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CCTV Security Camera Buying Guide

Security is a big issue for the average home owner as it is for a merchant dealing with vandals threading to stall his livelihood with their dangerous gimmicks. Crime on the streets have become rampant, somewhere deep within us, a mistrust has started raising its ugly head, Mistrust for the common bystander, the door-to-door salesman, the gardener and almost anybody we do not recognize. A merchant has to deal with his customers and keep a keen eye over his merchandise which is not possible unless he has CCTV security cameras installed inside his shop. But there are a few things everyone needs to know before buying security cameras, we focus on a few of those:

1. Fixed or Pan/Tilt/Zoom

The first thing that you would want to clarify is whether you need fixed camera or one that can be panned, tilted zoomed in and out electronically with a few manoeuvres of the joy stick. If you have a wide lawn around your house and you want to keep an eye on every inch of it, then you will need a PTZ camera. But if you have a small range, than a fixed camera will do the job wonderfully.

2. How far do you want to see?

This is another thing that has to be decided before buying the camera. The size of the lens is the biggest factor in this. Bigger the lens, further you will be able to see with your security camera. Usually the distance is inversely proportional to the angle of view. If you want to survey a wide area, buy a lens that has a small size, possible 3.6 mm or 5mm. Larger lens have a very narrow angle view.

3. What is Infrared, do you need it?

Probably not. Infrared allows you to see in the dark. So unless you need to watch over an area in the dark (eg: your courtyard or your car garage), you do not spend the extra money on these cameras. The technology makes it costlier than simple ones.
Almost all CCTV cameras have secondary power options, this is also true for infrareds. With or without electricity, these cameras will light up the entire area clearly, making it possible for you to see everything that is happening out there in the dark. Infrared is emitted by LEDs installed in the camera and detected when it bounces off the surface of an object.
CCTV security cameras with low light sensitivity are also a good alternative. This will see even in the least of light, but they will fail when it is pitch dark.

4. Is battery backup a necessity or fancy extra?

Batteries are so important that most security cameras have these inbuilt in them these days. Electricity failure during the evening or sometimes at night is not something new for an Indian. You need to have power back available so that your cameras keep watching and recording everything, keeping you safe even in pitch black dark!

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Is Mushroom A New Solution To The Ever-Increasing Plastic Waste?

Imagine a life without any plastic around! No carry bags given in the market. No plastic containers to keep things. No plastic packaging of foods and drinks. No plastic anywhere! Life would have been so difficult if there was no plastic. Everywhere around us, we use plastic in one way or another. Every single person on earth is using plastic today. The use of plastics has increased a lot over the decades and this has become an environmental monster, degrading and deteriorating our beautiful nature!

Our dependence on plastic has increased a lot. Stopping the use of plastic completely is one solution to the over use of this environmental monster but this cannot be done because plastic has become a need now. The other way to decrease the environmental menace is to use biodegradable plastic. This is a better option but even that would take months to decompose. So, a lot of research was done and finally scientists found a way to decompose the plastic waste that would not take generations to decompose!

Mushrooms eating up plastic! Sounds crazy, isn’t it? How can a mushroom eat plastic and solve the problem of plastic waste on earth!
There is always a solution to everything and so even for the decomposition of plastic waste, there are smart and brilliant minds who discovered a mushroom which only eats plastic!

This is not the everyday mushroom which we eat. Austrian designer Katharina Unger together with Julia Kaisinger and Utrecht University in Netherlands researched and found a very useful fungus that could help to convert the plastic into an edible substance!

This useful fungi, scientific name Pestalotiopsis microspora, was first found in 2012 at the jungles of Ecuador by a group of students from Yale’s annual Rainforest Expedition and Laboratory. This fungus was found to survive only by eating the major component of plastic: Polyurethane. Adding to its surprising feature, it is active even in anaerobic environment as well!

The discovery of Pestalotiopsis microspora gave a new hope to the scientists and research was started to find a much better and efficient way to solve the problem of plastic waste throughout the world. Various scientists tried to figure out the solution but Unger was the one who succeeded in this.

Unger tried to convert fly larvae into edible product with the help of Fungi Mutarium. This successful conversion gave her a hope and she started to experiment with other fungus as well.

