Monthly Archives: March 2022

Not too many years ago, the chances of surviving a sudden cardiac event outside of a hospital setting were slim. Realizing the need for a life-saving treatment that could be used almost anywhere, and by almost anyone, the Royal Victoria Hospital-Belfast, under the direction of Dr. Frank Pantridge and Dr. Geddes, launched the worlds first mobile coronary care unit, which included the worlds first portable defibrillator.

Pantridges vision in the 1950s was that a defibrillator should be beside every fire extinguisher, said Professor Dewar Finlay, Interim Associate Dean, School of Engineering, Ulster University.

Although they had developed a mobile cardiac care unit, it was not convenient to use, as it weighed 110 lb. This was mainly due to the lack of miniaturized electronic components, particularly those required to power a defibrillator and provide the electrical energy needed to produce the required shock.

The research team, which formed the company, HeartSine in 1988,now owned by Stryker, continued to refine the device to make it more lightweight and portable. The Ulster University academics have since gone from a team of five employees to being acquired by one of the worlds largest medtech companies by a process of constantly refining and improving their devices.

Much of our early work was focused on the development of suitable technology to allow this miniaturization to be realized, Finlay explained. These developments, including the integration and in-house research of new flat-panel displays, compact capacitors, flexible defibrillator pads, high-density batteries, and embedded software, primarily led to a device that was suitable for transportation in an ambulance to a patient suspected of having a cardiac arrest.

This work provided the platform for which the modern wall-mounted automated external defibrillator(AED) is based on, Finlay said. HeartSines flagship product, the HeartSine Samaritan public access defibrillator (PAD; pictured above), has been deployed in thousands of facilities in more than 70 companies and in more than 30 languages.

The evolution of the device was based on many years of experience, explained Professor James McLaughlin, Head of School of Engineering, Ulster University. As with all ofUlster Universityswork in medical devicesand related technology development, we have learned that many iterations of the technology are required to facilitate a final viable solution, he explained.

One key example of this, McLaughlin stated, has been the establishment of its Rapid Prototyping Laboratory in the past decade.This concept, as the name suggests, allows for rapid prototyping of device components and subsequently expedites the process of getting device prototypes into the end users hands, he said.

Also, after many years we have now adopted much improved user-centric design, whereby clinicians and patients are part of the design process, he continued. This allows early stage feedback to be incorporated into prototypes for further evaluation within Living Lab settings.

Finlay said the relationship with Stryker continues, from the spin out of HeartSine to the present-day operation of the company in Belfast. The current relationship is realized through a number of funded research projects and a number of joint PhD programs, Finlay noted. These projects/programs continue to lead the way on research ranging from the development of advanced biosignal processing algorithms through to the development and refinement of UX (user experience) aspects of medical devices, he said, noting that Ulster Universityshealthcare technology research continues on a number of broader areas that include development of AI algorithms for diagnostic applications in cardiology and point-of-care testing technology that has been particularly relevant during the pandemic.

McLaughlin said that, moving forward, his team is in the process of establishing theUniversitys40 million Centre for Digital Healthcare Technologies that will be integral totheBelfast Regional City Deal.We see this Centre as providing the next generation of medical device development platform by facilitating improved stakeholder engagement through the Living Lab concept, he said.

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Lessons from the Evolution of the Automated External Defibrillator - Medical Device and Diagnostics Industry

Since its founding in 2017, Tapcart has undergone significant growth, further fueled by the rapid shift to mobile shopping resulting from the pandemic. As Tapcart continues to break boundaries and maintain a future-first approach, co-founders Eric Netsch and Sina Mobasser wanted Tapcart's brand to reflect the excitement, energy, and world-class team behind its mobile innovation.

The rebrand for the mobile commerce platform includes an advanced look, feel, and voice to better represent both how Tapcart sees itself in the mobile space and to mirror the innovation of the brands it supports.

"We are beyond excited to unveil our rebrand and affirm our commitment to bring Shopify stores the tools they need to scale, grow, and win with a mobile sales channel that is completely within their control. It was important that our brand reflect the bottomless creativity of our merchants," said JJ Workman, Vice President of Growth at Tapcart. "Our team worked tirelessly over the last few months to provide Shopify merchants with an elevated, streamlined, and future-forward experience."

