Floor Type Research Articles

Exposure of Preconception Couples to Legacy and Emerging Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances: Variations Within and Between Couples.

Exploration of the exposure of preconception couples to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), as well as the most important influencing factors, promotes the understanding of the joint effects of parental exposure on reproductive health. In the present study, a total of 938 preconception couples recruited through the Shanghai Birth Cohort were investigated for the variations of PFAS exposure and contributing factors within and between couples. While linear perfluorooctanoic acid (n-PFOA, median 20.4 ng/mL) and linear perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (n-PFOS, 12.1 ng/mL) remained dominant in plasma, emerging PFAS, particularly 6:2 chlorinated polyfluorinated ether sulfonate (10.5 ng/mL), 6:2 polyfluoroalkyl phosphate diester (0.41 ng/mL), and branched PFOS or PFOA isomers, were also frequently detected. Although individual PFAS were generally correlated within couples, gender differences significantly existed in the concentrations of most individual PFAS and isomer profiles of PFOS and PFOA. Men generally exhibited higher plasma concentrations than their partners, likely reflecting gender-specific elimination pathway and kinetics. Couple-based PFAS exposure also varied greatly. After adjustment for individual factors, several household factors, including annual household income, dwelling floor type, drinking water source, and living near farmlands, were found to be associated with couple-based PFAS exposure. Our study constitutes one of the few studies addressing couple-based exposure to PFAS and lays a solid ground for further assessment of the impacts of parental exposure on reproductive health.

Product interaction sounds influence product personality

We report an experiment designed to test the hypothesis that the sonic interaction between the type of sole used in high-heeled shoes (polypropylene vs. leather) and the type of flooring (ceramic vs. carpet) influences the attribution of personality traits to the product sound. Forty-eight women walked down a 'virtual runway' while listening to the modified interaction sounds of shoe heels contacting the floor. After being exposed to each sound, the participants filled in a questionnaire to measure product sound personality traits and the valence associated with each sound. The results revealed that different personality traits were assigned to distinct product sounds with the floor material influencing the attribution of such characteristics. These results promote awareness of the relevance of designing the environments where users interact with products to shape product sound personality.

Assessment of the deformation behavior of a tensegrity floor through photogrammetry

Tensegrity structures are interesting elements that can be used to create innovative building components. In this work, the deformation behavior of a new type of tensegrity floor (patent n. 0001426973) was investigated through image analysis and photogrammetry, using stereoscopic algorithms. The main innovation of the proposed tensegrity floor is the structural cooperation between glass tiles and steel components, obtained using suitable adhesive joints. In order to evaluate the deformation of the floor under different loading conditions a non-contact measurement system was developed and validated on a scale prototype of the floor. The used method is a stereoscopic optical technique based on the grid method, the validation was performed comparing the measured displacement with the one measured in the same floor with linear displacement sensors. The stereoscopic images were processed with Matlab®, furthermore, a combination of interpolation algorithms were employed to generate the full-field map of the displacement. Two configurations of the floor (with and without the adhesive joints) and three loading conditions were investigated. The analysis demonstrates that the adhesive joints produce a reduction of the overall deflection of the floor of about 60%, falling within the admissible values established by Italian building code. The measurement system is reasonably accurate and can be used in future applications where linear transducers cannot be installed.

Street Floor Segmentation for a Wheeled Mobile Robot

In urban cities, the information about the type or class of street floors enables a wheeled mobile robot to perform many tasks ranging from traversability region identification, localization and the choice of wheel control strategy. In this paper, we considered a new task named as street floor segmentation (SFS) using an RGB camera. The SFS can be considered as the generalized problem of the existing traversability region identification problem in urban situations. Our SFS has two special classes for the possible application to the traversability region identification and they are traversable and non-traversable curbs. The SFS using an RGB camera is implemented using a real-time semantic segmentation (SS) network. A booster module named as Dynamic Context-based Refinement Module (DCRM) was developed to enhance the performance of the SFS. Our network was applied to real-world applications, and its validity is demonstrated through experiment.

