Sunday, April 24, 2011

How long it takes for Broken Bones / Fractures to Heal

The following is a rough estimate to how long it will take for your poor broken bone to heal in a cast. Remember that if you smoke or drink alcohol heavy, or required surgical correction, these times may be longer.
Bone Broken
Time for it to Heal
Collar bone (clavicle)
3-8 weeks
Shoulder blade (scapula)
6 weeks
Ribs
4 weeks
Upper arm (humerus)
4-10 weeks
Lower arm (radius,ulna)
6 weeks
Wrist
4-12 weeks
Fingers
4-6 weeks
Pelvis
4 - 6 weeks
Upper leg (femur)
12 weeks
Knee (patella)
4-6 weeks
Lower leg (tibia,fibula)
10-24 weeks
Ankle
6 weeks
Foot
3 - 12 weeks
Toes
3 weeks
Legs take so long to heal because they have to support the full weight of your body so they need to be pretty sturdy before you can start using 'em.

Thanks to:
http://www.doctorsecrets.com/your-bones/time-to-heal-broken-bone.htm


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Bone fracture

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bone fracture
Classification and external resources

Internal and external views of an arm with a compound fracture, both before and after surgery.
ICD-10 Sx2 (where x=0-9 depending on the location of the fracture)
ICD-9 829
DiseasesDB 4939
MeSH D050723
A bone fracture (sometimes abbreviated FRX or Fx, Fx, or #) is a medical condition in which there is a break in the continuity of the bone. A bone fracture can be the result of high force impact or stress, or trivial injury as a result of certain medical conditions that weaken the bones, such as osteoporosis, bone cancer, or osteogenesis imperfecta, where the fracture is then properly termed a pathologic fracture.
Although broken bone and bone break are common colloquialisms for a bone fracture, break is not a formal orthopedic term.

Contents

[hide]

Classification

Orthopedic

In orthopedic medicine, fractures are classified in various ways. Historically they are named after the doctor who first described the fracture conditions. However, there are more systematic classifications in place currently.
All fractures can be broadly described as:
  • Closed (simple) fractures are those in which the skin is intact
  • Open (compound) fractures involve wounds that communicate with the fracture, or where fracture hematoma is exposed, and may thus expose bone to contamination. Open injuries carry a higher risk of infection.
Other considerations in fracture care are displacement (fracture gap) and angulation. If angulation or displacement is large, reduction (manipulation) of the bone may be required and, in adults, frequently requires surgical care. These injuries may take longer to heal than injuries without displacement or angulation.
  • Compression fractures usually occurs in the vertebrae, for example when the front portion of a vertebra in the spine collapses due to osteoporosis (a medical condition which causes bones to become brittle and susceptible to fracture, with or without trauma).
Other types of fracture are:
  • Complete fracture: A fracture in which bone fragments separate completely.
  • Incomplete fracture: A fracture in which the bone fragments are still partially joined. In such cases, there is a crack in the osseous tissue that does not completely traverse the width of the bone.[1]
  • Linear fracture: A fracture that is parallel to the bone's long axis.
  • Transverse fracture: A fracture that is at a right angle to the bone's long axis.
  • Oblique fracture: A fracture that is diagonal to a bone's long axis.
  • Spiral fracture: A fracture where at least one part of the bone has been twisted.
  • Comminuted fracture: A fracture in which the bone has broken into a number of pieces.
  • Impacted fracture: A fracture caused when bone fragments are driven into each other.

Anatomical

An anatomical classification may begin with specifying the involved body part, such as the head or arm, followed with more specific localization. Fractures that have additional definition criteria than merely localization can often be classified as subtypes of fractures that merely are, such as a Holstein-Lewis fracture being a subtype of a humerus fracture. However, most typical examples in an orthopedic classification given in previous section cannot appropriately be classified into any specific part of an anatomical classification, as they may apply to multiple anatomical fracture sites.

