Although the terms cement and
concrete often are used interchangeably, cement is actually an
ingredient of concrete. Concrete is basically a mixture of
aggregates and paste. The aggregates are sand and gravel or
crushed stone; the paste is water and Portland cement.
Cement is a fine binding powder, which is never used alone. It
is made most commonly of limestone, clay, shells, and silica
sand. These materials are crushed and then combined with other
ingredients (including iron ore), and then heated to about 2,700
F. This material, called Clinker, is ground into a fine powder.
It is used to make both concrete and mortar.
Both mortar and concrete are widely used building materials. They
cannot be substituted for each other without compromising the
integrity of a build.
Concrete is much stronger and more durable than mortar.
Because it needs a low water to cement ratio, it is much thinner
when mixed, making it difficult to use as a bonding element.
Concrete is used in structural projects and is often reinforced
with steel rebar to maintain its structural integrity. It is
best used for support, such as beams, walls, or other building
foundations. Its unique characteristic is that it starts out as
a simple, dry mixture, becomes a liquid flexible material
capable of forming into any mold or shape, and ends up as a
hard-as-rock material.
Gunite is a very
durable mixture of cement, sand, and water that is sprayed on a
surface under pneumatic pressure. It is used for tunnels,
underground structures, slope stabilization, structural repairs,
and swimming pools. Gunite or shotcrete material is mortar or
small-aggregate concrete applied using a wet or dry process.
Mortar is used
to hold building materials such as brick or stone together. It
is composed of a thick mixture of water, sand, and cement. The
water is used to hydrate the cement and hold the mix together.
The water to cement ratio is higher in mortar than in concrete
in order to form its bonding element. When mixed, it is a much
thicker substance than concrete, making it ideal as a glue for
building materials like brick.
Bottom line, a hydrated cement mixture forms the base of all
three materials, the rock chipping in cement makes it much
stronger for use in structural projects, and mortar is thicker,
which makes it a better bonding element.
Incidentally, the name Portland cement comes from Joseph
Aspdin, who first produced cement during the 1800s in England.
He thought its color was like the color of stone from quarries
on the island of Portland off the coast of England.
Mar 30, 2018
Two Cool Tips
To correct misspelled words, press the Ctrl key and hit
backspace to eliminate the whole word. Beats backspacing to
delete each letter individually.
Finding shiny objects. If you drop something shiny, like an earring, or change, turn off the lights and use a flashlight. It should shine and stand out from its surroundings.
Finding shiny objects. If you drop something shiny, like an earring, or change, turn off the lights and use a flashlight. It should shine and stand out from its surroundings.
Essential Oils
Essential
oils are not essential to our lives, but they are essential.
The name means 'essential' in the sense of 'containing the
essence' or as in pure essence. Essential oils are made from
pure extracts of the plant, which makes them healthier to burn
in an oil burner and generally non-toxic as opposed to fragrance
oil which is only scented with the plant's essence.
Poo Paper
Researchers presented their results at the 255th National
Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society.
The idea for the project germinated on Crete, where Alexander Bismarck, Ph.D., noticed goats munching on summer-dry grass in the small village where he was vacationing. "I realized what comes out in the end is partially digested plant matter, so there must be cellulose in there," he recalls.
After working with goat manure, Bismarck, who is at the University of Vienna, Austria, his postdoc Andreas Mautner, Ph.D., and graduate students Nurul Ain Kamal and Kathrin Weiland moved on to dung from horses, cows and eventually elephants.
The supply of raw material is substantial: Parks in Africa that are home to hundreds of elephants produce tons of dung every day, and enormous cattle farms in the U.S. and Europe yield mountains of manure, according to Mautner.
The researchers treat the manure with a sodium hydroxide solution. This partially removes lignin, which can be used later as a fertilizer or fuel, as well as other impurities, including proteins and dead cells. To fully remove lignin and to produce white pulp for making paper, the material has to be bleached with sodium hypochlorite. The purified cellulose requires little if any grinding to break it down into nanofibers in preparation for use in paper, in contrast to conventional methods.
