Thursday, 12 March 2015

WORLD KIDNEY DAY 2015





World Kidney Day (WKD) is a global health awareness campaign focusing on the importance of the kidneys and reducing the frequency and impact of kidney disease and its associated health problems worldwide.
World Kidney Day is observed annually on the 2nd Thursday in March. Initially in 66 countries observed this date in 2006 (the year it started) and then this number rose to 88 in 2years. WKD is a joint initiative of the International Society of Nephrology (ISN) and the International Federation of Kidney Foundations (IFKF).
What are Kidneys?
The kidneys are complicated and amazing organs that do many essential tasks to keep us healthy. Each roughly the size of your fist, kidneys are located deep in the abdomen, beneath the rib cage. 


Functions of the Kidneys
The main job of your kidneys is to remove toxins and excess water from your blood. Kidneys also help to control your blood pressure, to produce red blood cells and to keep your bones healthy.

 

What is Chronic Kidney Disease?

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is a progressive loss in kidney function over a period of months or years. Each of your kidneys has about a million tiny filters, called nephrons. If nephrons are damaged, they stop working. For a while, healthy nephrons can take on the extra work. But if the damage continues, more and more nephrons shut down. After a certain point, the nephrons that are left cannot filter your blood well enough to keep you healthy.

When kidney function falls below a certain point, it is called kidney failure. Kidney failure affects your whole body, and can make you feel very ill. Untreated kidney failure can be life-threatening. 

 

What you should not forget:

  • Early chronic kidney disease has no signs or symptoms.
  • Chronic kidney disease usually does not go away.
  • Kidney disease can be treated. The earlier you know you have it, the better your chances of receiving effective treatment.
  • Blood and urine tests are used to check for kidney disease.
  • Kidney disease can progress to kidney failure.

To protect your kidneys, these tips can help:  
  • Drink good quantity of water daily - water satisfies thirst without any calories
  • Eat a healthy diet full of fresh fruit and vegetables
  • Maintain healthy cholesterol levels
  • Maintain healthy weight for your height
  • Be a non-smoker - smokers are 3 times more likely to have reduced kidney function
  • Make physical activity a regular habit - 30 minutes of regular moderate-intensity physical activity.
  • Drink alcohol in moderation
  • Take medications as prescribed by your doctor; don’t overuse pain-killers
  • Maintain a positive attitude, do things that help you to relax and reduce stress. 


Wednesday, 11 March 2015

10 Top Tips To Look After Your Mental Wellbeing

10 top tips to look after your mental wellbeing from the Mental Health Foundation



1. Eat a balanced diet and drink sensibly: Improving your diet can protect against feelings of anxiety and depression.

2. Maintain friendships: Just listening and talking to friends who are feeling down can make a huge difference. So make sure your devote time to maintaining your friendships both for their sake and your own.

3. Maintain close relationships: Close relationships affect how we feel - so nurture them and if there is a problem within a relationship, try and resolve it.

4. Take exercise: The effects of exercise on mood are immediate. Whether it is a workout in the gym or a simple walk or bike ride, it can be uplifting. Exercise can also be great fun socially.

5. Sleep: Sleep has both physical and mental benefits. Physically it is the time when the body can renew its energy store but sleep also helps us to rebuild our mental energy.

6. Laugh: A good laugh does wonders for the mind and soul.

7. Cry: It is good to cry. Even though it may feel terrible at the time, a good cry can release pent up feelings, and people often feel better afterwards.

8. Ask for help when you need it: The longer you leave a problem, the worse it will get. Don't be scared to ask for help from a family member, friend or professional.

9. Make time for you: Do you sometimes feel like you have no time for yourself? Make time for your hobbies and interests.

10. Remember, work isn't everything: Ninety one million working days a year are lost to mental ill-health in the UK so take it easy.


Tuesday, 10 March 2015

HOW SAFE ARE DRIVER-LESS CARS?


A recent report by the Institution of Engineering and Technology highlighted research that showed human drivers change their behaviour when using the same roads as autonomous cars.

