The Golden Rules of Sleep

Most normal persons spend around 1/3 of their lives sleeping. Hence, it is important to make this part of our lives as functional as possible. This post presents some material to improve the sleeping experience of open-minded persons (those that consider any opportunity to enhance their lives).

The material presented was mainly collected from the references listed at the end of the post, which the reader is encouraged to read. These references are well-known books in the field of sleep. Although the books differ from the content presented, their messages overlap considerably and the rules suggested to improve the sleep are more or less equivalent.

According to reference [1], the golden rules of sleep are as follows:
1. Get up regularly half an hour earlier than your usual desired getting up time.
2. Go to bed only when you are sleepy.
3. Don't take any naps during the day.
4. At least three times a week, take at least twenty minutes exercise.
5. Finish eating at least three hours before you go to bed.
6. Don't have any caffeine after 2 pm.
7. Cut out alcohol.
8. Switch off the TV one hour before you go to bed.
9. Do only three things in bed: sleep, make love and use the book or CD (the CD comes together with the book of reference [1]).
10. If your are awake in bed for more than twenty minutes, do one of the exercises (included in the book of reference [1]) or get up and do something boring.
11. Keep your bedroom dark at night.
12. Have a warm, comfortable bed in a room that is not too hot.
13. Don't watch the clock.
14. Use the CD (that comes with the book of reference [1]).

From all the above fourteen rules, the top three are the most crucial. The 'half an hour' mentioned in Rule #1 is simply to ease your falling asleep process. The idea is that, if you get up half an hour earlier, you will probably fall asleep a bit earlier too (and this is useful for persons with difficulties to fall asleep). So, for instance, if you believe 8 am is a good time to get up, set your alarm clock at 7:30 am (half an hour earlier) and get out of the bed exactly when the alarm clock rings (should be difficult during the first days, but within a week or two this becomes a habit). From Rule #1 it is important to highlight 'regularly'; this is to mean you must get up at the same time all days including weekend days.

If you follow Rule #1 honestly and go to bed only when you are sleepy, i.e., follow Rule #2 as well, within a week or two your sleep pattern will be regularized. If you have, or had in the past, some sleep trouble, the chances are that what caused the trouble was a poor sleep pattern. Therefore, following Rules #1 & #2 properly will recover your natural and healthy sleep pattern. In following these rules note that you have full control over your get up time but not over your somnolence state. Hence, forcing a regular and fixed get up time and monitoring your somnolence state (if you are sleepy or not) to judge the right time to go to bed seems a reasonable advice to recover a sleep pattern within a couple of days (obviously take some time to recover your pattern, but if you follow the rules honestly after a week or two it will be much better; within a month it will be very robust). It is also worthy to note that your sleep pattern may be 6, 6:30, 7, 7:30, 8 or even another value hours long. The sleep duration will be the one that best fits your needs.

The outcome of Rule #3 is pretty obvious: if you take naps during the day your chances of falling asleep around a well-defined time (which is a requirement of a robust sleep pattern) decrease considerably. Hence, avoiding naps leads to a faster sleep pattern recovery and also prevents your pattern from deterioration once you have fully recovered it.

Rules #4 to #14 may be classified as complementary rules, since they can be practiced to improve the sleep experience of a person incrementally. The book and the accompanying CD of reference [1] contain a list of relaxing exercises (mentioned in Rule #10) and recorded hypnotic sounds (mentioned in Rules #9 & #14) targeted at sleep. Although it is not needed to buy the book and the accompanying CD to improve your sleep substantially (it is enough to follow the rules shown above), it is recommended for those persons that want to known a bit more on the subject.

To make clear that the rules presented in the references are more or less equivalent, below are outlined the rules suggested in reference [2], so the reader can compare them with those of reference [1] presented above:
1. Spend less time in bed.
2. No naps.
3. Get up and do something when you can't sleep.
4. Get up at the same time every day, including weekend days.
5. Do nothing in bed but sleep or make love.
6. Reduce or eliminate the pills.
7. Stop clock-watching.
8. Replace negative sleep talk with positive statements.
9. Let go of the search for an instant miracle cure.
10. Discover a relaxation technique that works for you.
11. Decide on your own safety thought.
12. Put your life before your insomnia.

