What is a LED Tube Light?

To me, there is an 800-pound gorilla looming in the background of "The Weight of the Nation," the four-part documentary that began on Monday and concludes Tuesday on HBO. It's a menacing presence that may be hard to spot among so many 300-, 400- and 500-pound Americans on screen, but I know it's there because not so long ago I was obese.

The unseen presence, I believe, is the role that insulin plays in storing body fat. In my case, tackling that beast led to dramatic weight loss and greatly improved health and fitness.

I started learning about the relationship between insulin and fat nearly three years ago when a loved one was diagnosed with a tumor on the pituitary gland that could cause Cushing syndrome, which is characterized by a rapid progression to obesity. When our family first got this diagnosis I frantically researched the condition and learned that this tumor can start a series of responses in the body’s endocrine system resulting in high levels of insulin, which causes excess fat storage.

Whenever insulin levels in the blood rise, the body stores fat. In most people insulin rises after a meal, and rises higher after meals with a high carbohydrate content, especially simple carbs like sugar, pasta or white flour.

There is debate among scientists, researchers, physicians, nutritionists and other diet experts over just what causes obesity. One side argues it's a simple matter of energy balance: "calories in vs. calories out." The claim is that the first law of thermodynamics requires that any calories that enter the system must either be metabolized, expelled or stored, and the obesity epidemic is the result of excess calories and too little exercise.

The other side — proponents of low-carb diets — argues that carbohydrates in the diet cause the blood sugar to rise, leading to fat storage. People eat more and exercise less because they are storing excess fat, not the other way around. The carb/glucose/insulin side says that if you drastically reduce dietary carb intake, then blood sugar and insulin levels stay low and the body will metabolize fat for fuel — including stored fat — leading to weight loss.

About a year after we got tumor diagnosis (we were very fortunate an observant doctor caught the subtle signs of the tumor, a prolactinoma, early)  I was told by my own doctor at a checkup that my blood pressure, cholesterol and triglycerides were good, but moving in the wrong direction. My health would soon be at risk, he said.

Armed with my new understanding of the role of blood sugar and insulin in fat storage I researched a number of diets and chose the Atkins plan, as it was the one that cut carbs the most and kept insulin levels down.

As a skeptic, and an advocate of science-based medicine and evidence-based diet, I felt like I was taking a leap of faith. Although there are numerous studies showing the effectiveness of Atkins compared with other diets, there is an enormous backlash against low-carb diets in the medical and nutritional communities.

"The Weight of the Nation" doesn't just take the "calories in/calories out" side of the debate, it proceeds as if there is no debate at all.

It does well enough in documenting the breadth and scope of the obesity epidemic. And, as an experienced carb-counter, I saw that nearly every bite of the food they blamed for obesity was high-carb: the very foods that cause insulin levels to rise and lead to increased fat storage.

Bob Lyons' employees will be spending a lot of time on local rooftops this holiday season, but not a single one of his staff is Santa Claus.

Rather, the Outdoor Lighting Perspectives' workers will put up thousands of Christmas lights on about 100 Middle Tennessee homes and businesses in the next few weeks. It's a change from their regular jobs of installing and maintaining outdoor lighting for lawns and gardens, pools and decks.

"The guys really look forward to it," said Lyons, one of the company's owners. "It really gives them a lift."

The lift also applies to Outdoor Lighting Perspectives' bottom line. This is the third year the company has shifted its late-year focus to the holiday lighting market, and Lyons expects a 25 percent increase in revenue and clients from last season.

Regardless, hanging Christmas lights has become a financially lucrative side business for landscapers, painters and others whose primary jobs slow down during the winter. Seasonal work starts in early November, peaks during Thanksgiving week and winds down by mid-December. Lights and other holiday decorations typically come down in early January.

Franchisees of Christmas Décor, the largest player in the market with more than 350 areas served, average a net profit of 28 percent on annual sales of $50,000 to more than $2 million each, a company official told Landscape and Irrigation trade publication last year.

"Some will make as much net profit in three months as they do the rest of the year with their landscaping businesses," said Brandon Stephens, executive vice president of Lubbock, Texas-based The Décor Group Inc.

The average Christmaslightinstaller customer paid $850 for a job last year, up 13 percent from 2009, Maxson said. "In 2007 and 2008, we had a bit of a hit, but we still had growth those years, just not as fast," he said.

