MIXING ROLLS

MIXING ROLLS

DEFINITION:

                         Mixing roll mixer is a type of mixer in which deformable  material and pastes are dmixed by intense shear by passing them b/w two smooth rolls turning at different speeds

Diagram

                                 

                                                    mixing rolls

  

Mixing and blending units

For equal homogenizing of rubber batches.

The stockblender consist of a pair of rolls. It is mounted above the roll nip and each roll is separately driven. Between the rolls of the mill and those of the stockblender a guide fork is situated, which is moved from side to side by a threaded spindle over the entire width of the mill.

Functioning: as soon as a cohesive slab has formed on the working roll of the mill, it is cut by the operator and fed through the guide forks to the stockblender. The stockblender transports the irregular slab and feeds it vertically downwards again into the mill roll nip. As these processes are effected alternately from the left and from the right side, an extremely good mixing effect is achieved due to the reciprocating motion of the fork.

Further advantages:

• Considerable ease of operation as the usually repeated cutting and rolling operation of the compound does not have to be carried out any longer.
• Favourable cooling conditions due to the increased travel of the compound.
• Increased capacity of the mill.

working

A mill is typically assembled on a steel foundation plate, which is again set on rubber-pads or sound-metals adjustable, to isolate noise-levels to the building also to avoid tensions on the mill structure, precisely levelling out of the mill is very important for smooth operationTwo rigid pillars with removable tops carry the rolls, which are placed either in friction/bush bearings or high quality anti-friction roller bearings. Roller bearings are pretty much standard nowadays, as they allow for 20 – 30 % in power-savings. A lubrication system is no longer requiredAdjustment of the front roll used to be made by hand (manual by ratchet) or later motorized by worm gear.Nowadays hydraulic pistons adjust the rolls and also protect rolls from high forces that can build up in between the rolls (roll safety). They also open roll gap immediately when pushing the safety bar in front or back in case of emergency (required by European Safety standards CE).A mixing mill has 2 horizontal rolls set up back to back. They are made of ground chilled cast iron, with surface hardness ranging from 475 – 520 HV (Vickers hardness) up to 520 – 580 HV (or 68 - 72 HSD). The depth of hardened layer ranges from 10 to 16 mm.Rolls are made with a central bore for cooling through a spray-type lance (low cost type cooling) or peripheral drills, where bores are closer to the surface for better cooling and more equal distribution.The rotary joints connected to the spraying lance are supplied from tempering units to provide constant temperature during the mixing process.At the ends of the roll faces the roll nip is being limited by the compound guide cheeks. The compound guide cheeks of split design with “centre tongue” avoid lateral escape of compound from the working area in any case.

MULLER MIXER

DEFINITION:

                    The Muller Mixer consists of 2 to 4 heavy rollers that move under spring pressure within a pan. A scraping arrangement is also provided. The product dust formed during grinding is confined to within the equipment because of the provision of a hood type cover. The rollers rotate around their own axis and also about the axis of the pan. The number of rollers and their sizes can be customized to the specific applications. The equipment is most suitable for solid particle size reduction.A machine for the mechanical preparation of molding sands and core sands; it mixes silica sands and admixtures, such as molding clay, ground coal, water, and binders. Various types of mixers are used as mullers in the preparation of moldings and core-sand mixtures: standard batch-type mixers, double mixers, oscillating mixers, paddle mixers, and rollerless (vortex) mixers.

DIAGRAM:

                      Muller Mixer

WORKING:

                  Standard batch mixers have a fixed hopper, into which the material to be mixed is fed. Two smooth, vertical rollers move over the layer of material with a circular motion as plows guide the mixed material under the rollers. As the rollers move, the components of the mixture are mixed and become evenly distributed. After 3–12 min of mixing, the prepared mixture is removed through a discharge opening in the bottom of the hopper.

Double mixers have two pairs of vertical rollers and two hoppers interconnected in such a way that their sides form a figure eight. The molding materials are fed continuously into the first hopper, are mixed by the rollers and internal plows, and are then transferred by an external plow to the second hopper, where more mixing takes place. The prepared mixture is then removed from the second hopper by an external plow. Double mixers can produce up to 400 tons/hr, and the mixture can be removed either continuously or in batches.

An oscillating mixer has two or three horizontal rollers suspended on oscillators connected to a vertical shaft. As the shaft revolves, the rollers come close to the rubber-faced wall of the mixer’s hopper. The material to be mixed is fed by scrapers into the gap between the rotating rollers and the wall of the hopper. A batch is mixed in 1.5–3 min. The prepared mixture is removed through a small door in the wall of the hopper.

A paddle mixer may have one or two (parallel) shafts equipped with paddles mounted in a helical line and turning inside a trough. When the shaft turns, the mixture is mixed and simultaneously transported along the trough toward the outlet. Such machines can produce mixtures continuously or in batches.

A rollerless, or vortex, mixer has a vertical rotating shaft and a fixed hopper. The working elements are bent springs with heads at the end that press against the side of the hopper and mix the sand.

