Physical and Mechanical Properties of Ceramics

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Majority of industrial use ceramics are inorganic compounds of carbon, oxygen or nitrogen with other metals or semimetals. As a result, ceramic materials are less dense than majority of metals. Thus, a component made out of a light ceramic could possibly have the same strength and durability as a component made out of a heavier metal.  Furthermore, ceramics are extremely strong and robust and highly resistant to abrasion and every day wear and tear.

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The hardest known ceramic material is diamond which is followed by born nitride in its crystal cube form. Silicon carbide and aluminum oxide are likewise tremendously hard materials and are most often used to grind, sand, cut and polish other hard materials such as metals. Ceramics have great strength and durability, showing considerable rigidity when subjected to bending and compression.

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Bend strength (the amount of pressure necessary to bow a material) is most often utilized to ascertain the strength of a ceramic. Zirconium dioxide which is one of the strongest and hardest ceramics has a bend strength that is similar to that of steel. Zirconias (ZrO2) can maintain their strength up to temperature of about 1652° F or 900° C; on the other hand silicon nitrides and silicon carbides can maintain their strength up to temperatures of around 2552° F or 1400° C.

The aforementioned silicon ceramics are utilized in high temperature situations and applications such as in making space ship armor and gas turbine engine parts. Even though ceramics are generally temperature resistant, strong and resilient, these materials are considerably brittle and may break when dropped on a certain angle or when subjected to sudden temperature changes.

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Advice for Aspiring Engineers

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Have you ever dreamt of building something as high as the skyscrapers you see in the city? Or have you ever imagined yourself being famous because of your out of the box buildings? Continue dreaming and imagining because this is the first step in making yourself the next best engineer of your generation. In order to be an engineer, you have to see yourself being one because if not, you might not survive all the challenges there are for aspiring engineers. 

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If you are an aspiring engineer, make sure that you have the drive on solving complex problems. This does not only mean solving mathematical problems, but also solving problems in logic and real life. Engineers have mathematical problems from the subjects they have, and they will also have complex challenges from life which they much manage hand in hand.

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Make sure to show your building and designing capacities by having a portfolio of designs. You can start doing this as early as the time you have learned the skill of designing a floor plan up to designing a whole building, bridge or any form of infrastructure. This will help you develop your skills and prepare you to your internship and job application.

There are hundreds or thousands of engineers out there who are as capable and as educated as you are. In order for you to make a difference, have a specialty. Are you particularly good in specific and reliable measurements, are you known for state of the art designs—what is your edge? Your specialty will make you stand out.

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How to Encourage Students to Express Themselves

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Singaporean kids are good in reading, science, reading and mathematics. There is no doubt about that because they topped examinations. However, when it involves communicating in English, Singaporeans fare poorly. Singaporean kids lack the skill to communicate extemporaneously. With this, schools have considered a system – STELLAR (Strategies for English Language Learning and Reading).

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STELLAR will encourage the students to express themselves clearly. STELLAR furthermore aims to fortify children’s reading and language skills; STELLAR also aims to stimulate positive attitude towards education and learning.

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Apart from STELLAR, as a parent, how can you encourage your students to express themselves? Here are some tips that you can consider:

  • Interaction with other kids: The best thing that you can do is let your kids interact with other kids. Your kids should be given opportunities to socialize with their fellow kids.
  • Encourage your kids to show off his/her talent: If you want to improve the natural talents of your kids, you should encourage them to show off their talents. It is the best way to build self-esteem.
  • Encourage your kids to participate in many activities: Apart from encouraging them to show off their talents, you should also inspire your kids to participate in other activities. It will broaden their social circle.
  • Have your kids decide what they want to wear: The basic thing that you can do to bring out their identity is to bring them to shopping and have them decide what they want to wear.

The key is to build their self-esteem and self-confidence. When they feel confident, they will express themselves better. You should not overlook the communications skills of your kids if you do not want them to be introverted.