The company has grown by an average of 30 percent annually since it began in 2005.

It now has independent installers in 45 U.S. markets, including Nashville and Chattanooga.

"It doesn't matter how bad the economy is, people still find the money to spend at Christmastime," said Chuck Smith of PlanetChristmas Consulting Group, based in Franklin.

But Lyons said he has noticed a slight drop in one segment of his business, with what he considers mid-priced installations — those between $1,500 and $3,000 — off a bit.

And the cash cow that is Christmas lights doesn't ring true for Halloween. Installers say they get far fewer requests to set up spooky illumination.

For Dr. Michael and Liz Schatzlein of Nashville, getting a professional to do Christmas decorations was a safety issue. The couple hired Outdoor Lighting Perspectives last year to decorate the home they had just moved into after Schatzlein moved from Fort Wayne, Ind., for a new job as CEO of Saint Thomas Health Services. The couple was nervous about family members climbing atop their steeply pitched roof.

"I didn't want to spend Christmas in the hospital," Liz Schatzlein said late last week as workers enveloped her home with white LED lights. "This way, I don't have to do anything except just sit back and enjoy. It's Christmas made easy."

The latest thing in Japanese orthodontistry involves putting LEDs into braces. Actually, no, but hip young Japanese kids can have their teeth outfitted with led tube to light up their smiles like a Christmas tree.

These LED lights were designed by Motoi Ishibashi [JP] and Daito Manabe [JP] for an advertising campaign for Laforet Harajuku [JP] (a Japanese department store), and while they aren’t available for purchase at this point, I’m sure it’s only matter of time. They will undoubtedly become very popular among Japanese teens.

The lights flicker in varying colors at varying speeds, and are controlled wirelessly by a computer. Of course, it’s best to make sure that your choppers are pretty darned led tube clean before they start lighting up.

I’m pretty sure that it’s one of those fads that won’t take off in the US anytime soon, even if they are someday available for purchase in Japan.

Makers of TFT-LCD modules are boosting output and stepping up to new-generation LCD production lines to keep pace with electronics trends.
Touchscreen and LED backlighting technologies are shaping China’s TFT-LCD module industry. In line with trends in consumer electronics, particularly the popularity of the iPod, iPhone and iPad, more releases now incorporate capacitive touch panels. Some companies have developed transmissive and transflective sunlight-readable models.

LED-backlit panels measuring larger than 40in are forecast to register faster growth than staple small and midsize units, according to DisplaySearch. Modules belonging to the led tube last two categories are typically targeted at portable terminals, automotive onboard displays, industrial apparatuses, medical equipment and amusement devices.

Makers in China are also increasing resolution and supporting 3D capability. Other R&D trends point to higher brightness, wider viewing angle and operating temperature range, lower power consumption and anti-glare.

With mobile phones still the top application, a-Si TFT-LCD modules remain dominant. More than 60 percent of handsets this year will adopt it, while upscale phones go for LTPS.

Most enterprises are optimistic of continued growth after registering as much as 40 percent upturn last year. Although the global industry experienced an oversupply in 2H10, a rising number of local manufacturers are looking to expand capacity to meet mounting domestic demand and boost overseas business. A few are in fact bolstering exports. China Display Technology Co. Ltd attended the 2011 International CES last January to reach more clients from the US and Europe. Its new factory in Huangshan, Anhui province, will start operations in June, churning out capacitive touchscreen panels and 3D glasses.

Tianma, meanwhile, has commenced manufacture of TFT LCDs and color filters at its Wuhan province facility. Once in full operation, the plant will have a monthly capacity of 30,000 panels, 90,000 color filters and 20 million TFT-LCD modules. The enterprise is authorized to establish a national standard for onboard TFT modules for cars. Its Chengdu factory in Sichuan province has also started mass-manufacturing TFT-LCD modules.

BOE has finished building its 8G TFT-LCD line, which aims to yield 2,200x2,500mm panels for 26, 32, 47, 52 and 55in LCD TVs.

If the 8.5G lines of BOE and TCL kick off mass production by end-2011, China is expected to surpass the capacity of Japan and become the third-largest hub for this line worldwide.

Optimism for the sector and the low technology threshold have been expanding China’s maker pool, which currently numbers nearly 100. More than half of manufacturers are led tube clustered in the Pearl River Delta region, taking advantage of the area’s solid supply chain and local government subsidies. Others are located in the Yangtze River Delta region, Fujian province and in the port city of Dalian in Liaoning province.

