Oral Health Tips

Oral health is an essential component of health throughtout life. Poor oral health and untreated can have a significant impact on quality of life. They can affect the most basic human needs,including the ability to drink and eat, swallow, smile, and communicate. For that following some oral health tips :

1. Brush your teeth at least twice a day
2. Use fluoride toothpaste
3. Floss daily or use interdental brushes for those hard to reach areas
4. Change your toothbrush at least every three months
5. Chew sugar free gum after meals to neutralise the harmful acid that can cause plaque and tooth decay

6. Try eating sugar-free yoghurt, as this lowers the levels of hydrogen sulphide, the major cause of bad breath
7. Eat plenty of vitamin C in the form of citrus fruit - this promotes wound healing and can help fight gum disease
8. Eating iron-rich foods can help improve the condition of gum tissue
9. After eating sugary or acidic foods, trying eating a small amount of cheese to counteract the effects of plaque acid
10. Quit smoking and limit your alcohol consumption to reduce your chances of contracting mouth cancer
11. Visit your dentist regularly for check ups and keep up to date with your hygiene treatment

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A Healthy Lifestyle Means Lower Risk Of Heart Disease

The study of heart failure saw Dr. Luc Djoussé and his colleagues following over 20,000-healthy men, average age of 53. Afer about 22-ears, those who exercised regularly; ate a diet that included breakfast cereal, fruits and vegetables; did not smoke; and drank moderate amounts of alcohol had a 1 in 10-risk of developing heart failure over his lifetime, while those who did not adopt any of these practices had a 1 in 5-lifetime risk.

The results were similar in a study on women and hypertension. Dr. John P. Forman and his team followed over 83,000-healthy women, 27 to 44 years of age in 1991, who were measured on six modifiable risk factors and hypertension risks, including how close they came to a normal weight, daily exercise, modest drinking, and a diet high in fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains, but low in salt.

The six factors included maintaining a body mass index (BMI) less than 25, engaging in vigorous excercise for about 30-minutes per day, adhering to a diet somewhat similar to the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, modest consumption of alcohol (up to 10-gms per day), infrequent use of non-narcotic analgesics
(less than once per week), and intake of 400-micrograms or more of folic acid per day.

They were also evaluated on two other factors linked to low blood pressure i. e. taking over-the-counter painkillers not more than once a week, including supplementing their diets with folic acid.

Followed up after 14-years in 2005, 80% of the women following all six behaviours were less likely to develop high blood pressure than women who did not. While, both behaviours helped, the greatest difference made was by having a normal weight, which helped lower the risk of high blood pressure by 40%.

According to Dr. Véronique L. Roger of the Mayo Clinic, the two studies to be reported in tomorrow's Journal of the American Medical Association, have important public health implications.
(source visitbulgaria.info)

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Beauty and Health Tips for Women

The characterization of a person as “beautiful”, whether on an individual basis or by community consensus, is often based on some combination of Inner Beauty, which includes psychological factors such as personality, intelligence, grace, congeniality, charm, integrity, congruity and elegance.
Which includes physical factors, such as health, youthfulness, sexiness, symmetry, averageness, and complexion.

A strong indicator of physical beauty is "averageness. When images of human faces are averaged together to form a composite image, they become progressively closer to the "ideal" image and are perceived as more attractive.
Here are some beauty and healthy tips for women over 35:

1. Fuji pears or Asian pears,
were used by Chinese courtesans to get rid of dark circles under the eyes. Fuji pears are abundant in vitamin C and copper, which can help protect the oh-so-delicate skin around the eye from free radical damage.

2. Yogurt as a gentle facial peel for nice, smooth skin.
Apply a thin layer to the face and leave it on for 10 to 15 minutes. It's got lactic acid, which is a weak acid that will help peel and renew the skin. People can do it every other day. It's perfectly safe, and it does not cause the same kind of redness from a chemical peel.

3. Facial massages, morning and night.
First raise the eyebrows as high as you can and then relax them. Then inflate your cheeks. Finally, open your mouth as wide as you can and stick your tongue out.
To massage the face, stroke the whole face with a circular motion until it's warm. Delicately pinch along your eyebrow line to help stimulate the muscles that keep the eyelids from falling. Finally, gently pat the cheeks with your fingers.

4. Get rid of Peri-Menopausal and Menopausal symptoms with this supplement, an herb known as chasteberry.
500 to 1,000 mg of chasteberry, which can also relieve breast tenderness and prevent irregular menstruation. Chasteberry can actually stimulate your pituitary gland to get your body to produce a little more estrogen. It doesn't contain any estrogen, but it helps to stimulate hormonal function in the body.

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Three More Diet That Actually Work

We all think about going on a diet at some point in our lives. Whether to feel better about our appearance or to just get healthier, choosing a diet can be quite a challenge sometimes. A diet that will works wonders for one person may not work at all for another. Here is a list of five diets that have been proven effective in helping many people. Remember that each person's fitness goals are different; your mileage may vary with any diet.

Weight Watchers
Okay I know what you're thinking, but there is a reason that you've heard of this classic diet: it really works. Focusing heavily on group support, the weight watchers diet allows a person of any age or fitness level to become healthier.

Sonoma Diet
This diet focuses mainly on changing your eating habits to the more Mediterranean side of the spectrum. There are multiple steps to this diet, the first of which is a period of 10 days when you attempt to cut out all processed foods and sugar, purging your body of impurities. From there the focus of the diet is on portion control.

Calorie Shifting
This is a fairly new diet and has really been making waves lately. The calorie shifting diet helps you burn calories by tricking your body into raising its metabolism. This is achieved by altering the patterns in which you eat your meals. It focuses less on what you eat and more on how you actually eat it. This diet has been highly effective for many people

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Tips for Tooth Care of Your Baby's

Your baby's is wealth of worthless, his your next generation, for that you shall care to your baby's so that him healthful as far as grown up.
If you take good care of your baby’s first set of pearly whites, and then teach him as he gets older how to care for his teeth properly, then you’ll be blessed with a lifetime of gorgeous smiles!

Get him used to cleaning his mouth, long before his teeth arrive. After you feed him, gently wipe his gums with a damp washcloth wrapped around a finger.

Start caring for his teeth as soon as they begin to appear.
Sure, the baby teeth aren’t around forever but they are just as important as the permanent teeth that will come later. The baby teeth hold the space that the permanent teeth will need for correct placement and help your baby talk and eat.

Look out for holes.
The first signs of cavities in baby teeth are usually a discoloration in the tooth. The best way to avoid tooth decay in babies and toddlers, is to never put your child to bed with a bottle of milk or juice. If he routinely falls asleep with a bottle, he won’t have brushed his teeth before bed, which means that the sweet drink (and milk has plenty of sugars in it!) has been allowed to coat his teeth for hours. If you must give him a bottle to get him to settle, try offering water only.

