Physiological Comfort Research Articles

Application of a registration method on magnetic resonance images to evaluate the displacement field of a human subject ear canal due to various earplug insertions

Earplugs are a usual way to protect workers subjected to noise exposure. However, the efficiency of these hearing protection devices is often affected by induced discomforts. A factor suspected to impact both acoustical and physiological comfort attributes of earplugs is the deformation they apply on the ear canal walls. As the geometry of both open and occluded ear canal is difficult to obtain, the ear canal deformation due to earplug insertion is not trivial to evaluate. Current medical imaging techniques and image post-processing methods are promising tools to investigate this deformation. In a previous study of the authors, an approach using registration methods on medical images had been proposed to estimate the ear canal displacement field induced by earplug insertion. This approach had been validated in the case of computed tomography scans of a human-like artificial ear occluded by a controlled-shape custom molded earplug. In the present study, this approach is used to evaluate the ear canal displacement of a human subject for various earplug insertions (foam, pre-molded and custom made) in the case of magnetic resonance images. The computed displacement field shows noteworthy differences between each earplug and gives information on how and where the occluded ear canal deforms.

Utility of silver‐coated fabrics as electrodes in electrotherapy applications

ABSTRACTThe present study deals with the deposition of silver particles onto knitted fabrics for possible applications in electrotherapy. The performance of silver‐coated fabrics was evaluated based on number of properties such as electrical conductivity, physiological comfort, antibacterial, and durability. Furthermore, the conductive fabrics were subjected to various repeated extensions and change in electrical resistivity was examined to simulate the performance of electrodes under various movements of human body. With increase in extension till 80%, very small change in volume electrical resistance was observed and after 90% extension, the electrical resistance was found to increase significantly. The volume resistance was found to remain constant for repeated extensions of over 100 cycles and also there was insignificant change in electrical resistivity when constant current was applied over prolonged time. The utility of silver‐coated fabrics can be expected as flexible textile electrodes in transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation electrotherapy applications. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018, 135, 46357.

Impact of reinforcements on heat stress in structural firefighter turnout suits

The purpose of this research was to determine the impact of additional textile layer reinforcements on garment heat loss and the physiological comfort of the firefighter. Four structural firefighter turnouts with varying levels of ‘bulk’ were assessed. A base composite analysis was conducted and each suit was evaluated for thermal resistance, evaporative resistance, and overall total heat loss (THL) on a sweating thermal manikin. Raw resistance data were then modeled to predict the physiological responses of firefighters for each turnout suit. Base composite percentages were compared to the heat loss values and predicted physiological responses. The Light Weight suit along with the Control, demonstrated the greatest heat loss values and lowest rise in predicted core temperature. Overall, results depicted the harmful impact that bulky reinforcements may have on wearer physiological comfort as the Heavy Duty suit had significantly lower heat loss and a potentially fatal maximum predicted core temperature.

Comparative performance of flame retardancy, physiological comfort, and durability of cotton textiles treated with alkaline and acidic casein suspension

The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of coating of different concentrations and pH of aqueous casein suspension on thermo-oxidative properties, flame retardant behavior as well as physiological comfort of cotton fabrics. The flame retardant behavior was found to increase with increase in concentration of casein suspension in both alkaline and acidic pH conditions. The burning rate of 2.1 mm/s and 2.4 mm/s was measured for the samples of 150 g/L casein suspensions in acidic and alkaline pH, respectively. Moreover, better thermo-oxidative properties were obtained for the samples of casein suspension prepared in acidic pH than alkaline pH. The 150 g/L casein produced 19% and 28% residue, respectively for alkaline and acidic suspensions at 600℃. Furthermore, the phenomenon of intumescence was largely observed in case of samples coated with acidic casein suspension due to easier release of ammonia from protonated casein. These samples further exhibited relatively better durability against water washing and UV ageing as compared to those treated with alkaline casein suspension, however delivered poor physiological comfort properties due to blockage of fabric porosity by higher viscosity of casein in acidic pH.

Design and comfort in office space

The theme of office space is of particular interest because it is a sector strongly involved by technological development. The high concentration of plant engineering systems makes it essential to the attention to environmental parameters and to research on the quality of the relationship which binds man to artificial dimension of built space. In the design of office spaces, the general objective must be to be able to achieve a new working environment relationship. A ratio in which optimal balance is always sought in terms of igrothermal, acoustic and luminous comfort conditions, without noting that the psychological and sociological component plays an important role among the environmental factors, and this significantly interferes with the conditions of physiological comfort. The following work is an essay on the subject.