APPLICATIONS:

• Ayurvedic & Herbal Products
• Pharmaceutical
• Minerals (Mica Powder Mixing)
• Snuff
• Batteries
• Welding rod flux
• Abrasives
• Soaps
• Putty
• Paints

PUG MILLS

DEFINITION:

                         A pugmill or pug mill is a machine in which materials are simultaneously ground and mixed with a liquid. Industrial applications are found in pottery, bricks, cement and some parts of the concrete and asphalt mixing processes. A pugmill is a fast continuous mixer. A continuous pugmill can achieve a thoroughly mixed, homogeneous mixture in a few seconds. Mixing materials at optimum moisture content requires the forced mixing action of the pugmill paddles, while soupy materials might be mixed in a drum mixer

DIAGRAM:

                                                         PUG MILL

WORKING:

                        Pugmills provide excellent mixing for cement-treated materials because of the violent action of the mixing process. Typically a pugmill will have two horizontal shafts, each with dozens of paddles. The shafts turn in opposite directions, causing one set of paddles to turn clockwise, and the other set to turn counter-clockwise. This motion hurls the particles toward each other in a violent action that allows for uniform mixing.

The pugmill operates on a continuous basis, with an aggregate feed belt, water spray, and cement vane that are all computer controlled to provide accurate metering of the constituents. Pugmills can be set up with more than one silo, so cementitious products (such as portland cement and fly ash) can be blended at the plant.

The mixed material is taken by belt to a surge hopper (or gob hopper) where it will be dumped into a truck to be transported to the job site. The trucks will have tarps to cover the freshly mixed material so that moisture is not lost on the way to the site.

Pugmills on paving projects are typically portable, and can be set up and running in less that a day. Production for pugmills on these projects are normally in the range of 300 – 500 tons per hour.

APPLICATIONS:

• Roller Compacted Concrete (RCC)
• Cement Treated Base (CTB)
• Cold Mix Asphalt
• Hazardous Soil Remediation
• Oil Well Drill Cutting Stabilization
• Flowable Backfill
• Flyash Stabilization
• Lime Addition

Baba bulleh shah

Early life and background

Bulleh Shah is believed to have been born in 1680, in the small village of Uch, Bahawalpur, Punjab, now in Pakistan . His ancestors had migrated from Bukhara in modern Uzbekistan.
At the age of six months, his parents relocated to Malakwal. There his father, Shah Muhammad Darwaish, was a preacher in the village mosque and a teacher. His father later got a job in Pandoke, about 50 miles southeast of Kasur. Bulleh Shah received his early schooling in Pandoke, and moved to Kasur for higher education, to become a student of the prominent professor, Ghulam Murtaza. He also received education from Maulana Mohiyuddin. His spiritual teacher was the eminent Sufi saint, Shah Inayat Qadiri.
Little is known about Bulleh Shah's direct ancestors, except that they were migrants from Uzbekistan. However, Bulleh Shah's family was directly descended from the Prophet Muhammad.

Career

Tomb of Baba Bulleh Shah, Kasuri
A large amount of what is known about Bulleh Shah comes through legends, and is subjective; to the point that there isn’t even agreement among historians concerning his precise date and place of birth. Some "facts" about his life have been pieced together from his own writings. Other "facts" seem to have been passed down through oral traditions.
Bulleh Shah practiced the Sufi tradition of Punjabi poetry established by poets like Shah Hussain (1538 – 1599), Sultan Bahu (1629 – 1691), and Shah Sharaf (1640 – 1724).
Bulleh Shah lived in the same period as the famous Sindhi Sufi poet , Shah Abdul Latif Bhatai (1689 – 1752). His lifespan also overlapped with the legendary Punjabi poet Waris Shah (1722 – 1798), of Heer Ranjha fame, and the famous Sindhi Sufi poet Abdul Wahad (1739 – 1829), better known by his pen-name, Sachal Sarmast (“truth seeking leader of the intoxicated ones”). Amongst Urdu poets, Bulleh Shah lived 400 miles away from Mir Taqi Mir (1723 – 1810) of Agra.

Poetry Style

The verse form Bulleh Shah primarily employed is called the Kafi, a style of Punjabi, Sindhi and Siraiki poetry used not only by the Sufis of Sindh and Punjab, but also by Sikh gurus.
Bulleh Shah’s poetry and philosophy strongly criticizes Islamic religious orthodoxy of his day.

A Beacon of Peace

Bulleh Shah's time was marked with communal strife between Muslims and Sikhs. But in that age Baba Bulleh Shah was a beacon of hope and peace for the citizens of Punjab. While Bulleh Shah was in Pandoke, Muslims killed a young Sikh man who was riding through their village in retaliation for murder of some Muslims by Sikhs. Baba Bulleh Shah denounced the murder of an innocent Sikh and was censured by the mullas and muftis of Pandoke. Bulleh Shah maintained that violence was not the answer to violence.
Bulleh Shah also hailed the Sikh Guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur as a ghazi (Islamic term for a religious warrior).

