MTips

How to Have Perfect Buoyancy in Scuba
By Matt Wooddy
How to Have Perfect Buoyancy in Scubathumbnail A dive is only as good as the preparation.

The sport of scuba diving allows participants to reach new depths under water, as air supply from a tank to the person’s mouth regulates fresh air. However, this weighted tank hinders the buoyancy that each person’s body naturally has, therefore submerging needs to be balanced. Perfecting your buoyancy, or maintained position, in the water will ultimately affect how much air you use and how comfortable your dive will be. If you descend too quickly, your body will suffer from the water pressure and your dive will not be as enjoyable. If you do not descend quickly enough, you will struggle to reach your destination depth and air will be lost.

To Have Perfect Buoyancy in Scuba You’ll Need:

• Dive gear
• Dive weights

To Have Perfect Buoyancy in Scuba Instructions:

• Dress yourself in all the gear that you will be wearing for this particular dive. Body weight and muscle greatly affect how buoyant you are in the water. Therefore, you must determine your setup before altering anything. You may choose to wear a full wetsuit or a normal bathing suit, as both types of swim wear are acceptable.
• Sit on the edge of the boat or dock with your back to the water. Put your dive tank onto your shoulder, making sure your BC regulator, or breathing channel, is properly situated. Fix your mask and put your regulator into your mouth, slowly rolling backwards until you fall into the water.
• Float in the water to get a better understanding of how buoyant your setup already is. Fresh water and salt water affect you differently. Therefore, each dive is different. Salt water is a bit more forgiving with buoyancy, while fresh water will cause you to sink faster. Inflate your BC and take note of how you are positioned in the water. While on the surface, you want to spend less energy and air when floating in the water, and a full BC regulator allows for this.
• Add weight to your setup to even out buoyancy. Thicker wetsuits allow for optimum buoyancy, but weight belts create balanced flotation without the need for a larger outfit. Remove all of the air from your BC regulator, hopefully putting the water level near your mask. Add one or two pounds to a weight belt to allow you to descend more quickly.
• Descend down the rope or line you are using to steady this dive. Add a small amount of air to your BC as you descend to maintain a controlled dive, optimizing the buoyancy in this particular activity. Likewise, let air out of your BC slowly as you ascend to the surface. Quick descents or ascents can lead to harsh pressures on the body, leading to illness.

How to Determine Charge and Mass of Neutral Atoms
By Alane Michaelson
How to Determine Charge and Mass of Neutral Atomsthumbnail The table of elements lists every type of atom found on Earth.

Atoms make up everything around you, and they are made up of subatomic particles called electrons, neutrons and protons. Determining the mass and charge of an atom is important to understand the qualities of an atom and how it will behave in certain reactions. All atoms of the same element have the same number of protons, though the number of electrons can change. The atomic mass is the sum of the number of neutrons and protons in the atom.

To Determine Charge and Mass of Neutral Atoms Instructions:
Periodic table of elements

• Find the atom on the table of elements to determine the number of electrons and protons in the atom. For example, if you have to learn about a neutral carbon atom, the atomic number on the table of elements tells you the number of protons and electrons in a neutral carbon atom. In this example, the atomic number is 6, so that means there are six protons and six electrons. If you have an atomic diagram that depicts the subatomic particles, you must count them and identify the atom by locating the element that has the same number of protons on the table of elements.
• Compare the number of electrons to protons to determine the charge of the atom. If you already know your atom is neutrally charged, then you can skip this step. If you counted an atom diagram, compare the negatively charged electron total to the positively charged proton total. If there are more electrons, the atom has a negative charge and if there are more protons, it has a positive charge.
• Read the atomic mass or atomic weight from the Table of Elements to determine the atom’s mass. For example, with a neutral carbon atom the atomic mass is 12.0107. This number is a component of the Table of Elements because it conveys the number of neutrons in the atom.

How to Look Polished After 40
By Jennifer Patterson
How to Look Polished After 40thumbnail Use a few tricks and tips to create a polished look after 40.

Reaching the age of 40 is a milestone. It is common for some people to feel the need to make some changes to their appearance. While it is not necessary to go to the extreme, you can make some minor changes to enhance your appearance, creating a more polished look. When someone reaches the age of 40, that doesn’t mean that they have to dress a certain way. However, now would be the perfect time to assess your looks and try new strategies that will give you that polished look.

