Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

power of naps: power nap



power nap is a short sleep which terminates before the occurrence of deep sleep or slow-wave sleep (SWS), intended to quickly revitalize the subject. The expression was coined by Cornell University social psychologist James Maas.

The power nap is thought to maximize the benefits of sleep versus time. It is used to supplement normal sleep, especially when a sleeper has accumulated a sleep deficit.

Various durations are recommended for power naps, which are very short compared to regular sleep. The short duration of a power nap is designed to prevent nappers from sleeping so long that they enter a normal sleep cycle without being able to complete it. Going beyond sleep stages I and II[citation needed] but failing to complete a full sleep cycle, can result in a phenomenon known as sleep inertia, where one feels groggy, disoriented, and even more sleepy than before beginning the nap. Brief naps (10–15 minutes) can improve alertness directly after awakening without the detrimental effects of sleep inertia associated with longer naps.[2]
Scientific experiments (see Benefits section below) and anecdotal evidence suggest that an average power nap duration of around 30 minutes is most effective.[citation needed] Any more time, and the body enters into its usual sleep cycle. People who regularly take power naps may develop a good idea of what duration works best for them, as well as what tools, environment, position, and associated factors help induce the best results. Others may prefer to take power naps regularly even if their schedules allow a full night's sleep. Mitsuo Hayashi, PhD and Tadao Hori, PhD[1] have demonstrated that a nap improves mental performance even after a full night's sleep. New sleep sensors and sleep timers available on several mobile devices allow advocates of power naps to sleep for exactly as long as they would like to.

Power naps of less than 30 minutes—even those as brief as 6 and 10 minutes—restore wakefulness and promote performance and learning.[3][4] A University of Düsseldorf study found superior memory recall once a person had reached 6 minutes of sleep, suggesting that the onset of sleep may initiate active memory processes of consolidation which—once triggered—remains effective even if sleep is terminated.[4]
Flinders University study of individuals restricted to only five hours of sleep per night found a 10-minute nap was overall the most recuperative nap duration of various nap lengths they examined (lengths of 0 min, 5 min, 10 min, 20 min, and 30 minutes): the 5-minute nap produced few benefits in comparison with the no-nap control; the 10-minute nap produced immediate improvements in all outcome measures (including sleep latency, subjective sleepiness, fatigue, vigor, and cognitive performance), with some of these benefits maintained for as long as 155 minutes; the 20-minute nap was associated with improvements emerging 35 minutes after napping and lasting up to 125 minutes after napping; and the 30-minute nap produced a period of impaired alertness and performance immediately after napping, indicative of sleep inertia, followed by improvements lasting up to 155 minutes after the nap.[5]
Naps lasting more than 30 minutes appear to be associated with a period of impaired alertness (sleep inertia) immediately after awakening that takes some time to dissipate before wakefulness and performance improve.[5]
For several years, scientists have been investigating the benefits of napping, both the power nap and much longer sleep durations as long as 1–2 hours. Performance across a wide range of cognitive processes has been tested.[6] Studies demonstrate that naps are as good as a night of sleep for some types of memory tasks.
NASA study led by David F. Dinges, professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, found that naps can improve certain memory functions.[7] In that NASA study, volunteers spent several days living on one of 18 different sleep schedules, all in a laboratory setting. To measure the effectiveness of the naps, tests probing memory, alertness, response time, and other cognitive skills were used.
The National Institute of Mental Health funded a team of doctors, led by Alan Hobson, MD, Robert Stickgold, PhD, and colleagues at Harvard University for a study which showed that a midday snooze reverses information overload. Reporting in Nature NeuroscienceSara Mednick, PhD, Stickgold and colleagues also demonstrated that "burnout" irritation, frustration and poorer performance on a mental task can set in as a day of training wears on. This study also proved that, in some cases, napping could even boost performance to an individual's top levels. The NIMH team wrote "The bottom line is: we should stop feeling guilty about taking that 'power nap' at work."[8]
Sara Mednick conducted a study experimenting on the effects of napping, caffeine, and a placebo. Her results showed that a 60-90 minute nap is more effective than caffeine in memory and cognition.[9]

Monday, April 28, 2014

how lack of sleep can wreck your diet

How lack of sleep can wreck your diet


Lack of sleep has been shown to have a direct link to hunger, overeating, and weight gain. Two hormones in your body regulate normal feelings of hunger and fullness. Ghrelin stimulates appetite, while leptin sends signals to the brain when you are full. However, when you’re short on sleep, your ghrelin levels go up, stimulating your appetite so you want more food than normal, and your leptin levels go down, meaning you don’t feel satisfied and want to keep eating. This can lead to overeating and, ultimately, weight gain.
To keep your diet on track, try to get about eight hours of quality sleep a night.