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Home Remedies for Your Sunburn

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There are people who worship the sun to the point of overexposing themselves to it. People should be careful because sunburn can cause great pain and discomfort. Getting sun is not wrong but too much is harmful. The rays these days are not as healthy like before. So, if you are thinking about getting a tan, you should be prepared to counter your sunburn.

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The good news is that you can counter sunburn through home remedies. However, these remedies cannot reverse the effects of rays. The remedies will only make your skin better. Here are some tips that you can consider when you are enduring sunburn:

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  • Use aloe vera: Aloe vera is best to reduce the redness of the skin and the sting you are feeling. This plant can be purchased readily.
  • Use cool compress: To relieve the discomfort that you feel, you can consider cool compress. Just look for a washcloth and soak it in cool water. You can directly apply the compress directly to your burned skin. 
  • Moisturize: Looking for a moisturizing cream here in Singapore is not difficult. If you have any moisturizing cream in your house, you can use that. The moisturizers will prevent excessive drying.
  • Use potatoes: Not all Singaporeans know that potatoes can be an excellent pain reliever. You should cut the potatoes into small pieces then blend it. After they are pulverized, you can directly apply it to your sunburn. You can take a bath after. 
  • Apply cornstarch: For the bikini lines and armpits, you can put a dusting of cornstarch to avoid irritating it. You have to at least ease the chafing of your clothing.

If the pain persists, you can always go to your local drugstore and purchase over-the-counter pain reliever. When you consider pain relievers, be sure to follow the directions provided by the bottle. If you feel uncomfortable, you should stop using it.

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What You Need to Know About NTUC

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If you patronize NTUC’s (National Trades Union Congress) FairPrice, you will be happy to know that they installed SCAN2GO at FairPrice Finest located in Bukit Timah Plaza. This new technology is the first in Singapore and it is extensively used in Europe over the years. SCAN2GO is easy to use. The customer will be given personal scanner which is attached in their trolley. It will enable the customers to check and scan the products. It will also make deleting and adding of products easier.

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FairPrice is the cooperative of NTUC. NTUC is proud of the system and they believe that this system will improve the shopping experience of their customers. This new system inspires customers to carry their own bags. Apart from this, the company also implemented many things like the Self-Checkout, Electronic Shelf Labelling and Self-Weighing systems. This will surely bring more convenience to the costumers. Although not all stores have these systems, NTUC is positive that it will be increased over time.

NTUC has over one hundred supermarkets across Singapore. Over the years, NTUC has established and launched many stores and outlets. Here are some stores and outlets owned and operated by NTUC:

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  • FairPrice Express: FairPrice Express is bigger than Cheers. You can find FairPrice Express adjacent to ExxonMobil stations. It offers meat, dairy produce, seafood and other things.
  • FairPrice Finest: NTUC acknowledged the changing tastes of some Singaporeans. With this, they created FairPrice Finest which offers different products from different parts of the world. The store is equipped with wine cellar, bakery and Swiss-style ready-to-eat food products.
  • FairPrice Homemart: FairPrice Homemart is non-operational since 2009. It initially offered non-food things like household appliances, electronics, videos and furniture pieces. It is combined now with FairPrice Xtra.
  • FairPrice Xtra: Since Homemart is non-operational, FairPrice Xtra is a combination of standard FairPrice supermarket and Homemart. It sells food and non-food items and products.
  • Cheers by FairPrice: Cheers by FairPrice is a 24/7 convenience store. It was presented in 1999. Its setup is similar to its competitor 7-Eleven. If you noticed, some cheers are located near ExxonMobil gas stations.
  • Liberty Market: Liberty Market was presented in 1998. It was a supermarket with American theme. It offered products from America. But at present, the supermarket is non-operational.

The supermarket chain is famous for its in-store ideas and concepts. The supermarket efficiently divides the products according to where they come from or their nature. For example, there is a section for products from Australia (called the Australian Pavilion), Thailand (called the Thai Street), Korea (called the Korean Section), Japan (called the Japanese Corner) and many more.