Many major globalplayers also have manufacturing facilities in China.

With production costs rising in eastern coastal areas due to mounting labor and operational expenses, a number of tier 1 manufacturers have set up new factories inland to skirt both issues. Wuhan, Sichuan and Anhui provinces are among the top options. Plant equipment is typically purchased from Japan, South Korea and the US.

FZLED T8 LED Tube Lights Now Available - with Newly Innovated Dimming Functionality


FZLED, maker of high-performance LED lighting products, today releases their new line of T8 LED Tube Lights. Available in two sizes, two feet (58cm and 60cm) and four feet (120cm), these high-performance LED tube lights are direct replacements for traditional T8 tubes and fit standard G13 sockets with an AC voltage range of 90-264V. FZLED's commitment to R&D has enabled them to incorporate a creative dimming function into their T8 LED Tube Lights. This built-in feature allows the Tube Lights to function at 12%, 25%, 50%, and 100% of light intensity. The desired level of brightness is selected by pressing the on/off power switch multiple times. Uniquely designed dimming functionality, easy installation, and energy savings over fifty-percent make this new line of LED products ideal for residential, commercial, and industrial use.

“We are very proud of these new T8 LED Tube Lights. As the first company in the LED industry to incorporate switching dimmable IC technology into an indoor lighting product, FZLED is further demonstrating our commitment to innovation and exceptional quality.” - Alan Lin, CEO, FZLED

Both sizes of the T8 LED Tube Lights are available with or without FZLED's newly innovated dimming function. Requiring no starters and with no need to remove traditional ballasts the FZLED T8 Tube Lights can be used by consumers immediately, without complicated installations. With lifetimes of at least 35,000 hours these high-quality LED lighting products are excellent for indoor, architectural, flood, and mood lighting.

Using Liteon 5050 SMD LEDs, the two foot long T8 LED Tube Light uses 12 watts of power and produces up to 850 luminous flux (lm) while the four foot long T8 LED Tube Light uses 22 watts and produces up to 1700 lm. Both sizes are available with bright 6000K CCT, softer 4000K CCT, or softest 3000K CCT. With high power-conversion ratios, replacing traditional T8 tubes with FZLED's T8 LED Tube Lights can provide over fifty-percent in energy savings. Emitting no harmful UV or IR rays, using no mercury, and with significantly reduced CO2 emissions, compared to traditional T8 tubes, FZLED's T8 LED Tube Lights are eco-friendly and a lighting solution that users can feel good about.

These high-quality T8 LED Tube Lights are currently available in Taiwan and Singapore. FZLED is excited to build relationships with more distribution partners in order to provide consumers around the world with their innovative, energy-saving, and high-performance lighting solutions.

An 84-year-old woman died after doctors attempted to insert a tube down her throat and into her stomach while she was distressed and weak, an inquest heard.

Doreen Braxton went into Royal Berkshire Hospital for knee surgery and her condition deteriorated as she struggled to recover from the anaesthetic.

A consultant admitted action should have been taken earlier to treat the elderly patient, who continued vomiting for days after the surgery.

The inquest at the Civic Offices heard osteo-arthritis sufferer Mrs Braxton, of Stephens Road, Mortimer, was admitted to hospital for surgery on Monday, July 26 last year.

Orthopaedic consultant Richard Dodds said the operation went well and the following day Mrs Braxton was feeling nauseous and vomiting, a common reaction to anaesthetic.

On the Thursday Mr Dodds was away and a colleague visited Mrs Braxton. He noted she had continued to be sick.

On the Saturday morning a doctor was called to her bed because she was persistently vomiting and her bowel had stopped working.

The doctor decided to insert a nasogastric tube, which goes into the nose and down the throat into the stomach, to introduce fluid into the system.

Mr Dodds told the inquest: “She was in a distressed state prior to that. The decision was correct to pass a nasogastric tube, otherwise she would have persisted to vomit.”

The medical team tried once or twice unsuccessfully to insert the tube and had to use a nebuliser on the asthmatic Mrs Braxton before succeeding.

However, this caused her to vomit and some gastric content entered her lungs, a condition known as aspiration. She then suffered a fatal heart attack.

Mr Dodds said had he been on duty he would have started introducing fluids into the body on Thursday.