Motorists were found to copy the driving style of the computer controlled cars by leaving less space between them and the vehicle in front, but were less able to react quickly.

However, many experts say that driverless cars could actually reduce the risk of accidents as computers are able to react a lot faster than humans.

Software that guide and control the cars will have to be written with a high degree of accuracy and contain fail-safes, while cars will need to be regularly maintained to ensure there are no faults. 

Google has also been teaching its vehicles to drive more safely by giving them instructions on 'defensive driving' styles.


They have also been experimenting with teaching the vehicles 'body language' to communicate with other drivers what its intentions are. 

Monday, 9 March 2015

Charge your phone with URINE


A prototype toilet that generates 'everlasting' electricity from urine has been launched near at a university bar.

The scientists behind the 'pee-power' toilet hope it can be used by aid agencies in disaster zones to supply much-needed electricity to refugee camps.

The technology uses microbial fuel stacks in the toilets, which feed on urine, creating biochemical energy that can be turned into electricity.



The urinal is the result of a partnership between researchers at the University of the West of England in Bristol and Oxfam. 

HOW IT WORKS

The units contain bacteria that breaks down the chemicals in urine, in the process releasing energy in the form of electricity which is stored on a capacitor within a fuel cell.

'The microbial fuel cells (MFC) work by employing live microbes which feed on urine for their own growth and maintenance,' explained Professor Ioannis Ieropoulos.

'The MFC is, in effect, a system which taps a portion of that biochemical energy.

'This technology is about as green as it gets, as we do not need to utilise fossil fuels and we are effectively using a waste product that will be in plentiful supply.' 




Sunday, 1 March 2015

SAFETY TIPS



1. High-risk situations
Do not start up or shut down equipment or installations without using the appropriate written operating procedure.
Any situation where the risk level is temporarily increased is reported. Induced risks are identified and analyzed and compensatory measures are implemented.

2. Traffic: Machine/vehicle/cyclist/pedestrians
Do not exceed the speed limits.
Traffic rules apply inside and outside sites.

3. Body mechanics and tools
Do not carry out work if you do not have the right tools for the job and the environment.
Adopting an inappropriate posture when handling objects or using tools can cause physical harm.

4. Protective equipment
Do not access installations and perform work without wearing general or task-specific personal protective equipment (PPE).
Collective protection is preferred. Individual protection completes preventive measures already taken.

5. Work permits
Do not perform work without a valid work permit.
Any work performed on site requires a permit.

6. Lifting
Do not walk under a load while lifting is taking place.
For any work involving a crane, hoist or other mechanical system, a preliminary risk analysis is required. Equipment must be in good condition. Personnel must be qualified and access to the area must be restricted.

7. Work on powered systems
Do not perform work without checking that the power and product source supply has been rendered inoperative.
Some works require the energy to be safely discharge or the equipment to be purged and vented. In such cases a lockout system is set up to isolate the energy or product according to a specific method.

8. Confined spaces
Do not enter a confined space until isolation has been verified and the atmosphere checked.
Do not enter a confined space (container, tank, well, etc…) without supervision and only after the atmosphere and isolation have been checked.

9. Excavation work
Do not perform excavation work without a valid work permit comprising a map of all underground hazards.
Manual or mechanical excavation work, including dragging rivers and seabeds, can only start after a risk analysis has been performed to identify all hazards in the zone and related precautions have been taken.

10. Working at heights
Do not work at heights without a safety harness when there is no collective protective equipment.
Work at heights is performed on fixed or mobile platforms with a guardrail designed for the task at hand.
Work on rooftops (buildings, reservoirs) is performed only after the roof's solidity has been checked and appropriate protection has been set up.
Ladders are a means of access only; their use must remain exceptional.

11. Change management
Do not make any technical or organizational changes without prior authorization.
Any changes in technique or organization must be the subject of a risk analysis.

12. Simultaneous operations or co-activities
Do not perform simultaneous operations or co-activities without a prior visit.
All work or operations inside a unit in operation can increase risk levels. Interferences due to simultaneous operations or joint-activities must be identified and controlled.