OTA classification

The Orthopaedic Trauma Association, an association for orthopaedic surgeons, adopted and then extended the classification of Müller and the AO foundation [9] ("The Comprehensive Classification of the Long Bones") an elaborate classification system to describe the injury accurately and guide treatment.[10][11] There are five parts to the code:
  • Bone: The OTA classification of a fracture starts by coding for the bone involved:
(1) Humerus fracture, (2) Radius fracture/Ulnar fracture, (3) Femoral fracture, (4) Tibial fracture/Fibular fracture, (5) Spinal fracture, (6) Pelvic fracture, (24) Carpal fracture, (25) Metacarpal fracture, (26) Phalanx fracture of the hand, (72) Talus fracture, (73) Calcaneus fracture, (74) Navicular fracture, (75) Cuneiform bone fracture, (76) Cuboid bone fracture, (80) LisFranc fracture, (81) Metatarsal fracture, (82) Phalanx fracture of the foot, (45) Patella fracture, (06) Clavicular fracture, (09) Scapular fracture
  • Location: a code for the part of the bone involved (e.g. shaft of the femur): proximal=1, diaphyseal=2, distal=3 (at the ankle the malleolar region is considered separately due to the pre-existing Weber classification and coded as 4[12]). Except at the proximal femur the distal and proximal regions of the bone are defined by a square that is as wide as the as the distance between the condyles. The diaphysis is considered to be the rest of the bone between these two squares.
  • Type: It is important to note whether the fracture is simple or multifragmentary and whether it is closed or open: A=simple fracture, B=wedge fracture, C=complex fracture
  • Group: The geometry of the fracture is also described by terms such as transverse, oblique, spiral, or segmental.
  • Subgroup: Other features of the fracture are described in terms of displacement, angulation and shortening. A stable fracture is one which is likely to stay in a good (functional) position while it heals; an unstable one is likely to shorten, angulate or rotate before healing and lead to poor function in the long term.

Other classification systems

There are other systems used to classify different types of bone fractures:

Signs and symptoms

Although bone tissue itself contains no nociceptors, bone fracture is very painful for several reasons:[19]
  • Edema of nearby soft tissues caused by bleeding of torn periosteal blood vessels evokes pressure pain.
Damage to adjacent structures such as nerves or vessels, spinal cord and nerve roots (for spine fractures), or cranial contents (for skull fractures) can cause other specific signs and symptoms.

Pathophysiology

The natural process of healing a fracture starts when the injured bone and surrounding tissues bleed, forming a fracture Hematoma. The blood coagulates to form a blood clot situated between the broken fragments. Within a few days blood vessels grow into the jelly-like matrix of the blood clot. The new blood vessels bring phagocytes to the area, which gradually remove the non-viable material. The blood vessels also bring fibroblasts in the walls of the vessels and these multiply and produce collagen fibres. In this way the blood clot is replaced by a matrix of collagen. Collagen's rubbery consistency allows bone fragments to move only a small amount unless severe or persistent force is applied.
At this stage, some of the fibroblasts begin to lay down bone matrix (calcium hydroxyapatite) in the form of insoluble crystals. This mineralization of the collagen matrix stiffens it and transforms it into bone. In fact, bone is a mineralized collagen matrix; if the mineral is dissolved out of bone, it becomes rubbery. Healing bone callus is on average sufficiently mineralized to show up on X-ray within 6 weeks in adults and less in children. This initial "woven" bone does not have the strong mechanical properties of mature bone. By a process of remodeling, the woven bone is replaced by mature "lamellar" bone. The whole process can take up to 18 months, but in adults the strength of the healing bone is usually 80% of normal by 3 months after the injury.
Several factors can help or hinder the bone healing process. For example, any form of nicotine hinders the process of bone healing, and adequate nutrition (including calcium intake) will help the bone healing process. Weight-bearing stress on bone, after the bone has healed sufficiently to bear the weight, also builds bone strength. Although there are theoretical concerns about NSAIDs slowing the rate of healing, there is not enough evidence to warrant withholding the use of this type analgesic in simple fractures.[20]

Effects of nicotine

Smokers generally have lower bone density than non-smokers, so have a much higher risk of fractures. There is also evidence that smoking delays bone healing. Some research indicates, for example, that it delays tibial shaft fracture healing from a median healing time of 136 to a median healing time of 269 days[21]. This means that the fracture healing time was approximately doubled in smokers. Although some other studies show less extreme effects, it is still shown that smoking delays fracture healing.

Diagnosis

A bone fracture can be diagnosed clinically based on the history given and the physical examination performed. Imaging by X-ray is often performed to view the bone suspected of being fractured. In situations where x-ray alone is insufficient, a computed tomograph (CT scan) may be performed.

Treatment

X-ray showing the proximal portion of a fractured tibia with an intramedullary nail.
X-ray showing the distal portion of a fractured tibia and intramedular nail.
Treatment of bone fractures are broadly classified as surgical or conservative, the latter basically referring to any non-surgical procedure, such as pain management, immobilization or other non-surgical stabilization. A similar classification is open versus closed treatment, in which open treatment refers to any treatment in which the fracture site is surgically opened, regardless of whether the fracture itself is an open or closed fracture.

