Floor Type Research Articles

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.

Seroprevalence and Risk Factors Associated with Canine Leishmaniasis in Egypt.

Background: Canine leishmaniasis (CanL) is caused by Leishmania infantum (L. infantum) that is transmitted by sand fly vectors with dogs acting as the main reservoir. Methods: The present study aimed to determine the seroprevalence of CanL in dogs from Egypt and assessed the associated risk factors. The study was conducted from 2019 to 2020 in five governorates situated in Northern Egypt. Serum samples from 450 asymptomatic dogs were serologically examined by use of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results: Overall, the seroprevalence rate of CanL was 21.3% and the highest rates were observed in Cairo and Giza governorates. The univariable analysis revealed that the seropositivity of CanL was strongly related to the dogs’ ages, length of hair, absence of veterinary care or application of insecticides, and the type of floor of their shelters. The risk factors that were found to be associated with CanL in exposed dogs were: age group 2–4 years old (OR = 12, 95% CI: 1.6–92.3); short hair (OR = 2.07, 95% CI: 1.2–3.6); absence of veterinary care (OR = 2.7, 95% CI: 1.3–5.8); no application of insecticides (OR = 3.09, 95% CI: 1.5–6.5) and their residence in a shelter with an earthen floor (OR = 1.42, 95% CI: 0.7–2.9). Conclusions: Based on the present results, CanL is present in Egyptian dogs and this increases the possibility of transmission by sand fly to humans with whom they have contact. Consequently, an efficient monitoring programme and effective control measures are important to reduce the risk of infection.

Effect of floor types and seasons on behavioural activities of Surti goats

Present study was conducted to assess effect of floor types on behaviour of Surti goats under stall-feeding system in cold, hot dry and hot humid seasons. Adult dry Surti goats (27) were divided randomly on body weight (20-30 kg) basis in three treatment groups (T1: earthen floor, T2: brick floor and T3: cement concrete floor). In each treatment, six goats were selected for behavioural observations. Different behavioural patterns exhibited by goats were recorded continuously for 24 h by mini PTZ IR camera in each experimental phase. Time spent in each of the behavioural categories were recorded, i.e. feeding, drinking, standing, lying, moving and agonistic behaviour. Feeding time (min./d) was significantly higher in goats reared on brick (319.83±17.58) and cement concrete (316.22±16.02) floor but dry matter intake (g/min.) (2.92±0.11) was significantly higher in goats reared on earthen floor. Standing time (min./d) in covered area was significantly higher on brick floor. Time spent by goats for lying (min./d) in covered area on earthen (712.17±51.92) and cement concrete (855.83±20.19) floor was comparable but significantly higher as compared to brick floor (338.56±70.98). Time spent for lying (min./d) in covered area was significantly higher in summer season (786.78±45.02). Irrespective of floor and season, goats spent maximum time for lying (55.49%), standing (22.52%) and feeding (21.07%) whereas minimum time spent for other activities. The results indicated that earthen and cement concrete floor were better in terms of welfare and comfort level of goats under stall-fed rearing system.

HUBUNGAN FAKTOR LINGKUNGAN DENGAN KEJADIAN PENYAKIT ISPA PADA MASYARAKAT DESA NANIA KOTA AMBON TAHUN 2020

ARI is an acute infection that attacks the respiratory tract, namely the organs that start from the nose to the alveoli along with the adnexa. In general, the risk factors for ARI are physical environmental factors, host factors, agent factors and social environmental factors, physical environmental factors, namely indoor air pollution. , the physical condition of the house. The purpose of this research is to find out how the correlation of knowledge and the environment with the incidence of ARI in the community in Nania Village, Ambon City. The research design used in this research is descriptive analytic research with a cross sectional approach. This research was carried out in Nania Village, Ambon City in July-August 2020. The research sample used was 60 people. The sampling method in this study was simple random sampling. From the research results, it was found that there was a relationship between the incidence of ARI and room occupancy density, a value of 0.000 was obtained, there was a relationship with the type of floor, a value of 0.000 was obtained, there was a relationship with the type of wall, a value of 0.000 was obtained, there was a relationship with the ceiling of the house, a value of 0.000 was obtained, there is a lighting relationship obtained a value of 0.000. So it can be concluded that there is a significant relationship with the incidence of ARI in the Nania village community, Ambon city.&#x0D;

