Suffering from low self-esteem can cause you to place more value in the life of someone else than in your own life. Low self-esteem has everything to do with how you view yourself, and nothing to do with how you view the other person. If a woman does not like what she sees in the mirror, she is likely to look to someone else to validate her. Taking control of another person’s life and trying to fix that person, in some sense, empowers her. There is another person that she can view lower than herself. Thus, she has never really had the opportunity to focus on her own inadequacies because she is too busy focusing on the person whom she is enabling. She has become fixated on the enabled and begun making excuses for the bad behavior exhibited rather than holding the person accountable for what she knows is wrong.

While the feeling of worthlessness is part of the definition of low self-esteem, the result of low self-esteem can lead to potentially destructive behavior. The inability to say no presents a major problem for the enabler. I sat in a prison full of women who suffered from low self-esteem and the inability to say no. Some of the women were enablers and some were enabled. The women who were enablers usually had a drug dealer boyfriend or pimp whom they supported and made excuses for him on a daily basis, thus perpetuating bad behavior. The women who were enabled were usually products of a controlling mother, father, or family member who made excuses for their continuous bad behavior.

I often wondered why these women would spend so much time in one-sided relationships to the point of giving up their freedom. But I had done the same thing without being in a one-sided relationship. I soon realized it is because generally speaking, in some instances women have been socialized and trained to behave in self-destructive ways that benefit men at the women’s expense. My proof lies in the lives of the women I met in prison.

Self-reflection is a good place to start when you are overcome with low self-esteem. Consider the following questions as you journey toward healing.

What is your image of a strong person? Do you possess all or some of those qualities?

Describe yourself. Write down your good and bad qualities. Is there anything you would like to change?

Don’t be afraid by what is revealed in you answers. You are on a journey toward wholeness.

The question of whether or not there is a connection between low iron and yeast infection, particularly in women, is rather complex. But here, in simple language, you’ll find the answer as well as what actions to take.

Yeast infections are more common in individuals whose diets are usually low in iron. They are also very common in women during heavy menstruation when iron levels in the body diminish considerably. So there does seem to be a link between iron deficiency and yeast infections…

Yeast infections are caused by a yeast-like fungus called Candida albicans, which is normally kept under control by your body’s good bacteria. Only when it over-grows out of control does it turn into an infection.

So this good bacteria v bad bacteria ‘balance’ is important. But there are several things that can upset this balance. Two of them are a lowered immune system and friendly bacteria depletion…

1. Iron Deficiency and Your Immune System

One of the things that can affect your immune system is anemia which happens as a result of iron deficiency. So low iron, which leads to anemia, can compromise your immune system and so upset the delicate balance. This can then trigger an overgrowth of Candida leading to a yeast infection.

2. Bacteria and Iron Deficiency

Under healthy conditions, with optimum levels of iron, your beneficial bacteria work effectively. But so can the Candida, except that, the Candida needs ‘free’ iron to invade your body’s cells. And, in a healthy body, a protein called ‘Lactoferrin’ binds to the iron, so preventing the Candida from growing.

However, individuals with anemia have low levels of Lactoferrin. And because they have low iron their beneficial bacteria are less effective as well. So the balance is upset further still allowing the Candida to grow and spread.

So, if you suffer from low iron and you have a yeast infection then the two could be linked. For your general health in any case you need to get your iron back to optimum levels. And the best way is through diet…

Great sources of iron are; liver (especially), red meat, fish, poultry, eggs, whole grains, dark green leaf vegetables, peas, beans, potatoes, rice, and nuts. But ensure that the food you consume is sugar-free, because sugar is a staple diet of Candida.

You may also consider taking iron supplements but you must consult with your doctor before doing so. Another aid is vitamin C, which helps to absorb the iron. But again, talk to your doctor first to make sure that whatever you do is appropriate for your particular case, including your diet.

When your Tuttnauer autoclave starts flashing error codes your first reaction is probably panic. Your autoclave is one of the most important pieces of equipment you have and without it you can’t sterilize your tools. And if you can’t sterilize your tools you’re out of business. Don’t worry though. A Low Temp error code is no cause for alarm. And you can probably repair the problem yourself.

A Low Temp error code is displayed if the temperature in the chamber starts to drop. If the temperature drops more than 4.5ºF the sensor will automatically abort the cycle and the Cycle Fail indicator lights will also flash. All those flashing lights make the situation appear like the plane is about to crash and everyone needs to grab a parachute. But it’s just a little turbulence. Hang on. You can fix it.

First, check the water level in the chamber. If there’s not enough water in the chamber then there won’t be enough steam and steam is necessary to create the heat that sterilizes your tools. Here are some things to check:

• Check the water level in the reservoir to make sure it’s full
• Be sure your autoclave is properly leveled
• Check the water sensing electrode for dirt or it may be shorted out
• Make sure the water pump isn’t clogged
• Look for clogged water lines
• Make sure the air outlet valve is working properly

Next, if the water level in the chamber is fine, check your cycle time. If the cycle was set for too long a period of time the water in the chamber may have boiled out and that’s why the chamber is dry. This happens often, especially on autoclaves with manual set timers.

It it’s not a timer problem, you then need to check the safety thermostat. It may be defective. When the safety thermostat opens it automatically turns of the heating elements – as a safety precaution. In the Tuttnauer T935N5 and T935N6 autoclaves the safety thermostat has been known to open prematurely.

You should never attempt to recalibrate the safety thermostat. It was calibrated at the factory and should be replaced with another factory calibrated thermostat. That said, you can replace that thermostat yourself.