Tapcart-powered Mobile apps significantly increase independent D2C revenue for Shopify stores, and retain customers at significantly higher rates than mobile websites. Features like one-click checkout, instant page-loading, and direct-to-homescreen push notifications turn casual shoppers into lucrative brand loyalists. Push notifications remain one of the most powerful marketing channels, proving to increase retention rates up to 88% and reduce cart abandonment rates by up to 30%. They also do not increase in cost like alternative reach channels such as Facebook and Instagram advertorials, which have seen a year-over-year price increase of 89%.

Tapcart's rebrand is the latest in a series of announcements, including its partnership with AppsFlyer and its $50M Series B Funding.

About Tapcart:In April 2017, Tapcart was launched by mobile veterans Eric Netsch and Sina Mobasser to solve mobile commerce for all. The goal was to bring mobile apps to the masses and create a platform that enabled a brand to design, launch and manage an app with no coding or development work required. To learn more, visit http://www.tapcart.com.

Press Contact:Tribe Builder MediaKristen Shea929-367-8993[emailprotected]

SOURCE Tapcart

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Tapcart Unveils Rebrand To Reflect Its Evolution - PR Newswire

Last Thursday at the Wahkiakum School District Board of Directors meeting, Chris Bettineski, who Superintendent Brent Freeman introduced as the special education director, gave a presentation on the special education program at Wahkiakum School District.

Bettineski said he was new to ESD 112, having spent the previous two decades in eastern Oregon working in a variety of roles in education before settling into special education administration in more recent years.

He said he got into special education because of a son on the autism spectrum and a wife who was blind.

Its had some impact on who I am as a person, its real personal to me, when working with disabilities, Bettineski said.

Bettineski explained that special education programming is complex with a lot of moving parts, and that for small districts like Wahkiakum to have comprehensive programs, it was important that they have the available resources to do that.

The ESD 112 consortium allows districts to share staff, including speech pathologists and school psychologists and shared access to resources for behavioral intervention.

Bettineski said he was typically at WSD twice a week.

He broke down some of the numbers of students in the special education program, noting that it was about 16.5 percent of the K-12 population, while the national average is around 11-13 percent.

The special education model used to mean that students would go to a resource room, sometimes for part of a day, sometimes for the whole day. Now there is a more hybrid approach, Bettineski said, and research showed that students do best when they are in a classroom with their typically learning peers.

He explained that sometimes that meant para-educator support in the classroom, or that the student might go to a resource room for part of the day for one on one or small groups for specialized learning.

My philosophy is to push kids into general ed settings as much as possible, Bettineski said. Oftentimes that comes with some real angst with general ed teachers because they dont know how to differentiate instruction, and some are better than others.

Thats when they will bring in support from a special education teacher.

We try to help our students with disabilities to be as successful as they can, he said.

Its great to have you here, Freeman said. Hes done a great job, hes just come in seamlessly as part of our team. Hes been invaluable to us.

In other business:

--The policy committee discussed their first reading of some of the districts policies, which can be viewed on the school website, and are open to public comment. The policies are expected to be approved after the second reading.

--As part of the districts lawsuit against the state to fund school infrastructure, Freeman said they would visit the Wahkiakum County Treasurer to set up a line item that will allow the district to receive contributions to the lawsuit in a transparent manner. The board approved a resolution regarding how the district would receive contributions to their lawsuit.

--Freeman gave a quick update on the bus fleet. He said that the bus they had ordered was expected to be off the assembly line soon, but he didnt have enough details at that time.

--Directors approved Debbie Meltons retirement, several resignations from coaching positions including Becky Dault as the assistant softball coach, Stephanie Johnson as the middle school assistant track coach, and Ryan Garrett as middle school head track coach. Gena Montgomery was approved as the middle school assistant track coach and Jamie Brown will step in as the middle school head track coach.

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School board hears about evolution of special education - The Wahkiakum County Eagle

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This summer, the Eighth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD), or TICAD 8, is scheduled to be held in Tunisia on August 27-28. TICAD is a multilateral international conference to discuss and deal with issues relating to the development of the African continent. TICAD has been held by the Japanese government in affiliation with the United Nations, the U.N. Development Program (UNDP), the African Union, and the World Bank since 1993. This years conference will see a country in Africa host TICAD for the second time, after Kenya did so in 2016.

