House Floor Research Articles

The Spillover Effects of Public Attention and Real Estate Market: A Case Study from Shanghai, China

The real estate industry is closely linked to the national economy, and fluctuations in house prices have long been a major focus of public attention. This study explores the relationship between public attention and the real estate market, using public attention as a focal point. It systematically explains how public attention affects investment decisions in real estate. Taking Shanghai as a case, this study empirically examines the dynamic time-varying relationship between public attention and house prices, sales, investment and floor space completed by building a Time-Varying Parameter Vector Autoregression (TVP-VAR) model with data from 2011 to 2024.The research shows that the spillover index of house prices on public attention is positive and house prices acting as the sender of the shock, with rising house prices boost public attention. Conversely, the spillover index of public attention on house prices is negative, with public attention acting as the receiver of the shock. Based on the empirical results, it is recommended to incorporate public attention into the real estate market monitoring system, observe the real estate industry using multiple indicators, and enhance the regulation of online media to ensure policy transparency.

Hygiene practice and diarrhea prevalence among underfive children in Myanmar: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundOver 1.7 billion instances of diarrheal illness in children are reported worldwide yearly. Diarrhea was a major cause of death in children, accounting for 9% of all global under-five child deaths in 2021. The objective of this study was to identify the association between hygiene practices and childhood diarrhea among under-five children in Myanmar.MethodThis cross-sectional study was conducted in 16 townships from 8 states and regions of Myanmar. 1207 children between the ages of 6 and 59 months were recruited by multistage random sampling. Data were collected with a preformed questionnaire after participants provided consent. Multiple logistic regressions were administered to determine the factors associated with childhood diarrhea.ResultThis study found that 86 (7.13%) under-five children experienced diarrhea disease. This study identified that children receiving limited hygiene services were 2.85 times (AOR = 2.85, 95% CI: 1.31 to 6.21; p value 0.01) and children without hygiene services were 2.63 times (AOR = 2.63, 95% CI: 1.42 to 4.89; p value 0.01) more likely to have diarrhea disease than those with basic hygiene services. Other factors associated with diarrhea included: fathers who washed their hands less than four steps (AOR = 2.20, 95% CI: 1.29 to 3.74; p value 0.01), families taking more than 15 min to collect water (AOR = 1.77, 95% CI: 1.06 to 2.97; p value 0.03), families sharing toilet usage (AOR = 2.00, 95% CI: 1.15 to 3.48; p value 0.01), mother’s inadequate and problematic hygiene promotion health literacy (AOR = 2.20, 95% CI: 1.24 to 3.90; p value 0.01), houses made of bamboo or lacking floors (AOR = 2.31, 95% CI: 1.38 to 3.89; p value 0.01), families with three or more children (AOR = 1.68, 95% CI: 1.01 to 2.79; p value 0.05) and breastmilk being the primary food after 6 months of age (AOR = 2.07, 95% CI: 1.09 to 3.93; p value 0.03).ConclusionsEnsuring access to basic hygiene services, getting water at home 24 h per day, seven days per week, using private toilets, promoting hygiene health literacy, improving house flooring, family planning and introducing a variety of foods after age 6 months could significantly prevent diarrhea among under-five children in Myanmar. This study underscores the critical role of handwashing facilities in reducing the diarrhea incidence in children.

Determinants of Intra-City Residential Migration Patterns of Older Adults: A GIS and Decision Tree Analysis of Yancheng City, China

This study investigates the spatial patterns of residential migration among older adults in the city center of Yancheng and the influencing factors using data on the home purchases of individuals aged 65 and older from 2016 to 2018, along with peripheral point of interest (POI) data, analyzed with ArcGIS and a decision tree model. The results indicated that persons aged 60–65 accounted for 42.8% of the total sample and primarily chose to migrate in the early stages of retirement. The intra-city migration of older adults exhibits both centripetal and centrifugal patterns, with a greater tendency toward the city center. House prices, floor levels, and commercial facilities significantly impact their choice of migration destinations. Among these, house prices were the most critical determinant, with the majority of older adults migrating to neighborhoods with lower house prices. This study contributes by integrating residential migration and location choice research and constructing an analytical framework based on facility accessibility. The findings provide insights into the key determinants of location choice for intra-city residential migration among older adults and the construction of livable neighborhoods for them.

