Everything About Wood

Sunday, 12 June 2016

What Causes Family Stress?

Stress can interrupt family functioning and may negatively influence the general well-being of everyone involved. There are many possible sources of stress, and you may find yourself experiencing multiple at the same time. Though some stress is inevitable in the family unit, too much can contribute to increased dysfunction. Knowing some of the contributing factors will help you be better prepared to adapt to stressful situations and to avoid some of the negative consequences.

Unemployment, working long hours and other financial or work-related problems can make family obligations difficult. Not making enough money or living in poverty, for example, creates economic strain in the household and can increase stress levels. This can result in constantly worrying about money and not being able to meet the needs of your family. Being unhappy with your job or having little time to spend doing other things can also lead to family stress.

Increased arguments and loss of family resources can result from having to deal with addiction. Instead of only having to worry about typical family obligations, effort must also be spent dealing with problems associated with addiction such as legal issues, encouraging the addict to stop and engaging in treatment. This increases conflict and takes away from focus on other interactions and family issues, says Dr. Elizabeth Connell Henderson in her book “Understanding Addiction.”

The presence of children in the household can also be a source of stress.Some issues, such as chronic physical or mental health problems, are particularly stressful and require long-term commitment of time, energy and emotion that exceeds what is typically associated with child-rearing, says Dr. Gary W. Peterson and Dr. Charles B. Hennon in the book “Families and Change: Coping with Stressful Events and Transitions.” Excessive arguing between siblings can also contribute to family stress by disrupting normal patterns of interaction.

Stress can also be associated with certain professions that are characterized by possible violence, injury or death. Military families that have to deal with the separation associated with deployment and have limited contact with loved ones may feel isolated, anxious or unsupported, which contributes to stress, says an article published by the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry entitled “Families in the Military.” Other professions that may create family stress and worry are police officers and firefighters.

www.livestrong.com

How to Read Body Language While Dating

Knowing how to read your date's body language signals will help you understand where you stand with your date. Everybody has different quirks and habits, of course, but some common body language signals are universal. You can understand a lot from watching how a person uses his body – and he doesn’t even have to say a single word. Remember, however, to relax and enjoy the experience, and don't focus too much on analyzing your date's body language.

As the saying goes, "The eyes are the window to the soul" and, yes -- eye contact is often the best way to tell whether someone is attracted to you. If your date isn't making eye contact with you, or if he won't meet your gaze when you look at him or he’s constantly looking around the room, it could be that he's just not that interested in you -- or, he could be shy. Positive signs are if your date maintains good eye contact, and occasionally drops his gaze to look at your mouth before he looks back into your eyes. This is what Judi James, author of "The Body Language Bible," says is a definite sign that someone is attracted to you -- and more specifically -- is thinking about kissing you.

Hand gestures can reveal a lot about how a date is going. Men and women use different hand gestures to flirt, states eHarmony. A man may touch his chest or smooth his hair during conversation, and a woman may twirl her hair around her fingers, fiddle with her jewelry or bring her hands up to her face. It is also a good sign if your date's palms are open, says Jeremy Nicholson, doctor of social and personality psychology. Beware if your date has closed hands or is scratching his nose or rubbing the back of his neck. These types of hand gestures can indicate discomfort or uncertainty.

If your date makes actual physical contact with you, you should have no doubt of her interest. Your date might try to find excuses to touch you. She might lightly touch your arm when she emphasizes a point during conversation, brush past you unnecessarily to get to the bar or use her foot to touch yours under the table. If she takes advantage of any opportunity to reduce the physical distance between the two of you, this is a positive sign. If your date backs away from you, you should take this as a sign that she hasn’t made up her mind how she feels about you, warns Nicholson.

If it looks like your date is “copying” your movements, that’s a good sign. Mirroring, which is the act of unconsciously copying another’s movements, reveals common ground and mutual attraction, says Tracey Cox, a body language and relationship expert. If you want to put this theory to the test, Cox suggests that you cross your leg and then uncross it, and see if your date does the same. If your date opens his body to the room instead of you, or crosses his arms in front of his chest or bites his lips or nails, the date is not going so well, warns James.

www.livestrong.com

How Many Calories Should I Eat at Breakfast?