Why is Tokyo is motivated to contribute to the development of the African continent? To understand Japans approach and motivations, it is necessary to contextualize and examine the TICAD process and keynote speeches given by successive Japanese prime ministers.

After the end of the Cold War, the Japanese government hosted TICAD 1 in Tokyo on October 5-6, 1993, co-chaired by Parliamentary Vice Foreign Minister Azuma Shozo. On October 5, Prime Minister Hosokawa Morihiro delivered a keynote speech and argued that the Tokyo Declaration should be adopted in the conference as a guideline for the future development of Africa. On the following day, the Tokyo Declaration on African Development was adopted and participants agreed on an agenda for African development, including measures against infectious diseases, which had long had a disastrous impact on the continent.

TICAD 2 was held by the Japanese government in cooperation with the United Nations and the Global Coalition for Africa (GCA) in Tokyo on October 19-21, 1998. On October 19, Prime Minister Obuchi Keizo delivered a keynote speech and contended that Japan should prioritize its contribution toward the social development of Africa, such as in primary education, water supplies, public health, and medical access. On October 21, Foreign Minister Komura Masahiko stated in his policy speech at the conference that Japan would continue its support for lowering early mortality of pregnant women and infants in Africa and for addressing the HIV/AIDS epidemic and eradicating poliovirus in the continent. In addition, malaria and tuberculosis were included in the Tokyo Declaration of TICAD 2 as other main infectious diseases that should be prevented. Notably, it was confirmed that Japan would cooperate with the United States on polio eradication through grassroots collaboration between the Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV) and the U.S. Peace Corps.

Get briefed on the story of the week, and developing stories to watch across the Asia-Pacific.

TICAD 3 was held in Tokyo from September 29 to October 1, 2003, chaired by Mori Yoshiro as former prime minister. Mori made opening remarks at the conference and stressed the importance of a concept of human security as one of the key visions of Japanese diplomacy. After the opening remarks, a keynote speech was made by Prime Minister Koizumi Junichiro, who stated that Japans contributions to the development of Africa should be based on the three pillars: human-centered development, poverty reduction through economic growth, and consolidation of peace in Africa. Koizumi also mentioned the concept of human security as Japans diplomatic vision for the development of Africa.

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TICAD 4 was held in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, on May 28-30, 2008, chaired by Prime Minister Fukuda Yasuo. In his keynote speech, Fukuda emphasized the significance of the maternal and child health handbook used in Japan for maintaining the health condition of pregnant women and children. He pointed out that a similar handbook can be used in Africa too to promote the health of both mothers and children. Notably, Fukuda pledged that Japan would double its official development assistance (ODA) to Africa in five years. In this way, the Fukuda administration expressed its stance and contributions to achieving human security in Africa.

TICAD 5 was held in Yokohama under the basic concept of Hand in Hand with a More Dynamic Africa on June 1-3, 2013, chaired by Prime Minister Abe Shinzo. In his opening remarks, Abe stated that Japan would provide 650 billion yen (approximately $6.5 billion) for infrastructure development in Africa in five years. In the field of global health, Abe argued that the Japanese government would try to make universal health coverage (UHC) part of the Japan brand in the African continent. He also mentioned the role of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces in anti-piracy activities in Djibouti and nation-building operations in South Sudan to achieve human security in Africa.

During the conference, the Yokohama Declaration 2013 was adopted on June 3. The declaration emphasized the importance of infrastructure development and regional conflict prevention mechanisms, especially the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA). It also reconfirmed the necessity of promoting child health and supporting the African Unions Campaign for Accelerated Reduction of Maternal Mortality in Africa (CARMMA).

TICAD 6 was held in Nairobi, Kenya, on August 27-28, 2016, co-chaired by Abe. In his keynote speech at the opening session, Abe stressed the importance of achieving UHC in Africa and touched on Japans contribution to peacekeeping operations in the continent since 1993. Notably, Abe stated that Japan bears the responsibility of fostering the confluence of the Pacific and Indian Oceans and of Asia and Africa into a place that values freedom, the rule of law, and the market economy, free from force or coercion, and making it prosperous.