An Algorithm for Generating Outdoor Floor Plans and 3D Models of Rural Houses Based on Backpack LiDAR.

As the Rural Revitalization Strategy continues to progress, there is an increasing demand for the digitization of rural houses, roads, and roadside trees. Given the characteristics of rural areas, such as narrow roads, high building density, and low-rise buildings, the precise and automated generation of outdoor floor plans and 3D models for rural areas is the core research issue of this paper. The specific research content is as follows: Using the point cloud data of the outer walls of rural houses collected by backpack LiDAR as the data source, this paper proposes an algorithm for drawing outdoor floor plans based on the topological relationship of sliced and rasterized wall point clouds. This algorithm aims to meet the needs of periodically updating large-scale rural house floor plans. By comparing the coordinates of house corner points measured with RTK, it is verified that the floor plans drawn by this algorithm can meet the accuracy requirements of 1:1000 topographic maps. Additionally, based on the generated outdoor floor plans, this paper proposes an algorithm for quickly generating outdoor 3D models of rural houses using the height information of wall point clouds. This algorithm can quickly generate outdoor 3D models of rural houses by longitudinally stretching the floor plans, meeting the requirements for 3D models in spatial analyses such as lighting and inundation. By measuring the distance from the wall point clouds to the 3D models and conducting statistical analysis, results show that the distances are concentrated between -0.1 m and 0.1 m. The 3D model generated by the method proposed in this paper can be used as one of the basic data for real 3D construction.

Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus Infestation and its Implications in Anaplasma marginale Infection among Cattle in South Gujarat, India

Background: This study aims to identify risk factors for Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus ticks’ infestation in South Gujarat’s cattle and explore its implications on Anaplasma marginale. Methods: An approach was employed to retrieve the crucial insights from the owners and examinations of 2305 cattle (crossbred=1495, indigenous=810) of South Gujarat, India. Species specific PCR was used to detect 576 bp of msp5 gene of A. marginale in the oviposited ticks. Result: Crossbred cattle (73.91%) had higher tick prevalence than indigenous ones (55.80%), with R. (B.) microplus being the dominant species. Highest tick infestation was noted in cattle greater than 3 years (74.43%), followed by less than 1 year (70.23%) and 1-3 years old (55.60%). Ticks collected from crossbred exhibited higher prevalence of A. marginale compared to indigenous cattle. Significantly highest (p greater than 0.05) ticks infestation rate was noted in cattle with pale conjunctiva, poor body condition and black coat colour. Infection rate of both the parasites was highest during summer, followed by monsoon and winter. Kachcha house and earthen floor favoured the survival of the pathogen. Owners in surveyed regions combat tick infestations using mechanical (7.69%), chemical (83.51%) and herbal/no treatments (10.07%). These findings emphasize the intricate link between tick infestations and A. marginale infection, offering crucial insights for cattle health management.

A Study on the Effect of Housing on Parasitic Load of Nellore Lambs

A study was carried out to find out the effect of housing on Parasitic load of Nellore Jodipi lambs under tropical environmental conditions. Thirty weaned Nellore ram lambs of 3-4 months age were selected based on body weight and randomly divided into three groups of ten animals each. The parasitic load i.e., Egg per gram (EPG) was determined regularly at every month during entire study period. The faecal egg count was performed by a Mc Master technique. With regard to parasitic load, the prevalence of parasites and eggs per gram (EPG) count were significantly (P<0.05) lower in slatted floor housing system (11.3±3.14) than that of morum floor housing systems (25.6±3.98 and 25.5±3.80). It was concluded that the housing system of elevated slatted flooring with galvalume roofing proved to be effective in controlling reinfestation of parasites and maintain hygiene environment for better performance of Nellore ram lambs.