FEATURES OF FLOOR COVERING OF DANCE ROOMS

The article examines the problems of using specialized flooring in rooms for choreography classes. As a result of the study, the influence of the decoration and construction of the floor on the health of dancers and comfort during classes was revealed. Characteristic properties and design features of the main types of floor covering in dance rooms are determined. The dependence between the dance style and the choice of the necessary covering is established. Modern specialized shockabsorbing dance surfaces are considered. Recommendations for the design of the floor covering for the premises of choreographic studios and schools are given. Aim. The purpose of the article is to reveal the basic principles of using mirrors in the interior and their influence on the formation of the interior space. Methodology. For scientific substantiation, the scientometric method was used in this article: an analysis and synthesis of theoretical materials of existing research was carried out, domestic and foreign experience on the topic was considered. The results. The main features and criteria for choosing a floor covering depending on the needs of dance activities are revealed. Scientific novelty. Based on the analysis of scientific literature, the main problems and modern trends regarding the choice of flooring in the interior space as a means of creating a comfortable and safe environment for dance spaces are summarized. Modern developments in the field of specialized covering of dance rooms were studied. Practical significance. The results of the study can be used in the design of the interiors of dance halls

Association between Environmental Factors and Incidence of Diarrhea Among Toddlers in the Working Area of Ambal I Health Center, Kebumen, Center of Java, Indonesia

About 1.7 billion children suffer from diarrhea and diarrhea causes 525,000 toddlers died each year. In 2021 diarrhea in toddlers as much as 34.2% of 357 cases of diarrhea, and in the work area of Ambal 1health center for the last 3 years cases of diarrhea in toddlers have not shown a decrease The purpose of this study was to determine the association between environmental factors and the incidence of diarrhea in toddler in the working area of Ambal I Health Center in 2022. This type of research was analytic observational with a cross sectional approach. The population in this study were toddlers aged 12-59 months who lived in the working area of Ambal I Health Center, Ambal District, Kebumen Regency in 2022. The number of samples taken was 67 samples using the proportional random sampling method. The association test was carried out using the Chi-Square test. The results of this study indicate that there were no significant association between clean water sources (p=0.220), faecal disposal facilities (p=0.717), waste water disposal facilities (p=0.103), waste disposal facilities (p=0.683) and the type of floor of the house (p=0.610) with the incidence of diarrhea in toddler. Environmental factors are not related to the incidence of toddler diarrhea in the working area of Ambal I Health Center, Kebumen ,Center of Java, Indonesia in 2022.

The strong influence of management factors on coccidian infections in smallholder pig farms and the first molecular identification of Cystoisospora suis in Myanmar.

A cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate coccidian infection and associated factors in smallholder pigs, and to identify Cystoisospora oocysts by PCR. A total of 500 pig faecal samples from 330 smallholder farms were collected in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar. The faecal flotation method was used to identify Eimeria and Cystoisospora species, and oocyst counts per gram (OPG) of faeces were recorded. Oocysts were differentiated after sporulation. Oocyst DNA was subjected to ITS1-targeted Cystoisospora-specific PCR. The overall coccidian oocyst detection rate by microscopic was 89.0% (445/500). Among the studied samples, 74.0% (370/500) and 70.6% (353/500), were found to be positive with Eimeria spp. and Cystoisospora suis oocysts, respectively. The sequences of C. suis detected were 100% identical to those of C. suis reported from Japan, and had 99.5% resemblance to sequences from Australia and China. Weaner pigs showed the significantly highest (p < 0.05) OPG when compared to other age groups. The highest intensity of coccidian infection (p < 0.05) was found in pigs fed local feed, pigs raised on earthen floors and pigs under poor hygienic conditions. Factors such as age, breed, feed type, and housing floors were found to be significantly associated with coccidian infection (p < 0.05). Age, as well as management factors including floor type, feed type, and hygiene practices on the farm, had a strong influence on the occurrence of coccidian infection in pigs. This is the first study in Myanmar on coccidian infection in pigs and molecular detection of C. suis.