Pain management

In arm fractures in children, ibuprofen has been found to be equally effective as the combination of acetaminophen and codeine.[22]

[edit] Immobilization

Since bone healing is a natural process which will most often occur, fracture treatment aims to ensure the best possible function of the injured part after healing. Bone fractures are typically treated by restoring the fractured pieces of bone to their natural positions (if necessary), and maintaining those positions while the bone heals. Often, aligning the bone, called reduction, in good position and verifying the improved alignment with an X-ray is all that is needed. This process is extremely painful without anesthesia, about as painful as breaking the bone itself. To this end, a fractured limb is usually immobilized with a plaster or fiberglass cast or splint which holds the bones in position and immobilizes the joints above and below the fracture. When the initial post-fracture edema or swelling goes down, the fracture may be placed in a removable brace or orthosis. If being treated with surgery, surgical nails, screws, plates and wires are used to hold the fractured bone together more directly. Alternatively, fractured bones may be treated by the Ilizarov method which is a form of external fixator.
Occasionally smaller bones, such as phalanges of the toes and fingers, may be treated without the cast, by buddy wrapping them, which serves a similar function to making a cast. By allowing only limited movement, fixation helps preserve anatomical alignment while enabling callus formation, towards the target of achieving union.
Splinting results in the same outcome as casting in children who have a distal radius fracture with little shifting.[23]

Surgery

Surgical methods of treating fractures have their own risks and benefits, but usually surgery is done only if conservative treatment has failed or is very likely to fail. With some fractures such as hip fractures (usually caused by osteoporosis or osteogenesis Imperfecta), surgery is offered routinely, because the complications of non-operative treatment include deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism, which are more dangerous than surgery. When a joint surface is damaged by a fracture, surgery is also commonly recommended to make an accurate anatomical reduction and restore the smoothness of the joint.
Infection is especially dangerous in bones, due to the recrudescent nature of bone infections. Bone tissue is predominantly extracellular matrix, rather than living cells, and the few blood vessels needed to support this low metabolism are only able to bring a limited number of immune cells to an injury to fight infection. For this reason, open fractures and osteotomies call for very careful antiseptic procedures and prophylactic antibiotics.
Occasionally bone grafting is used to treat a fracture.
Sometimes bones are reinforced with metal. These implants must be designed and installed with care. Stress shielding occurs when plates or screws carry too large of a portion of the bone's load, causing atrophy. This problem is reduced, but not eliminated, by the use of low-modulus materials, including titanium and its alloys. The heat generated by the friction of installing hardware can easily accumulate and damage bone tissue, reducing the strength of the connections. If dissimilar metals are installed in contact with one another (i.e., a titanium plate with cobalt-chromium alloy or stainless steel screws), galvanic corrosion will result. The metal ions produced can damage the bone locally and may cause systemic effects as well.
Electrical bone growth stimulation or osteostimulation has been attempted to speed or improve bone healing. Results however do not support its effectiveness.[24]

Complications

An old fracture with nonunion of the fracture fragments.
Some fractures can lead to serious complications including a condition known as compartment syndrome. If not treated, compartment syndrome can result in amputation of the affected limb. Other complications may include non-union, where the fractured bone fails to heal or mal-union, where the fractured bone heals in a deformed manner.

In children

In children, whose bones are still developing, there are risks of either a growth plate injury or a greenstick fracture.
  • A greenstick fracture occurs due to mechanical failure on the tension side. That is, since the bone is not as brittle as it would be in an adult, it does not completely fracture, but rather exhibits bowing without complete disruption of the bone's cortex in the surface opposite the applied force.
  • Growth plate injuries, as in Salter-Harris fractures, require careful treatment and accurate reduction to make sure that the bone continues to grow normally.
  • Plastic deformation of the bone, in which the bone permanently bends but does not break, is also possible in children. These injuries may require an osteotomy (bone cut) to realign the bone if it is fixed and cannot be realigned by closed methods.
  • Certain fractures are known to occur mainly in the pediatric age group, such as fracture of the clavicle & supracondylar fracture of the humerus.