Fabric Selection for the Reference Clothing Destined for Ergonomics Test of Protective Clothing—Sensorial Comfort Point of View

Abstract The main purpose of this study is the selection of a proper fabric for the reference clothing for ergonomic tests of protective clothing. For research, seven fabric of different raw material content and different structure were chosen. We studied the handle of fabrics produced from blend of polyester/cotton and polyester/Tencel, which were designated by letters from A to G. The assessment of handle of the fabric was performed based on the mechanical properties of fabrics using Kawabata evaluation system (KES-system). It was proven that one of the tested fabrics (F) made of polyester and cotton fibers (85% PES / 15% cotton) with the reinforced twill weave is characterized by the highest total hand value (THV).The high THV results from the low value of koshi (stiffness) and the highest value of numeri (smoothness) and fukurami (fullness). However, in terms of physiological comfort, the lower value of fukurami is more preferred. It turned out that the fabric with the higher value of fukurami (including fabric F) is characterized by the lower air permeability and higher water vapor resistance. At the end, we decided that the reference clothing will be made of cotton/polyester fabric G with the lowest mass per square meter because of the very good physiological comfort parameters and the satisfactory sensorial comfort parameters.

Heat and Moisture transport of socks

Investigating the liquid moisture transport and thermal properties is essential for understanding physiological comfort of clothes. This study reports on an experimental investigation of moisture management transport and thermal transport on the physiological comfort of commercially available socks. There are subjective evaluation and objective measurements. Subjective evaluation of the physiological comfort of socks is based on individual sensory perception of probands during and after physical exertion. Objective measurements were performed according to standardized methods using Moisture Management tester for measuring the humidity parameters and C-term TCi analyzer for thermal conductivity and thermal effusivity. The obtained values of liquid moisture transport and thermal properties were related to the material composition and structure of the tested socks. In summary, these results show that objective measurement corresponds with probands feelings.

Electrical conductivity and physiological comfort of silver coated cotton fabrics

The objective of present study was to develop multifunctional and wearable electrically conductive fabrics with acceptable comfort properties by in-situ deposition of silver particles. The effect of silver nitrate concentration and number of dips was investigated for change in electrical conductivity, EMI shielding, and antimicrobial properties of coated fabrics. The dynamic light scattering and SEM analysis were employed to study the morphology of deposited silver particles. The EMI shielding was found to increase with increase in concentration of silver particles. Later, the comfort and mechanical properties were studied. No significant decrease in air permeability and water vapor permeability was observed due to partial coverage of fabric pores by coating of silver particles. Moreover, the coated fabrics also showed promising behavior toward antimicrobial properties. When the durability of coated fabrics was examined against washing, the application of binder provided good retention of silver particles without loss of electrical conductivity of coated fabrics.

The Effect of Textiles on Clothing Physiological Comfort While Backpacking in the Cold

Clothing is the primary means that wilderness backpackers have to protect themselves from illnesses and injuries that can occur while hiking in the cold. Currently, backpackers are recommended to dress in clothing layers; however, when hiking in the cold, this system may not meet backpackers’ simultaneous, yet conflicting needs for thermal insulation and heat dissipation.

Comfort-related properties of seersucker fabrics in dry and wet state

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyse the seersucker fabrics from the point of view of their ability to ensure the thermo-physiological comfort. It was investigated how the kind of the weft yarn and seersucker structure influence the air permeability and thermal insulation properties of the fabrics.Design/methodology/approachThe paper presents the investigations of the typical seersucker fabrics made of the same set of warps and different weft yarns. Fabrics were manufactured on the same loom with two warp beams. Next they were finished by the same way including washing, drying and stabilisation processes. Fabrics were measured in the range of their air permeability using standard test method. Thermal insulation properties of fabrics were measured in dry and wet state by means of Alambeta. Surface topography of the seersucker fabrics was analysed using 3D laser scanning.FindingsOn the basis of the obtained results it was stated that due to the puckered structure the seersucker fabrics are characterised by high thermal resistance, several times higher than the thermal resistance of typical flat woven fabrics. The seersucker fabrics are characterised by very low value of the thermal absorptivity in wet state at the level appropriate for typical flat fabrics in dry state. It confirmed that the seersucker fabrics ensure the physiological comfort. Application of the elastomeric yarn in weft caused significant tightening the fabric structure. It resulted in low air permeability, fabric stiffness and unpleasant hand.Research limitations/implicationsAs a limitation of the investigation of the seersucker fabrics in wet state we can mention the surface topography of the fabrics. It made wetting the fabrics difficult before measuring. It is necessary to elaborate precise procedure of preparation of seersucker fabrics before their testing in the wet state.Practical implicationsPerformed investigations showed that the seersucker fabrics have a big potential to be comfortable. By an appropriate designing of their structure it is possible to achieve very good comfort-related properties even without application of innovative comfort-oriented yarns.Originality/valueThe originality of the paper is based on the fact that the measurement was performed for the seersucker fabrics. The fabrics are characterised by the unique structure which influences their appearance and utility properties. It caused that they are willingly applied in different kinds of clothing. Till now any results of comfort-related properties of such kind of the woven fabrics have not been published.

