Rao bulletin 1 October 2016 html edition this bulletin contains the following articles pg Article Subject



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Mattress Smarts Know What You Are Looking for & Why

So, you need a new mattress. Experts advise replacing mattresses every seven to 10 years. If you’re not sleeping well, swap yours out in five to 10 years, Prevention Magazine says. There is no one perfect mattress, only the one that works best for you. Spend enough time trying out products that you know what feels great to you. The Better Sleep Council, an industry group, lists 10 mattress types. But let’s simplify this. Good Housekeeping breaks it down into four main types:


  • Innerspring. You may have grown up sleeping on an innerspring mattress. It typically is the least expensive mattress type. It also is the most common, having been around the longest.Support in an innerspring mattress comes from wire coils, which also account for the familiar mattress bounce. Salespeople may say that the number of coils matters. It doesn’t, Elizabeth Mayhew writes in The Washington Post. What does matter is the gauge (thickness) of the wire: The lower the number, the heavier the wire. For example, 12-gauge wire is heavier than 14-gauge. Heavier gauge coils make a firmer mattress. Thinner coils produce a springier mattress.

  • Memory foam. Memory foam isn’t springy. Its heat sensitivity makes it conform to your body, making it a good choice for people who are in pain. It can take time to grow accustomed to this different feel, though. What’s more, foam products differ one from the other. Density is important to a firm base.

  • Latex and gel. Latex mattresses have a firmness similar to memory foam but springier. Latex is sold as a hypoallergenic product. Also, some mattresses have a layer of moldable, flexible gel that’s supposed to make the bed breathe and feel cooler. In its comparisons, however, Consumer Reports found gel made no significant difference.

  • Air core. Adjustable-air mattress let you control your mattress’s firmness by adding air or deflating it. These mattresses often contain layers of additional material, too.

Even though shopping for a mattress can feel confusing — with all the types, costs, whistles and bells — it’s worth spending some time to shop thoughtfully. Here’s what to know:


1. Shop in stores, at least to start. You may eventually buy a mattress online. But because mattress preferences are so personal, no amount of online research can substitute for the experience of trying out mattresses in a store. After zeroing in on what you want, do some comparison shopping online.
2. Find the mattress you want before it’s on sale. Mattress shopping during a sale can be frustrating and difficult if you haven’t done your research first. Stores are crowded. Salespeople are busy and distracted. Take your time finding the mattress you like and then pounce on a sale price.
3. Try bedding specialty stores. Often, salespeople in stores specializing in bedding may be most attentive, Consumer Reports found, citing Sleepy’s and 1-800-Mattress, where staff were “more attentive and sometimes more willing to bargain.” CR researchers found shopping in department stores less satisfying.
4. Be skeptical of pillow-tops. Mattresses with pillow-top layers can give you a false comfort reading because they can flatten quickly after purchase, Good Housekeeping says. Another downside: Pillow-tops are thicker, requiring the purchase of new “high-profile” or “deep-pocket” sheets.
5. Bring your partner. Don’t delegate your mattress shopping to someone else. If two of you will be sharing the mattress, both of you should test the options in stores.
6. Don’t buy sales hype. Consumer Reports cautions against being sucked into paying lots for fancy features, saying that years of testing have shown that all but the cheapest are sturdy.
7. Ask about products not on the sales floor. Stores tend to use their display space for higher-end products. If you find something you like, ask if you can see a lower-end model.
8. Don’t be swayed by a long warranty. Most manufacturers’ defects are evident within the first year, according to Good Housekeeping. After that much time passes, defects are difficult to prove anyway.
9. Look for a liberal return policy. Buy from a store that offers “comfort returns,” meaning that you can return the mattress if you’re unhappy for any reason, though you may need to pay a fee. Before buying, understand exactly how the return policy works.
10. Buy a new pillow, too. With a new mattress, “the gap between your head and shoulders will change with the change in mattress firmness, writes the Huffington Post.
11. Bargain. Mattress retailers typically mark up prices four to 12 times over the cost of producing the mattress, BuzzFeed says. With margins like these, there’s room for you to bargain, and you should — even during a sale. If you can’t get a lower price, ask for nonmonetary perks, like new pillows or bedding thrown in.
12. Skimp on the box springs. Focus your money on a good mattress and don’t feel obliged to buy an expensive box spring. Ask if the less-expensive box springs can be substituted for the one shown with the mattress you like.
[Source: MoneyTalksNews | Marilyn Lewis | June 16, 2016 ++]
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Honeybees Update 02 ► Dealing With Swarms

A swarm of honeybees is an unforgettable sight. Thousands of bees follow their queen and depart from their hive en masse with the goal of forming a new colony. While scouts search for a suitable home—somewhere dark, enclosed and safe—the rest of the group temporarily attach themselves to whatever they can grab onto nearby. In many cases that place is a tree branch or bush. In more problematic and rare instances, man-made objects—like the car below in Wales—as a swarm pit stop. While they wait for scouts to report back on potential nesting sites, the bees cluster around their queen and form a clump so tight they almost appear to become one fluid being. The swarm thrums and pulses with an incredible energy.




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