Give him a drink of water after every meal.
With a small drink of water after each meal, most foods will simply wash off your baby's teeth, doing most of the work for you.

Make sure that he is getting enough flouride.
Flouride is extremely important for preventing tooth decay and was introduced into the water supply for this very reason. If you don’t have access to fluoridated water, ensure you use adult fluoride toothpaste to clean your baby's teeth.

Take him to the Dental Nurse.
Many parents mistakenly believe that the first visit to the dental nurse coincides with the loss of baby teeth, or the beginning of school. In fact, the first visit to the dentist should take place around the age of 3 (unless you have spotted a problem or your child is complaining of toothache), even it it’s only so he can sit in the big chair, open his mouth and then be congratulated on how beautifully he is looking after his teeth! Dental care is provided free by Dental Nurses - ring your local primary school to find the nearest clinic.

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HRP-4C is A Robot Japan Alike of Human

A robot designed alike human, called HRP-4C. The HRP-4C can be in action shocked, smile, and blinking of the eyes.
The HRP-4C, a walking, talking humanoid fashion model fembot developed by Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), is ready for the runway.

With 30 motors in her body, the 158-centimeter (62-in) tall, 43-kilogram (95-lb) HRP-4C can walk around and strike a range of poses.

The black-haired robot also has 8 motors in her face, allowing her to wow the crowds with expressions of simple emotions like anger and surprise.

HRP-4C is scheduled to make her official runway debut in a special fashion show in Tokyo next week, though she will not be wearing any clothes.

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Healthy Lifestyle Tips

Living a healthy lifestyle can be one of the most satisfying and beneficial things one can do for their health and well-being. Here are a few healthy lifestyle tips to keep you keep you fresh, balanced and energetic throughout the day.

1) Wake up early - waking up early gives you a fresh start to the day and you can enjoy the sunrise and really connect with nature.

2) Meditate - meditating early morning daily can be the most blissful and life changing practices you can do and will also give you the clarity, focus, and extra energy needed for the rest of the day.

3) Yoga - performing yoga postures such as the Sun Salutation can really increase overall well-being, energy, focus, and revitalization to all the body organs.

4) Eat 5 or 6 small meals throughout the day - eating less quantity yet more frequent meals throughout the day can provide you with constant energy to keep you alert and focused throughout the day.

5) Drink 2 litres of water - drinking plenty of water between meals and throughout the day will keep you hydrated and well balanced.

6) Exercise - performing cardio and weight training sessions every other day for 20-30 minutes per day can aid in weight loss, increased energy, increased strength, and decrease your chance for any major diseases.

There are many things one can do to live a healthy lifestyle but the goal is to be as balanced in your approach as possible. Being being balanced in your work and activities, and doing the things you love to do creatively will ultimately lead to true healthy living.

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Helping Your Kid Cope

We often find ourselves saying, "Oh, to be a kid again," but we have most likely forgotten how hard it can be to be a child. Doing well in school, learning how to manage social situations, meeting parents' expectations, and dealing with siblings every single day, not to mention the drama and tension of the world beyond our immediate family, are enough to send a kid over the edge. Or at least cause some tense moments in your household.

You can help your child deal with these stresses through several relaxation techniques featured here.

Laughter is one of the best ways to release stress and feel good. The chemicals released in the body through laughter reduce pain and tension. So, there is probably no substitute for finding ways to have fun and to laugh with our children.
Controlled, conscious breathing has the benefit of relaxing muscles and reducing stress.
1. Help your child learn to take conscious, deep breaths to relax. Show him how to inhale deeply (preferably through the nose, but through the mouth is fine) and slowly exhale through the mouth.
2. Help guide your child to visualize that with each breath she takes in, her body becomes filled slowly with a soothing color, aroma, sound, light, warmth, or other pleasant, comfortable feeling.
3. Teach your child to isolate different body parts and relax them with each slow breath she exhales. For example, while lying on the floor, instruct her to tighten or squeeze her toes on the left foot, then relax with a deep breath. Now tighten her left knee and upper leg . . . then relax and breathe. Proceed in this fashion to the right side of the lower body, to the abdomen and upper body, each arm, hand/fingers, chest, neck, jaws, and face.
Imagery is helpful in developing focus and concentration; calming; coping with stress/anxiety; and increasing positive study skills, social skills, and creative expression.
4. Teach your child to visualize herself in situations where she is achieving and being successful. Once she's had practice with guided visualization, encourage her to use the techniques of deep breathing and visualizing herself doing what she wants to do.
Music can be very helpful for relaxation, as a previsualization activity, to soothe away worries and distractions, and bring a sense of inner peace.
5. Music also stimulates the brain in other ways besides relaxation. Many people find that they are better able to focus and are more productive and motivated when listening to the radio or some of their favorite music. Your children can realize the same benefits.
(source : health4her.com)

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A Vegetable Juicing Diet

Vegetables are eaten in a variety of ways, as part of main meals and as snacks. The nutritional content of vegetables varies considerably, though generally they contain little protein or fat, and varying proportions of vitamins, provitamins, dietary minerals, fiber and carbohydrates. Vegetables contain a great variety of other phytochemicals, some of which have been claimed to have antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral and anticarcinogenic properties.

So you have your new juicer and are ready to make all the vegetable juicing recipes you can. Before you buy lots of different vegetables to juice, you need to know some basics that will help you break into a vegetable juicing diet.


You must integrate vegetable juice into your diet with baby steps. Juicing allows you to absorb more nutrients because the vegetable juice is already removed for the pulp for your intestines to take them in. However, not all vegetable juice can be digested that easily, especially the green leafy vegetable juice that is very rich. It is better to use vegetables that are easy to consume first, such as celery, zucchini, beets, carrots, and cucumbers.

Use recipes that are based on a combination of these. After a while, when there are no issues with digestion, slowly add in some dark greens like broccoli, lettuce and spinach. Eventually, you should have no problems with almost all vegetables.

It is not a good idea stick with the same few vegetable juicing recipes that you enjoy. Try out juicing recipes that include vegetables you may not like. Reduce the amount it calls for if you need to and use other fruits and vegetables you like to mask the taste. That way, you won't get too used to a narrow diet. Your body may have a difficult time adjusting to changes in your eating habits otherwise. You also insure that you are getting a many vitamins and minerals. I would suggest using your favorite juicing recipes every 3 days or so, and the other days to try new things.

Many people don't like to deal with the taste of vegetable juice because it is may be too rich in nutrients and too bitter. If it is bitter, then sweeten it a little! Add some carrots and beets. Alternatively, you can use apples, grapes and other fruits to give it an enjoyable taste. If it's too dense, dilute it with water.

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9 Tips for Healthy Hair

Get the shine movement and softness you desire easy and fast with our expert advice from top pros.