Humanist

Bulleh Shah’s writings represent him as a humanist, someone providing solutions to the sociological problems of the world around him as he lives through it, describing the turbulence his motherland of Punjab is passing through, while concurrently searching for God. His poetry highlights his mystical spiritual voyage through the four stages of Sufism: Shariat (Path), Tariqat (Observance), Haqiqat (Truth) and Marfat (Union). The simplicity with which Bulleh Shah has been able to address the complex fundamental issues of life and humanity is a large part of his appeal. Thus, many people have put his kafis to music, from humble street-singers to renowned Sufi singers like the Waddali Brothers and Abida Parveen, from the synthesized techno qawwali remixes of UK-based Asian artists to the rock band Junoon.
Bulleh Shah’s popularity stretches uniformly across Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims, to the point that much of the written material about this philosopher is from Hindu and Sikh authors.
[edit]Modern Renditions
In the 1990s Junoon, Asia's biggest rock band from Pakistan, rendered such poems as Aleph (Ilmon Bas Kareen O Yaar) and Bullah Ki Jaana. In 2004, Rabbi Shergill successfully performed the unlikely feat of turning the abstruse metaphysical poem Bullah Ki Jaana into a Rock/Fusion song, which became hugely popular in India and Pakistan. The Wadali Bandhu, a Punjabi Sufi group from India, also released a version of Bullah Ki Jaana on their album Aa Mil Yaar...Call of the Beloved. Another version was performed by Lakhwinder Wadali titled simply Bullah. Bulleh Shah's verses have also been adapted and used in Bollywood film songs. Examples include the songs "Chaiyya Chaiyya" and Thayya Thayya in the 1998 film Dil Se. The 2007 Pakistani movie Khuda Kay Liye includes Bulleh Shah's poetry in the song Bandeya Ho. A 2008 film, 'A wednesday', had a song, "Bulle Shah, O yaar mere" in its soundtrack. In 2009, Episode One of Pakistan's Coke Studio Season 2 featured a collaboration between Sain Zahoor and Noori, "Aik Alif".

Death

He died in 1757, and his tomb is located in Kasur, Pakistan.

How to multiply faster

Today we're going to kick things off by learning 5 tips that will help you multiply numbers quickly in your head and become the mental math wizard in your family.

Tip #1: Multiplying by Powers of 5
There are times in life when you just get lucky. It turns out that one of those lucky little moments occurs each and every time you need to multiply one number by another number that happens to be a power of 5. For example, let's say you need to find 36 x 5 (which, of course, fits the bill since 5 is the first power of 5). The trick is to recognize the fact that 5 = 10 / 2. Why is that helpful? Because it means that we can find 36 x 5 by instead finding 36 x 10 (which is easy) and then dividing the result by 2. In this case, 36 x 10 = 360, and 360 / 2 = 180. Impressively speedy, right?

But we're not done! What if we instead need to solve the problem 36 x 25? Well, this trick is all about multiplying by powers of 5…and 25 = 5^2 is certainly that. So how does it work in this case? The trick here is to recognize that 25 = 100 / 4. And in general, the trick with powers of 5 is to recognize that they are always some multiple of 10 divided by an integer. This tells us that 36 x 25 = 36 x 100 / 4. Since we can quickly figure out that 36 x 100 = 3,600, it's easy to find that 36 x 25 = 3,600 / 4 = 900.

Tip #2: Squaring Numbers Ending in 5
Our fun with 5s doesn't end there. We talked about how to square numbers in your head before, but it turns out that things get a whole lot easier when squaring a two-digit number that ends in 5. Here's the trick: Any time you square a two-digit number that ends in 5, the last digits of the answer will be 25 and the digits before that are given by multiplying the first digit of the number by the number that's one greater.

Google voice

Google Voice Search, part of the Google Search app for Android and iOS, can now respond to many queries in French, German, and Japanese in the language that they were originally asked.

Google did not immediately respond to questions about what languages are planned next, or why these three languages were chosen. However, given how many people speak Hindi, Spanish, Mandarin, and Cantonese, it would stand to reason that they would be high on Google's list for upcoming support.

China is not ready to take America's place

Beijing may complain about Washington, but its reliance on American debt stems from the China’s own economic policies

The Chinese sure are doing a lot of worrying these days about the stalemate in Washington. Li Keqiang, China’s Premier, told U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry that he was watching the tussle over raising the government’s debt ceiling with “great attention” in a meeting last week. He has good reason to be concerned. With a stash of nearly $1.3 trillion in Treasury securities, China is the world’s largest foreign owner of U.S. government debt. If U.S. Congress fails to lift the ceiling to allow the government to borrow more by Thursday, Washington may not have enough money to pay its bills, potentially leading to a default. That could sink the value of Treasuries — wiping out a big chunk of Chinese wealth in the process.

That possibility has caused much consternation in China. In a blistering (and highly hypocritical) editorial, state news agency Xinhua blasted what it sees as Washington’s irresponsibility in handling global affairs and called for greater say for developing nations in international institutions like the IMF and a new reserve currency to replace the dollar.

“As U.S. politicians of both political parties are still shuffling back and forth between the White House and the Capitol Hill without striking a viable deal to bring normality to the body politic they brag about, it is perhaps a good time for the befuddled world to start considering building a de-Americanized world,” the commentary recommended. “Such alarming days when the destinies of others are in the hands of a hypocritical nation have to be terminated, and a new world order should be put in place.”

Among the Chinese public, the stalemate in Washington has caused confusion and ire. Why, some Chinese are asking, have our leaders invested so much of the country’s money in a government that seems so dysfunctional? “Bought so much [American debt], now you are under the control of others,” went one typical comment posted on microblogging site Sina Weibo. “We should find out who made this decision and let him take the responsibility.”

The Chinese can blame themselves. Since the earliest days of Chinese economic reform, policies that the government has employed to create growth and exports have also made it dependent on debt issued by the U.S. Treasury. Those policies have generated huge current-account surpluses and gargantuan reserves of foreign currency that have left Beijing no other option but to invest in the U.S.

Chinese policy has generally pushed exports while discouraging imports. By controlling the value of its currency, the renminbi (RMB), to promote exports, China hasn’t allowed its exchange rate to adjust to shifts in trade in a way that would bring balance. Economist Huang Yiping once proffered that policies that reduce prices of land, energy and other costs of production also subsidize exports, and thus contribute to surpluses. Meanwhile, the government’s regulation of interest rates has favored investment and punished savers, suppressing domestic consumption.

