. Jones has a talent for creating realistic dialogue that adds depth and authenticity to the characters, making them feel like real people grappling with the challenges of their time.
One of the standout features of “Empire Lost” is its exploration of complex political themes and power dynamics. Jones delves deep into the intricacies of empire-building, showcasing the ruthlessness and ambition that can drive individuals to both greatness and downfall. Through the characters’ personal journeys, readers are given a glimpse into the inner workings of power and the impact it can have on both individuals and societies at large.
Furthermore, the novel is not just a thrilling political drama; it is also a compelling exploration of human emotions and relationships. Jones skillfully portrays the inner struggles of the characters as they navigate love, betrayal, and loyalty in a world where trust is a rare commodity. These emotional arcs add depth and nuance to the story, making the characters’ choices and motivations all the more meaningful and relatable to readers.
The pacing of the novel is expertly crafted, with tension building steadily throughout the story until it reaches a gripping climax that will leave readers on the edge of their seats. Jones has a talent for keeping readers guessing, introducing twists and revelations that add layers of complexity to the narrative and keep the story fresh and engaging until the very end.
In addition to its engaging plot and well-developed characters, “Empire Lost” is also a visually evocative book. Jones’s descriptive prose brings the world of the novel to life, painting vivid images of opulent palaces, bustling marketplaces, and war-torn landscapes that transport readers to a different time and place.
Overall, “Empire Lost” is a captivating and thought-provoking read that will appeal to fans of historical fiction, political thrillers, and character-driven dramas. With its engaging plot, well-drawn characters, and richly detailed world-building, it is a book that will stay with readers long after they have turned the final page. John Jones has crafted a compelling story that offers both entertainment and insight into the complexities of human nature and the shifting tides of power.


title: Eebd emergency escape breathing device ensuring safety in health fitness facilities h2s online training

text:
When it comes to safety in health, medical, fitness, and gym facilities, one cannot overlook the significance of having proper emergency equipment in place. Among these essential devices, the EEBD emergency escape breathing device stands out as a crucial asset in ensuring the well-being of both staff and clients.
Understanding the Importance of EEBD
In emergency situations such as fires, chemical leaks, or gas spills, the availability of a reliable EEBD can be a matter of life and death. EEBDs are specifically designed respiratory protection devices that enable individuals to escape hazardous environments by providing breathable air when regular air sources may not be accessible. These compact and portable devices play a crucial role in emergency preparedness and response protocols.
Comprehensive Safety Measures
Health, medical, fitness, and gym facilities are responsible for the safety of their employees and visitors. Incorporating EEBDs into safety protocols is an essential step towards meeting regulatory requirements and ensuring a safe environment for all.
With H2S Online Training's expertise in emergency response training, we offer comprehensive guidelines to help businesses implement the use of EEBDs effectively. From proper device selection to user training, our tailored solutions ensure maximum safety and compliance.
Selecting the Right EEBD
Choosing the appropriate EEBD for your facility requires a deep understanding of your specific needs and potential hazards. Factors such as compartment size, anticipated risks, and duration of use contribute to the selection process. At H2S Online Training, our team of experts can assist you in assessing your requirements and recommending the most suitable EEBD solutions.
EEBD Training and Certification
While having EEBDs readily available is crucial, it is equally important to ensure that your staff is trained on their proper usage. H2S Online Training offers comprehensive training programs designed to familiarize employees with EEBDs and emergency escape procedures. Our courses cover topics such as donning and doffing the device, understanding operational limitations, and practical hands-on exercises.
Ensuring Compliance and Constant Preparedness
Regulatory bodies often mandate safety measures for health, medical, fitness, and gym facilities. By implementing EEBD emergency escape breathing devices as part of your safety protocols, you not only meet compliance requirements but also assure visitors and staff that their well-being is your top priority.
H2S Online Training's seamless integration of EEBD training into your existing safety programs ensures constant preparedness for emergencies. By equipping your team with the necessary knowledge and skills, you can minimize risks and effectively respond to potential hazards.
As the safety of individuals within health, medical, fitness, and gym facilities is of utmost importance, incorporating EEBD emergency escape breathing devices is a prudent choice. By partnering with H2S Online Training, you gain access to expert guidance in selecting the right EEBDs, specialized training programs, and comprehensive support for regulatory compliance.
Don't compromise on safety. Take proactive steps to protect your staff and clients from potential hazards. Trust in H2S Online Training's expertise to ensure a safe environment within your facility today.