To Look Polished After 40 Instructions:

• Take good care of your teeth by practicing good oral hygiene and seeing your dentist at least twice a year. Teeth whitening is an effective method of getting rid of teeth stains, caused by things such as coffee or wine. Keeping your teeth in good shape can take years off your appearance when you smile.
• Keep your skin in good condition by exfoliating, choosing the right moisturizer and using hypoallergenic soap. Choose a moisturizer based on your skin type. For example, choose a moisturizer for oily skin if you have oily skin.
• Choose clothes that fit your body type. Pick clothing that conceal your flaws and accentuate your best assets. For example, if you have a rectangular shaped body, try simple tips such as wearing a belt or a sash around your waist. Choose tops that have extra detailing and skirts that flair away from your body.
• Change your hairstyle regularly to keep looking polished after 40. A simple trim of the hair ends or a cut every three to four weeks can keep your hairstyle looking fresh. Choose a stylist who understands your hair type. Ask your stylists about hairstyles that are suitable for the shape of your face.

• Make eye contact and have a great attitude, since this will go along with your new look.

How to Determine Types of Body Shapes
By Spencer Hope Davis
How to Determine Types of Body Shapesthumbnail Knowing your measurements is a first step to knowing your body.

There are four major types of body shapes, and it is a good idea to know which is yours. Figuring out your type can help you highlight where you carry most of your weight. This information is valuable in figuring out weight management and exercise plans that will work for you. It is not always comfortable to know what your measurements are, but once you do you can decide on a plan to get those numbers to meet your expectations.

To Determine Types of Body Shapes You’ll Need:

• Measuring tape

To Determine Types of Body Shapes Instructions:
How to Measure for Body Shape

• Look at the body you are trying to determine the shape for. This visualization is best done when stripped down to just underwear. If you are trying to discover your own shape, look in a mirror at yourself. See if your body brings to mind a particular shape.
• Measure your bust line. Stand up straight and take the tape measure and place it across your back and under your arms toward the front. Make sure the tape runs in the front at about nipple height. Write down this measurement.
• Measure your waist. Place the measuring tape around your waist so it falls to the level of your belly button. If this is not the smallest area of your midsection, adjust the tape and measure there. Note this number.
• Measure your hips. Take the tape and wrap it around the widest area of your hips. The tape should rest in the back on the top of your rear. Write down the measurement.

Body Shapes

• This is an example of a pear-shaped body type. You have a pear-shaped body if the measurements for your waist and hips are more than five inches different.
• This shape is especially true for you if you have a large difference between these two measurements, with the waist being the larger of the two. You will tend to carry most of your weight in your rear, hips and abdomen.
• This is an example of an hourglass body type. You have an hourglass body type if your chest and hips have similar measurements, but your waist is eight to 12 inches smaller than your hips. This is a classic curvy body type where most of your weight is carried in your chest and hips with a small waist.
• Cone-shaped body types have larger waist measurements. You have a cone-shaped body type if your waist measurement is 10 to 12 inches larger than your chest measurement. Most of your weight is carried in your chest, back and midsection.
• When there is almost no difference in measurements, that is a ruler body type. You have a ruler body type if there is almost no difference in your measurements. This type is often referred to as being an athletic body type. Runners often look like this because they burn a lot of calories and do not lift weights to make their chest or abdomen gain mass and inches.

How to Calculate Percent Change for CPI Index
By Carter McBride
The Consumer Price Index, or CPI, is a way to measure how much a certain group of items cost. This is a measurement employed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The percent change between one period’s CPI and another period’s is the inflation rate for that period. If the percent change is negative, the economy is undergoing deflation. CPI is released each month, and this measurement the basis for annual Social Security benefit increases.

To Calculate Percent Change for CPI Index Instructions:

• Find the beginning period’s CPI and the current period’s CPI from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The CPI is average amount a basket of goods and services cost at a given period of time. The base for the CPI is 100 and, as prices increase, the number rises from 100. For example, assume your first period the CPI is 119. Then, assume the current period’s CPI is 128.
• Subtract your beginning period’s CPI from the current period’s. In the example, 128 minus 119 equals nine. This is your change in CPI.
• Divide your change in CPI by the beginning period’s CPI to calculate the percent change in decimal form. In the example, nine divided by 119 equals .0756.
• Multiply the percent change in decimal form by 100 to convert it to percentage form. In the example, 0.0756 times 100 equals 7.56 percent.

Leadbeater’s Possum Facts
By Nancy Hayden
Leadbeater’s possum is a small Australian marsupial in the family Petauridae. It is closely related to a number of Australian gliding mammals and is the only species in its family that cannot glide. It lacks winglike membranes that are common in its close relatives and is considered one of the most primitive members of its scientific family.

