Window seats on planes can up the risk of DVT

Sitting in a window seat of an aeroplane during long distance flights can increase the risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT), doctors say.

A window seat is one of the risk factors for DVT in long distance travellers outlined in new guidelines by the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP), which say that a person's individual risk factors for blood clots should be taken into account before being offered preventative medicines.

Other risk factors highlighted include being elderly, pregnant or taking oral contraceptives.

The experts also say that so-called '"economy class syndrome" is a myth, as the risk of developing a blood clot during a long haul flight is the same for those travelling in first or business class.

Deep vein thromboses are blood clots which usually develop in the legs. If a clot breaks away, it can cause a potentially fatal blockage in the lungs known as a pulmonary embolism.

The new guidance, published in the journal Chest, says the risk of developing a blood clot on a long distance flight is "very small" for most people, but was strongest for flights taking longer than eight to ten hours, particuarly in those with other risk factors.

Prolonged sitting, such as in a window seat of a plane, where someone is less likey to get up and move around, can also increase the risk of DVT.

Guidelines co-author Dr Mark Crowther from McMaster University, Ontario, said: "Travelling in economy class does not increase your risk for developing a blood clot, even during long-distance travel.

"However, remaining immobile for long periods of time will. Long distance travellers sitting in a window seat tend to have limited mobility, which increases their risk for DVT. This risk increases as other factors are present."

Smoking and obesity were also identified as risk factors, but the doctors said they found no "definitive evidence" that either dehydration or drinking alcohol boosted the risk of DVT.

Medical conditions which can put a person at increased risk include having had recent surgery, a family history of blood clots and having heart disease.

The guidelines recommend that all long-haul passengers should take preventative measures such as getting out of their seats and walking around, and calf muscle stretches.

In addition to this, people at higher risk of DVT should sit in an aisle seat if possible and wear below-knee graduated compression stockings, they advised.

The doctors also advised against the use of aspirin or any other anti-coagulant medication to prevent DVT in long-distance travellers.

Drugs which can prevent blood clotting should only be considered on an individual basis for those at a higher risk of DVT as the "adverse effects may outweigh the risks," they said.

Dr Gordon Guyatt, who chaired the panel of experts which drew up the guidelines, said: "There has been a significant push in health care to administer DVT prevention for every patient, regardless of risk.

"As a result, many patients are receiving unnecessary therapies that provide little benefit and could have adverse effects."

"The decision to administer DVT prevention therapy should be based on the patients' risk and the benefits of prevention or treatment."

How to Deliver Challenging Projects

There are 5 classic signs of a "challenging" project. We’ve described them below and offer you advice for managing them:

 Tight Deadlines

If your project deadline is practically unachievable, then here's what to do. First, try and get it delayed. If you can't, then immediately replan your project so you know by how much you will be late. If it’s more than 10% then try and find more resource to help you deliver it more quickly. And if you can’t get the resource, then reduce your scope. Identify non-critical deliverables and get your sponsor to agree that you can complete those deliverables after the deadline has passed.

Otherwise, you need to revisit the tasks in your plan to see if you can produce the same deliverables, with less tasks and effort than before.

Limited Budget

If your budget has been cut back, then try and find another sponsor in your business to provide the additional funding required. If cash flow is the problem, then negotiate with suppliers to take delayed payments. Use internal resource rather than external contractors, as they are usually cheaper. Rent equipment rather than buy. Re-negotiate with your suppliers to reduce their deliverables and therefore, their costs. And lastly, reduce staff overtime and offer them unpaid leave when they have down time.

 Resource Shortage

If you don't have sufficient resource to complete the project, then take these steps. Review your deliverables and ensure you focus on the critical ones first. Try and find people in your business that can be succeeded to your project, without you being charged. If you can't, then you need to work incredibly smart. So take time out each day to prioritize your tasks and ensure everyone is spending their time wisely. Work extra hours if necessary, but don't burn out. You can only work smart if you’re "as fresh as a daisy".