title: 17084

text:
An effective degradation indicator created from the general features is still a hotspot for the condition monitoring of bearing. To cover the shortage of the general features based indicator, some new indicators are built using multiple general features extracted from the original vibration signal without considering the internal relevancy among the features. To address that problem, a new indicator is proposed using the Orthogonal Neighborhood Preserving Projections (ONPP) and 2-Dimensional Hidden Markov Model (2-D HMM). With the ability of keeping the local structure of data set, Orthogonal Neighborhood Preserving Projections is used to obtain the low dimensional features with the main information remained. Unlike 1-Dimensional data-processing algorithm that commonly converts the multiple features into a vector to deal with the high-dimensional data with the integral property of the multiple features considered only, 2-Dimensional Hidden Markov Model not only take the relevance between the individuals of fault features into consideration but also capture the global characteristics of the multiple features. Then a likelihood probability based health assessment indication can be constructed by combing 2-D HMM with the data pre-processed by ONPP. The experiment results indicate that the proposed indicator show great abilities to make degradation performance of the bearing and is sensitive to incipient defects.
The machine health assessment has become very important in many mechanical industries as the health condition has a great effect upon the industrial costs and produce safety. Meanwhile, rolling elements bearing as one of the most important components in rotating machinery also has much connection with health degradation performance. Since the bearing is commonly internally mounted and cannot be easily take down, the maintenance of the bearing is generally applied by regular replacement at fixed period which is determined by the experience. Though many diagnostics can be used for bearing fault detection, these methods can be only effective on significant fault which may brings extra damage to the mechanism connecting with the bearing. Therefore, it is very important to real-timely detect the bearing health condition and figure out a maintenance plan at the incipient fault period. Otherwise, an effective health indicator with the sensitive to the initial fault and significant trend from normal to failure is the key element of health assessment.
Initially, several kinds of statistics extracted from vibration signal which is one of the most practical measurements are used for health assessment, such as kurtosis, RMS and peak-to-peak value, etc. [1, 2]. However, these general features that contain a lot of background noise cannot be effective to describe the variation tendency of bearing health condition using single feature. Moreover, the degradation indicators made of these features which are highly stochastic have low sensitive to the incipient faults. To overcome that problem, multiple features based indicator has been developed for degradation performance.  introduced a new health index based on self-organizing-map (SOM), which used minimum error of the space distance as the index of health condition. Then Huang used this index and back propagation neural network to predict the residual life of rolling elements bearings . Liao used genetic programming to improve the degradation trend . Comparing with the general fault features, these indicator presents better sensitive to incipient fault. However, these general fault features used for the construction of these indicators aren’t pre-processed to eliminate the impact of the background noise which can affect the accuracy of degradation performance. Thus, to extract the most effective information from the general features becomes a big challenge. Yu proposed several novel index based on generative topographic mapping (GTM), Gaussian mixture model (GMM) and Bayes [6, 7]. And the general features used for the construction of these indicators are pre-processed using locality preserving projections and Dynamic principal component analysis, which decrease the negative effects on the effectiveness of health indicator. The above methods that use the integral characteristics of multiple general features to build the indicator don’t consider the internal relevancy among these general features, which can have a great effect on the stochastic and sensitive of the indicator. 2-Dimension Hidden Markov Model (2-D HMM) that has seeped into a wide range of fields is capable to handle stochastic problem of matrix data and presents better effect compared with the above stated cases [8-10]. Moreover, a linear dimensionality reduction algorithm called Orthogonal Neighborhood Preserving Projections (ONPP) arises in many fields of data processing, which can reveal the natural difference of different faults through analyzing and extracting of the inherent structure hidden in the raw feature data .
Therefore, in order to enhance the indicator’s sensitive to covert fault and make the remarkable degradation tendency, a new approach is proposed based on ONPP and 2-D HMM. The main contribution of this paper is to propose a new indicator for the bearing mounted in complicated structure whose vibration signal is also complex and cannot be extracted effective general features for health assessment. The proposed indicator can present the initial defects and show a significant uptrend with little upward and downward tendency, which is smooth and would be more fit for real-time health monitoring and residual life prediction. As the general features extracted from the original signal contain a lot of background noise, ONPP can reduce the dimensionality of the general features set to eliminate some influence of the noise with the main information remained. After the new feature set is obtained, 2-D HMM with its ability to deal with the stochastic property of the data matrix is used to build the likelihood probability based indicator for degradation performance. Finally, several experimental data are used for validation, and the results illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed methods.
2. The principle of the 2-D HMM based degradation indicator
In this work, a new health indication is proposed based on 2-D HMM and ONPP. In order to extract sensitive information from the general features, ONPP is used to preprocess the data. Then, the processed data with the 2-D HMM can be used to construct likelihood probability based indicator of bearings.
2.1. The principle of ONPP based features extraction
The ONPP is a novel data dimensionality reduction processing technique. ONPP shares some properties with Locally Linear Embedding which can implement the non-linear dimensionality reduction by manifold learning method. This technique aims to reflect the intrinsic geometry of the local neighborhoods with the orthogonal projection.
The main idea of this algorithm is to seek an orthogonal mapping of a given data set so that a graph that describes the local geometry can be best preserved. Consider a high dimensional space represented by the data set , which will be mapped to the low dimensional data set Since this algorithm seeks the intrinsic geometric properties of the local neighborhoods, the data point in high dimensional space should find the neighbour points which can be linearly combined into it. Thus, we obtain a objective function:
where is the th neighbour point of , and is the weight of the neighbour point . is the linear reconstruction error. Several conditions should be satisfied for the selection of . First, the should be fixed to minimize . Second, if is not in the neighbourhood of , . Third, . The solution of is the conditional least squares problem. The Eq. (1) can be changed as:
where is local covariance matrix and . Thus, can be computed by:
Then, under the constraint , the reconstruction weight matrix can be obtained as:
Since the reconstruction weight matrix reflects the invariance property of the local dimensional reduction, the reconstructed space should follow the weight matrix . Therefore, we can obtain by minimizing the reconstruction error function the same as the method for the solution of . Thus, a new error function is constructed as follow:
In this case can be expanded to a sparse matrix with the dimensionality , and . Thus Eq. (5) can be changed as:
where , . Then an explicit linear mapping from to is imposed. So, we have for a certain matrix to be determined. Then the objective Eq. (6) becomes:
Then note that:
Thus, the solution to turns into the solution to the eigenvalue problem of matrix , and the eigenvectors of corresponding to its smallest eigenvalues is . Then the low dimensional data can be obtained as follow:
The main steps of the algorithm are shown as follow:
1) Compute the k nearest neighbors of data points
2) Computer the weights which give the best linear reconstruction of each data point by its neighbors.
3) Compute the matrix whose column vectors are the d eigenvectors of:
4) Associated with the smallest eigenvalues.
5) Compute the projected vectors .
After the general feature set is preprocessed by ONPP, the new low dimensional set with the local and global geometry of the high dimensional data samples remained can be effectively used for the health degradation performance.
2.2. The likelihood probability indicator based on the 2-D HMM
Since the general features set is highly dimensional and contains redundant information, the ONPP is used for processing them to obtain the new features set with low dimension and local important information. However, the new features set is still not effective for degradation performance because of its high- stochastic and low sensitivity to initial fault. Therefore, we use 2-D HMM to construct the health indicator based on likelihood probability.
2-D HMM is evolved from 1-D HMM which is used for 1-D sequence data processing. Although 1-D HMMs can deal with 2-D time series by processing the global property of the 2-D data as the similar with most other recognition algorithm, they are not good models for processing matrix data. To address that problem, 1-D HMM was extended to 2-D HMM which consisted of pseudo 2-D HMM and fully connected 2-D HMM. Here, pseudo 2-D HMM that is relatively simple in comparison to other 2-D HMMs is used in this paper. 2-D HMM that actually is a twofold 1-D HMM consists of a supper 1-D HMM embedded by a simple 1-D HMM. The states of the supper 1-D HMM and the simple 1-D HMM are respectively corresponding to the super-states and simple-states. Every super-state contains a complete 1-D HMM. The model formulation of 2-D HMM can be defined as follows:
The super-states are defined as where is the number of the states. The symbol of state at time is expressed as and . The initial probability distribution of super 1-D HMM is expressed as . The transition matrix of the super 1-D HMM is defined as , where , .
Since every super-state corresponds to a simple 1-D HMM, the parameters of every 1-D HMM are different. Assume that a simple 1-D HMM in super-state is defined as follow:
The states of the simple 1-D HMM are defined as where is the number of the states. The state symbol of the th observation is expressed as and .
The transition matrix of the simple 1-D HMM is defined as , where , . The observation matrix is expressed as and , .
As with the 1-D HMM, 2-D HMM contains three problems which are respectively likelihood probability computation, decode and model training. In order to build the health index, the solution problem of likelihood probability is introduced here. When a 2-D HMM and a sequence of observations are available, we can calculate the likelihood probability that if the sequence of observations are produced by the given model. First, we compute the probability of a simple 1-D HMM in super-state , which is given by:
Then, the iterative computation is used for likelihood probability, which is shown as follow:
Then, likelihood probability can be obtained by:
The solution of the Eq. (12) should be conducted by the forward-algorithm which with the training algorithm of the 2-D HMM is fully presented in . Since the health data is used for the training of the model, the probability can describe the degree that the actual fetch data deviated from the health status. Thus, likelihood probability can be treated as the health index.
The 2-D HMM uses the simple 1-D HMM to deal with the internal data property among the multiply features and uses the super 1-D HMM to deal with the integral property of the features. Thus the 2-D HMM based index can not only conduct the internal and integral characteristics of the multiply general features but also reduce the stochastic effect on time-domain. Under normal circumstances, log likelihood probability (LLP) is negative, to enhance its visualization, negative LLP (NLLP) is treated as a health index in this study.
2.3. The principle of NLLP based health index
Vibration is one of the most widely used measurements for diagnostics. Thus, when the vibration signal is obtained, the general features can be computed. Since the general features extracted from original signal contain lots of noises which could cause the indicator to show huge randomness, the first step to build NLLP based degradation indicator is to use ONPP for the pretreatment of the high-dimensional data composed of multiple general features extracted from original signal. In the ONPP based pretreatment, the low dimensional number selected for the construction of indicator is determined according to experience, which sometimes is 2-4. Then, the new low-dimensional health data is used to train 2-D HMM which can represent the characteristic of the health condition. Afterwards, NLLP based index can be utilized for the assessment of the degradation performance when the on-line data is obtained. The data that need to be monitored should be also processed by ONPP to eliminate the negative effects of the noise. Then the negative log likelihood probability can be computed using the 2-D HMM model trained by the health data, which indicates the degree that the monitoring data deviated from the health condition. If the value of negative log likelihood probability is bigger, it indicates the degree that the data deviated from the health condition is bigger. Thus, it can tell that something abnormal may happen. The construction procedure of NLLP based index is shown in Fig. 1.
Fig. 1System framework for bearing performance degradation assessment
3. Experimental verification
3.1. Experimental data
In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed method for degradation performance of rolling elements bearings, several experiments are conducted in this study. The experimental device showed in Fig. 2 consist several main components which are the supporting structure for bearing, transmission shaft, Servo-driven Motor, lubrication system, axial loading device and control system. The experimental bearing type is NSK7010C.
Fig. 2Experimental setup: a) is the integral figure of the experimental device; b) is the partial enlarged detail map of supporting structure for bearing
In order to accelerate the fatigue, the experimental bearing whose rated axial load is 13.9 kN is working under the high strength operating condition with the axial load 20 kN. The measuring instrument is B&K3560C. Two sensors are used for data collection. One sensor is located on the outside flange while another one is located on the chassis. Four bearings are used in this experiment and every bearing is under the same work condition. The experiment begins as the engine is started. In the experimental process, the computer connecting to the measuring instruments is used for monitoring the vibration amplitude. Once the amplitude becomes large the experiment ends. Then the next bearing can be mounted in the test rig for experiment. The experimental rotating speed is 4000 rm/min, and the sampling frequency is 65536 Hz. Every sampling length of the data segment is 20 s, and the interval of the data segment is 10 min. Four groups of data are used for degradation performance evaluation in this paper.
Fig. 3The kurtosis map of the full life
Fig. 4The RMS map of the full life
Fig. 5The skew map of the full life
Fig. 6The peak map of the full life
The selection of the general fault features is in accordance with experience. In this paper, four kinds of general fault features are used for condition monitoring, which are kurtosis, root mean square (rms) value, skew, and peak value. The whole life cycle maps of the four groups of data are shown in Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6. The corresponding equations are shown as follow:
