Saturday 31 October 2009

Alternative Medicine - Avenue for Medical Tourism

The history of alternative medicine is a rather interesting one, and has its
origins in traditional methods of medicine. Alternative medicine has been
in existence since time immemorial. Being a primeval science, this medicinal
system has been known to man since the early days of his time on Earth. Using
natural ingredients to prevent and cure most illnesses has perhaps been man’s greatest foray into medical science. Traditional medical practitioners aimed at prevention of diseases associated with an increase in resistance of the human body. As an expert rightly pointed out, “The study of the history of alternative medicine is fascinating on a variety of levels, not just concerning other and often better ways of preserving and restoring health.”

Practised for thousands of years, alternative medicine includes systems like
Acupuncture, Ayurveda and traditional Asian medicine. Alternative medicine branches
out from the Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) treatments and
therapies. CAM is often combined with formal, conventional medicine, integrating
both medical practices, in order to give the best results to patients. It can be said that
the earlier methods of medicine were attempted at achieving a balance between bodily
and natural energy. Energies were sought as positive and negative energies, where
positive energies were to bring in happiness and health and negative energies an
incapacitation of resistance to face any ailments. Matters of utmost importance in
deciding therapies or treatments in these earlier medical systems were factors like
one’s lifestyle, one’s habits of eating and one’s occupational pressures.

Friday 30 October 2009

Berry Tree Bears Fruit

I am really happy to talk about the Berry Tree because it has been one of the best purchases we have made, both as a product in its own right and as one means to fulfil our quest for 'self sufficiency' online. The Berry Tree is MLM in the 21st century. The Berry Tree is a 'place' to purchase specific health products only available online and/or it can be a small and effective home based Internet business, the choice is yours. We use the product and have chosen to work with Berry Tree as a small business. This article features the product while the next article looks at the business opportunity.

The Berry Tree sells two products and the one we have direct experience with is called O2 Berry Proformance Hydration. Essentially O2 Berry Proformance Hydration is a water treatment product that radically enhances the properties of ordinary water by raising the levels of oxygen in the water. It is made from coral found exclusively on the Island of Okinawa Japan. Don't groan too loudly... yet, yes we have all heard stories about the amazing product hand picked by vestal virgins on a full moon in some remote village - somewhere. And O2 Berry Proformance Hydration, in our experience is different. The story goes like this:

You might remember a few years ago the famous book The Okinawa diet - a huge international best seller? Turns out the folks in Okinawa are some of the most long lived and healthy on the planet. Why??? The finding of numerous international research projects is that Okinawans drink water exclusively from their island. The water is filtered through a particular coral; so the island is a naturally occurring water treatment plant! Lucky Okinawans! Fortunately we stumbled across a video demonstrating the effects of this amazing coral. Watch the video and see for yourself; and all you soft drink/soda junkies please pay close attention to the segment at the end of the video - you will be amazed. Anyway, after viewing this same video we decided to do the free trial of the product and we have been consistently impressed with its performance. We are always more confident in those companies who are confident in their product to provide samples - especially on the net.

Anyway, we have subsequently tried the product with various people in a range of settings. All of them have responded well - even those unaware they were drinking 'treated' water. By responding well we mean that folks either recognised they felt better after drinking the water or, and this is the most interesting - they stopped showing obvious signs of tiredness and or jet lag - most noticeably, they stopped yawning. We have tried this time and again - especially with folks we are working with. If we start work in the clinic and we are yawning - or someone else is, we give them a glass of 'Berry Tree water' and they miraculously stop yawning and 'perk up'. Even Gez, our own in house skeptic has asked for some Berry Tree sachets on particularly slow days/daze... Remember the increased blood oxygen levels from the video? Well that has absolutely been our experience. Cool huh? It really is a fantastic and affordable health alternative - which also doubles as a source of income!

As one person from Berry Tree said to me, the coral also makes the water 'more wet' - a technical term :-) So for those folks who don't like to drink a lot of water - you can increase your water uptake or absorption without having to drink more. Great too for folks who are doing heavy exercise. Drinking a lot of water and heavy exercise often don't mix - so you can still exercise, drink less and enjoy the same benefits as if you had drunk more. I am searching out more information on how the product has this effect and will keep you posted.

More than that the Berry Tree coral alkalises water instantly and for those of you are interested in health you will be aware that research is increasing to directly link acidity with chronic disease. That this product can instantly turn water alkaline is phenomenal. And it removes chlorine - instantly. If you have a whiz bang filter at home great - maybe you don't need it - but remember at least one sample of the treated water in the video came from a 'water cooler' which is normally treated/filtered...this is a much healthier alternative. Sign up for a free trial and subject the water at your place to the same tests as on the video.

One great advantage of the product is its portability you simply carry the coral bags, buy water when you need it and treat the water. Each coral bag makes up to 900ml of treated water. We 'reuse' the bags by adding an additional coral sachet and refilling the bottle - great value for money.

After using this product for a number of months and seeing the results we both feel that any one who wants to make a difference to their health and sense of well being should at least trial it. Sure no one product can be all thing to all people. From our experience we believe this products will make a difference to a broad range of people it is very portable and you can trial it for free. What have you got to loose?

Our personal proclaimer: "Yes we have tried the product/s and or services we are discussing in this article and YES we can attest to it's efficacy - or not - first hand. We are happy to answer any questions you might have about our use of the product."
Antonietta is a mother of three kids under ten, a homeopath and free lance writer currently traveling the world with her partner and family. For more information see http://www.bythebay.com.au/blog or more information on the Bery Tree opportunity visit http://myberrytree.com/39155/bgboost

Wednesday 28 October 2009

Chemistry of the Elements of Nitrogen Family at a Glance

Nitrogen, which makes up about 78% of our atmosphere, is a colorless, odorless, tasteless and chemically unreactive gas at room temperature. It is named from the Greek nitron + genes for soda forming. Discovered in 1772 by Daniel Rutherford (and independently by others such as Priestly and Cavendish), it is more abundant in the known universe than carbon or silicon. Most commercially produced nitrogen gas is recovered from liquefied air. Of that amount, the majority is used to manufacture ammonia (NH3) via the Haber process. Much is also converted to nitric acid (HNO3). Small amounts of nitrogen (for laboratory study) can be prepared by heating solid ammonium chloride (NH4Cl) with solid ammonium nitrite (NH4NO2). Sodium chloride and water are by-products. Nitrogen forms a surprising number of compounds with oxygen, exhibiting a wide range of oxidation states. Some of the more familiar ones include nitrogen dioxide (NO2), a component of photochemical smogs and a contributor to acid rain in some areas, and dinitrogen monoxide (N2O) commonly called "laughing gas".

Named from the Greek word phosphorus ("bringer of light"), phosphorus was first isolated in 1669 by Hennig Brand (a painting commemorating this achievement is in the rotating gallery that appears on the home page of this site). The original extraction was made from about 60 pails of urine..... Industrial processes for isolating phosphorus today involve heating calcium phosphate, carbon and silicon dioxide. Phosphorus occurs in at least 10 allotropic forms, the most common (and reactive) of which is so-called white (or yellow) phosphorus which looks like a waxy solid or plastic. It is very reactive and will spontaneously inflame in air so it is stored under water. The other common form of phosphorus is red phosphorus which is much less reactive and is one of the components on the striking surface of a match book. Red phosphorus can be converted to white phosphorus by careful heating. Commercially, phosphorus compounds are used in the manufacture of phosphoric acid (H3PO4) (found in soft drinks and used in fertilizer compounding). Other compounds find applications in fireworks and, of course, phosphorescent compounds which glow in the dark.

Arsenic has been known for a very long time and the person who may have first isolated it is not known but credit generally is given to Albertus Magnus in about the year 1250. The element, which is classified as a metalloid, is named from the Latin arsenicum and Greek arsenikon which are both names for a pigment, yellow orpiment. Tiny amounts of arsenic are used today in the semiconductor industry to create LEDs. Some compounds are used in the manufacture of everything from wallpaper to ceramics. Of course, arsenic is most often thought of in terms of its toxicity and it is used as a weed killer and rat poison. Intentional arsenic poisoning is now pretty much the stuff of old murder mysteries. Originally arsenious oxide was administered in small doses over a period of time, precipitating death accompanied by symptoms reminiscent of pneumonia. Today the arsenic remaining in the body can be detected during autopsy so this is not (happily) a very effective way to dispatch people undetected. Commercially, arsenic is produced by heating the pigment orpiment (As2S3) in air and then reacting the oxide product with carbon.

Antimony and its compounds have been known for centuries. Scientific study of the element began during the early 17th century, much of the important work being done by Nicolas Lemery. The name of the element comes from the Greek anti + monos for "not alone", while the modern symbol is rooted in the Latin-derived name of the common ore, stibnite. Antimony is a hard, brittle metalloid which is alloyed with other metals to increase hardness. It is also used in some semi-conductor devices. The recovery of elemental antimony parallels that of arsenic: the sulfide ore (stibnite) is roasted in air and then heated with carbon.