By the time you eat breakfast, you've deprived your body of calories for as long as 12 hours, depending on when you ate your last meal and how long you slept. This means that your brain, which must have glucose to work, lacks energy, and your metabolism desperately needs fuel to kick-start it into action. In short, the calories you eat for breakfast have a big job to do, so it’s important to consume a sufficient amount.

You can determine the precise number of calories you should consume at breakfast by calculating a percent of your total daily calories. If you regularly eat three meals and two snacks, your breakfast should contain 25 percent of your total calories. This percentage is based on a plan that devotes three-fourths of total daily calories to three meals and the remainder to two snacks. The goal of this type of plan is to eat about the same number of calories at each meal, so if you eat three meals daily without snacks, or you prefer six smaller meals, then divide your total calories by the number of meals.

If you’re not following a strict diet, you can simply go by generic guidelines. Columbia University recommends consuming 350 to 500 calories at breakfast. If you eat fewer than 350 calories, you won’t get enough energy to boost your metabolism and to carry you through to the next meal. On the other hand, more than 500 calories may be more energy than you need, which means the excess calories will be stored as fat. This range works well for many people, but if you typically consume more than 2,400 calories daily, you may need 600 calories or more for breakfast.

The Institute of Medicine recommends consuming 45 percent to 65 percent of your total daily calories from carbohydrates and 10 percent to 35 percent from protein. The remaining 20 percent to 35 percent of your calories should come from fats. Your breakfast should include all three macronutrients in about the same proportion, but the range gives you some leeway to design meals that work for you. If you want a boost of protein, your breakfast calories could include 30 percent protein, 50 percent carbs and 20 percent fats. In that scenario, a 500-calorie breakfast would consist of 150 calories from protein, 250 from carbs and 100 calories from fat.

Make sure your breakfast calories are packed with nutrients. Choose whole grains over refined grains because they provide healthy carbs, fiber, vitamins and minerals. Eggs, low-fat milk and yogurt, as well as nut butters, are good sources of protein -- and they also provide a serving of fat. While eggs are high in cholesterol, current research shows that consuming up to one egg daily does not increase the risk of heart disease in healthy people, according to the Harvard School of Public Health. If you’re bored with typical breakfast foods, Clemson Cooperative Extension recommends thinking outside the box: Try eating leftovers from dinner or your favorite sandwich.

www.livestrong.com

How Much Jogging Is Too Much in a Week?

Jogging 15 miles per week may prove to be too taxing on the body of a beginning jogger, while someone who has been jogging for years may jog 15 miles in one weekend as part of her normal routine. Olympic athletes train for hours every day without adverse health effects, but if average exercisers attempted to mimic their workouts, they might find themselves injured and exhausted in a matter of days. When figuring out how much jogging is too much for you, avoid comparing yourself to others. Instead, focus on how you feel during and after your workouts and stick to the following guidelines to prevent injuries and overtraining.

According to fitness author and professional triathlete Brendan Brazier, joggers and runners aiming to increase mileage either for fitness or in preparation for a race should stick to the 10 percent rule. This guideline suggests increasing your weekly mileage by no more than 10 percent of the previous week’s mileage. For example, if you are used to jogging about 20 miles per week and want to start jogging more, you can safely jog 22 miles next week, then 24.2 miles the following week. For joggers training for a distance race, aim to increase your long run by one mile until you can jog 10 miles comfortably, then feel free to tack two miles onto your long run each week until you reach your desired distance. Adding mileage slowly allows your muscles to adapt to the added strain while still allowing sufficient time for recovery

Cross training can be an important training tool for joggers seeking to improve speed and fitness and prevent overuse injuries. Instead of jogging six days per week, which may put a strain on leg muscles and lead to soreness or injury, try jogging four to five days a week and cross training on the remaining one to two days. Cross training can be any exercise that keeps you in shape for your main sport. Bill Pierce, the director of the Furman Institute of Running and Scientific Training in Greenville, S.C., says in a "New York Times" article that sticking to one type of exercise such as jogging can create muscular imbalances. Working different muscle groups not only will make you a better jogger, but also will reduce your risk of injury. If you feel you may be jogging too much, try cycling, swimming and strength training to incorporate other muscle groups and give your body a break from jogging.