is the data segment while is the corresponding length. is the variance. and respectively represent third and two order central moment.
3.2. The data processing based on ONPP
In this part, the general features will be preprocessed by ONPP, and the eigenvectors with relevant eigenvalues will be obtained. Then we choose several eigenvectors corresponding to the smallest eigenvalues to compute the new low dimensional data as the output, and the number of the eigenvectors selected equals to the dimensional number of the new data. Since two and three-dimensional data distribution of the bearing defect classes can be visualized well in this experiment, we select two and three-dimensional data to construct effect figures which are shown in Fig. 7 and Fig. 10. Fig. 7 is the two-dimensional figure processed by ONPP while Fig. 10 is the three-dimensional figure processed by ONPP. Several general features are used to construct the two-dimensional and three-dimensional figures for comparison, which is shown in Figs. 8, 9, 11, and 12. As can be seen in Fig. 7 and Fig. 10, the fault classification processed by ONPP is clear whether the first two or three principle elements are chosen. However, the general features based fault classification totally can’t be distinguished, which are shown in Figs. 8, 9, 11, and 12. Therefore, the data processed by ONPP is more effective for fault classification in comparison to the general features.
Fig. 7The distribution map of data processed by ONPP with two features
Fig. 8The distribution map of kurtosis and rms
Fig. 9The distribution map of kurtosis and skew
Fig. 10The 3-dimensional distribution map of data processed by ONPP with three features
Fig. 11The 3-dimensional distribution map of skew, kurtosis and rms
Fig. 12The 3-dimensional distribution map of skew, peak and rms
3.3. The analysis of the 2-D HMM based NLLP indicator
A quantification degradation indication can increase the effectiveness of residual life prediction of key machine components. In this part, the new low dimensional data is used for the construction of degradation indicator. The health data is needed for training due to degradation trend of these general fault features. In the figures of these general fault features, the variation tendency of first 20 data points change little and thus the first 20 sample of the processed data can be used for training. The states number of 2-D HMM have little impact on the model, and little applicable method can be utilized for the option of the states number. In application areas of 2-D HMM, the states number is generally below 10 according to the experience. Therefore, 5 simple-states and super-states are chosen to build the 2-D HMM. Since the states of the 2-D HMM do not express practical sense, the initial state distribution and the state transmission matrix can be randomly selected. In order to better train the model, the parameters within the Gaussian mixture function of the 2-D HMM, which are mean, variance, and weights, can be initialized by some clustering algorithms.
Fig. 13The NLLP indicator map of the first group of data: b) is partial enlarged detail map of a)
With the health data based 2-D HMM trained, the proposed indicator can be made, which is shown in Figs. 13-16. As is shown in these figures, little change can be seen in the first 35 samples which can be regard as the health condition. Then 35 samples later, the degradation tendency present a significant increase compared with the whole life cycle maps of the general features. In Fig. 13, the slight degradation increase can be observed after the 38th data point. From the Fig. 13 to Fig. 16, the same results can also be noticed. But in Figs. 3-6, which show the trend of the general features based indicator, little distinct degradation with a sudden change is shown. Although the kurtosis and RMS can show the implicit fault moment at about the 50th data point in comparison to other general features, they are still far short of the proposed indicator. Otherwise, the tendency of the proposed index is slippery and presents less noise. Briefly, the proposed index can present better degradation trend and more apparent weak-defect compared with the general features. From these figures, the weak-defect threshold can also be chosen in terms of the red line at around 43. Therefore, the proposed indicator is more effective than the indicator based the general features. An extra experiment is added to validate the occurrence of the initial fault which truly happened as the revealing of proposed indicator. As is shown in Fig. 17, we take out the bearing from the test rig at the 42th sample in Fig. 17(a), and slight spot corrosion happening in outer race can be seen in Fig. 17(b).
Fig. 14The NLLP indicator map of the second group of data: b) is partial enlarged detail map of a)
Fig. 15The NLLP indicator map of the third group of data: b) is partial enlarged detail map of a)
Fig. 16the NLLP indicator map of the fourth group of data: b) is partial enlarged detail map of a)
Fig. 17Initial fault map
To improve the indication’s sensitive to initial fault and make a good trend of the degradation performance for residual life prediction, a new indicator is proposed based on ONPP and 2-D HMM. Since ONPP can eliminate the background noise information and lower the dimensions of the data set composed by general features, the new effective features extracted by ONPP can give significant classification of fault type in comparison with the classification based on general features. With the new effective features, the NLLP based degradation indicator is built using 2-D HMM, which can take internal characteristic between the multiple features into consideration without missing the integral information. The experimental results show that the proposed indicator can discern the weak-defect earlier and is clear to show the degradation trend of bearing performance in its whole life in comparison to the original fault features.
Malhi A., Yan R., Gao R. X. Prognosis of defect propagation based on recurrent neural networks. IEEE Transactions on Instrumentation and Measurement, Vol. 60, Issue 3, 2011, p. 703-711.
Tian Z., Zuo M. J. Health condition prediction of gears using a recurrent neural network approach. IEEE Transactions on Reliability, Vol. 59, Issue 4, 2010, p. 700-705.
Qiu H., Lee J., Lin J., et al. Robust performance degradation assessment methods for enhanced rolling element bearing prognostics. Advanced Engineering Informatics, Vol. 17, Issue 3, 2003, p. 127-140.
Huang R., Xi L., Li X., et al. Residual life predictions for ball bearings based on self-organizing map and back propagation neural network methods. Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing, Vol. 21, Issue 1, 2007, p. 193-207.
Liao L. Discovering prognostic features using genetic programming in remaining useful life prediction. IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics, Vol. 61, Issue 5, 2014, p. 2464-2472.
Yu J. Bearing performance degradation assessment using locality preserving projections and Gaussian mixture models. Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing, Vol. 25, Issue 7, 2011, p. 2573-2588.
Yu J. A nonlinear probabilistic method and contribution analysis for machine condition monitoring. Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing, Vol. 37, Issue 1, 2013, p. 293-314.
Othman H., Aboulnasr T. A separable low complexity 2D HMM with application to face recognition. IEEE Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence, Vol. 25, Issue 10, 2003, p. 1229-1238.
Bevilacqua V., Cariello L., Carro G., et al. A face recognition system based on pseudo 2D HMM applied to neural network coefficients. Soft Computing, Vol. 12, Issue 7, 2008, p. 615-621.
Bicego M., Castellani U., Murino V. Using hidden Markov models and wavelets for face recognition. Proceedings of 12th International Conference on Image Analysis and Processing, 2003, p. 52-56.
Effrosyni K., Yousef S. Orthogonal neighborhood preserving projections: a projection-based dimensionality reduction technique. IEEE Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence, Vol. 29, Issue 12, 2007, p. 2143-2156.
Yujian L. An analytic solution for estimating two-dimensional hidden Markov models. Applied Mathematics and Computation, Vol. 185, Issue 2, 2007, p. 810-822.
About this article
The work described in this paper was supported by a Grant from the National Defense Researching Fund (No. 9140A27020413JB11076).