Unplug your autoclave first and then remove the wires from the terminals on the thermostat. You’ll want to tag them so you can easily reconnect the replacement. Next, remove the screws or unscrew the lock holding the safety thermostat to the mounting bracket. Loosen the bolts on that hold the thermostat to the heating element and remove the probe. Be careful when uncoiling the tubing that connects the probe to the contact body. It’s filled with liquid and if you puncture it you’ll need to replace it, too.

Now, just mount the new thermostat and run a test cycle to make sure everything’s working properly again.

As you can see, there’s really no need to panic when your Tuttnauer autoclave displays a Low Temp error code. It’s easy to repair the problem yourself. In fact, it’s just as easy to take care of just about any problem you have with your autoclave. So don’t let all those flashing lights scare you. Pick up a wrench and fix it yourself.

It’s pretty common for people to buy used autoclaves that don’t come with any documentation or user’s manuals. So when those lights start flashing you have no idea what’s going on. Well, here’s what’s happening when your Tuttnauer autoclave starts flashing that Low Water error code, and what you can do to fix it.

What does the Low Water error code mean?

A Low Water error code will be displayed if your autoclave’s system, using a water electrode and safety thermostat, determines that there’s not enough water in the chamber to complete the cycle. If the power fails during the heat or sterilization phase of the cycle the autoclave will also check the water electrode to make sure there’s enough water in the chamber to complete the cycle. At any time, when these checks are made, if there’s not enough water the Low Water error code will be displayed and the Cycle Fail indicator light will also come one.

What can you do to fix it?

That Low Water alarm means the water in the chamber is too low and that can be cause by a number of different factors:

• Check to make sure your autoclave is level If it’s a counter top unit, make sure the surface it’s resting on is also firm and level.
• Look for dirty or shorted water sensing electrodes.
• Make sure the water pump isn’t clogged
• Check all water and drain lines to make sure there’s not clogging or leaks
• Look to see if the air outlet valve is stuck in the closed position
• It may be that, for some reason, the power to your autoclave went down. When that happens your machine will automatically try to resume the cycle when the power comes back up. But if the power was down long enough the water in the chamber may have evaporated or drained out. Or the tip of the water sensing electrode is dry. You’ll have to make sure you have enough water in the reservoir and start a new cycle.
• Finally, you’ll need to check all seals, valves and gaskets for leaks. Door gaskets need to be replaced occasionally anyway because they just naturally wear out. But you’ll want to make sure all valves are fitting securely to prevent steam from escaping when it’s not supposed to be.

Now, what if you should find a problem with one of the valves or the solenoid or the gasket or a sensor? Why, repair it yourself, of course. When you send your autoclave out for repair those ‘technicians’ aren’t going to do anything that you can’t do yourself. They don’t use special equipment or have any kind of special training. They just have really ‘special’ fees.

If you can handle a screwdriver or a wrench all you need to do is track down the parts and you can easily make most of the repairs to your Tuttnauer autoclave yourself. So don’t worry the next time you see one of those error codes. You can fix it!

I have been asked a lot times why helicopters hover with one skid low. Helicopters with a counter clockwise rotating rotor system hover left skid low and helicopters with a clockwise rotating rotor system hover right skid low.

Now there are two factors to consider in order to explain this phenomenon. The first one is what we call translating tendency or tail rotor drift. This factor causes a sideways pull on the fuselage of the helicopter and in the case of a counter clockwise rotating rotor system this pull will be to the right. To explain it very briefly it is the result of the tail rotor force acting at the tip of the tail boom counter acting the torque reaction which wants to rotate the fuselage clockwise.

In order to counter this sideways pull results in the second factor this is tail rotor roll. To counter the sideway movement to the right the cyclic needs to be positioned slightly to the left which will tilt the Total Rotor Thrust to the left thereby inducing a horizontal component of Total Rotor Thrust to the left acting on the same level as the plane of rotation.

Now normally in small helicopters the tail rotor which produces a force to the right when viewing the helicopter from the back acts below the plane of rotation. This force which counter act the torque reaction forms a couple with the horizontal force to the left which was the result of tilting the cyclic (Total Rotor Thrust) to the left. To put it a bit simpler imagine a horizontal line with one force acting to the left and above the line and another force acting to the right and below the line. The two forces acting against each other and not on the same line will produce a rolling moment.

As I mentioned this is just a brief explanation for a not so straight forward aerodynamic principle.

One last comment when it comes to tail rotor roll is that it is most prominent during the hover off course because it is related to the amount of torque that the helicopter develops. That is why a counter clockwise rotating helicopter tends to drift to the right as it transitions from forward flight back to the hover because power or torque is slowly applied as the speed decreases.

If you already love bowling, why not try it out in a couple of different ways for a change? There is a specific style of bowling in particular that I would like to mention for the avid bowlers out there. This type of bowling is called “Low-Ball Bowling.” Some bowling enthusiasts have found that experimenting with other kinds of bowling provide a great alternative to your normal bowling routine – or even change your favorite bowling style.

Low ball bowling is what I like to call “backwards bowling,” using a standard pin set up. The object of the game, as opposed to getting as many points as you can, is to get as few as you can. Kid-of like goofy, crazy bowl for adults – you want the lowest score. If you are playing low ball bowling strikes and spares are scored exactly the same way you would score a strike or spare in a regular game of bowling. At least one pin needs to be knocked down. A perfect score in low ball bowling is a twenty. Meaning that one pin is knocked over on each of the two balls per frame in the score.

A miss, or gutter ball, in low ball bowling games will be recorded as a strike the first time it happens, (if it happens.) The second gutter ball will score as a spare, this means high points, but high points are not good, not good at all. You’ve got to knock or topple over at least one of the pins to get a low score. Therefore, this version of the game is quite a challenge. Nonetheless, as you can easily gather from the objective, it requires a completely different kind of technique.