Bismuth, the heaviest non-radioactive naturally occurring element, was isolated by Basil Valentine in 1450. It is a hard, brittle metal with an unusually low melting point (271oC). Alloys of bismuth with other low-melting metals such as tin and lead have even lower melting points and are used in electrical solders, fuse elements and automatic fire sprinkler heads. The metal can be found in nature, often combined with copper or lead ores, but can also be extracted from bismuth (III) oxide by roasting with carbon. Compounds of bismuth are used in pigments for oil painting and one is in a popular pink preparation for the treatment of common stomach upset.

In studies announced jointly by the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in Dubna, Russia, and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in the U.S., four atoms of element 113 were produced in 2004 via decay of element 115 after the fusion of Ca-48 and Am-243.
Dr.Badruddin Khan teaches Chemistry in the University of Kashmir, Srinagar, India.

Tuesday 27 October 2009

Alternative Medicine - Avenue for Medical Tourism

The history of alternative medicine is a rather interesting one, and has its
origins in traditional methods of medicine. Alternative medicine has been
in existence since time immemorial. Being a primeval science, this medicinal
system has been known to man since the early days of his time on Earth. Using
natural ingredients to prevent and cure most illnesses has perhaps been man’s greatest foray into medical science. Traditional medical practitioners aimed at prevention of diseases associated with an increase in resistance of the human body. As an expert rightly pointed out, “The study of the history of alternative medicine is fascinating on a variety of levels, not just concerning other and often better ways of preserving and restoring health.”

Practised for thousands of years, alternative medicine includes systems like
Acupuncture, Ayurveda and traditional Asian medicine. Alternative medicine branches
out from the Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) treatments and
therapies. CAM is often combined with formal, conventional medicine, integrating
both medical practices, in order to give the best results to patients. It can be said that
the earlier methods of medicine were attempted at achieving a balance between bodily
and natural energy. Energies were sought as positive and negative energies, where
positive energies were to bring in happiness and health and negative energies an
incapacitation of resistance to face any ailments. Matters of utmost importance in
deciding therapies or treatments in these earlier medical systems were factors like
one’s lifestyle, one’s habits of eating and one’s occupational pressures.

Saturday 24 October 2009

Wonders and milestones of Science for civilization

Right from ancient time science has revolutionized a wheel of progress made so far. Historical contribution of science for society was initiated by Alexander Grahm Bell whose mom and students whom he married were deaf, on March 10, 1876, at small laboratory at Boston, USA, established a communication from one room to another. It led to establish Bell Telephone Company in year 1877 for quicker communication. Gregor Mendel, central European monk who published his ideas on genetics in 1866 but largely went unrecognized until 1900, and a long after his death, was recognized as father of genetics. Newton gave laws for gravitational force, Jams Watt discovered locomotive engine, Hargovind Singh khurana synthesized artificial gene and Madam Curie discovered a radioactive materials named Pitchblende in 1911. Antoine Lavoisier, a French Chemist in 1700s, put forward a quantitative basis for chemistry by measuring weights of materials used in chemical reactions. For this work, Lavoisier is known as a "father of modern chemistry. His prefixes are most important in modern day technology where decimal and exponential equivalents in a metric system are very useful and listed as pico for 10-12, nano for 10-9, micro for 10-6, milli for 10-3, centi for 10-2 for deci for 10-1, no prefix for 00, deka for 101, hepta for 102, kilo for 103,mega for 106 and giga for 109.

Text

Many more could be derived by conversion from one unit of length to another in a metric system by shifting a decimal point. For example 12 inches make feet and 5280 feet make a mile. There are many glaring discoveries which are indispensable from the society for example in 19th century matter and energy have been complementary to each other and has fascinated Einstein for principle of relativity. It led him to make nuclear bombs, bombarded on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the business cities of Japan, in 1945. In a history of human civilization, it was as a 2nd sun as it generated radiations equivalent to those of sun with vas change in environmental thermodynamics. The thermos means temperature and dynamics means motion, and coined the word thermodynamics. Origin of life has been because of alignment and association of nitrogen (N2), oxygen (O2), hydrogen (H2) gases and sulfur (S) together to form amino acids, proteins to compose life system. It was put forward by Stanley who at Chicago University, USA, in 1950s did successful experiment to prove that methane (CH4) and ammonia (NH3) gases with other gases form amino acids and proteins. The alignment and association of gases conserve energy in a form of molecules, which sustain life. Newton’s observation about falling of an apple from apple tree further emphasized key position of energy. Evolution of civilization followed by various experimental realizations about energy for construction of world famous pyramid at Cairo, Egypt. Thousands years old, the workers loaded heavy and bigger sized stones on wooden planks and did swim in river Nile for transportation to pyramid site. The energy has brought revolutionary changes in civilization like Chinese and Indian inks were prepared by burning the wood to convert it into the wooden coals which were converted into fine powder and mixed with mustard oils. Similarly Harrappa and Mohan Jodaro, century old big buildings were constructed following lock and key concept based on a socket and cone joints of bones of elbow and knees of human body. At countryside, for centuries, grandmother used to burn mustard oil with cotton wick through a capillary and collect soot on neat and clean metallic surfaces like on brass or ion, and applied in eyes for adsorbing a secretion. During stone and metallic ages of civilization, the stones were shaped up to different designs and used for hunting.

These forms conserve and liberate energies transforming from one form to another as burning of oil to soot. Egyptians understood thermodynamics in a better way as they knew pushing heavy wooden planks on water surface reduces frictional forces and minimum human energy was needed for transportations. During Stone Age, the stones were shaped up to different sizes to manifolds the impulse for hunting. The water potential was noticed centuries ago and dams were constructed at Mississippi and Niles to make water falls for rotating turbine to generate electricity and irrigational works.

Paddling of cycle, letter typing machines, bull carts, churners (for churning curd to whey), horse carts, swing machines, ships were operated manually and best form of human energy conversion. The machine were run with human energy in fact if we go deeper, the human energy harnessed from food is partly stored in muscles and was used for operating the machines. Similarly levers were made which were very effective to economize the human energy for example the rollers were not pushed from back but were pulled forwards from front to minimize the human energy consumption. These scientific developments were revolved around a energy conversion from one form to another and termed as thermodynamic by Joule Thompson, Carnot and Cannon Rumford in 18th countries. Now the thermodynamics is an indispensable part of the human sciences and civilizations. In ancient times the major cities were established at the banks of rivers, due to easier transportation and as sources of water for drinking, irrigation, cottage industries. River Nile in African countries is considered highly revered and is boon to Egypt, Sudan, Ghana, Ethiopia, Somalia and Nigeria etc. In India, rivers Ganga, Yamuna, Sarswati etc. were taken in very high esteem and cities like Delhi at bank Yamuna, Allahabad at Trivani or Pragraj, kolkata at river Hugly, Mumbai and Madras are at coastal areas. The energy is understood as thermodynamics. During British India various dams for energy harnessing were constructed like Tungbhadra dam at Krishna-Cavery, Rihand, Hirakund, Nagarjun Sagar at Krishna River, Cauvery, Periyar, Ramagundam, Bhakra Nangal, and Salal project at Chenab River. Theses were eco-friendly techniques with no pollution hazards. The replacement of cycle, bull cart and horse carts by engine run motors are emitting tone and tones of CO, CO2, NO, NO2, NO3, SO2, SO3, polluting gases causing global warming.

Thermodynamics a boon:

Liberation of calories from food is well known and establish q = DE + PDV, a first law of thermodynamics. The q is heat, DE liberated energy, P pressure and DV volume change when food is digested in body. Putting no volume and pressure change the q = DE exists which decides an intake of food. Concept of eating jugglery after lunch and dinner for intake of iron and other useful vitamins is centaury old in Indian society. By practice our ancestors carried forward this tradition generation to generation, the families who used to stick to a concept of “as you eat so you reap” leads to have sound mind in sound body. The traditions of wearing types of clothes are monitored by the thermodynamics and illuminate the human side of science. Newton’s observation of falling of apple from tree to earth was based on potential energy due to height. A matter energy-relation fascinated Einstein to make nuclear bomb. Weather forecasting is a big thermodynamics, where moistures and pressure gradient are basic parameters. In villages, people still guess in advance about a rainfall by watching the movement of ants and curtains birds. The ants very accurately sense a change in humidity and start taking out their eggs from their underground nests. Similarly the tailor birds start making nests at heighted trees. The villagers guess that increases in humidity forecasts a rainfall in coming days.

During heating, the milk boils out of a heating vessel while water does not this is due to a layer formation of a fat of the milk on upper surface on heating because of low density. The layer thickens acts as cover to push back the milk vapors and kinetic energy of the milk molecules get accumulated and a state comes when the layer can not bear with the internal energy DE. It suddenly bursts out with large amount of the milk but water heating simply breaks its hydrogen bonds.