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ENVIRONMENTAL SANITATION WITH THE EVENT OF DIARRHEA IN TODDLERS

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between the environment and the incidence of diarrhea in children under five in the working area of ​​the Nogosari Public Health Center, Boyolali Regency. This research method uses an observational design with a cross sectional approach. The subjects of this study were housewives who had toddlers and had suffered from diarrhea with a population of 328 people. The results showed that there was a relationship between drinking water sources (p = 0.001), latrine ownership (p = 0.018), type of house floor (p = 0.001). 0.036) with the incidence of diarrhea in children under five and there is no relationship between the physical quality of clean water (p = 0.307) with the incidence of diarrhea in children under five

Biological notes of bone grafting in oral surgery

Introduction: the article presents the results of the outcomes analysis of bone grafting for dental implants, review some technical and biological factors that caused the success in this oral surgery. Also describes the different types of the maxillary sinus floor, «micro-window» technique for sinus-lifting and local bone modifying. This current aims to evaluate clinical outcomes after various bone grafting techniques for dental implan-tation, as well as to analyze the biological success factors of these surgery.Materials and methods:134 bone grafting surgeries were performed - 23 men and 73 women. The patients were divided into 4 groups according to the methods: Guided Bone Regeneration (GBR); Bone Block (BB) transplantation; micro-window Sinus-lifting (mwSL); Local Bone Modifying (LBM).Results: The operations of the GBR and BB together showed an unsuccessful result in 72.36% of cases, while the bad outcomes of the mwSL and LBM operations were 7.7%. The better results were in groups with mwSL (success in 97.5%) and LBM surgery (87.1%).Conclusion:This demonstrates the clinical importance and effectiveness of various bone grafting methods. GBR and BB are less predictable in success, in contrast to mwSL and LBM, which we recommend. However, the factors affect the success of this surgery require further study.

Effect of rubber and concrete flooring on resting behavior, hock injuries, and milk production of primiparous Friesian crossbred dairy cows housed in a free-stall barn in Mid-Country, Sri Lanka.

The floor surface of the cubicle is a detrimental factor on cow comfort. The effects of two floor types, rubber and concrete, on dairy cow comfort and milk production were compared for a period of 13weeks. Fourteen Friesian crossbred dairy cows with an average body weight of 425.67 ± 61.12kg (mean ± SD), nose to tail body length of 2.07 ± 0.15m, rump height of 1.29 ± 0.02m, hook bone width of 0.48 ± 0.05m, and body condition score (BCS) of 4.13 ± 0.44 were used, with seven cows per flooring treatment. The cows produced a mean of 15.93 ± 4.03l/cow/day and a constant feeding plan was practiced. The swelling and wound severity of hocks diminished (P < 0.05) starting at the third and tenth weeks, respectively. Daily lying time/h (concrete: 9.67 ± 1.24, rubber: 10.60 ± 0.69, P = 0.046) and average duration of lying bouts/min increased (concrete: 58.16 ± 7.74, rubber: 65.66 ± 9.85, P = 0.050) starting from the twelfth week on rubber bedding. Prevalence of mastitis, lameness, and cow cleanliness remained unchanged on floor treatments. A progressive increase in daily milk production/l (concrete: 13.37 ± 1.46, rubber: 16.67 ± 2.24, P = 0.007) of cows in rubber bedding was observed at the fourth week of the experiment. Hence, the current study suggests that the use of softer bedding such as rubber mats could improve cow comfort and daily milk production of cows.

Analisis Faktor Risiko Lingkungan Rumah Dan Praktek Penccgahan Yang Berhubungan Dengan Kejadian Tuberkulosis Paru Di Distrik Nabirc Kabupaten Nabire Provinsi Papua Tahun 20I0

Based on the data ofNabire District Health Office concerning findings of cases in 2009 which are recorded as TB type patients: Positive BTA Pulmonary TB 209, Positive BTA relapsed TB 3, Negative BTA but positive Rontgen about 625 cases, Extra Pulmonary Pediatric patients 72 and 175 with total number for all cases of each type of TB patients about 1083 persons. The aim of this study is to analyse the risk factors of home environment Pulmonary Tuberculosis related Prevention Practices in Nabire Regency. The research design was observasionally retrospective study with case control study design. All of the patients who had been diagnosed as Positive BTA Pulmonary TB through microscopic examination both in the hospitaJ or Community Health Center (Puskesmas) laboratory were taken as the sample of the study, in January - July 2010 periode. Matching separation that based on age and gender, the control group member is each person who more or less has the same characteristic with the case group, live at Nabire district and 15 years of aged, as part of the case group neighbours but does not suffer pulmonary TB. The results indicate a signicantly relationship between occupation density (p = 0,001); OR= 4,376), in room ventilation (p = 0,001; OR&#x0D; = 3,541), in house ventilation (p = 0,017; OR= 2,637), in room lighting intensity (p = 0,017; OR= 2,615), in house lighting intensity (p = 0,002; OR= 3,455), in room hwnidity (p = 0,037; OR = 2,406), in house humudity (p = 0,001 ; OR = 4,376), presence of window in room (p= 0,002; OR= 3,500), in room temperature (p = 0,131; OR= 2,143), in house temperature (p = 0,001; OR= 3,984) with incidence of Pulmonary Tuberculosis. There is no relationship between floor type (p = 0,001; OR = 4,376) and separation room (p = 0,851;OR = 0,869) with the incidence of Pulmonary Tuberculosis.&#x0D; It is suggested to attempt the increment of Pulmonary tuberculosis findings, improvement of house environtment condition with emphasized on sanitation aspect of healthy house at the time of build, and increase clean and healthy behaviours.

