Doctor Handwriting

Why is doctors' handwriting so bad?

Doctor handwriting is notoriously bad. But writing badly for a doctor is a matter of survival. In one eight hour shift s/he can write their signature alone fifty to one hundred or more times!

The problem for doctors is the volume of paperwork that needs to be done for each patient encounter. For legal reasons, everything done, found, or instructed, has to be documented prior to discharge. Many doctors eventually realize that most of 

this paper-trail ends life stuffed in filing cabinets to never be seen again and interferes in what is really important to doctors - seeing and treating patients!

Many also realize that what they write is not intended for the public to see, only for themselves and their peers. As you'll see, the way we write is decipherable amongst us because we know what to look for. And you'll see that illegible doctor handwriting is made not born (how could anyone get through college far less med school writing so badly?).

Doctor Handwriting Tips

• Abbreviate - It's much faster to write 'SOB' than 'shortness of breath'.
• Write small - distance takes time so writing tiny saves time.
• Skip vowels - can u rd ths sntnce? Most sentences can be read without vowels.
• Write the first two or three letters legibly then Scrawl. Doctors use the same words over and over so it only takes one or two letters in context to recognize a specialized word eg.

The problem with this kind of handwriting is when doctors get so in the habit of writing bad that they write everything to their peers and public in this medical shorthand noone else - and often they themselves - can't read. So it's important to remember that doctor handwriting has limitations like any other tool in the medicine bag. Luckily, computer records are quickly making doctor handwriting and scribbled records a naughty thing of the past as more docs either type or dictate their chart notes.

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Credit

Article by Dr. Sal

Being sad can be good for you

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Even negative moods serve a useful purpose. The emphasis we place on wanting to be happy all the time is misdirected and could even be damaging.

 

When Bobby McFerrin sang it back in the 1980s it was on everybody's lips: "Don't worry, be happy."

But being happy all the time might not be so good for us after all. Although we're often told of the benefits of being positive and upbeat, it appears there could also be plenty of plus points to feeling sad.

People who are down in the dumps are more attentive to their surroundings and less gullible than people who are happy, a University of New South Wales study found. The study also revealed that people who are feeling sad produce more effective and persuasive arguments than those in a positive frame of mind.

"People in a negative mood recall better memories, are better at detecting deception and are less likely to make judgmental errors," says study author Professor Joe Forgas.

"The study also revealed that sad people were more successful at communicating their thoughts than those in a good mood, less likely to believe urban myths and rumours and less likely to make decisions about someone purely based on their appearance."

Coping with challenge

But why does being sad give us the ability to make a good judgment call? "As humans evolved, moods came to be used as unconscious signals to inform people of the most appropriate way to process information," explains Professor Forgas. "A positive mood signalled, 'all is well, the situation is familiar', while a negative mood signalled, 'be alert and vigilant'. Therefore a negative outlook promoted a more attentive and externally focused, information-processing style."

Further research shows we may actually be subconsciously aware of the fact that a negative mood enables us to deal with challenging events more easily. People about to take part in an activity outside of their comfort zone, such as meeting and talking to a stranger, deliberately lowered their mood beforehand by reflecting on a sad memory or reading something sad, according to a study in the British Journal Of Cognition And Emotion.

Although Professor Forgas's study also shows the benefits of positive moods, such as creativity, flexibility and cooperation, he says it's important to focus on the fact that both a positive and negative frame of mind can be beneficial. As a society, we're bombarded with advertisements and self-help courses that portray the ideal state of mind as one of permanent happiness, but Professor Forgas reminds us this isn't the case.

"These findings suggest that all moods - even negative ones - serve a useful purpose," he says. "The strong cultural emphasis [we place] on wanting to be happy all the time is misdirected and could even be damaging. "It sends out a message that feeling negative is always unnecessary and dysfunctional, which is clearly not the case. Humans have evolved to experience the entire repertoire of emotions, and we should accept that temporary negativity is part of a normal existence. By propagating a myth that uninterrupted happiness is possible and desirable, it makes people feel worse than they would otherwise."

