Household Objects Research Articles

Routine Language Intervention: Supporting Spanish-Speaking Mothers’ Talk to Toddlers During Everyday Routines

SYNOPSIS Objective. Toddlers learn language as they participate in everyday routines in the home environment. The Routine Language Intervention encourages caregivers to infuse language in everyday routines to support toddlers’ language development. Design. Researchers collaborated with a Spanish-speaking, immigrant community in New York City to develop an intervention that is grounded in the routines that mothers commonly engage in with their toddlers. Altogether, 51 mothers participated in 6 months of group workshops and home visits. To test the efficacy of the intervention, mothers were videorecorded interacting with their toddlers at home before and after participating in the intervention. A comparison group of 12 families drawn from the same community was also videorecorded in their homes. Results. Mothers who participated in the Routine Language Intervention increased their speech to toddlers, nearly doubling word tokens and word types, and used more types and tokens than mothers in the matched comparison group. Increases in maternal speech were seen for words referring to targeted daily routines (e.g., mealtime, grooming, play and literacy) and extended to other words (e.g., unrelated household objects). Conclusions. Routine Language offers a culturally sensitive, easy-to-implement intervention that builds on families’ everyday routines and yields benefits for toddlers’ early language exposure.

The Greek will of Aurelius Pauchab and a Coptic inventory of household objects

The Greek will of Aurelius Pauchab and a Coptic inventory of household objects

Home-based motivational interviewing for late-life rural hoarding disorder: a pilot study

Objectives The primary purpose of this pilot study was to determine the feasibility and acceptability of a novel brief (six-session) motivational interviewing home-based intervention for hoarding disorder designed for rural older adults. The secondary aims were to examine the engagement of proposed mechanisms of change and the preliminary efficacy of symptom reduction. Method Fifteen rural-dwelling older adults were enrolled in the pilot trial for Project RECLAIM (Reduce Clutter and Increase Meaning). Engagement of proposed mechanisms of change was assessed weekly for reported engagement in sorting/discarding behaviors and from baseline to post-treatment on readiness for change and motivation. Symptom reduction was assessed from baseline to post-treatment on hoarding symptoms and general psychological functioning. Results Sixty percent of participants completed all six sessions of RECLAIM. Over the course of treatment, participants reported significant decreases in household clutter (d = −0.85) and object attachment (d = −1.01) and increases in positive affect (d = 0.71), readiness for change (d = 0.40) and motivation (d = 0.52), and sorting between sessions (ß = 3.82). Conclusion The significant reductions in hoarding symptoms after only six sessions of treatment suggest that a brief, in-home, intervention may be a viable option for symptom reduction, particularly for rural-dwelling older adults.

Bringing the Universe to Every Classroom: The Impact of Digital Technologies on Children's Astronomy Education in Iran

Astronomy education can be a crucial part of Iranian children's education and has the potential to inspire a lifelong passion for science and technology. However, it has been neglected in children's educational systems, particularly among the socioeconomically disadvantaged population. Efforts have been made in the past to improve astronomy education for children in Iran. Still, they were unsuccessful in underprivileged communities due to a lack of facilities and support. In recent years, the internet and digital tools have greatly helped reach a much wider audience and deliver educational content to children who would otherwise have limited access. Kargahe Setare online project was launched in Iran with the goal of using astronomy to inspire a new generation of scientifically literate and curious citizens, regardless of their financial and locative situation. We will explain how we reached out to more than 10000 Iranian children from the big cities to the most deprived villages to promote astronomy. We will discuss how we revised our teaching methods to bring STEM and STEAM activities to the class through online tools and common household objects as educational props. We will show how not only the Covid-19 pandemic did not negatively affect us but how it significantly accelerated the process of gaining public trust in online education. Also, we will discuss how we created a bridge between children, researchers, and the most-known organizations in this field. By sharing our experiences, we aim to demonstrate the potential and outcomes of online education in promoting astronomy and children's development.

Freecycling Markets as Sustainable Materialist Movements?

