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The purpose of this paper is to summarise some of the major scientific research projects that identify the value of pet ownership and pet interaction to older people with a view to disseminating such findings to health professionals and care workers engaged in the welfare of older people.

A review of findings from major international studies across a number of health related disciplines.

Pets may serve significant functions that enhance the physical, emotional and social well-being of older people. With recognition from health professionals, pet ownership may rank highly amongst those elements which should be preserved wherever possible.

The dissemination of the importance of pet ownership to the health and well-being of older people, with special implications for policy development amongst care providers.

Plant and equipment theft (PET) is inherent throughout the construction sector. Its effect places direct financial burden on those who have invested in such assets, but additionally, induces “indirect” costs for many other stakeholders including project owners, plant hirers and construction managers. The paper's objective is to take and discuss a snapshot of PET, the overriding aim being to aid greater understanding of it and in particular, the application of (post‐theft) recovery technologies.

Descriptive case study data are considered along with informal, anecdotal evidence provided by practitioners. These data are qualitatively considered; observations are discussed; a model representation of PET and recovery is developed; and conclusions are drawn.

Plant and equipment thieves are shown to be audacious and determined, but it is identified that in addressing these characteristics, recent advances in plant security and recovery technologies (PSRT) have been significant. Arguably, PSRT are not being adopted as broadly as they should be to offset the PET problem.

The formal model of PET might help inform future academic endeavour in the subject of plant and equipment management generally and PET specifically.

The model suggests that more widespread use of PSRT may not only help defeat plant thieves, but additionally help recover stolen assets and identify organised criminal networks.

The work is novel in setting and will be of interest to both academics and practitioners in the field.

The purpose of this article is to show how children's health and wellbeing are continuously influenced by violence, divorce, family transience, environmental concerns, terrorism within and outside the country's borders and, most recently, threats of and acts of war. This study investigates the perceived needs of fourth‐grade elementary schoolchildren regarding selected questions concerning loss.

A three‐question survey was developed to collect data gathered from children through written responses, and to identify common themes or individual responses about their understanding of, and perceived needs in learning about, loss. A total of 97 fourth‐grade girls and boys at a suburban Long Island public school district participated in the study. The data were subject to qualitative data analysis.

Both girls and boys defined loss in many terms other than, and including, loss through death. Relationship loss and loss of objects that held meaning for the children were their most common responses. When asked what they knew about loss, the children first identified the emotions and feelings around loss, second the causes and consequences of loss, and third placed value judgments on loss. In responding to what they wanted to know about loss, the children asked: first, why it exists at all, second, more about the emotional reactions to loss, and third, the possibilities of future loss experiences.

The study revealed a willingness on the part of the children to give voice to their many thoughts and questions surrounding issues of loss in a public school health education setting. Recommendations are made for a more in‐depth study to facilitate understanding of the nature of loss and its correlates among nine‐to‐ten‐year old children.

This study aims to study the simultaneous treatment of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fabric with sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and TiO₂ nanoparticles (NPs).

PET fabrics loaded by TiO₂ NPs were investigated by the use of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) and Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Factors affecting the finishing process such as NaOH and TiO₂ NPs concentrations, finishing duration and temperature were discussed.

The finished PET fabrics imparted new properties such as antimicrobial and ultraviolet protection factor protection, what is undoubtedly will increase the spread of this type of fabric and its use in new areas.

The method used mainly depends on activating the surface of PET fabrics by a chemical method, specifically NaOH to cause partial decomposition, which may lead to an environmental impact.

The obtained results revealed that the simultaneous treatment of PET fabric with NaOH and TiO₂ NPs showed antimicrobial and UV protection properties. They exhibited a strong antimicrobial activity and UV protection efficiency even after five washing cycles, indicating excellent laundering durability.

The approach has simplicity and implementability on an industrial scale without cost investment.

The purpose of this paper is to review the vulnerability and challenges faced by Canadian pet owners in times of disaster and evaluate emergency preparedness measures put in place to address the identified issues.

Emergency preparedness strategies from different countries were identified to weigh against Canada’s state of preparedness.

Pet/animal owners without emergency plans for their animals are more vulnerable than non-pet owners when they need to flee from disaster; and as Canada faces disaster challenges, proactive preparedness in emergency demands awareness, cooperation and commitment from everyone –governments, corporations, community groups and individuals become a necessity.

Based on the identified need, the paper reviews strategies that engages pet owners in preparing for emergency in order to keep individuals and their communities safe. This paper will be beneficial to policy makers, researchers, health educators, scholars and emergency management professionals that read the journal.