The current-account surpluses China has notched over the years have resulted in a vault full of foreign-currency reserves — a staggering $3.66 trillion at last count. Though China’s surpluses have been declining (relative to GDP), the country is still adding to this mountain of foreign currency. In the third quarter, China’s foreign-exchange reserves jumped by the largest amount in more than two years.

To many, this ocean of foreign currency shows China’s economic strength, but at the same time, it is also a financial burden. Chinese policymakers simply don’t have many options when managing these giant reserves, and that has forced them to gorge on Treasuries. The U.S.-government-bond market is deep, liquid and reliable — the perfect (and, arguably, only) place to park all those greenbacks. Sure, the Chinese can switch some of their dollars into other currencies, but there is a limit to that strategy. Dumping the dollar would depress its value, eroding China’s own holdings. The only way for China to wean itself off its Treasury habit is to change its entire economic system.

That, though, is happening slowly. One strategy China is pursuing to lessen its dollar dependence is by promoting its own currency as an alternative to the greenback in global trade and finance. The government has had some success. The European Central Bank and China’s central bank recently agreed to a large swap of their currencies. And according to a recent survey from the Bank for International Settlements, the RMB entered the list of top 10 most traded currencies for the first time. Yet in order for the RMB to become a true rival to the dollar, China has to undertake far more reform.

The RMB isn’t fully convertible, nor does it trade freely around the world like the dollar, euro or yen. China is taking stabs at the sort of financial liberalization that would give the RMB an international boost — experimenting with freer capital flows in a new zone in Shanghai, for instance — but those steps are tentative at best. The Chinese government is still reluctant to throw open its financial sector and loosen capital flows and currency trading in a way that would turn the RMB into a solid reserve currency like the dollar.

“China’s policymakers remain deeply uncomfortable with allowing market forces a say in determining the exchange rate at times of uncertainty,” research firm Capital Economics said in a report on Monday. “Policymakers still see opening of capital controls as an important goal. But their actions underline that it remains a long way off.”

What this all means is that China and the U.S. Treasury remain locked in an embrace from which it is very hard for Beijing to escape. What it will take is extensive reform to China’s own economy that so far Beijing has been reluctant to undertake. So Beijing can call for a “de-Americanized world” all it wants. China is not ready to take America’s place.

Official by-election results: Voters put PML-N on top again

ISLAMABAD: Further consolidating its grip on power, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) emerged as a clear winner in the country’s biggest ever by-elections held on August 22. 

The Election Commission of Pakistan has announced the result for most of the constituencies and PML-N is leading just like the general elections, with Pakistan Peoples Party and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf coming second and third respectively.

The election authorities withheld results for two constituencies of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa where women were reportedly disfranchised.

PML-N has secured five NA seats, 11 Punjab assembly seats and two Balochistan assembly seats. While PPP one three NA seats, two Punjab assembly seats and one in Sindh assembly.

PTI on the other hand won two seats in the Centre.

Meeting security challenges: Nawaz exempts IB from recruitment ban

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Friday exempted the Intelligence Bureau from a ban on recruiting, citing the sensitive nature of its job and the urgency of the current security situation.

In a visit to the Intelligence Bureau Headquarters on Friday, Nawaz was briefed on issues of internal and external security challenges, a release said.

The Prime Minister approved different proposals and recommendations which aim to build capacity of the organisation through better human resource induction and procurement of new equipment.

Nawaz was also briefed on counter terrorism initiatives and activities of the organisation.

Ministers of Interior, Finance and Information & Broadcasting also attended the briefing.

Iran-pakistan gas line progress

ISLAMABAD:
Setting aside fierce US opposition to the Iran-Pakistan (IP) gas pipeline project, in a strategic move, the pipeline may be stretched and connected to western China as Islamabad and Beijing have made it part of the planned economic corridor.

Earlier, India was actively involved in the pipeline project, but withdrew following a civil nuclear energy agreement with the US. Now, prospects have emerged that China will replace India and receive gas from the pipeline that will connect Iran, Pakistan and China.

According to sources, Pakistani and Chinese officials will discuss the laying of the gas pipeline from Gwadar to western China in a meeting to be held here on August 26. They will also take up a proposal about constructing an oil pipeline between the two countries.

The two sides will sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the economic corridor, which had already been approved by the cabinet.

The upcoming dialogue is a follow-up to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s visit to China in the first week of July. During the trip, Chinese companies expressed interest in laying the gas pipeline from the Gwadar Port to western China. Iran has also expressed interest in stretching the pipeline to China.

As part of the economic corridor, Gwadar Port will be connected through road and rail links to China which will help enhance trade between the two countries. Oil and gas pipelines will feature in the economic corridor, providing much-needed boost to economic activities in insurgency-hit Balochistan.

Pakistan government has asked Iran to bear the entire cost of the gas pipeline as it has found it difficult to arrange funds from some countries following pressure from the US.

The US is pressing Pakistan to shelve the IP pipeline and rather focus on the TAPI gas pipeline which will start from Turkmenistan and reach India through war-torn Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Iran has already committed $500 million for financing Pakistan’s side of the pipeline but Islamabad insists that Tehran should enhance the credit limit

Total cost of pipeline construction in Pakistan has been estimated at $1.5 billion. To cover part of the cost, the government will award a contract for engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) to Iranian firm Tadbir Energy.

“We are waiting for a response from the new Iranian government,” an official said, adding Tehran had already assured the previous government that it could enhance the credit limit if required.