And, according to the author, "for most (persons), sticking to the first six (rules) will be all that is needed to begin sleeping well again".

References:
[1] Paul McKenna, I Can Make You Sleep (neat and fast-reading book plus a bonus CD)

[2] Sasha Stephens, The Effortless Sleep Method: The Incredible New Cure for Insomnia and Chronic Sleep Problems (book written from a recovered chronic insomnia sufferer perspective)

[3] Gregg D. Jacobs, Say Goodnight to Insomnia: A Drug-Free Programme Developed at Harvard Medical School (for those readers interested in a more rigorous scientific work)

Lens basics

Some basic terms related to lenses are presented hereinafter. For more details, one is encouraged to consult the references listed at the bottom.

Prime vs. Zoom Lenses

Prime lenses have fixed focal length and don't zoom. Zoom lenses have the ability to zoom in or out and, when specified, both the minimum and the maximum focal lengths are indicated, e.g. 18-55 mm. This means that the focal length in zoom lenses can be adjusted continuously in the range from 18 mm to 55 mm, considering the previous example. Prime lenses tend to be smaller and lighter, have wider maximum apertures, and give sharper images than zoom lenses, but zoom lenses have become widespread to due their ability of producing different angles of view.

Wide-angle vs. Normal vs. Telephoto Lenses
Wide-angle lenses produce the widest angle of view, while telephoto lenses produce the narrowest. In between these two extremes stand up the normal lenses. In rough words, wide-angle lenses have focal lengths of 18 mm or shorter, while telephoto lenses are characterized by focal lengths of 55 mm or longer (assuming a sensor size of approx. 24 mm x 16 mm, available in most affordable SLR cameras).

Focal Length

Definition: It is the distance between the lens and the camera's sensor (or film) when the subject is in focus. It is usually stated in millimeters (e.g. a focal length of 55 mm).
Control: The focal length of a zoom lens can be adjusted rotating the lens' zoom ring. For a prime lens the focal length is fixed, i.e. the focal length can be changed only changing the camera lens.
Effects: A shorter focal length produces a wider angle of view and a large area of the scene is captured (apparent size of the subject is smaller). Conversely, a longer focal length leads to narrower angle of view and a small area of the scene is captured (hence the subject appears to be larger).

Tip: Due to the popularity of the 35 mm film standard (with size of 36 mm x 24 mm and diagonal of 43.3 mm) and today's availability of camera sensors with different sizes, camera-lens combinations may be described in terms of their 35 mm equivalent focal length for straightforward comparison. For example, a 55 mm focal length lens on a camera with sensor size of 22.3 mm x 14.9 mm (diagonal of 26.8 mm) has a 35 mm equivalent focal length of (55 mm) x (43.3 mm / 26.8 mm) = (55 mm) x 1.6 = 88 mm. Hence, a 88 mm focal length lens on a full-frame 35 mm camera will produce the same angle of view of a 55 mm focal length lens on a 22.3 mm x 14.9 mm sensor size camera.

Maximum Aperture
Definition: It is the maximum diameter of the lens opening that can be selected with the lens. The maximum aperture is achieved with the minimum f-stop number of the lens.
Control: The maximum aperture is a lens specification and the photographer cannot change it unless another lens is used. This specification is generally included in the lens model name (e.g. the zoom lens Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II has maximum apertures of f/3.5 when at focus length of 18 mm and of f/5.6 when at focus length of 55 mm).
Effects: Lenses with wider maximum apertures (lower minimum f-stop numbers) create a brighter image on the camera's sensor than lenses with small maximum apertures (higher minimum f-stop numbers). Also, wider maximum apertures allow smaller depths of field than narrower maximum apertures do.

Minimum Focus Distance
Definition: It is the shortest distance from the focal plane mark on the camera body to the subject at which a lens can still focus.
Control: The minimum focus distance is a lens specification (usually included in the model name) and the photographer cannot change it unless another lens is used (or an accessory is connect to the lens).
Effects: If the camera is too close to the subject that the minimum focus distance is violated, then to put the subject in focus will be very difficult or even impossible.

Angle of View
Definition: It is the visible extend of the scene captured by the image sensor.
Control: The angle of view is indirectly controlled by the lens' focal length.
Effects: A wider angle of view captures a greater area, while a narrower angle of view captures a smaller area of the scene.