Hair is a protein filament that grows through the epidermis from follicles deep within the dermis. The hair can be divided into three parts length-wise, (1) the bulb, a swelling at the base which originates from the dermis, (2) the root, which is the hair lying beneath the skin surface, and (3) the shaft, which is the hair above the skin surface.

Hair is the ultimate accessory; it can add to (or detract from) your overall look instantly. Keeping it in healthy condition is the most important thing you can do to help it look and feel fabulous.

And, while it seems easy, this isn't as simple as minimizing chemical treatments or slathering on a weekly deep conditioner. While these can make your strands softer and less split-end-prone, what really matters is the daily handling; this is what creates the most stress--and potential damage--to your tresses. To help your locks look their best, we asked top experts from around the country for their advice on how to baby your mane every single day. So whether your concern is dullness, damage, frizz or fragility, we have the answers to ease even the toughest hair-care woes. Read on for tips to achieve run-your-fingers-through-it hair. Read on for tips to achieve run-your-fingers-through-it hair:

1. Steer clear of plastic-bristle brushes.
A combination of natural boar bristles on either a round or flat brush are best for dry hair, while soft, rubber-toothed wide-paneled brushes are best for damp hair

2. Brush before shampooing.
A few gentle strokes on dry hair will help remove product buildup and scalp flakes, as well as stimulate the scalp and promote blood flow (which delivers nutrients like oxygen) to hair follicles.

3. Know your water.
If your hair looks dull or is hard to style, the problem could be your tap water. According to Minneapolis-based Gordon Nelson, international creative director for Regis Salons, well water contains natural minerals (called "hard water") that can leave hair lusterless and hard to manage and can impart a brassy, orange hue. Soft water, on the other hand, has fewer damaging minerals.

4. Mist your ends with water before home coloring.
The ends of your hair are more porous and, as a result, absorb more pigment. Wet hair doesn't absorb color as readily as dry hair.

5. Trim your troubles.
As the ends of your hair get older and damaged by rough handling, get regular trims, at least 1/2 inch every four to eight weeks. Hair grows (on average) half an inch per month, so trim to maintain healthy ends.

6. Use color-protective products.
Chemical treatments like color can damage hair because the chemicals have to penetrate the outer layer of the hair (or cuticle) to allow the hue to be absorbed. Color-protective products are specially designed to minimize dryness, keep color true and prevent damage.

7. Deep condition once every two weeks.
These treatments penetrate the hair shaft and strengthen strands, using heat (from a blow-dryer) can intensify deep conditioning, as the heat causes the cuticle to open and the ingredients to penetrate.

8. Try an ionic dryer.
Ions are atoms with a positive or negative charge.
These particular hair-dryers bathe your hair in negative ions, which help break up water molecules faster and cancel out hair-damaging positive ions.

9. Give textured or relaxed hair a break.
African-American hair tends to be coarse due to a lack of natural oils, Spacing processing treatments at least two weeks apart, with weekly conditioning treatments in between for shine maintenance, helps.

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Healthy Eats for Kids

Get the right nutrients into your children's diet and watch their health and development soar and their behavioral problems diminish.

IT'S NOT EASY feeding fast-growing kids in a fast-food world: The hot lunches at school often consist of hot dogs, chicken nuggets, and other processed foods, and if your homemade lunch isn't tasty enough, your children are more likely to mooch junk food from their friends. The biggest challenge is to fix meals your kids want to eat that also deliver all the vitamins and minerals they need.


"Magnesium, found in foods like pumpkin seeds, is a powerhouse nutrient and the fourth most abundant mineral in our bodies. It helps keep bones strong, regulates blood sugar levels, helps nerves and muscles (including the heart) function properly, and promotes a healthy immune system," said Ashley Koff, R.D.

And lest you worry about being fussy or overprotective, consider this: More and more research suggests deficiencies in nutrition can lead to behavioral, developmental, and health problems--everything from allergies and asthma to ADHD. (Blood testing may reveal a severe nutrient deficiency, but your child can be missing out on nutrients without being clinically deficient.) And it's not just "superstar" nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids, calcium, and vitamins C and A that kids need. Even if you get your children to eat, say, fish, broccoli, and carrots (certainly an achievement), there's still a world of nutrients they may be missing

We consulted the experts, who all agreed that focusing on real foods is the way to go. "Any food found in nature is a superfood ... and all will provide a much better balance of nutrients than a processed, fortified 'food product' can," says Ashley Koff, a registered dietitian in Los Angeles, Calif. With her help and the help of others, we compiled this list of must-have vitamins and minerals and the kid-friendly foods that contain them.

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Girlfriends' Health Tips

Being girlfriends is a choice. Being healthy is a lifestyle.
You’ve been through it all, and your girlfriends have traveled the journey with you. Continue the journey, and make health and safety that “other” supportive friend that helps you stay on top of things.

Be a healthy girlfriend, and help a girlfriend live a safer and healthier life. Below are a few tips to help you stay focused on being the best you can be for yourself and your girlfriends.

Eat healthy at your gatherings
Whether you’re gathered at home, book club, a birthday celebration, or a girls’ night out, make healthy choices in what you eat and drink. Keep the conversation going and the food rich in fruits and vegetables. Eating fruits and vegetables may reduce the risk of cancer and other chronic diseases. Eat less junk food (i.e. foods high in calories, with saturated fat, or with added sugars), and don’t crash diet. Choose drinks with no calories, such as water, sparkling water, or unsweetened iced tea. A healthy weight contributes to good health now and as you age.

Be active while having fun
Regular physical activity is important for good health, and it's especially important if you're trying to lose weight or to maintain a healthy weight. Adults should be active for at least 2½ hours a week. Kids and teens should be active for at least 1 hour a day. Talk and enjoy each others company while you walk, bowl, swim, dance, play tennis, and more. If your fun activity is outdoors, don’t forget to protect yourself from the sun

Be supportive when the going gets tough.
A friend with a chronic illness, abusive relationship, mental illness, or caregiving issues may lead a complicated life for a period of time. Do what you can to be supportive, and recognize that it may be challenging for you and your friend. If your friend is fearful about getting health care, offer to go with her. Be informed, and understand how these issues impact your friend. Advocate for her when appropriate. Maintain your own mental and physical health.

Face the facts, and tell it like it is.
If your girlfriend is not taking care of her or her family’s health, is being careless, or is putting herself or others at risk, let her know, or tell someone who can help. Realize that she may need professional help; don’t try to be something you’re not. Help her get the help she needs when appropriate.

Don’t let alcohol or tobacco come between you.
Drinking excessive alcohol and smoking can hurt you and others. Drinking alcohol can increase the risk for unintentional injury and other problems. Both smoking and inhaling secondhand smoke are harmful.