Spatial characteristics of contemporary prefabricated modular dormitory cells

Prefabricated modular architecture brings diversified opportunities for sustainable university student accommodation. Modern and modular construction systems offer affordable and comfortable housing to students. The housing units form the core construction units of the dormitories. They are made from recycled shipping containers or prefabricated modular blocks that share common characteristics. The accommodation sections of modular dormitories are characterised by efficient sorting of prefabricated cells along horizontal communications. The paper analyses characteristic case studies and defines the predominant floor plan types of modular student accommodation cells. The difference in the layout and operational solutions also results from the specifics of the supporting structures. The aim is to categorise the prevailing floor types of modular accommodation cells and to define the spatial standard of student rooms while maintaining the right measure in the relationship: efficiency ? invention ? user comfort. Attractive interiors can increase the value of college houses. The basis of such projects is to have well-organised floor plans, which are clear and functional, even with regard to their visual effects.

SURVEILLANCE OF BLOOD PARASITES OF NATURALLY-GROWN SMALL RUMINANTS IN SELECTED PROVINCE OF REGION 02

This study aimed to determine the epidemiology and surveillance of blood parasites of naturally-grown small ruminants in selected province of Region 02. Descriptive method through a survey questionnaire and a blood parasite examination was employed. Survey showed that, there were 23 naturally-grown small ruminant farms located at Districts II and III in Cagayan province. Anaplasma spp. and Babesia spp. were the species of blood parasite identified. Test of difference showed that presence of blood parasites was significant with sex of the naturally-grown small ruminants and between Districts. Further, test of relationship showed that types of housing, fence, floor, breeding, and feeding system were significant of the naturally - grown small ruminant farms. Thus, it concludes that the type of management practiced by the farmers results in the present of blood parasite.

Effect of housing enrichment and type of flooring on the performance and behaviour of female rabbits

This study investigated the effect of housing enrichments (scratching card, gnawing material and a platform), of a change in height and in the type of flooring on the live weight, reproductive performance and behaviour of female rabbits, as well as on the feed intake and spatial distribution of females and their kits. A total of 40 multiparous female rabbits were monitored in three consecutive reproductive cycles (48-d intervals). Four days before parturition in each reproductive cycle, the females were randomly assigned to one of the five types of housing: Control (CNT: 102×47×30 cm, L×W× H); Scratching card (SCT: containing a scratching card); Gnawing materials (GNW: CNT dimensions plus a compressed lucerne hay block and a wooden stick); Platform (PLT: 102×47×60 cm, including a platform with a plastic floor) and Combination (CBN: PLT dimensions with the scratching card, the gnawing materials and a platform). Data were only recorded during the first and third reproductive cycles. The living conditions did not significantly alter the females’ live weight (4889 g at housing; 4890 g at mid-lactation; 4867 g at weaning), reproductive performance (9.0 kits born alive), survival of the kits (90%), nor the feed intake of females and their litters (542 g/day). Providing animals with a gnawing block stimulated Gnawing behaviour (median frequency per group: CTL=0.00, SCT=0.00, GNW=4.69, PLT=0.00, and CBN=2.34; PRearing up behaviour (median frequencies per group: CTL=0.00, SCT=0.00, GNW=0.00, PLT=2.08, and CBN=3.12; P=0.06), and when a platform was present, the rabbits used it (mean values per group: CTL=0.00, SCT=0.00, GNW=0.00, PLT=1.79, and CBN=4.91; P=0.003). Regarding the type of floor, females appeared to prefer the plastic mesh flooring (31.2%) to the wire mesh flooring (18.8%). To sum up, providing female rabbits with simple enrichments appears to stimulate specific behaviours like Gnawing and Rearing up and may contribute to their wellbeing.

Faktor Yang Berhubungan Dengan Kejadian Infeksi Saluran Pernapasan Akut (Ispa) Pada Balita Di Puskesmas Fatukanutu Kabupaten Kupang Nusa Tenggar Timur