This paper seeks to redress the over-emphasis on state-driven circular policies in public and academic discourses by attending to two physical community-based freecycling markets at the emerging frontiers of circular waste/resource management in Singapore. Freecycling markets that close short reuse loops are a counterpoint to policies that close long recycling loops. Drawing primarily on empirical data from ethnographic fieldwork, we argue that freecycling markets exemplify a sustainable materialist movement concerned about the sustainability of material resources vis-à-vis the closing/shortening of material circularity loops. This is achieved through the reconfiguration of (a) material flows and (b) material relations. The redirection of unwanted but reusable household objects away from the incinerator and towards potential reusers animates a shift from a linear to circular material flow. We contend that this redirection of material resources for reuse is augmented by rescue and recirculation, which are relatively neglected within the scholarship on circular R-behaviours. Additionally, freecycling markets seek to transform material relations by encouraging care and stewardship, instead of use and disposal. Crucially, we highlight how freecycling markets may be plagued with material constraints that render them not-so-sustainable-and-scalable, thereby shedding light on the practical limits of sustainable materialist action. Taken together, this paper extends the scholarship on circular economies by bringing work on sustainable materialism into a productive dialogue with that on circular activisms and R-behaviours.

The cat is out of the bag: the effect of virtual characters and scale cues on physics coherence

According to previous research, humans are exceptionally skilled at distinguishing earth-congruent object trajectories from earth-discrepant ones. Inconsistent scale cues in Virtual Reality (VR), however, are shown to easily confuse VR users’ scale, size, and distance estimations. This paper describes the results of two studies, with 40 participants each, which tested the effects of self-scaling, and size cues from active virtual characters, on perceived physics coherence (i.e., subjective realism). In the first study (Study A), a humanoid robot the size of a doll manipulated household objects to demonstrate their rigid body dynamics. The demonstration sequence was performed twice, once using a correct approximation of physics, and once using an incorrect one in which gravity was simulated similarly to as if the doll-sized robot was human-sized and the surrounding room was enlarged. The participants observed both demonstrations, once while standing at the normal scale and once at a reduced scale, similar to that of the humanoid robot. The second study (Study B) was similar, except that the virtual character demonstrating the physics was a regular-sized cat. Our preregistered hypotheses predicted that participants would consider the correct approximation of physics as better matching their expectations at normal scale, and the incorrect one as better matching their expectations at the reduced scale. However, only the second of these hypotheses was supported. According to our exploratory analyses, the participant’s own scale was a poor predictor of physics preference, and instead there was a significant effect regarding the virtual character’s identity. Participants observing the virtual cat were about eight times more likely to select the realistic physics model compared to those observing the humanoid robot. The results indicate that familiar cues tied to virtual character identity overrode any potential effects related to changes in the participants’ own scale.

A Cartesian diver to study oscillations and internal gravity waves in a stratified fluid

We propose a variation of the well-known Cartesian diver experiment where, instead of moving in a uniform fluid, the diver floats in a fluid stratified in density. In contrast to the original experiment, for a given external pressure the diver can stop in a stable equilibrium position within the fluid, at the depth where the surrounding density matches its own. By varying the applied pressure, the density of the diver changes and it moves until it reaches a new stable equilibrium condition at a different depth. When a sudden pressure pulse is applied, the diver, pushed off its equilibrium position, starts oscillating due to a restoring force that depends on the density gradient. The oscillations produce internal gravity waves that are typical of stratified fluids, when a portion of them is displaced and transmits its motion to the surrounding fluid. Although they are extremely difficult to observe, gravity waves are particularly interesting, as they typically occur in the atmosphere and in the stars. We propose a simple experiment and suggest a way to make the internal gravity waves visible. The experiment can be realized by students with easy-to-find household objects and used to improve their understanding of many concepts and laws of hydrodynamics, but also to introduce them to complex phenomena of general interest.

Reduced early neural processing of faces in children and adolescents with social anxiety disorder

Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is one of the most common mental disorders during childhood and adolescence. Yet, little is known about its maintenance in youth. Cognitive models of SAD indicate that attentional biases play a key role in the dysfunctional processing of social information, such as emotional faces. However, previous research investigating neural correlates of childhood SAD has produced inconsistent findings. The current study aims to investigate neural face processing in children and adolescents with SAD, while taking into consideration methodological limitations of previous studies. We measured event-related potentials (P100, N170, EPN, LPP) in response to happy, neutral, and angry adult faces, and non-social household objects, in a sample of youth (aged 10–15 years) with SAD (n = 57), clinical controls with specific phobias (SP; n = 41), and healthy controls (HC; n = 61). Participants completed an emotion/object identification task while continuous EEG was recorded. Analyses revealed lower N170 amplitudes in the SAD group compared to HCs, irrespective of emotion. In addition, younger children (aged 10–12 years) with SAD showed lower EPN amplitudes and higher early LPP amplitudes (only trend level) in response to neutral and happy faces compared to younger HCs. These effects were specific to faces and were not evident in the neural processing of non-social household objects. Overall, the findings indicate that different neural response patterns are already present in youth with SAD. Group differences, particularly in younger children, suggest age-related differences in neural face processing in childhood SAD and underpin the necessity of developmental approaches.

