| How to Protect Yourself from Infectious Diseases Posted: 29 Sep 2016 05:00 PM PDT Infectious diseases can be caused by bacteria, viruses, or other organisms that enter the body through a wide range of methods. Because these diseases are often easily passed from person to person, it is relatively easy to see a large outbreak of an illness in a single community. To protect yourself from infectious disease, the "ounce of prevention" adage does hold true. With just a few steps and some healthy habits, you can keep many germs and illnesses at bay. EditPreventing Infectious Diseases - Wash your hands. Proper hand hygiene is vital when it comes to preventing the spread of infectious diseases. Pathogens (such as viruses, bacteria and fungi) are easily transferred from contaminated surfaces to your skin and from there to your eyes and mouth where they can gain access to inside your body. Thus, washing your hands is one of the first steps to take to reduce the transfer of infectious agents.[1]
- Wash your hands every time after going to the bathroom, changing a diaper, sneezing or blowing your nose and when coming into contact with bodily fluids.[2]
- Wash your hands before and after working with food.
- When washing your hands, use soap and warm water to wet your hands up to your wrists and scrub the skin for at least 20 seconds or more.[3]
- If water and soap is not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer and rub it from your fingertips to your wrists in order to eliminate pathogens.[4]
- Avoid touching your face, eyes, and nose. People tend to touch their face several times throughout the day. This is when the infectious agents in your hands gain access to your body. Where an intact skin does not allow transfer of pathogens into the body, the eyes and mucous membranes in the nose and mouth do allow this.[5]
- Besides maintaining a proper hand hygiene, try to avoid touching your face, even with clean hands.
- Avoid direct contact between the palm of your hand and face and use a tissue when you cough or sneeze.
- If a tissue is not available, cover your mouth or nose with your elbow. After using a tissue, discard it immediately into a proper waste receptacle and wash your hands
- Keep all immunizations up to date. Vaccines are a preventive measure that help prevent or lessen illness caused by infectious pathogens. They work by stimulating an immune response against a specific pathogenic agent and, if you are ever exposed to the pathogen, your immune system can fight it more effectively.[6]
- Get all adult and childhood immunizations on time and keep an accurate vaccination record at home for every family member to ensure everyone remains up to date.
- Because vaccines are designed to activate your immune system to recognize specific pathogens, some vaccines may cause minor symptoms, such as fever, fatigue and muscle aches, that last a day or two.[7]
- Some vaccinations require booster shots (such as tetanus and polio) at certain intervals to maintain immunity.[8]
- Stay home. When you are sick with infectious disease, it is important to limit exposing other people to the pathogen and spreading the illness. Although some infectious diseases do not spread easily from person-to-person contact, others do and thus, you should stay home when you are symptomatic.[9]
- If you are at public spaces, cover your mouth and nose with your elbow while coughing (and not with your hand) to avoid spreading pathogens airborne and transferring germs with your hands.
- Wash your hands and clean shared surfaces often if you are sick in order to minimize transmission of germs.
- Prepare and store food safely. Some pathogens can be transferred into your body via food (so called foodborne illnesses or pathogens). Once food is consumed and the pathogen gains access to your body, it can multiply and cause illness. Thus, it is vital you prepare and store all food appropriately.[10]
- Prepare your food responsibly by limiting cross contamination. Raw food should never be prepared on the same surface as ready-made food to prevent transferring pathogens.
- Clean your work surfaces regularly and keep them clean and dry. Pathogens can thrive on wet environments.
- Wash your hands before and after handling food. You should also wash your hands when you are changing ingredients (eg, from raw food to fresh food).
- Food should be stored at safe temperatures (refrigerated if needed) and thrown out if you doubt their quality. Changes in color and texture and strange odors are signs that your food has spoiled.
- Hot food should be eaten when it is prepared and, if it needs to be stored, kept either hot (as in buffets) or refrigerated as soon as possible to keep pathogens from multiplying.
- Practice safe sex and do not share personal items. Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are spread when bodily secretions come into contact with your genitals, mouth, and eyes. Practice safe sex to limit your risk of catching an STD.[11]
- Always protect yourself by using a condom or dental dam during sexual activity, especially if you are not in a monogamous relationship.