Microscopic and molecular epidemiology of gastrointestinal nematodes in dairy and beef cattle in Pak Chong district, Nakhon Ratchasima province, Thailand.

Gastrointestinal (GI) nematode infection remains an important problem in livestock, particularly cattle. The infection may lead to serious health complications and affect animal products. The objective of this study was to investigate GI nematode infection and its associated risk factors in dairy and beef cattle farmed in Pak Chong District of Nakhon Ratchasima Province, northeast Thailand. Fecal specimens were collected from 101 dairy cattle and 100 beef cattle. Formalin-ethyl acetate concentration techniques were used to process the samples and the samples were observed under a light microscope. Samples were subjected to molecular identification of specific genera using conventional polymerase chain reaction and DNA sequencing. The overall prevalence of GI nematode infection was 33.3%. The strongyle nematode was the most significant GI nematode in this area with a prevalence of 28.4%. The prevalence of strongyle nematodes was 58.0% in beef cattle and only 7.9% in dairy cattle. Trichuris spp. was another nematode found in both types of cattle with an overall prevalence of 5.0% with 9.0% in beef cattle and 1.0% in dairy cattle. The results of the epidemiological study indicate that the age of cattle, food, water sources, farming system, and housing floor are the most important risk factors. Among the strongyle nematodes, Ostertagia spp. was the most prevalent (82.0%), followed by Haemonchus spp. (62.3%) and Trichostrongylus spp. (8.2%), respectively. Infection with GI nematodes still exists in this area, particularly in beef cattle. Our reported data may benefit local parasitic control policies in the future.

Feasibility Tests of a Fish Farm Integrating the Breeding of Poultry and a Fly

A locally improvised poultry house built with pure local material called bamboo and covered with dried treated grasses (roof) known as sana which housed 300 laying birds was built near 20m X 20m earthen fish pond with an underground spring water as source of intake with a flow through system and stocked with an improved catfish clarias geripinus juveniles 2000 in number. The floor of the poultry house was cemented to prevent leakages of water and permanently coveted with thick nylon white rubber and layer were placed at high level above the floor on top of bamboo tree having gaps in between them. The usage of these gaps created was to allow layers (chicken) dropping directly on the rubber which eventually served as breeding places for maggot. The maggot was collected washed thoroughly and processed to serve as feed to the fishes. The processed maggot reduces about 40% of total cost of feed in raising the fishes. The birds produced 70piecers of eggs per day 7½ crates and a crate is sold for N2,700 per crate. The fishes were harvested after six (6) months of stocking with a total piece of 1,680 with an average of 800g (1344kg) and is sold at N1500 per kg. The revenue realized took care of both capital and recurrent cost with a working force of three (3) people. The experiment contribute significantly (P<0.05) in reducing the level of poverty and also contribute to food security, transformation agenda of Federal government of Nigeria.

Cross-Platform Partisan Positioning in Congressional Speech

Legislative activity—whether votes or communications—is often represented in a single partisan or ideological dimension. But as lawmakers communicate in various venues (e.g., traditional, direct, or social media), the extent to which these estimates are interchangeable—reflecting a common underlying dimension—is unclear. We estimate a partisan dimension in members’ tweets, Facebook posts, e-newsletters, press releases, and one-minute House floor speeches for the 116th U.S. Congress and test the extent to which representations remain consistent across different venues. We find that while Democrats are consistently separable from Republicans, members’ relative intra-party positions frequently shift between venues. This is likely driven by differences in the affordances and audiences present in each venue, as venues with more nationalized audiences (such as social media) show higher levels of rhetorical polarization than venues with more local audiences (e-newsletters). These results suggest that the level of polarization we observe depends on where we look, and that the scholars of congressional communication should explicitly consider the input they use to measure partisanship.