References:
[1] Nikon Website, Digital SLR Camera Basics - Lens
[2] Andy Westlake (dpreview), Digital camera lens buying guide

[3] Ed Grabianowski, 10 Important Photography Terms - Lens
[4] Wikipedia, 35 mm equivalent focal length
[5] Max Lyons, Photography Calculators

Some terms in photography

This post highlights some basic terms related to photography. For each term a brief definition, how it can be controlled, what effects are expected, and tips are presented. The information given was primarily gathered in the references listed at the end of the post, which one could read for more details.

Exposure
Definition: It is simply the amount of light recorded on the camera's sensor (or film).
Control: The correct exposure is achieved balancing shutter speed, aperture, and ISO.
Effects: Too much light on the sensor causes overexposure, i.e. the photograph will be overly bright. Not enough light causes underexposure, i.e. the photo will be too dark.
Tips: 1) For a given ISO sensitivity, there are many combinations of aperture and shutter speed that will produce the same exposure. 2) Changing aperture also changes depth of field, while changing shutter speed alters the appearance of moving objects.

Shutter Speed
Definition: It is how long the shutter remains open to allow light through the sensor, and is generally given in fractions of a second (e.g. 1/500, which means the shutter remains open during 2 milliseconds).
Control: The intended shutter speed is set directly in the camera. Its range depends on the camera hardware, and may be from 30 seconds, or slower, to 1/4000 seconds, or even faster.
Effects: A slower shutter speed allows more light through the shutter. Conversely, a faster shutter speed allows less light through.
Tips: 1) When using a slower shutter speed, a tripod to hold the camera steady will surely be handy to minimize excessive blur on the photograph. 2) One may slow the shutter speed in the following scenarios: photographing in low lighting conditions, intending to give a perspective of movement in a moving subject, etc. 3) One would be interested in a faster shutter speed in the following scenarios: photographing a fast-moving subject (e.g. a running athlete) without blur (in this case use shutter speeds faster than approx. 1/300). 4) When photographing handheld, avoid shutter speeds slower than 1/30, unless your hands are remarkably still. 5) To freeze fast motion, e.g. splashing water, movement of insect wings, etc., use shutter speeds of 1/4000 or faster.

Aperture

Definition: It is the opening in the lens that light shines through when a photo is taken. Photographers discuss different sizes of aperture in terms of f-stop numbers (e.g. f/5.6, f/8, etc.). The higher the f-stop the smaller the aperture.

Control: The proper f-stop is set directly in the camera. Its range depends on the lens and on the camera, and may be from less than one to as high as f/128.

Effects: A larger aperture (lower f-stop number) allows more light through the lens. A smaller aperture (higher f-stop) allows less light through the lens. Also, the aperture influences the depth of field (i.e. how much of the photograph will appear to be in focus) directly: a larger aperture gives a narrow depth of field, while a smaller aperture gives a wide depth of field.

Tips: 1) A smaller aperture is great for landscapes. 2) If one wants to photograph a subject in crisp focus but with a blurred background, then a larger aperture is more suitable. 3) Larger aperture is generally the best method to increase the exposure because the downside - less of the photograph being in focus - is often a desired result.

ISO

Definition: It is the light sensitivity of the camera's sensor (or film).

Control: The proper ISO number can be set through the camera's settings menu. Its range depends uniquely on the camera hardware, and may be from 100 up to 6400 or even higher.

Effects: A lower ISO number indicates less light sensitivity, i.e. less light is sensed on the sensor within a given period of time. A higher ISO number, on the other hand, improves the light sensitivity, i.e. more light is sensed on the sensor within a given time interval. Also, high ISO numbers introduce digital noise into the photograph, hence a compromise exists of taking the best photo in a given lighting condition using the lowest possible ISO setting.

Tips: 1) For outdoors photography, ISO numbers of 100 or 200 are fine; for indoors, 400 or 800 generally do the job. 2) Keep the ISO number as low as possible to decrease digital noise on the photograph. 3) To reduce the risk of camera blur when photographing dark scenes, it may be useful to increase ISO and choose faster shutter speeds. 4) A high ISO may be useful to optimally expose both the subject and the background in a poor lighting condition without using the flash, which has limited range.