Psychologist Lyn Everingham agrees: "It's important to recognise that it's completely natural to have both high and low moods. Life throws different things at us. It wouldn't be normal if you didn't feel sad or upset after you've had a bad day or something hasn't worked out the way you wanted.

"Being sad doesn't mean you aren't coping with a situation. In fact, embracing sadness for a short period of time can often be a good thing; it helps you think about and come to terms with whatever has upset you, so you can eventually move on and feel positive again."

However, you can't force yourself to be in a bad mood purely to help you become more critical or have a better memory. "The effects of negative mood are automatic and subconscious," Professor Forgas says. "People are normally unaware of the consequences of their mood. Intentionally manipulating your state of mind to feel sad just so you can gain a better memory or stop yourself being so gullible probably wouldn't work."

Healthy boundary

Professor Forgas says it's important to understand that the key to experiencing the benefits that come with feeling sad is ensuring your negative moods stay within a healthy boundary. "It's only during temporary, short-term low moods that the benefits are present," he says. "Once a negative mood becomes long-lasting and more intense, the benefits disappear and the costs become greater. Enduring sadness, such as depression, can have debilitating effects."

Dr Ginni Mansberg says it's important to distinguish between feeling sad and being depressed. "If your low mood starts to interrupt your normal routine and the way you normally function, it should ring alarm bells," she says. "Unfortunately there is no clear-cut test for depression. Severe depression can be easy to spot, as it can include symptoms such as finding it hard to get out of bed and feeling suicidal. But it's harder to diagnose mild to moderate depression."

The key to differentiating between whether you're simply feeling a little bit low and whether you're clinically depressed is to work out what's normal for you, Dr Mansberg suggests. "If you're usually a 'glass-half-full' type of person and you've been feeling miserable for a while, then it's worth seeing your doctor. Talking to someone else about how you're feeling can help determine whether you might need help dealing with your low mood."

Mood boosters

If you've been feeling sad for a while and the emotion is getting too much, there are things you can do to boost your mood. "Research shows that 30 minutes of exercise a day is as effective as a mild antidepressant," Dr Ginni Mansberg says.

"Some research also suggests that simply talking to your doctor about the possibility of going on antidepressants can help you feel better almost immediately - even if you don't actually get a prescription. Sometimes just discussing your problems can help."

The natural supplement St John's wort is thought to help relieve mild to moderate depression, Dr Mansberg says. "But you shouldn't take it if you're on the contraceptive pill as it can reduce effectiveness. See your doctor if you're concerned about your low mood."

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Credits

Source: Katherine Chatfield

#PUNCTUATION AND GRAMMAR

Grammar and Punctuation

They can tie a writer in knots, these two writing elements, grammar and punctuation.

They are both tools and essentials for writers, an integral part of the writer’s skill set that requires attention from beginning writers and easy familiarity from experienced writers.

Writers need to know how to put grammar and punctuation to work.

I wasn’t sure how I wanted to approach the topics of grammar and punctuation; both are such basics for writers. We learned how to use grammar in our native languages when we first learned to speak. We learned about punctuation when we first learned to read. And since those early days, we’ve put both to use in our own writing—for schoolwork, for pleasure, for business dealings.

I don’t want to harp on about grammar and punctuation, on the rules and nit-picky minutiae. But . . .

You knew there’d be a but after that opening, right?

But grammar and punctuation cannot be ignored or set aside by writers.

Grammar and punctuation are not the meat of your stories, but they are the framework that makes story stand.

Grammar and punctuation (can we call them G&P?) are necessary elements of any piece of writing—if you want to communicate, you’ve got to make your meaning clear. And clarity goes beyond word choice.

Words and story have to be arranged to convey what you want to say, what you want the reader to take in. You can’t put words in front of readers and expect them to arrange them into meaningful bits of information.