Experimental Researches on the Durability Indicators and the Physiological Comfort of Fabrics using the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) Method

The work pursued the distribution of combed wool fabrics destined to manufacturing of external articles of clothing in terms of the values of durability and physiological comfort indices, using the mathematical model of Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Principal Components Analysis (PCA) applied in this study is a descriptive method of the multivariate analysis/multi-dimensional data, and aims to reduce, under control, the number of variables (columns) of the matrix data as much as possible to two or three. Therefore, based on the information about each group/assortment of fabrics, it is desired that, instead of nine inter-correlated variables, to have only two or three new variables called components. The PCA target is to extract the smallest number of components which recover the most of the total information contained in the initial data.

Imparting Flame-Retardant and Antistatic Properties to Two- Layer Knitted Fabrics

Imparting Flame-Retardant and Antistatic Properties to Two-Layer Knitted Fabrics A technology of multi-functional two-layer knitted fabrics with barrier properties was developed on the basis of design works within the scope of both material-structural and technical-technological parameters. The barrier properties of knitted fabrics were imparted to them by using the following yarns to make their top layers: • Yarns of 100% metaaramide fibers and blended (metaaramide + viscose FR) fibers imparting protective properties against hot thermal conditions, • Yarns of blended metaaramide and antistatic fibers imparting to the knitted fabrics protective properties against hot thermal factors and static electricity, while for the bottom layers the following were used: Blended cotton and wool yarns with the addition of viscose FR fibers or modacryl Protex fibers, imparting to the knitted fabrics protective properties against hot thermal conditions and beneficial physiological properties. The comprehensive tests carried out to determine structural, physico-mechanical, chemical and functional barrier properties as well as physiological comfort of the knitted fabrics allowed us: • To design fabric structures in two-layer and plating system, • To choose optimal knitted fabrics for the technology development of multi-functional protective fabrics on the basis of knitting and finishing processes, • To work out design and structural assumptions and to make protective fabrics on the basis of the analysis and properties of the fabrics. The knitted fabrics designed can find their use as individual protective measures for workers exposed to work conditions such as: hot thermal conditions and static electricity.

Human-Comfortable Collision-Free Navigation for Personal Aerial Vehicles

Semi- or fully autonomous personal aerial vehicles (PAVs) are currently studied and developed by public and private organizations as a solution for traffic congestion. While optimal collision-free navigation algorithms have been proposed for autonomous robots, trajectories and accelerations for PAVs should also take into account human comfort. In this letter, we propose a reactive decentralized collision avoidance strategy that incorporates passenger physiological comfort based on the optimal reciprocal collision avoidance strategy. We study in simulation the effects of increasing PAV densities on the level of comfort, on the relative flight time and on the number of collisions per flight hour and demonstrate that our strategy reduces collision risk for platforms with limited dynamic range. Finally, we validate our strategy with a swarm of ten quadcopters flying outdoors.