Acute Respiratory Infection is an acute infection involving the upper respiratory tract organ and lower respiratory tract organ caused by virus, fungi and bactery which always increased on Province of East Nusa Tenggara Timur and ranked first in the top 10 desease in Puskesmas Fatukanutu. This research aimed to know the factors related with incidence of Acute respiratory Infection in the workspace of Puskesmas Fatukanutu District of Kupang. This research used a quantitative method with cross sectional study approach. Samples in this research as many as 86 who got from using purposive sampling techniques. Data collected by using questionnaires and observation sheets. Results of this research were analyzed by using chi square test and showed there was a relationship between smoking habit with incidence of acute respiratory infection on children under five years where the value of p = 0.032.There was no relationship between using firewood with incidence of acute respiratory infection on children under five years where the value of p = 0.535.There was a relationship between the type of floor with incidence of acute respiratory infection on children under five years where the value of p = 0.034. there was a relationship between ventilation with incidence of acute respiratory infection on children under five years where the value of p = 0.000. there was no a relationship between immunization status with incidence of acute respiratory infection on children under five years where the value of p = 0,148 and there was no a relationship between exclusive breastfeeding with incidence of acute respiratory infection on children under five years where the value of p = 0.227. It recommended that community should get more education or information to improve their knowledge about acute respiratory infection.

Relationship of the Physical Environment with the Incidence of ARI in Toddlers

Factors that are closely related to the occurrence of ARI is the physical environment that does not meet health requirements. The group that has a high risk of being exposed to Acute Respiratory Infection (ARI) is toddlers as a vulnerable group because they have more time at home and their immune system is quite weak than adults. This study is aim to at studying the correlation between physical environment with the incidence of ARI toddlers in Kandai Health Center Area, Kendari City. This type of study is analytic with a Cross-Sectional Study plan. The study population was 1.576 people and the sample was 94, using Accidental Sampling. Data testing utilizes the Chi-Square test. Chi-Square test results obtained ventilation (p-value=0.001 and phi value=0.359), population density (p-value=0.002 and phi value=0.348), smoke holes (p-value=0.025 and phi value=0.255), floor types (p-value=0.040 and phi value=0.236) and wall types (p-value=0.012 and phi value=0.282). It means that there is a correlation between ventilation area, population density, smoke holes, wall type and floor type with the occurrence of ARI in toddlers in the Kandai Health Center area, Kendari City. It is expected that the relevant health agencies to play a more role in increasing public knowledge through counseling to reduce the number of cases of ARI disease in toddlers.

Areas of rational operation of steel rolling beams secured against curvatures

Relevance. Beam cages are the most common type of floor covering for working areas of buildings and structures. Based on the results of a critical analysis of the existing methods for calculating and arranging the dimensions of beam cells, it was established that there are no clear recommendations on the rational range of selection of the sizes of beam cells depending on the surface load. The purpose of the study is to present the areas of rational operation of steel rolling beams, secured against buckling, based on the requirements of the calculation by the method of limit states. Methods. The tasks set in the work, aimed at achieving the research goal, are solved by analytical methods, relying on the basic laws of structural mechanics and existing knowledge about the actual operation of steel rolling beams under load. Methods of mathematical statistics were used to construct the main dependencies presented on the nomograms. Results. Areas of rational operation of steel rolling beams, secured against curvatures, are determined. The area of rational operation of beams is presented in the form of nomograms, which allow at the design stage to use a beam cell of maximum dimensions. As a criterion for rationalization, the criterion of the simultaneous satisfaction of the accepted section of the beam with the requirements of two groups of limiting states with minimum reserves was chosen. A refined algorithm for the layout of the beam cages and a refined method for calculating the cross-section of rolled beams are proposed, which make it possible to arrange the dimensions of the beam cage with a minimum steel consumption. The increase in the overall dimensions of the cells of the working platforms is substantiated.

Real-Time LSTM-RNN Classification of Floors With Different Friction Coefficients for a Walking Humanoid Robot Wearing a 3D Force System

In the study of biped humanoid robots it is crucial to achieve high precision and robustness in locomotion. Humanoid robots that operate in real world environments need to be able to physically recognize different grounds to best adapt their gait without losing their dynamic stability. This work proposes a technique to classify in real time the type of floor from a set of possibilities learnt off-line. Hence, the paper describes the collection and preparation of a dataset of contact forces, obtained with a wearable instrumented system, mixed with the information of the robot internal inertial sensor to classify the type of underlying surface of a walking humanoid robot. For this classification, the data are acquired for four different slippery floors at a rate of 100 Hz and it is used as input for a long short-term memory (LSTM) recurrent neural network (RNN). After testing different learning models architectures and tuning the models parameters, a good mapping between inputs and targets is achieved with a test classification accuracy greater than 92%. A real time experiment is presented to demonstrate the suitability of the proposed approach for the multi-classification problem addressed.