According to registered dietitian Jackie Dikos, a contributor to "Running Times Magazine," joggers aiming to lose weight should eat 2.3 to 3.2 grams of carbohydrates per pound of body weight and 0.6 to 0.8 grams protein per pound of body weight each day. For a 150-pound jogger, this translates to 345 to 480 grams of carbohydrates and 90 to 120 grams of protein daily. Aim for fiber-rich carbohydrates such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and lean protein sources such as white meat poultry, salmon, tuna, egg whites, low-fat dairy, beans and tofu. The more you jog, the more fuel you’ll need, so increase calories appropriately when you add miles to your weekly routine.

Because the number of miles that can lead to overtraining varies from person to person, it’s important to pay attention to signals from your body that may indicate too much jogging. Signs of overtraining include exhaustion, lack of appetite, decreased athletic performance, frequent illness and insomnia. If you think you may be jogging too much, chances are you would benefit from cutting back. If you've been overtraining for months, you may need to stop jogging and focus on rest and recovery until your body returns to normal. However, if you recognize the signs of overtraining early, you can regain your jogging mojo by taking one to two extra rest days per week and shortening your other jogs. When you start to feel stronger, increase mileage slowly following the 10 percent rule and add calories into your diet accordingly.

www.livestrong.com

Is Dry Mouth a Sign of Low Potassium & Sodium?

Dry mouth, formally known as xerostomia, is a condition that occurs when you don’t produce enough saliva to keep your mouth moist. You can develop dry mouth for a number of reasons. However, the condition is not a typical sign or symptom of low levels of either potassium or sodium.

Anyone can develop a dry mouth during periods of stress, nervousness or any other emotional upset, according to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. However, if you regularly have a dry mouth, your condition may stem from additional outside factors. Known potential causes of ongoing dry mouth include use of medications such as antidepressants or antihypertensives, tobacco use, nerve damage in your head or neck, and the effects of chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Aging can also cause dry mouth in association with other risk factors. In addition, dry mouth can be a symptom of serious health problems such as diabetes, anxiety disorders, Parkinson’s disease, depression, Sjogren’s syndrome or HIV/AIDS.

You need sodium in your system to maintain blood pressure and a normal balance of bodily fluids, as well as normal function in your nerves and muscles. Low sodium, formally known as hyponatremia, when your sodium levels drop relative to your body’s water content. In some cases, actual sodium loss accounts for this imbalance. In other cases, water levels increase relative to sodium levels. Known potential symptoms of hyponatremia include nausea, vomiting, muscle spasms, muscle weakness, fatigue, irritability, headache, appetite loss, convulsions, confusion, hallucinations, diminished consciousness and coma.

If you regularly experience dry mouth, see your doctor or dentist for a diagnosis of potential problems. If treatment is required, it will typically vary with the underlying cause of your condition. Potential options for dry mouth treatment include adjustment of medications that may be causing your symptoms, use of medications that improve your saliva output and use of artificial saliva products. You can also ease the effects of dry mouth with steps that include avoiding caffeinated drinks, avoiding alcohol and tobacco, sucking on sugarless hard candy and regularly sipping water or sugarless drinks. Consult your doctor for more information on hypokalemia and hyponatremia.