Molecular prevalence and associated risk factors of Cryptosporidium spp. infection in dairy cattle in Khon Kaen, Thailand

Background and Aim: Cryptosporidium spp. are important parasites in the small intestines of humans and animals, particularly cattle. The aim of this study was to estimate the molecular prevalence and associated risk factors of Cryptosporidium infection in dairy cattle in five districts of Khon Kaen province, Thailand, and to identify Cryptosporidium spp. Materials and Methods: From July 2020 to October 2021, 296 fecal samples were collected from three groups of dairy cattle: Calves aged <3 months, calves aged 3 months–1 year, and calves aged >1 year. Cryptosporidium spp. were detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplifying the 18s RNA gene. Both genus-specific and species-specific primers were used to identify Cryptosporidium confirmed by DNA sequencing. Age, house floor type, and water trough type were evaluated as risk factors. We analyzed all associated risk factor information using the logistic regression test in the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. Results: PCR results showed that 40 (13.51%) out of 296 samples were positive for Cryptosporidium spp., including Cryptosporidium bovis (57.50%) and Cryptosporidium ryanae (2.50%). There was a significant association between Cryptosporidium incidence, cattle age, and house floor type (p = 0.05). National Center for Biotechnology Information Basic Local Alignment Search Tool displayed 99.48%–100% nucleotide similarity of each Cryptosporidium spp. isolate with references recorded on GenBank. Conclusion: C. bovis and C. ryanae are commonly found in dairy cattle, especially calves, in Khon Kaen, Thailand, and the incidence was associated with age and house floor type. A molecular technique may be influential for species identification. The results of the present study would provide useful information for veterinarians and animal owners to understand better Cryptosporidium spp. and how to manage farms properly. Keywords: bovine cryptosporidiosis, Cryptosporidium, dairy cattle, molecular prevalence.

Influence of adsorbent on the productive qualities of Ross 308 parent flock chickens

The research was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of using the Mustala adsorbent in feeding chickens of the parent flock of the Ross 308 cross. The work was carried out at an enterprise for raising a broiler parent flock. A control and experimental group of hens of the parent flock of the Ross 308 cross were formed at the age of 40 weeks (in the control group - 9303 heads, in the experimental group - 9278) with floor housing. The birds in the experimental group were fed Mustal adsorbent at a dose of 1.5 kg/t of feed; the drug was not included in the diet of the birds in the control group. During the growing period, the leading zootechnical indicators were determined: gross harvest, hatching harvest, number of commercial chickens, and safety, which were calculated according to generally accepted methods in poultry farming. It was found that the birds of the experimental group exceeded the control group in terms of the gross number of eggs and the yield of hatching eggs by 0.24 and 0.20 %, respectively. Mustala adsorbent made it possible to increase the yield of commercial chickens by 0.8 % and increase safety in the experimental group by 0.02 %. Profit from product sales in the experimental group is 2.21 % higher than in the control group.

Metrics matter: An integrated approach for analyzing household electricity consumption and the potential for conservation

The residential building sector accounts for a significant portion of global energy consumption, necessitating energy-efficient building practices to mitigate climate change. The metric most used in legislation and building codes to promote energy conservation is Energy Use Intensity (EUI). The efficacy of such regulation is often taken for granted, but as this study of a representative sample of over 800 households in Israel demonstrates, energy 'efficiency' is not necessarily translated into lower total consumption. Multiple linear regression and path analysis were employed to identify significant direct and indirect factors shaping electricity consumption measured for the first time by all three metrics: total consumption, per capita consumption, and EUI. Factors considered included building properties as well as occupant demographic characteristics, environmental awareness, and lifestyles. The factors found to be of greatest importance were, in descending order, house floor area, number of occupants, and building type (detached single-family or multi-family apartment). Other factors, including income, were shown to have an indirect effect. EUI was found to be an ineffective metric, because it allows greater consumption in larger apartments with the same efficiency rating for climatization as smaller but otherwise similar ones. In our sample, EUI for climatization decreased by about 0.14 kWh/m2/year for every 1 m2 increase in floor area. To address this, the research proposes implementing stricter efficiency requirements for large and detached houses based on a novel 'size-normalized EUI'. In addition, to promote behavior change in a socially equitable way the paper proposes the introduction of tiered electricity bills based on consumption levels adjusted for the number of household occupants.