Seroprevalence and risk factors for Neospora caninum and Toxoplasma gondii in goats of Maranhão State, Brazil

We estimated the seroprevalence and possible risk factors for neosporosis and toxoplasmosis in goats in the state of Maranhão, Brazil. In addition, the variables related to these animals and the management of the farm were investigated in terms of the significance of the associations. In total, 383 serum samples from goats, of both sexes and different ages, were collected from 15 farms in four municipalities. The indirect immunofluorescence test was used for antibody detection against Neospora caninum and Toxoplasma gondii. The overall seroprevalence of N. caninum in goats was 26.4% (101/382; IC 95% 22.3-31.1), and 114 out of 383 serum samples were T. gondii-seropositive (29.8%, IC 95% 25.4-34.5). In addition, the seroprevalence of coinfection of T. gondii and N. caninum in goats was 8.6% (33/382; IC 95% 6.2-11.8). The risk factors significantly associated with the seroprevalence of N. caninum were age, type of sheepfold floor, rearing system, feeding, pasture area cultivated, cats having access to the feed deposits, worming, slaughter place of the animals, history of abortion and the presence of dogs and cats. Regarding the seroprevalence of T. gondii infection, age, category, presence of other species and purpose of breeding were the risk factors. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the seroprevalence and risk factors for N. caninum and T. gondii in goats in the state of Maranhão, Brazil, which provides basic data for the implementation of strategies and control measures against neosporosis and toxoplasmosis.

The Relationship between Environmental Sanitation and the Incidence of Diarrhea in Toddlers

Diarrhea is defecation three or more times in one day with a liquid consistency which is one of the infectious diseases that causes death in infants and toddlers, at the Rowosari II Health Center is one of the areas where the number of diarrhea sufferers has increased from 2018-2020. that is as many as 115 people to 125 people. Factors that influence the incidence of diarrhea in toddlers include clean water sources, latrine ownership facilities, and the type of floor. This study aims to determine the relationship between environmental sanitation and the incidence of diarrhea in children under five in the Rowosari II health center. This type of analytic observational research with a cross-sectional approach, with a questionnaire measuring instrument, processed by univariate and bivariate tests, and chi-square test, if it does not meet the requirements then the fishers exact test. The results of the study on 40 respondents who were the patient population of Rowosari II Health Center, it was found that there was a relationship between clean water sources (Pvalue = 0.029) with the incidence of diarrhea in children under five at Rowosari II Health Center during the last six months, and there was no relationship between latrine ownership facilities (Pvalue). = 1.00) and the type of floor (Pvalue = 0.746) (Odds Ratio 95% CI = 1.160 (0.475–2.830) with the incidence of diarrhea in children under five at the Rowosari II Health Center during the last six months. Parents of children under five are expected to better maintain the hygiene conditions of toddlers as well as the environment and related agencies in order to improve health promotion regarding clean, healthy living behavior and using water sources from PAMSIMAS.

Radon Mass and Surface Exhalation Rates in Ceramic Tiles available in Ibadan and associated Radiological Hazards

Radon mass and surface exhalation rates in selected ceramic tiles commonly used in Ibadan Southwest Nigeria were determined and the associated radiological parameters estimated. Forty-five samples of different types of floor and wall tiles were obtained from local markets. Each prepared sample was sealed an airtight radon sample container and kept for 28 days before analyses were carried out using a radon monitor (SARAD Radon Scout Plus).