Scope Changes
If your scope is constantly changing, then you need to nail it down. Start by identifying the tasks on the "critical path" and sticking to them, regardless of the change requests that arise. Identify your project priorities and get them approved by your sponsor. Make sure each priority is linked to a business objective, so that they are harder to change.

Being a Super-Hero

Does everyone expect you to be a super-hero by delivering your project with less time, budget and resource than you need? If so, don't worry - it's normal. The trick is to manage people's expectations, by under promising and over delivering. Keep people well informed, so they know what you'll deliver, how and by when.

By taking these tips, you can deliver challenging projects with a smile, and gain a reputation for super-hero like qualities!

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..Things You Didn’t Know About the Facebook Like Button

By Mike Krumboltz | Yahoo! Finance

Share0EmailPrint.....It's just a little, clickable icon. But Facebook's "Like" button, with its omnipresent "thumbs up" symbol, has made the company billions of dollars. The story of the button's creation can be traced to a core group of Facebook veterans.

Facebook Director of Engineering Andrew Bosworth posted his version of the button's history on Quora.com in 2010. Bosworth writes that he and a small group of co-workers worked on the project, codenamed “Props.” They debated other ideas including plus/minus signs and star ratings. According to Bosworth’s post, the Like button was originally going to be called the "Awesome" button. Apparently, founder Mark Zuckerberg put the kibosh on that idea.

 The idea for the Like button began in 2007, according to Bosworth. There has been some debate over the years over whether Facebook copied the "Like" name from rival site FriendFeed. According to Bosworth, Facebook was working on the concept months before Friendfeed pushed out its own "Like" feature. Facebook unleashed the Like button in February 2009.

Whatever the timing, the success of the button can't be overstated. Rapper Eminem is the most "liked" person on Facebook. As of press time, the Detroit native had more than 52.5 million "likes." Others in his rarefied air include Lady Gaga (47.5 million), Rihanna (50.8 million), and Katy Perry (39 million).

The button itself is clicked millions of times every hour. Facebook doesn't publicly release stats on just how popular the button is, but back in 2010 (which, we admit, is an eon in Web years), 7.6 million pages were "liked" every 20 minutes, according to independent blog Business and Facebook.

According to Facebook's recent S1 IPO filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the site's users "generated an average of 2.7 billion Likes and Comments per day during the three months ended December 31, 2011." Break those numbers down, and it comes out to 112,500,000 Likes and Comments ever hour or about 1,875,000 every minute or, to break it down even further, around 31,250 Likes and Comments every second.

Awesome Photographs Incredible

Awesome Long Exposure Photography

Autumn Trees and Winding Path Hand-Painted Oil Canvas

Paths are synonymous with journeys, whether actual physical journeys or ones taken in a figurative sense to show the natural progression of our lives and the choices we make.  This very beautiful “Around the Tree” hand-painted canvas portrays a path winding around a small group of trees in a seemingly deserted and barren landscape. It’s brown, red and orange colors suggest it is set in the autumn months whilst the sky behind leads us to believe it is a dawn scene with the sun rising.

It’s both slightly melancholy and undeniably cheerful all at the same time. The loneliness of the path and landscape are balanced with a joyful anticipation that whatever has happened previously, there is brightness and happiness about to pop over the horizon. The trees can be symbols of mankind and almost appear to be human figures gazing towards the light. What you take from this oil painting will be dependent on your own experiences and what is taking place in your life now. With paintings like this, we are allowed to construct a narrative ourselves with which the artwork becomes ever more special in meaning.

 The hand-painted oil on canvas autumn trees scene is individually created and thus no two pieces are alike. A painting like this will look splendid in a living room, bedroom, or dining room where it will contribute to the general décor scheme of the interior whilst also offering an aesthetic focus and perhaps a helpful contrast. Slightly philosophical art pieces like this one also fit well into more cerebral environments such as home libraries, home offices, as well as meditation/yoga spaces. If you like art with a lot of contemplative value then this delightfully rich autumn tree scene with winding path will suit your tastes.

