Soft Toys Research Articles

Are smelly toys more fun? Shelter dogs’ preferences for toys, scents, and scented toys

As dogs reside in shelters awaiting adoption, it is critical that they remain behaviorally healthy. A variety of enrichment strategies improve the welfare of shelter dogs, including object (usually in the form of toys) and scent enrichment. However, for these interventions to be enriching, dogs must engage with the items and their welfare be positively affected. Thus, by identifying dogs’ preferences, shelters can improve the function of their enrichment. Using a 15 min free operant preference assessment, an assessment in which the subject is given free access to a variety of items and the duration of their engagement with each item is recorded, we investigated 34 shelter dogs’ preferences for four different toys: a stuffed toy, tennis ball, Nylabone, and flying disc. We also investigated dog’ preferences for four scents: hotdog, peppermint, duck, and an unfamiliar dog. Finally, we applied the dog’s preferred scent to their most and least preferred toys to investigate whether adding their preferred scent would increase the amount of time they engaged with those items compared to unscented duplicates. During the toy preference assessment, we observed that dogs, on average, only interacted with toys 3.35 % of the 15 min session. However, we found that dogs engaged over eight times longer with the stuffed toy as compared to all other toys, F (1, 134) = 64.40, p <.001. There was a marginal effect of type during the scent assessment, F (3, 132) = 2.50, p =.062, but post hoc comparisons were not significant. When we applied each dog’s preferred scent to their most and least preferred toys, we found statistically significant main effects for preference, F (1, 132) = 54.95, p <.001, and scent, F (1, 132) = 7.16, p =.008, and a significant preference-by-scent interaction, F (1, 132) = 4.66, p =.033. The addition of scent increased engagement with both toys, such that dogs spent 4.2 and 13.7 times more seconds with their most and least preferred toys, respectively. In addition to our results aligning with prior research demonstrating that dogs prefer soft versus hard toys, these findings suggest that combining objects and scents can increase dogs’ engagement with enrichment and may be especially impactful when providing shelter dogs with less preferred objects, such as hard toys.

Sally the Soft Toy Seal

Folklore, Ethnology, Children’s history, Oil industry, North East Scotland, Aberdeenshire, Material Culture, Local Studies, Regional Studies, History of emotions, Families, Soft toys, seals, folklife, occupational studies, offshore life.

Toys for infants and toddlers: An analytical study

Introduction: Play is essential for child development as it contributes to their cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being. Toys are the primary medium of engagement of caregivers with their children. Traditionally, physical toys were provided to the children. With the introduction of digital toys and screen-based devices, the challenge has been to recognize their effect.Objectives: To assess the practice of toys in infants and toddlers, determine associated health risks and determine the appropriateness of toys as per age.Results: With traditional toys, 74% played with dolls, 72% with soft toys and 5% with outdoor equipment; 53% spent &lt;1 hour, 31% 1-2 hours and 15% &gt;2 hours playing with traditional toys. With digital toys, 61% parents owned 1-3 digital devices, 23.1% 4-6 devices and 15% &gt;6 devices. Almost 92% of children were exposed to mobile screen, 47% to television screen and 42% to tablet. In 77% cases, parents were the principal interactor with child and 15% were solitary play oriented.Conclusions: Almost 50% of traditional toys were not age appropriate. Regarding digital toys, screen time was not safe in 100% in &lt;2-year-old and only 31% safe in 2–3- year age group.

Quantification of Lost Resource Potential of Unsorted Textile Waste

The European Union (EU) requirements for the separate collection of textile waste came into force in Latvia in 2023. As part of the measure, containers for the management of separated textile waste were placed in locations accessible to the public, alongside other types of separately collected waste (e.g., glass, plastic and cardboard). The containers were designed to collect textile waste that met the following requirements:Shoes and clothes must be clean, dry, and free of chemicals, motor oil stains and mold.Free from damage (holes, tears, etc.);Soft toys, fabric scraps and rags, shoes that are no longer a pair or are damaged, torn or have holes, as well as home textiles, are not allowed to be stored in containers.This means that the national textile waste collection system is limited only to textiles that can be reused without additional repair or pre-treatment (e.g., washing), and the developed national textile waste collection system supplements the private initiatives existing through clothing donation points and second-hand shops. However, there is a “shadow” zone related to textile waste that do not meet the above mentioned collection requirements and are not specifically regulated and managed so far at a country level, thus have to be collected in unsorted household waste containers.The objective of the present research is to quantify the amount of textile waste collected from unsorted mixed household waste containers and to quantify the physical condition and fibers of this waste. Subsequently, the environmental impact of the lost resource potential of the unsorted textile waste based on the obtained quantitative and qualitative waste data was defined via life cycle indicators.

