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Gorillas are the largest of the living primates, and most of them live in dense forests in tropical Africa. Only around 630 mountain gorillas survive in the wild and continual loss of habitat is a severe threat to their existence as the rich soil in the Virunga Volcanoes is valuable for farming. However, there have been many initiatives and conservation programmes to protect the gorillas. These gentle giants are much loved and you will find that they are often depicted in a Bronze Wildlife Sculpture or one description or another. If you are looking for a tribute to these beautiful creatures then why not look at a Wildlife Sculpture from Gill Parker?

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The Virunga Volcanoes

The Virunga Volcanoes form the border between Uganda, Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo. These mountains are an important home for the mountain gorillas. Along with the Bwindi National Park in Uganda, this area forms their last safe habitat, although the Guardian reports that oil exploitation could be a new threat.

Mountain gorillas are huge with a broad chest and shoulders, long arms, a large head and hairless muzzle. Mountain gorillas have a shy personality and will never seek confrontation. However, they make formidable opponents if threatened and will always defend their families.

Gorilla Families

Family groups are close, with up to 30 members, and are normally led by an adult male, the silverback gorilla. The home range of a family is around 10 to 15 square miles and the family is nomadic, which means gorillas will build new nests each evening.

There is much interesting behaviour among gorillas, including demonstrations of power between males such as chest beating, bluff charges, standing tall on hind legs, galloping on all fours, stamping feet and slapping the ground with their palms.

Female gorillas have a baby every three or four years from the age of around 10, while males sire offspring from the age of 12-15, when they head their own family. Young gorillas develop twice as fast as human infants and start to become independent at around 3 1/2 years old.

Safari Holidays

Tourism is an important part of the economy in tropical Africa. There are various safari holidays available in Rwanda and Uganda, and people from all over the world come for a gorilla trekking experience as a once in a lifetime opportunity.

These holidays give visitors the chance to see the mountain gorillas up close in their own natural habitat. Visitors will get to see the animals eating their favourite foods, such as celery, bamboo, thistles and stinging nettles, and living their daily lives in their natural surroundings.

We are on the run down towards the end of the year and possibly the busy period for restaurants and those who work in the food industry. However, healthy resolutions, Dry January and tightening the purse strings after Christmas can all contribute to a January slump in the catering business. However, there are always ways to make the most of the time of year and still keep customers coming through the door.

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Get inspired by a few of the extra suggestions below.

National Hot Chocolate Day

There are few things more comforting than a hot chocolate on a cold January day. Celebrate this beloved beverage with special offers, or even set up a tasting stand outside. You can offer traditional hot chocolates, non-dairy milk options or even a boozy twist with Baileys or whiskey.

National Cheese Lovers Day

This January event celebrates one of the nation’s best loved foods—cheese. A study published by The Independent even discovered that cheese can be classed as addictive!. Why not have some special offers on a limited-edition cheese board or offer tasting samples, for example? A cheese lover’s limited-edition menu could be great too—with recipes that make the most of this wonderful ingredient.

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National Gluten-Free Day

A forecast by the Financial Times predicted that gluten-free product sales would soar in 2018 and beyond. Many people suffer from painful gluten allergies, and others choose to adopt a gluten-free lifestyle for other health reasons, but there are many delicious recipes and options that are completely gluten-free. Include some special dishes on your menu or offer discounts on your current gluten-free range to honour National Gluten-Free Day in January. Gluten-free foods sometimes must be cooked and stored in separate areas from foods that contain gluten.

Create a Loyalty Programme

Loyalty programmes can be very effective for keeping business sustained and healthy throughout leaner months. Run special offers such as double points or discounts for those who visit in January and you will keep a steady stream of customers coming through the door. When thinking of a loyalty programme you should ensure that you are not eating into your profit margin too much without gaining any reward for it. It is always best to discuss options like this with a Cheltenham accountants firm such as https://www.randall-payne.co.uk who will be able to crunch the numbers for you to identify whether it is a viable option for your business.

Winter Olympics Run-up

The Winter Olympics begin in early February, but a launch party to celebrate the run-up could be a great way to make the most of winter. Themed drinks, flags, and snacks from all over the world can help create a great atmosphere.

When you work in a commercial kitchen, having an organised fridge freezer is a requisite of the job. This ensures staff can easily find the food they need but also allows food to be stored safely and correctly without the risk of cross-contamination. Here are some top fridge freezer organisation tips.

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Never store meat on the top shelf

Raw meat must never be placed on the top shelf, as spillages or drips could cause contamination with items below. Instead, store meat on the bottom shelf only. According to the Daily Mail even wrapped chicken might not be free of contamination, so keep this in a separate box.