Vision-Guided Grasping Policy Learning from Demonstrations for Robotic Manipulators

The integration of robotics into domestic environments poses significant challenges due to the dynamic and varied nature of these settings. This paper introduces a new framework that combines vision-guided object recognition with adaptive grasping policies learned from human demonstrations. By harnessing computer vision technology, our system employs deep learning algorithms, particularly Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), to precisely detect and classify household objects. Simultaneously, the system uses imitation learning to refine grasping policies, enabling the robotic manipulator to dynamically adapt to new target objects. We validated our framework through a series of experimental setups that simulate typical kitchen tasks, such as manipulating utensils and preparing ingredients. These tasks, which primarily involve picking up and placing objects, served as practical tests for our system. The results demonstrate the system’s ability to effectively recognize a broad array of objects and adapt its grasping policies, thereby enhancing operational efficiency.

Epidemiology of pediatric hand lacerations: a retrospective cohort study focusing on age and injury-causing objects

Purpose: This study analyzed the epidemiology of pediatric hand lacerations in children under 6 years old, focusing on age-related characteristics and the household objects that caused these injuries.Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of patients under 6 years old who presented with hand lacerations at our emergency department from January 2016 to December 2023. Data were collected on demographics, injury-related factors (the affected hand and finger, injury location, and injury-causing object), need for surgical intervention, and damage to deep structures. Patients were categorized as infants (0–1 years), toddlers (1–3 years), or preschoolers (3–6 years). We recorded the frequency, surgical intervention rates, and affected deep structures for each injury-causing object.Results: Of 153 children treated for hand lacerations, toddlers were the most frequently injured (47.7%), followed by preschoolers (44.4%) and infants (7.8%). The index and middle fingers were particularly vulnerable in toddlers and preschoolers, while infantile injuries more commonly affected the palm. Among 31 identified objects, knives/blades, particularly cutting knives (13.7%) and broken glass (13.1%), were the leading causes, with injuries occurring primarily at home. Surgical intervention was necessary in 11.1% of cases, with eyebrow razors (33.3%) most often requiring surgery and causing damage to deep structures, including arteries, nerves, and flexor tendons.Conclusion: The study highlights the significant role of developmental behaviors in pediatric hand laceration risk. Many injuries were caused by everyday household objects, including eyebrow razors, that are often underestimated as potential dangers. Preventive measures and guardian education are crucial to reduce the incidence of these injuries.

LoRa Network-based IoT Node for indoor environment monitoring

The concept of the Internet of Things (IoT), just by its name, presents itself as a network of physical objects, which are incorporated into a vast array of sensors, software, and any other type of technology, with the purpose of connecting and exchanging information with other devices and systems via the Internet. As we know it, the IoT is present in a wide range of devices ranging from simple household objects to complex tools spread across all sectors of industry. The means of communication used in IoT devices is based on Long Range (LoRa) technology. This technology stands out for its ability to operate with low energy consumption, which is vital for the use of IoT devices since they run on batteries. This paper will look at the development of an indoor space monitoring system based on an IoT Node made up of sensors supported by the LoRa network. To achieve the objectives, an in-depth study of the technology used in LoRa networks is carried out, followed by a presentation of the system's architecture and then the various tests carried out in indoor spaces to assess the functioning of both the sensors and the network itself. During the work, numerous tests were carried out over extended periods, which will be duly detailed throughout the document. These are used to ensure the stability of the monitoring system and gauge the environmental status of the space where it is installed.

Using Simple Simulation to Teach Midwifery Skills

Simulation has become a vital part of health care education. Growing evidence supports its use to assist students in learning both basic and emergency skills. Expensive simulation models exist and some offer midwifery students excellent learning opportunities. However, many simulations can be highly effective and much more accessible to both students and instructors when handmade from ordinary household objects. Based on experience using simulation as part of the Ryerson Midwifery Education Program curriculum, we describe how to create simple models that can be used in the classroom, with preceptors in the clinical setting or by midwifery students independently. We also explain how we use household objects to augment commercial teaching models to make simulations more realistic.