Top tips to start every day refreshed and focused

The best ways to get the most out of (y)our mornings, so that yo(u(s)) start every day feeling refreshed and focused.

Your morning ritual is something which shapes how you feel for the rest of the day. If you’re someone who constantly reaches for the snooze button again and again, then chances are you end up prizing yourself out of bed, only to feel rushed and frantic because you're running late.

Okay, some of us are just not ‘morning’ people, but you can make yourself go some way to becoming one just by modifying your morning routine. The following tips focus on how to improve how you feel from the very moment you wake.

Move your alarm clock

You may want to have you alarm clock close to hand so you can constantly keep leaning over and pressing it for a few extra minutes snooze time. The reality is it doesn’t really help. Place your alarm just that bit further away so that you really have to stretch or even get up to reach it — any stretching movement stimulates the waking part of the brain.

Avoid caffeine
It may be through habit that one of the first things we do when we get up is go straight for the caffeine hit, but this should be avoided if possible. Since your body has been several hours without fluid, what you need is a proper rehydrating drink such as freshly squeezed orange or grapefruit juice. A cup of hot water with a touch of lemon and honey is also a good way to start the day. If you can, add some ginger this acts as an extra boost your circulatory system.

Exercising in the morning
Although many of us probably don’t feel like it, a bit of morning exercise will help. We are not talking about a full-on several-mile run, just some activity to increase your body temperature, and get your metabolism and enzyme activity kick-started. This could involve just doing a few basic stretches or even jogging on the spot. If you do fancy taking on something more energetic in the morning, then ensure that you have thoroughly warmed-up.

Deep breathe

There is often a sense of anxiety ahead of a stressful day and sometimes we are far from relaxed when we get up. To get your body into a state of relaxation, it is important to control the functions of the body, like the beating of the heart and breathing properly. A good method is to try 2:1 breathing, this is easy and really effective you gently slow the rate of exhalation so that you are exhaling twice as long as you are inhaling.

Surroundings
Your surroundings can have an impact on your mood from the moment you wake. If you wake up surrounded by clutter, then that is hardly going to get you off to the right start. Keep your bedroom as clutter free as possible. You can also pay attention to your décor — certain colours can be good for your mood, choose something that uplifts you. If possible have some green plants in your bedroom — a little bit of greenery can do wonders to enhance your mood and positivity.


Good posture

Your body position is fundamental, bad posture has the effect of limiting the flow of oxygen through your body, meaning you are not getting the maximum benefit, and waking your body up will be a real struggle. Pay attention to straightening your posture, feet flat on the floor, hold your stomach in and extend up through your spine. These small movements will work wonders and act to relieve tension before you get out and face the day ahead.

Breakfast
Is this the most important meal of the day? Yes! After a long sleep, breakfast is responsible for replacing your liver glycogen, which helps you stay focused and switched-on throughout the morning. Choose your breakfast carefully — sugary breakfast cereals only give you a quick hit and can rapidly wear off. The best bet is to eat some protein combined with carbohydrate to help maintain your alertness throughout the morning. If you find yourself hungry before you have even reached work, you might want to consider eating part of your breakfast at home, and then preparing the remainder to have at work.

These simple changes to your morning ritual will be strange at first but they will slowly become habit and then second nature — before you know it bleary eyed, groggy mornings will soon be a distant memory.

To get refreshed and focused — start tomorrow

Thanks for realbuzz.com

Muhammad Bin Musa Al-Khwarizmi

Mathematician, Astronomer, and Geographer, was born in a small town south of the river Oxus in Persia (Kheva, a place located in what is present day Uzbekistan) around 770. His family name indicates that he was from Khwarizm and that one of his ancestors was a Magus, or priest of Zoroaster. Although little is known about Al-Khwarizmi, he was one of the most influential of all Arab mathematicians.