This statement has been regarded as the beginning of Japans free and open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) vision. As an outcome of the conference, the Nairobi Declaration was adopted as agenda for sustainable development in Africa. In the declaration, the establishment of a resilient health system in Africa was emphasized as one of the priorities, partially due to the outbreak of Ebola pandemic. Other communicable and non-communicable diseases, such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, Zika, and yellow fever were mentioned and the importance of preventing and preparing for pandemics were stressed, as was UHC.

TICAD 7 was held in Yokohama on August 28-30, 2019, chaired by Abe, and co-hosted by the U.N., the UNDP, the World Bank, and the African Union Commission (AUC). In his keynote address, Abe emphasized the fact that Japanese private investment into Africa for the past three years amounted to as much as $20 billion. He also stressed the significance of African Business Education Initiative for Youth (ABE Initiative) to encourage and foster young entrepreneurs in the continent. During the conference, the Yokohama Declaration 2019 was adopted on the final day. The declaration acknowledged that it is imperative to promote the achievement of UHC in Africa while controlling communicable diseases, such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, polio, and neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). At the same time, it was confirmed that TICAD participants agreed to respect the rule of law reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), implying African countries collective opposition to Chinas maritime policy in the South China Sea.

Regarding Tokyos motivation for the development of Africa, Bolade M. Eyinla, a professor at the University of Ilorin in Nigeria, observed that Japans policy toward TICAD has been based on its national interest. Moreover, the TICAD process can be seen as part of Japans balancing diplomacy against the rise of China, as pointed out by Kyoto University Professor Takahashi Motoki. Given Abes keynote speech at TICAD 6, it is fair to analyze that the TICAD process has been embedded in Japans FOIP vision vis--vis Chinas Belt and Road Initiative.

Having said that, a re-examination of the previous TICAD conferences, keynote speeches, and declarations indicates that Japans TICAD diplomacy has been based not only on its national interests, but also on humanitarian purposes, i.e., human security for the African people. In particular, healthcare and disease prevention have been consistent themes since TICAD 1 in 1993. During the upcoming TICAD 8 in Tunisia, Japans TICAD diplomacy is expected to make a further contribution to the enhancement of basic human needs and human security in the African continent as it continues to struggle with recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

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TICAD: The Evolution of Japan's Africa Diplomacy - The Diplomat

Helium Evolution Incorporated

CALGARY, Alberta, March 30, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Helium Evolution Incorporated ("HEVI", "Helium Evolution" or the "Company"), a Canadian-based helium exploration and production company focused on developing assets in southern Saskatchewan, is pleased to announce the commencement of trading today of its common shares on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSXV) under the symbol HEVI.

Helium Evolution aims to help solve the growing global helium shortage1 that has developed as a result of challenges associated with Covid-19, technical malfunctions at key suppliers, and the supply chain breakdown resulting from current political instability in Europe2. HEVI currently holds the largest helium land position in North America among publicly-traded companies at 5.4 million+ permitted acres, with multiple seismically defined targets. Using existing well, seismic and aeromagnetic data to identify helium leads in HEVIs target geological zone, the Deadwood formation, the Company anticipates the commencement of its drilling program in Spring of 2022.

Within the Companys news release of March 28, 2022, details of the number of common shares which will be subject to future escrow and legend restrictions was provided, along with a detailed asset summary, biographies of all current personnel, and an explanation of the Companys use, or future intended use, of its available funds.

LEARN MORE ABOUT HELIUM EVOLUTION

Additional information is available on the Companys website, including a current corporate presentation, along with deep-dive research report commissioned by Helium Evolution and prepared by a third party whose background includes serving as a research analyst for several bank-owned and independent investment dealers. In addition, HEVI invites interested parties to follow the Company on LinkedIn and Twitter for ongoing corporate updates and helium industry information.

About Helium Evolution Incorporated

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Helium Evolution is a Canadian-based helium exploration and production company holding the largest helium land rights position in North America among publicly-traded companies, focused on developing assets in southern Saskatchewan. The Company has over five million acres of land under permit near proven discoveries of economic helium concentrations which will support scaling the exploration and development efforts across its land base. HEVIs management and board are executing a differentiated strategy to become a leading supplier of sustainably-produced helium for the growing global helium market, offering a compelling opportunity for investors.