Who lays down its Foundation:

James Watt, a naughty boy, in 1750 noticed experimental relevance of thermodynamics with uplifting of a lid of kettle being used for boiling water for cooking the vegetable. Watt coined the word horsepower as horses powered water pumps in mines and laid down a foundation of railway engines. In 1799, Humphry Davy melted ice by rubbing two ice cubs together. Latter in 1824, Sadi Carnot and Cannon Ford, observed generation of heat when iron screw was used to make hole in wooden logs. It was supported by count Rumford for boring cannon experiment in 18th and early 19th century. The handle of a screw was rotated manually putting mechanical energy to work. Partly it evolved heat during process, later on the ideas of Watt, Carnot and Ford laid down a foundation of first law of thermodynamics as q = DE+PDV. The q is heat contents, the DE internal energy1 and the PDV a mechanical work done by or on the system. It successfully converts mechanical energy into the electrical. Benjamin Thompson in 1790’s, for measuring the power of light coined the word candlepower for candlelight as standard. Similarly James Joule in 1840’s gave the Joule as standard unit for energy measurement2, which is still in use. There are several other discoveries where our ancestors developed like fire which burnt by rubbing dried wooden logs that generates fire by friction3.

Description:

Real meaning of thermodynamics is to achieve the best equilibrium among the pressure, temperatures, mass and energy. However its real meaning could be understood by several states of the water, these are most useful example in society. At low temperature the liquid water is solid and referred to as ice while at optimum temperature is liquid state and at higher temperature i.e. 1000C the gaseous form (vapor). The vapor is powerful to generate electricity by turbine at thermal power stations. The windmills for centuries have been the most traditional power in villages for pumping out the water from the deep grounds. The air pressure for centuries is being used as a big potential by farmers to separate out the food grains from the straw of the wheat crops. In 18th centuries the watermills were emerged as a powerful source of energy from turbine attached directly to a axle fitted with grinding stones to grind wheat, maize, gram and other food grains into flour. At higher altitude the pressure is low hence cooking of vegetables takes longer time and more fuel. Training area of Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM) Utterkashi is at very high altitudes, I personally observed that the cooking of rice or any food item takes longer time. In 1996, I have attended one month mountaineering course and studied this phenomenon. In general, the ladies used to wet solid grains of grams, soyabeans, peas etc, and spices in fresh and clean water before 4 to 5 hrs of cooking. This process was well known by our forefathers/ancestors. They were aware about a significance of thermodynamics. Hence used to wet the food grains in water prior cooking. It is time saving device and enriching the food in nutrients. It saves lot of fuels, and depicts that the wet food grains take comparatively less time in cooking and saves the fuel. The calorie of the 1g mol of the butane is -687.982 K calorie mol-1, and of methane –191.800 K calorie mpl-1 thus the total time 123-65 = 58 min are saved. This saves a lot of gas and the time in kitchen.

Thermodynamics for natural events:

The wetting concept of dried grains must be popularized in the society in interest of health and economic reasons. The rain is a best example of thermodynamics, the water vapors from south India to North from the oceans of Hind and Arabian oceans, and from bay of Bengal gets transported to North to fill the deficiency of the water moistures at the North India. This process is spontaneous or the natural one and is closely associated with the thermodynamics. The gallons and gallons of the water are being transported to North India through open sky. Evaporation of water moisture from the leaves of trees, herbs and shrubs do add some moisture to the amount of the already water vapor. This process of the thermodynamics highlights contributions of the trees. The society must encourage tree plantation to maintain the equilibrium and ecosystems. The learners can understand the meaning and worth of non-equilibrium system. The pressure gradient causes the energy gradient, and is calculated with DG = -2.303RT log K. The DG is free energy, K is equilibrium constant, the K= p2/p1, the p1 water vapor pressure at southern India and the p2 at the northern. At northern the vapor pressure is lower than that of the southern. The pressure moves from south to north India and could be equated with kinetics of reactions where the reactants are decomposed with time and rate of reaction is determined. A state is reached where the systems are equilibrated with respect to the concentration of the reactants. The rate constant K is as p1 at southern Û p2 at northern, and K = P2/P1. The DG is free energy, and a working capacity of environment due to pressure or moisture gradients. This clarifies the concept of Gibbs free energy, for example if the P1 = 1.5 bar and P2 = 1.0 bar, the log K = 0.17609 and the amount of DG = -1005.22 Joule mol-1kelvin-1. This is the energy, which is being used to push up the water vapor to northern India. The 1005.22 Joule mol-1kelvin-1 is being used till the P1 = P2, at this condition the K=1 and the log K=0, and the DG=0. This predicts that the movements of the water vapors are stabilized and condensation is started in a form of clouds with transition of phase. And after some time it falls in the form of rains. For farmers the thermodynamics has special significance. For example when high-pressure difference is there the storms occur that distribute the seeds of the herbal plants and other useful trees.

There are 4 seasons and the seed germination is temperature sensitive, the wheat, maize, guar gum, pulses, oil seeds etc. are sown at an optimum temperature with some moisture contents. The intelligent farmers generally wet the seed of crops overnight before sowing. It enhances the moisture contents in the seed for quicker and healthy germination. This makes a better understanding of the thermodynamic applications in farming. The plants show much growth in rainy seasons due to water in plenty. The artificial thermodynamic conditions are being generated for growing of the seeds and flowering so that fresh fruits can be had at any seasons. For example at Tamil Naidu the mango plants give fruits in all seasons, as it is coastal area where almost same temperature prevails. Human thermodynamics, the sweating in very useful phenomenon and is closely related to the human body. Due to sweating several harmful toxins come out of the body. The living in air condition (AC) is harmful to the body because the toxins get accumulated in the body and accumulation in excess causes sudden disease. Similarly other way round is also beneficial for example in winter seasons the people rub their hands to generate heat due to friction, and expose minimum surface of body to the environments to prevent dissipation of heat of the body.

Currently, the thermodynamics is being defaced or deformed at domestic levels for example most of the ladies cook the food and for the time being store in freezes to prevent it from spoiling. It is OK that it protects the food for time being but heating eatable again and again is not good and destroys the calorie value. In general, overheating decompose and denature the food items. Some of the valuable vitamins and other chemicals get lost in heating process as vitamin C and iodine get vaporized. Overheating of the milk loses the vitamin C, similarly at kitchen ladies use oil for cooking the food, they dip the processed or knitted flour in hot oil. The used oil after cooking the food is stored and reused for further cooking. The oil after heating several times gets saturated whose intake in body along food is harmful.

The farmers do irrigate the crops for water and softening the soil for a growth of the roots and a use of earthen pots for cooling the water in summer is century old. In village is highly beneficial, this is natural cooler and do not cause any disease. There is a shortage of the electricity to run the electric coolers.

The thermodynamics is playing a glaring role in vehicular traffic, air and waterways. Too much friction between the road and outer surface of the wheels at the roads do cause some heat and wastage of the energy at roads and more fuel is used to cop up this effect. Air-cooling is most useful for dissipating the heat from oil engines during work. There are some demerits of the thermodynamics as global warming, air pollution. But the wonderful aspect of the thermodynamics is to generate electricity due the to temperature difference in water with depth of the oceans. This is called as OTEC i.e. Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion as at 4 to 8 feet deep water the temperature is lower (about 10 to 150C) while at upper surface is very high (about 350C). This difference develops the temperature gradients, thus a machine made up of metallic pipes of about 1 to 2 feet inner diameter is made in a square shape. Inside pipes, at their each corner a turbine is fitted and a volatile gas like ammonia or propane is filled inside the pipes, which due to temperature gradient runs from a high temperature to a lower. The gas on the way strikes the turbines where the latter are rotated and mechanical energy is converted into the electrical energy with suitable electric circuits. The thermodynamics is applicable to human anger as human anger is an adiabatic process. If the heat of the human is quickly dissipated, the anger of the person is cooled down and the person becomes normal. Currently Survismeter and econoburette are invented from Indian soil for saving energy and resources.
Conclusion: The best use of thermodynamic processes draws manifold benefits to our society and maintains the healthy ecosystem. This article contains a very primitive and useful science that has been enriching our civilization. The energy is still in great demand and a key for all round developments. There is an urgent need to pay attention on the trivial methods and concepts and perceptions dealing with energies, as the young minds can accelerate and develop some new dimension of science that can boost up our quality of life. There are many areas and works where least scientific attentions are paid because careful execution of any thing would up ridge some new thoughts.

References:

1.Man Singh and Sanjay Kumar, J. Appl. Sci., 93, 47-55, 2004.
2.Man Singh, J. Ind. Chem. Soc. 78, August 2001, 397-402.
3.Man Singh, J. Ind. Chem. Soc. 80, July 2003, 704-706.
Dr.Man Singh, associate prof. physical chemistry, is working on molecular features of dendrimers and supramolecues, their surface area, wetting coefficents, interaction dynamics.