- Do not engage in any sexual activity when you or your partner have a cold sore or genital wart breakout. This can lead to spreading incurable herpes.
- Get tested for STDs before and after engaging in sexual activities with a new partner so that you are aware of your status.
- Travel wisely. Be aware of the risks of infection that increase when you travel. Some infections may be more common in places you are traveling versus where you live.[12]
- Talk to your doctor about important vaccinations to get when you are traveling. This allows you to build up your immunity and be more prepared to the native pathogens present at the areas where you are travelling to.
- Wash your hands frequently when you are traveling to avoid transferring germs to your body via your hands.
- Protect yourself against infections that are carrier by vectors such as mosquitos by taking precautions, such as sleeping in mosquito netting, using bug spray, and wearing long-sleeved clothing.
EditUnderstanding and Treating Infectious Diseases - Understand different kinds of infectious diseases. You should be aware of the different agents that can spread infection. This can help you manage your risk factors.[13]
- Bacteria are the most common infectious agents. They can be transmitted via bodily fluids and food. They are single cell living microorganisms that use your body as a home base to replicate.
- Viruses are pathogens that cannot live outside the host. When a virus enters your body, they hijack your body's cells to multiply and spread to neighboring cells.
- Fungi are simple, plant-like living organisms that may take up residence in your body.
- Parasites are living organisms that hijack the host's body and use their resources to thrive.[14]
- Treat bacterial infections with antibiotics. Antibiotics are medications that fight off bacterial infections. They work by disabling or killing bacterial cells and thus, fastening the elimination of bacteria by your immune system.[15]
- Use topical antibiotic ointments for small wounds that are infected. Signs of infection include redness, swelling, warmth and pain. Do not use antibiotic ointment for heavily bleeding wounds that are deep. Seek medical attention if you have a wound that does not stop bleeding.
- For systemic bacterial infections, visit your healthcare provider and ask if you should be taking oral antibiotics.
- It is important to understand that antibiotics cannot cure or treat viral infections, such as the cold or flu. Your doctor can diagnose bacterial versus viral infection and treat it appropriately.
- Take antibiotics only as directed. Taking antibiotics when you don't need them (such as when you have a viral infection) increases bacterial resistance to antibiotics.
- Treat viral infections. Viral infections cannot be treated with antibiotics but there are some antiviral medications that can be used for certain viruses. Some viral infections are treated with at home remedies (such as rest and remaining hydrated).[16]
- Some drugs, known as antiviral or antiretroviral drugs, can fight off certain viruses by taking away their ability to reproduce their DNA inside your cells.
- Some viral infections, such as the common cold, only need to have their symptoms treated to make you more comfortable. Your immune system can fight off the virus as long as you are not immunocompromised and get enough rest and nutrients.
- Many viral illnesses can be prevented with vaccinations. Thus, you should keep your immunizations up to date.
- Know how to treat fungal infections. Some fungal infections can be treated with medications that help eliminate the fungi and clear the infection. However, there are numerous pathogenic fungi that cause infections and only your doctor can diagnose and prescribe proper treatments.[17]
- Some fungal infections may be treated with a topical ointment if the infected site is on your skin (such as foot fungus).
- Very serious and threatening fungal infections are treated with oral medications or injections.
- Some examples of pathogenic fungi include histoplasmosis, blastomycosis, coccidioidomycosis, and paracoccidioidomycosis, and these infections can be deadly.
- Know how to treat parasitic infections. As the name implies, parasites are organisms that "hijack" your body's resources in order to live, grow and multiply inside you. Parasites refers to a wide array of pathogenic agents from worms to microscopic cells.[18]
- Many parasites can be transferred into your body via contaminated food or water (such as hookworm), while others enter via broken/compromised skin (such as malaria via mosquito bite).
- You should never drink unfiltered or non-purified water from natural sources as the water may contain parasites.
- Some parasitic infections can be treated with oral or injected medications.