Be a great role model.
Get exams and screenings, vaccinations, and other health care you need. Manage stress from work, children, marriage, commuting, and life! Get enough sleep. Lower your risk for injury and disease.
(source www.cdc.gov)

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The Uno Bike is The Gyroscopic Electric Unicycle Motorbike

Canadian Inventor Ben Gulak of BPG-Technologies has developed a wild new green motorcycle that uses gyro technology to stay upright on its two side-by-side wheels. Acceleration is controlled by leaning forward to go faster, and leaning back to slow down.
The gyro tells the ECU how much to accelerate and that in turn delivers the proper amount of current to the electric motors, one for each wheel. Weighing in at a mere 129 pounds, the ‘bike’ has a top speed of 25mph and a battery life of 2 1/2 hours. The bike was recently unveiled for the first time at the 2008 National Motorcycle Show in Toronto

It seems that the electric uno bike is progressing - that’s super cool. They even have their websites - UnoCylce - BPG-Technologies.

Uno Bike Talked On Press
Uno Bike was listed and mentioned in the following Press:
1) Chicago Tribune
2) Popular Science
3) Motorcycle Mojo

Uno Bike Acclaimed Awards
The sensational unicycle motorbike won the following awards:
1) Invention of the Year (Popular Science Magazine)
2) Best Engineering (National Motorcycle Show)
3) Best in Category (Toronto Motorcycle Supershow)
4) Best Engineering (Toronto Motorcycle Supershow)

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"XIRKA" Processor from Indonesia

Indonesia scientist has succesfully developed WiMAX chipset called XIRKA System on chip. Be thought out by Adiono Trio, scientist of Bandung Technology Institute (ITB), the chipset is design to compatible with WiMAX technology or broadband wireless access. This chipset can be applied both in fixed and mobile WiMAX. WiMAX can be choice the communication network to the next time.

Asia Pacific Competitive Event, XIRKA successfull reach Asia Pacific Information Communication Technology Award (APICTA) on 2008 December with set aside participant the global industry from various country. At be a success Xirka processor, now Indonesia an one of country in "WiMAX Chipsets Producer Country Club" so far stand up US, France, Canada, Korea, and Japan.

XIRKA processor uniqueness is the ability to accommodate special requests for customization in order to create the best solution for our clients. This will enable any WiMAX equipment integrator and solution providers the ability to implement their own design and products for subscriber station (SS), mobile station (MS) and USB peripherals (including dongle and minicards).

Specifications:
The software runs on SPARC processor, providing flexibility, while the MAC hardware acceleration greatly enhances system performance and throughput. Channel bandwidth is supported up to 10 MHz.

PHY
•Standard Compatibility : IEEE 802.16e-2005
•Sub-carrier OFDMA : 1024 and 512 (reconfigurable)
•DC Frequency : 1
•Channel Bandwidths : 5 and 10 MHz
•Cyclic Prefix time Ratio : 1/4, 1/8, 1/16, 1/32
•Modulation : Adaptive (BPSK, QPSK, QAM16, QAM64)
•Front End Uplink Interface : Dedicated Parallel port or internal DAC/ADC
•Front End Downlink Interface : Dedicated Parallel port or internal DAC/ADC
•Working Frequency : Below 11 GHz licensed band
•Duplex : Time division duplex (TDD) or/and Half FDD
•Typical applications : subscriber station (SS) and mobile station (MS)
•High-performance modulation capabilities Flexible configuration for easy system integration:not mentioned

Data Interfaces
•SDIO

EXternal Interface
•10/100 Ethernet MAC
•USB
•Status LED
•Debug JTAG
•RS-232 ports

MAC
•Real-time services
•Concatenation, fragmentation, packing
•Automatic repeat request (ARQ)
•Payload header suppression (PHS)
•IPv6, 802.3 Convergence Sub-Layers
•Sleep and Idle mode power management support
•BE & UGS QoS classes

Peripheral
•GPIO (8)
•unit UART
•3 unit 32 bit Timers
•JTAG

System Block Diagram
•AGC: Automatic Gain Control (receiver gain)
•AFC: Automatic Frequency Control (from frequency synchronizer)
•On-board power supplies (12V in)
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Woolly Mammoth DNA Gives Clues to Evolution

The woolly mammoth died out several thousand years ago, but the genetic material they left behind is yielding new clues about the evolution of mammals. Scientists have analyzed the mammoth genome looking for mobile DNA elements, revealing new insight into how sme of these elements arose in mammals and shaped the genome of an animal headed for extinction.

Interspersed repeats, also known as transposable elements, are DNA sequences that can "jump" around the genome, causing mutations in the host and contributing to expansion of the genome.

Interspersed repeats account for a significant fraction of mammalian genomes, and some of these elements are still actively mobile. In humans, interspersed repeats account for approximately 44% of the entire genome sequence. Even more extreme is the opossum genome, where more thanhalf of the sequence is composed of repetitive elements.

Scientists recently sequenced the woolly mammoth genome, using DNA samples obtained from preserved specimens. The mammoth genome is an excellent candidate for comparative analysis of interspersed repeats in mammals, as it had a remarkably large genome of approximately 4.7 billion bases, 1.5 times larger than the human genome. Using the mammoth genome sequence and sequences of other mammals for comparison, Schuster's group found that the mammoth genome contained the largest proportion of interspersed repeats of any other mammal studied. In fact, a single class of elements, known as the BovB long interspersed repeat, accounted for nearly 12% of the mammoth genome alone.

Dr. Fangqing Zhao, a postdoctoral researcher in Schuster's group and primary author of the work, emphasized that the BovB family of repeats is particularly interesting, because while this family has been identified in other mammalian genomes, such as ruminants, snakes, opossum, and now the mammoth, its distribution in the mammalian lineage is inconsistent. Zhao explained that this finding in mammoth further supports the hypothesis that BovB may have been acquired "horizontally," meaning that vertebrate genomes attained the element from another organism, rather than inherited from ancestors.

Many species within the Afrotheria group of mammals, which includes the woolly mammoth, are at high risk for extinction or are already extinct. "Further analyses examining if the genomes of extinct and endangered Afrotherians contain more repetitive elements than non-endangered mammals may elucidate whether there is an interplay between repetitive elements and extinction," Zhao noted, underscoring the need to study genomes of species on the brink of extinction.
Source: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory

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Ultrafast DNA Nanosensor

A portable instrument based on an ultrasensitive nanoscale sensor could detect bacteria in minutes, helping to catch infectious diseases early and prevent their spread. The simple low cost device should be available within three years, says Benjamin Miller, professor of dermatology and biomedical engineering at the University of Rochester Medical Center.
Right now, diagnosing common bacterial infections requires growing cultures in a laboratory over a period of days, but diagnosis could be greatly speeded by a number of new sensors based on various nanomaterials that are being developed for ultrasensitive, rapid DNA detection. The new instrument would take from 15 minutes to two hours for a diagnosis and could be used in doctor, and hospitals.