Seismic vulnerability index method for hybrid timber–masonry structures. Numerical calibration and application to the city of Valparaíso, Chile

This paper presents a procedure for the extension of the Vulnerability Index Method (VIM) to the seismic assessment of hybrid timber–masonry buildings. The research is based on the execution of a detailed numerical study of this peculiar structural typology to identify the classes and calibrate the scores assigned to influential vulnerability parameters, namely the irregularities of the structural system, the type of floor, and the state of conservation of the building. A sensitivity analysis of the seismic capacity is developed by performing pushover analyses with several models corresponding to realistic variations of each structural or material parameter. The seismic performance of the buildings is analysed by the N2 Method. This methodology leads to the proposal of a new calibrated vulnerability index form that, together with those existing in literature for masonry and reinforced concrete structures, can be used for the seismic assessment of heterogeneous urban environments. The proposed VIM is applied to the assessment of 111 buildings located in the historical centre of the city of Valparaíso, Chile. The computation of the vulnerability index allows a fast evaluation of the seismic vulnerability of the urban buildings. The results plotted on vulnerability maps built within a GIS environment allows the assessment of the impact of potential collapses on the serviceability of two emergency evacuation routes included in the civil protection plans of the city.

Study of the shear behaviour of floor diaphragms in light steel residential buildings

AbstractSteel housing solutions made of thin‐walled cold‐formed profiles (CFS) appear to be very competitive in seismic areas due to their lightweight and the associated reduced mass. This non‐negligible advantage associated with the competitive costs and the ease of erection made popular this type of building solution. Aimed at investigating the potential of these structural systems, in recent years, several extensive studies of the lateral response of shear walls were carried out. On the contrary, little attention was paid to the behavior of the floor diaphragms and on their contribution to the overall building response. The University of Trento, in the framework of a wider research project aimed at the development of a residential building system made of CFS profiles, investigated the response of CFS floor systems subjected to in plane shear loading. Four types of floors characterized by two different beams systems and two different types of deck were tested in both monotonic and cyclic regime. Experimental results enabled the calibration of FE models simulating both the floor components and the whole floors. In this paper, the main features and outcomes of the tests and of the numerical analyses are presented and discussed.

Analisis faktor lingkungan terhadap kejadian kecacingan pada murid Sekolah Dasar di Kelurahan Seberang Tembilahan Kabupaten Indragiri Hilir

This study aims to analyze the influence of physical environmental factors (clean water facilities, latrine conditions, SPAL conditions, type of house floor, household waste management), economic factors (family income) and social environmental factors (nail hygiene, use of footwear, washing habits hands with soap, bowel habits) against helminthiasis in elementary school students in Seberang Tembilahan Village, Indragiri Hilir Regency. The research location was conducted in Seberang Tembilahan Sub-District, Indragiri Hilir Regency in January to February 2020. The study used a survey method. The analytical method used is univariate analysis, bivariate analysis with Chi Square (Fisher) and multivariate analysis with logistic regression. The results of the study of 72 elementary school students in 4 elementary schools who were examined by laboratory feces, found positive results of worm infestation of 23.61% or 17 students. The final results of the model test showed that although the clean water facilities and toilet conditions were not significant, the two variables influenced each other, it was possible that there was an interaction between the two variables in influencing the incidence of helminthiasis in elementary school students. The variable that most affected the incidence of helminthiasis in elementary school students was the latrine condition with adjusted OR of 4.01 so that respondents whose conditions did not meet the requirements were 4.01 times more likely to experience helminthiasis compared to conditions that were eligible after being controlled by other variables. Simultaneously the two variables (clean water facilities and latrine conditions) can explain the variation of helminthiasis in elementary students by 9.9%.