The Effect of House Ventilation and Floor Type on the Event of Measles in Jember District

Measles is a disease caused by the measles virus from the Paramyxovirus family, genus Morbilivirus. Measles is one of the communicable disease and one of the main causes of death in children under five. Jember Regency is one of the contributors to measles cases which is quite high, namely in 2015 there were 109 cases, in 2016 there were 266 cases. From 2017 to July there were 342 cases of measles. The incidence is very high compared to 2016. The purpose of the study was to analyze the effect of house ventilation and floor type on the incidence of measles in Jember Regency. The type of research is observational analytic using a Case Control approach which was carried out in the work area of ​​the Jember District Health Center where measles outbreaks occurred in 2017 namely Silo 2 Health Center, Rambi Puji Health Center, Arjasa Health Center, Panti Health Center, Sabrang Health Center, Jelbuk Health Center and Sukorambi Health Center. Samples taken were 100 respondents consisting of 50 case respondents and 50 control respondents. Research data sourced from primary and secondary data, research data collection using questionnaires and documentation studies. Processing and analyzing data using Logistics Regression test with a significance level of 5% (α=0.05). The results showed that house ventilation (p value = 0.005) had an effect on the incidence of measles in Jember Regency. Home ventilation has an effect on the incidence of measles because some respondents live in homes with inappropriate ventilation and most of them live in homes with ventilation 10% of the floor area.

Field investigations on operational performance of a novel radiant floor heating equipment applied in a typical office building

Low-temperature radiant heating systems are widely used in buildings with significant energy conservation, and they are convenient for the utilization of low-grade energy resources and household metering. In this study, the practical application of a novel radiant floor heating system (RFHS) in cold regions is investigated via construction of an experimental platform for energy consumption and thermal comfort in an office building in Tianjin, China. The results indicated that the novel radiant floor exhibits higher heating capacity and heat transfer coefficient than that of a traditional radiant floor. During the experiment, the average indoor temperature was 25.0°C in the office room and 22.7°C in the conference room, and all instantaneous indoor temperatures exceeded 21°C. To avoid local thermal discomfort, the supply water temperature of the floor can be appropriately decreased by 2–3°C for operation. Additionally, the power consumption of the system is decreased by approximately 11.4% if the indoor temperature is decreased to 20°C. Hence, a 10-h operation mode per day can be adopted in the office building for energy conservation given that the novel radiant floor exhibits superior initial response to intermittent operation. Practical application: In this study, the practical application effect of a new type of water-passing floor is examined in cold regions to provide a design reference for engineering applications. Therefore, it is expected that the results will be helpful to researchers for indoor environments, heating, ventilating, and air conditioning engineers, system manufacturers, and those who want to analyze the operational performance of a radiant floor heating system.

Effect of birth spacing on the pelvic floor type Ⅰ and type Ⅱ fiber muscle strength of postpartum women with parities of two in different delivery modes

Objective: To speculate the effect of birth spacing on the pelvic floor type Ⅰ and Ⅱ fiber muscle strength of postpartum women with parities of two in different delivery modes. Methods: Totally 2 361 parturients who were investigated in Xuzhou Central Hospital from June 2016 to December 2020 were included in the questionnaire, clinical examination and pelvic floor surface electromyography assessment. According to the interval years between two parities and the pelvic floor typeⅠ and Ⅱ fiber muscle strength under different modes of delivery, curve fitting function equation was performed using curve regression method. The accuracy of the equation was verified by the receiver operating characteristic curve and the maximum area under the curve, and calculating the relative error rate. Results: A total of 2 357 parturients were included in the study and were divided into 4 groups based on delivery modes, women with both normal vaginal delivery were assigned to group A (589 cases); women with a first vaginal delivery and a second cesarean section were assigned to group B (480 cases); women with both cesarean deliveries were assigned to group C (1 273 cases); women with a first cesarean section and a second vaginal delivery were assigned to group D (15 cases). All of the curve fitting results were quadratic curves, and the appropriate interval years were selected when the muscle strength of type Ⅰ muscle fibers was>35 μV and that of type Ⅱ muscle fibers was>40 μV: 6-8 years in the group A, 5-10 years in the group B, and 1-11 years in the group C. The peak values of the quadratic curve were as follows: 7-8 years in the group A, 7-8 years in the group B, and 6 years in the group C. The maximum area under the curve of the function equations were all>0.6 (all P<0.05), the average relative error rate was 4.909%. Conclusions: The pelvic floor function of postpartum women with parities of two increases firstly and then decreases over time, showing a quadratic curve shape. In order to protect the pelvic floor function, the appropriate interval of birth spacing is 6-8 years.