"You need a lot of energy to grind wood down to make nanocellulose," Mautner says. But with manure as a starting material, "you can reduce the number of steps you need to perform, simply because the animal already chewed the plant and attacked it with acid and enzymes. You inexpensively produce a nanocellulose that has the same or even better properties than nanocellulose from wood, with lower energy and chemical consumption," he says.
The dung-derived nanopaper could be used in many applications, including as reinforcement for polymer composites or filters that can clean wastewater before it is discharged into the environment.
The idea for the project germinated on Crete, where Alexander Bismarck, Ph.D., noticed goats munching on summer-dry grass in the small village where he was vacationing. "I realized what comes out in the end is partially digested plant matter, so there must be cellulose in there," he recalls.
After working with goat manure, Bismarck, who is at the University of Vienna, Austria, his postdoc Andreas Mautner, Ph.D., and graduate students Nurul Ain Kamal and Kathrin Weiland moved on to dung from horses, cows and eventually elephants.
The supply of raw material is substantial: Parks in Africa that are home to hundreds of elephants produce tons of dung every day, and enormous cattle farms in the U.S. and Europe yield mountains of manure, according to Mautner.
The researchers treat the manure with a sodium hydroxide solution. This partially removes lignin, which can be used later as a fertilizer or fuel, as well as other impurities, including proteins and dead cells. To fully remove lignin and to produce white pulp for making paper, the material has to be bleached with sodium hypochlorite. The purified cellulose requires little if any grinding to break it down into nanofibers in preparation for use in paper, in contrast to conventional methods.
"You need a lot of energy to grind wood down to make nanocellulose," Mautner says. But with manure as a starting material, "you can reduce the number of steps you need to perform, simply because the animal already chewed the plant and attacked it with acid and enzymes. You inexpensively produce a nanocellulose that has the same or even better properties than nanocellulose from wood, with lower energy and chemical consumption," he says.
The dung-derived nanopaper could be used in many applications, including as reinforcement for polymer composites or filters that can clean wastewater before it is discharged into the environment.
Shipping Someone
The Urban Dictionary's definition of shipping is a term used
to describe fan fictions that take previously created characters
and put them as a pair. It usually refers to romantic
relationships, but it can refer platonic ones as well. Think of
“shipping” as short for “relationSHIP”.
JPG vs. HEIF
Have you noticed some pictures on i devices and in Windows 10
now have an extension of HEIF (High Efficiency Image File
Format), instead of JPG (Joint Photographic Experts Group)?
It is a new designation for pictures and supports bonus features, such as it can accommodate live photos, bursts of photos, 3D scene data useful for special effects, audio, and more. As a container, HEIF can actually accommodate multiple compression technologies. When used with HEVC video compression, the resulting files are called HEIC images.
It compresses the file size to roughly half the size of JPG files to save space. The quality is reported to be identical.
Apple is using is also using it as a new standard, so you will be seeing more of these picture file types. Incidentally, it is usually pronounced heef.
It is a new designation for pictures and supports bonus features, such as it can accommodate live photos, bursts of photos, 3D scene data useful for special effects, audio, and more. As a container, HEIF can actually accommodate multiple compression technologies. When used with HEVC video compression, the resulting files are called HEIC images.
It compresses the file size to roughly half the size of JPG files to save space. The quality is reported to be identical.
Apple is using is also using it as a new standard, so you will be seeing more of these picture file types. Incidentally, it is usually pronounced heef.
Mar 16, 2018
Happy Friday
Smiles are like music to soothe a happy soul.
I love a good tune, especially on a Happy Friday!
I love a good tune, especially on a Happy Friday!