White Balance

Definition: When the subject being photographed is under commonly available light sources (e.g. sun, fluorescent lights, etc.), the coloring of the subject changes accordingly to the light tint. To compensate this, a white balance is applied.

Control: The white balance is set directly in the camera. One can choose a balance specific for a given light source or let the camera adjust the proper balance automatically.

Effects: If the white balance is not properly set, the photograph will inherit the light source tint. For example, if a white object is under bluish light, the photo will contain bluish pixels, unless a proper white balance is used.
Tip: 1) Auto white balance will normally produce the desired results without the photographer having to worry about the type of lighting.

Depth of Field

Definition: It is the in-focus distance in front of and behind the focus point of a photograph. A narrow depth of field could be exemplified with a flower photo in which only the flower is in focus, while the background is out of focus. A landscape photo, where everything is in focus, could be an example of wide depth of field.

Control: The adequate depth of field is set by the aperture (f-stop) setting (wider apertures shorter depths of field; smaller apertures longer depths of field), lens focal length (longer focal lengths shorter depths of field; shorter focal lengths longer depths of field) and subject-camera distance (shorter distances shorter depths of field; longer distances longer depths of field).

Effects: Larger apertures as well as shorter subject-camera distances will cause narrower depth of field, i.e. only part of the photo will be in focus. Conversely, smaller apertures and longer subject-camera distances will result in wider depth of field, i.e. most of the photo will be in focus.

Focus

Definition: It is a measure of how clear a subject being photographed appears on the photograph. It is a function of a camera's lens and the current aperture setting.
Control: The focus can be adjusted manually (by means of the lens focus ring) or automatically (by means of the camera's autofocus system). Some cameras have continuous autofocus, which track and keep in focus moving subjects.
Effects: Out of focus photos will appear blurry, while in focus ones will appear clear.

Flash

Definition: It is an auxiliary light source usually built-in on cameras that helps improve lighting conditions in low-light areas or unevenly lit situations.
Control: The flash can be set automatically, with a preset mode, or manually. In the latter case, the photographer decides whether the flash will be used or not.
Effects: If the light from the flash is too bright, photographs will be too bright (overexposed); if it is not bright enough, photographs will be too dark (underexposed).
Tip: 1) Flash may be used to prevent blurred photos in low-light conditions (which otherwise would require slower shutter speeds) or to illuminate details in backlit subjects.

References:

[1] Ed Grabianowski, 10 Important Photography Terms

[2] Adam Dachis, Basics of Photography: Your Camera’s Manual Settings (with basic practical tips)

[3] Nikon Website, Digital SLR Camera Basics (with a lot of animations to ease learning)
[4] Bryan F. Peterson, Basic Photo Tips: Aperture, Shutter Speed, and ISO (with some technical details explained)
[5] David Peterson, The Holy Trinity: Aperture, Shutter Speed, and ISO

[6] Star Valley Photo Club, Exposure (tables of aperture & shutter speed combinations, considering ISO of 100, for good exposure on sunny days, cloudy days, and indoors without flash)

Remuneração do Poder Público Federal Brasileiro

O Poder Público no Brasil está dividido em três poderes: Executivo, Legislativo e Judiciário. Assim, considerando a esfera federal, o Poder Executivo tem como chefe máximo o Presidente da República. Por sua vez, o Poder Legislativo Federal é composto pelo Congresso Nacional, formado pela Câmara dos Deputados e pelo Senado Federal. Por fim, o Poder Judiciário tem como órgão máximo o Supremo Tribunal Federal.

Dado este panorama, a pergunta que este post quer responder é a seguinte: Qual é a remuneração líquida mensal dos funcionários no topo da pirâmide federal, isto é, do Presidente da República, dos Senadores, dos Deputados Federais e dos Ministros do Supremo Tribunal Federal?

Atualmente é possível responder a esta pergunta devido a um conjunto de leis, decretos e portarias criados nos últimos anos que definem a legislação acerca da transparência destes dados (no caso deste post, as remunerações).