That’s your job.

Anyone can pull words out of the dictionary and string them together; a string of words doesn’t make story, not even a string of electric, exotic, evocative words that pleases the ear or trips off the tongue.

But words that make sense and make connections and make a reader think or feel or shiver, those words do make story.

So . . .

What do I suggest is important in regard to grammar and punctuation?

Learn more than the basics.

You’re the writer or the editor. Grammar and punctuation are two of the tools of your trade, and you should know them inside out and upside down and backwards and forwards and any other way they can be known. You should know how to use them and what they’re capable of, and you should look for new ways to put them to work.

You should know when to choose this rule of grammar rather than that one, and what the use of each punctuation mark would mean for a sentence or phrase.

You should know what both correct and incorrect grammar will achieve and what happens when you don’t use expected grammar or a typical punctuation mark.

While you may want to surprise your readers with an unusual plot thread or uncommon construction, you don’t want to be surprised by grammar or punctuation mistakes. Knowledge of grammar and punctuation rules will cut down on unintended errors.

Treat G&P as any craftsman would treat his tools, with a combination of respect and casualness.

Don’t take good grammar for granted, as though it can perform magic without your hand behind it, as though it can make up for bad plots or weak characters. But at the same time, don’t fear it or spend so much time on it that you can’t write.

You should know how to clean up grammar and punctuation, just as any artist knows how to clean his tools. And not simply knowhow to clean them; you should remember to clean them, actually set up a schedule to do it. Yes, you should be sure you edit for G&P and make them shine.

Spend time periodically reviewing or learning something new about grammar or punctuation.

Learn the uses of a semicolon. Read up on commas (I know, exciting, exciting). Go shopping for used grammar books and read a different one every year or two.

Brush up on modifiers or phrases or gerunds. Not because your grammar must be perfect, but in order to remind yourself there are other ways to write something, other methods to present your character or setting or action or dialogue. Other ways to craft a sentence or a phrase. Other ways to provoke an impact.

Unless you’ve got a degree in English (or the language you write in) or one in creative writing, you probably don’t know all the rules. Unless you’re a grammar expert, there are constructions that you’ll either use incorrectly or be ignorant of.

There’s nothing wrong with looking up grammar or punctuation rules, but if you don’t know what to look up, you may have a tough time finding what you’re looking for. You may not know you need to search for information at all.

I admit that I don’t know all the rules. I have grammar books on my desk just as I have dictionaries there, and I’m grateful that several someones made the effort to gather the rules in one place so I could review them.

Don’t sweat blood over the grammar of each phrase, each tiny punctuation mark.

Yes, you want to punctuate correctly, you want to get the grammar right and use a variety of options that take advantage of a wide knowledge of grammar. But you don’t need perfection.

Does that sound blasphemous?

I don’t mean it to be. But striving to perfect a manuscript can cripple a writer, can have her so fearful of mistakes that she either can’t write with a flow that brings life to her stories or refuses to submit her work until it’s perfect.

I don’t want that to be your fate.

Realize that the perfect novel manuscript is rarer than the most uncommon gem and that if you’re waiting for perfection before you submit, you’ll likely wait forever.

An agent or acquisitions editor is not going to reject your manuscript because of a few typos, grammar blunders, or punctuation flubs. They know how to recognize good story. And they know how to correct grammar and punctuation errors.

There is a caveat, however: you do owe your readers (and that includes agents and editors) a clean, polished manuscript. So practice due diligence. But don’t let that diligence paralyze you.

Break the rules when doing so serves the story.

Sometimes you’ll want a comma where no comma has any business being. Put it in if you’ve got a reason to do so—you’ll be able to argue your case with your copy editor.

Don’t be afraid to take chances. But do so knowing what you’re doing and why and the possible repercussions of choosing an odd grammar construction or an unusual punctuation mark.

As atypical word choices can lead to poetry in prose, offbeat grammar or punctuation can lead to delightful phrases, rhythms, and meanings.