A Friend to Milli Mörriäinen

Arts-based and creative learning processes should be utilised more in craft education. With the NaCra approach, craft processes are connected to other creative content, mainly narratives. This NaCra study explored pupils' holistic craft processes that incorporated stori-fied elements and the aim was to clarify the key elements of individual craft processes supported by storification. The study involved 12 pupils from the second grade (7–8 years old) in Finnish primary education. Despite the novelty of the holistic approach, all pupils successfully planned, created and evaluated their soft toys. The storification method permeated every stage of the holistic craft process, aiding not only the ideation and design phases but also motivation and increased concentration in the making and evaluation phases. The findings suggest that pupils' holistic craft processes incorporating storified elements work well together as a means for pupils to express their thoughts and imagination into assignments. Furthermore, storified elements make pupils' experiences come to life in the creative crafting process. Pupils should have more opportunities with holistic craft processes where the outcome is uncertain at the beginning of the process.Keywords: pupil, holistic craft process, crafting, storification, storified elements, soft toy

Insights Into Pediatric Asthma: A Population Study From Alto Minho Health Center.

Background Asthma represents one of the most common diseases in childhood, with a prevalence ranging between 9% and 13% in Portugal. Therefore, it holds significant importance in pediatric health. While existing studies have shed light on asthma in the Portuguese population, they have predominantly concentrated on urban centers, with the population of Alto Minho remaining underrepresented in the literature. This study aims to understand the main factors of exposure, exacerbation, and the most prevalent allergens in a pediatric sample from the Alto Minho Local Health Unit, Portugal. Methodology A retrospective cohort study was conducted among 239 pediatric asthma patients aged between five and 18 years at the Alto Minho Health Center.Data on demographics, clinical information, family history, environmental exposures, exacerbating factors, and prick test results were analyzed. Results Of the 239 patients, 64.44% were male and 35.56% were female. The majority of the sample exhibited a normal body mass index (82.17%) and a family history of atopy (66.67%). Noteworthy patterns emerged in comorbidities, notably an increased association with allergic rhinitis, the most frequent concomitant atopic pathology (79.50%), followed by atopic dermatitis (27.61%) and food allergy (10.88%). Sensitization to dust mites, particularly Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, was widespread among the participants. Environmental exposures were marked by significant factors such as proximity to plants and trees, soft toys, and living in rural areas. Exacerbating factors included common triggers such as exercise, seasonal variations, and even laughter. Statistically significant associations were found between atopic comorbidities, exacerbation factors, exposure factors, and prick test results. Conclusions Our findings align with global trends, emphasizing the prevalence of atopic pathologies in pediatric asthma. Sensitization patterns and environmental exposures are indicative of regional influences. Study limitations include sample size and data standardization issues. Despite these limitations, the study significantly contributes to understanding pediatric asthma in Alto Minho, offering valuable insights for prompt diagnosis and targeted treatments.

Plasticizers Used in Polyvinyl Chloride Toys (2019-2020)

We determined the fifteen types of plasticizers, including four kinds of phthalic acid esters (PAEs) used in 220 polyvinyl chloride (PVC) toys on Japanese market from 2019 to 2020. Three kinds of previously undetected types of PAEs were also detected, but not identified in this study. Di (2-ethylhexyl) terephthalate (DEHTP) was the highest detection rate in 209 soft PVC toys out of 220 toys, with 71.2% for designated toys and 88.9% for not-designated toys, respectively, showing a gradual increase from the previous reports in 2009 and 2014. On the other hand, the usages of o-acetyl tributyl citrate and adipic acid esters decreased, but the six types of PAEs prohibited to use for the designated toys in Japan were not detected in them, the usage of diisobutyl phthalate were increased. In contrast, four types of PAEs were detected in not-designated toys. Among them, the detection ratio of di (2-ethyhexyl) phthalate decreased to about 1/10. The content levels of plasticizers in per each sample were continued to keep low level from the report five years ago. These results showed that the main plasticizer used in PVC toys is DEHTP, and that the usage of other plasticizers was decreased.