Assim, para consultar a remuneração da Presidenta Dilma Vana Rousseff, podemos acessar o Portal da Transparência do Governo Federal, selecionar a aba Servidores no topo deste portal, escolher por Nome ou CPF, por exemplo, e clicar em consultar. Seguindo estes passos, aparecerá uma página com a lista dos Servidores Civis e Militares do Poder Executivo Federal. No rodapé desta página tem um campo denominado Pesquisar. Insira neste campo o nome Dilma Vana Rousseff e clique em ok. Se a pesquisa for bem sucedida, aparecerá uma outra página com o campo Nome do servidor correspondente ao da Presidenta. Clique sobre o nome da Presidenta para acessar a página com os detalhes do cargo exercido. Nesta página dos detalhes tem um campo denominado Remuneração, que após clicado conduz à remuneração bruta bem como a remuneração líquida mensal da Presidenta. A figura abaixo mostra estas remunerações para o mês de Abril/2013, sendo a remuneração líquida de R$ 19.833,17.

Para consultar a remuneração de um Senador, podemos acessar o site do Senado Federal e selecionar a aba Transparência no topo do site. Após, podemos encontrar o campo Subsídios Parlamentares e escolher o nome de um Senador(a). Por exemplo, podemos escolher o Senador Eduardo Matarazzo Suplicy. Na sequência aparecerá uma página com os dados elementares do referido Senador e um Formulário de dados do Requerente a ser preenchido. Para visualizar a remuneração, basta preencher este pequeno formulário e clicar em Visualizar remuneração. Os detalhes da remuneração aparecerão como mostrados na figura a seguir, e a remuneração líquida para o mês de Abril/2013 é R$ 18.033,69.

É importante ressaltar que os Senadores e os Deputados Federais gozam também de uma Cota Parlamentar, que serve para os auxiliar nos custos relacionados às atividades parlamentares. Estas Cotas possuem um teto que varia consoante ao Estado de origem do Senador/Deputado Federal. A tabela dos tetos para os Senadores pode ser obtida clicando aqui, sendo que o valor máximo da Cota é de R$ 44.276,60 para o Estado do Amazonas (devido ao custo maior dos deslocamentos até Brasília). É também possível consultar através da aba Transparência no site do Senado Federal o quanto cada Senador usufrui desta Cota mensalmente. Para tal, escolha o nome de um Senador(a) no campo denominado Cotas para Exercício da Atividade Parlamentar. Na página seguinte, selecione o ano e mês de interesse. Feita esta seleção aparecerá o valor usufruído da Cota, como mostrado na figura abaixo para o Senador Eduardo Matarazzo Suplicy.

Para consultar a remuneração de um Deputado Federal, podemos acessar o site da Câmara dos Deputados e selecionar a aba Transparência > Recursos Humanos para nos conduzir à página dos Recursos Humanos da Câmara. Na sequencia, clicar em Quadro de Pessoal e Estrutura Remuneratória da Câmara dos Deputados. Na página seguinte clicar em Consulta nominal, e escolher o mês/ano de interesse, o nome do Deputado (e.g. Romario de Souza Faria) e clicar em Pesquisar. Se a pesquisa for bem sucedida, aparecerá o nome do parlamentar pesquisado. Clique sobre o nome do parlamentar para preencher um formulário e visualizar a remuneração (procedimento similar ao descrito anteriormente para visualizar a remuneração dos Senadores). Preencha este formulário e clique em Visualizar. Os detalhes da remuneração aparecerão como mostrados na figura a seguir, sendo a remuneração líquida para o mês de Abril/2013 de R$ 20,069.63.

A tabela das Cotas Parlamentares por Estado para os Deputados Federais pode ser obtida clicando aqui, sendo que o valor máximo da Cota é de R$ 38.616,18 para o Estado do Roraima. Para consultar o montante da Cota usufruído mensalmente por um Deputado Federal, selecione a aba Transparência > Cota para Exercício da Atividade Parlamentar no site da Câmara dos Deputados para conduzir à página referente à Cota para Exercício da Atividade Parlamentar. Nesta página escolha o nome do Deputado/Liderança (e.g. Romário) e clique em Pesquisar. Na página seguinte selecione o mês/ano de interesse e clique em Listar. Dado estes passos aparecerá o valor usufruído da Cota, como mostrado na figura abaixo para o Deputado Federal Romário.

