Common Household Research Articles

Folklore narratives on the toponymy of the Russian Far North (Based on the Yukaghir, Even, and Yakut languages)

ABSTRACT We examine the historical toponymic system of the Russian Far North in the context of folklore traditions of Indigenous peoples of the North. Our methodology is narrative analysis, aimed at identifying the semantic features of toponyms, whose origins lie in traditional legends and tales. We treat toponyms as geocultural codes, which provide not only ethnocultural data but also geographic and spatial information. We present shared patterns in the naming practices of geo-objects among the Yukaghirs, Evens, and Yakuts (Sakha), and the ways that these practices are rooted in folklore. We also examine ethno-cultural differences in toponym naming among these three groups. We identify four broad strategies in the naming of geo-objects in northern regions: anthroponymic, commemoration of events, after sacred concepts, and after common household objects and concepts. In addition to linguistic information encoded by toponyms, it is also possible to establish extralinguistic information about the historical settlement of different peoples, contact among them, and their societal values. Such anthropological studies are relevant for onomastics and linguistic typology. Through the present study, we are able to gain a better understanding of Indigenous cultural development in the Russian Far North and the nature of inter-ethnic relations before written history.

Energy Savings for Various Residential Appliances and Distribution Networks in a Malaysian Scenario

This paper presents a detailed study of the energy savings that can be achieved through residential appliances by implementing conservation voltage reduction (CVR). The computed energy savings are derived from the ZIP coefficients of a load model (static) under varying voltage conditions that represent the power consumed by each appliance tested. Multiple studies have shown energy savings at the substation level but not at the level of a specific residence and appliance; hence, the latter is the focus of this analysis. The appliances are determined based on the type of heating and cooling loads, and the daily duration of use for each appliance, which contributes to the total monthly consumption that is billed for a household are included in this study. Energy savings in Malaysia has been a focus of many current studies, and this study is the first attempt to achieve energy savings through the implementation of CVR. No published work has compared individual appliances that truly benefits from CVR, and this is addressed in this study. The main contribution of this study is that it provides very detailed and measured data that are used to analyze and generate energy savings for very specific residential appliances intended to meet every 1% voltage drop. The load model is developed for the common household appliances in Malaysia, and then a voltage reduction study is applied to the appliances as well as the Malaysian distribution networks. Here, we also provide insight for performing voltage reduction at an electric vehicle (EV) charging station in Malaysia. The results of this study should serve as a foundation for all practicing utilities engineers to address the issue of CVR in Malaysia. The CVR factors for residential, commercial, and industrial networks in Malaysia are also published in this paper.

Effect of COVID-19 vaccination on household transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in the Omicron era: The Vaccine Effectiveness, Networking, and Universal Safety (VENUS) study

ObjectivesTo evaluate the effectiveness of vaccination on reducing household transmission of SARS-CoV-2 among common household types in Japan during the Omicron variant wave. MethodsThis retrospective study was conducted using vaccination records, COVID-19 infection data, and resident registry data from two Japanese municipalities. Households that experienced their first COVID-19 case between January and April 2022 were categorized into two groups according to the presence/absence of children aged ≤11 years. We constructed multivariable logistic regression models with generalized estimating equations to calculate the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals for household transmission according to the vaccination statuses of primary cases and household contacts. ResultsWe analyzed 7326 households with 17,586 contacts. In all households, the OR for household transmission was <0.6 (P <0.001) when the primary case and/or contact were vaccinated. In households with children aged ≤11 years, the OR was 0.71 (P <0.001) when only the contact was vaccinated. In households with all members aged ≥12 years, the OR was <0.5 (P <0.001) when the primary case and/or contact were vaccinated. ConclusionCOVID-19 vaccination effectively reduced household transmission in Japan during the Omicron variant wave.

Functional Modeling Supports System Representation

Abstract Understanding how engineers formulate and evolve mental models holds the potential to inform the development of materials that benefit systems thinking. A first step toward realizing this benefit is measuring and assessing change in mental models following educational interventions. In this work, engineering students’ mental models are elicited from common household products before and after learning functional modeling and are compared to the mental models of students who do not learn functional modeling. Results show statistically significant improvements in mental model representations on two of the three given systems after the functional modeling intervention, whereas no significant differences were found for students who did not learn function. Furthermore, results show statistical improvements in the identification of system components common to three systems and higher mental model scores for participants with prior experience disassembling the product. Taken together, these results suggest that functional modeling likely supports the ability to communicate knowledge, retrieve knowledge, and/or interpret existing mental models of engineered systems providing a foundation for systems understanding and communication. As we improve our understanding of how students form, change, and communicate their mental models of engineered systems, educators can shape curricula to facilitate the skills necessary for the comprehensive systems understanding that is important for professional engineers and designers.