See also

 References

  1. ^ TheFreeDictionary > incomplete fracture Citying: Mosby's Medical Dictionary, 8th edition. © 2009
  2. ^ Essex Lopresti fracture at Wheeless' Textbook of Orthopaedics online
  3. ^ Bennett's fracture-subluxation at GPnotebook
  4. ^ Hunter, Tim B; Leonard F Peltier, Pamela J Lund (May 2000). "Musculoskeletal Eponyms: Who Are Those Guys?". RadioGraphics 20 (3): 819–836. Retrieved 2009-10-17.
  5. ^ Mellick LB, Milker L, Egsieker E (October 1999). "Childhood accidental spiral tibial (CAST) fractures". Pediatr Emerg Care 15 (5): 307–9. doi:10.1097/00006565-199910000-00001. PMID 10532655.
  6. ^ Tim B Hunter, Leonard F Peltier, Pamela J Lund (2000). "Musculoskeletal Eponyms: Who Are Those Guys?". RadioGraphics 20: 829. Retrieved 2009-11-13.
  7. ^ Perry, CR; Rice S, Rao A, Burdge R. (Oct 1983). "Posterior fracture-dislocation of the distal part of the fibula. Mechanism and staging of injury.". J Bone Joint Surg Am. 65 (8): 1149–57. PMID 6630259. Retrieved 2009-10-10.
  8. ^ TheFreeDictionary > Lisfranc's fracture Citing: Mosby's Medical Dictionary, 8th edition. Copyright 2009
  9. ^ http://www.ota.org/compendium/2007JOTFractureCompNew/97042.2Introduction%20S1-S6.pdf
  10. ^ "Fracture and dislocation compendium. Orthopaedic Trauma Association Committee for Coding and Classification" (pdf). J Orthop Trauma 10 Suppl 1: v–ix, 1–154. 1996. PMID 8814583. Archived from the original on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2007-11-28.
  11. ^ "Orthopaedic Trauma Association/ Committee for Coding and Classification: Fracture and Dislocation Compendium". Orthopaedic Trauma Association. Retrieved 2007-11-28.
  12. ^ "Proximal forearm - AO Surgery Reference".
  13. ^ 1590689797 at GPnotebook
  14. ^ Rüedi, etc. all; Thomas P. Rüedi, Richard E. Buckley, Christopher G. Moran (2007). AO principles of fracture management, Volume 1. Thieme. p. Page 96. ISBN 3131174420.
  15. ^ "Fractures of the Acetabulum".
  16. ^ Mourad L (1997). "Neer classification of fractures of the proximal humerus". Orthop Nurs 16 (2): 76. PMID 9155417.
  17. ^ "eMedicine - Proximal Humerus Fractures: Article by Mark Frankle, MD". Retrieved 2007-12-15.
  18. ^ "Seinsheimer's Classification of Subtrochanteric Frxs - Wheeless' Textbook of Orthopaedics". Retrieved 2007-12-15.
  19. ^ MedicineNet - Fracture Medical Author: Benjamin C. Wedro, MD, FAAEM.
  20. ^ "BestBets: Do non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs cause a delay in fracture healing?".
  21. ^ http://www.medicine.ox.ac.uk/bandolier/booth/painpag/wisdom/NSAIbone.html
  22. ^ Drendel AL, Gorelick MH, Weisman SJ, Lyon R, Brousseau DC, Kim MK (October 2009). "A randomized clinical trial of ibuprofen versus acetaminophen with codeine for acute pediatric arm fracture pain". Ann Emerg Med 54 (4): 553–60. doi:10.1016/j.annemergmed.2009.06.005. PMID 19692147.
  23. ^ Boutis K, Willan A, Babyn P, Goeree R, Howard A (October 2010). "Cast versus splint in children with minimally angulated fractures of the distal radius: a randomized controlled trial". CMAJ 182 (14): 1507–12. doi:10.1503/cmaj.100119. PMC 2950182. PMID 20823169.
  24. ^ Mollon B, da Silva V, Busse JW, Einhorn TA, Bhandari M (November 2008). "Electrical stimulation for long-bone fracture-healing: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials". J Bone Joint Surg Am 90 (11): 2322–30. doi:10.2106/JBJS.H.00111. PMID 18978400.

 External links

Thanks to : wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bone_fracture

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Why Fruits and Vegetables Turn Brown when it is cut ?