Ensure air can circulate

When storing items in a fridge freezer, don’t pack them in so they’re touching each other. This prevents air from circulating around items, and increases the risk of cross-contamination.

Clean regularly

In the same way you would regularly clean your commercial warewashers to ensure optimum performance from your dishwashers, keeping your fridge freezer clean also ensures it’s working to its maximum efficiency. A regular clean out also means you can better organise your fridge freezer and check its contents. You may want to invest in some Lin Bins from companies such as www.rackzone.ie/bin-racks to place your products in whilst you give your fridge a good clearout.

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Label everything

If you want an organised fridge freezer, get into the habit of labelling everything. Label food items with the delivery, preparation and use-by dates, and label your shelves, so that staff can easily and quickly find what they’re looking for. Labelling shelves and food also ensures items are stored in the correct place and don’t breach any health and safety laws.

Operate a first-in, first-out policy

Customers will want to feel confident that the food you prepare is fresh and of good quality, so maintain high standards by adopting a first-in, first-out approach. This means, that food that is new, should be placed at the back of the fridge, so that already-stored items can be used up first. This also makes sense from a cost and waste point of view.

Be wary of fans

The fans in your fridge freezer are there to help the air circulate effectively, but storing certain items too close to the strong air flow of the fans could damage them. Delicate items in particular, are especially vulnerable, so keep items such as green vegetables and soft berries far away from the fans in your fridge freezer.

Polyurethanes are plastic materials that are formed when polyol reacts with a polymeric isocyanate or a diisocyanate. Due to the wide array of polyols and diisocyanates, a large range of different materials can be made to meet the needs of a whole host of different applications. Polyurethanes are used in couches, mattresses, insulation, foam toys, cleaning sponges, liquid coatings and paints, and in tough elastomers such as the wheels of roller blades.

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Types of polyurethane

Polyurethane flexible foam

Polyurethane flexible foam is used as the cushioning for different products, including bedding, sofas, carpet underlays and packaging. It is one of the most common forms of polyurethane.

Polyurethane rigid foam

Used as the material for insulation in roofs and walls homes, this plastic also lowers noise levels and helps to maintain a uniform temperature inside properties. This is incredibly important as otherwise the heat that is generated from the new system you had put in by Boiler Installation Gloucester company hprservicesltd.com/gloucester-boilers would simply leak out of your walls and ceiling. Now that would make for a gigantic energy bill!

Coatings, adhesives, sealants and elastomers

Coatings can lengthen the lifespan of a product by protecting it. Adhesives can bond different elements together, while sealants enable very tight seals. Elastomers are plastics that can be moulded into any form and are resistant to harsh environments.

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Polyurethane applications

– Apparel. Polyurethanes can be made into fine threads. This means they can be combined with nylon, creating stretchable and lightweight clothes such as spandex or other forms of sports clothes designed to stretch.

– Appliances. Rigid foam polyurethane is commonly used in freezer and refrigerator insulation systems.

– Automotive. Polyurethanes can be found in different parts of a car, from the seats and the ceiling to the bumpers, spoilers, doors and windows.

– Flooring. Often used as a foam underlay to expand the lifespan of carpet, polyurethanes can also be used as a coating for flooring such as wood, parquet and even cement.

– Composite wood. Polyurethanes are used as binders on composite wood products to fix wood materials together and create fibreboard, laminated-veneer lumber, long-strand lumber and particleboard.

– Marine. Epoxy resins are used to seal the hulls of boats from the water, preventing corrosion and leading to extended durability.

– Packaging. Packaging foam, also known as PPF, is used to protect items whilst they are in transit. Often used for electronic and medical equipment, glassware and industrial parts, PPF can be created to provide a custom-fit container for any item.

Many people are surprised to find out that there are many alternative careers for graduates with a pharmacy degree that extend beyond dispensing and working in a chemist, hospital or industrial pharmacy. After years of study, pharmacists have many skills to offer in a wide range of areas, particularly as people with science degrees are so highly sought. Millions and millions of drugs are produced each year and this sees some of them flying around the manufacturing plant via Vacuum conveying that can be seen at companies like aptech.uk.com/pneumatic-conveying-systems/vacuum-conveying/ before they are packaged and delivered to pharmacies across the globe. There are endless choices for using your medical knowledge, but here are five alternative careers for pharmacists that may interest you.