Integrating spatial analyses and microbotanical remains: A methodological approach for investigating plant processing activities and domestic spaces at Neolithic Çatalhöyük

In archaeology, the study of past plant processing activities in domestic spaces has hitherto relied greatly on the observed distribution of macrobotanical and artefactual remains. However, the surfaces where such activities took place can themselves preserve microscopic remains, potentially traceable to the activity that originated them. This paper presents new aspects of plant-related tasks, and the use of living space, at household level, in Neolithic Çatalhöyük through spatial analyses of phytoliths and starch grains recovered from two house floors. Results have revealed plant-related tasks such as crop processing, the use of plant-based crafts, and the management and culinary use of wild resources previously unrepresented in the archaeobotanical assemblage. These distinctive uses of vegetal resources in domestic spaces identified through microbotanical remains have shed light on new complex aspects of household social organisation in one of the earliest farming communities in Western Asia.

Investigation into the Long-Term Stability of Carnallite Pillars Considering Creep Influence

Abstract In subterranean potash mines utilizing the room-and-pillar mining method, maintaining the long-term stability of carnallite pillars is imperative for the safety and ongoing viability of operations. This study undertakes uniaxial compression creep tests on carnallite samples sourced from the Dongtai Potash and Magnesium Salt Mine in Laos. The durability of carnallite pillars is evaluated using an advanced Burgers creep model combined with Flac3D numerical simulations. Results indicate that the creep strength of carnallite is approximately 60%–70% of its immediate strength, demonstrating significant creep behavior. The refined Burgers model provides an accurate representation of the carnallite’s creep characteristics. Post-excavation, the internal compressive stress within the pillars progressively increases, registering an approximate rise of 1 MPa, and stabilizes under pressure after one year. After three years of continuous observation through creep tests and Flac3D simulations, the maximum deformations detected in the roof and floor of the mining house, as well as the adjacent rock masses, were 60mm and 20mm, respectively, indicating minimal overall deformation. The width of the plastic zone within the pillars exhibits time-dependent growth, with rapid expansion occurring in the internal plastic zone and a significant deformation rate within the first six months post-excavation. To ensure the long-term stability of the mining pillars and voids, it is recommended that backfilling operations be conducted within six months following the excavation.

Analysis of Physical Parameters and Chemical Composition of Offal From Puławska Fattening Pigs Raised in Deep Litter and Slatted Floor Housing Systems

Abstract The objective of this study was to comparatively analyse the physical parameters, basic chemical composition and the macro- and microelement content of offal obtained from fattening pigs raised in deep litter and slatted floor housing systems. The experiment involved a group of 80 Puławska fatteners, including 40 pigs kept in deep-litter pens (group I) and 40 pigs in slatted pens without bedding (group II). Offal (tongues, kidneys, hearts, lungs and livers) was evaluated for weight, physical characteristics (pH45, pH24, WHC), chemical composition (water, protein, fat) and the content of minerals: macro- (K, Na, Mg, Ca) and microelements (Zn, Fe, Mn, Cu). Based on the results obtained, associations were found between housing system and basic chemical composition of some offal, i.e. percentage of water (slatted floor<deep litter) and protein (slatted floor>deep litter) in lungs, content of protein (slatted floor>deep litter) and fat (slatted floor<deep litter) in liver, and content of fat in heart (slatted floor<deep litter). The amount of macro- and microelements was significantly differentiated by the housing system with regard to the kidneys: potassium, magnesium, calcium and manganese (slatted floor<deep litter), sodium (slatted floor>deep litter); lungs: sodium (slatted floor>deep litter), potassium (slatted floor<deep litter); and liver: iron (slatted floor>deep litter) and copper (slatted floor<deep litter). In general, the housing system of fattening pigs modified the physical parameters and chemical composition of the analysed offal.