title: Demand media library 2018 access

text:
Get access to the entire On Demand Online Workshop library starting now until the end of 2018. That’s 7 new workshops worth more than $200, plus the entire workshop archive going back to 1999!
Watch these new workshops today!
Coming in 2018…
What is the On-Demand Workshop Library?
The On-Demand Workshop Library is our archive of recorded live workshops presented in video/audio and accessed digitally via your account on Myss.com.
What’s included with “All-Access”?
Access to the entire On Demand Workshop Library until the end of 2018, at which point to can elect to renew your membership for another year. You can browse the library and view samples here.
Is any of this downloadable?
Our On Demand videos are only viewable here at Myss.com, but you can download audio recordings in MP3 format.
What are the system requirements?
To view video you need to have access to a high-speed internet connection. Our media is accessible on almost all current devices. If you will be using an Amazon Fire or Barnes & Noble Nook tablet, we recommend testing before purchasing. You can browse the library and view samples here.
Does this impact my previous On Demand Purchases?
No – you still have lifetime access to any items you purchased previously. If you decide to let your membership expire, you will lose access to the full library, but you can still watch other items you already purchased.
Are Reflections webinars or programs like Sacred Contracts Online included?
This offer is limited to the On-Demand Library. To see what’s currently available you can browse the library and view samples here.
Join and start watching today – $139.00
This offer ends January 1, 2018!
Due to the nature of this program, all sales are final.
1) Please be sure to read the details above before signing up.
2) Test before you buy. You can browse the library and view samples here.