Be willing to explore non-standard constructions.

Don’t get hung up on the terminology.

You don’t have to know grammar terms to use them correctly. Unless you’re in school, no one’s going to test you on your knowledge of terms.

But do know how to use grammar. Knowing what’s available will expand your options and strengthen your stylings. The more ways you can work a sentence or phrase, the more potential you have, quite literally, at your fingertips.

__________________________________________

We’ll explore particular grammar rules and individual punctuation marks in other articles. In this one, I wanted to stress the importance of correct grammar and punctuation while at the same time assuring you that a lack of knowledge about some point of grammar or punctuation should not keep you from writing.

There’s nothing that says you can’t learn the rules. There’s nothing that says you can’t learn how to break those rules. There’s nothing keeping you from presenting your manuscripts in the best manner possible, not when the Internet and writing groups and classes, many free, offer abundant resources to help you.

If you expect readers to pay for the pleasure of reading your stories, if you want agents and editors to take you on, you owe them each the courtesy of well-written fiction, well-crafted stories.

Give readers the best of you. Show them you want them to enjoy the stories you place before them, that you want them to read more of your work. That you’re serious enough about your craft that you’ll put in the time and the sometimes tedious effort necessary to produce the best stories you’re capable of writing.

Respect their time and money and their interest in you by refusing to produce shoddy, lazily written books.

Don’t let the writing tools—any of them—intimidate you. They serve you. Put grammar and punctuation to the task of presenting your stories with the strongest foundations possible.

Learn your craft and put it to work on your behalf.

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Credits

Source: Beth Hill 

(original title: On Grammar and Punctuation)

WHAT IS THE VALUE OF A PERSON?

We are judged based on intelligence somewhat, also on looks and wealth or status. But these are superficial impressions that gain or fall depending on completely different criteria. We are all evaluated and judged in social and work settings all the time and usually in a brief instant. We are not judged on education. We are not judged on grades. We are not judged on style. At least not in a lasting way.

We are judged on skills, pretty much solely. People prefer the company of those who are physically handy and socially adept. Competence counts. In fact, people with high IQ or lots of schooling but low skill levels can be judged quite negatively. Ditto for looks and money.

• Can you change a flat tire or swap out a dead car battery?
• Can you pick up a guitar and entertain a room?
• Are you handy at crafts?

Even more important are the social skills, particularly...

• Are you an excellent listener?
• Can you instantly make people at ease in your presence?
• Can you control the atmosphere in a room, making it light or serious as appropriate?
• Do you have moral courage? Are you willing to say and do the necessary in any circumstance rather than shrink back?

Other social skills are important...

• Can you speak from the heart?
• Are you free from glib, gratuitous, offensive and non-productive remarks?
• Can you compete when necessary, collaborate when necessary?

The social graces are also important...

• Can you dance? play the piano? sing? tell rousing stories? etc.

There are bonus points for gender cross-over skills. When a woman can...

• Use common tools competently.
• Not shrink in the company of males.
• Roll up her sleeves and do hard physical work when necessary.

Or a man can...

• Comfort an upset child.
• Cook, sew, do laundry.
• Feel at home in the company of women and have them readily accept his presence.

Such cross-over skills indicate androgyny, or high skills across the masculine and feminine range. The highest slots in society are usually home to the androgynous.

Whether it's co-workers, teammates, community, neighbors, your lasting impression will be what do you have to offer that makes us better? Looks, money, smarts... all good, but the true lasting value of each person is what can you be counted on for? That will include all of the contributions you are able to make.


Credits: Charles Tips

Too much Internet use 'can damage the brain'

Excessive internet use may cause parts of teenagers’ brains to waste away, a study reveals.
Scientists discovered signs of atrophy of grey matter in the brains of heavy internet users that grew worse over time.