Each sensor is a hairpin-shaped strand of DNA, complementary to the genetic sequence being targeted, that is fixed on a gold film. Gold quenches the glow of a fluorescent molecule attached to one end of the DNA. Its unfolding results in the fluorescent molecule moving away from the gold film and glowing, which can be seen under a fluorescent microscope.
A blood or urine sample to be tested would be placed directly on the cartridge. The catridge will be a lab-on-a-chip, with rapid, miniaturized ways to prepare the sample for testing. "In the cartridge there are steps for cleaning up samples, that is, extracting material you're interested in and amplifying the (bacterial) DNA, will then be placed in small portable instrument that does the fluorescence imaging and analysis, each catrige should cost a few dollars, Miller says.

By attaching different DNA strands on the gold film, the same cartridge could screen for multiple pathogens. So far, the researchers have made a sensor to detect antibiotic-resistant staph bacteria that cause skin infections. They are now working on detecting bacteria responsible for common urinary-tract infections. The sensors could also be used to quickly spot bacteria in food or bioterror agents in water supplies or even to screen for genetic disorders or cancer.

The silver nanoparticles make the fluorescent signal 10 times brighter. Plus, because thin layers of silver nanoparticles are transparent, the sensor could be coated on glass and optical fibers to make new types of detecting instruments.

In the other nanosensors being developed for ultrasensitive, rapid DNA detection, researchers are using carbon nanotubes, nanowires and nanoparticles. All of these approaches promise high accuracy, portability, and low cost. "If you could make a portable device that would sit in your doctor's office, then, using a small amount of fluid, your doctor could screen you for a genetic abnormality.

Nanosphere's sensor is a microarray coated with DNA strands complementary to the target DNA and incorporated into a test cartridge. Gold nanoparticles, also coated with complementary DNA, are introduced, followed by target DNA, which binds to both the microarray and a nanoparticle. Then the nanoparticle is coated with silver to amplify the light that is scattered from the particle; the light is captured using a digital camera sensor. This method of detection is 100,000 times more sensitive than detecting fluorescence, says William Moffitt, CEO of Nanosphere.

Miller calls Nanosphere's technology fantastic. However, he adds, Lighthouse Biosciences's diagnostics test is simpler and requires fewer steps.
(by Prachi Patel)
(www.technologyreview.com)

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Honda Shows Small "personal mobility" Device

Honda's new "personal mobility" device looks like a unicycle, but all you need to do to zip around on it - sideways as well as forward and back - is lean your weight into the direction you want to go.
The U3-X available for a test-run for reporters in Tokyo was designed to be small, safe and unobtrusive enough to mingle with pedestrians, according to Honda Motor Co.

The single wheel on the U3-X-U stands for "unicycle" and "universal" is made up of many tiny motor-controlled wheels, packed inside the bigger wheel, allowing the device to swerve in any direction.
It stands upright on its own. Sit on it as though it's a stool, and shift your weight to drive. The thing maintains its own balance as it scoots along at a speed of up to 6 km (3,7 miles) per hour.

Honda president Takanobu Ito said the machine was still "a proposal", and the company has no sales plans, pricing or firm ideas on where or how it will be used.
Honda declined to give details of the U3-X's technology, but said it weighs less than 10kilograms (22pounds), runs on a full charge for an hour, and has a lithium-ion battery.

"I may want to use it in my home", Ito mused. "It'd be easier to get around so I might really use it if my legs grow weaker".
The U3-X takes a bit of getting used to. It was a bit too big for this five-foot tall reporter, making it hard to sit on and control it well.

Although Honda said the machine is meant for the elderly, it's unclear whether they would be coodinated enough to control the device.
Honda makes the Asimo walking child-shaped robot as well as the Odyssey minivan and Accord sedan. The latest device uses some of the technology of balance and movement developed in the Asimo, Ito said.

Last year, Honda showed a gadget, which can support a wearer's bodyweight, made of mechanical frames attached to a pair of shoes. Honda said it may be used by auto workers.
Japanese rival Toyota Motor Corp. has shown machines that help people get around, including the winglet, similar to the Segway, a scooter-like device that people ride standing up. Toyota also has displayed I-Real, a motorized armchair-on-wheels.
Japan is one of the ost rapidly aging societies in the world, and concerns are growing about helping the elderly get around.

"Honda engineers are always thinking about people's dreams and wishes about mobility. We will continue to work hard to be a leader in that area," Ito said.

Associated Press
by Yuri Kageyama

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Cancer Prevention Starts in Childhood

Reduce your children's risk of getting many types of cancer later in lifee. Start by helping them adopt a healthy lifestyle with good eating habits and plenty of exercise to keep a healthy weight. Then follow the tips below to help prevent spesific types of cancer.

Sun Safety : The Key to Skin Cancer Prevention
Most skin cancers can be prevented if children and teens (and adults, too) are protected from ultraviolet(UV) rays.

Just a few serious sunburns can increase your child's risk of skin cancer later in life. Kids don't have to be at the beach to get too much sun.
Their skin needs protection from the sun's harmful ultraviolet rays whenerver they're outdoors.
To protect yourself and your family
- Seek shade, especially during midday hours.
- Cover up with clothing to protect exposed skin.
- Wear a hat with a wide brim to shade the face, head, ears, and neck.
- Wear sunglasses that wrap around and block as close to 100% of both UVA and UVB rays as possible.
- Put on sunscreen with sun protective factor (SPF) 15 or higher, and both UVA and UVB protection
The ultraviolet rays from tanning beds and sunlamps are as dangerous as the ultraviolet rays from the sun. Don't let your children or teens use them. Many states restrict the use of tanning beds by children and teens.

A Vaccine to Prevent Cervical Cancer
Human Papillomavirus (HPV), a common virus that can be passed from one person to another during sex, is the main cause of cervical cancer. The same virus also causes many vaginal and vulvar cancers.
A vaccine to prevent HPV infections is available. It protects against the types of HPV that most often cause cancer. It is given in a series of three shots. The vaccine is recommended for girl 11 and 12 years gold, and for girls anwomen 13 to 26 years old who did not get any or all of the shots when they were younger. (girls as young as age 9 can get the vaccine).

Major Causes of Lung Cancer
Smoking. Tobacco use is the major cause of lung cancer in the Unites States. The best way to prevent lung cancer is not to start smoking, or quit if you do smoke. It is important to prevent adolescents from starting to smoke.
In 2007, half of high school students reported that they had at least tried smoking. One in five high school students was a current smoker.
Talk to your children about why you don't want them to smoke.
Secondhand smoke. Smoke from other people's cigarettes ("secondhand" smoke)can use lung cancer. There is no safe level of secondhand smoke for nosmokers. Don't expose your childreen to secondhand tobacco smoke.
In your own home, establish a smoke-free policy.