Qualitative Observations on the Design of Sports Bras for Wear Under Body Armour

<div><p>This paper presents the results of preliminary research designed to explore in depth the design, fit and comfort of selected sports bras for large breasted women worn under soft body armour. Female armed personnel need to feel safe and protected in soft armour vests, giving them physiological comfort to perform their duties daily. Troublesome physical and additional physiological problems in relation to the female body are frequently caused due to the poor design of various bra components. Different breast sizes require unique bras designs. Specifically, when it comes to plus-size breasts, all the difficulties of fitting are more evident. In general, retail bra designs are not overcoming the above-mentioned bra's wear problems even before consideration of how they relate to be worn under the soft body armour.</p><p>As breast size and shape vary greatly between individuals, the design of bra size and style are important. In addition, fit and comfort are the most important factors of concern to the customers. With an aim to achieve a perfect bra shape, fit and comfort, designers have a strong drive to develop a superior quality bra by properly using components and materials with high performance.</p></div>Five commercial sports bras were selected based on their suitability for wear under body armour. The bras were fitted on a fit model and ranked in terms of the design criteria (1) non-wire, firmness and comfort, (2) fit and size range (D to G-cup) shape, (3) moisture wicking, and (4) composition and textile quality. They were then assessed for correct fit by an expert bra fitter and photographed to assess frontal and side-shape protrusion for mobility and for comfort on the side upper arm. Comparisons indicated differences in the side arm protrusion for some popular brands. Further wear test under a simulation mock-up body armour vest was conducted for observing comfort and moisture management performance over a period of 6 hours. The bra comfort performance was compared.

Fabric Selection for the Reference Clothing Destined for Ergonomics Test of Protective Clothing: Physiological Comfort Point of View

Abstract The currently used methods of ergonomic assessment of protective clothing depend on the subjective feeling of research participants and don’t take into consideration all aspects of its use. Therefore, more amount of work is undertaken toward the development of new research tools for the ergonomic assessment of protective clothing. Research was carried out at the Central Institute for Labour Protection – National Research Institute in Lodz. A new methodology will take into consideration a variant of reference clothing, which is related to the results of ergonomics research of protective clothing. Preparation of the reference clothing initiated by picking the appropriate fabric is based on the results of parameters influencing the physiological comfort and sensorial comfort. In the current part, results of different fabric parameters are presented, which are related to physiological comfort, i.e., the thermal resistance, water vapor resistance, hygroscopicity, and air permeability. In the next part of research, we will focus on the parameters related to objective sensorial feelings, i.e., total hand value and its components. Seven fabrics, including six cotton/polyester fabrics, diverse in terms of constituent fiber content and structure parameters (weave, thread density per 1 dm, thread linear density, mass per square meter, thickness), and Tencel/polyester fabric were tested. The best in terms of thermal resistance, water vapor resistance, and air permeability was the cotton/polyester fabric (35% cotton/65% PES) with the smallest mass per square meter. This fabric also exhibits the high hygroscopicity of 7.5%, which puts it into the fourth position.

Investigation on air permeability of finished stretch plain knitted fabrics. I. Predicting air permeability using artificial neural networks

Air permeability is one of the most important utility properties of textile materials as it influences air flow through textile material. Air permeability plays a significant role in well-being due to its influence on physiological comfort. The air permeability of textile materials depends on their porosity. There are a lot of structural properties of textile materials also operating parameters (knitting+finishing) influencing air permeability and there are also statistically significant interactions between the main factors influencing the air permeability of knitted fabrics made from pure yarn cotton (cellulose) and viscose (regenerated cellulose) fibers and plated knitted with elasthane (Lycra) fibers. Two types of artificial neural networks (ANNs) model have been set up before modeling procedure by utilizing multilayer feed forward neural networks, which take into account the generality and the specificity of the product families respectively. A virtual leave one out approach dealing with over fitting phenomenon and allowing the selection of the optimal neural network architecture was used. Moreover this study exhibited that air permeability could be predicted with high accuracy for stretch plain knitted fabrics treated with different finishing processes. Within the framework of the work presented, ANNs were applied to help industry to adjust the operating parameter before the actual manufacturing to reach the desired air permeability and satisfy their consumers.

Influence of moist healing dressing on comfort degree and complications in patients with nasal packing for epistaxis patients

Objective To investigate the moist healing dressing nasal packing for epistaxis patients' physiological comfort and complications. Methods 70 patients of epistaxis patients with nasal packing by drawing lots were divided into A, B two groups of 35 cases. Group A used Vaseline gauze, and group B used moist healing dressings of composite fillings. Comparison of the two groups of pain, nasal odor, sleep disorders, hemostatic effect, nasal mucosa reaction, fever, nasal adhesions were conducted. Results Patients when nasal packing group A pain, sleep disorders and nasal odor scores were (9.80 ± 0.12), (7.10 ± 0.33) and (9.44 ± 0.25) points, group B were (3.82 ± 0.16), (3.22 ± 0.16) and (0.37 ± 0.09) points. Group A scored significantly higher than group B, the difference was statistically significant (t=-179.97, -7.22, -7.33, P <0.05). Group A fever and nasal adhesions were 33 cases and 6 cases respectively, while those figures in group B both were 0, the difference was statistically significant (χ2=62.43, 6.56, P <0.05). Conclusions Nasal packing varying degrees of discomfort in patients, the use of moist healing dressings for epistaxis targeted composite filling, can significantly increase the patients’ physiological comfort and reduce the complications of nasal packing. Key words: Epistaxis; Moist healing dressings; Nasal packing; Comfort; Complications