Friday, April 25, 2014

most amazing holes in the world

Open pit mining but also nature made large holes. Enjoy this fantastic collection !
10. Chuquicamata, Copper Mine, Chile 
Chuquicamata is an open pit copper mine in Chile. This is a mine that total production of copper is the largest in the world, though not the largest copper mines. The depth of the mining hole is more than 850 meters.
9. The Udachnaya Pipe Diamond Mine, Russia
The Udachnaya Pipe is a diamond mine in Russia. The owner of the mine plan to stop operations in 2010 – to support underground mining. The mine was discovered in 1955 and more than 600 meters in depth.
8. Guatemala Sinkhole
In 2007, natural disasters create a depth of 300 feet sinkhole swallowed a dozen homes in Guatemala – killing 2 and causing thousands of people were evacuated. The sinkhole was caused by rain and underground waste stream.
7. The Diavik Diamond Mine, Canada 
The Diavik Mine is a mine in the Northwest Territory of Canada. Mine (opened in 2003) produces 8 million carats or about 1,600 kg (3500 lb) of diamonds every year.
6. The Mirny Diamond Mine, Russia
The Mirny Diamond Mine is 525 meters depth and has a diameter of 1200 meters. This is the first, and one of the largest, diamond pipe in the Soviet Union. Now abandoned. While It was still operating, it will take two hours for trucks to drive up and down the mine.
5. The Great Blue Hole, Belizeis a large underwater sinkhole off the coast of Belize. It lies near the center of Lighthouse Reef, a small atoll 100 kilometres (62 mi) from the mainland and Belize City. The hole is circular in shape, over 300 metres (984 ft) across and 125 metres (410 ft) deep.[1] It was formed as a limestone cave system during the last glacial period when sea levels were much lower. As the ocean began to rise again, the caves flooded, and the roof collapsed.Believed to be the world’s largest feature of its kind, the Great Blue Hole is part of the larger Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System, a World Heritage Site of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
4. The Bingham Canyon Mine, Utah, USA
The Bingham Canyon Mine is an open-pit mining operation extracting a large porphyry copper deposit southwest of Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, in the Oquirrh Mountains. It is owned by Rio Tinto Group, an international mining and exploration company headquartered in the United Kingdom. The copper operations at Bingham Canyon Mine are managed through Kennecott Utah Copper Corporation which operates the mine, a concentrator plant, a smelter, and a refinery. The mine has been in production since 1906, and has resulted in the creation of a pit over 0.75 miles (1.2 km) deep, 2.5 miles (4 km) wide, and covering 1,900 acres (7.7 km²). According to Kennecott, it is the world’s largest man-made excavation.It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1966 under the name Bingham Canyon Open Pit Copper Mine.
3. The Monticello Dam, Napa County, California, US
The Monticello Dam is a dam in Napa County, California, United States that well known for large circular valve that swallow water at the rate of 48,400 cubic meters per second.
2. Kimberley Diamond Mine, South Africa
The Kimberley Diamond Mine (also known as the Big Hole) is an open-pit mine in Kimberley, South Africa and is claimed to be the largest hole excavated by hand. This 1097 meter deep mine yielded over 6,000 lb of diamonds before being closed in 1914.
1. Flaming Crater, Darvaza Turkmenistan- The Door to Hel
In 1971, geologists discovered a huge underground deposit of natural gas on this site. And while excavating, a whole drilling rig fell into an underground cavern. Natural gas started coming up from the hole. To prevent gasses from escaping, it was set alight and it continues to burn even today. The crater measures roughly 60 meters in diameter and 20 meters deep and is located in Turkmenistan.

Thursday, April 24, 2014

8 creative murphy beds

8 creative murphy beds


The Murphy Bed is named after its inventor Lawrence Murphy in 1900, it is a name given to any bed that can be folded up against a wall or hidden and exposed as the home owner pleases. The Murphy Bed has risen back into prominence in contemporary design due to its ability to work around the increasingly smaller and space constrained living spaces available in most modern cities. It also has functional and aesthetic value to larger rooms and houses, lending flexibility and a sense of space to the living area. Here we have listed out some of the iconic Murphy Beds from over the last century.