Peculiar challenges of a glass object retained in rectum: review of current options

Rectal foreign bodies are rare and often challenging. It can vary from soft toys to hard glass or wooden objects. Patients are mostly habitual offenders who generally present to emergency due to retained foreign body or complications like perforation or bleeding. Proper history with a plain X-ray is often enough for the diagnosis and position of the foreign body. However, management can be varied from a simple trans-anal retrieval to an exploratory laparotomy. Minimal invasive techniques also have a role in current scenario. We report an unusual glass foreign body with its opening placed caudally.

Exploring role of sleep aids in sleep problems in preschool children

It is well known that children use sleep aids, such as blankets or soft toys, at bedtime. However, there is a lack of understanding regarding the factors associated with their use and role in addressing sleep problems. This study investigated 96 Japanese children aged 40 to 47 months to examine these associations. We measured children’s stress (through a questionnaire and salivary cortisol [cortisol awakening response]), anxiety symptoms, behavioral problems, and temperament, and created a model to predict the status of sleep aid use. Furthermore, we explored the association between sleep aid use and children’s sleep problems as evaluated by their caregivers. We found that children who used sleep aids were more likely to experience anxiety symptoms. Moreover, most children used sleep aids even when they co-slept with their caregivers and/or siblings. Their use was not uniquely associated with sleep problems. These findings suggest that sleep aid serves as a defense against anxiety, including that caused by the absence of a caregiver, rather than as a substitute for a caregiver. Our study sheds light on their role and emphasizes the importance of viewing development within the complex interactive processes of humans and objects.

THE SOFT TOYS AS A CONSOLATION PLAY-OBJECT IN SCHOOL AFTER THE COVID PERIOD. THE “TEDDY BEAR PROJECT” IN PRIMARY ART CLASSROOM

Right after the post-COVID era, first-grade primary school children not only had to adapt to the school environment but also to make up for the social and emotional isolation they had experienced in the previous two years. Pupils experienced great difficulties in terms of their emotional response to the relational social networks that develop during their integration into primary school. This need, created the "Teddy bear project", a project that was shared with all first-grade classes in an experimental primary school in Greece. The project was carried out in three phases, during which, the students worked with their teddy bears in the art workshop. The transitional soft toys provided the children with feelings of comfort, companionship and intimacy. The children had the opportunity to observe themselves through their dolls and their classmates through their own dolls. Children developed empathy for others and made connections through their play-objects to themselves, their classmates and the school environment.&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt; Article visualizations:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="/-counters-/soc/0005/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Method to analyze phthalate esters from soft toys dissolving into water mimicking infant playing

Along with bisphenol-A (BPA), conventional phthalate esters (PAEs) have been reported as environmental hormones, despite their functional usefulness as plasticizers. Nevertheless, they are frequently found in various products, including children's utensils and toys made of poly (vinyl chloride). This is tremendously important because PAEs are harmful to infants. In addition, gel/slime-type toys made of poly (vinyl alcohol) are currently popular for developing infant’ tactile senses. In this study, we developed a method to qualitatively and quantitatively detect PAEs in gel/slime-type toys mimicking, infants playing with them in a bathtub. As a result, 1,2-cyclohexanedicarboxylic acid diisononyl ester (DINCH), one of the PAE alternatives, transferred into the water from the toys and was detected most commonly (108−719 μg g−1; 0.01−0.07 wt%) among PAEs. The detected DINCH levels were below the universally accepted levels for PAEs (0.1 wt%). However, the amount of DINCH detected could still be toxic, in accordance with toxicity tests using water fleas. Furthermore, unpleasant odors were emitted when the toys containing toxic volatile organic compounds were unpacked. This is the first study to develop a method to analyze PAE in gel/slime-type toys and determine that alternatives to conventional PAEs cannot be unconditionally regarded as safe chemicals. Therefore, the revised standards for regulating PAEs and their alternatives must be reconsidered.