To Leadbeater’s Possum Facts Instructions:

• Description - Leadbeater’s possum grows to be almost 12 inches long, nose to tail, and weighs around 5 ounces. It has a ratlike body shape with a gray-brown coat and a long, bushy tail. The possum has a darker-colored stripe running along its back, and its underside is a pale color. Its ears are large and rounded, and its eyes are large and circular. Faint black stripes are present above the eyes, along the cheeks and behind the ears.
• Habitat and Range - The species is native to Australia and is only found in a small, 2,100-square-mile region in Victoria’s remote highlands. It is considered one of the most remote populations of marsupials in the world. The possum is found living at altitudes between 1,640 to 4,921 feet in open forests. The area in which it lives tends to get large amounts of yearly rainfall. The possum needs dead trees in which to nest, and it prefers mountain ash. This nesting need limits the population size of the species.
• Diet and Predators – This possum finds much of its food under the tree bark of eucalyptus trees in the form of beetles, crickets and other invertebrates. The possum also feeds on certain tree and plant saps as well as the secretions of some insects. It spends much of its life living in the trees and is generally only at risk from birds of prey such as owls.
• Life Cycle – The species lives in small groups with six to eight individuals commonly sharing the same dead tree nesting site. Breeding takes place almost year-round with the exception of January and February. Pregnancies are short, lasting between 15 to 20 days, and the offspring immediately crawl to the mother’s pouch. After about three months they leave the pouch, but they are not weaned until they’re about 10 to 15 months old. Sexual maturity is reached at around 2 years of age.

Blue-Tongued Lizard Species
By Nancy Hayden
The blue-tongued skink, as the name suggests, has the distinction of possessing a large, deep blue-colored tongue. It is also the largest member of the skink family, which consists of about 600 different known species. The lizard is native to Australia, where two distinct subspecies exist: the eastern and northern blue-tongued skinks.

Blue-Tongued Lizard Species Instructions:

• Description - The blue-tongued skink grows to 2 feet in length and weighs a little more than 1 pound. The northern subspecies is slightly larger on average than the eastern variety. It has a thick cylindrical body type with small, underdeveloped legs. The skink has light brown and cream-colored markings along its back with a darker brown head and pale underside. Its skin is covered with small fish-like scales and is smooth to the touch. The species’ most distinctive feature is its colorful tongue.
• Habitat and Range – The lizard is found in eastern and northern Australia, New Guinea and the Island of Tasmania. The northern subspecies is found from Queensland to northwestern Australia, while the eastern is found from Victoria to eastern New South Wales. The main habitat types for the species include semi-desert regions, mixed woodland including rain forests and dry scrub land areas. It can be found in both coastal regions and farther inland.
• Diet and Predator Defense – The blue-tongued skink is an omnivore, meaning it will eat both meat and plant matter. Flowers, berries and fruits are common foods for the skink. Small invertebrates such as insects, worms and snails also make up a large part of the lizard’s diet. The skink has a number of predator defense styles such as the ability to expand its body and hiss like the deadly Australian puff adder. It also will aggressively stand its ground, biting onto an attacker and not letting go. If the lizard has to flee and the predator gets hold of its tail it can break off a section of the tail, which will eventually grow back.
• Life Cycle – The blue-tongued skink lives a solitary and secretive life, only coming together to breed. The skinks give birth generally during mid-summer, after a gestation period of about 100 days. The lizard’s eggs are hatched internally so offspring are born live and measure about 4 inches in length. Litters can range from 10 to 15 offspring but can be as high as 25. In the wild the lizards can live for more than 20 years.

Safe Use of a Walker
By Emily Lynn
Safe Use of a Walkerthumbnail Know the safe way to use a walker.

Using a walker can allow people with minor mobility issues to carry out many daily tasks, such as personal travel. Knowing how to use a walker properly can mean the difference between gaining mobility and falling in an accident. Ensure that your mobility unit isn’t going to put you in harm’s way.