Under the project, Pakistan will import 750 million cubic feet of gas per day (mmcfd) with an option to increase it to one billion cubic feet. Of the import, the Balochistan government seeks to consume 250 mmcfd at the Gwadar Port, which may encourage the central government to purchase more from Iran to meet needs of the least developed province.

Automatically Tune Any Guitar In Seconds

Throughout their 23-year history, automatic guitar tuners have remained stubbornly complex systems that cost thousands of dollars and require tedious professional installation. Chris Adams, CEO of Tronical in Hamburg, Germany, has figured out a way around these problems. Using an off-the-shelf microprocessor, custom tuning algorithms, and six lightweight motors, Adams developed the first system that musicians can retrofit onto nearly any guitar’s headstock—without any wiring, drilling, or soldering. Once attached, his $299 TronicalTune can make an instrument pitch-perfect in about five seconds.

ATTACH
The TronicalTune consists of a three-inch computer and six motorized tuning pegs, which screw onto the headstock in place of the existing pegs. On traditional tuning pegs, strings thread through holes—a technique that can cause breakage when strings rub against the edges. TronicalTune uses a gentler method: The strings coil around rods on the pegs.

TUNE
After selecting from 12 presets (e.g., standard, open E), a user strums all six strings at once. A piezoelectric sensor picks up the vibrations, and a processor separates out the tones of each string. When it detects an off-pitch note, it signals the servomotor in the peg to turn, tightening or loosening the string to adjust the pitch. Once all six strings are tuned, the system turns itself off.

REFINE
Different guitar bodies and strings create slight variations in timbre, so Adams programmed the TronicalTune to grow accustomed to a guitar over the course of 10 to 20 tunings. The processor tracks the overtones and adjusts its tuning accordingly.

TronicalTune
Tuning Time: 3–10 seconds
Weight: 9 ounces
Price: $299

weird animal's...... It’s a Bear-Eat-Bear World Out There, Literally

So there you are, trundling through the forest. A powerful black bear, lord of the food web, you’re eating up berries, maybe catching some fish, when, all of a sudden, you’re being eaten by a massive grizzly.

That scene, or something like it, played out in Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada, earlier in August, when hikers came across a grizzly eating a black bear.

The U.S. Fisheries and Wildlife Service says that grizzly bears are opportunistic omnivores:

It will eat plants, as well as insects and other animals. Scavengers by nature, grizzlies spend most of their waking hours searching for food. Forbs, roots, tubers, grasses, berries and other vegetation, and insects comprise most of the bear’s diet. But grizzlies are very adaptable, finding and subsisting on a variety of foods if necessary.

In Yellowstone this means moths, snapped up by the tens of thousands. In Banff, apparently, it means other bears.

Steve Michel, who works at Banff, says “he suspects the kill was opportunistic,”

“Grizzly bears are opportunistic hunters,” he said. “They will take advantage of any food source that presents itself.”

Bears eating other bears isn’t entirely new—polar bears will eat each other, especially each others’ young. But for grizzlies it’s much more novel. Though how novel is up for debate. Michel told  that he “knows of four other instances when a grizzly has hunted, killed and eaten a black bear in Banff.”

“It may not be as rare as we think it is,” he said. “But it is rare that we actually are able to document it. We tend not to know about it all.”

Cause of China’s Infamous Black Carbon Smog

China’s cities are infamous for their thick haze of air pollution. Just this week, Hong Kong hit an extreme high of 187 on the air pollution index, prompting the government to issue a warning for children, sick people and the elderly to stay inside. Surprisingly, however, authorities struggled to pinpoint the main sources of the soot. Now, a new study reveals two guilty parties: traffic and home cooking. UPI reports:

A powerful carbon-14 identification method was used to trace fully four-fifths of the black carbon emitted in China to incomplete combustion of fossil fuel such as coal briquettes used in home cook stoves and automobile and truck exhaust, they reported.

“The current results suggest reduction measures in China should focus on domestic coal combustion (e.g., introduction of cleaner-burning cookers and heaters) and vehicle emissions (e.g., application of diesel particle filters),” the authors write in their paper. These sort of mitigation efforts, they say, could, over time, improve air quality and, by extension, the health of China’s residents. Mitigation would also reduce China’s contribution to climate change.

China says it’s on it. The country just announced a program aimed to cut air pollution by cutting back on coal consumption and increasing its capacity for clean energy, Business Insider reports. These efforts, the government estimate, will run around $277 billion USD, or 1.7 trillion yuan.

Questions to Ask Before You Hire More Employees......

1. What kind of business do you want?

Not everyone wants a big business. Many would rather concentrate on a smaller one and be closely involved on many levels, because there are rewards to business other than just money. As you grow a business, you may have to become disengaged with parts that give you pleasure, because you’ll spend more time on the overall operation and have to delegate more aspects.

Also, you’ll have to channel more cash into expansion, which could mean having to lower your own compensation and standard of living for some time. Some find that a proper tradeoff, while others are unhappy with the transition or ultimate result. Consider what you want from the business and whether you have the necessary patience to personally move backwards for a while to hit the bigger time.

2. Can you throttle back growth if needed?

With some businesses, you have more control over growth. For example, if you offer some sort of personal service, you can restrict your customer base and pass along additional business to colleagues.

In other types of business, you may have less control. Selling a product online puts you more at the mercy of the business that comes in. If your offer becomes hot for some reason, you may become inundated with orders and then be obligated to fulfill them. Depending on the type of business and demand, you might find that you have to expand and hire more people.