title: 1 2 2022 tonnes covid 19 health care waste highlight urgent need improve management systems

text:
(WHO) - Tens of thousands of tonnes of extra medical supplies from the response to the COVID-19 pandemic have put tremendous strain on health care waste management systems around the world, threatening human and environmental health and exposing a need to improve disposal practices, according to a new WHO report.
The WHO Global analysis of health care waste in the context of COVID-19: status, impacts and recommendations bases its estimates on the approximately 87,000 tonnes of personal protective equipment (PPE) procured between March 2020- November 2021 and shipped through a joint United Nations emergency initiative to support countries’ urgent COVID-19 response . Most of this equipment is expected to have ended up as waste.
Since the start of the pandemic over 140 million test kits, with a potential to generate 2,600 tonnes of non-infectious waste (mainly plastic) and 731,000 litres of chemical waste (equivalent to one-third of an Olympic-size swimming pool) have been shipped, while over 8 billion doses of vaccine have been administered globally, producing 143 tonnes of additional waste in the form of syringes, needles, and safety boxes.
Yet safe waste management services for healthcare waste are often lacking, particularly in least developed countries.
“It is absolutely vital to provide health workers with the right PPE,” Dr Michael Ryan, Executive Director, WHO Health Emergencies Programme said. “But it is also vital to ensure that it can be used safely without impacting on the surrounding environment.”
This means having effective management systems in place, including guidance for health workers on what to do with PPE and other disposable items after they have been used.
Today, around a third of healthcare facilities (60% of which are in least developed countries) are not equipped to handle existing waste loads, let alone the additional medical waste generated by COVID-19. This potentially exposes health workers to injuries, burns and pathogenic microorganisms, while also impacting communities living near poorly-managed landfills and disposal sites.
The report lays out a set of recommendations for integrating better, safer, and more environmentally sustainable waste practices into the current COVID-19 response and future pandemic preparedness efforts.
These include using eco-friendly packaging and shipping, recyclable or biodegradable materials; investment in non-burn waste treatment technologies, such as autoclaves; and investments in the recycling sector to ensure materials, like plastics, can have a second life.
The analysis comes at a time when the health sector is under increasing pressure to reduce its carbon footprint and minimize the amount of waste being sent to landfills — in part because of the great concern about the proliferation of plastic waste and its impacts on water, food systems and human and ecosystem health.


text:
Key Hire Demonstrates BNP Paribas Securities Services’ Continued Build Out in the Americas
BNP Paribas, a premier global bank, announces today the appointment of Chris Richmond as Head of the Asset Owner, Asset Manager and Alternatives Client Lines for BNP Paribas Securities Services Americas, the bank’s securities services division.
At BNP Paribas Securities Services, Chris will be responsible for product development and strategy for asset owners, asset managers and alternative investors across North and Latin America. He will report to Dennis Bon, Head of BNP Paribas Securities Services in the Americas, as well as Arnaud Claudon, Global Head of Asset Managers and Owners, and Patrick Hayes, Global Head of Alternative Investors.
Chris has extensive experience servicing traditional and alternative investment managers and asset owners at State Street, Charles River, and BNY Mellon. Prior to this, Chris led multiple fund accounting teams at Fidelity Investments.
Dennis Bon, Head of BNP Paribas Securities Services in the Americas, said: “The Americas institutional investor market is a key area of growth for us and is of strategic importance to serve both our local and global client base. We have been making meaningful investments in this space since the build out of our US custody offering in 2012. I am thrilled to welcome Chris to our team and continue to grow our business in the Americas.”
Chris Richmond, Head of the Asset Owner, Asset Manager and Alternatives Client Lines in the Americas, said: “I am excited to be leading BNP Paribas Securities Services’ Asset Manager, Asset Owner and Alternatives Client Lines in the Americas at such a key moment. Recent changes throughout the industry are driving asset managers and asset owners to re-shape their operating models and adapt to changing client behaviors. This presents exciting opportunities for us to further enhance our offering.”
About BNP Paribas Securities Services
BNP Paribas Securities Services, a wholly owned subsidiary of the BNP Paribas Group, is a leading global custodian and securities services provider. Backed by the strength of the BNP Paribas Group, we provide multi-asset post-trade and asset servicing solutions for buy and sell-side market participants, corporates and issuers. With a global reach covering 90+ markets, our network is one of the most extensive in the industry, enabling clients to maximize their investment opportunities worldwide.
About BNP Paribas
BNP Paribas is the European Union’s leading bank and key player in international banking. It operates in 65 countries and has nearly 190,000 employees, including nearly 145,000 in Europe. The Group has key positions in its three main fields of activity: Commercial, Personal Banking & Services for the Group’s commercial & personal banking and several specialised businesses including BNP Paribas Personal Finance and Arval; Investment & Protection Services for savings, investment and protection solutions; and Corporate & Institutional Banking, focused on corporate and institutional clients. Based on its strong diversified and integrated model, the Group helps all its clients (individuals, community associations, entrepreneurs, SMEs, corporates and institutional clients) to realise their projects through solutions spanning financing, investment, savings and protection insurance. In Europe, BNP Paribas has four domestic markets: Belgium, France, Italy and Luxembourg. The Group is rolling out its integrated commercial & personal banking model across several Mediterranean countries, Turkey, Eastern Europe as well as via a large network in the western part of the United States. As a key player in international banking, the Group has leading platforms and business lines in Europe, a strong presence in the Americas as well as a solid and fast-growing business in Asia-Pacific.
BNP Paribas has implemented a Corporate Social Responsibility approach in all its activities, enabling it to contribute to the construction of a sustainable future, while ensuring the Group’s performance and stability.