This study aims to enhance the dyeability of polyester fabrics with turmeric natural dyes through plasma and alkaline treatments. The aim is to achieve better color strength in dyed samples without significant changes in their other properties. This is done while the weight loss is kept in a range with no considerable effect on those properties.

The surface of a poly(ethylene terephthalate) fabric was modified using oxygen plasma at a low temperature. The alkaline hydrolysis of that polyester fabric was also done through treating it with an aqueous sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution. The untreated and treated polyester fabrics were studied for the changes of their physical characteristics such as weight loss, wetting behavior, strength loss, bending length, flexural rigidity and K/S and wash fastness. The samples were treated with plasma and sodium hydroxide and dyed with a turmeric natural dye.

In comparison to the untreated sample, the plasma-treated, alkaline-treated and plasma treatment followed by alkaline hydrolysis polyester experienced 9.3%, 68.6% and 102.3% increase in its color depth as it was dyed with a turmeric natural dye, respectively. The plasma treatment was followed by alkaline hydrolysis. The improvement in the color depth could be attributed to the surface modification.

In this paper, investigations were conducted of the separate effects of plasma treatment and alkaline hydrolysis as well as their synergistic effect on the dyeing of the polyester fabric with a natural dye obtained from turmeric.

All too often tragedy and disaster strike the world around us, and when they do, people often are left speechless and powerless. In schools, there is no subject as uniquely situated to helping children develop an understanding of social events as the social studies; as history is filled with instances of loss, tragedy, and death (i.e. war, conflict, natural disasters, etc.). During these difficult times, teachers often encounter important questions from inquisitive children on these challenging topics. This manuscript discusses how an elementary social studies teacher leveraged the assets of children’s literature to assist her students in learning to grapple with the death of their beloved classroom pet. Parents and educators are provided literary resources and strategies to assist students in grappling with the concepts of loss or death.

The purpose of this paper is to present an overview of the pet-friendliness trend, because despite its growth, there has been little research on the benefits and potential risks of pet-friendly workplaces.

A general review is provided on pet ownership figures in North America and the benefits and drawbacks of pet ownership. Pet-friendly policies and practices are described, highlighting their potentially positive impact on well-being and performance. Possible concerns with pet-friendly workplaces are examined. The paper offers recommendations for organizations that are potentially interested in becoming pet-friendly.

Many households in North America have pets that are considered genuine members of the family. As a result, workplaces are increasingly becoming “pet-friendly” by instituting policies that are sensitive to pet ownership. The scope of pet-friendly policies and practices ranges from simple to more complex measures. Adopting these measures can result in benefits that include enhanced attraction and recruitment, improved employee retention, enhanced employee health, increased employee productivity, and positive bottom-line results. But there are also concerns regarding health and safety, property damage, distractions, and religious preferences.

The range of pet-friendly measures could apply to any workplace that is interested in improving their efforts toward recruitment, retention, and productivity, among others.

This paper describes a range of efforts that workplaces can offer to enhance their employees’ work lives and is the first to provide a detailed account of the pet-friendliness trend.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the history of pet ownership and its relationship to wellbeing in later life. In particular, the paper addresses the issue of pet ownership in communal residential settings for older people both now and in the past, comparing attitudes, policies, and practices in regard to pets in the late 1950s with the early years of the twenty‐first century.

Following a review of the research literature on older people and companion animals, the paper draws on new data derived from recent research conducted by the authors. It compares archived material on the residential homes for older people that Peter Townsend visited in the late 1950s as part of his classic study, The Last Refuge (1962), with findings from revisiting a sample of these homes 50 years later. The authors employed the same methods as Townsend (observation together with interviews with managers and residents).

The historical dimension of the research reveals ambivalence both in the past and in present times in respect of residents' pets in care homes. Top‐down controlling regimes in the past have been replaced by concerns about health and safety and the need to strike a balance between rights, risks, and responsibilities. The variations in current policy and practice in England and Wales seem to reflect the subjective views and experiences of care home managers and proprietors. The lesson seems to be that care home owners should be expected to have an explicit policy in regard to the keeping of companion animals, but one that is not dictated by law.

The longitudinal data drawn on in this paper add a new perspective to research on older people and pets in care homes.

The purpose of this paper is to study the non-isothermal degradation kinetics of recycled polybutylene terephthalate, polytrimethylene terephthalate and polyethylene terephthalate using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) in a nitrogen atmosphere.

To achieve this goal, the author utilized standard kinetic models, such as Coats-Redfern and Kissinger equations, for analysis of the TGA data.

When applied to the TGA data, the Kissinger model resulted in a coefficient of determination (R2) value greater than 0.99.

This study describes the maiden application of the Kissinger model to obtain the pre-exponential factor (A) and activation energy (E) for different polyester systems used in the textile industry.