Friday 23 October 2009

The Nitrogen Cycle - It's Important you Know

We've all seen salt water aquariums in books and on the internet as well as in our homes. They come in all sorts of sizes and shapes, some being enormous, then all the way down in size to a nano aquarium. Whatever size they are and whether they are fish only or reef, they rely on nature's life support system, the nitrogen cycle.

Any aquarist needs to basically understand the nitrogen cycle. There is no requirement to become a scientist, just know what is going on. Then the dangers of stressing the aquarium will be better realized (as an example overfeeding, perhaps the main problem with fledgling aquarists?).

All the aquarist needs to do is provide the correct environment for the nitrogen cycle to function. This can be done in several ways that will not be gone into here….except to point out that the nitrogen cycle can reach its full function with some filtration methods and only partially reach it with others. As an example, full function can be reached with 'live' rock and partial function can be reached with a canister filter.

So, how does it work? The following is very simplified.

As part of normal aquarium life, livestock put waste into the seawater. In addition there is breakdown of other items such as algae which has died and similar. On top of that the livestock need food which is provided in the main by the aquarist. All of these will produce ammonia which is toxic. Left unchecked, ammonia will kill our livestock.

Provided a proper environment has been provided, nature comes to the rescue. A colony of bacteria (Nitrosomas) develop and they transform the ammonia into nitrite. The toxic ammonia has been dealt with but it has been converted to another toxin which is nearly as detrimental to livestock. Again, another colony of bacteria (Nitrobacter) transform the nitrite into nitrate. Now we are getting somewhere, nitrate is nowhere near as toxic as nitrite. Depending what they are, generally livestock can stand fairly high but varying concentrations of nitrate.

It is at this point that the nitrogen cycle has gone as far as it can in the example given above, the canister filter. All the bacteria have required is a suitable environment with a good supply of oxygen. The bacteria mentioned above operate in an oxygen rich environment.

If an aquarist with our example, a canister filter, wants to continue and deal with the nitrate, then another filter needs to be set up for this.

The aquarist who has used the other example, 'live' rock, need just let nature continue.

It is in fact best to keep nitrate at low levels, particularly with corals but not exclusively so. The natural nitrate reduction process is known as denitrification. Bacteria once again form a colony, but the environment they need is one very low in oxygen. This is called an anaerobic environment. As oxygen is mainly absent, the bacteria utilise the nitrate. In the process the nitrate is transformed into nitrogen gas. The nitrogen gas is released from the aquarium at the water surface.

There are other ways to remove nitrates (for example algae) but if the full natural cycle can be achieved then this is the best.

As can be seen, our example the canister filter is unable to deal with nitrate as the environment is totally oxygen rich. To deal with nitrate, a further special nitrate filter will need to be employed. Or, if nitrates are not too high, water changes may be sufficient.

'Live' rock (in sufficient quantity, good condition, and with acceptable water circulation) can deal with ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. The bacteria live on and within the rock.

There are filtration methods other than the two examples given. ('Live' rock is however considered to be the best, and can be supplemented by a DSB (deep sand bed)). Whatever the filtration method employed, it must be pointed out that there are limits that any filter can deal with. So don't overfeed. Don't overstock (resist the "one more fish" temptation unless you are sure your stocking level will take it). Also be willing to carry out water quality tests. If the aquarium is new, allow time for the bacteria colonies to build, or for the 'live' rock to settle and 'adjust'.

Next time you sit and view your seawater aquarium, think of the bacteria, nature's engines, working for you.
Peter Cunningham and John Cunningham combined have been keeping salt water aquarium's for nearly 35 years. Visit their site 'Aquarists Online' if you are interested in the saltwater aquarium hobby.

Medical Interview

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Medical interview is a part of the procedure that a doctor or a medical practitioner requires to succeed in order to secure a lucrative hospital job. For a suitable Specialist Training or GT position various ST medical interviews are conducted by reputed medical colleges and hospitals. Hence suitable and effective guidance and tips are required to face these medical interviews for achieving success.

For this, participants can take the help of online medical interview skills that will not only motivate them but at the same time help them to answer various medical interview questions more correctly. Doctors vying for important medical posts should also consult medical consultants who can guide the aspirants. They can also take suitable help from various online medical interview courses or consultant interview courses. Interviews of various nature are conducted, some of which are listed below.
· F1 and F2, Foundation Interviews
· ST, CT and FTSTA Interviews
· GP VTS and GPR Interviews
· Consultant and Senior Medical Appointments Job Interviews.

However there are some preconceived notions regarding various ST(Specialist Training) or other medical interviews. A survey has revealed that most of the candidates (about 80-90%) who have failed to qualify in these interviews lack adequate practice and preparation. Most of the candidates are of the opinion that their resumes are really good and fit the selection criteria of various medical interviews. This has often leaded to failure. Candidates appearing for a ST1 medical interview should consult ST interview courses for better preparation. Experts from the interview panel often ask questions regarding the information that are provided in the CV of the candidate. Here are some of the steps that can help a candidate to prepare for a medical interview.
· While applying for a particular clinic, trust or hospital make sure you gather sufficient information on its functioning and reputation
· Also carry out investigations on its performance and the various issues that it is facing. This helps to create a sense of confidence while facing medical interviews
· Critically judge and review your CV from time to time to see whether it has the latest updated information on your skills and achievements
· Analyze your skills but at the same time be aware your strengths and weaknesses
· If you want top appear for ST/ST1 medical interviews do not forget to create a list of all the probable questions along with the relevant answers and suitable examples.
· Prepare yourself mentally for a structured Panel Interview which is very common to the Health Sector
· Take the help of a colleague or a friend and carry out a mock medical interview based on probable medical interview questions
· Also practice Group Discussions on a certain medical topic to boost your confidence

Various factors are taken into account while selecting a candidate for a suitable medical post such as
Eligibility, Clinical Skills, Research and Audit, Personal Skills, Probity and Commitment to Specialty. While appearing for medical interviews these factors should be kept in mind while answering questions pertaining to them.
Dan is a tutor for Medical Interview UK, and has years of experience in training doctors for their interviews.

To find out more about just visit Medical interview go to www.medicalinterviewsuk.co.uk