www.livestrong.com

Drying Related Strain Development in Restrained Wood

DOI:: 10.1080/07373930801944697

Author

Ciprian Lazarescu^a^* & Stavros Avramidis^a

pages 544-551

Publishing models and article dates explained

Published online: 04 Apr 2008

Abstract

The objective of this study was to investigate elastic, viscoelastic, mechanosorptive, and plastic strains developed by the drying process in perpendicular-to-grain restrained western hemlock specimens. Drying tests were performed on small, clear wood specimens sawn in such a manner that either the tangential or the radial direction was parallel to their length, where stress driven deformation rates were determined using resistive transducers. Different mechanical restraint schemes were designed by using weights for partly and a load cell for totally restrained specimens. The difference from previous research done in this domain was the restraining technique, which allowed stress to be induced by the drying process, thus, wood was forced to lift the weight as it reached the fiber saturation point. Drying rates were determined gravimetrically on free specimens having similar wood structure. Experiments with free and restrained specimens were carried out simultaneously while drying at 40, 60, and 80°C, down to 17, 12, and 6% target moisture contents. Overall, the magnitude of restrained shrinkage was successfully quantified and separated in free, combined viscoelastic and mechanosorptive and plastic strains. In all these preliminary experiments the dimensional change started at high overall moisture contents, temperature and environmental conditions being key factors. The results can be used to assess the stress indirectly by studying the restrained strain together with moisture content value.

For further details log on website :
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/07373930801944697#abstract

The Use of Woody Constructions for Strip Roads Based on the Durability of Used Woods

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DOI:: 10.1080/08435243.1993.10702654

O. Iwakawa^a

pages 41-47

Publishing models and article dates explained

Published online: 18 Jun 2013

Abstract

This research discusses the possibility of using woody constructions, for example retaining walls, based on the durability of used wood for strip roads under long-term use. Used woods having a reliable record were adopted as samples. Their durability was compared with that of fresh wood (as standard samples) by means of Brinnel hardness, compression strength and bending strength. Visually, three layers were seen from the dug-out round wood crosssection: a decayed sapwood, discoloured sapwood and sound heartwood. From the results of three tests it was confirmed that the heartwood was still sound in spite of 17 years of use.

For further details log on website :
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/08435243.1993.10702654#abstract

The Use of Ozone to Kill Fungi in Wood

DOI:

10.1080/01919510903044044

Adam Taylor^a^* & Jeffrey J. Morrell^b

pages 333-335

Publishing models and article dates explained

Received: 2 Sep 2008
Accepted: 12 Jan 2009
Published online: 22 Jul 2009

Abstract

Systems for the controlled generation, circulation and destruction of residual ozone have been commercialized and these systems could be used to eliminate pests from solid wood packaging materials such as pallets. A preliminary test with small cubes showed that ozone fumigation could kill decay fungi in wood. Subsequent trials with larger wood samples were less ineffective, suggesting that the inability of ozone to penetrate deeply into wood will limit its potential for pest mitigation.

For further details log on website :
http://www.tandfonline.com/action/doSearch?AllField=Wood

How to Lose Weight Working the Night Shift

Working the night shift can take a toll on your physical health and well-being, causing disruptions in sleep, diet and exercise. Creating a strategy for proper nutrition, self-care and exercise will help you drop pounds and achieve a healthy weight. Consult with your physician before starting an exercise program.

Losing weight means creating a calorie deficit. Reduce your caloric intake by 250 to 500 calories for a healthy weight loss of 1 to 2 pounds a week. It can be hard to turn down sugary snacks and fatty foods when you are tired, so planning and prepping healthy food is essential if you work the night shift. Eating snacks and meals that consist of complex carbohydrates, protein, healthy fat, fruits and vegetables helps you maintain your sugar levels and energy throughout the night. Skip the candy and soda, and opt for nutritious snacks. Peanuts, fruits, hummus and vegetables, whole-grain crackers, low-fat yogurt and fruit smoothies are all examples of easy and nutritious food.

Talk to management about the food options in the vending machine or cafeteria, and suggest ways to make them more nutritious. For example, many hospitals offer healthy soups and salads throughout the night, reports National Public Radio. The Cleveland Clinic stopped offering sugary drinks, muffins and cakes in 2010 to encourage healthy eating, says NPR. Voicing your needs and advocating change helps create an environment friendly to weight loss.