For further information, please contact:

Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains statements that constitute "forward-looking statements." Such forward looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements, or developments in the industry to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "projects," "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will," "would," "may," "could" or "should" occur.

Forward-looking statements in this document include statements regarding the Company's expectations regarding use of available funds, the granting of additional permits over lands under application, drilling of permitted lands, the future of supply and demand fundamentals for helium and other statements that are not historical facts. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors and risks include, among others: the Company may choose to allocate its available funds differently; the Company may require additional financing from time to time in order to continue its operations; financing may not be available when needed or on terms and conditions acceptable to the combined company; new laws or regulations could adversely affect the Companys business and results of operations; stock markets have experienced volatility that often has been unrelated to the performance of companies. These fluctuations may adversely affect the price of the Company's securities regardless of its operating performance; the granting of additional permits is subject to a competitive process over which the Company has no control; risks generally associated with the exploration for and production of resources; the uncertainty of estimates and projections relating to expenses; constraint in the availability of services; commodity price and exchange rate fluctuations; the current COVID-19 pandemic; adverse weather or break-up conditions; and uncertainties resulting from potential delays or changes in plans with respect to exploration or development projects or capital expenditures.

When relying on forward-looking statements and information to make decisions, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and risks and other uncertainties and potential events. The Company has assumed that the material factors referred to in the previous paragraphs will not cause such forward-looking statements and information to differ materially from actual results or events. However, the list of these factors is not exhaustive and is subject to change and there can be no assurance that such assumptions will reflect the actual outcome of such items or factors. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking information. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release. The Company does not intend, and expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to, update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

This press release is not for distribution to U.S. news services or for dissemination in the United States. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

__________________________________

1 https://www.gasworld.com/helium-markets-now-experiencing-helium-shortage-40/2022650.article2 https://cen.acs.org/business/specialty-chemicals/Podcast-helium-shortage-wasnt-supposed/100/web/2022/03

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Helium Evolution Commences Trading Today Under Symbol HEVI on the TSX Venture Exchange - Yahoo Finance

What and where is no-code AI?

A code-free system that empowers companies using artificial intelligence (AI) to perform various activities such as, but not limited to, data classification and analysis, No-code solutions enable users to create application functionality without writing programming code

When placed into the context of AI, machine learning (ML), and data science, the overall objective of no-code AI is to democratize data analytics and data insights.

The power of no-code AI lies within its potential to enable less technical folks product managers, sales, store owners to have a more intimate relationship and interaction with their data. By leveraging no-code AI, those disinclined toward the complexities of coding can directly explore, analyze, test hypotheses, and make predictions out of their valuable data. All without having to dive deep into data science, or rely on a team of data scientists to execute tasks that achieve their goals.

I think about how J.A.R.V.I.S. from the Marvel movies, functions as Tony Starks AI assistant, running and taking care of all the internal systems of Starks buildings and the Iron Man suits, but we are a long way from that in the real world.

Functionally, no-code AI should contain a few building blocks:

At the foundation, it needs the capability to conduct many common ML/AI tasks such as data ingestion, data cleansing, data QA, feature extraction, training models with various ML techniques, parameter search, and model evaluation.

Building on top of the foundation, there needs to be a business logic layer that enables no-code AI to assist the users to solve specific types of business problems in addition to simple generic ML tasks.

It should also have an intelligent presentation layer that is able to automatically create the most appropriate visualization to present the information to the users.

To bridge between these AI capabilities and the less technical users, no-code AI needs powerful natural language processing/understanding/generation (NLP/NLU/NLG) capabilities to interact with the user using plain English. This is necessary to understand the users questions and invoke the right analysis and/or even directly translate the request into executable codes. It needs to go beyond Alexa and Siri, or even the existing task-oriented conversational AI/chatbot solutions that can look up weather conditions or book flights. Those solutions need to predefine the types of questions that can be asked, the individual pieces of information relevant to those questions, and the actions to take based on the questions. Ideal no-code AI should allow users to ask any questions pertaining to the data in the database.