Thursday 22 October 2009

Analysis of Bio Mass Energy System Using Direct Combustion

The energy produced by direct combustion process is heat and steam. Despite its apparent simplicity, direct combustion is a complex process from a technological point of view. High reaction rates and high heat release and many reactants and reaction schemes are involved. In order to analyze the combustion process a division is made between the place where the biomass fuel is burned (the furnace) and the place where the heat from the flue gas is exchanged for a process medium or energy carrier (the heat exchanger). The basic process flow diagram for direct combustion is shown in the following picture Figure 2 Principal scheme of direct combustion system Proper designed industrial biomass combustion facilities can burn all type of above listed biomass fuel. In combustion process, volatile hydrocarbons (CxHy) are formed and burned in a hot combustion zone. Combustion technologies convert biomass fuels into several forms of useful energy for commercial and/or industrial uses. In a furnace, the biomass fuel converted via combustion process into heat energy. The heat energy is released in form of hot gases to heat exchanger that switches thermal energy from the hot gases to the process medium (steam, hot water or hot air). The efficiency of the furnace is defined as follows: Depending on the wet Low Heating Value (LHV) of received biomass fuel, typical combustion efficiencies varies in the range of 65% in poorly designed furnaces up to 99% in high sophisticated, well maintained and perfectly insulated combustion systems. In single statement, the combustion efficiency is mainly determined by the completeness of the combustion process (i.e. the extent to which the combustible biomass particles are burned) and the heat losses from the furnace. Direct combustion systems are of either fixed bed or fluidized-bed systems. Fixed-bed systems are basically distinguished by types of grates and the way the biomass fuel is supplied to or transported through the furnace. In stationary or travelling grate combustor, a manual or automatic feeder distributes the fuel onto a grate, where the fuel burns. Combustion air enters from below the grate. In the stationary grate design, ashes fall into a pit for collection. In contrast, a travelling grate system has a moving grate that drops the ash into a hopper. Fluidized-Bed Combustors (FBC) burn biomass fuel in a hot bed of granular, noncombustible material, such as sand, limestone, or other. Injection of air into the bed creates turbulence resembling a boiling liquid. The turbulence distributes and suspends the fuel. This design increases heat transfer and allows for operating temperatures below 970°C, reducing NOx emissions. Depending on the air velocity, a bubbling fluidized bed or circulating fluidized bed is created. The most important advantages (comparing to fixed bed systems) of fluidized-bed combustion system are: • Flexibility to changes in biomass fuel properties, sizes and shapes; • Acceptance of biomass fuel moisture content up to 60%; • Can handle high-ash fuels and agricultural biomass residue (>50%); • Compact construction with high heat exchange and reaction rates; • Low NOx emissions; • Low excess air factor, below 1.2 to 1.4, resulting in low heat losses from flue gas. Additional factor that determines the system efficiency is the efficiency of the heat exchanger, which is defined as follows: Typical heat exchanger efficiencies based on biomass LHV range between 60% and 95%, mainly depending on design and kind of operation and maintenance. The main losses are in the hot flue gas exiting from the stack. In the industrial practice, the furnace and heat exchanger form together biomass-fired boiler unit. The boiler is a more adaptable direct combustion technology because the boiler transfers the heat of combustion directly into the process medium. Overall boiler efficiency is defined as follows: ?BOILER = ?COMBUSTION x ?HEAT EXCHANGER Overall boiler efficiency varies between 50% and 95%. Very common and most efficient are biomass systems with direct combustion for electrical power generation and co-generation. Such system can achieve an overall efficiency between 30% (power generation systems) and 85% (co-generation systems). Two cycles are possible for combining electric power generation with process steam production. Steam can be used in process first and then re-routed through a steam turbine to generate electric power. This arrangement is called a bottoming cycle. In the alternate cycle, steam from the boiler passes first through a steam turbine to produce electric power. More efficient co-generation system based on above shown steam cycle is very easy to design. Instead of condensing steam turbine a backpressure steam turbine can be applied, delivering steam at required process conditions. Another possibility is a combination of condensing steam turbine with controlled steam extraction facilities. This alternative offers maximum flexibility, i.e. during low process steam demand period maximum electric power can be generated. Up to the present time, many biomass fired co-generation power plants have been built worldwide, replacing low efficient heat-only boilers. Biomass gasification is other thermo chemical conversion process utilizing the following major feedstock: • Wood • Agricultural waste • Municipal solid waste Chemical process of gasification means the thermal decomposition of hydrocarbons from biomass in a reducing (oxygen-deficient) atmosphere. The process usually takes place at about 850ºC. Because the injected air prevents the ash from melting, steam injection is not always required. A biomass gasifier can operate under atmospheric pressure or elevated pressure. If the fuel gas is generated for combustion in the gas turbine the pressure of gasification is always super-atmospheric. The resulting gas product, the syngas, contains combustible gases – hydrogen (H2) and carbon monoxide (CO) as the main constituents. By-products are liquids and tars, charcoal and mineral matter (ash or slag). Reducing atmosphere of the gasification stage means that only 20% to 40% of stochiometric amount of oxygen (O2) related to a complete combustion enters the reaction. This is enough to cover the heat energy necessary for a complete gasification. Say in other words, the system is autothermic. It creates sensible heat necessary to complete gasification from its own internal resources. Prevailing chemical reactions are listed in Table 2, where the following main three gasification stages are described. Stage I Gasification process starts as autothermal heating of the reaction mixture. The necessary heat for this process is covered by the initial oxidation exothermic reactions by combustion of a part of the fuel . Stage II In the second – pyrolysis stage, combustion gases are pyrolyzed by being passed through a bed of fuel at high temperature. Heavier biomass molecules distillate into medium weight organic molecules and CO2, through reactions In this stage, tar and char are also produced. Stage III Initial products of combustion, carbon dioxide (CO2) and (H2O) are reconverted by reduction reaction to carbon monoxide (CO), hydrogen (H2) and methane (CH4). These are the main combustible components of syngas. These reactions, not necessarily related to reduction, occurre at high temperature. Gasification reactions , most important for the final quality (heating value) of syngas, take place in the reduction zone of the gasifier. Heat consumption prevails in this stage and the gas temperature will therefore decrease. Tar is mainly gasified, while char, depending upon the technology used, can be significantly "burned" through reactions and reducing the concentration of particulates in the product.

Wednesday 21 October 2009

Steps of the Pond Nitrogen Cycle

Did you know that manmade ponds rely on the same ecosystem principles that natural ponds do? Yes, for any manmade pond to thrive it must mirror the ecosystem of the natural world. One aspect of this is a pond nitrogen cycle. Understanding how this cycle works is invaluable for maintaining a pond’s overall life.

To an untrained or inexperienced eye, a natural pond seems like little more than a natural “tub of water”. That is, water – mostly from rain or runoff - collects into a small body of water. This then “magically” turns into an acceptable ecosystem for plant and animal life to live in.To an average person, the need to know how a pond regulates itself is relatively useless information. However, when someone wishes to duplicate a manmade pond on their property, the passive witnessing of nature may not be enough. Instead, it becomes important to understand the cyclical process that maintains the pond’s aforementioned ecosystem. This includes understanding the pond’s nitrogen cycle.

And what is a pond’s nitrogen cycle? A ponds nitrogen cycle is a series of steps that take place in a pond that helps to keep the pond clean and cycle out organic waste. Here is a simple break down of it.

In a fish pond, fish will release waste into the water. As the waste breaks down, ammonia is produced. Ammonia can be toxic if it builds up. To keep ammonia levels from getting to dangerous levels, beneficial bacteria called Nitrosomonas will break down ammonia and convert it into Nitrite, which is still toxic if it builds up, but less so than Ammonia. After the Ammonia is converted to Nitrite, another group of beneficial bacteria called Nitrobacter will in break down and convert Nitrites into Nitrates, which are far less toxic than Nitrites. This Nitrate is then utilized by the plant life in the pond as a source of nourishment, which helps to keep the Nitrate level low and can also help with controlling algae. So, the nitrogen cycle is essentially the amazing way a pond’s ecosystem cleans itself of harmful toxins and creates sustaining nourishment within its environment.

This natural process was developed over many years of evolution and is the way it should work in a naturally balanced pond. However, manmade ponds sometimes require assistance from pond products to tip the ecosystem odds in favor of pond life survival. Pond filters can help filter out extra waste and also provide a safe breeding ground for beneficial bacteria to grow and thrive. There are also bacteria inoculants on the market that can be added regularly to ensure that proper levels of beneficial bacteria are present to help break down waste and to help convert ammonia and nitrites. Additionally, pond plants can be purchased and added to a pond to help with the utilization of un-necessary nitrates to prevent its availability to nuisance plants like algae. All of these products can assist a small fish pond environment with establishing a proper and efficient nitrogen cycle.

Over time, the need to take special steps to maintain a pond’s nitrogen cycle will decrease. This is because the pond will become self-sufficient and able to produce and feed adequate amounts of bacteria that fish waste ammonia is no longer a threat. As the saying goes, nature eventually takes care of itself.
Casey Coke is a Marketing Manager for Natural Environmental Systems, LLC, a global supplier of microbial solutions for pond and lake management. The company markets their own brand of pond supplies under the registered brand name of Pond Keeper.

When To Take Your Medication

Timing your medication appropriately can be crucial to the success of any treatment regime whether it be to cure a life-threatening condition or simply to alleviate troublesome symptoms.

When best to take a medication depends on the active ingredient, what product form the medication is in, the nature and severity of the condition to be diagnosed, prevented or treated, as well as individual diet and lifestyle. The detailing that your doctor or pharmacist provides often centers on maximizing the effectiveness and safety of the medication.

Getting as much of the active ingredient to be absorbed into the body can be an important goal of correctly timing your medication. Some medication is better absorbed when taken with meals or specific foods while the absorption of others is inhibited when taken in the same way. Extremely little of an osteoporosis medication like Fosamax (alendronate) already ever gets into the body, let alone reaches the bones, under fasting conditions from a single dose. This medication needs to be taken with plain water and without food or other drink, weekly on the same day in an upright position upon first rising. Already more than 99% of a single dose will be excreted out of the body under such conditions and if the medication is taken with food or at other times during the day, the amount absorbed can be further reduced by half or more.

Some medications may be safer to take with food rather than on an empty stomach. In better assuring the long-term safety of a painkiller class of medications known as NSAIDs, it may be advisable to avoid taking the medication aspirin for instance, on an empty stomach and to either take the medication with or after food or together with an antacid.

Active ingredients can require a specific dose and timing strategy to be most effective. This is especially so for different types of antibiotics in treating infections. An antibiotic medication like cloxacillin may require four times a day dosing to maintain effective blood levels in treating a skin infection while ciprofloxacin, an antibiotic of a another class that acts differently, may only require once or twice a day dosing to treat a urinary tract infection.

The product form can play an important role in when and how often a medication is taken. Long-acting, delayed or sustained release preparations can work to release the active ingredients of a medication product differently or consistently throughout a day allowing the medication to be therapeutic despite being dosed only once instead of multiple times in a day. In managing blood pressure for instance, chronotherapeutic medication has been developed to work in tandem with the body's natural circadian rhythms and in effect, to best tackle the peak blood pressure that tends to occur upon awakening. Innopran XL (propranolol) can be taken just once at night before sleeping. Technology allows the release of the medication's active ingredient four hours after taking it, with resulting peak blood levels that coincide with the morning spike in blood pressure.