This could affect their concentration and memory, as well as their ability to make decisions and set goals. It could also reduce their inhibitions and lead to ‘inappropriate’ behaviour. 
Researchers took MRI brain scans from 18 university students, aged 19, who spent eight to 13 hours a day playing games online, six days a week.

The students were classified as internet addicts after answering eight questions, including whether they had tried to give up using computers and whether they had lied to family members about the amount of time they spent online.

The researchers compared them with a control group of 18 students who spent fewer than two hours a day on the internet.

One set of MRI images focused on grey matter at the brain’s wrinkled surface, or cortex, where the processing of memory, emotions, speech, sight, hearing and motor control occurs.

Comparing grey matter between the two groups revealed atrophy within several small regions of all the online addicts’ brains.

Source: Dailymail

Begin Again

Today is the day that you become the person that you were always meant to be. That can’t happen if you have baggage. Leave the past. You have a chance to restart, and all you have to do is forget all the bad things from your past, all the things that has happened to you, forgive yourself, and just move forward.

SWIMMING POOL IN THE SKY

Glass pool will bridge two 10-storey buildings in Embassy Gardens’ new Battersea development

For anyone wishing to make a high-level splash, London’s latest planned addition to the skyline could be just the thing. A 25-metre swimming pool suspended between two apartment blocks 10 storeys up is part of a new development near the former Battersea power station.

The transparent “sky pool” will, the developers say, be the first of its kind in the world. Swimmers will be able to look down 35 metres to the world below as they take a dip, with only 20cm of glass between them and the outside world.

Residents of the buildings, where flats cost upwards of £602,000, will be able to swim between the two, and recover from their exertions on a sky deck which boasts a spa, summer bar and orangery with views of the Houses of Parliament.

The developers Ballymore say the pool, which has been granted planning permission, will be entirely transparent and structure free. It is designed by Arup Associates, with specialist input from aquarium designers Reynolds.

The pool will be part of the Embassy Gardens development at Nine Elms, a huge £15bn building project in south-west London which is creating thousands of homes, many of them in luxury apartment blocks. There is an indoor pool for the fainthearted.

Ballymore’s chairman and CEO, Sean Mulryan, said: “My vision for the sky pool stemmed from a desire to push the boundaries in the capability of construction and engineering, I wanted to do something that had never been done before.”

He said: “The experience of the pool will be truly unique, it will feel like floating through the air in central London.”

Henry Pryor, a buying agent for wealthy clients, said he thought the plans for the pool were “genuinely crackers” and wondered “are there enough exhibitionists to fill it?”.

He said: “It’s not easy to say for sure what the extras like pools, tennis courts and home cinemas add to a home, but for the first time I can honestly say that whilst my admiration for the architect is close to reverence this absurd addition must surely be the biggest mistake I have ever come across.”

Swimming pools, and their location, are used as a selling point for developers toting the latest luxury buildings. The Shard boasts the highest pool in western 

Source: .The Guardian

WHY YOU SHOULD STUDY ENGLISH?

Learning English as a second language offers many benefits in today’s business world not only as a means to communicate with people on the other side of the world but it serves to show a person’s intelligence too. When a person is willing to commit to learn what has become known as the International language of today’s modern world it shows they want to be a success. Below are just a few reasons why it is so important to be able to speak English and to speak it well.

- English is the most commonly accepted language used when people from various different countries get together for conferences, debates as well as social gatherings. This is why it is so important to be able to speak English, not only will it give you an advantage work wise, but on a social level your lifestyle will be enhanced too

- English is the most commonly accepted language used when people from various different countries get together for conferences, debates as well as social gatherings. This is why it is so important to be able to speak English, not only will it give you an advantage work wise, but on a social level your lifestyle will be enhanced too

- When it comes to technology, it’s mainly the English speaking regions of the world that are at the forefront of many important innovations, although other countries too are pushing the boundaries of technology. However, all the work is carried out based on using the English language

- When it comes to the sciences, again English is the accepted language used throughout the world. Should you wish to get ahead in a job that’s science related, you would need to have mastered the English language to a high level of both speaking, reading and writing

- Many European countries, namely Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, Sweden and Norway have all adopted English as a second language.