- Your doctor can diagnose a parasitic infection based on your symptoms and specific tests and then treat it appropriately.
- Maintain proper hygiene and lifestyle practices to prevent infectious diseases, including washing your hands, avoiding touching your face, and keeping your immunizations up to date.
- If you suspect you have an infectious disease, consult your doctor immediately. Several pathogenic agents can cause infectious diseases and only your doctor can diagnose and treat the condition appropriately.
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| How to Be a Successful Business Owner Posted: 29 Sep 2016 09:00 AM PDT Most business owners will tell you that starting a business is both one of the most challenging and most rewarding ways to earn a living. Being a successful business owner requires a large amount of hard work and dedication, but also generally relies on a set of personal qualities and business practices that are common characteristics of successful entrepreneurs. These characteristics lie as much in a business's founding principles as in its day-to-day operations, and dictate every decision the entrepreneur makes. By following these guidelines, you can up your chances of founding a successful business or getting your existing business back on track. EditFinding the Right Mindset - Do what you know. That is, you should start a business that focuses on what you have experience in. That experience can be either prior work experience or a personal hobby that you're ready to turn into a career. Even if a business idea seems highly profitable in theory, don't start that business unless your heart is in it. While profit is important, it likely won't keep you coming in early every day and driving growth.[1]
- For example, imagine you have experience making coffee as a barista or waiter and want to turn your passion for good coffee into a small business. You would already know a good amount about the industry and be able to apply not only your knowledge but your passion to your work.
- Start with a well-defined purpose. While the financial benefits of business ownership can be great, most successful business owners don't start with money in mind. To get your business off the ground, you'll need a clear purpose. This purpose should be something more intangible than money, like giving back to your community by creating jobs, solving a problem that you see in your daily life, or pursuing a passion. This doesn't mean that you shouldn't also strive for profitability, just that your primary goal should be the achievement of a greater purpose.[2]
- For our coffee shop example, your purpose would be serving the perfect cup of coffee to every customer. Alternately, it could be to form a community in your coffee shop where people can meet and spend time with friends.
- Find a first step instead of a destination. You should always start with a business model that can be up and running quickly on a low budget. Too many small businesses start with grandiose goals that will require a large amount of startup capital and investors. However, successful businesses will have a model that can be used on a smaller scale. This proves to potential investors that your idea is a valid way of making money, and increasing your odds of ever getting investment money (if that's what you're looking for).[3]
- For example, imagine that in our example, you want to start a large operation that sources, imports, roasts, and packages its own coffee beans that are then either sold or served to customers at its coffee shops. Rather than seeking huge contributions from investors to buy all of this equipment, you should start with a small coffee shop first, then maybe try sourcing and importing beans, and work up from there to build a brand.
- Create a support network. One of the most important parts of successful business ownership is getting over your own ego and seeking help. Your biggest sources of advice are going to be your group of business associates and other professionals that share your goals. Surround yourself with knowledgable and successful people and feed off of their ideas and enthusiasm.[4]
- Also seek general small business tips online; the web is a goldmine of information. Just be sure your information is from a reliable source.
- Find a mentor. A good mentor in this case is someone who has already run or is running a successful business of their own. A good example would be a family member or family friend that has been successful in business. This mentor can help you with anything from knowing how to manage your employees to properly filing your taxes. Because their knowledge comes from direct experience, they're able to help you more personally than any other source could.[5]
- While your mentor doesn't have to have founded the same type of business you are starting, it would help. For example, another coffee shop founder would be the best source of information in our coffee shop example, but a restaurateur could also be of significant help.
EditRunning Your Business Efficiently - Focus only on your primary operations at first. That is, avoid being caught up in every business opportunity that comes your way. It's better to be perfect at one thing than mediocre at five. This applies as much to making decisions to diversify your business as it does to deciding to take on additional projects for yourself outside of your primary business. Focusing on one thing will allow you to commit all of your resources there and be more productive in that endeavor.[6]
- Continuing with our example, imagine that you see another coffee shop making money by selling customized coffee-related merchandise. This may make you want to jump into this market as well. However, doing so before establishing your primary objective, making coffee, would introduce significant risk, and may detract from your ability to focus on coffee quality.