Night work disrupts your circadian rhythm, the body’s internal clock for waking sleeping. While you can’t control your internal system, small steps can help you get the sleep your body needs to function and lose weight. A lack of sleep slows down your metabolism, makes it harder to turn down foods that pack on the pounds and zaps energy to exercise. Switching off your phone and avoiding sensory stimulation after work helps your body transition into sleep mode. Reading a book, calling a friend or watching a movie may help you unwind, but they can prevent you from getting much-needed sleep. Resting in a dark, cool and quiet room allows your body go through uninterrupted sleep cycles.

Creating an exercise plan specific to working the night shift will help you lose weight. Too much stimulus before bed may interfere with your sleep, and exercise may keep you up. Going to the gym on your way to your shift is a way to schedule exercise into your daily routine. If you don't want to go to the gym, slot time at home to run, do a workout DVD or lift weights. Doing 150 to 300 minutes of cardio and two or three resistance-training sessions each week will help you drop pounds. While shift workers, such as nurses and fireman, may not have a lot of predictability in their day, small efforts do contribute to weight loss. Jump rope, take a quick walk or do jumping jacks during a break.

www.livestrong.com

Night Shift Diet

Many hospital staffers, factory workers, security guards and even white-collar employees are just starting their workdays when other people are going to bed. On the night shift, normal eating and sleep routines are disrupted. To avoid weight gain, digestive problems, insomnia and increased risk for disease, make sure your night shift diet minimizes processed and fatty foods, emphasizes healthy snack choices and limits caffeine.

Instead of waiting until you start work on the night shift to eat your biggest meal of the day, have dinner well before you report to your job. This will give you energy to perform your work effectively and will be less disruptive to your regular schedule. The group Dietitians of Canada recommends eating at around 6 p.m. if you are working overnight. That way, you can enjoy a nutritious meal with your family instead of fried or fatty cafeteria fare, and you’ll avoid the digestive problems like heartburn and constipation that may occur when you eat a heavy meal too late at night.

If you wait until you’re at work to have dinner, make your calories count. Choose lean protein like poultry, tuna or beans and fiber-filled whole grains and vegetables for sustained energy to help you power through your shift. But what if your cafeteria offers less than nutritious fare or you have to rely on fast food for your meal? Consider brown-bagging it, especially if your workplace has a microwave and refrigerator. Pack a turkey sandwich on whole-wheat bread, for example; a brown rice salad made with chicken breast or tofu and chopped veggies; or a hearty vegetable and bean soup.

Unless you’re an ER staffer or an assembly-line worker, the night shift can get boring, and you may find yourself turning to snacks to make time pass more quickly. In fact, snacking behaviors tend to increase among night shift workers, according to an article published in “Sports Medicine” in 2008. Pack healthy, protein- and fiber-rich snacks to fill you up so you can bypass the sugary and salty fare stocked in many workplace vending machines. Bring low-fat Greek yogurt and a handful of almonds; hummus and carrots; string cheese with a piece of fresh fruit; or nut butter with whole-grain crackers and apple slices.

Drinking plenty of fluids on the night shift helps you stay hydrated so you remain alert. Sip water, herbal teas and low-sodium vegetable juices to prevent dehydration. The caffeine in coffee will give you a boost that banishes grogginess, but it can cause the jitters. In addition, caffeine can stay in your system for up to eight hours, disrupting sleep after your shift. Limit caffeine to 400 milligrams a days -- no more than four small cups -- and stick with noncaffeinated beverages within four hours of bedtime, the Dietitians of Canada website advises.

www.livestrong.com

Blog List

Sunday, 12 June 2016

Work and Financial Problems

Addiction

Issues with Children

Stressful Jobs

Eye Contact

Hand Gestures

Physical Contact

Mirroring Movements

Personalized Calculations

General Guidelines

Calories per Macronutrient

Make Them Nutrient-Dense Calories

Safe Jogging Guidelines

Cross Training

Fuel for Joggers

Signs of Overtraining

Dry Mouth Causes

Low Sodium Symptoms

Dry Mouth Treatment

Abstract

Eat Well

Influence Your Environment

Get Your Zs

Get Moving

Time for Dinner

Night Shift Dinner Choices

Snacks for Shift Workers

Hydrating Beverages