- Having English as a second language opens up many work opportunities no matter what ethnicity, colour or background a person comes from

- Being able to speak English allows parents to teach their own children to speak the language from an early age, making it that much easier for the children to get to grips with the grammar, vocabulary and idiosyncrasies of the language. This is one of the important reasons why it is so important to be able to speak English because it means your children will benefit too

- Having English as a second language often means a person can command more in the way of salary

Source: KSE

Working Smarter, Not Harder

A) Never accept a bad job. You know when a job is going to be great. A client or boss who pressures you into areas where you are not comfortable, either because it is an unreasonable expectation or because it's outside your scope, needs to be made immediately aware of your discomfort with the job as proposed. If you are self-employed, declining a job like this is much smarter even though it's hard to let money go.

B) Delegate to the right people at the right times. Make sure your team is well-ordered. If one person is faster, put him or her on the part of your task that will take longest. If one person is more skilled and accurate, put him or her on the part of the task that is most critical.

C) Consider your materials. Don't take shortcuts on the quality of your materials. Cheap materials or tools are harder to work with because they aren't as sturdy or nice. Trying to save a few bucks, but spending an extra hour or two because those cheap things didn't install properly doesn't make any sense.

D) Re-bid if necessary. Don't accept so many changes that you end up doing a much more complicated or expensive job than you bid for. When you realize you're into new territory, stop work and draw up a re-bid, showing the entire job as originally envisioned and overlay the scope of the new work. Let the client know it will cost $x more than the original bid to proceed. It's the client's decision how much to pay. How smart you want to be while you're working for them is your decision.

E) Evaluate your methods. You want them to be as efficient as possible. Do your work when you have no distractions surrounding you. Try to do things in one batches rather than one at a time. You want your efficiency to be maximized as much as possible.

F) Look for shortcuts. This does NOT mean taking the easiest method for the sake of it or being lazy. For example, if you respond to numerous e-mails per day and answer the same questions again and again, save your responses. When those questions come up, you can cut and paste your canned response. You might have to make minor edits, but the bulk of it will already be written.

G) Control clients by communicating properly. Make sure your clients will understand what the normal turnaround time will be for a project. Do not be influenced by their insistence that their job requires a big rush. Most businesses have more than one client, yet many clients forget that their job is not the only one you're working on.

Give one to three choices - never more. Handing a swatch book to a client and saying, "Tell me which colors you are interested in" is deadly. Too many choices will cause horrible delays as the customer peruses ALL possibilities and later tends to second-guess every decision. Instead, say things like, "Do you like this blue or this green better?"

H) Avoid procrastination. Every time you surf the net or needlessly check e-mail at work, your day becomes longer. Push yourself hard to do work when it's time to do work and enjoy these activities once you're done for the day.

I) Be flexible. Your day will not always go as planned. Be open to trying new methods and doing new things.

J) Create organizing systems. Being organized saves tons of time, and you don’t have to be the most ultra-organized person in the world either. Systems aren’t complicated to implement.

Create a filing system for documents. Make sure all items have a place to be stored in your dwelling. Unsubscribe from e-mail lists if you don’t want to receive their content. Streamline, streamline, streamline.

K) Do something during waiting time. We tend to have a lot of down-time where we don’t try to do much. Waiting rooms, lines at the store, time on the subway, on the elliptical at the gym, etc.

Find things to do during this time.

L) Eliminate the non-essential. Our lives are full of excess. When we can identify that excess and remove it, we become more and more in touch with what is significant and what deserves our time.

M) Rest. You should ideally be getting eight hours of sleep every night. You can certainly pull continuous 12 hour days at work, but it's not sustainable. After a certain point, your body becomes tired and your mind wears down, leading to more frequent lapses in concentration and careless mistakes.