Al-Khwarizmi flourished while working as a member of the House of Wisdom in Baghdad under the leadership of Kalif al-Mamun, the son of the Khalif Harun al-Rashid, who was made famous in the Arabian Nights. The House of Wisdom was a scientific research and teaching center.

It was Al-Khwarizmi's most famous book called Hisab al-jabr w'al mugabalah that we derive the name "algebra", the European corruption for the word al-jabr. The title is translated to mean "the science of reunion and reduction." These words refer to the systematic study of the solution of linear and quadratic equations. His book on algebra gave a name to this branch of mathematics.

Al-Khwarizmi's most recognized work, and one that is so named after him, is the mathematical concept Algorithm. The modern meaning of the word relates to a specific routine for solving a particular problem. Today, people use algorithms to do addition and long division, principles that are found in Al-Khawarizmi's text written over 2000 years ago. Al-Khwarizmi was also responsible for introducing the Arabic numbers to the West, setting in motion a process that led to the use of the nine Arabic numerals, together with the zero sign.

Al-Khwarizmi was also a noted astronomer, writing books on astronomy and astronomical tables. In addition, under his leadership, a group of geographers produced the first globe of the known world.

The key to good architectural photography

The key to good architectural photography is to point the camera straight at the subject. You don't want to shoot as an angle. That's about it-- if you shoot straight, 95% of the job is done. No special lens is required. Shooting straight requires:

1. Ideal shooting position is halfway between the top and bottom of the building (or area of the building). This, of course, requires a ladder, or shooting from the building across the street. Horizontal position is obviously directly opposite the middle of the building, which is often helpfully marked with a door or window.

2. Hold the camera with the image plane (back of the camera) exactly parallel to the building. This is tricky and takes some practice. On a positive note, you don't have to hold it perfectly still, because the building is happy to sit still for you.

3. Often, a picture is a bit more exciting if someone is walking by, or if there is an object to grab the eye in front of the building. In the picture illustrating this step, the lamp-post adds a little something extra.

4. Avoid any distracting elements-- that include:
-- lampposts (almost never look good unless they are at the edges, and then only if they are distinctive)
-- cars (death to most photographs because they destroy that "what year is it?" quality, and tend to block the front of buildings)
-- strange things in the background or foreground, like wires or satelite dishes

5. A word on lighting: buildings always look best an hour before sunset or an hour after dawn, and generally look better on slightly cloudy days. Bright light, particularly in the afternoon, will cast harsh shadows that make buildings look bad. Avoid shooting at noon at all costs. Avoid any shot where you can see clearly delineated shadows, unless they really work.

Contemporary Kid’s Play Kitchen with Built-In Sound Effects

Children love to imitate adults and the things they see around them. When it comes to the kitchen environment, a lot of things are too dangerous for little kids to play with but that needn’t mean the fun of the kitchen cannot come to them in another format. The contemporary kid’s play kitchen, as seen below, is a replica of a modern and stylish kitchen that will focus your children’s attention and provide them with hours of fun, happiness and creative endeavors.

The Lifestyle Dream Kitchen features all the devices, appliances and fittings you would expect to see in a real kitchen interior. There’s an oven, a microwave, a refrigerator, sink, cupboards, overhead light and phone. A 37 piece accessory set which includes bowls, cups and cutlery are also present and together with the steel, wood and granite décor effects, the kid’s play kitchen is a highly realistic toy for your little child. However, that’s not all, for what distinguishes this play set from others are the cool sound effects.

 When a toy pan or pot is placed on one of the stove burners, a sound effect is heard, imitating the sound of either boiling water or that of a frying pan, depending on which burner it is placed. The microwave and phone also have distinct sounds which will delight children and make the overall kitchen very realistic and familiar. An overhead light switches on and off whilst various knobs and taps can be turned and pulled. 