Redesigning an organic laboratory course for remote learning: incorporating Lab@Home kits and other techniques for teaching organic chemistry online

Many cities in the world were placed under various lockdowns to combat the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, which also forced many schools to shift into full online mode of teaching and learning. In the Philippines, partial onsite classes only resumed after nearly 2 years of strict online classes. Of critical concern then was the teaching of laboratory courses. This necessitated the re-design of the usual laboratory experiments to a Lab@Home course to provide a semester’s worth of an organic laboratory course to college students of the Ateneo de Manila University. Here, we present a Lab@Home curriculum that covers core organic chemistry concepts, such as purification and separation of organic compounds, reactivity and qualitative tests, stereochemistry, and molecular spectroscopy (IR and NMR). This Lab@Home course involved sending boxed kits containing laboratory materials and reagents that allowed students at home to perform small-scale experiments. Aside from reinforcing key concepts in the accompanying lecture class, it also provided them with experiential learning of practical laboratory techniques such as setting up an experiment and real data collection. Safety first is maintained, and aside from providing the usual protective gear, safety is further assured with two important features: (1) the hazards classification of the reagents in the kit would not exceed the everyday life hazards of common household chemicals (e.g., kitchen cleaning reagents) and provided in very small amounts, and (2) running of experiments were done with online synchronous supervision majority of the time. The success of the course is the achievement of the CLOs, from the assessments as well as from feedback taken from surveys and interviews with students and instructors at the end of the semester. Overall student performance showed an average final grade of 85%, and student response to the curriculum was generally positive. Further improvements should be implemented to make experiments more enriching and ensure Lab@Home can become an effective tool for teaching remote laboratory classes.

Redesign of a game to prevent exogenous poisoning: adding risks and forms of participation

In 2016, the digital game Quem deixou isso aqui?! was launched, a serious game that aims to raise awareness among parents about the risks of exogenous poisoning present in a common household and the main forms of prevention. This article presents the game's redesign project, intending to correct gaps in the original game, adding the risks of accidents with venomous animals and enhancing forms of player participation, among other improvements. With this account of our experience in this project, we intend to contribute to the creation of other serious games for health communication, which consider the game media's potential.

A novel short-term household load forecasting method combined BiLSTM with trend feature extraction

Aiming to reduce the short-term household load prediction error caused by small load scale and differently residential electricity consumption behavior, a novel hybrid forecasting model based on wavelet threshold denoising (WTD), variational mode decomposition (VMD) and bidirectional long short-term memory (BiLSTM) network is proposed in this paper. In this hybrid model, WTD is used to denoise the original data firstly. Then trend feature is extracted by VMD. Finally the trend feature and historical load data are put into BiLSTM model for training and testing. The prediction effect of the proposed model is demonstrated with experiment using total household electricity consumption in the United States in a region, and comparison with common short-term household load forecasting models are presented. The experiment results show that the hybrid model improves the accuracy of short-term household load forecasting by providing more stable and more precise forecast under trend feature extraction.

Operation Simulation and Economic Analysis of Household Hybrid PV and BESS Systems in the Improved TOU Mode

With the popularization of electric vehicles and electric boilers, household electricity consumption will increase significantly. Household hybrid photovoltaic (PV) systems and battery energy storage systems (BESSs) can supply increasing household electricity consumption without expanding the existing distribution network. This paper validates the technical feasibility of connecting a large number of household power users that contain BESSs and PVs in a distribution line by a simulation in Matlab. In addition to technical feasibility, this article improves the time-of-use (TOU) form to achieve economic feasibility (covering equipment costs). In the past, the TOU was set from the perspective of the load demand of the grid, but the actual user participation would affect this effect. In this paper, based on a social science survey, a new three-level rate TOU is introduced, which has little impact on residents’ lifestyle, to effectively increase the response frequency effectively. Combined with the improved TOU and the state of PVs, the BESS control mode is set for simulation. To compare the three-tier rate TOU with the normal TOU tariff and select the best household BESS size, a MATLAB simulation is used to simulate the common household BESS capacity. The results indicate that the combination of the three-tier rate TOU with a 4 kWh household BESS can afford the investment of household PVs and BESSs. The high cost issue that previously primarily limited the true use of BESSs is expected to be resolved.