The Impact Of Environmental Sanitation On Diarrhea In Toddlers

Diarrhea is still a health problem and a cause of death in children under five. Unfavorable environmental sanitation can lead to a high incidence of diarrhea. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between environmental sanitation and the incidence of diarrhea in children under five in the work area of ​​the Nogosari Community Health Center, Boyolali Regency. This research method uses an observational design with a cross sectional approach. The subjects of this study were housewives who had toddlers and had suffered from diarrhea in the period June - December 2020 with a population of 328 people. The sample selection by simple random sampling resulted in a sample of 60 people. Test statistics using Chi Square with the help of computer software. The results showed that there was a relationship between the source of drinking water (p=0.001), latrine ownership (p=0.018), type of house floor (p=0.036) and the incidence of diarrhea in children under five and there was no relationship between the physical quality of clean water (p=0.307 ) with the incidence of diarrhea in infants

Utilizing of Digital Printing Techniques to Create Customize Designs for Textile Floor Covering

Industry researchers estimate that the global Textile covering flooring market size was estimated at USD 84.49 billion in 2018 and expected to register a CAGR of 3.2% from 2020 to 2025. Rising demand for carpet tiles on account of availability in a range of colors, patters, and textures is expected to drive the growth. Textile covering flooring manufacturers are involved into production of different products including carpets and area rugs which such as roll goods, carpet tiles, bath mates, and broadlooms among others. Carpet tiles and broadloom are the majorly used Textile covering floorings on account of superior attributes, such as flexibility and dimensional stability. While tufting covering floor about 90% share of this volume, and 7% needle punch covering floor 50% of tufting and needle punch covering floor printed. &nbsp; &nbsp;While digital printing currently amounts to about 2% share of this volume, digital printing continues to expand with the movement from mass-production to mass customization of printed goods. &nbsp;Offset/gravure to inkjet/laser printing technology, digital carpet printing offers new creative possibilities for printing over traditional screen-printing. As a result, digital printing enables a shift from printing in large scale manufacturing facilities to smaller cottage businesses focusing on specialty printing Applications. In today’s digital technology age, there is greater demand for better technology and faster turnaround cycles in terms of mass production, mass customization and cost effectiveness for the textile, apparel and printing sectors, and will be in carpet also. (THE FUTURE OF PRINTING @ ITMA 2019). Some reasons for why digital printed is suitable for carpet customize. Short run printing advantage: Digital Textile floor covering printing efficiently produces designs at run lengths as low as one yard of carpet without the need for screen changes. Lower water and power consumption: Digital Textile floor covering printing eliminates the substantial amount of water and electrical energy one requires for rotary screen or chromo jet preparation, printing and cleanup. Even greater water and power savings can be achieved with disperse/sublimation and pigment Digital Textile floor covering inks, which only require a heat-fixation step for post treatment. Less chemical waste: Digital Textile floor covering printing results in significantly less ink usage and waste Relative to screen and chromo jet -printing. Taking into account the additional chemistry and chemical waste from Screen production, printing digitally offers a greener advantage for printing. Large repeat sizes: Digital textile printers can print large designs (e.g. cartoon characters on Runners and Area Rug) on roll wall to wall carpet without the usual rotary screen-printing limitation in pattern repeat size. Reduced production space requirements: By not having to prepare and store customer screens for future use, the production footprint for digital printing is a fraction of the size one requires for a rotary screen print facility. Less printed inventory needed: Digital Textile floor covering printing permits the option to print a design at will. This means that manufacturers with an integrated digital printing system in their production chain can keep a stock of unprinted textiles on hand to print as required. This reduces the need for pre-printed inventory of Textile floor covering that may or may not be used. Sampling and production done on same printer: By being able to print samples (strike-offs) on the same printer one uses for production, digital Textile floor covering print shops can present their customers with proof samples of designs that will exactly match the final printed material. Print flexibility: Printing houses utilizing all-digital, chromo jet and screen technologies can choose to print a small quantity of designs with different color combinations (colorways) first with their digital Textile floor covering printing solutions for test the market. They can later opt to print higher volumes of the most desired color designs using chromo jet or rotary screen technology. Variety of creative design choices for printing: Digital Textile floor covering printing provides the option to print photographic/continuous tone images, spot color pattern designs or a combination of both. This expands the creative printing alternatives for carpet and interior designers. Low capital investment: The relatively low capital investment to setup a digital Textile floor covering print shop, especially compared to rotary screen-printing production, makes it possible to start small and expand as business grows special in scatter rug, bath mat and tiles. The research deals with the following axes: Definition of digital printing and its uses. Comparison between traditional and digital printing methods Conducting many technical experiments of digital printing on different types of textile floor covering. The use of digital printing of textile floor covering in the field of small industries