Особенности восприятия детьми дошкольного возраста игрушек-монстров (на примере Хагги Вагги)

&lt;p&gt;The article deals with the problem of perception of monster toys that have become popular recently by modern children and the features of playing with these toys (using the example of the Huggy Wuggy toy). The popularity of monsters in modern media narratives for both adults and children is shown. The analysis of existing studies of monster toys is carried out. The results of an empirical study in which 298 children from 4 to 6 years old participated are presented. As part of the study, a conversation was conducted with children, the techniques of "Drawing a man" and "Drawing a Huggy Wuggy", observation of children's play. The results obtained suggest that for most modern preschoolers, the Huggy Wuggy toy is primarily a "status" item, and is rarely used in children's games. Knowing about the game "Poppy Playtime" and having an idea of its content, children, as a rule, do not use its plot in the game. In general, playing with Huggy Wuggy and other toys in this series is no different from playing with other soft toys. The negative emotional load and aggressive tendencies identified in children associated with the image of Huggy Wuggy are associated with the content of YouTube videos, where negative information about the content of the game and about this character is presented as affectively as possible.&lt;/p&gt;

Children at the Risk of Recurrent Wheezing: A Matched Case-Control Study in a Tertiary Care Center.

Introduction Wheezing is a common symptom in early childhood. Recurrent wheezing is defined as more than three episodes of wheezing in the past year. Many studies have been conducted to delineate the risk factors for recurrent wheezing and to predict which of these children will progress to asthma. Most studies about risk factors and the clinicodemographic profile of children with recurrent wheeze have been carried out in developed nations. Data in developing countries may differ. This study was carried out to identify risk factors associated with recurrent wheezing in children in a tertiary care center. Materials and methods It was a retrospective, matched case-control study conducted over a period of two years (July 2019 to July 2021). Records of children aged one month to 12 years who came to pediatric OPD or were admitted to a pediatric ward with a history of recurrent wheezing were included in the study. Cases with uncontrolled recurrent wheezing diagnosed by examination with an unreliable history and those with a global developmental delay were excluded from the study. The study involved the hospital records of 60 children. Of these, 30 were recurrent wheezers, and 30 were non-wheezers (controls). Data were collected with detailed proformas from case histories and examination sheets. The proforma had several known and suspected risk factors associated with wheezes. Each risk factor was studied and compared with the control group. The risk factors included in this study were male gender, not exclusively breastfed, history of bottle feeding, exposure to vehicles; exposure to pollen; exposure to animals; using an agarbatti or dhoop, passive smoking, or playing with a soft toy. Data were entered in an Excel sheet, and appropriate statistical analyses were done. Results The male-to-female ratio was 2:1. Out of the number of cases, 73.33% were younger than six years; 56.66% of cases were not exclusively breastfed, and 43.33% were exclusively breastfed for six months; 20% of the cases were bottle-fed, and 40% of the controls were bottle-fed. The percentage of cases exposed to vehicle smoke was 26.66%, while 20% of cases had exposure to pollen and 16% of controls were exposed to pollen. 30% of cases were exposed to animals, and 23% of controls were exposed to animals. With regard to passive smoking, 16.66% of cases were exposed to passive smoking, and 20% of controls were not exposed to passive smoking. Out of the study group, 26.66% of the children played with soft toys. Of all these risk factors, a significant difference between cases and controls was found in only one factor: not being exclusively breastfed for six months. All other risk factors showed no significant difference between cases and controls. Conclusion The present study concluded that the significant risk factor that was associated with recurrent wheezing was "not exclusively breastfeeding." The other factors studied that were suspected to be associated with recurrent wheezing cannot be ruled out entirely due to the relatively small size of the sample and the need to be studied further in detail.