Sociotechnical characterization of quail farming in the autonomous district of Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire

The present study was conducted among 100 poultry farmers through a formal survey from July to December 2021 in the autonomous district of Abidjan (Côte d'Ivoire). With no information on quail farming organization, the objective was to understand the social and technical characteristics. It appears that the municipality of Bingerville has a significantly higher difference than the other municipalities (p < 0.05), unlike Marcory, which has the lowest rate of farms. Quail farming consists of 8% nationals and 92% non-nationals, with 89.8% men and 10.2% women, of which those in the age group of 30 to 45 years account for 65.31% (p < 0.01). The age groups of 45 years and above, and 20 to 30 years represent 18.37% and 10.20%, respectively. Among the 98% educated quail farmers, 48.98% have a higher education level, 38.78% have a secondary level, and 10.20% have a primary level. As for quail farming experience, 71.43% have less than 3 years, 14.29% have between 3 and 6 years, and over 6 years. Furthermore, the farms are of mono-specific type (14.29%) and plurispecific type (85.71%) with cage housing (72.45%) and floor housing (27.55%). The quails, originating from hatcheries (8.16%) or purchased (91.84%), are managed in single flocks (85.71%) or multiple flocks (14.29%) for the purpose of reproduction (97.96%) or meat production (14.29%). Quail farming is practiced by all populations with diversified techniques in the district.

Living with the dead: mummification and post-mortem treatment in Bronze Age Britain

A long-recognised problem in British prehistory is the replacement of formal cemeteries and burials from 1600 bce onwards by deposits with disarticulated human remains, many of them found on settlements. At the Bronze Age settlement site of Cladh Hallan in the Outer Hebrides the human remains include cremation deposits, inhumations, disarticulated bones and body parts of formerly mummified remains recombined as composite skeletons. These mortuary practices, including exhumation, curation and reburial, reveal an intimate relationship between the living and the dead. The burial of mummies beneath house floors and the deposition of other human remains within Cladh Hallan’s roundhouses demonstrate how dwellings were places of spiritual and cosmological meaning as well as practical utility. While later Bronze Age mortuary practices generally provide little indication of the social inequalities apparent in other lines of evidence, the practice of mummification may have served as an indicator of social status.

Unveiling the Potential Ways to Apply Citrus Oil to Control Causative Agents of Pullorum Disease and Fowl Typhoid in Floor Materials.

This study investigates the potential role of Cold-pressed Valencia Terpeneless citrus oil (CO), as a natural antimicrobial, in controlling causative agents of pullorum disease and fowl typhoid in floor materials for poultry farming, specifically wooden chips. The study addresses the issues that have arisen as a result of the reduction in antibiotic use in poultry farming, which has resulted in the re-emergence of bacterial diseases including salmonellosis. CO efficiently inhibits the growth of pathogens including various serovars of Salmonella enterica (SE), including SE serovar Gallinarum (S. Gallinarum) and SE serovar Pullorum (S. Pullorum), in a dose-dependent manner. Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) of CO showed potential for controlling diverse S. Gallinarum and S. Pullorum isolates. Growth inhibition assays demonstrated that 0.4% (v/w) CO eliminated S. Pullorum and S. Gallinarum from 24 h onwards, also impacting poultry gut microbiota and probiotic strains. Floor material simulation, specifically wooden chips treated with 0.4% CO, confirmed CO's effectiveness in preventing S. Gallinarum and S. Pullorum growth on poultry house floors. This study also investigated the effect of CO on the expression of virulence genes in S. Gallinarum and S. Pullorum. Specifically, the study revealed that the application of CO resulted in a downregulation trend in virulence genes, including spiA, invA, spaN, sitC, and sifA, in both S. Pullorum and S. Gallinarum, implying that CO may alter the pathogenicity of these bacterial pathogens. Overall, this study reveals that CO has the potential to be used as a natural antimicrobial in the prevention and management of Salmonella-related infections in chicken production, offering a viable alternative to control these re-emerging diseases.