- Keep detailed records. In order to be successful, you'll have to make a habit of recording each and every expense and revenue that your company has, as well as every dollar that flows through it. By knowing where exactly your money is coming in and where it's going, you're more capable of recognizing financial difficulties before they arise. In addition, doing this will give you a better idea of where exactly you can make cuts to expenses or increases to revenues.[7]
- For example, in our example, you would keep detailed records of how much coffee you bought and sold in a given month and what you paid for it. This could you help you identify if, for example, the price of coffee beans was steadily increasing and help you plan whether or not to raise your own prices or consider switching suppliers.
- Limit expenses as much as possible. While this may seem obvious, just try to think of areas where you could generate the same effect by spending less money. Consider using pre-owned equipment, finding cheaper forms of advertising (for example, fliers rather than newspaper ads), or negotiating better payment terms with suppliers or customers to save a few dollars here and there.[8] Try to maintain very low spending habits and only spent money when and where you absolutely have to.
- In our example, this could mean starting out with used coffee grinders (as long as they still functioned well) and trying to get as many supplies as possible from the same supplier (cups, lids, straws, etc.).
- Consider supply chain efficiency. Your costs, and therefore your profits, depend on a successful supply chain organization. By fostering good relationships with your suppliers, organizing deliveries, and consistently providing customers with timely service, you can increase your profitability and reputation. Successful supply chain management can also help you eliminate any part of your business with wasted resources, like raw materials or labor.
- For example, our example coffee shop would want to be on good terms with its coffee bean supplier and have an organized supply chain structure for a number of reasons. This is especially crucial for ensuring that you never run out of coffee, but could also mean that you could get more consistent deliveries, try new types of coffee bean when they become available, or negotiate lower prices.
- Consider finding strategic partners. Much like a good mentor, a strategic partner can provide you the boost you need to grow your business. Foster strategic partnerships by reaching out to businesses you think could benefit yours, whether they are suppliers, technology providers, or complementary businesses. A good relationship with another company can provide you both free advertising, lower your costs of doing business, or allow you to expand to new markets, depending on the partners you choose.[9]
- For example, your coffee shop could benefit from a strategic relationship with a supplier that gives you access to discounts or new products. Alternately, a strategic partner in a complementary business, such as a pastry shop, could help you both reach new customers and increase your revenues. This could be done either through recommending each other or by offering product's from your partner's business and vice-versa.
- Be responsible when it comes to debt. It's very important that you realistically assess your ability to pay back any debt that you take on. While starting and running a business is always risk, try to minimize your liabilities by only taking out as much as you absolutely need. And when you do take on debt, be sure to structure your cash flows such that you are paying it off as quickly as possible. Prioritize debt repayment before you do anything else.[10]
- For example, if you took out $20,000 to get your coffee shop started, don't think about expanding your product offerings or upgrading your coffee grinders until you've paid that loan back.
EditGrowing Your Business - Perfect your business pitch. Have a 30-second speech ready that explains your business as briefly and efficiently as possible, including information about your purpose, your service/products, and your goals. Having a practiced pitch that you can rattle off to anyone can help you in situations where you're trying to make a sale to a customer as well as it can when you're trying to bring an investor on board.[11] If you can't explain your business in this short time, your business plan needs refining.
- For your coffee shop, you'd want to explain what you do (sell coffee), your services (the drinks you offer), what makes you special (maybe the coffee you serve is rare or locally-roasted), and what you plan to do next (expand to another location, new products, etc.).
- Earn a reputation for good service. Earning a positive reputation is like free advertising; your customers will spread the word of your business to friends and come back frequently.[12] Treat each and every sale like the success or failure of your business depends on it. This also means that you should be consistent with every action your business takes and every interaction with customers.[13]
- For your coffee shop, this may mean throwing out a burnt batch of coffee so that your customers are always served the absolutely best product you can offer.