3. What is your growth like?

Many entrepreneurs get excited when they see a rush of business. They assume that the proper response is to expand to meet demand. But growth may be momentary rather than continued. Have a product get unexpected publicity and you might see a sudden uncomfortable increase in orders. Once the exposure has run its course, usually in a relatively short period of time, demand could drop back to previous levels.

Before deciding on growing your staff, be fairly sure that the increased workload will last long enough to justify them. If not, consider overtime and temporary help to bridge the temporary gap.

4. Are you suffering from growth?

Entrepreneurs typically have to have healthy egos to believe that they can succeed when others says they will fail. The character feature can become a flaw if it starts to run unchecked. One subtle way it can express itself negatively is in desiring the trappings of a larger business before they are truly necessary. If you’ve grown too quickly, you may notice a rise in the number of customer complaints about service or employee concerns that they cannot keep up with their jobs. The action you choose may be more efficient business processes. But if you still can’t adequately handle problems, it may be a sign that you do need more help.

5. Is there outside help available?

Needing more help is fine, but do you need to hire in-house? You might have business processes that could be outsourced to other companies for a reasonable increase in variable costs you can handle through pricing rather than the fixed business costs of permanent employees. That way, your business can more effectively respond to changes in demand. Some areas to consider might be call centers, fulfillment, or accounting. Moving some tasks outside the company frees internal resources to do the types of work that are core to the business.

6. Do you really need help?

It may be that you can handle some tasks internally more easily than you think. An example: Do you really need a full-time bookkeeper, or are there still a few hours a month where you could personally enter numbers into an accounting system and have an accountant review the work? Are there other tasks you could take on, freeing up current staff to handle orders and customer concerns?

Be most wary of hiring additional executives until the business is really cooking. Even a vice president of sales may be ineffective if the company does not have sufficient revenue.

7. Are you ready for the short-term profit impact?

Growing a business typically has a strong hit on profitability. You ramp up for where you think the business will go within the next few months. That means temporary excess capacity that adds more fixed costs, including benefits, worker’s comp, and additional payroll taxes. These additional costs get distributed over all your sales and cut gross margins until growth catches up and restores a more normal balance.

As you can’t both grow the business and generally cut expenditures at the same time, the hit will be to profitability and possibly your personal income. Do you have the capital to support the growth? Are you prepared, if necessary, to reduce your personal expenses and plans to help underwrite the growth? If not, you will find yourself at war with what you want to do for the business, ultimately hurting everything.

8. Are you set up to handle more employees?

Finally, your startup needs the processes, procedures, and organization to handle a sudden influx of employees. They will all need orientation, training, and management. There might be additional federal or state legal requirements should the staff size expand to certain numbers. You may need additional office space, equipment, and software licenses.

Hiring employees is a big step for a new business. Do your homework, consider the implications, and be ready so your company can continue to be successful.

2014 May Turn Out to Be the Year of the Diesel Engine

Some auto insiders are saying that 2014 is shaping up as the Year of the Diesel, with the number of diesel-fueled cars sold in the U.S. set to double over the next 12 months or so, and even more growth expected down the road.

“This year, the number of diesels will be doubled,” said Andreas Sambal, the North American director of marketing for German supplier Bosch’s diesel systems division, according to The Detroit Bureau. “By the end of the 2014 model-year there will be 40 diesels on the market and this will give consumers a lot more choice.”

By 2017, the number of diesel models sold in North America should be up to around 60, Bosch anticipates.

What’s fueling the expansion of diesel engines? Today’s clean diesels are not the loud, smelly, black-smoke-belching vehicles of old. What’s more, they offer drivers a rare, highly desirable combination of power and fuel efficiency, while costing only a bit more than a regular gas-powered vehicle. Edmunds.com senior analyst Bill Visnic explained to USA Today that diesel is “a magnificent option” for SUVs and trucks because of outstanding pulling power, while with smaller commuter cars, “Diesel affords the opportunity to offer hybrid-like fuel economy ratings without the investment in hybrid technology.”

The New York Times reported that diesel sales rose 26% in the U.S. last year, thanks to the fact that they can get 15% to 30% better mileage than their gas-powered counterparts and buyers don’t have to pay a gigantic premium on the purchase. “Diesel is far less expensive than plug-ins and E.V.’s, with better range and performance,” said Volkswagen of America’s Rainer Michel. “This technology is available today.”

While GM, Nissan, Mercedes, and other automakers are expanding their diesel options, Volkswagen appears to have a big headstart on the scene. In a recent press release wishing the diesel engine a happy 100th birthday, noted that more than 75% of diesel-powered passenger cars and SUVs sold in the U.S. are VWs. Thus far in 2013, VW has sold 56,480 TDI Clean Diesel cars in the U.S., representing nearly 25% of its total sales.

Overall, diesels account for less than 3% of all cars sold in the U.S. That ratio could shift up to 8% or even as high as 10% by 2018, according to various projections.

The increase in models available will certainly help the expected increase in total diesel sales. Audi, for instance, is making diesel an option in five of its 2014 models, up from just one in the past, according to USA Today. Nissan just announced that its 2015 Titan pickup truck will be powered by a V8-turbo diesel engine, which should bring competition to Dodge’s recently introduced 2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel pickup.