Happiness is Contagious
A joint venture study by Harvard University
and the University of California at San Diego, followed 5,000
people over a 20-year period. The family, coworkers, and
neighbors of these individuals were also followed, involving at
least 50,000 people in the process. The researchers determined
how happy the participants were by administering standard
happiness assessments, where subjects responded to statements,
such as "I feel hopeful about the future," "I feel I am just as
good as other people," and "I am happy."
According to the results, if a friend who lives within a mile of you gets happy, your chances of happiness increase by 25 percent. If that happy friend lives closer to you, you have a 42 percent chance of being happy yourself, showing that proximity to happy people makes a difference. In fact, neighbors of happy people feel the effect more than family members do. Siblings who live close to a happy sibling increase their likelihood of happiness by 14 percent, while next-door neighbors of the happy individual have a 34 percent benefit, even if the neighbors are not friends. The happiness effect lasts up to a year. "We know it's not a 'birds of a feather flock together' effect," said one of the study authors, Nicholas A. Christakis of Harvard University.
Your happiness can affect the happiness of someone you have never met. However, work colleagues seem immune to the benefit. Partners and spouses are less receptive than friends, with only an eight percent benefit from a happy spouse. Good news the researchers found was that while happiness spreads, unhappiness does not spread as much.
"You would think that your emotional state would depend on your own choices and actions and experience," said Dr. Christakis. "But it also depends on the choices, and actions, and experiences of other people, including people to whom you are not directly connected. Happiness is contagious."
Happiness has a significant impact on health. All of which means that it pays to live next to healthy, happy individuals. This study indicates that when you do something right for yourself, the ripples of that positive choice extend farther out into the world than you might have thought.
According to the results, if a friend who lives within a mile of you gets happy, your chances of happiness increase by 25 percent. If that happy friend lives closer to you, you have a 42 percent chance of being happy yourself, showing that proximity to happy people makes a difference. In fact, neighbors of happy people feel the effect more than family members do. Siblings who live close to a happy sibling increase their likelihood of happiness by 14 percent, while next-door neighbors of the happy individual have a 34 percent benefit, even if the neighbors are not friends. The happiness effect lasts up to a year. "We know it's not a 'birds of a feather flock together' effect," said one of the study authors, Nicholas A. Christakis of Harvard University.
Your happiness can affect the happiness of someone you have never met. However, work colleagues seem immune to the benefit. Partners and spouses are less receptive than friends, with only an eight percent benefit from a happy spouse. Good news the researchers found was that while happiness spreads, unhappiness does not spread as much.
"You would think that your emotional state would depend on your own choices and actions and experience," said Dr. Christakis. "But it also depends on the choices, and actions, and experiences of other people, including people to whom you are not directly connected. Happiness is contagious."
Happiness has a significant impact on health. All of which means that it pays to live next to healthy, happy individuals. This study indicates that when you do something right for yourself, the ripples of that positive choice extend farther out into the world than you might have thought.
World Happiness Report
The United States has dropped four spots in the latest World
Happiness Report ranking. It has now dropped to 18th spot (from
14th) in the annual ranking, which is published by the
Sustainable Development Solutions Network, a United Nations
initiative.
The new report lists 156 countries by their happiness levels. The rankings are based on results from Gallup World Poll surveys. Researchers used factors including income, healthy life expectancy, social support, freedom, trust, and generosity to measure happiness.
Finland was ranked number one, with Norway second, and Denmark third. Rounding out the top ten are Iceland, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Canada, New Zealand, Sweden, and Australia.
The new report lists 156 countries by their happiness levels. The rankings are based on results from Gallup World Poll surveys. Researchers used factors including income, healthy life expectancy, social support, freedom, trust, and generosity to measure happiness.
Finland was ranked number one, with Norway second, and Denmark third. Rounding out the top ten are Iceland, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Canada, New Zealand, Sweden, and Australia.