Para consultar a remuneração de um Ministro do STF, podemos acessar o site do Supremo Tribunal Federal e selecionar a aba Acesso à Informação no canto superior direito. No menu da esquerda da página resultante, selecione Consulta Remuneração e em seguida escolha o mês e o ano de interesse e clique em Pesquisar. Nos resultados da pesquisa, selecione a aba Ministros Ativos e clique sobre um dos Ministros (e.g. Joaquim Benedito Barbosa Gomes). Os detalhes da remuneração aparecerão como mostrados na figura abaixo, sendo a remuneração líquida para o mês de Abril/2013 de R$ 18.924,99.

Postura no trabalho

Ontem assisti a uma palestra da fisioterapeuta Isabel Carvalho no Auditório da Biblioteca da FCT/UNL intitulada "Má postura no local de trabalho. Sim ou Não?". Como o título refere, o assunto era sobre postura no trabalho com enfoque para atividades desenvolvidas na frente de um computador.

Como é óbvio para pessoas que trabalham várias horas por dia no frente de um computador, as dores no pescoço, nas costas, no punho, etc. são companheiras frequentes. Sem contabilizar, ainda, o cansaço nos olhos e, algumas vezes, a secura dos mesmos.

As dores mencionadas acima são, na maioria das vezes, causadas por postura inadequada. Por exemplo, estar sentado numa cadeira muito alta em relação à altura da tela do computador, fazendo com que o tórax e a cabeça sejam inadequadamente inclinadas para frente.

Existem inúmeros estudos a tratar da postura mais apropriada para se trabalhar com um computador, seja ele um desktop ou um computador portátil. Para o caso de um computador portátil, algumas dicas de postura correta são apresentadas nos vídeos abaixo, quer para a utilização do portátil em casa quer para a utilização dele em movimento (e.g. em hotéis, em aeroportos, etc.).

Utilização do computador portátil em casa

Utilização do computador portátil em hotéis, aeroportos, etc.

As dicas para a utilização de um desktop são semelhantes.

Para além de um boa postura, recomenda-se a prática de exercícios de tempo em tempo (e.g. a cada 30 min. de trabalho) ou após a conclusão de uma tarefa. Estes exercícios não precisam ser complexos e podem ser, inclusive, realizados no próprio local de trabalho e até sentado. Por exemplo, um exercício para o pescoço poderia ser girar o mesmo 360º no sentido horário e em seguida girá-lo 360º no sentido anti-horário. Para o punho, poderia ser flexioná-lo para baixo e para cima algumas vezes.

A Isabel Carvalho, na sua palestra, também nos apresentou o Napo. Quem quiser conhecê-lo e conhecer as suas histórias/filmes, pode fazê-lo utilizando o seguinte link: Filmes do Napo. Para o caso específico do assunto deste post, sugiro assistir aos filmes Ergonomia Radical e O Pensador.

A respeito da irritação e secura dos olhos, que não foram abordadas na palestra em detalhes, mas que são um problema frequente, pode-se aliviar ou evitar o problema com exercícios ou gotas lubrificantes, por exemplo. Um exercício poderia ser desviar a visão do computador e olhar para um objeto distante e em seguida para um objeto próximo. As gotas lubrificantes podem ser adquiridas em qualquer farmácia e podem ser utilizadas todas as vezes em que os olhos estiverem secos.

Concluindo, uma boa postura e alguns exercícios periódicos são a melhor solução para evitar dores e problemas que podem surgir nos trabalhadores cuja a ferramenta principal de trabalho é o computador.

Blog's presentation

The first post (as usual :-) serves to present the purpose of this blog. As the blog's title indicates, the blog will collect a set of personal (almost) random stuff. This means that most posts will not be logically or deterministic linked. Hence, you may find (and hopefully read) a post about Electronics right below one about Photography or Genealogy, for instance.

Also it is important to point out that posts will be mainly written in English, Portuguese or Italian, depending on the (foreseeable) target audience and on my own mood at the time. Since the posts will not undergo extensive review, typos, grammatical disagreements, etc. will be surely present. Hence, many apologies for those errors right now.

Hopefully the posts published on this blog will be of some degree of utility to an (at-present-unknown) audience. The readers are welcome to leave their comments and critics (but be moderate on critics; otherwise, reader comments will be disabled ;)