Оценка выполнения условия безопасной эвакуации из детских игровых помещений при пожаре

PURPOSE. Soft children's toys located in children's playrooms are ones of the most dangerous combustible materials. However, their fire hazardous properties, data on which are necessary to calculate the time of blocking escape routes from the above mentioned rooms in case of fire, have not been studied. The study is aimed at assessing the compliance with the conditions for safe evacuation from children's play rooms, taking into account experimental data on the formation of dangerous fire factors when soft toys burn. To achieve the goal, experimental studies on the specific smoke generation coefficient of soft toy samples have been carried out. METHODS. The work uses an experimental standard method for measuring smoke production capacity. Numerical experiments have been carried out to calculate the time of blocking evacuation routes by dangerous fire factors. FINDINGS. The results of measuring the smoke-generating ability of soft toy samples made in China are presented. It has been shown that the smoke generation coefficient of soft toys significantly exceeds the corresponding values for rooms with similar functional purposes. Based on the obtained experimental data and a review of literature sources, a new fire load “soft children's toys” is proposed. The authors present the results of calculating the time of blocking evacuation routes using the analytical solution of the integral model for children's playrooms of various sizes and heights in cases of the proposed fire load, which is most dangerous for rooms of similar functional purposes given in the regulatory documents. It has been found that the condition for safe evacuation during free development of fire is not met. At the same time, loss of visibility is the first dangerous factor of a fire, blocking escape routes, and the highly toxic gas – phosgene – has the shortest blocking time among toxic gases. RESEARCH APPLICATION FIELD. The data obtained can be used to calculate fire risks in children's play rooms of preschool institutions and multifunctional shopping and entertainment centers. CONCLUSIONS. When calculating fire risks in children's play areas, which contain a lot of soft toys, it is necessary to use the proposed fire load “soft children's toys”.

EVALUATION OF EMOTIONAL HEALING FOR FABRICS BASED ON THE TACTILE SENSATION

“Iyashi” in the Japanese language, is used for goods, which people use to recover from the physical and psychological stress. If the healing emotion is observed when the consumer touches the fabric by hand, it is worthwhile to investigate the contribution of fabric property. This study approached both fundamental physical properties of fabrics and subjective evaluation to explore the contribution of fabric to emotional healing. Two sensory experiments were carried out. Participants (n=22) considered the fluffy fur as most likely to generate the healing emotion. “Healing feeling” was described as the combination in terms of “soft”, “fluffy” and “smooth” perception for fabric samples. In the sensory evaluation of healing toys by hand, results of factor analysis, the first factor of “healing emotion” was the “surface factor”, including “slippery”, “smooth”, “want to keep touching”, “comfortable”, “feel healing”, and “soft”. In terms of the physical properties of the fabric, the fabric with lower MMD (mean deviation of MIU) was preferable. The findings from this study can contribute to the evaluation and design of soft toys and clothing in satisfying the “healing emotion” of humans.

Making Men out of Boys

With Richa Jha and Gautam Benegal’s picturebook The Unboy Boy (2013), India acquired the notion of alternative masculinity in children’s literature for perhaps the first time, and initiated the depiction in picturebooks of male characters who love soft toys, cook, dance, and dress in a way considered feminine. This article turns the critical lens toward gender codes that form the basis for masculinity discourses. Primarily drawing on Connell’s concept of hegemonic masculinity, it explores how contemporary Indian picturebooks in English are challenging the representation of traditional masculinity. Through the lens of content analysis, this qualitative research adopts a multimodal approach and scrutinizes three other picturebooks: Abba’s Day (2017) by Sunaina Ali and Debasmita Dasgupta, Kali Wants to Dance (2018) by Aparna Karthikeyan and Somesh Kumar, and Guthli Has Wings (2019) by Kanak Shashi.