The Role of Empathic Concern and Gender on Interspecific Contagious Yawning in Humans.

Interspecific contagious yawning (CY), whereby yawns from one species trigger yawning in different species, has now been reported across various taxa. This response to human yawning appears common among animals in captivity and has been interpreted as an empathic response towards human handlers/caregivers. A recent study found that humans also display interspecific CY, though this response was not modulated by proxies of empathic processing (i.e., phylogenetic relatedness or social closeness to the animals). Here, we explored this relationship more explicitly by assessing how interspecific CY to yawns from common household pets relates to self-reported empathic concern. Participants (N = 103) completed a survey measuring empathic concern and then reported on their yawning behavior following exposure to a control condition or yawning images either from domesticated cats or domesticated dogs. The results provide further evidence for interspecific CY in humans, but empathic concern was negatively predictive of this response. There was also no sex difference in interspecific CY, though when comparing the sexes across CY conditions, women reported a higher frequency of yawning in response to dog yawns, and men reported a higher frequency of yawning in response to cat yawns. Overall, these findings do not support a strong connection between interspecific CY and empathy or emotional contagion.

Environmentally relevant concentrations of triclosan induce lethality and disrupt thyroid hormone activity in zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Triclosan is an antimicrobial agent that has been used in common household products and can be detected in water environment. In this study, therefore, I aimed at clarifying the effects of environmentally relevant concentrations of triclosan on the early life stage development in zebrafish. A lethal effect was observed: the lowest effect and the no effect concentrations were 70.6 and 48.4 μg/L, respectively. These concentrations are very close to the environmentally detected residual concentrations. In 10.9, 19.8, 48.4, and 70.6 μg/L of triclosan, the iodothyronine deiodinase 1 gene expression was found to be significantly increased when compared with that of the control group. These findings indicate that triclosan can potentially disrupt the thyroid hormone activity in zebrafish. The exposure to triclosan (at 149.2 μg/L) was also found to inhibit the gene expression of insulin-like growth factor-1. My findings suggest that triclosan can exert a thyroid hormone-disrupting effect on fish.

Evaluation of paraoxonase I and hemoglobin levels in farmers and agricultural workers in relation to pesticide levels in their blood and urine samples: A cross sectional study

Background: Pesticides are chemicals that have become common household products in developing countries. The purpose of pesticides is to manage agricultural work. The majority of pesticides for indoor and agricultural use are carbamate and organophosphorus. Toxicity is caused due to excess and improper use or disposal of these chemical agents. Slow exposure to pesticides causes chronic poisoning whereas rapid exposure causes acute poisoning. The paraoxonase I (PON 1) enzyme has a role in detoxifying some of the oxon derivatives which thereby inhibit acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase. Methods: This study analyzed farmers who were exposed intermittently to organophosphorus and carbamates pesticides during farming for more than five years. Serum paraoxonase I was evaluated by colorimetry method, and hemoglobin levels were evaluated using portable Fresenius Kabi haemoglobinometer. Results: The study showed that the pesticides were found in the blood and urine samples of farmers and there was an alteration of paraoxonase I and hemoglobin levels in them due to the exposure of pesticides in large quantities over some time. The present study showed around 81% of the participants who were intermittently exposed to pesticides for more than five years were detected with pesticide toxicity. The paraoxonase I level was altered in farmers who were positive for organophosphorus and carbamate pesticides. The hemoglobin level did not show much variation among the farmers exposed to pesticides. This may be due to the lifestyle of the subjects, climatic variations and also their eating habits. Conclusions: The study suggested that there was alteration in the levels of PON1 and hemoglobin in farmers and agricultural workers with positive organophosphorus and carbamates in their blood and urine samples. As our study was done without quantifying the amount of pesticides, further studies can be done by quantifying the pesticide level and comparing it with the paraoxonase I level.

Response to continuing 4-H youth development in SC during a pandemic: The SC 4-H@Home program

State mandates imposed by governors during COVID-19 affected extracurricular activities for children and youth. To continue providing 4-H programming during quarantine, Clemson Extension 4-H Youth Development Agents created the SC 4-H@Home program. Daily activities were developed that could be completed at-home using common household items and were delivered via email to registered participants. A survey was conducted at the conclusion of the program that included open- and closed-ended questions to gauge the effectiveness of the program. Results indicate that, overall, the SC 4-H@Home program was beneficial to youth and contributed to their education during the COVID-19 crisis.