There are also several compelling mid-price diesel sedans on the market right now. The Chevy Cruze Clean Turbo Diesel, for instance, was described as “a quiet and comfortable sedan that excels on the highway” by Detroit Free Press auto critic, who drove the car more than 600 miles on a single tank of gas and averaged as high as 45.5 mpg. The Volkswagen Passat TDI, meanwhile, is a smart purchase according to Edmunds.com’s math, which estimates that a driver would save $1,621 over the course of five years by going with the diesel Passat over the regular model, when initial price, projected fuel costs, and other expenses are tallied up. As a bonus, you’ll be able to skip many gas station stops over that five-year span, as the diesel-fueled Passat can go nearly 800 miles with a full tank.

Research may lead to inexpensive, flexible solar cells

Work by a team of chemical engineers at Penn State and Rice University may lead to a new class of inexpensive organic solar cells.

"Imagine if you could make solar cells as easily as you can print posters or newspapers—you could make sheets of this," said Enrique Gomez, assistant professor of chemical engineering. "It represents a fundamental shift in the way in which we make solar cells."

Most solar cells today are inorganic and made of crystalline silicon. The problem with these, Gomez explained, is that inorganic solar cells tend to be expensive, rigid and relatively inefficient when it comes to converting sunlight into electricity.

But organic solar cells offer an intriguing alternative that's flexible and potentially less expensive.

Not many organic solar cells currently exist. He said, "There are a bunch of prototypes floating around. You see them in places like in solar-powered laptop bags and on the top of some bus depots."

The problem is that the bulk of organic solar cells employ fullerene acceptors—a carbon-based molecule that's extremely difficult to scale up for mass production.

Gomez's approach skips the fullerene acceptor altogether and seeks to combine molecules in a solution.

The idea of utilizing molecular self-assembly for solar cells isn't new, but Gomez said, "It's not been well executed."

He continued, "It's like trying to mix oil and water." The issue is that weak intermolecular interactions and disorder at junctions of different organic materials limited the performance and stability of previous organic solar cells.

But by controlling the nanostructure and morphology, the team essentially redesigned the molecules to link together in a better way.

The engineers were able to control the donor-acceptor heterojunctions through microphase-separated conjugated block copolymers.

"We have not only demonstrated control of the microstructure, but also control of the interface responsible for the initial steps in charge photogeneration in a way never achieved before," Gomez said.

The result, which was detailed in a recent issue of the American Chemical Society's Nano Letters journal, is an organic solar cell made of block copolymers that's three percent efficient.

The team included Penn State chemical engineering graduate student Changhe Guo; undergraduate student Matt Witman; Rafael Verduzco, the Louis Owen Assistant Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Rice University; Joseph Strzalka, research scientist at Argonne National Laboratory; and research scientists Cheng Wang and Alexander Hexemer of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Though the team's prototype is not as efficient as some solar cells that are commercially available, Gomez explained the work shows flexible organic solar cells are indeed possible.

"Our cells right now don't capture a lot of light. We need to look back and redesign the molecule. We think we can do better than 3 percent," he said.

7 Things Really Persuasive People Do..........

1. They Are Purposeful

Truly persuasive people understand their power and use it sparingly and knowingly.  They understand that most conversations do not require trying to get someone to do or accept something. Aggressive pushers are a turn-off and will put most people on the defensive. It’s the person who rarely asks or argues that ultimately gets consideration when they strongly advocate an idea, especially when they do it with power and persistence.  Simply put, they pick their battles. Want to persuade more? Argue and advocate less often.

2. They Listen … and Listen … Then Listen Some More

People who know how to persuade also know that just pushing your own argument will get you nowhere. They certainly are able to articulate their position in a convincing way, but that is only half the equation. They are actively listening when in persuasion mode. First, they are listening to assess how receptive you are to their point of view. Second, they are listening for your specific objections, which they know they’ll have to resolve. Last, they are listening for moments of agreement so they can capitalize on consensus. Amazingly persuasive people are constantly listening to you and not themselves.  They already know what they are saying. You can’t persuade effectively if you don’t know the other side of the argument.

3. They Create a Connection

It’s easy to dismiss people who trying to persuade you if you have no emotional stake in them or their argument. Really persuasive people know this, so they will be likeable and look for common ground to help establish emotional bonds and shared objectives. They show empathy for your position and make it known that they are on your side. They manage their impatience and wait for you to give them permission to advocate their approach. You’ll persuade people much more easily if they are open and aligned with your desires.

4. They Acknowledge Credibility

Really persuasive people understand that there is no sense wasting time arguing facts; most of the world does not function in black and white. They value strong opinions and will make sure that you are entitled to yours. In fact, they will make sure they give you full credit for every argument of yours that has some validity. This makes it harder for you to fully dismisstheir point of view. When you are persuading people, reinforce their credibility on facts and opinions rather than dismissing them outright. Then they’ll be more likely pay you equal respect in the exchange and be more open to the merits of your opposing view.

5. They Offer Satisfaction

Smart persuaders know that they don’t have to win every little battle to win the war. They are more than willing to sacrifice when it helps the overall cause. They are ready to find the easiest path to yes. Often that is simply to give you what you want whenever possible. In my old lending days, we would often deal with busy underwriters who asked for items we knew they already had. Instead of arguing the point, we would just resend the documents and save our energy for issues that were not so easily resolved. Give ground where you can and hold your ground only where it matters. Choose being successful over being right.

6. They Know When to Shut Up

Successful persuaders get that you don’t win the battle by constantly berating people with an unending verbal barrage. Wearing people down is not an effective strategy. They carefully support their arguments and check in with questions that will help to close the conversation. Then they step back. The great sales trainer Tom Hopkins still today teaches these decades-old techniques of his mentor J. Douglas Edwards. His most important lesson is “Whenever you ask a closing question, shut up. The first person who speaks, loses.”