text:
Summer Tours to be Limited in Size, Number
While Admissions will be running tours during the summer, there will be some restrictions and differences compared to the usual year.
Visit Programs and Services Manager Michelle Fisher said, “Like the tours we did in the spring, we will be observing strict COVID 19 safety protocols. Tour sizes will be kept at a ‘small group’ volume.”
This means that “prospective students are permitted to bring two guests with them, this guest limit did not exist in previous years. Every person visiting is required to complete a health screening questionnaire the day of their visit,” Fischer said.
Admissions is compensating for the smaller tour numbers by providing digital alternatives to guided tours. Earlier this year the QR Code Tour was launched, which enables visitors to hear information about sites on campus by scanning codes with their phone. Virtual Tours and Information Sessions have been another way that admissions has adapted to reach out to prospective students during the pandemic.
Fischer said that Admissions has “hired six guides to work May and June and 13 to work July and August. These guides will do in person and virtual tours and student panels during the session they are working.”
Gracie Perine ’23 said she felt that in her experience working in admissions “there is certainly a difference between virtual and in person, and sometimes I feel as though the energy I give off during tours doesn’t translate well over zoom. I personally am really looking forward to giving more in person tours this Summer and just working with admissions in general.”
Katherine Lurie ’23 agreed that “getting to physically be on campus is definitely more natural to navigate based on experience.” She said that one she is looking forward to in-person tours because “there is something so special about getting to connect with prospective students and families in person, but it’s also cool that we can give tours to 18 families at a time online.”
When asked about the volume of expected visitors, Fischer said that “it is hard to predict but we are feeling confident that we will be busy given the early interest shown by high school juniors. We did have a good volume of juniors visit this spring but expect more to visit, which is typical for the summer.”
She noted that more people were visiting due to the efforts to keep tours safe and the availability of vaccines.


title: Atmosfan unleashes zombie horde in barcelona suburb

text:
It takes a lot to stop pedestrians in their tracks in bustling Barcelona, but AtmosFAN Aitor R. managed to do just that with his creative combination of live actors and Zombie Invasion! Decoration Collection. The display was so convincing, in fact, it had locals of Cervello, a Barcelona suburb, wondering if they should run for their lives or stick around for photos. (Most chose photos.)
As you can see in the image above, Aitor put together a crisp Window Mode Display in an upper-story window that looked over the street and his garden patio entranceway. The eerie silhouettes of the undead pressing against the window created a striking scene against the dark Halloween night.
But Aitor didn’t stop there. While spectators were captivated by the window display above, he and his friends, dressed as zombies themselves, created an immersive experience in the garden below. The combination of projected and live performers had a startling effect on passersby, who gathered in the street – many of whom stopped to take photos.
“Our garden with a zombie atmosphere was nothing compared with our main window projection with real zombies,” Aitor tells us. “People didn't stop asking if there were real people inside the house as zombie actors.”
The success of Aitor’s display proves that Halloween's appeal knows no borders, and that combining AtmosFX Decorations with live performances can take what is already a compelling display to the next level. Class 2 threat level, in fact!
Have you created an innovative Halloween display? We want to see it! Send your photos and videos using this simple online form and you might become the next AtmosFAN of the Week. You’ll earn points for use in the AtmosFX online store just for submitting, and if you’re selected, you'll win a free decoration collection!