A Natural Virucidal and Microbicidal Spray Based on Polyphenol-Iron Sols.

Numerous disinfection methods have been developed to reduce the transmission of infectious diseases that threaten human health. However, it still remains elusively challenging to develop eco-friendly and cost-effective methods that deactivate a wide range of pathogens, from viruses to bacteria and fungi, without doing any harm to humans or the environment. Herein we report a natural spraying protocol, based on a water-dispersible supramolecular sol of nature-derived tannic acid (TA) and Fe3+, which is easy-to-use and low-cost. Our formulation effectively deactivates viruses (influenza A viruses, SARS-CoV-2, and human rhinovirus) as well as suppressing the growth and spread of pathogenic bacteria (Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium, Staphylococcus aureus, and Acinetobacter baumannii) and fungi (Pleurotus ostreatus and Trichophyton rubrum). Its versatile applicability in a real-life setting is also demonstrated against microorganisms present on the surfaces of common household items (e.g., air filter membranes, disposable face masks, kitchen sinks, mobile phones, refrigerators, and toilet seats).

Seven-year performance of biosand filters in rural Rwanda

Abstract Waterborne diseases remain a significant public health problem, and biosand filters (BSFs) are a common household water filtration method for improving drinking water quality to prevent diseases. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of BSFs over time in a rural Rwandan community. Sixteen BSFs were installed – eight in 2015 and eight in 2018. Influent and effluent samples were tested with Colilert Presence/Absence kits in 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2022. About 92.9% of filters were still in use in July 2022, but only 64.3% were functioning well, and 50% of effluent samples tested positive for fecal coliforms. A Kruskal–Wallis H test showed no statistically significant difference in effluent percent positive for fecal coliforms by filter age [χ2 (1) = 4.00, p = 0.41]. Recorded observations about each filter, such as rusted diffuser plates, may be useful for understanding the need for maintenance over time.

Effects of Household Cleaning Supplies on Trace Blood Evidence

This research is useful in forensic laboratories to prevent contamination. If a cleaner was found to remove all traces of blood, it could be used to sterilize lab benches and equipment to ensure no cross contamination between pieces of evidence. It could also be used in the field to determine which presumptive test would be more useful in different scenarios. The purpose of this project was to determine if common household cleaners could efficiently remove the presence of blood. To test this theory, I used hydrogen peroxide cleaner, dawn dish soap, and Clorox bleach to clean blood from three surfaces, laminate flooring, textured glass, and carpet. This was done using two different cleaning materials, paper towels and microfiber cloths, at 3-time intervals. After removing the visual evidence of blood, I tested for residual blood using two different presumptive tests, tetramethylbenzidine and phenolphthalein.&#x0D; Results show that three out of the twelve variable combinations gave all positive results. Over 50% of the presumptive tests ran on textured glass were negative. From the results of the presumptive tests, it was found that the tetramethylbenzidine test was more sensitive than the phenolphthalein test. Household cleaners do not effectively clean up blood, leaving behind enough residual blood to test positive using presumptive blood tests. The tetramethylbenzidine test was more sensitive than the other. More variables should be tested to determine the effects of household cleaners on surfaces such as furniture. Different presumptive tests should also be examined.

Testing the Effect of Some Materials to Control Pythium Aphanidermatum Isolated from Cucumber

he main objective of this study was to identify the effectiveness of household materials that are used to sterilize vegetables from the fungus Pythium aphanidermatum (P. aphanidermatum). Samples were taken from the damaged cucumber in the local markets of Babil Governorate, Iraq. These samples were kept in sterile cool containers until they reached the Microbiology lab. of the Department of Community Health, Technical Institute of Babylon. The samples were cultured laboratory in the Sabouraud Dextrose Agar (SDA), then a microscopic examination was carried out to identify the fungus using the lacto phenol cotton blue dye. Use in this study most common household materials to sterilize vegetables before keeping them in the refrigerator or before eating are Potassium Permanganate (KMnO4), Sodium Hypochloride (NaOCl) and table salt (NaCl). Five concentrations were used for each sterile material, and five replicates of culture dishes were used for each concentration (A mixture of sterile material with the SDA) after which the fungus was cultured. By using the minimum inhibitory concentration assay, the radial growth inhibition assay and the microscopic fungal examination, the efficacy of sterilizers was identified. The final results showed the presence of antifungal efficacy for all sterilizers used, with different concentrations. This study concluded that these materials can be used by housewives to sterilize vegetables before keeping them in the refrigerator or eating them. How to Cite: Ibtisam Mohammed Hussein, Abbas Razzaq Abed, 2023. "Testing the Effect of Some Materials to Control Pythium Aphanidermatum Isolated from Cucumber." Journal of Agriculture and Crops, vol. 9, pp. 266-272.