1. Piano Bed

The famous Piano Bed is a variation on the most popular form of the Murphy Bed which involves a cabinet or mantlepiece that can be folded out to form a bed. this was especially important in the 19th and 20th century due to the fact that it allowed families of less than noble heritage to maintain a parlor room and a bedroom with the only room they had. The Parlour room was seen as a sign of opulence, wealth and high social status. Therefore there was a race to turn various pieces of furniture in the parlour room into a foldable bed. The Piano is probably the most amazing such innovation, for believe it or not, the piano bed above is both a functional piano and a bed.
Piano1

Piano2

2. Elevator Murphy Bed

The elevated bed is a fresh invention from modern living spaces. It borrows its cues from automated multi level car parking systems, and incorporates a simple pulley that is capable of lifting the bed to the ceiling and bringing it to floor level, as the use case demands. This system works especially well because it does away with the folding mechanism, which is often seen as being unsafe, and unreliable.
Elevator

3. Tardis Murphy Bed

For fans of the Dr. Who series, there is the opportunity to live out your dreams, literally speaking, and pull down the TARDIS, to get your cozy, comfortable bed. This guarantees instant sleeping pleasure.
Tardis

4. Dorm Murphy Bed

This idealised Dorm room makes excellent use of space and aesthetics, providing a student with all the usual features of a dorm, with half the space, but twice the luxury and feeling of airiness. This is a good example of the kind of problem that the Murphy Bed can solve.
Dorm

5. Locker Murphy Bed

The classic locker bed is one of the most popular Murphy Bed constructions on the market today with many DIY guides available as well. This is sure to attract sports fans who can flaunt their favourite players names and numbers during the day, and yet have a comfortable bed to sleep in at night.
Locker

6. Murphy Bunk Bed

The murphy bunk bed uses all the innovative features of the murphy bed, and applies it to the more complicated problem of providing more than one bed in a living space. As can be seen from the concept above, the Murphy Bed does an amazing job in fitting two beds where there was previous only space for one.
Bunk Bed

7. DIY Murphy Beds

The modern DIY versions of the original Murphy beds are by far the most popular. A lot of people build it themselves, and unlike some of the more fancy ones on this chart, these beds simpler, more traditional Murphy beds are amazing in their own right, because they offer endless customisation options to furniture makers and house owners, and provide all the features of the Murphy Bed. The most amazing thing about the DIY beds are how well integrated these products look into the decor of the room.
DIY

8. Pet Murphy Bed

The last bed on the list, is the award winning pet Murphy bed, because there is absolutely no reason that your pets should not enjoy the same luxuries as you, and the pet Murphy bed accomplishes the important task of keeping the pets living area out of view when not needed, but warm and comfortable for your adorable pets during the night.
Pet

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

comfort and soothe your baby



Your baby's foot is divided into different zones. By applying gentle pressure to certain areas, you will be able to soothe and comfort and thereby providing relief from discomforts while bonding with your baby!


Tuesday, April 22, 2014

REVISED MAJA BLANCA RECIPE

REVISED MAJA BLANCA RECIPE

4 cups coconut milk
3/4 cup cornstarch
1 cup condensed milk
3/4 cup fresh milk
1/2 cup sweet corn cream-style
1/2 cup toasted grated coconut

Heat coconut milk in a cooking pot. After it has come to a boil, simmer on medium heat for 30 to 40 minutes while stirring occasionally, with pot partially covered.
Add condensed milk and sweet corn cream-style. Mix them well all together and bring to a boil again. Simmer for 10 minutes.
While simmering the coconut mixture, combine the fresh milk and cornstarch then whisk until the cornstarch is fully dissolved.
Pour the fresh milk and cornstarch mixture in the cooking pot and stir thoroughly.
Allow to cook while stirring constantly for 10 more minutes.
Pour the mixture in a molding tray (8 x 8) and then flatten the top using a flat tool such as a wooden spatula. Garnish with toasted grated coconut (or grated cheese).

Allow maja blanca to cool before serving. Do not refrigerate. Best consumed immediately after it has cooled down but if there are leftovers, you may store it inside a flat container with cover and put inside the refrigerator.

*How to toast the grated coconut
Heat a pan and put grated coconut. Stir until coconut turns light brown. Continue stirring on low heat for about 10 minutes more. Transfer to a small bowl. 

Monday, April 21, 2014

Fart: odor

FART: odor



Fart, something that is always present in our daily life. Sometimes sounding "loud", sometimes slowly, sometimes smelly, and sometimes also without the smell. But you know what it really fart? What is the benefit for the body and the people who breathe it? Read on this article.