7. They Know When to Back Away

Urgency and immediacy are often the enemies of real persuasion. It’s possible to close a less significant sale through urgency, but deep ideas require time and thought to take root. Great persuaders bring you along in your own time. And they give you the space and time to carefully consider their position. They know that nothing is more powerful than your persuading yourself on their behalf. That almost never occurs in the presence of the persuader. The next time you want to persuade someone of something truly important, follow the tips above, make your case, and walk away. If they don’t come around, you were probably wasting your effort in the first place.

What Are the Weirdest Driving Laws in Your State?

Driving laws aren't always easy to keep up with. We all know to stop at red lights, but how do you handle turning when a bike lane is present? Transportation laws can vary by state and you may know better than we do.

In general, driving laws are fairly standard for most situations. Drive on the right side of the road, don't exceed the speed limit, red means stop, green means go. However, there are some laws that are either only present in a certain area, or have atypical applications. For example:

In California, touching your maps app while driving is legally as bad as texting. You can, however, set up your route before you leave and place your phone in a holster within a 5"x5" area in the lower-left or 7"x7" area in the lower right of your windshield. Anywhere else is also against the law.
In Alaska, Florida, Hawaii, Kansas, Louisiana, and Massachusetts, it is illegal for any vehicle in motion to use its hazard lights. Other states allow hazard lights in emergency situations or to indicate a traffic hazard (like heavy rain), while others—such as Georgia, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and others—allow hazard light usage at any time.
In California (again), bike lanes are treated as full lanes for the purposes of turning right. That is, if you are in the right-most car lane, but there's a bike lane next to you, it is illegal to turn right from the car lane by crossing over the bike lane. You must first merge into the bike lane before the intersection, then make your turn.
For most driving situations, we all know the basics. However, when you're traveling, chances are you'll pass through a state that has some weird laws you had no idea about. So, what are the things that a visitor driving in your state should know about?

Android Open Source Project now has latest 4.3.1 fixes for most Nexus hardware

The latest Android 4.3 updates brought a slate of unfortunate software bugs to the party and to Google's own Nexus devices, ironically enough. Thankfully, the Mountain View crew is hard at work patching things up, as evidenced by the Nexus 7 update earlier today that resolved its multi-touch and GPS issues. Now those fixes are up on AOSP as well, not only with the aforementioned JSS15Q build for the 7-inch tablet, but also the JWR66Y for the rest of the recent Nexus clan. The reasoning behind having two fixes instead of one was the addition of an extra bit of code unique to the Nexus 7; they'll be incorporated into one patch as soon as the devs work out the kinks. Aside from patching those aforementioned bugs, the update resolved a clipboard crash issue, tweaked App Opps permissions and fixed a few extra bits of errata. If you're not afraid of a bit of tinkering, head on over to the source to update your Nexus hardware now, or just wait for Google to release Android 4.3.1.

Ubisoft isn't afraid of mobile gaming, sees a bright future in Wii U and Oculus Rift

Ubisoft's Alain Corre isn't worried about the rise in mobile gaming. On the contrary, Corre, who heads up the company's overseas operations, seems to welcome the uptick in iOS and Android gamers and not resignedly, either. "What we like in mobile gaming is that it's bringing a lot of new people to games," he told us. "Which for us is very good because it's a teaching thing and... at one point, some of them will feel a bit limited with the scope of mobile games and they'll want to experience something different in gaming." Whether it's the limitations of the casual genre or outright boredom, Corre's confident a chunk of these new gaming converts will seek out home console or PC experiences. Something more along the lines of a Watch Dogs or Assassin's Creed, perhaps. And with the advent of the next-gen, the timing for this gaming initiation couldn't be better for Ubisoft.

And then there was Wii U. Ubisoft famously announced Rayman Legends as a console exclusive for Nintendo's platform at launch and then publicly reversed course when systems sales flagged. The title's now set for an imminent multiplatform release, but don't expect Corre to speak ill of Nintendo's two-screened gambit. "We consider the Wii U a great machine [and] the GamePad is second to none... We just need Nintendo to put more energy [in]. A lot of consumers will want this machine if the energy is put in." It's a bullish outlook especially considering ZombieU, a launch exclusive that took full advantage of the GamePad, failed to fly off shelves. Yet, Corre believes the market is still there for the Wii U and that games like Mario Kart 8 and Super Smash Bros could help Nintendo see a change of fortune. At which point, Ubisoft will be ready to allocate development resources back to the console. For now, though, there's Just Dance and Rayman Legends on the horizon, and maybe even some Rayman DLC. "That's something we are thinking of for Rayman Legends. There may be some extra things we can do for this game."

Nintendo's second screen isn't the only one Ubisoft's focused on. Both Microsoft and Sony have solutions in place for their respective next-gen consoles and Corre is adamant that Ubisoft will support those experiences. He explained that this strategy would be an organic, integral part of all game development, saying that, "For us, we consider that, moving forward, the big experiences will need to have a second screen experience because it's part of the gameplay. So, all this extra gameplay will become... natural for the next big games." But don't take that as a catch-all pledge. Corre was cagey when we asked specifically about blanket PS Vita Remote Play support -- despite Sony's Shuhei Yoshida's insistence that Remote Play support exists on a system level for the vast majority of PS4 games -- a function only recently demoed for Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag. Corre admitted that it would be determined on a case-by-case basis.