N) Periodic breaks. Even at the office, you need to allow time for your mind to regroup and recharge. Push yourself hard for the first 50 minutes of every hour and then reward yourself with a 10 minute break.

O) Recognize the point of 'diminishing returns.' The above steps do not imply that you should work yourself to the point of exhaustion. You need to protect your health and the integrity of your job. Working yourself to a frazzle constantly makes you prone to mistakes. When you're so tired that you realize it's taking you twice or three times longer to do a job than normal, you need to call it a day. Rest at least a few hours and come back fresher, so that you can be strong at the end of the job.

P) Delineate a time limit in which to complete task. Instead of just sitting down to work on a project and thinking, “I’m going to be here until this is done,” try thinking, “I’m going to work on this for three hours”.

The time constraint will push you to focus and be more efficient, even if you end up having to go back and add a bit more later.

Q) Assess everything that needs to be done. Before you plunge into something headfirst, remember that enthusiasm needs to be tempered with wisdom. Look over every aspect of the job, and allow yourself ample "pondering time" so that you can be sure that every detail is accomplished on time and accurately.

R) Make an outline. Whether it's in your head or on paper, you should have a checklist in mind and follow it in order. You don't want to repeat steps, duplicate the efforts of others, make mistakes or forget anything.

S) Learn to say no. Avoid over-scheduling yourself and be realistic about what you can accomplish in a single day. Sometimes you just have to cut yourself off because in most professions, there is almost always something that could be done.

T) Limit your goals. Try to avoid multi-tasking because you often get less done since your brain is switching back and forth between tasks. Pick one thing to work on and put your best effort into that until it is accomplished.

 Credits:

 Source: WIKIHOW

Why Do Onions Make You Cry?

Why do onions make us cry?

The mere thought of chopping onions can literally make you cry. But the moment your knife touches the onion, your eyes start burning and you have tears in your eyes. Here is why it happens...

What do onions contain?

Onions contain amino acid sulfoxides that form sulfenic acids in the onion cells. Both the enzymes and the sulfenic acids are kept separately in the cells. When you cut the onion, the otherwise separate enzymes start mixing and produce propanethiol S-oxide, which is a volatile sulphur compound that starts wafting towards your eyes. The gas that is emitted reacts with the water of your eyes and forms sulphuric acid. The sulphuric acid thus produced causes burning sensation in your eyes and this in turn leads to the tear glands secreting tears. Thus you end up with watery eyes every time you cut onions at home.

It is the sulphur compound in the onions that also leave a typical odour of onions on your hands and utensils even after washing.

Tips to avoid the tears:

• Make sure that you keep your fans off while cutting onions. If it is running, the air is on constant circulation, which will lead to the spread of gas and increase the burning sensation in your eyes.
• Refrigerate the onion before cutting. By refrigerating, you freeze the enzymes from mixing with the sulfenic acids and the production of propanethiol S-oxide is stopped. As a result, sulphuric acid is not formed when you chop the onions. Wear safety goggles while chopping onions. It is also a good idea to keep away the gas from reaching your eyes.
• Cooking the onion inactivates the enzyme. So cook the onion after you de-skin and before letting the knife touch the onion. Soak onions in water before cutting. Water absorbs the gas and you can avoid the tears.
• Lighting a candle or a lamp near the chopping board is another effective way to avoid the tears. When a candle is lit near the chopping board the gas that is emitted from the onions get drawn towards the flame of the burning candle or lamp and it does not reach your eyes
• Avoid cutting the onion till the root. This will prevent the mixing of enzymes with the sulfenic acids and you can spare your eyes of the burning sensation and tears.

em ESPANHOL prova com o nivel de TOEFL

Espanhol terá seu Toefl, e o Brasil vai superar os EUA em locais de exame

Teste permitirá determinar grau de conhecimento da língua espanhola em todo o mundo

Os Reis de Espanha, durante a assinatura do acordo. / MARCO UGARTE (AP)

