BACKGROUND The effectiveness of acaricides in homes is controversial. OBJECTIVE To determine whether disodium octaborate tetrahydrate (DOT) combined with vacuuming lowers dust mite numbers and their allergens in carpets and sofas. METHODS A 6-month study was carried out with 93 homes, which were randomized into three groups: (i). active, received DOT; (ii). placebo, received water; and (iii...

OBJECTIVE There is little information regarding the isolation of antimicrobial-resistant potentially pathogenic bacteria from water and carpets of mosques worldwide. The objective of the present investigation is to determine the bacteriological quality of water and carpets of mosques in Elkhomes city in Libya. METHODS Potentially pathogenic bacteria were isolated from water samples (n=44) and...

In 1836 Henry Fox Talbot, an inventor of photography, published the results of some experiments in optics that he had previously demonstrated at a British Association meeting in Bristol. "It was very curious to observe that though the grating was greatly out of the focus of the lens...the appearance of the bands was perfectly distinct and well defined...the experiments are communicated in the h...

In this paper we present a novel 3D scanner to capture the texture characteristics of worn carpets into images of the depth. We first compare our proposed scanner to a Metris scanner previously attempted for this application. Then, we scan the surface of samples from the standard EN1471 using our proposed scanner. We found that our proposed scanner offers additional benefits because it has been...

Optimal texture analysis algorithms for describing degradation of carpets are identified. Experimental design is applied to select from a set of texture analysis algorithms those optimal for identifying texture changes due to degradation of carpets. The degree of wear of a degraded carpet is quantified by comparing its texture to the original texture. The set of texture algorithms is applied on...

We calculate the Assouad dimension of the self-affine carpets of Bedford and McMullen, and of Lalley and Gatzouras. We also calculate the conformal Assouad dimension of those carpets that are not self-similar.

BACKGROUND Falls are a leading cause of unintentional injury among adults age 65 years and older. Loose, unsecured rugs and damaged carpets with curled edges, are recognized environmental hazards that may contribute to falls. To characterize nonfatal, unintentional fall-related injuries associated with rugs and carpets in adults aged 65 years and older. METHODS We conducted a retrospective an...

Talbot and Talbot-Lau effects are frequently used in lensless imaging applications with light, ultrasound, x-rays, atoms and molecules--generally in situations where refractive optical elements are non-existent or not suitable. We here show an experimental visualization of the intriguing wave patterns that are associated with near-field interferometry behind a single periodic diffraction gratin...

BACKGROUND Carpets are large reservoirs of the dust mite allergen Der p 1. The effect of vacuum cleaning on the distribution of Der p 1 in carpets is poorly understood. METHODS Samples were cut from 7 used household carpets, all over 5 years of age. From each carpet, 10 samples were left untreated, 10 vacuumed with an upright vacuum cleaner, and 10 vacuumed with a canister vacuum cleaner. Eac...

Handwoven carpets as one of the main export items Iran during Qajar period underwent significant integration with world economy after a series foreign companies were established. As result, design, pattern, dyeing, and even weaving techniques changed significantly. There have not been enough considerations all these effects so far. We investigate such process had on Iranian (patterns, sizes, co...