Microbial Substrate Utilization and Vegetation Shifts in Boreal Forest Floors of Western Canada

Boreal forest soils are highly susceptible to global warming, and in the next few decades, are expected to face large increases in temperature and transformative vegetation shifts. The entire boreal biome will migrate northward, and within the main boreal forest of Western Canada, deciduous trees will replace conifers. The main objective of our research was to assess how these vegetation shifts will affect functioning of soil microbial communities and ultimately the overall persistence of boreal soil carbon. In this study, aspen and spruce forest floors from the boreal mixedwood forest of Alberta were incubated in the laboratory for 67 days without (control) and with the addition of three distinct 13C labeled substrates (glucose, aspen leaves, and aspen roots). Our first objective was to compare aspen and spruce substrate utilization efficiency (SUE) in the case of a labile C source (13C-glucose). For our second objective, addition of aspen litter to spruce forest floor mimicked future vegetation shifts, and we tested how this would alter substrate use efficiency in the spruce forest floor compared to the aspen. Tracking of carbon utilization by microbial communities was accomplished using 13C-PLFA analysis, and 13C-CO2 measurements allowed quantification of the relative contribution of each added substrate to microbial respiration. Following glucose addition, the aspen community showed a greater 13C-PLFA enrichment than the spruce throughout the 67-day incubation. The spruce community respired a greater amount of 13C glucose, and it also had a much lower glucose utilization efficiency compared to the aspen. Following addition of aspen litter, in particular aspen leaves, the aspen community originally showed greater total 13C-PLFA enrichment, although gram positive phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) were significantly more enriched in the spruce community. While the spruce community respired a greater amount of the added 13C-leaves, both forest floor types showed comparable substrate utilization efficiencies by Day 67. These results indicate that a shift from spruce to aspen may lead to a greater loss of the aspen litter through microbial respiration, but that incorporation into microbial biomass and eventually into the more persistent soil carbon pool may not be affected.

Can Assets Determine Family Happiness?

Ownership of assets can be assessed as the success of individual achievement in his life goals. It certainly can make individuals feel satisfied with the efforts they have made. Life satisfaction is one of the dimensions used by BPS to measure happiness. Thus, this study will analyze the effect of asset ownership on happiness. The data used in this study are data from the Indonesia Family Life Survey (IFLS) wave 5 of 2014. Analysis of the model in this study uses logistic regression for analysis in Java and outside Java Island. This study found that ownership of assets (jewelry, savings, vehicles, receivables), health, gender of the head of the household, type of residential, mobile phone, television, and access to the internet have a significant effect on household happiness. At the same time, other assets (houses/other buildings, land), number of household members, type of floor, and residential area (urban, rural) have no effect in determining of happiness of the household. The finding in this study also states that the probability of household happiness will be higher outside Java Island.

Evaluation of timber floor in-plane retrofitting interventions on the seismic response of masonry structures by DEM analysis: a case study

The seismic response of existing masonry structures is strongly influenced by floor and roof in-plane properties. A strengthening intervention is often needed for traditional timber floors to overcome their low in-plane stiffness and to preserve historical buildings. In this study, the effects of unreinforced and reinforced timber floors on the seismic behaviour of an existing listed masonry building are investigated with dynamic non-linear analyses by means of the Discrete Element Method (DEM). With this approach, the failure processes and collapse sequences of masonry structures can be captured in detail. A previously developed model of the floor cyclic behaviour, based on experimental data, is applied herein to DEM models of the masonry building. Different seismic ground accelerations, different floor types and different floor-to-wall connections are considered. The results highlight the effectiveness of the analysed floor strengthening solution in reducing the out-of-plane displacements of masonry walls. With adequate connections, the reinforced floor is able to transfer the seismic forces to the shear-resistant walls up to the shear-sliding collapse of the structural sidewalls. A comparison with the ideal rigid diaphragm case confirms the good performance of the strengthened floors. The small observed out-of-plane displacements are compatible with the masonry wall capacity, and the reinforced floor hysteretic cycles contribute to dissipate part of the input energy. Moreover, different designs of the connections can also cap the transferred seismic forces to an acceptable level for shear-resistant walls.