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Research and development

Instead of working with licensed drugs, pharmacists can get involved at the development stage by working with other scientists who are researching new drugs and medicines. This could include understanding the pharmaceutical properties of the drug compounds, the dosage and how different ways of administering the drug could affect how it is absorbed. Pharmacists can be involved with assessing the safety and efficiency of new medicines during research, and they can also be involved in the clinical trial processes, monitoring new drugs and aiding the process development team if the drug gets the go-ahead for commercial production.

Teaching new pharmacists

Pharmacists with good communication skills who have work experience might consider teaching others. They can share their experiences and real-life scenarios with students in the lecture theatre. Pharmacy professors can carry out their own research or produce theses and help students with their laboratory coursework, making it a very varied career path.

Getting clinical

For more direct involvement with patients, clinical pharmacy is an option as it involves the promotion of health, wellness and disease prevention in addition to the use of medicines. Clinical pharmacists often work with doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals.

Going nuclear

Nuclear medicine is a very interesting field to specialise in. It is highly regulated and will require further study in order to be able to prepare radiopharmaceuticals safely and efficiently. Radiation protection is an integral part of the job along with quality assurance and controlled testing. Anyone who is interested in research and development would do well to look into becoming a radiopharmacist.

Working in the media

Top newspapers and specialist magazines will employ pharmacists to write about healthcare and drug-related issues. Although it may require extra training as a journalist, pharmacists with good writing or communication skills would be highly suited.

Whether you are someone who enjoys the company of a cat or not there are many fascinating facts about these creatures, some of which you may not have heard about before. Cats are, along with dogs, one of the most popular animals to have as a pet and our love for them doesn’t stop there with many people spending lots of money on their pets. From toys for them to play with, cat jungles for them to climb and radiators beds for you to places on the radiators you sourced from Aluminium Radiators UK company apolloradiators.co.uk/designer-radiators, as everyone knows that cats are drawn to any source of heat.  It has even been scientifically proven that owning an animal like a cat can have a positive impact on our health and in particular on your blood pressure.

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Here are some facts to have a look at:

Communication

• Cats have amazing hearing and they can pick up a large range of frequencies and this covers sounds that can’t be heard by either humans or dogs.
• Much of cat’s communication is done through scent and scent marking. You will often find a cat rubbing their cheeks and the top of their heads along the furniture in your home as well as on fences and plants in your garden. This is their way of marking their territory to deter other cats from entering the area.
• Cats vocalise in a number of ways including meowing, purring, hissing, growling and many more noises.

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Body structure

• Cats are very agile and flexible animals and are known for their amazing balance. This is in part due to their long tails and its design with around 28 vertebrae (similar to the ones found in our spines) down the length of the tail. This is what gives the tail its structure and manoeuvrability.
• Interestingly a cat’s backbone is much more flexible than our own with the ability for one half to rotate in angle of 180 degrees to the other half of the backbone.
• Cats eyes are very adept at being able to reflect light well enough for them to able to see in great detail in the dark, and much more than the prey that they are stalking.
• Grooming sometimes seems to be a favourite past time of many cats and is the main way that they keep their fur clean. This is added to by the fact that their tongues have hundreds on tiny backwards facing spines called papillae. These are much like the spines on a hairbrush and act in a similar fashion. If you have a cat that is particularly long furred, then it is a good idea to give them some additional grooming each week to help prevent the build-up of hairballs in their stomachs.

The vast array of information regarding vaccines can be a lot to digest for parents. However, the FDA has long been supporting American families and healthcare professionals to best understand the benefits and risks of vaccines. Thanks to vaccinations, infectious diseases such as polio and smallpox have now been eradicated, and diseases including Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) and the measles are much more rarely found. More recently a HPV vaccination has been introduced for teenage girls and it is hoped that this will dramatically decrease the number of women who are diagnosed with cervical cancer. HPV is a sexuall transmitted infection that can over time lead to abnormal cervical cells. It is most often picked up during smear tests and other STIs are picked up via testing from Home StI Kits London company bexley sexual health as well as other clinics and providers throughout the country.

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Consumer Update

The FDA issued an update in August 2016 to provide further information to families concerning the types of vaccinations offered to children and the questions that often come with them. Due to immunisation programmes that have been introduced since the 20th century, many parents have not seen first-hand the dangers of preventable illnesses by vaccines. However, this does not mean that they cannot emerge, and with growing concerns circulating in the media over potential harm from vaccines, the FDA are working to assure parents that they are necessary and safe. The FDA states that that potential harm from vaccines is less significant than the potential harm from diseases.