The nature of a medical condition can also help to determine when it is best to take a particular medication. Cholesterol is synthesized by the body, often during sleep in the night hence the arising notion that it may be most advantageous to dose cholesterol-lowering medication like Zocor (simvastatin) or Mevacor (lovastatin) in the evenings. Conditions like migraine, fever and gout may have acute symptoms that occur unpredictably and can often require medicating regardless of the time of day.

Incorporating individual diet and lifestyle patterns often facilitates compliance with taking medication and can be crucial to effectively treating a chronic condition like diabetes without unduly reducing quality of life. To best control the condition, insulin injections may be administered as well as oral medication taken before, with or after food to coincide with specific anticipated spikes in blood sugar levels. In consultation with the treating doctor, oral medication may be timed with meals or scheduled for consumption either consistently in the morning or the night to facilitate lifestyle and compliance.

When specific medications are used to moderate elements of diet and nutrition, taking these consistently with meals can be important to treatment success. A weight-loss medication like Xenical (orlistat) is often best taken with meals or times of food intake that involve the most consumption of fats as these get bound by the medication and are passed out from the body. The cholesterol-reducing medications colestipol and cholestyramine also act in a similar way and are best taken with meals.

Timing medication for best outcomes can be especially important when having to take five or more medications consistently. In such cases known as polypharmacy, it becomes increasingly important not just to match medicating with specific time slots before, with or after food, but also to space out the different medications appropriately so as to avoid negative interactions that could lead to ineffective medicating or even direct harm to health.

In timing your medication, discuss the various considerations with both your treating doctor and pharmacist. This will optimize a safe and effective medication regime and better your treatment outcomes.
Sudesh Samuel is a pharmacist and medical communications specialist with a keen interest in medication management services that make treatments safer, more effective and less costly. He is president of the Institute for Medication Management - http://www.medicationreview.net

Monday 19 October 2009

The Science Behind Hydrogen Hybrid Cars - The Electrolysis of Water

The Science Behind Hydrogen Hybrid Cars - The Electrolysis of Water

The Electrolysis of water in Hydrogen Hybrid Cars happens when an electric current passes through the water causing the water (H2O) to break down into its two basic elements, oxygen (O2) and hydrogen gas (H2). It's interesting to note that Industrial applications don't use this method of hydrogen production much since they can do it more affordably by getting it out of fossil fuels.

The way this works in Hydrogen Hybrid Cars is by taking an electrical power source and connecting it to two electrodes, or plates, (or multiples of two) usually made out of some kind of stable metal like aluminum or stainless steel, then putting them into the water. If this cell is made correctly then Hydrogen will form on the cathode (metal plate that's negatively charged), and oxygen will form on the anode (metal plate that's positively charged). Since there's two hydrogen molecules to every one oxygen, molecule in water the amount of hydrogen produced is twice that of oxygen and both are in proportion to the electrical charge that runs through the water.

Using this process, Electrolysis, for pure water uses a lot more energy, which is called over-potential, to cross the activation barriers. Without a lot of extra energy, electrolysis of pure water happens very slowly, if at all. This is because water won't self-ionize, (breakdown), much if left alone.

Seawater is about a million times more conductive to electricity than pure water because of all the electrolytes in it like salt. Many electrolytic cells also may lack these needed electro-catalysts. Electrolysis in Hydrogen Hybrid Cars is far more efficient with the addition of some of these electrolytes such as salt or an acid or a base.

The history of electrolysis dates all the way back to 1789 when Jan Rudolph Deiman and Adriaan Paets van Troostwijk used an electrostatic machine to make electricity and discharged it into gold electrodes placed in a Leyden jar full of water. Then, in 1800, Alessandro Volta invented the voltaic pile, and soon after William Nicholson and Anthony Carlisle used that for the first electrolysis of water. Eventually, in 1869, Zénobe Gramme invented the Gramme machine that became a cheap way to produce hydrogen through the electrolysis of water.

Next, in The Science Behind Hydrogen Hybrid Cars - The Equations of Electrolysis, we'll look at the scientific details.

About the Author:

Sam Geo is a fellow hydrogen hybrid cars enthusiast sharing his new found research with the world. Check out http://www.hydrohybridcars.net/ now! If you've ever wondered about saving incredible amounts of money on gas, improving your car's performance and helping the environment all at the same time then you must see http://www.hydrohybridcars.net/ now!

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - The Science Behind Hydrogen Hybrid Cars - The Electrolysis of Water

Tips for feeding your lawn nitrogen

Tips for feeding your lawn nitrogenAuthor: Robin Reckard

Nitrogen is vital to your lawn and is one of the most popular fertilizers. You need nitrogen because chlorophyll depends on it as do other proteins and amino acids. These in turn are what makes your lawn green and causes it to grow well.

Some things to look for to see if your grass has a nitrogen deficiency are; if it turns yellow despite watering, the grass doesn't grow quickly, diseases are present in your lawn, or if the grass turf starts getting thinner.

Depending on the time of year, your budget, and the climate there are three basic types of nitrogen used in fertilizers that are popular to apply.

1. You will find isobutyledenedinurea (IBDU) which decomposes slowly and will feed your grass over a longer period of time. It will often take a couple of weeks to decompose enough for you to see it's effects on your lawn.

This is the most expensive form of nitrogen fertilizer because of the way it is manufactures and it's uniformity. It's uniformity also makes it very easy to apply.

2. There is also sulfur-coated urea. It depends on how thick the sulfur coating is to determine how quickly it will dissolve and feed your plants.

S.C.U. will release quicker when the temperature is hotter, the lawn is wetter, or if the grass is healthier.

3. The last one I am going to mention is urea, a fairly inexpensive nitrogen. It is the cheapest nitrogen to produce as well as the fastest acting.

You can often see results over night, it is that fast. But it gets depleted quickly and if you over apply it you can easily burn your yard up and kill your grass.

So the next time you go shopping for fertilizers with nitrogen check the labels and ask lots of questions.

About the Author:

Robin Reckard, co-founder of Jorbins.com Lifestyle Magazine, keeps busy producing, writing, and editing for the magazine as well as raising and enjoying her six year old daughter

Visit Jorbins Gardening and Landscaping section to read more great articles about gardening and lawn care.

Copyright 2006, Jorbins Inc. - Reprints of this article can be made as long as the article is in it's entirety, unchanged, and the resource box with links and urls remain unchanged.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Tips for feeding your lawn nitrogen

Sunday 18 October 2009

The Dangers Of Expired Medications

The Dangers Of Expired MedicationsAuthor: Sudesh Samuel

Expired medications are commonplace and inertia notwithstanding, many of us tend to rely on an intuitive sense of their value in continuing to store and use them. Such drugs can be harmful to health in several ways; they can be unpredictable in effectiveness, simply ineffective, or even toxic.

The formal way of classifying a medication as having expired is through it's labeled expiry date. This date is often set based on a combination of the common properties of the dosage form as well as the stability and expiration studies of the product that have been conducted by the manufacturer. Importantly, this expiry date is contingent on specific storage conditions of the product. Although a medication may pass it's labeled expiry date, it may not necessarily be any less effective or dangerous to consume depending on the product itself, the storage conditions and the circumstances leading up to expiry.

When most medications pass their expiry date under appropriate storage conditions, they are generally taken to have become so variable in effectiveness as to have become unsuitable for use. This often comes about as a result of the degradation of the active ingredients of the medication with exposure to physical, chemical or microbiological variables like temperature, pressure, humidity, light, bacteria as well as other components of the product known as excipients.

Creams may "crack" once their expiry date is passed, leading to a separation of the components and hence provide a non-uniform delivery of active ingredients. This can lead to the poor control of conditions like eczema or acne. Tablet medications can mechanically "powder" off, change in consistency with exposure to water vapor or even experience the contained drug itself becoming ineffective on prolonged exposure to air as occurs with glyceryl trinitrate, an emergency medicine that can easily become ineffective in relieving acute symptoms of chest pain. With common injections, should the acidity change to fall outside a fairly narrow range, significant pain and tissue damage can result from use. With most eye drops, an expiry date of one month after opening is accepted to minimize the potential for dangerous bacterial contamination.

With any medication, once a specific threshold of remaining active ingredient is passed, the medication can no longer be relied upon to deliver accurate doses. This loss of reliability is often exacerbated by the fact that the active ingredients can degrade into various combinations of active, inactive or toxic breakdown products. The common aspirin is for instance, known to react with moisture to breakdown into salicylic acid, which is active, and acetic acid, which is inactive and can lead to toxicity in excess.

While the expiry date provides a useful gauge of when to stop using a medication, there are also many other factors that can informally accelerate the expiry of a medication and make it dangerous to use, chief among which is how the medication is stored. It is oftentimes not just the medication that is affected by storage conditions but also the storage container. Under inappropriate storage conditions, certain containers can leech material into liquid medication preparations, or medication particles can stick to the container rather than remain separated. On average, a 10 degree rise in temperature doubles the rate of chemical reactions that occur to a medication product and can accelerate the rate of bacterial contamination several fold. Just like an ice cream can simply melt or a loaf of bread becomes mouldy much quicker if not refrigerated, many medication products can easily expire much faster when not stored appropriately.