Damage prediction in thermoplastics under impact loading using a strain rate-dependent GISSMO

With the increasing use of polymers in structural parts in areas ranging from automotive and aviation to electronic and common household goods a clear understanding of their mechanical behavior under dynamic conditions has become important. While the study of damage and fracture in metals has a long history, the prediction of damage in polymers is still in its fledging stages, not least due to the very complex microstructure. Owing to similarities in their behavior from a continuum mechanics perspective, applying models originally developed for metals is expedient but needs justification and validation. Further, rate-dependence must be accounted for. In this study, the damage and fracture behavior of two thermoplastic is investigated. The focus lies on the high strain and high strain rate regions. The GISSMO (generalized incremental stress-strain damage model) is applied to model the damage-induced softening of the material. Rate-dependence is accounted for by expanding the triaxiality failure diagram (TFD) to the strain rate dimension. Elastoplastic and damage parameters are obtained from tensile tests with different specimen geometries. Viscoelastic and viscoplastic behavior is neglected. The material model is validated by comparing the responses from FE simulation with experimental data from 3-point bending and ball drop tests with notched specimens and actual parts. It is found that this relatively simple model with straightforward parameter evaluation is capable of predicting damage and fracture under various conditions to some good accuracy.

IMPACT OF DECONTAMINATION PROCESSES ON THE REDUCTION OF PESTICIDE RESIDUES IN GREEN CHILLI

This study has been designed to determine the extent of pesticide residue removal from chilli fruits through common household practices. One time foliar application of quinalphos, profenophos, ethion, cyhalothrin, imidacloprid, and acetamiprid was done as a tank mix at recommended doses at 50% fruit formation stage. Samples were collected after 48 hr of spray, subjected to various decontamination treatments, and analysed using the validated QuEChERS method employing GC-ECD (Gas Chromatograph Electron capture detector), and Liquid Chromatograph Tandem Mass Spectrometer (LC-MS/MS). Compared to all the treatments, soaking in 5% acetic acid for one min was found to be most effective in the removal of quinalphos (23.68%), profenophos (19.47%), ethion (23.33%), and cyhalothrin (25.00%). The next best treatment was found to be soaking for one min in lukewarm water, which removed 20-30% of quinalphos, ethion, cyhalothrin, and acetamiprid residues.

Segmentation of consumers based on awareness, attitudes and use of sustainability labels in the purchase of commonly used products

Most of the previous studies that segment consumers based on the consideration of certifications and sustainability attributes in purchasing decision-making offer a limited vision, as focusing on specific labels or types of products, usually in the food sector. This paper aims to identify segments of Spanish consumers based on their awareness, attitudes and use of 28 certified sustainability labels linked to eight categories of common household products (food, clothing, paper and wood, cosmetics, electrical appliances, energy, computing and multi-sector). Likewise, it is intended to characterise the segments identified based on their environmental concern and socio-demographic characteristics. Data was collected from a survey study carried out with a sample of 3000 participants and the latent class analysis revealed seven typologies: experts, convinced, interested, moderate, sceptical, neutral and unmotivated. The segments differed in their awareness and attitudes towards different labels by product category, which was significantly associated with the purchase of certified products. The sectors in which a greater use of labels was appreciated were electrical, computing, and paper and wood. Young women with a high level of education and more environmental awareness were the most effective consumers when using certifications. In any case, it is concluded that sustainability labels do not provide added value for around half of Spanish consumers, who would benefit from measures such as legislative improvements, far-reaching advertising campaigns or high-order label systems to simplify the information on the packaging of the products.

Button Battery Ingestion in Children: A Dangerous Foreign Body

Pediatric morbidity and mortality related to button battery ingestion has increased since the introduction of lithium batteries inside common household electronics. Larger-diameter button batteries are more likely to result in esophageal impaction in children < 6 years old, resulting in tissue damage. Updated 2018 treatment recommendations include administering honey en route to the hospital for children > 1 year of age and the injection of acetic acid after the removal of the battery. In 2022, legislation was signed into law requiring the Consumer Product Safety Commission to implement specific consumer product safety standards on products that use button batteries.