Not just any wind wind. The wind on this one between hate and longing. Hate when people are removing it. Missing a day when it does not feel it. And anxious, if not removing it's been two weeks. But clearly, everyone will need it. Actually fart is interwoven process of spending excessive gas in the intestine through the anus. And this happens more often just before a bowel movement. Many factors determine the level of someone farting frequency. One is from the usual diet and also the influence of certain drugs such as antibiotics for example.

Normalised how healthy someone fart? On average frequency of a healthy person farts about 10 to 14 times a day. And if stored, the volume produced each time the wind fart between 400 to 1,600 ml per day.

The process of Farts
Fart from the digestive process begins in the stomach. When the process of digestion and absorption of food occurs in the small intestine, food that can not be digested and poorly absorbed into the body will be disposed of large intestine or colon. Well, in fact this is happening colon fermentation process which, among others, produced a number of gas-assisted by a number of bacteria that dwelt in the gut.

When we refer to these processes occur, it could be concluded that the more someone is eating foods that are difficult to digest the gut, it also increases the fermentation process carried out by bacteria. As a result of gas production also increased. Type of gas produced in the gut include carbon dioxide (CO2), hydrogen (H2) and methane. Although there is also a source of gas in the gut that comes from outside air, such as nitrogen (N2) and oxygen (O2). Outside air can come from the activity ingested food that is not true. That habit of chewing gum, installation of false teeth that are less precise, and so forth.

Aroma Source Fart Odor
In general, not all farts smell less pleasant. Occurrence of a less pleasant odor when fart more often caused by the decay process by the metabolism of bacteria in the colon due to bleak smell of sour foods that do not fit the ability of the digestive organs. In addition, strong-smelling foods such as banana, durian and jackfruit similar to jackfruit can also cause smelly fart.

Based on research, odorless gas that typically consists of 5 gas components, namely nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen, methane and carbon dioxide. This gas is the fifth largest share of fart. Well, if the fart that smells, usually there are additional other gases that accompany such skatol, indole, hydrogen sulfide, and short-chain fatty acids. These gases, although present in small amounts can cause nose piercing smell.

How Not To Fart Odor
There are tips that the author can be shared here about how the way for odorless gas, ie with bowel movements as often as possible. Food scraps that are too long cooped up in the colon that has been shaped dirt, like garbage would produce a less pleasant odor. If the feces is removed quickly, the colon will quickly empty and gas is in it too quick exit.
However, if the stool in the colon is too long buried and not also issued within a maximum of 18 hours, the smell of gas will increasingly accumulate and stinging. So when we're going to fart, gas should come out no smell, the smell will diboncengi kototan that have not been removed earlier. The result farts will stink.


You can test this author's experience. Try it in your bowel movements a day at least 2 times a day ie morning and prophecy, surely you will not smell farts. But also try not to defecate more than a day, let alone added up to three days .... oh, please you differentiate the results. Let alone you, ants and the lizard who is around you too will quickly evacuate made, mistaken for trash Mount Merapi wedhus second stage

Thursday, April 17, 2014

Most Amazing Elevators Ever Built

The many wonders of technology just keep on evolving with newer sleeker designs. From simple pulley lifts we now have lifts that cover skyscrapers in less than a minute. Read further for 10 of the most insane lifts ever built by man!
Hammetschwand Elevator (Switzerland)
Europe's highest exterior elevator, The Hammetschwand Lift is located in Switzerland and overlooks the serene Lake Lucerne. Built and opened by the Schindler Group the life carries passengers 153 meters upto the summit of the Hammetschwand in less than a minute.
Hammetschwand Elevator - 1