 The play kitchen is extremely sturdy and faces up to rigorous play. It is large enough to keep a child entertained but small enough to be placed in just about any interior environment without become a burden. This means it can be situated in a living room, bedroom or playroom depending where the child’s activities are most often enjoyed.

Entry Hook for Keys and Coats Shaped Like an “At Sign” (@)

A contemporary home needs a stylish hallway in which to meet and greet visiting friends and guests. This “At Sign” (@) entry hook for keys, coats, scarves, bags and hats is an ideal wall fixture for an entryway of a home which has a decidedly technological and computer themed décor arrangement or style. It’s also the perfect gift to give someone you know who either works online for a living or who devotes much of their spare time to endeavours on the World Wide Web.

The “At Sign” (@) is most recognised now as the symbol which is incorporated into all email addresses and symbolises the word “at”. Also known by the names ampersat, apetail, arroba, atmark, and acosta, the symbol did in fact pre-date the internet age and was, and still is, the abbreviation of the accounting and commercial invoice term “at the rate of”. When the “@” first came into being is much debated with some historians suggesting it comes from Medieval monks whilst others believe it was introduced by merchants from the Italian Renaissance.

 Whatever the origins, the “At Sign” is now one of the most recognised symbols in the world. This entry hook is made from die-cast aluminum and features a circular enclosure in which to place keys and other small objects you like to keep close at hand when exiting the home. The long curving hook of the “@” allows for a couple of items to be hung, either at the bottom or over the top, depending on the object. The hook is simple yet bold and captures the fascination and omnipresence of the internet world in all our lives, whether we like it or not. For most people, it’s a fun distraction and handy resource in our day-to-day lives.

Citizen Office

Vitra’s New Office Furniture Blurs Line Between Work and Play
Citizen Office taps Naoto Fukasawa, the Bouroullecs, and others, to create a contract furniture collection perfectly suited to the relaxed work environment of the day.

 “We believe you should use an office like you would a city,” says Jo Kaiser, managing director of the North American operations of Vitra. Kaiser is explaining “Citizen Office”, a concept the Swiss-based furniture maker initiated in 1991 for an eminently configurable workplace environment that gives employees full range of the space. Almost 20 years later, Vitra is introducing some inventive new products that push the concept even further.

 The latest collection -- which has everything from sound-dampening room dividers to tables that double as lockers- gets at the crux of the informal way people work today. In the age of mobile technology and Xboxes in the break room, the old workplace hierarchies no longer apply. Instead, we’re seeing the rise of open-plan offices that take their design cues from how people actually want to work. Vitra believes the new model discourages repetitive movement and sedentary positioning that can put too much strain on the human body. And it claims workers are 30 percent more productive.

 Consider the “Communal Cells” by the French design duo Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec. Communal Cells are movable walls and acoustic neutralizers in one that can be used to set up little islands anywhere in the office. That means that, depending on your office’s plumbing, you can have a mini-kitchen smack dab in the middle of your work pen -- or a coat room or printing center, for that matter. Workers can set them up however they want.

 The moveable cells create a nice visual barricade, tucking away unsightly cords, and can quiet the incessant hum of office machines (and neighbors who spend all day on the phone). Vitra is introducing sofa-desk hybrids that take the notion of workplace relaxation and elevate it to high art. “Alcove Work,” by the Bouroullecs, is an office-sector extension of their 2006 privacy lounge concept, the high-backed “Alcove Sofa.” Here, they took a lounge chair and added a removable tabletop surface with storage. You can use it to tap away on a laptop or, let’s face it, take a nap.

It’d be easy to dismiss Citizen Office as shtick. Do companies really need plush desks and fancy mobile screens? Vitra reckons so, and the proof is in their numbers. For years, the company struggled to compete with American manufacturers who always won on price and volume. But the popularity of the open-plan has given Citizen Office new resonance. Vitra’s sales figures are up 40 percent over last year -- astounding when you consider there’s a recession going on.