Caffeine
Caffeine is an odorless alkaloid. It is a natural ingredient
that is found in the green coffee bean. It is also found in a
number of other plants, including tea, cocoa, kola, guarana, and
yerba mate. Caffeine, used by people is the largest psychoactive
stimulant, which speeds up the central nervous system.
Caffeine affects all of us differently. Where some might be able to fall asleep soon after drinking coffee, some might not.
Recent international studies have shown that caffeine has demonstrated protective effects against Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease when consumed in moderation.
Caffeine enters your blood stream through the lining of your mouth, throat, and stomach. Your stomach contents can account for different effects of caffeine. It can take up to forty-five minutes for the majority of caffeine to be absorbed and the effects can last up to three hours.
A cup of coffee contains 98.6% water, which means 1.4% of that cup is dissolved coffee solids. Caffeine is 1.2% of that 1.4% coffee.
Incidentally, the US, drinks the most coffee, 400 million cups per day.
Caffeine affects all of us differently. Where some might be able to fall asleep soon after drinking coffee, some might not.
Recent international studies have shown that caffeine has demonstrated protective effects against Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease when consumed in moderation.
Caffeine enters your blood stream through the lining of your mouth, throat, and stomach. Your stomach contents can account for different effects of caffeine. It can take up to forty-five minutes for the majority of caffeine to be absorbed and the effects can last up to three hours.
A cup of coffee contains 98.6% water, which means 1.4% of that cup is dissolved coffee solids. Caffeine is 1.2% of that 1.4% coffee.
Incidentally, the US, drinks the most coffee, 400 million cups per day.
Coffee Bean Types
The two species of
coffee beans most widely cultivated commercially are Coffea
arabica (Arabica) and Coffea canephora (Robusta).
The
coffee that most are accustomed to is made from arabica beans
which typically have better flavor. Arabica comprises about 75-80% of world
production.
Estimates of caffeine content average about 1% for Arabica beans and 2% for Robusta beans by weight.
Starbucks advertises that it only uses arabica beans, Even though its coffee consistently is rated with higher caffeine than Dunkin Donuts, McDonalds, etc.
There are a number of techniques in brewing coffee: concentrate brewing, Turkish or Greek, vacuum brewing, percolating, the French press (also called press pot or plunger coffee), and drip or filter coffee. Assuming that the brewing method stays the same, the finer you grind coffee, the more caffeine it will release.
Temperature is also an important factor. Proper coffee extraction happens between 195-205 degrees, however most drip brewers only reach about 190 degrees. Espresso machines usually brew at near boiling temps. With French press coffee, you have total control over the temperature with the option of pouring boiling water (212 degrees) over the grounds. Water temperature can vary by brewing method, with the hotter the water, the better the extraction. With better extraction comes better tasting coffee and caffeine extraction.
Brewed coffee requires that the water is in contact with the grinds for a long time, this leads to a higher caffeine concentration. Espresso actually has the lowest caffeine content at 100 mg per 2 ounces. However, if you consider the amount of caffeine per ounce, espresso has more caffeine than drip coffee. Coffee brewed in the French press has 107.5 mg per 7 ounces. Drip brewed coffee is highest, with 145 mg of caffeine per 7 ounce cup. Generally, for brewed coffee, two tablespoons of ground coffee is used per 6 fluid ounces of water.
Light, medium, and dark flavors are an indicator of flavor strength, with the dark roasts having the boldest tastes. The darker the beans, the longer they have been roasted. The loss of caffeine from light to dark is minimal, regardless of what many web sites show.
Factors, in addition to brewing process that affects the amount of caffeine: variety of coffee bean, roast level, temperature of water, amount of coffee, brew time, grind level, and beverage size.
Bottom line - longer brewing time, fine ground, robusta equals more caffeine.
Shorter brewing time, course ground, arabica, (light, medium, or dark roast) equals less caffeine.
Estimates of caffeine content average about 1% for Arabica beans and 2% for Robusta beans by weight.