With oral liquid and topical medications, potentially dangerous changes associated with expiry can at times be detected by color or consistency changes, component separations, altered smell or taste (oral preparations). Should a suspicion of expiry arise, a medication expert should be consulted regardless of whether or not the labeled expiry date has been passed.

"Expiry" should also be understood to occur once a supply of medications is no longer used appropriately for it's intended purpose. Consultation with a medication expert is always advised to prevent the inappropriate use of existing medication supplies. Inappropriate use can often occur with self-medication and is harmful. An unfinished supply of a previously used antibiotic may be tried to treat a new infection that is actually untreatable by or resistant to that antibiotic. This practice may not only delay recovery but can also encourage the proliferation of "super bugs" that have resistance to many antibiotics. Another incorrect purpose involves sharing medications and this can be especially harmful if another is allergic to the shared medication or a child or pet is medicated with an adult's medication. Children often require dose adjustments to accommodate their size while many human drugs are often unsuitable for pets. Even a simple food like chocolate that we may enjoy can easily be toxic to a pet dog.

Another mechanism whereby medication expiry is dangerous occurs when an unfinished supply is used despite new information that points to increased precautions associated with the medication or that has led to it's recall. An example is obtaining pain relief from a previous supply of a painkiller like Vioxx (rofecoxib) or Celebrex (celecoxib) in spite of an existing heart condition that is now known to relate to an increased risk of fatality under those circumstances of consumption.

Expired medications that are kept instead of discarded not only take up space but can actually discourage the appropriate use of new supplies in the treatment of illness. A medication cabinet, if not tended to regularly, could eventually contain more expired medications than viable ones and this can lead to the accidental consumption of an expired medication in place of a viable one. It is definitely advisable to clear the medication cabinet of expired medicaitons at least annually if not more often.

A further danger however, lies in how expired medications are disposed of. Expired medications and pharmaceutical byproducts can be harmful to the environment especially when they end up in our rivers and drinking water supply. Hormonal compounds like estrogen from birth control pills and patches as well as antibiotics have been linked to being flushed by individuals and institutions into sewage, draining largely unchanged and collecting in rivers and streams, then returning in tiny amounts into drinking water. Traces of antibiotics could worsen bacterial resistance while estrogens and other steroids are known to change the reproductive characteristics of fish. Even trace amounts of chemotherapy medications have emerged in tap water and this could be severely detrimental to the unborn babies of pregnant women who drink such water. The long-term impact on human health of medications in our rivers and drinking water is as yet unknown but no one would want to wait to find out. We can all play our part by inquiring on and using pharmacy or state-run programs for the disposal of expired medications instead of sending them down the sink or the toilet bowl.

A pharmacist is the expert of choice to approach in handling medication expiry and should be consulted if in doubt. As a general rule, it is always best to safeguard your own health and that of those around you by expeditiously and appropriately discarding all expired medications.

About the Author:

Sudesh Samuel is a pharmacist and medical communications specialist with a keen interest in medication management services that make treatments safer, more effective and less costly. He is president of the Institute for Medication Management - http://www.medicationreview.net

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - The Dangers Of Expired Medications

Saturday 17 October 2009

Commercial Applications of Electrolysis

Commercial Applications of ElectrolysisAuthor: Dr.Badruddin Khan

The electrolysis of water illustrates the changes that take place when an electric current passes through a chemical compound. Water consists of water molecules, represented by the formula H2O. In any sample of water, some small fraction of molecules exists in the form of ions, or charged particles. Ions are formed in water when water molecules break apart to form positively charged hydrogen ions and negatively charged hydroxide ions. Chemists describe that process with the following chemical equation:

H2O ? H+ + OH?

In order for electrolysis to occur, ions must exist. Seawater can be electrolyzed, for example, because it contains many positively charged sodium ions (Na+) and negatively charged chloride ions (Cl?) inclusive of several other cations and anions. Any liquid, like seawater, that contains ions is called an electrolyte. Water is not usually considered an electrolyte because it contains so few hydrogen and hydroxide ions. Normally, only one water molecule out of two billion ionizes. In contrast, sodium chloride (table salt) breaks apart completely when dissolved in water. A salt water solution consists entirely of sodium ions and chloride ions. In order to electrolyze water, then, one prior step is necessary. Some substance, similar to sodium chloride, must be added to water to make it an electrolyte. The substance that is usually used is sulfuric acid.

The equipment used for electrolysis of a compound consists of three parts: a source of DC (direct) current; two electrodes; and an electrolyte. A common arrangement consists of a battery (the source of current) whose two poles are attached to two strips of platinum metal (the electrodes), which are immersed in water to which a few drops of sulfuric acid have been added (the electrolyte).

Electrolysis begins when electrical current (a flow of electrons) flows out of one pole of the battery into one electrode, the cathode. Positive hydrogen ions (H+) in the electrolyte pick up electrons from that electrode and become neutral hydrogen molecules (H2):

2 H+ + 2 e? ? H2

(Hydrogen molecules are written as H2 because they always occur as pairs of hydrogen atoms. The same is true for molecules of oxygen, O2.) As the electrolysis of water occurs, one can see tiny bubbles escaping from the electrolyte at the cathode. These are bubbles of hydrogen gas. Bubbles can also be seen escaping from the second electrode, the anode. The anode is connected to the second pole of the battery, the pole through which electrons enter the battery. At this electrode, electrons are being taken out of the electrolyte and fed back into the battery. The electrons come from negatively charged hydroxide ions (OH?), which have an excess of electrons. The anode reaction is slightly more complicated than the cathode reaction, as shown by this chemical equation:

4 OH? ? 4 e? ? O2 + 2 H2O

Essentially this equation says that electrons are taken away from hydroxide ions and oxygen gas is produced in the reaction. The oxygen gas bubbles off at the anode, while the extra water formed remains behind in the electrolyte. The overall reaction that takes place in the electrolysis of water is now obvious. Electrons from the battery are given to hydrogen ions in the electrolyte, changing them into hydrogen gas. Electrons are taken from hydroxide ions in the electrolyte and transferred to the battery. Over time, water molecules are broken down to form hydrogen and oxygen molecules:

2 H2O ? 2 H2 + O2

Electrolysis is used to break down compounds that are very stable. For example, aluminum is a very important metal in modern society. It is used in everything from pots and pans to space shuttles. But the main natural source of aluminum, aluminum oxide, is a very stable compound. A compound that is stable is difficult to break apart. We can't get aluminum out of aluminum oxide just by heating the compound as we need more energy than heat can provide. Aluminum is prepared by an electrolytic process first discovered in 1886 by a 21-year-old student at Oberlin College in Ohio, Charles Martin Hall (1863–1914). Hall found a way of melting aluminum oxide and then electrolyzing it. Once melted, aluminum oxide forms ions of aluminum and oxygen, which behave in much the same way as hydrogen and hydroxide ions in the previous example. Pure aluminum metal is obtained at the cathode, while oxygen gas bubbles off at the anode. Sodium, chlorine, and magnesium are three other elements obtained commercially by an electrolytic process similar to the Hall process.

Electrolysis can be used for purposes other than preparing elements. One example is the refining of copper. Very pure copper is often required in the manufacture of electrical equipment for which a purity of 99.999 percent is not unusual. The easiest way to produce a product of this purity is with electrolysis. An electrolytic cell for refining copper contains very pure copper at the cathode, impure copper at the anode, and copper sulfate as the electrolyte. When the anode and cathode are connected to a battery, electrons flow into the cathode, where they combine with copper ions (Cu2+) in the electrolyte as shown below:

Cu2+ + 2 e? ? Cu0

Pure copper metal (Cu0 in the above equation) is formed on the cathode and at the anode; copper atoms (Cu0) lose electrons and become copper ions (Cu2+) in the electrolyte:

Cu0 ? 2 e? ? Cu2+

Overall, the only change that occurs in the cell is that copper atoms from the impure anode become copper ions in the electrolyte. Those copper ions are then plated out on the cathode. Any impurities in the anode are just left behind, and nearly 100 percent pure copper builds up on the cathode.

Another important use of electrolytic cells is in the electroplating of silver, gold, chromium, and nickel. Electroplating produces a very thin coating of these expensive metals on the surfaces of cheaper metals, giving them the appearance and the chemical resistance of the expensive ones. In silver plating, the object to be plated (a spoon, for example) is used as the cathode. A bar of silver metal is used as the anode. And the electrolyte is a solution of silver cyanide (AgCN). When this arrangement is connected to a battery, electrons flow into the cathode where they combine with silver ions (Ag+) from the electrolyte to form silver atoms (Ag0):

Ag+ + 1 e? ? Ag0

These silver atoms plate out as a thin coating on the cathode, in this case, the spoon. At the anode, silver atoms give up electrons and become silver ions in the electrolyte:

Ag0 ? 1 e? ? Ag0

Silver is cycled, therefore, from the anode to the electrolyte to the cathode, where it is plated out.