Until we have true AI that conduct analysis independently, we wont quite be at the stage in which no-code AI can free users from needing basic knowledge surrounding the problems the AI needs to address. For example, asking no-code AI to predict who is going to attrite is fairly straightforward, but the definition for attrition can vary in business settings. Its possible a bank customer has nearly stopped using their bank account, yet the account remains open. In practice, this should be considered as attrition, but it is often not marked in the banks system as closed. Having no-code AI simply use a closed-account flag in the data as the intended target definition for predicting attrition would yield, in this instance, a less desirable outcome for the business.

The promise of no-code AI and its applications is significant and will continue to power data analytics and insights. By continuing to evolve and understand its potential, users will be able to make the most of this rapidly evolving technology and stay ahead of potential risks.

About the Author

Kevin Chen is the Chief Data Scientist of Experian DataLabs in North America. Experian DataLabs helps businesses solve strategic marketing and risk-management problems through an advanced data analysis process andresearch and development. DataLabs helps deliver innovative new data sources with an emphasis on financial services, telecommunications and healthcare.

Featured image: Kras99

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The evolution of no-code AI - TechNative - TechNative

Its March Madness. Three weeks, 136 teams, and two college basketball championships. While there is no shortage of talent and promise on the court, its often the proven programs with the most experienced, seasoned coaches and practiced players that are the odds-on favorites.

The same is true in crypto. There is a lot of hype and activity in the arena, but at the end of the day, its the proven companies and their teams of cutting-edge customers and partners with the experience, industry savvy and technical resources that deliver the most trusted solutions.

A Lot Has Happened Over the Last Decade

Ten years, 55 countries and hundreds of financial institutions. Thats Ripples stat line. A rare crypto triple-double.

Collectively, it demonstrates a vibrant history of innovation and success in crypto and blockchain. Individually, the numbers represent tried and true, cherished customer and partner relationships that have helped pioneer the space, spanning a diverse range of use cases, geographies and regulatory environments.

Partners like Siam Commercial Bank (SCB) rely on Ripple to power instant, low-cost cross-border payments in Thailand and the broader region. With Ripple, SCB boasts one-minute end-to-end processing times, 80,000 monthly transactions and $400 million in monthly person-to-person remittance settlements.

And partners like Nium that use Ripple to process real-time transactions in Southeast Asia and was the first to connect the region to remittance corridors in North and South America. Founded in 2014, Nium was up and running on Ripple in eight weeks and is saving 98% on domestic transfer rates for customers.

And dont forget Pyypl, the blockchain-native financial services platform that helped bring Ripples payments solution to the Middle East market for the first time: enabling a real-life use case for improved treasury flows between USD and EUR, and providing Pyypl customers access to additional working capital to help streamline cash flow.

Innovating and Iterating on Better Blockchain Solutions

These companies are only three of the many that have helped to create a virtuous circle of innovation at Ripple, wherein partner experiences result in learnings and insights that then inform new solutions. Its these relationships that enable us to better support our partners as they navigate an increasingly crypto-forward world and continue to discover new applications and use cases for the technology.

It is this cycle that helped give rise to the success of our On-Demand Liquidity (ODL) solution, which now has near global coverage in 22 destination markets. It also highlighted the need for RippleX, which launched in 2020 to support developers building on the XRP Ledger (XRPL) with open-source code, tools, programs, applications, documentation and more.

Crypto for Business: The Next 10 Years

Recently, companies have consistently asked us how to attract new customers and build revenue streams using crypto but without a major resource-heavy commitment (i.e. in-house development, managing regulatory requirements, maintaining tech to keep up with the industry), or the typical pre-funding requirements of traditional payment rails.

In response, we are leveraging the success of ODL and our expertise in accessing liquidity across multiple markets to design and build Liquidity Hub. This plug-and-play platform will make it easy for companies of any size to buy, sell or hold crypto internally or on behalf of their customers absent the time, resource or capital commitments normally required to do so.

Through one simple implementation, Liquidity Hub offers access to deep liquidity pools and leverages smart order routing and advanced algorithms to source optimized prices for a variety of digital assets. With an all-in-one, enterprise-grade dashboard, companies will have an easy and transparent way to manage and monitor trading. And importantly, Liquidity Hub offers the ability to reduce pre-funding in capital accounts, helping to free up some of that working capital to be allocated elsewhere.