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Power Electronics could make Hybrid Cars Cheaper

Hybrid cars are often known as "cars of the era". The main feature of the hybrid car is that when we start the car engine, electrical energy is used. This way it helps in keeping a tab on the tail pipe emissions. The use of automobiles is increasing in every part of the globe and so is the threat of toxic pollutants and global warming, thanks to their exhaust ingredients. But if we are using a hybrid car the decrease in the tail pipe emission will do a great service to the environment and society. After starting the engine of the hybrid car fasiline engine will take up the charge.
If we want to increase the speed, gasoline is essential to attribute the pace for the drive. While waiting at the traffic signals, maneuvering your car in a heavy traffic and climbing on steep slopes, the electrical energy will be again activated. This way hybrid vehicle minimizes the use of gasoline. We should not forget breaking the notorious fuel consumer. In hybrid cars while we apply breaks it is re-channeled for the electrical battery charging, known as regenerative braking, and a separate energy for battery charging is not required.


Earlier hybrid cars were considered as rare breeds but presently we can spot more and more such vehicles on the road. But still they are not produced on commercial scale. Therefore they are costly. Not all that long ago, hybrid vehicles were still really exotic. Now, you see them more and more frequently on our roads. However, hybrid cars are not mass-produced as their production costs are still relatively high. Hanna Plesko - a researchers from ETH Zurich has given this problem a serious thought. Currently she is doing her doctorate at Power Electronic Systems Laboratory. She is developing a new concept as part of her doctoral thesis that integrates power electronic functions and an electric motor. This combination has the 'power' to reduce the costs of hybrid cars.

Hollywood stars scuh as Leonardo DiCarprio and Cameron Diaz are doing their bit by raising awareness about clean and green vehicles. They had proudly strutted their hybrid cars and driven up to the red carpet. Researchers are doing their work on making hybrid cars available to the commoner n the street. Hanna Plesko, utilizes public transport everyday to do her research on hybrid cars and the sweet irony is that she doesn't have her own car.

Plesko is familiar with the ground realities as she says, "It's rumored that hybrid vehicles can improve your image, but in some cases the automobile companies have difficulties to cover their costs". The production of hybrid drives is stil very expensive and the main culprits are the electric motor and the power electronic energy management system, in which inverters and DC/DC converters play a crucial role.
They eat up the major chunk of money. Plesko is dealing with these two mechanisms. She is approaching the problem applying a new concept. She is focusing on the components, in example the power electronics and the electric motor. They might perform several functions simultaneously. The multiple uses of the electronic parts and teh motor also save volume. This will help in reducing the costs.

In traditional hybrid vehicles, batteries are utilized to provide energy to electric motor, radio, ventilation and the lights. Unlike the electrical drive system, for which a high DC voltage of 200-600 V has to be converted into a three-phase AC voltage, a low DC voltage of 12V is sufficient to power a car radio.
Inverters are devices which convert the direct current into an alternating current. DC/DC converters transform the power between the two batteries for the two voltage levels. Threfore we can easily conclude that converters are significant power electronic mechanisms in hybrid or electric vehicles. These days converters are situated outside the electric motors.

A research group "Future Automotive Power Electronic's headed by senior scientist Jurgen Biela, is working towards the converters. Plesko is focusing on a mechanism that integrated the inverter, the DC/DC converter and the electric motor functionally. By combining the function of the drive and the DC/DC converter, certain electronic constituents and the motor lamination stack can be shared. If we angle it from a manufacturers point of view we will see that large quantities of such functionally integrated systems will be cheaper as smaller number raw materials are required. Moreover, Plesko's design is less complex, making it easier to produce.

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150mpg Algae-Powered Toyota Prius

First algae fuel-powered vehicle in the world was officially launched in San Francisco. The car, called Algaeus is a modified Toyota Prius, which derives power from green crude, from Sapphire Energy. The car runs on an astonishing 150 miles per gallon of green fuel. But they are aspiring to cross the US on approximately25 gallons of fuel.

According to Fuel producer Rebecca Harrell, "Powering our cars with algae-based fuel could be the next Apollo mission". Rebecca Harrel is the co-founder of the Veggie Van Organization and producer of the upcoming film FUEL. In the coming 10 days she'll be accompanying the Fuel director and Veggie van Organization cofunder Josh Tickell. Together they will take the Algaeus on a countrywide road trip. The duo's other travel companions will be other green energy vehicles (including the Veggie Van and the biodiesel-powered big green energy bus), "It hit us that we needed to drive the car across the country", Harfel said "People think of algae fuel as this long-therm, far off thing. But seeing is believing".

This countrywide tour will serve a dual purpose. People will be aware of the new clean and green fuel and they will give publicity to their forthcoming film FUEL. This film depicts America's dependency on foreign oil. They claim that their film is different from other environmentally-themed movies. Till now these movies raise a question mark and present us with bleak future. Those movies were ususally silent about the answers to environmental hazards. FUEL tries to fill the gap here. They talk about the various methods to make the transition from oil to alternative sources of energy. What's important for everyday people is information. People don't say 'Can you give me something else to be scared about? They say, How can I get my car to run on algae fuel? Tickell explained. Fuel will be released in New York City, San Francisco, Berkeley, and Washington DC on September 18th.

But you can not fill your tank with algae fuel at your local gas station in the foreseeable future. But the company aims to increase production of algae-based jet fuel this year and plans production of over 2 million liters of algae based diesel fuel per year over the next two years. The car is powered by a mixture of algae fuel and the environmentally friendly-fuel-driven automobile.

Though, it is early to conclude that we can use algae as transport fuel. We all know that five percent blend of algae doesn't precisely indicate the initation of an algae revolution. But as the saying goes, glass if half full too. It states that advancement is being mad on the fuel with great potential. This road trip will allow people to witness the progress in action. The main point of the Algaeus is to show the capability of algae to be used in an ordinary engine.
(www.alternative-energy-news.info)
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Getting Biofuel from the World's Garbage

Biofuels are producted from living organisms or from metabolic by-products (organic or food waste products). In order to be considered a biofuel the fuel must contain over 80 percent renewable materials. It is originally derived from the photosynthesis process and can therefore often be referred to as a solar energy source. There are many pros and cons to using biofuels as an energy source.

There is plenty of garbage on this planet, in fact there is so much garbage that many developed countries, at a fee of course. But does dumping garbage on other places solve the problem? On the contrary it spreads pollutions and diseases. In fact it is more dangerous to dump garbage in the less developed countries (because there are neither technologies available to process it nor enaugh awareness).


Even creating landfills wastes precious resources. Rather than having to dump, what if garbage can be used to generate power?
Global change biology has published new research that claims replacing gasoline with biofuel fromm processed garbage could cut global carbon emissions by 80%. A dream com true, isn't it?