Recommended Action

For safe vaccination and a thorough understanding of the process, the FDA recommends that parents discuss the benefits and risks of vaccines with a healthcare professional. Parents should also disclose a full health history and any health issues that the child has already suffered from. Information found online can often be published by unqualified individuals, and so for accurate facts it is best to consult a qualified individual. A healthcare professional can additionally explain the potential risks of not vaccinating children. The consequences of not being protected from vaccine-preventable illnesses can be severe, and in some cases, deadly. As a result, it is crucial that parents are aware of all risks before making an informed decision.

Any issues found which may be linked to vaccines should always be reported to the FDA through the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System. For healthcare professionals and companies there is plenty of support on how to best support families with correct information.

There are additionally sheets and leaflets provided by the FDA to explain the benefits and risks of vaccines. It is a legal requirement that healthcare professionals give these these to families.

We all have that one friend that seems to be constantly seeking out that adrenaline rush. Whether it is skydiving, swimming with sharks or perhaps taking part in Tank Driving from companies such as https://www.armourgeddon.co.uk. If you aren’t naturally the thrill seeking type it can be difficult to understand why these individuals seem to seek out danger.

Well, it is all down to biology and is found within all of us. It is down to your individual personality as to whether it is something that you will actively seek out.

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Adrenaline is a hormone that resides in all of us and is released during periods of high stress or as a result of the feelings of fear. The release of this hormone causes the heart rate to increase and also increasing the amount of oxygen that is available to our cells and in particular to our muscles. This is because of the fight, flight or freeze phenomenon. This would have been a part of our human make right from early time and your response to a wooly mammoth running at you would either be to run away, stay and fight or freeze in complete fear. All of these reactions are driven in your body by the release of adrenaline and it is what allows you to find the strength to run or fight.

As well as causing an increase in blood flow and oxygen levels adrenaline is also linked to the release of another chemical found naturally in our bodies and is that of dopamine. Dopamine is a natural feel good hormone that is regulated by our pituitary gland and it is this hormone that gives you the rush and high feeling when you take part in an extreme sport or achieve something you never thought was possible. The feelings that dopamine creates is usually felt after you have relaxed or ‘come down’ from the activity and it is this feeling that people seek time after time.

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Both adrenaline and dopamine can become addictive in the sense that once you experience the high related to them you will often enjoy the pleasurable feeling that comes along with them and you will then seek out this feeling once again. This is where you can find the term adrenaline junkie being linked to individuals who are continually seeking out the next thrill based experience, whatever this may be!

Stainless steel and galvanised steel can look similar; however, there are many important differences between the two. They are both useful in their own right but are different in terms of composition, weight, strength and cost. Here we take a look at how you can differentiate between galvanised and stainless steel.

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Production

Galvanised steel is produced by dipping ordinary steel into molten zinc in the case of hot-dipping or into a solution of electrolytes that contains zinc in the case of electro-dipping.

Stainless steel is produced by mixing molten steel with molten chromium and allowing it to cool. When it has hardened, any impurities attached to the surface are removed with acid. Different ratios of steel to chromium are used, depending on the quality of the stainless steel.

Composition

A coating of zinc added to the surface of steel galvanises it and prevents corrosion. Stainless steel is composed of a mixture of steel and chromium.

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Strength

Stainless steel is stronger than galvanised steel because it contains chromium, which helps to protect against rusting. Galvanised steel only has an outer layer of zinc, which can wear away over time.

Cost

Stainless steel is more expensive than galvanised steel. The price can vary according to the percentage of chromium it contains.

Uses

Both stainless steel and galvanised steel have advantages for use in different situations. According to the Galvanizers Association, galvanized steel is often used in circumstances in which corrosion resistance is required without the expense of stainless steel.

As it is weaker, galvanised steel is often used for lower-cost projects than stainless steel. It is used in domestic buildings in the construction of fittings and pipes and is commonly used for chain link fencing, metal roofs for buildings, and in the manufacture of air conditioning equipment such as ductwork parts. These are available in both stainless steel and galvanised steel from companies such as https://www.dustspares.co.uk/ductwork-parts/.

Galvanised steel also has the advantage of being relatively light and able to withstand adverse weather conditions.

Stainless steel is more expensive but stronger and is used for larger budget projects where thick components or heavy lifting are required. It is used for high-end applications such as the building of bridges, cars, monuments, railways, and even skyscrapers.

Both types of steel are suited to their own applications.

Designing a deck can be a great way to create a stunning outdoor space that’s all your own. It can also drastically boost the value of your home and make potential buyers even more enticed by the prospect of owning your property. Read More