Brad Chase, Ripples Sr. Director of Data Software Engineering, has a long tenure of experience building products and solutions to meet customer demands: Weve worked day and night to build a global, enterprise-grade crypto product in ODL, powering real payment volume and providing real utility for our customers. Now with Liquidity Hub, weve distilled the foundational crypto trading and liquidity management capabilities into a stand-alone offering that will provide a seamless way for our customers to bring crypto to their end-users.

Ten years ago, Ripple was the first company with an enterprise-level B2B solution to leverage crypto as a means of solving cross-border payments challenges. Since then, we have assembled an impressive lineup of partners and solutions to help propel the industry forward and keep the conversation going. Now, we are building on that history to once again innovate on behalf of our customers. Were looking forward to the next 10 years together.

Want to join the movement? Learn more about Liquidity Hub and how your business can get started.

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The Next Evolution of Crypto for Business - Ripple

Eddie Howe did not expect Newcastle United to be in this position by the end of March.

The head coach was always confident that he could keep Newcastle up, but for the team to be 14th and nine points clear of the relegation zone with nine games remaining was surely beyond even his own expectations.

And, while Howe himself rightly insists that Newcastle are not safe yet, he has been presented with an unexpected opportunity to begin tentatively planning for a future beyond survival.

The indications are that, as one source puts it, supporters should expect evolution rather than revolution at Newcastle this summer. About 10 players could depart but some of those are already outside of the 25-man Premier League squad or out on loan and between four and six signings could be brought in as quality over quantity is sought.

Steve Nickson, the head of recruitment, is drawing up shortlists for players in every position though signing a striker is the priority. Newcastle are looking to augment the spine of their team, with centre-back and goalkeeper also featuring prominently during discussions, as are attacking midfielders, with increasing the number of goals in the team viewed as crucial.

Yet insiders have also been keen to stress that Newcastle will not merely lavish cash and bring in world-class stars on astronomical wages. While one recruitment source insists Newcastle have raised the level of player they are after following a January window when avoiding relegation was the goal, links to players such as Neymar and Ousmane Dembele have been dismissed.

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Transfer plans and squad evolution: A new striker is Newcastle United's big priority this summer - The Athletic

The Latino Student Union is celebrating 50 years of being a student organization at BGSU.

As a current member of LSU, this is very important to me. Right now, I hold the Vice President position and Public Relations Chair.

Being a part of LSU has allowed me to find a group of people that I can identify with. To me, LSU is a community for everyone to come together and support each other. I have made many friends through being a part of this organization and even more connections.

Recently, I got the opportunity to speak on the panel of current LSU members for the Latino/a/x Issues Conference. I shared my experiences and thoughts about this student organization.

At this conference, there were panels, presentations and a keynote by Dr. Jade Power-Sotomayor.

I attended the LSU Alumni panel, and it was very inspiring and motivating to hear from past members. They talked about what each of their experiences was like during their time with LSU.

Dr. Luis Moreno and Ana Brown moderated, while five alumni spoke on the panel. Juan Pimiento specifically caught my attention when he shared his thoughts on LSU.

Through that work of course, just educating the people of other ethnicities, of other backgrounds just about our culture in general because theres so much to know. Pimiento said. That we are very much a spectrum of all kinds of context and beliefs and experiences that people don't know about.

I was also very interested in hearing their advice for current members; each alumni talked about different ways to help our recruitment process.

Due to COVID-19, myself and the executive board have had trouble with getting members to join and stay consistent.

With the people that come to our meetings, we do have fun. We like to start our meetings off with having what we call Familia Time, or family time to get everyone engaged before we talk about the presentation for the day.

After hearing what the alumni said during their panel, I see how LSU has changed. LSU was founded in 1972, and one of the original founders spoke on the panel. Although there are differences, LSU will always be a family community that embraces and advocates for its members, and that is why I love LSU.

Overall, this experience was great and I am glad to be able to help continue and grow LSUs legacy here on campus.

My advice to anyone interested in joining something on campus: do it. Being a part of a student organization or club allows for your own community within the BGSU community. It is a great way to build friendships, get support and bond with people who may be experiencing similar things as you.