The use of low-temperature plasma for disinfection of open surfaces of industrial premises

The results of research on inactivation of microorganisms on open surfaces of poultry houses using low-temperature non-equilibrium plasma are presented. AC electrospark discharge at atmospheric pressure was used as its source. Discharge types are streamer, flare. The simultaneous effect of electromagnetic fields, charged particles and chemically active compounds formed by electrospark discharge on the efficiency of pathogenic microflora inactivation for various surfaces (acrylic primer, epoxy resin, yacht varnish, concrete-graphite mixture) is considered. The material to be treated (a biological model of the bedding surface of the floor in the poultry house with the applied protective layer) is installed after the electrospark discharge chamber blown with plasmaforming gas (atmospheric air). The main affecting factors are active chemical compounds: ozone; free radicals (OH, O, O2), ultraviolet radiation in the range of 750–1600 THz, electromagnetic radiation from 50 Hz to 980 MHz, charged particles and vibrationally excited nitrogen and oxygen molecules. Characterizations of electromagnetic radiation flux density at electrospark discharge are obtained. According to the research results, the maximum effect of treatment of exposed surfaces with low-temperature non-equilibrium plasma is achieved when epoxy resin is used as a surface protection material. The number of inactivated microorganisms at exposure of 10-20 s reaches 100%. When inactivating microorganisms on exposed surfaces, it is not economically feasible to take exposure time longer than 20 s. The studies found no significant difference when using streamer or flare discharges to treat outdoor facility surfaces.

Developing low-cost house floors to control tungiasis in Kenya – a feasibility study

ContextTungiasis is a neglected tropical skin disease endemic in resource-poor communities. It is caused by the penetration of the female sand flea, Tunga penetrans, into the skin causing immense pain, itching, difficulty walking, sleeping and concentrating on school or work. Infection is associated with living in a house with unsealed earthen house floors.MethodsThis feasibility study used a community-based co-creation approach to develop and test simple, locally appropriate, and affordable flooring solutions to create a sealed, washable floor for the prevention of tungiasis. Locally used techniques were explored and compared in small slab trials. The floor with best strength and lowest cost was pilot trialed in 12 households with tungiasis cases to assess its durability and costs, feasibility of installation in existing local houses using local masons and explore community perceptions. Disease outcomes were measured to estimate potential impact.ResultsIt was feasible to build the capacity of a community-based organization to conduct research, develop a low-cost floor and conduct a pilot trial. The optimal low-cost floor was stabilized local subsoil with cement at a 1:9 ratio, installed as a 5 cm depth slab. A sealed floor was associated with a lower mean infection intensity among infected children than in control households (aIRR 0.53, 95%CI 0.29–0.97) when adjusted for covariates. The cost of the new floor was US$3/m2 compared to $10 for a concrete floor. Beneficiaries reported the floor made their lives much easier, enabled them to keep clean and children to do their schoolwork and eat while sitting on the floor. Challenges encountered indicate future studies would need intensive mentoring of masons to ensure the floor is properly installed and households supervised to ensure the floor is properly cured.ConclusionThis study provided promising evidence that retrofitting simple cement-stabilised soil floors with locally available materials is a feasible option for tungiasis control and can be implemented through training of community-based organisations. Disease outcome data is promising and suggests that a definitive trial is warranted. Data generated will inform the design of a fully powered randomized trial combined with behaviour change communications.Trial registrationISRCTN 62801024 (retrospective 07.07.2023).