O espanhol tem uma lacuna. Há 550 milhões de falantes do idioma, mas nenhum exame internacional que certifique o seu domínio. Essa carência tem desde terça-feira os dias contados. Sob os muros com brasões do Antigo Colégio de San Ildefonso, na Cidade do México, os Reis da Espanha presidiram a apresentação do Serviço Internacional de Avaliação da Língua Espanhola (Siele), o exame que permitirá determinar em praticamente qualquer ponto do planeta o grau de conhecimento do castelhano. O teste, semelhante ao que o inglês já possui, com os exames da Universidade de Cambridge, nasce sob o conceito pan-hispânico, aglutinador das distintas vozes do espanhol e com a ambição de se transformar em um padrão reconhecido mundialmente.

“Faltava no universo do ensino do espanhol como segunda língua ou língua estrangeira um certificado ágil e de grande prestígio, que se situasse na mesma linha dos que a língua inglesa oferece. As equipes acadêmicas das três instituições trabalharam, lado a lado, em um novo tipo de exame de caráter pan-hispânico no caminho aberto pelas 22 Academias da Língua Espanhola. Elas souberam inserir em sua Nova Gramática a unidade que integra as diferentes variações em que o espanhol se realiza”, afirmou Felipe VI.A iniciativa foi desenvolvida em conjunto pelo Instituto Cervantes(90 centros em 44 países), a Universidade Nacional Autônoma do México (a maior de língua espanhola) e a Universidade de Salamanca (a mais antiga). O teste começará no início do próximo ano acadêmico, e com um nível de exigência muito alto. As previsões são de um mínimo de 300.000 candidatos por ano, que aumentará para 750.000 em cinco anos. Tanto a inscrição como o exame serão realizados por meios eletrônicos e com conexão online.

O certificado poderá ser obtido em qualquer um dos cinco continentes, mas o maior esforço se concentrará até 2018 nos três gigantes: Brasil, que terá 120 centros de exame; Estados Unidos, com 100; e China, com 60. Mais de 15 milhões de pessoas estudam espanhol neste momento nesses três países.

Certificado poderá ser obtido em qualquer um dos cinco continentes, mas o maior esforço se concentrará em três gigantes: Brasil, Estados Unidos e China

O Siele terá quatro provas: Compreensão de Leitura e Compreensão Auditiva, cuja qualificação será imediata, e Expressão e Interação Escrita e Oral, que serão avaliadas por especialistas credenciados mediante uma classificação. Os candidatos poderão decidir se fazem a prova de uma só vez ou por partes. Os resultados serão divulgados em três semanas e, no caso de reclamações, um segundo examinador fará a revisão dos textos e dos áudios. Quem passar no exame receberá um certificado com validade de dois anos.

O exame é a ponta de lança de um projeto de maior envergadura. Com as provas será criado material didático e, sobretudo, haverá um incremento no ensino do espanhol em toda a sua diversidade. “O Siele não é só uma prova de avaliação, mas um sistema de promoção do espanhol, mas do espanhol de todos, e em pé de igualdade. Pretendemos que do projeto participem as 900 universidades ibero-americanas e todos os ministérios da educação da área”, afirmou o diretor do Instituto Cervantes, Víctor García de la Concha.

“Se queremos que nossa língua se afirme como segunda língua de comunicação internacional, teremos de superar a visão de curto alcance, centrada em cada um, e pôr em comum os recursos de todos para conseguir um objetivo que resultará em benefício comum”, disse Felipe VI.

Na assinatura do protocolo de ação estiveram presentes com García de la Concha o reitor da UNAM, José Narro, e o da Universidade de Salamanca, Daniel Hernández Ruipérez. O ato foi presidido pelos Reis como parte de sua visita de Estado ao México. A viagem, concluída nesta quarta-feira com um passeio cultural por Zacatecas, teve como bandeira a defesa do idioma como bem comum e motor do crescimento ibero-americano.