Starbucks advertises that it only uses arabica beans, Even though its coffee consistently is rated with higher caffeine than Dunkin Donuts, McDonalds, etc.
There are a number of techniques in brewing coffee: concentrate brewing, Turkish or Greek, vacuum brewing, percolating, the French press (also called press pot or plunger coffee), and drip or filter coffee. Assuming that the brewing method stays the same, the finer you grind coffee, the more caffeine it will release.
Temperature is also an important factor. Proper coffee extraction happens between 195-205 degrees, however most drip brewers only reach about 190 degrees. Espresso machines usually brew at near boiling temps. With French press coffee, you have total control over the temperature with the option of pouring boiling water (212 degrees) over the grounds. Water temperature can vary by brewing method, with the hotter the water, the better the extraction. With better extraction comes better tasting coffee and caffeine extraction.
Brewed coffee requires that the water is in contact with the grinds for a long time, this leads to a higher caffeine concentration. Espresso actually has the lowest caffeine content at 100 mg per 2 ounces. However, if you consider the amount of caffeine per ounce, espresso has more caffeine than drip coffee. Coffee brewed in the French press has 107.5 mg per 7 ounces. Drip brewed coffee is highest, with 145 mg of caffeine per 7 ounce cup. Generally, for brewed coffee, two tablespoons of ground coffee is used per 6 fluid ounces of water.
Light, medium, and dark flavors are an indicator of flavor strength, with the dark roasts having the boldest tastes. The darker the beans, the longer they have been roasted. The loss of caffeine from light to dark is minimal, regardless of what many web sites show.
Factors, in addition to brewing process that affects the amount of caffeine: variety of coffee bean, roast level, temperature of water, amount of coffee, brew time, grind level, and beverage size.
Bottom line - longer brewing time, fine ground, robusta equals more caffeine.
Shorter brewing time, course ground, arabica, (light, medium, or dark roast) equals less caffeine.
Snooze Your Facebook Friends
After
all that caffeine, maybe you need a snooze. Facebook
has a feature that you can shut down a friend's
posts for thirty days. They will not be notified. Great
for someone who is inundating everyone with the latest adventure,
vacation, election, new baby, new car, etc.
When you see a post in your feed from a friend, whom you want to snooze click or tap the three dots in the top right corner of the post. In the menu that opens, click or tap the option that says Snooze [Name] for 30 days. You can also snooze your friend's friends the same way. Think of it as temporary relief. Also, if you change your mind, you can unsnooze. I have not found the option in my feeds, but many say it works great.
You can do the same procedure if you decide to unfollow someone. Unfollowing a friend is permanent, until you go to their page and change it. Also, it does not notify them either way.
When you see a post in your feed from a friend, whom you want to snooze click or tap the three dots in the top right corner of the post. In the menu that opens, click or tap the option that says Snooze [Name] for 30 days. You can also snooze your friend's friends the same way. Think of it as temporary relief. Also, if you change your mind, you can unsnooze. I have not found the option in my feeds, but many say it works great.
You can do the same procedure if you decide to unfollow someone. Unfollowing a friend is permanent, until you go to their page and change it. Also, it does not notify them either way.
Jelly Bean Winner
Easter is coming and one of the popular treats
for Easter is jelly beans. A new survey by
CandyStore.com says it surveyed over ten years of sales data and
over 12,000 people to reach its standings of favorite jelly bean
flavors by state and then an overall winner and new jelly bean
champion.
Cherry jelly beans are favored by five states, black licorice jelly beans are favored by seven, and the winner, butter popcorn is favored by ten. The overall winner by count is also butter popcorn. The sweet and salty flavor beat last year’s winner, (my personal favorite) black licorice.
Cherry jelly beans are favored by five states, black licorice jelly beans are favored by seven, and the winner, butter popcorn is favored by ten. The overall winner by count is also butter popcorn. The sweet and salty flavor beat last year’s winner, (my personal favorite) black licorice.
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