     






Why Fruits and Vegetables Turn Brown | Prevent Fruits from Turning Brown | Prevent Vegetables from Turning Brown | Tips
Why Fruits and Vegetables Turn Brown
When fresh fruits and vegetables are peeled or cut open, the enzyme called polyphenol oxidase (also called tyrosinase) contained in the cells is exposed to and reacts with the oxygen in the air. The reaction that occurs, which is called oxidation, is what turns the fruits and vegetables brown. The bruising seen on some fruit, such as apples and pears, is caused by the same type of reaction. If an apple is damaged by being hit or dropped, the apple's cells in that area are damaged and the enzymes are exposed to the air inside the apple, causing them to turn brown. When preparing fruits and vegetables for use, an anti-browning solution should be used to prevent them from turning brown.

Prevent Fruits from Turning Brown
Some of the fruits that turn brown are apples, pears, peaches, and bananas. There are several techniques that can be used to prevent fruit from browning. Some of these anti-browning techniques are shown below.
Fruit
Citrus Juices
Prevent browning by brushing the surface of the fruit with juice from citrus fruits, such as lemons, limes, oranges, and grapefruits. Lemon juice is often used for this purpose.
Soak in Acidulated Water
Another method is to place the fruit in water that has had lemon juice or cider vinegar added to make it acidulated. The squeezed lemon can also be cut into slices and added to help acidulate the water. Juice from other citrus fruit can also be used, such as limes, oranges and grapefruit. Use approximately 1/4 cup lemon juice to 1 quart of cold water.
The lemon juice in the water with help reduce the pH on the surface of the fruit and the water will reduce the amount of oxygen the fruit is exposed to.
Do not over soak fruit. Do not allow fruit such as apples to soak for more than 15 minutes and bananas should soak for no more than 3 to 5 minutes. Drain and pat dry before using.
Other Options:
  • Ascorbic acid, a commercial product, can also be added to water to create an anti-browning solution. Ascorbic acid is actually Vitamin C.
  • Dip the slices in lemon-lime soda.
  • Soak apples slices in apple juice until ready to use. The acidity in the apple juice prevents the apple slices from browning and doesn't change the flavor of the apple.

Prevent Fruits and Vegetables from Turning Brown
Some of the vegetables that turn brown are potatoes, sweet potatoes, parsnips, and artichokes. There are several techniques that can be used to prevent vegetables from browning. Some of these anti-browning techniques are shown below.
Vegetables
Cold Water

When the potato is completely peeled, place it in cold water immediately until ready to cook or ready to cut to desired size. The cold water will prevent the outer surface of the potato from discoloring.
Acidulated Water
Create the acidulated water by adding lemon juice to cold water. Juice from other citrus fruits, such as limes, oranges, and grapefruit can also be used. Use approximately 1/4 cup lemon juice to 1 quart of cold water. Place the vegetables in the water and allow them to soak until ready to use. Vinegar can also be used in place of the lemon juice.
Other Options:
  • Ascorbic acid, a commercial product, can also be added to water to create an anti-browning solution. Ascorbic acid is actually Vitamin C.
  • Cook the vegetables immediately to deactivate the enzyme. This will stop the reaction from happening and turning the vegetable brown.
  • Rub the cut surface of the vegetable with the cut edge of a lemon.