- Watch your competition closely. You should always look to your competitors for ideas, especially when you're starting out. Chances are, they're doing something right. If you can figure out what that is, you can implement it in your own business and avoid the trial-and-error they probably went through to get there.[14]
- One of the best ways to do this when you're starting out is to examine your competitors' pricing strategies. In our coffee shop example, it would be much simpler to price your coffee similarly to competitors rather than to experiment with different prices on your own.
- Always be looking for growth opportunities. Once you've gotten established, you should always be on the lookout for places you can expand. Whether that means moving to a larger storefront, increasing manufacturing space, or opening a new location will depend on your business and goals. Successful business owners realize that one of the primary opponents to long-term growth is remaining stagnant. This means taking the risk of expansion rather than resting on your laurels at one, original location.
- For our coffee example, maybe there is a nearby area that you find is underserved by coffee shops. Once your primary location is up and running smoothly, you should investigate opening a new shop in that area. This could also mean moving up from a small stand to a full coffee shop, depending on your circumstances.
- Diversify your income streams. Another way to increase the value of your business is by seeking out other areas where you can make money. Assuming you've already established your primary business, look around and see where you could offer a different service or product. Maybe your customers frequently visit your store for one item and then immediately go to another store for a different item. Find out what that other item is and offer it.[15]
- Some easy diversification options for your coffee shop would be offering pastries, sandwiches, or books for purchase.
- Pay all insurances up for the year, (I.e., liability, etc) as soon as possible.
- Be prepared with 6 months worth of working capital in your business.
- This article serves primarily as a guide for the business owner in getting the most out of their business. For more detailed guides that cover the minute details of starting a business, see how to start a small business and how to run a small business.
- You can lose money if you are personally invested in your company.
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| How to Draw Perspective Posted: 29 Sep 2016 01:00 AM PDT Perspective drawing is a drawing technique used to illustrate dimension through a flat surface. There are many forms used under perspective drawing such as, one perspective, two-point perspective, three-point perspective, bird's eye view, worm's eye view and others. For this tutorial, a one perspective is used to draw a scene under a checkered pathway. One perspective is also a perspective drawing that has one vanishing point where the lines drawn are parallel to each other and are at "infinity."
EditBasic Perspective Drawing - Start by creating a vanishing point by drawing an "X" at the center of the paper. Then from the center through the edge of your paper draw lines, but make sure also that the lines you have drawn can be used on your drawing.
- Then for the next step draw a series of poles on the right side. When you almost reached the center or the vanishing point you can substitute the poles to a series of lines.
- For the left side draw a series poles and add in some perpendicular benches. Remember to draw lines again when you almost reach the center or the vanishing point.
- Then for the next step draw the roof of the pathway by illustrating its checkered pattern.
- Next is to sketch houses on the left side and a beach scene on the right side of the drawing.
- Finally end the drawing by sketching lines that will highlight or outline the path and roof.
- Ink over your drawing and you're done. To ink over your drawing use a black pen or marker with different kinds of points so that there will be some variation of texture on your drawing.
EditOne Point Perspective One point perspective is usually used when the object's front is facing the viewer. In this type of drawing the horizontal and vertical lines will be horizontal and vertical respectively in the drawing, and lines getting farther from the viewer will have an angle towards what is called a "Vanishing Point." Click on any of the following images to get a closer look. - Determine the horizon in your drawing. Draw a horizontal line for the horizon with a hard pencil. The horizon lines determines how far the viewer can see based on the terrain and the distance of the viewer from the ground.
- Choose the vanishing point. This is what will determine the effect of the perspective. As a reference, the most basic vanishing point would be located in the center of the paper horizontally and over the horizon line. If you set the vanishing point to the right, the drawing will look as if the point of view is moved to the left of the objects. The vanishing point for some objects can also be above or below the horizon lines depending on the inclination of the planes in respect to the ground.
- Sketch the main objects.
- Take care to draw all the horizontal and vertical lines perfectly horizontal and vertical.
- The lines that start near the point of view and get farther should be drawn extending towards the selected vanishing point. This will give the perspective effect.
- Give detail to your drawing respecting the proportions dictated by the reference lines you sketched before.