Great strides are being made in the field of creating biofuels but a galling problem is that the biofuel production causes food shortage. Additionally, farmers are adopting controversial techniques and methods to increase their production and rather than helping the climate, it is harming it.
But garbage is abundantly available, fortunately or unfortunately. Second generation biofuels like cellulosic ethanol obtained from processed urban waste may the sort of solution that kills two birds with one stone (just an expression, throwing stones at birds and killing them is bad): take care of the garbgage and produce fuel.

According to the study author Associate Professor Hugh Tan of the National University of Singapore, "Our results suggest that fuel from processed waste biomass, such as paper and cardboard, is a promising clean energy solution."
He further says, "If developed fully this biofuel could simultaneously meet part of the world's energy needs, while also combating carbon emissions and fossil fuel dependency."

Data from the United Nation's Human Development Index and the Earth Trends database was used to arrive at an estimate of how much waste is producted in 173 countries and how much fuel the same countries annually require.
The research team has calculated that 82.93 billion liters of cellulosic ethanol can be produced by the available landfill waste in the world and the resulting biofuel can reduce global carbon emissions in the range of 29.2% to 86.1% for every unit of energy produced.

"If this technology continues to improve and mature these numbers are certain to increase", concluded co-author Dr. Lian Pin Koh from ETH Zurich. "This could make cellulosic ethano an important component of our renewable energy future."
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The Brain Testing

The human brain is probably the most complicated organ in the human body. I say complicated because physically the brain is made up of millions of crisscrossing nerves which carry billions of neurons here and there. It is amazing to even wonder how this intricate jungle of mass information works! It is a fact that scientists can explain most of the actions performed by the brain or stimulated by the brain and can trace the origins of the action to a tiny nerve hidden in the neurotic jungle or they can even zero in to the last neuron which fired the action process. But the fact remains we are still unable to comprehend the full potential of the human brain due to the fact that the human brain has not been goaded or stimulated enough to realize its full powers.

What caused newton or einstein to do the things they did? where they made different from the common man and were their chemical and electrical processes in their brain charged up better than the others that they could deliver so much with their brain powers? How were their brains stimulated better that they had a much higher average when it came to analyzing, researching and finding solutions to complex problems that most of us humans never even knew existed ? is it possible that some humans had better cerebral capabilities than others? was it fair if they did or can there be ways to impove the brain power of every child and adult that a world with a human race that is truly equal in every sense of the word be created? can we create a world full of super achieving human beings?
These questions must have lingered in the minds of the members of the scientific and neurotechnology community for a ling time and answers to these questions have slowly been unraveled in the last decade. Advancement in science especially in the field of neuro science has enabled scientists and researchers alike to understand the brain a little more now. These people have found out that it was indeed possible for a human being to maximize the potential of his or brain. It is possible now they say to stimulate the brain in such a manner that the productiion capacity of the brain is significantly invreased but this requires a little bit of assistance through external means.
keeping in line with the developments, many neurotechnology companies have come up with important breakthroughs that promise much in the field of brain power enhancement. They say every child can be moded into a bright adult with the aid of proper stimulating exercises for the brain and every adult can be transformed into better productive hubs with the help of similar exercises. These exercises can be in the form of audio visual stimulation, simple "brain testing" exercises and through the use of software such as memory stimulating software.
Memory stimulating software helps your brain to improve its own capabilities by testing it by a series of well researched and designed brain testing exercises. These exercises stimulate the brain to improve its functional ability through constant practice. This is much similar to how an athlete trains his body to perform physical actions better through constant practice. The brain too has to be challenged to perform better and goaded into pushing the limits. Brain enhancement is an ongoing process which should never stop and the vital faculties of a human brain can be prolonged to function optimally if the brain is continously tested, challenged and forced into giving better results and if every single man and woman really optimizes their brain powers, then this world will see a race of super intelligent, high performing human beings.
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Brain Power

Researchers at Duke University and MCP Hahnemann University have developed a tecnnique for using brain signals to control a robotic arm. This feat was accomplished by recording signals from electrodes that were implaanted in the brains of rats. It is believed that this new method may some day offer hope to theose suffering from spinal cord injuries who have prosthetic limbs. Theoretically, the electrodes could be implanted into the brain to allow the person to have control over limb movement, much as they would an actual limb.

In the experiment, rats were taught to operate a robotic arm by pressing a lever. Pressing the lever resulted in the rats receiving a reward. Researchers recorded the neuronal activity responsible for muscle movement using implanted electrode arrays. Once the spesific groups of neurons that were used for muscle movement when pressing the lever were identified, researchers changed the control of the robotic arm from the lever to the electrode implants.
The rats promptly learned that they could move the robotic arm to receive a reward without having to press the lever. All they had to do was to activate the particular neurons in the brain that they had previously used when physically pressing the lever.
This ground-breaking study established the first tangible evidence that neuron signals can be used to control external devices. Prior to this study, scientists suspected that neuronal control of external devices was possible but there was no demonstrable proof.
Researchers speculate that the knowledge gained from this study could be used to develop new techniques to treat those suffering from a variety of disabilities including spinal cord injuries, cerebral palsy, and locked-in syndrome. Since those with locked-in syndrome may have intact thinking skills but no ability to interact wiht their environment, external control of devices through neurons may be particularly helpful.
The researchers also strongly emphasize that there are still significant technical obstacles that must be overcome before any attempts at human clinical trials can begin. They do however believe that these obstacles are not impossible to overcome.
(biology.about.com)
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Ti Nanoparticles Target Brain Cancer Cells

Nanotechnology, shortened to "Nanotech", is the study of the control of matter on an atomic and molecular scale. Generally nanotechnology deals with structures of the size 100 nanometers or smaller, and involves developing materials or devices within that size. Nanotechnology is very diverse, ranging from extensions of conventional device physics, to completely new approaches based upon molecular self assembly, to developing new materials wiht dimensions on the nanoscale, even to speculation on whether we can directly control matter on the atomic scale.
There has been much debate on the future of implications of nanotechnology. Nanotechnology has the potential to create many new materials and devices with wide-ranging appications, such as in medicine, electronics, and energy production.
On the other hand, nanotechnology raises many of the same issues as with any introduction of new technology, including concerns about the toxicity and environmental impact of nanomaterials, and their advocacy groups and governments on whether special regulation of nanotechnology is warranted.