The influence of gender specific decisions on household technology choice within the farming households in central Uganda

How households make decisions, who influences decision making and how members bargain over resources and opportunities greatly affects the livelihood and wellbeing of members within a given household. This study sought to understand gender specific decisions and their influence on household technology choice, packaging and adoption of agricultural technologies. Growing Bananas with Trees and Livestock (GBTL) technology system was implemented by National Agricultural Research Organisation and Bioversity International in three districts of Central Uganda: Kiboga, Nakaseke and Ssembabule. Using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Cluster Analysis (CA), typologies were created in which two distinct clusters of farming households were revealed. Using a bargaining model of technology adoption, three types of households were identified; male and female only, female only and male only headed households. For technology uptake, either a single component, two components or all components of a technology was adopted. Results indicated that Household size, age, land owned, labour and gender composition of the household positively influenced the adoption of the technology. Farm households were able to take up and adopt components of the technology that were equivalent to the available household resources. Technology choice and adoption was influenced by available land, labor and household objectives (food, income and nutrition security). Households' ability to avert the loss of production and/or assets was very varied and depended on household size. For non-business home expenses, decisions followed a gendered perspective where households with both male and female, had more participants involved in household decision making, households make decision jointly when it comes to purchases and sales. Banana plantations establishment and management was for the spouse. Livestock production was initiated and managed by the household heads. Individual decisions were influenced by age of the household head, livestock owner. Joint household’s decision making was significant on purchases, sales of inputs and outputs, land ownership, and were influenced by household size and farm size. This study brings out important policy implications that in order to ensure widespread adoption of improved technologies, there should be equitable access to complementary inputs, especially land and labour for females. And technology packaging should take into consideration the gender specific decisions for sustainable agricultural development. Key words: Decision making, Technology choice, adoption, Coffee banana farming system, Gender

Correlates of early child development among children with stunting: A cross-sectional study in Uganda.

Many children in low- and middle-income countries are not attaining their developmental potential. Stunting is associated with poor child development, but it is not known which correlates of stunting are impairing child development. We explored potential socioeconomic, nutritional, clinical, and household correlates of early child development among 12-59-month-old children with stunting in a cross-sectional study in Uganda. Development was assessed using the Malawi Development Assessment Tool (MDAT) across four domains of gross and fine motor, language, and social skills. Linear regression analysis was used to assess correlates of development in the four domains and total MDAT score. Of 750 children included, the median [interquartile range] age was 30 [23-41] months, 55% of the children resided in rural settings with 21% from female-headed households and 47% of mothers had no schooling. The mean ± standard deviation height-for-age z-score (HAZ) was -3.02 ± 0.74, 40% of the children had a positive malaria test and 65% were anaemic (haemoglobin < 110 g/L). One-third had children's books at home, majority (96%) used household objects to play with and most of them (70%) used toys as pretence items like those to mimic cooking. After age, sex, and site adjustments, HAZ (0.24, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.14-0.33) and head circumference (0.07, 95%CI: 0.02-0.12) were positive correlates of total MDAT score, whereas weight-for-height z-score (WHZ) was not. Current breastfeeding was associated with 0.41 (95%CI: 0.17-0.65) lower total MDAT score. Children from households with a single income earner had 0.22 (95%CI: 0.06-0.37) lower total MDAT score. Furthermore, severe food insecurity, inflammation and positive malaria test were associated with lower scores for motor development. All family care indicator subscales (FCIs) positively correlated with the total MDAT score and this association was independent of household's socioeconomic status. In conclusion, stunting degree, head circumference, number of household income earners and stimulation by improved FCIs correlate with early child development among stunted children. The negative association with prolonged breastfeeding is likely due to reverse causality. Identified correlates may inform initiatives to support children with stunting attain their development potential.

Tableau vivant memes in lockdown: virality and vitality

The #gettymuseumchallenge arose on Instagram during the Covid-19 pandemic, challenging Instagrammers to reproduce artworks with household objects. The article tracks the relationship between the meme and the tableau vivant as a genre in theater and photography, analyzing the hybridization of a longstanding art tradition and characteristic forms of self-representation on Instagram during the pandemic. The quali-quantitative approach, based on a statistical description of the photographs and texts published online and on an analysis of the singularity of the images produced, sheds light on the paradoxical vitality of the viral challenge.

Performance Analysis of 6TiSCH Networks Using Discrete Events Simulator

The Internet of Things (IoT) empowers small devices to sense, react, and communicate, with applications ranging from smart ordinary household objects to complex industrial processes. To provide access to an increasing number of IoT devices, particularly in long-distance communication scenarios, a robust low-power wide area network (LPWAN) protocol becomes essential. A widely adopted protocol for this purpose is 6TiSCH, which builds upon the IEEE 802.15.4 standard. It introduces time-slotted channel hopping (TSCH) mode as a new medium access control (MAC) layer operating mode, in conjunction with IEEE 802.15.4g, which also defines both MAC and physical layer (PHY) layers and provides IPv6 connectivity for LPWAN. Notably, 6TiSCH has gained adoption in significant standards such as Wireless Intelligent Ubiquitous Networks (Wi-SUN). This study evaluates the scalability of 6TiSCH, with a focus on key parameters such as queue size, the maximum number of single-hop retries, and the slotframe length. Computational simulations were performed using an open-source simulator and obtained the following results: increasing the transmission queue size, along with adjusting the number of retries and slotframe length, leads to a reduction in the packet error rate (PER). Notably, the impact of the number of retries is particularly pronounced. Furthermore, the effect on latency varies based on the specific combination of these parameters as the network scales.