Tips
  • Instead of using a commercial product containing ascorbic acid, use Vitamin C in the water for soaking fruits and vegetables. Break up and crush a 500-milligram Vitamin C tablet and dissolve in a gallon of water.
  • Be sure the knife you are using to cut up fruits and vegetables does not contain any corrosion. The corrosion will cause fruits and vegetables to brown faster and will increase the amount.
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ANTI-BROWNING SOLUTIONS PRESERVE NATURAL COLOR OF FRUITS
AUBURN, JULY 2---Anti-browning solutions are used to preserve the natural color of dried, cored or cut fruits. If untreated, fruits oxidize and turn brown vegetables
Ascorbic acid is vitamin C, and volume for volume, it's the most effective anti-browning solution. Most drugstores and natural-food stores carry pure crystalline ascorbic acid, says Dr. Evelyn Crayton, an Extension foods and nutrition specialist with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. About 3,000 milligrams of ascorbic acid are in a teaspoon of the fine pure crystals.
Ascorbic acid tablets also are available at most drugstores. To use tablets as an anti-browning agent, crush 400-500 milligram tablets. Ascorbic acid dissolves easily in water or juice, both of which should be boiled and cooled before the solution is made.
Ascorbic acid is used most often with apples, apricots, nectarines, peaches and pears. The strength of the solution depends on the food being preserved. .
For apples, dissolve 3 teaspoons of pure crystalline ascorbic acid in a cup of cold water. Dissolve 1 1/2 teaspoons of pure crystalline ascorbic acid in a cup of cold water for peaches, apricots, pears and nectarines
Citric acid also preserves fruit color. However, It takes three times more citric acid than ascorbic acid to help prevent browning. Citric acid crystals (almost powder) can be purchased at most drugstores. It also comes in large crystals bottled as "sour salt" from a Kosher food store or the special-foods section of large supermarkets. These crystals are easily pulverized. Dissolve the required amount in 2 or 3 tablespoons of cold water then follow directions for the individual fruit using measures for ascorbic acid as your guide. Delicate flavors of some fruits may be masked when using citric acid.
Lemon juice contains both ascorbic and citric acid. However, it's about only one-sixth as effective as pure ascorbic acid. Lemon juice also can alter taste of foods.
Several commercial color-preservers also are available in supermarkets. They are located near the parrafin wax and commercial pectins, mostly in 5-ounce tins. The best known brand has a sugar base, with ascorbic acid and an anti-caking agent. It's expensive to use because of the small proportion of ascorbic acid in the mixture. The label tells how much to use for canning or freezing. Another brand contains sugar and citric acid, plus several other ingredients, but no ascorbic acid. Read labels to learn what each product contains.
Crayton says any of these solutions will help prevent browning if used in the right proportions.
SOURCE: DR. EVELYN CRAYTON, Extension foods and nutrition specialist, Alabama Cooperative Extension System.


Thanks to :
http://www.recipetips.com/kitchen-tips/t--945/why-fruits-and-vegetables-turn-brown.asp
http://www.aces.edu/dept/extcomm/newspaper/antibrowning.html

Indian black-money

The black money market situation in India is epidemical. India currently tops the list for black money in the entire world with almost US$1,456 billion in Swiss banks (USD 1.4 trillion approximately) in the form of unaccounted money.[19] According to the data provided by the Swiss Banking Association, India has more black money than the rest of the world combined.[20][21] Indian Swiss bank account assets are worth 13 times (1300%) the country’s national debt, and, if this black money is brought back to the country, India has the potential to become one of the richest countries in the world, after the United States.[22]

Thanks to :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_money


Thursday, March 3, 2011

Energy star ratings

Sources:
 http://www.bee-india.nic.in/
 http://www.energyrating.gov.au/star.html
 http://cribb.in/save-electricity-by-checking-bee-labels.htm
 http://www.energystar.gov
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_Star

If rising electricity bills are bothering you, Switch to electrical appliances with BEE (Bureau of Energy Efficiency) label.
You can reduce your electricity bills and help India to increase the availability of electivity for more people, simply by buying Refrigerators, ACs & Tubelights that bear BEE’s Star-Rated Energy Efficiency Labels.
- The BEE Star Energy Efficiency Labels have been created to standardize the energy efficiency ratings of different electrical appliances and indicate energy consumption under standard test conditions.
- These labels indicate the energy efficiency levels through the number of Stars highlighted in colour on the label.
- The BEE Star Labels include a Star Rating System that ranges from One Star (least energy efficient, thus least money saved) to Five Stars (most energy efficient, thus most money saved)
Bachat Ke Sitare
BEE Label For Rrigerators

BEE Label For Tube Lights








BEE Label For Air Conditioners

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

unix - terminal commands that give general info about your hardware

There are a number of (terminal) commands that give general info about your hardware:

lshw
hwinfo
dmidecode

If any of these are not installed then search & install them using synaptic.

Preferably use these (and the ones at the end of this post) with sudo:

sudo lshw

etc. (Sudo gives administrative rights.)

These spit out so much info that it may be better to save the output into a text file:

sudo lshw > info1.txt
sudo hwinfo > info2.txt
sudo dmidecode > info3.txt

Start by using the short versions

sudo lshw -short
sudo hwinfo --short

They have flags to restrict the output to certain hardware. For example

sudo lshw -class system

gives a basic info and motherboard. To learn more about these flags see their man pages:

man lshw

etc.

Some other commands:

lspci (Lists PCI devices including Audio, VGA, Ethernet etc.)
aplay -l (sound info)
uname -a (kernel info)
lsusb (list USB devices)
ls /dev/disk/* -lah (disk info)
fdisk -l (disk info)
df -h (disk usage info)
free -m (memory info)
cat /proc/swaps (swap file/partition info)


and the list goes on and on.