To Use of a Walker Instructions:

• Choose a Walker With the Accessories You Need – Choosing the right kind of walker can make a big difference in its overall safety. Some walkers have wheels that help people who lack upper-body strength to push the walker forward using propulsion, rather than lifting the walker repeatedly. Some walkers come with a metal basket that allows the user to transport items instead of trying to carry them while maneuvering the walker. Be sure the walker is adjustable in height and can be set to the correct level for the person using it.
• Be Aware of Your Surroundings – When using a walker, be aware of your surroundings. Trying to take a walker into a room cluttered with furniture or boxes may make forward progress or turning around difficult, especially if the user lacks upper-body strength to lift and move the walker. Be aware of things like nails or sharp corners that can hurt the person as he moves.
• Be Aware of Weather Conditions – Conditions such as rain, wind, snow, and ice can make using a walker dangerous. Rain and snow make the walker handles slippery. Wind becomes an issue in terms of forward progress for walkers. Ice makes walkers less accurate, and can result in the user slipping as the walker slides forward farther and faster than it should. Storms can bring about one or all of these conditions.
• Know Your Limits – Know the distance you are comfortable walking, the weight you are comfortable carrying, the conditions you are comfortable navigating, and the duration you are comfortable traveling during any given walk. Fatigue can cause major stress to the body, and can make using the walker very difficult. Do not be afraid to alter your limits from day to day, handling more on some days and less on others. Avoid fatigue-related injuries by understanding and recognizing what your body can handle.
• Read the Guide – Before you use your new walker, read the booklet that comes with it. The instructions will tell the most effective and safest way to use the walker, and will highlight safety issues that pertain to your particular walker.

How to Calculate IBW Based on Height
By Andy Jackson
How to Calculate IBW Based on Heightthumbnail Your ideal body weight depends on your height, gender and frame.

Ideal body weight or IBW is an elusive concept. Physical ideals change from country to country and culture to culture. Over time, standards of weight change as well. As the United States battles growing obesity in the 21st century, ideal body weight becomes a more and more important concept for health reasons rather than simple vanity. Ideal body weight varies from person to person; taller people, naturally, should weigh more than short ones.

To Calculate IBW Based on Height Instructions:

• Use Dr. G.J. Hamwi’s Ideal Body Weight equation. This method of calculating ideal body weight first became popular in the United States in 1964 when the American Diabetes Association published it.
• Measure your height. Dr. Hamwi’s formula allows 100 lbs. for the first 5 feet of height for women and 106 lbs. for the first 5 feet for men.
• Add weight for each inch over the 5-foot mark: 6 lbs. for men, 5 lbs. for women.
• Calculate your ideal body weight using this formula: 100 + 5x for a woman and 106 + 6x for a man, with “x” being the number of inches of height over the 5-foot mark. Thus, a woman who is 5 feet, 5 inches tall would have an ideal body weight of 125 lbs. while a man of the same height would have an ideal body weight of 136 lbs.
• Think in terms of a healthy weight range rather than a specific mark on the scale for any particular height. Consider the individual’s frame. A large-boned person should weigh more than a small-boned person of the same height. Also, people tend to put on a few pounds as they age. A healthy 65-year-old is likely to weigh a bit more than a healthy 21-year-old of equal height.

• Dr. Hamwi’s method is only one way of calculating what someone’s weight ought to be. There is also the body mass index or BMI method, which uses height and weight to determine percentage of body fat and gives ranges for overweight, underweight and healthful weight.

• Any method of calculating ideal weight is arbitrary. Body chemistry differs from person to person. Someone who works out a lot gains muscle mass, which is heavier than fat; such an individual, although technically overweight, can still be healthy and strong. Another person can be of ideal weight or thinner but lack muscle tone and strength. Being too skinny can deplete a person’s energy while drying out hair and making the body seem emaciated. Obsessing about ideal weight can lead some sensitive individuals to go too far in dieting and spiral into an eating disorder.

How to Calculate Minute Ventilation by Using Weight
By Marie Bell
How to Calculate Minute Ventilation by Using Weightthumbnail Minute ventilation is the amount of air that moves in and out of the lungs in one minute.

Minute ventilation is a term used to describe the amount of air moved in and out of the airways of the lungs per minute. Minute ventilation is calculated by multiplying the tidal volume in mL per breath by the respiratory rate in breaths per minute to yield a value of mL per minute. The tidal volume of a normal individual at rest can be estimated as 7 mL per kg of body weight.

To Calculate Minute Ventilation by Using Weight Instructions:

• Determine the respiratory rate of the individual by counting the number of breaths taken in 15 seconds and multiplying by 4 to determine breaths per minute.
• Estimate the individual’s tidal volume by multiplying his or her weight in kg by 7 mL per kg. For example, a person who is 70 kg will have a tidal volume of 490 mL.
• Calculate the minute ventilation by multiplying the respiratory rate by the tidal volume. For instance, a 70 kg individual with a respiratory rate of 12 breaths per minute and an estimated tidal volume of 490 mL per breath has a minute ventilation of 5,880 mL per minute, since 12 times 490 equals 5,880.

• Do not consume more than 1 teaspoon of bentonite powder per day.