If Looks Could Quill

Porcupine quillwork has long been practiced as a form of self-adornment by the Mi’kmaq peoples. The Mi’kmaq peoples reside on the unceded territory of Mi’kma’ki, the region spanning across what is now known as Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island, as well as parts of Québec, Newfoundland, and Maine. Following the arrival of colonial settlers, this decorative art form was redirected toward the production of souvenirs and became a highly tradable commodity, appearing on household objects such as chair backs, straight razor covers, and, most commonly, trinket boxes. Thanks to the tireless efforts of several Mi’kmaq artists, quillwork has been revitalized and reimagined, thus affirming its place within the contemporary art world.

Ceramics of «kargopol type» on multilayer monuments of Vodlozero (experience of planigraphic and stratigraphic analysis)

The purpose of this study is to analyze the planigraphic and stratigraphic occurrence of pit–comb ceramics and dishes of the «kargopol type» on the multilayer settlements of Somboma I and Okhtoma I, III, the complexes of which contain ceramics of the «kargopol type» numbering more than 20 vessels on each monument. As a result, it was established that ceramics of the kargopol «type» are concentrated in certain parts of the excavations, and are absent in some excavations, while pit-comb dishes are distributed throughout the entire area of settlements. There are quite a lot of household objects associated with pit-comb dishes, as well as a ground dwelling, at the same time, no household objects are associated with ceramics of the «kargopol type», which indicates a short-term stay of carriers of this type of dishes on the shores of Lake Vodlozero. Thus, pit-comb ceramics and dishes of the «kargopol type» represent two different groups of the population. If we accept the correctness of M.G. Kosmenko assumption, that the ground dwelling with pit-comb ceramics belongs to the north-eastern local variant of the kargopol culture, and not the Karelian culture of pit-comb ceramics, then it becomes clear that the spread of ceramics of the «kargopol type» only on the territory of eastern Karelia.

Longstanding Auditory Sensory and Semantic Differences in Preterm Born Children

More than 10% of births are preterm, and the long-term consequences on sensory and semantic processing of non-linguistic information remain poorly understood. 17 very preterm-born children (born at < 33 weeks gestational age) and 15 full-term controls were tested at 10 years old with an auditory object recognition task, while 64-channel auditory evoked potentials (AEPs) were recorded. Sounds consisted of living (animal and human vocalizations) and manmade objects (e.g. household objects, instruments, and tools). Despite similar recognition behavior, AEPs strikingly differed between full-term and preterm children. Starting at 50ms post-stimulus onset, AEPs from preterm children differed topographically from their full-term counterparts. Over the 108-224ms post-stimulus period, full-term children showed stronger AEPs in response to living objects, whereas preterm born children showed the reverse pattern; i.e. stronger AEPs in response to manmade objects. Differential brain activity between semantic categories could reliably classify children according to their preterm status. Moreover, this opposing pattern of differential responses to semantic categories of sounds was also observed in source estimations within a network of occipital, temporal and frontal regions. This study highlights how early life experience in terms of preterm birth shapes sensory and object processing later on in life.

A Software Platform for Quadruped Robots with Advanced Manipulation Capabilities.

Recently, a diverse range of robots with various functionalities have become a part of our daily lives. However, these robots either lack an arm or have less capable arms, mainly used for gestures. Another characteristic of the robots is that they are wheeled-type robots, restricting their operation to even surfaces. Several software platforms proposed in prior research have often focused on quadrupedal robots equipped with manipulators. However, many of these platforms lacked a comprehensive system combining perception, navigation, locomotion, and manipulation. This research introduces a software framework for clearing household objects with a quadrupedal robot. The proposed software framework utilizes the perception of the robot's environment through sensor inputs and organizes household objects to their designated locations. The proposed framework was verified by experiments within a simulation environment resembling the conditions of the RoboCup@Home 2021-virtual competition involving variations in objects and poses, where outcomes demonstrate promising performance.