Caring Through Cloth: Textiles and the Trauma of Stillbirth

The Caring through Cloth project links rituals of sensing, caregiving, and making with baby clothes and related textiles to adaptive coping in stillbirth loss. Stillbirth is traumatic because it (a) disrupts the natural order of life, (b) is an ambiguous loss, leaving little tangible evidence to validate or narrate it, (c) is a cultural taboo and stigma, disenfranchizing loss, personhood and parenthood and (d) can lead to complicated grief. As such mourning stillbirth is challenging both psychologically and socially. Blankets, baby clothes and soft toys feature in clinically based stillbirth rituals which promote physical contact, caregiving, and memory making. Textiles form part of memory boxes and are often used to assist personal rituals. Arts projects and charities gift or support the making of textile objects to aid those who grieve. Despite this, there is limited analysis of the significance of textiles to mourning stillbirth and little exposition of the theories of meaning which are employed. This study adopts a psychobiological understanding of art and uses Dissanayake’s Artification Hypothesis and Gibson’s theory of Affordance, to examine the role textiles play in mourning stillbirth. This paper (a) reviews literature and contextual sources and (b) uses auto and sensory ethnography to investigate the relationship between textiles and mourning stillbirth. It identifies that baby clothes and related textiles afford rituals of sensing, caregiving and making that can be used to artify and express, through analogy, the needs and cares of parents who have experienced stillbirth. These initial findings have informed the design of a Caring through Cloth workshop, which seeks to support parents in their adaptive coping and collect qualitative data to further assess the adaptive significance of sensing, interacting and making with textiles in arts-based activities.

Modification Strategies of Kapok Fiber Composites and Its Application in the Adsorption of Heavy Metal Ions and Dyes from Aqueous Solutions: A Systematic Review.

Kapok fiber (Ceiba pentandra) belongs to a group of natural fibers that are mainly composed of cellulose, lignin, pectin, and small traces of inorganic compounds. These fibers are lightweight with hollow tubular structure that is easy to process and abundant in nature. Currently, kapok fibers are used in industry as filling material for beddings, upholstery, soft toys, and nonwoven materials. However, kapok fiber has also a potential application in the adsorptive removal of heavy metal ions and dyes from aqueous systems. This study aims to provide a comprehensive review about the recent developments on kapok fiber composites including its chemical properties, wettability, and surface morphology. Effective and innovative kapok fiber composites are analyzed with the help of characterization tools such as scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller analysis. Different pre-treatment methods such as alkali and acid pre-treatment, oxidation pre-treatment, and Fenton reaction are discussed. These techniques are applied to enhance the hydrophilicity and to generate rougher fiber surfaces. Moreover, surface modification and synthesis of kapok fiber-based composites and its environmental applications are examined. There are various methods in the fabrication of kapok fiber composites that include chemical modification and polymerization. These procedures allow the kapok fiber composites to have higher adsorption capacities for selective heavy metal and dye removal.

The new animism

The new animism

Healthcare Practitioner’s Views on the Teddy Bear Hospital (TBH) by IMACATS in Malaysia

Introduction: This is a part of a bigger study entitled “Exploring the Views of Healthcare Practitioners on the Teddy Bear Hospital (TBH) as a Personal Safety Module Towards Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse (CSA): A Qualitative Study”. TBH is a make-believe-play hospital utilising soft toys to demonstrate a pretend clinical setting with the aim to educate children on health issues. Studies has shown its effectiveness and reducing anxiety towards the hospital setting and increasing health-related knowledge. IMAM Children’s and Teen Super teen (IMACATS) is one of the non-governmental organisations (NGO) which has adopted this concept to tailor to the local community. The volunteers are healthcare practitioners who are engaged with children in their practice.Objective: To explore the views of healthcare professional towards TBH by IMACATS in Malaysia.Methods: In-depth qualitative audio recorded interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 18 healthcare professionals. The data obtained were transcribed and analysed thematically.Results: Three themes were derived from the interviews: i) Awareness of the TBH concept. Seven participants have volunteered in TBH previously. However, there was a speculation that many doctors are still unknowing of this concept. ii) Benefits of TBH. This includes reducing children’s anxiety, changing children’s presumption on healthcare, increasing children’s health knowledge and encouraging healthy behaviour and bridging the gap between the public and healthcare. iii) Suggestion of Module for future TBH: (a) More school-based programmes should be organised in addition to hospital and community based; (b) Ministry of Health (MOH) should encourage children health screening using this concept; (c) A module for hospitalised children should be conducted.Conclusion: Participants interviewed suggested for TBH to be organised in a wider scale as it is an approachable concept for educating children. There are many ways in which it can benefit this community.International Journal of Human and Health Sciences Supplementary Issue: 2021 Page: S18