Hammetschwand Elevator - 2
Hammetschwand Elevator - 3

Taipei 101 (Taiwan)
The world's fastest elevator travelling at a speed of 16.3 m/s belongs to the Taipei 101, formerly known as the Taipei World Financial Center. Taipei 101's elevators sweep visitors from the fifth floor to the 89th-floor observatory in only 37 seconds.[24] Each elevator features an aerodynamic body, fullpressurization, state-of-the art emergency braking systems, and the world's first triple-stage anti-overshooting system.
Taipei 101
Louvre Elevator (France)
If you thought glass elevators were cool, then check out this one, which boasts a slide-out walkway. This hydraulic elevator at the louvre in paris is one of only a few in the world. Looking like something from a sci-fi film, the open lift quietly and smoothly rises from the floor at the press of a button
Louvre Elevator
louvre-elevator-staircase
Bailong Elevator (China)
One of the craziest glass elevators in the world, the Bailong Elevator is built off a cliff dropping 1,070 feet. The construction built onto the side of a huge cliff in the Wulingyuan area of Zhangjiajie, began in 1999 and was opened to the public in 2002. The environmental effects of the elevator have been a subject of debate and controversy, as the Wulingyan area was designated a World Heritage Site in 2002.
Bailong
Santa Justa Lift (Portugal)
Built in the historical city of Lisbon, Portugal, the Santa Justa Lift connects the lower streets of the Baixa with the higher Largo do Carmo. A tourist attraction, the lift is the only remaining vertical one. Others, including Elevador da Glória and Elevador da Lavra, are funiculars, and the other Lift constructed around the period, the Elevator of São Julião has since been demolished.
Santa Justa
Space Needle (Seattle, Washington):
Built for the 1962 World's Fair during which time the elevators to the towers rotating upper level serviced nearly 20,000 people a day. The upper level currently features an observation deck, a gift shop, and the famous rotating SkyCity restaurant. The elevators travel at 4.5 m/s and te whole trip takes 41 seconds, with tourists often waiting in hour long lines to ascend to the top of the tower.
Space Needle Elevator
The Gateway Arch (Missouri):
Designed by Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen and German-American structural engineer Hannskarl Bandel in 1947, the Gateway arch stands a whoping 630 feet high. Near the top of the arch, passengers exit the tram compartment and climb a slight grade to enter the arched observation area. There are 32 windows (16 per side), each measuring 7 by 27 inches (180 mm × 690 mm) and allowing views across the Mississippi River and southern Illinois. The arch has become the iconic image of St. Louis, appearing in many parts of city culture.
Gateway Arch
Inside of Gateway Arch Tram Car
Lacerda Elevator (Brazil):
The elevator itself is one of the popular landmarks in Salvador de Bahia, Brazil. The people of the city and tourists alike take the elevator to get up to the mountain. You can enjoy one of the best ice creams in the city at a small shop within the station, once you are on top. This is where the common historical landmarks begin in the city as well after you get on the mountain. During Carnival there are concerts that are held in the square and there is also a carnival route through the area as well. I would highly recommend that you go to Carnival in Salvador as its the Brazil’s Carnival and you get to be with mostly Brazilians rather than tourists.
Lacerda Elevator
Eiffel Tower (France)
One of most beautiful structure to grace the face of the planet, The Eiffel Tower is part of this list but not for its symbol, instead for its elevator. The original elevators to the first and second floors were provided by two companies. Both companies had to overcome many technical obstacles as neither company (or indeed any company) had experience with installing lifts climbing to such heights with large loads.
Eiffel Tower
Eiffel Tower Lift
Luxor Inclinator Elevator (Nevada):
In Las Vegas, Nevada, at the Luxor Hotel, is the Inclinator. The shape of this casino is a pyramid. Therefore, the elevator travels up the side of the pyramid at a 39 degree angle. Although people refer to this "inclined elevator" as an inclinator, this is incorrect.

Luxor Hotel

Luxor Inclinator

Close Up Inclinator

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Monday, April 14, 2014

amazing images of extremely cold weather

A few weeks ago the polar vortex swept over North America. Researchers say it’s the worst blizzard since the one that hit New York in ’77. Following you will see some of the breathtaking and astonishing images from areas affected by blizzards.
Temperature dropped so low that vehicles had layers of ice on them, so much so, that trying to open a door would result in a broken door handle.

Here in sub zero temperatures of the Polar Vortex, Fire fighters wrestle a blaze.

Fish froze in mid-swim in their shoal near Lovund, a small island just a few milesfrom the northern shores of the Norway mainland. It was only -7 degrees, but the wind chill was cold enough to freeze a large amount of fish in place.

The winter storm Hercules even caused Hell to freeze over, well Hell in Michigan. The storm had -37 degree wind chills.

An ice cover lighthouse that overlooks Lake Michigan, the structure starts to look a little bit like a Buddhist temple.

Sub Zero temperatures may even turn boiling water to freeze to snow in a matter of seconds, although playing the fool with it might still land you with a nasty burn.

The famous Niagara Falls freezes mid flow, you can see parts still flowing while others have frozen solid.

Some conditions get so bad that people that had swimming pools in the back landed up with a giant block of ice.

New York’s famous subway network filled with snow because of winter storm Hercules.

If a frozen swimming pool wasn’t bad enough, imagine your toilet bowl water frozen. The polar vortex cause toilet bowls to freeze solid.