title: Tim bowness streams sing to me

text:
Tim Bowness has launched a stream of his track Sing To Me.
It’s taken from his fourth solo album Stupid Things That Mean The World, set for launch via InsideOut on July 17.
The song started life as a No-Man demo, which he hadn’t heard in over 20 years.
Bowness explains: “Steven Wilson sent it to me in October 2014 for consideration for the reissue of No-Man’s Lost Songs album.
“I’d completely forgotten the song, and on hearing it again couldn’t believe we’d not pursued it further. The No-Man version was skeletal with an improvised, incomplete lyric. It felt special to me and I knew where I’d like to take it musically.”
He describes the result as one of his favourite tracks on Stupid Things, adding: “It reminds me of the early No-Man that I loved, while also feeling very much a part of the music I’m currently making.”
The original demo appears on the bonus disc edition of the follow-up to Abandoned Dancehall Dreams, which is available for pre-order now. Bowness plays three shows in August to support the release:
Sign up below to get the latest from Prog, plus exclusive special offers, direct to your inbox!
Aug 25: Bristol Louisiana, UK
Aug 26: London Boston Music Room, UK
Aug 29: Ino Rock Festival, Poland
Not only is one-time online news editor Martin an established rock journalist and drummer, but he’s also penned several books on music history, including SAHB Story: The Tale of the Sensational Alex Harvey Band, a band he once managed, and the best-selling Apollo Memories about the history of the legendary and infamous Glasgow Apollo. Martin has written for Classic Rock and Prog and at one time had written more articles for Louder than anyone else (we think he's second now). He’s appeared on TV and when not delving intro all things music, can be found travelling along the UK’s vast canal network.


text:
UNHCR urges Greece to step up implementation of asylum reform
GENEVA, September 21 (UNHCR) - The UN refugee agency on Tuesday called on Greece to urgently accelerate implementation of its planned asylum reform. This is in light of the continued absence in Greece of a functioning asylum system, an issue with important implications for the wider European Union (EU).
"The conditions for asylum-seekers in Greece, which is among the principal entry points to the EU, are notoriously difficult," a UNHCR spokesman, Adrian Edwards, told journalists in Geneva on Tuesday. He noted that most asylum-seekers receive no assistance, while many live on the streets, including women and children.
The refugee status determination system does not operate properly and, as a result, people needing international protection are not identified as such. "This is a humanitarian crisis situation which should not exist in the European Union," Edwards said.
The spokesman stressed that UNHCR welcomes Greece's plans to implement a far-reaching reform of its asylum system, even in the face of current economic challenges.
"We also appeal to the European Union to step up its assistance to help Greece to comply with its international and European obligations," he said. "Until such time as an asylum procedure meeting international standards is in place in Greece, UNHCR reiterates its recommendation to other European countries not to send asylum-seekers back to Greece under the Dublin II regulation." Under Dublin II, asylum-seekers found moving within Europe must be sent back to the country where they made their application.
On Monday, Human Rights Watch called on UNHCR to intervene and take on responsibility for refugee status determination in Greece in light of these shortcomings. Edwards said UNHCR noted this recommendation, but emphasizes that responsibility for asylum rests with the state and, as an EU member, Greece is bound by European Union legislation to have laws and procedures for dealing with people seeking asylum.


title: Expression

text:
Referenced datasets may contain one or more condition(s), and as a result there may be a greater number of conditions than datasets represented in a single clickable histogram bar. The histogram division at 0.0 separates the down-regulated (green) conditions and datasets from those that are up-regulated (red). Datasets are assigned one or more categories to facilitate grouping, filtering and browsing. Expression data are derived from records contained in the Gene Expression Omnibus, and are first log2 transformed and normalized. The PCL files generated for each dataset are used to populate the expression analysis tool SPELL.
No expression data for COA4.
View genes with similar expression profiles using SPELL (Serial Pattern of Expression Levels Locator).
Datasets are used to populate the expression analysis tool SPELL and may contain data for more than one unique experimental condition. All data is log2 transformed and normalized, and the files are provided in PCL format. Short descriptions of the experimental focus are provided, as are categories, assigned based on the area(s) of biology investigated and used in SPELL to group and filter like data. The number of unique experimental conditions are indicated and all datasets are referenced.
Increase the total number of rows displayed on this page using the pull-down located below the table, or use the page scroll at the table's top right to browse through the table's pages; use the arrows to the right of a column header to sort by that column; filter the table using the "Filter" box at the top of the table; download this table as a .txt file using the Download button;
Evidence ID | Analyze ID | Dataset | Description | Keywords | Number of Conditions | Reference |
This diagram displays a gene network based on correlated expression profiles (purple lines) between the given gene (yellow circle) and genes that share expression profiles (gray circles). The correlation coefficient is calculated between every pair of genes in every dataset, then the number of datasets in which the pair of genes has a significant correlation with one another is determined. The network displays the genes whose expression is correlated with the given gene in the largest number of datasets. Please note that SPELL use a different algorithm to make a global calculation taking into account all the datasets at once, and may therefore display a different set of correlated genes.
Click on a gene to go to its specific page within SGD; drag any of the gene objects around within the visualization for easier viewing. Filter similar genes by adjusting the number of datasets in which their expression profiles are highly correlated with the gene of interest by clicking anywhere on the slider bar or dragging the tab to the desired filter number. Click “Reset” to automatically redraw the diagram.