EditTwo Point Perspective Two point perspective or perspective with two vanishing points is used when the objects' corners are facing the viewer. This method is perfect for drawing isometric objects. - Determine the horizon in your drawing. Sketch a horizontal line for the horizon as in the first method.
- Determine the point of view, which is the approximate location of the eye of the person viewing the drawing. This point may be located below the bottom of the paper (outside the paper.) You don't need to actually mark the point.
- Determine your first vanishing point. The usual method for this is to sketch a first line from the point of view in a 60 degree angle to the left and mark your vanishing point where this line intersects the horizon.
- Determine your second vanishing point. For this you will draw a second line from the point of view in a 30 degree angle to the right. Again, the vanishing point will be the intersection of this line and the horizon. The 60 and 30 degree angles can be different, but the angle between the lines that go from the eye of the observer to the vanishing points have to form a 90 degree angle.
- Sketch your main objects drawing the vertical lines perfectly vertical, the horizontal lines moving to the left at an angle towards the left vanishing point and the horizontal lines moving to the right at an angle towards the right vanishing point (all the horizontal lines should converge in one or the other of the vanishing points if extended far enough).
- Give detail to your drawing respecting the trends given by the horizontal lines sketched for the main objects. These lines will determine the proportion of the sizes of the objects when they are located closer or farther from the point of view.
- Make light, temporary guidelines with a ruler (shown here in green) to make sure your details are in perspective. Erase these guidelines later.
EditThree Point Perspective - Notice that the three point perspective includes the two point perspective or perspective with two vanishing points plus it also has a third perspective point or third vanishing point in the vertical perspective aspect as from near the ground for instance looking up at a tower -- as the viewer is facing a vertical corner (edge) of the object.
- Consider that the third point can be any fourth, fifth,... view for an angular, tilted or rotated part of a drawing, but it is usually based on parallel lines in each part and relates those parts that are actually parallel to each other.
- Look at the staircase example to see that different "3rd point" depends on the angle of the item being viewed. So then there can be several "other" vanishing points off at "some odd angle vanishing upward into the sky (or downward)" in a picture, for example another identical staircase could be oriented (rotated) differently as for example shown in the same drawing of a lobby of a building, etc.
EditZero Point Perspective - Think about scenes such as landscapes that have no parallel lines. This kind of perspective is of irregular shapes like crooked trees, boulders, mountains, rubble, stones, gravel, and sand dunes, etc.
- Draw this kind of perspective with object sizes generally getting smaller into the distance, and the drawing elements like tree limbs, becoming thinner and less detailed in the background, with textures, shading and colors showing less contrast as they are farther away so that colors fade (become lighter) and become tinted toward blue color tones in the distance.
- Always use a ruler so that the lines you draw are straight.
- Always start your drawings with a hard pencil. 2H pencils are recommended for this part, but you may want to use harder pencils if you want to avoid your reference lines being seen in the final drawing. Complete the drawings with a slightly softer pencil, such as HB.
- A good way to practice is to visit places where you can see a structure disappearing into the horizon (railroad tracks are perfect, but be extremely careful of a train approaching from behind). Sit down and draw the structure head on; then move over to the left (or right) and do it again. Practice drawing from various angles, always noting where the vanishing point is.
- Perspective can also be applied to block letters for a more dramatic and imposing effect.
- Use graphite paper when erasing or drawing. It's useful for its anti smudge purposes (rest your hand on the paper).
- Make sure you keep your hands very clean when drawing. Nothing is sadder than ruining a perfectly good drawing that took hours to get perfect just because your hands were not clean.
- Remember to try to draw lightly first, or you will see lines in the finished drawing where you have tried to erase previous attempts.
- Don't forget the fact that you can throw away a bad try at a picture. Accidents happen.
- This is a three dimensional drawing without perspective. The coordinate system does not have a vanishing point. In this kind of drawing the parallel lines would not appear to converge (come closer together) when extended into the distance.
EditThings You'll Need - Pencils: H or harder, HB, 2B or softer
- Sheets of paper
- A model object to draw
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