Unger and Kaisinger set up a mini laboratory to initiate their research. The two common fungi which is commonly consumed- Pleurotus ostreatus also called the oyster mushroom and Schizophyllum commune, a species which is considered as inedible in UK and US was used. The plastic, before feeding it to the fungi, is subjected to ultraviolet (UV) lights. Waste plastic is sterilized and then UV lights are passed through it which causes the molecules of plastic to move apart and break.
The decomposition of plastic using fungus is a part of Fungi Mutarium process. After breaking down of plastic, it is put into pods. These are small egg shaped growth areas and are made of a gelatinous substance called agar.

Finally, the plastic eating fungi is added to these pods in the incubator. Within weeks, the fungus starts its action and the agar pods starts getting covered by a fluffy mushroom like cover. After a period of time, these mushroom like pods are taken out. The plastic is gone and a jelly like substance come out of it.

The Fungi Mutarium is a prototype. It is the initial achievement which is made in this field. Research is still going on to find better ways for solving the problem of plastic waste using this method. Search for alternatives is being done to find ways to make the decomposition of plastic faster.

In future, there are possibilities that great minds like Unger and Kaisinger will find much better fungi to advance this process of plastic eating mushroom. Maybe the Fungi Mutarium process would become a new way by which the future generations would produce food and at the same time find a solution to the worldwide problem of plastic waste!

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What you should know about breast augmentation

The breast augmentation is one of the most common cosmetic surgeries around the world. Like any surgical intervention, its performance involves certain risks and requires dedication for optimal postoperative recovery. To ensure a safe procedure, it is essential to trust properly trained professionals. But it is equally important for the patient to prepare physically and mentally to go through the entire Mammaplasty process. In this article, we review what you should know about breast augmentation before doing it.

What is breast augmentation?

Augmentation Mammaplasty consists of a surgery carried out with the purpose of increasing the size of the breasts. To do this, implants are incorporated under the breast tissue or the chest muscles. These implants are covered by a flexible silicone outer covering and may contain a saline solution or a silicone gel.

This procedure must be performed by a plastic surgeon, after previous consultations for orientation and planning with the patient.

MOST USED MATERIALS FOR CHEST IMPLANTS

Among the most used materials for this type of operation are silicone prostheses and serum prostheses that have different characteristics:

Silicone prosthesis: They are the most used. Silicone prosthesis is composed of three layers of polyurethane and its filling can be of two types:

Cohesive gel: it is characterized by a greater bond between the molecules of the gel, which gives it greater density. In the unlikely event of a prosthesis rupture, the gel, being more consistent, does not migrate to other parts of the body.

Soft gel: The shape of this type of prosthesis changes depending on the movements and pressure that are made on the breast. In the event that the prosthesis breaks, the gel will come out of the capsule, spreading through the breast tissue. So it is not entirely recommended.

Serum prosthesis: The content of this type of prosthesis is compatible with the body, so in case of breakage of the material or leakage of the capsule, it could be reabsorbed by the body itself. Despite this, we also find some disadvantages such as the loss of volume of the breast over time or the undulation of the upper part of it.

What is augmentation Mammaplasty for?

This surgery is usually related to aesthetic purposes and it is important not to stigmatize its purposes and benefits. Most of the women who opt for Mammaplasty do so because they feel unhappy with their appearance. Some for having naturally small breast, others to correct differences in size or to reverse a reduction after pregnancy.

However, Mammaplasty can also be part of a breast reconstruction process, which is necessary after going through certain diseases (breast cancer, for example). In any case, breast augmentation allows many women to strengthen their self-esteem and confidence. And this translates into a positive impact not only on a physical level, but fundamentally on an emotional and social level.

What are the risks of breast augmentation surgery?

All surgery involves a degree of risk and, therefore, it is essential to have the support of trained professionals. But augmentation Mammaplasty can also lead to certain complications after surgery, such as:

Sensitivity changes in the breasts, especially in the nipples.
Pain in the breasts, mainly during the postoperative period.
Infections (postoperative care is essential to prevent them).
Development of systemic symptoms described in the so-called breast implant disease.
Distortion of the shape of the implant mainly associated with a contraction produced by the healing of the tissue.
Loss or patella of the implant.

We know that breast augmentation surgery has its risks and complications, however, they are temporary and scarce, and so we should not fear undergoing the operation. Being an optional surgical treatment, we have the last word in our hand.

If you want an assessment of our plastic surgeon, Dr. Lane Smith, make an appointment! The first assessment consultation is free.

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