Like our saying goes, Not Latino? Not a problem!

Our next meeting will be at 9 p.m. on April 6 in 314 BTSU. Follow our Instagram for more information @bglsu.

The rest is here:

50 years of LSU: Current VP reflects on evolution of org - bgfalconmedia.com

How did it begin?

The year 2020 had been a turning point for the whole economy, and one of the realms that have experienced a significant slow down in this year was the health and wellness industry. It had been dull because this was the year the pandemic had hit us, and the lockdown was announced.

Hence, people were forced to stay at home, and the gyms were being shut down. It was a significant fall and a disappointment for all the fitness enthusiasts.

The change of habits

Pandemic had turned the tables for the fitness industry entirely. Where people once found solace and sweated it out in the gym, they were now almost home arrested because gyms were not functioning. Many people began to start working out at home and trying new activities to keep themselves fit. But, it was a transition that few were trying to adapt to.

People became extra cautious and aware of their health, which pushed them to take that extra effort towards building habits, changing fitness goals, and keeping active. But, the most surprising factor was that it was during this period that most people were working out at home. Be it using gadgets, trainers, or videos, everyone involved themselves in physical activities and broadened their outlook of being fit.

During this period, individuals did not limit themselves to exercising and eating home-cooked and healthy food; it helped them realise that the combination was doing wonders. And that home fitness was working for them with good habits and minor lifestyle changes.

The turning point

When the idea of working out at home started to flourish and spread from one household to another, people realised that home workouts were beneficial and saved them time and energy that they would instead shed on going to the gym. This convinced them to continue to exercise at home. With the home-workout finding their place in the economy, the entrepreneurs also invested in technology to build home-equipments and mark a space for home-fitness.

Why was fitness evolution substantial?

Before home-fitness had come into the picture, there were enormous stereotypes related to fitness. People wanted to have abs, specific weight, composition, or a particular body or shape considered healthy. But, this approach had changed with the introduction of working out at home. People adapted differently to working out and had their learnings and understanding about themselves and their fitness goals.

What does this evolution MEAN?

The revolution in the fitness sector has made people understand that they were individuals who could decide not to have a specific type of body. This trend was more accepting, comfortable, and liberating. It gave them the freedom to choose their workouts conveniently in their relaxing space. When people were working from home, it did give them a work-life balance to an extent, but working out from home also helped them be laid back and not stressed over a timely workout.

What do the STATS have to say?

According to a survey, the at-home fitness global market size was valued at $5,545 million in 2019, which is projected to reach $11,459 million by 2027. The compound annual growth rate is expected to be registered at 7.8% from 2021 to 2027.

The stats speak for themselves, and you can witness that the population is getting fit at home. And the numbers reflect that its only going to get more prominent and dominant in the coming years.

The Present

Chase to 2022, and the whole industry has transformed. The pandemic has shifted priorities and faith and has bought an immense shift in our true selves. The transformation is visible in the fitness industry and the corporations who are adopting a hybrid work model or entirely a work from home policy; people have more time on their hands to take care of themselves. I think we have cracked the balance there, and now there is no going back from here, and that is good news for all the fitness enthusiasts and individuals who are still exploring their place in this industry.

Where was the MOTIVATION?

With people being online 3x times more than before, the internet has been the only way to communicate. This has encouraged trainers, influencers, and creators to create more fitness-related videos and help people with tips and different postures, diets and nutrition, and ways to spend less and gain more. The creators have covered everything from beginners to advanced levels and are introducing various forms of workouts, yoga, and hacks to encourage people to stay fit and healthy.

What does the future hold?

There is no going back to the old ways, and since people are enjoying this new shift in many ways, there is clarity that they will stick to it for a while. It is yet to be determined if people will go back entirely to traditional methods of working out. Still, the statistics reveal different numbers and the power of convenience talks for itself.

The final thought

The shift has helped people understand fitness better, break stereotypes, give a new meaning to fitness, and take one step at a time rather than push themselves to show up every day and stress over it. This change is undoubtedly healthy and essential for the long run.

Views expressed above are the author's own.

END OF ARTICLE

More:

The evolution of home fitness - Times of India