Scientist from the DOE's Argonne National Laboratory and the University of Chicago's Brain Tumor Center have developed a way to target brain cancer cells using inorganic titanium dioxide nanoparticles bonded to soft biological material.
Thousand of people die from malignant brain tumors every year, and the tumors are resistant to conventional therapies. This nano-bio technology may eventually provide an alternative form of therapy that targets only cancer cells and does not affect normal living tissue.
"It is a real example of how nano and biological interfacing can be used for biomedical applications", said scientist Elena Rozkhova of Argonne's Center for Nanoscale Materials. We chose brain cancer because of its difficulty in treatment and its unique receptors.
This new therapy relies on a two-pronged approach. Titanium dioxide is a versatile photreactive nanomaterial that can be bonded to biomolecules. When linked to an antibody, these nanoparticles recognize and bind specifically to cancer cells. When scientists shine focused light onto the affected region, the localized titanium dioxide reacts by creating free oxygen radicals that interact with the mitochondria in the cancer cells. Mitochondria act as cellular energy plants, and when free radicals interfere with their biochemical pathways, they receive a signal to start cell death.

DOE pulse highlights work being done at the Departement of Energy's National Laboratories. DOE's laboratories house world class facilities where more than 30,000 scientists and engineers perform cutting-edge research spanning DOE's science, energy, National security and environmental quality missions. DOE pulse is distributed twice each month. Each issue will include research highlights, updates on collaborations among laboratories, and profiles of individual researchers.

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Maintenance Strategies

Four general types of maintenance philosophies or strategies can be identified, namely corrective, preventive, predictive, and reliability centered maintenance. Predictive maintenance is the most recent development. In pratice, all these types are used in maintaining engineering systems. The challenge is to optimize the balance between the them types for maximum profitability. In general, corrective maintenance is the least cost effective option when maintenance requirements are high.

Corrosion Monitoring and Inspection Planning

Corrective Maintenance

Corrective maintenance refers to action only taken when a system or component failure has occurred. It is thus a retro-active strategy. The task of the maintenance team in this scenario is usually to effect repairs as soon as possible. Costs associated with corrective maintenance include repair costs (replacement components, labor, consumables), lost production and lost sales. To minimize the effects of lost production and speed up repairs, actions such as increasing the size of maintenance teams, the use of back-up systems and implementation of emergency procedures can be considered. Unfortunately, such measures are relatively costly and/or only effective in the short-term. For example, if heat exchanger tubes have leaked due to pitting corrosion and production must procced as a matter of uregency, it may be possible to plug the leaking tubes on a short-term basis.

Preventive Maintenance

In preventive maintenance, equipment is repaired and serviced before failures occur. The frequency of maintenance activities is predetermined by schedules. Preventive maintenance aims to eliminate unnecessary inspection and maintenance tasks, to implement additional maintenance tasks when and where needed and to focus efforts on the most critical items. The higher the failure consequences, the greater the level of preventive maintenance that is justified. This ultimately implies a trade-off between the cost of performing preventive maintenance and the cost to run the equipment to failure. Inspection assumes a crucial role in preventive maintenance strategies. Components are essentially inspected for corrosion and other damage at planned intervals, in order to identify corrective action before failures actually occur. Preventive maintenance performed at regular intervals will usually results in reduced failure rates. As significant costs are involved in performing preventive maintenance, especially in terms of scheduled downtime, good planning is vital.

Predictive Maintenance

Predictive maintenance refers to maintenance based on the actual condition of a component. Maintenance is not performed according to fixed preventive schedules but rather when a certain change in characteristics are noted. Corrosion sensors supplying diagnostic information on the condition of a system or componenet play an important role in this maintenance strategy. A useful analogy can be made with automobile oil changes. Chaningng the oil every 5000 km to prolong engine life, irrespective of whether the oil change is really needed or not, is a preventive maintenance strategy.

Predictive maintenance would entail changing the oil based on changes in its properties, such as the build up of wear debris. when a car is used exclusively for long distance highway travel and driven in a very responsible manner, oil analysis may indicate a longer critical service interval. some of the resources required to perform predictive maintenance will be available from the reduction in breakdown planning and scheduling. Good record keeping is very important to identify repetitive problems, and the problem areas with the highest potential impact.

Reliability Centered Maintenance

Reliability centered maintenance (RCM) involves the establishment or improvement of a maintenance program in the most cost effective or improvement of a maintenance program in the most cost-effective and technically feasible manner. It utilizes a systematic, structured approach that is based on the consequences of failure. As such it represent a shift away from time-based maintenance tasks and emphasizes the functional importance of system components and their failure/maintenance history.

The concept of RCM finds its foots in the early 1960's, wiht RCM strategies for commercial aircraft developed in the late 1960's, when wide body jets were introduced to commercial airline service. A major concern of airlines was that existing time-based preventive maintenance program would threaten the economic viability of larger, more complex aircraft. The experience of airlines with the RCM approach was that maintenance costs remained roughly constant but that the availability and reliability of their planes improved. RCM is now standard practice for most of the world's airlines.

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Risk Based Inspection (RBI)

Risk based inspection refers to the application of risk analysis principles to manage inspection program for plant equipment. RBI has been used in the nuclear power generation industry for some time and is also employed in refineries and petrochemical plant. The ultimate goal fo RBI is to develop a cost-effective inspection and maintenance program that provides assurance of acceptable mechanical integrity and reliability.

Risk is defined as the combination of probability and consequence.
The highest risk is mostly associated with a small percentage of plantitems. Risk based inspection procedures can be based on either qualitative or quantitative methodologies. Qualitative procedures provide a ranking of equipment, based largely on experience and engineering judgment. Quantitative risk-based methods use several engineering disciplines to set priorities and develop programs for equipment inspection. Risk Based Inspection (RBI) schemes are a planning tool used to develop the optimum plan for the execution of inspection activities. RBI uses the findings from a formal risk analysis, such as a Corrosion Risk Assessment, to guide the direction and emphasis of the inspection planning and the physical inspection procedures. A risk based approach to inspection planning is used to : Ensure risk is reduced to as low as reasonably practicable Optimize the inspection schedule Focus inspection effort onto the most critical areas Identify and use the most appropriate methods of inspection Some of the engineering disciplines include non-destructive examination, system and component design and analysis, fracture mechanics, probabilistic analysis, failure analysis, and operation of facilities. Quantitative analysis methods can be expensive, time consuming, tedious, and are therefore not commontly used. Often, insufficient information is available for conducting a quantitative risk analysis. Two organization that are currently working on quantitative risk-based analysis procedures for use by the chemical industry are the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and the American Petroleum Institute (API). Where such a Risk Based Inspection schemes is used, it should be noted that the dermination of future inspection requirements, by extrapolation of historical trends, is based on an assumption that the conditions in the future are similiar to those in the past and that there is no change in degradation mechanism. Any significant change in operating conditions could result in significant changes in corrosion rate and/or corrosion damage, which could in turn lead to different inspection requirements. It is therefore appropriate for the model which is driving the Risk Based Inspection scheme to be re-run either at spesific time intervals, or when a prcess variable exceeds a previously agreed boundary condition. On new assets or in the absence of good quality historic data on mature assets, it is normally considered good pratice to carry out a baseline suvey to establish a known condition from which to monitor.
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