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What is Broken Heart Syndrome

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People cope and deal with heart break differently. Some recover way faster than the others. If you are the type that recovers faster, you are freeing yourself from the misery as soon as possible and that is good. But for people who are immersing their heart to the feeling of despair or loss for a long time, they should be cautious because recent studies reveal that broken heart can kill.

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Yes, broken heart can kill. If you allow your despair and depression take over your life, you will not live long. This is the truth and you better believe it. Scientists have evidence that broken heart can kill; they call it stress cardiomyopathy or broken heart syndrome. Here are some truths about broken heart syndrome:

A troubled mind can result to broken heart

A troubled mind can really affect the body. When you feel low, sad or grieving, your body fails to perform right. The unfortunate event of losing a love one for example can trigger the body’s sympathetic nervous system. This is also known as the “fight or flight” mechanism of the body. When you are experiencing an emotional breakdown, the body will discharge chemicals that can shock the heart’s muscle. That scenario will surely affect the pumping of the heart.

Signs and Symptoms

People who suffer from broken heart syndrome mistake it as heart attack. Scientists found out that heart attack is different from the broken heart syndrome which will require a different approach and type of treatments. Here are some signs and symptoms of broken heart syndrome that you should watch out: shortness of breath and chest pain. You can also experience irregular heartbeats which is called arrhythmia.

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Heart Attack or Broken Heart Syndrome?

Heart attack is different from broken heart syndrome although there are signs and symptoms that are common to both. The only thing that separates them is the extreme physical or emotional stress of the patient before the attack occurred. To be sure, the doctors will conduct tests like EKG tests, blood tests and many. For example, if the blood test shows no signs of any heart damage, the patient is likely suffering from broken heart syndrome. In the case of EKG test (records the electric activity of one’s heart), results are not similar to the person who is suffering from heart attack.

The heart can only do so much and if you strain it, it will surely give up. If you let your heart drown in sorrow, despair and depression, you will surely die. If you do not want to die this early, it is important that you learn how to deal with your broken heart and do your best to cope up. At the end of the day, the mind holds the key. You only need to change your perspective so you will feel lighter and happier.

 

Considering Cosmetic Surgery

Editor

Have you heard about a Korean woman who endured and survived 120 procedures to get her dream face? Yes, 120 procedures and she endured it all for 7 years. This woman is really determined to change her face and perfect it. In a variety show in South Korea, the woman was invited and she revealed the surgeries she went through. She said she had to correct her smile, double her eyelids, perfect her nose and made her face smaller.

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That was a lot of pain but for the sake of beauty, the woman survived and thrived. According to her, the treatment she is receiving now is quite different from before. She also spent thousands for the procedures and she said that it is not enough. You cannot blame the society for creating the ideals of beauty. The good thing is that you can enhance and improve yourself but you have to endure all the pain that goes with it. So, are you ready?

Many people now consider cosmetic surgery to perfect their flaws. It is their choice but they need to know the disadvantage and complications of cosmetic surgery. They need to contemplate hard because this is a life decision and it is crucial. Once you have cosmetic surgery, you cannot undo it. You have to consider the following things when you think about cosmetic surgery:

Complications

It is not a secret that cosmetic surgeries come with complications especially if it is a major one. Complications will include blood clots, infection, bleeding, scarring, tingling, numbness and many more. Cosmetic surgeons will assure you that you will be fine but things happen.

Mental and Emotional Costs

You cannot be fully prepared mentally and emotionally for cosmetic surgery. You may think that you are ready but you find yourself regretting it when it is done. The stress, anxiety, lack of sleep and recovering will surely affect you. The pain and swelling will surely test you and you need to come out of it alive.

Damaging Relationships

You think that cosmetic surgery solves everything but if you look deeper, it will surely damage your relationships. For example, you augmented your breasts and when your parents see you, they are quite adamant about it and it will make you uncomfortable. It will surely disrupt your relationship with them.

The lesson here is to love yourself a little bit more. If you love yourself a little bit more, you will accept what you look and treasure it. You will feel confident if the people around you continually support and love you. You do not need to endure all the pains and troubles just to be beautiful.

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