About the Author:

Dr.Badruddin Khan, an Associate Professor in the University of Kashmir, Srinagar, India, loves to enrich the most valuable raw material of the society, the students, in all possible ways.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Commercial Applications of Electrolysis

Beans and Legumes Organic Nitrogen

Beans and Legumes Organic Nitrogen

Author: chris j meagher
For nitrogen fixation, with very few exceptions, beans are best and indeed, all leguminous plants.

Beans, in particular, are compatible with most plants, although the

allium family is highly antagonistic. Try it. Plant beans next to

garlic - and watch them sulk.

In the legume family, that of broad-beans, or fava-beans, is probably

the best nitrogen supplier I have ever seen. There are certain periods

throughout the plants growth, where, not only can you SEE the nitrogen

nodules, but, they are actually able to be weighed.

When considering the use of nitrogenous plants as companions, in

vegetable growing, a decision must be made as to whether or not the

bean is there purely for the nitrogenous qualities, or, if a produce

return is expected also. I have always felt that any produce is a

bonus, but never actually expect any due to the general treatment the

legumes get.

Meaning, if I am using legumes as nursery, or shelter plants for

another crop, as the beans start to take off, they are pruned to

two-thirds of their size. The prunings become part of the existing

mulch.

Apart from keeping them manageable and preventing competition with the

main crop, this causes the plants to shed their nitrogen, at times

producing some remarkable results.

For mineral utilization AND nitrogen fixation, one just cannot go past

lucerne. This legume has extraordinarily deep roots and brings up a lot

of trace elements. I mainly use lucerne in the walkways, as a good way

to utilize what is basically fallow soil. I cut it from an early stage,

just as flowers form, and continue to do so from then on.

Being penultimate to flowering, then being denied the chance, forces

the plant to become biennial. This then affords an in-situ supply of

nitrogenous mulch for the beds.

Lucerne, being attractive to aphis, acts as a food source for ladybirds, also as a shelter belt for beneficial insects.

I have tried using clover as a living mulch, nitrogen fixer, but found

it to be far too invasive, to the point of rapaciousness as it

practically took over the garden.

About the Author:

Organic Gardening Magic
Compost - feed your plants as Nature really intended.
Organic Food Gardening Beginners Manual

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Beans and Legumes Organic Nitrogen

How Does ?Medical Billing? Fit Into The ?Work At Home Scams??

How Does ?Medical Billing? Fit Into The ?Work At Home Scams??

Author: Tammy Harlan

Yes, you can work from home in medical billing, just not typically as an "employee."

Nearly 600,000 Americans lost their jobs in January 2009, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, and 2-3 million more jobs are projected to be lost over the coming year. Sadly, because of this, "work from home opportunity scams" are on the rise. These scams prey on people's vulnerabilities and fears and with so many people out of work, wondering what they are going to do next to sustain themselves financially, there's a lot of vulnerability and there is a lot of fear out there.

Over the past couple of months, many television programs and news shows, such as 20/20 and Dr. Phil, have devoted air time to exposing scams and telling stories about individuals who have fallen victim to these scams. These television programs understand that this is a hot topic in high demand, more so now than ever before. Just like bacteria, germs and disease, given the right temperature (the state of our economy) and set of circumstances (vulnerability and fear), the scams are growing and multiplying.

There is a complexity to this issue though. Just as there is usually a bit of truth in every lie, the scams are allowed to flourish because, the truth is, small businesses/home-based businesses have been on the rise for quite some time and account for more than 50% of new job creation!

According to the United States Department of Labor:

"With more than one million new businesses each year, America's economy depends on small businesses for its vitality and growth. According to the 1997 report of the U.S. Census Bureau, the nation's 17 million small, non-farm businesses constituted 99.7 per cent of all employers, employed 52 percent of private workforce and accounted for 51 percent of the nation's sales. Small business-dominated industries provided 11.1 million new jobs between 1994 and 1998, virtually all of the new jobs created during that time period."

The scams operate based on this "truth" - which accounts for all the confusion as to what and who are scams and what and who are legitimate opportunities.

Medical Billing: Employment from Home Isn't the Opportunity

I have been in the medical billing industry for over 20 years. I am the President/CEO and founder of an online medical billing course program. Not a week goes by that I don't receive a call from someone asking "how they can find a job in medical billing which will allow them to work from home." The caller is surprised and sometimes defiant when I tell them that such an opportunity does not exist.

Is there opportunity in medical billing? YES. But not in the capacity that most people have been led to believe! Let's uncover the lies and the truths about the opportunity that actually does exist in medical billing.

Medical Billing Opportunity: Employment from Home - DECEPTION/LIE

So why is it that so many people believe that they can obtain employment in medical billing working from home? The answer is simple. Over the past decade or so, there have been scam companies placing advertisements in the "help-wanted" sections of small, home-town type newspapers. Here is an actual ad from a company called Medicor who was sued and shut down by the FTC:

"EARN $$$ HELPING DOCTORS process claims from home. $20 - $40/ hour potential. Computer & modem required. We train. (888) 736-XXXX Ext. 895."

Upon calling the number in this ad, the caller was told that they could make an excellent income from the comfort of their own home "processing insurance claims for doctors." All they needed to do was purchase the medical billing software (cost: $325 - $495). Upon purchase, the caller was sent a medical billing software program that didn't even work, but that didn't matter, because they would never have the opportunity to use it.

The Truth: Doctors do not hire medical billing staff and then allow them to work from home. When a doctor hires someone to fill their medical billing position, this person is expected to show up for work just like all the other employees.

You can read full Medicore story on the Consumer Affairs website at: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news/medicor.html. For more information about companies that were shut down, you can visit the Medical Billing Scamwatch Forum by going to: http://medicalbillingscamwatch.yuku.com/.

Medical Billing Opportunity: Employment within a Doctor's Office or Billing Company - VALID/TRUTH

The medical field is booming. Demand for medical billers is high. As the baby boomers reach retirement, the medical field is growing and expanding to accommodate this generation. Medical billing is just one of the many jobs in the medical field that has great job potential and growth. But notice the word JOB. A job = employment. A job/employment in medical billing requires you to show up for work in return for an employee paycheck. It should not be confused with "medical billing business ownership" which does not consist of exchanging hours for a paycheck from your employer.

The opportunity to gain a position in medical billing working within a doctor's office or working for a medical billing company does exist. It is viable and it is valid. How much money can a medical billing employee expect to make? You can find this information in the article entitled "Medical Billing & the Economy" at www.medicalbillingbusinessresources.com/articles/medicalbilling_economy.htm.

Medical Billing Opportunity: Home/Small Based Business Ownership - VALID/TRUTH

I personally have 13 years experience in owning/operating a medical billing business which I started from home. I began my business in order to be able to stay at home with my children. I eventually grew my business to a point that I felt it necessary to move it to a commercial office space (when the children were older). I take it personally and oftentimes get very frustrated when this medical billing opportunity is misrepresented as an "employment from home" opportunity. It is not!

When you begin a business in medical billing - or in anything - you are not "employed" by anyone. You are "Self-Employed." You do not collect an employee paycheck from anyone. You collect money from clients that you provide services to.

Beginning a business in medical billing - or any other industry, for that matter - requires a realistic investment! In a medical billing business, you are providing professional services to professional individuals. In order to succeed, you must realize that a realistic, professional investment is not an "option"... it is a must. Your investment needs to be proportionate to your expected return.

Another type of call that I get quite often is "I want to start a medical billing business from home but I don't have any money." Guess what? You can want all day and all night long, but without the capital that is required in order to begin a medical billing business - it's not going to happen. Let's say you want to open up a Blimpie franchise. How do you think Blimpie is going to respond when you call them and say, "Hi Blimpie, I'd like to open a Blimpie franchise, but I don't have any money." They might respond, "Call us back when you do."

How much money can be made in a medical billing business? This varies. I get this question quite a bit and my standard response is, "I know a wife/mother who handles 2 doctor clients putting in about 3-5 hours per week in order to supplement her husband's primary income and stay at home with her kids who is bringing in approximately $1500 - $2000 per month. I also know a multi-million dollar per year medical billing company. And I know so many in between."

Summary

Medical billing "employment from home" is not a viable, existing opportunity. Gainful employment working in a medical billing position within a doctor's office or medical billing company is a real/valid opportunity. Beginning a home/small business in medical billing is also a real/valid opportunity, if and only if, you understand the investment of time, money and research that is involved.

About the Author:

Tammy Harlan has been in the Medical Billing arena for approximately 20 years. Tammy provides an online, home-study course in medical billing at www.medicalbillingcourse.com.

Tammy also provides resources, information and an all-inclusive, medical billing business package at www.medicalbillingbusinessresources.com.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - How Does ?Medical Billing? Fit Into The ?Work At Home Scams??