The effect of human-mattress interface's temperature on perceived thermal comfort

In recent years, methods that allow for an objective evaluation of perceived comfort, in terms of postural, physiological, cognitive and environmental comfort, have received a great deal of attention from researchers. This paper focuses on one of the factors that influences physiological comfort perception: the temperature difference between users and the objects with which they interact. The first aim is to create a measuring system that does not affect the perceived comfort during the temperatures' acquisition. The main aim is to evaluate how the temperature at the human-mattress interface can affect the level of perceived comfort. A foam mattress has been used for testing in order to take into account the entire back part of the human body. The temperature at the interface was registered by fourteen 100 Ohm Platinum RTDs (Resistance Temperature Detectors) placed on the mattress under the trunk, the shoulders, the buttocks, the legs, the thighs, the arms and the forearms of the test subject. 29 subjects participated in a comfort test in a humidity controlled environment. The test protocol involved: dress-code, anthropometric-based positioning on mattress, environment temperature measuring and an acclimatization time before the test. At the end of each test, each of the test subject's thermal sensations and the level of comfort perception were evaluated using the ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers) scale. The data analyses concerned, in the first instance, correlations between the temperature at the interface and comfort levels of the different parts of the body. Then the same analyses were performed independently of the body parts being considered. The results demonstrated that there was no strong correlation among the studied variables and that the total increase of temperature at interface is associated with a reduction in comfort.

Electromagnetic shielding, wicking, and drying characteristics of CSP/AN/SSW hybrid yarns-incorporated woven fabrics

To improve the wearing comfort, durability, and antibacterial properties of the electromagnetic (EM) shielding property, a type of multifunction EM shielding woven fabrics which having great liquid transport and drying ability were fabricated in this study. This study aims to investigate theirs liquid transport, drying, and electromagnetic (EM) shielding properties. For this purpose, initially six types of multifunctional crisscross-section polyester (CSP)/antibacterial nylon (AN)/stainless steel wire (SSW) metal hybrid yarns with different wrapping amounts were produced using hollow spindle spinning technique. Conductive woven fabrics were then woven with CSP/AN/SSW metal hybrid yarns as weft yarns, and PET filaments as the warp yarns. The liquid transport and drying ability of the conductive woven fabrics were evaluated in terms of wicking ability and water evaporation rate, which are two vital factors that affect the physiological comfort level of personal protective clothing (PPC). Results indicated that adding CSP yarn in the fabricated EM shielding woven fabric could obviously improve the drying rate of the fabric. The EM shielding behavior of these woven fabrics were analyzed using a vector network analyzer in the frequency range of 300 kHz–3 GHz. Results showed that the wrapping amounts of the metal hybrid yarns significantly affect the wicking and drying abilities of the woven fabrics. In addition, the lamination angles of the fabrics with different amounts of layers remarkably affect their EM shielding characteristics.

Evaluation of Comfort and Handle Behavior of Mulberry Silk Waste/Wool Blended Fabrics for End Use

ABSTRACTThe present study investigates tactile, thermal, physiological comfort, and hand values of newly developed mulberry silk waste/wool blended fabrics for end use. Intimate blended fabrics S1 (65s/35w, 2/33 × 33 tex) and S2 (65s/35w, 2/25 × 25 tex) had higher resilience as well as warpwise extensibility, whereas union-blended fabrics S3 (100w × 65s/35w, 2/33 × 33 tex) and S4 (100w × 65s/35w, 2/25 × 25 tex) had high bending hysteresis, high tensile energy, lower coefficient of friction, and less geometric roughness. S1, S2, and S4 fabrics exhibited higher transmission properties against air and moisture vapor whereas S3 fabric showed superior thermal insulation properties. S1 found significantly different (p ≤ .05) from S2 in terms of smoothness, uniformity, and aesthetic appearance. Total hand value of developed fabrics showed its suitablilty for women’s light weight winter dress material and suitings, whereas union-blended fabrics were suitable for men’s winter suitings. Stoles, mufflers, throws, and khes (bed covering) were the most suitable end uses in terms of intimate blended fabrics while shawls, lohis (gents shawl) mufflers, and khes were the most suitable end uses of union-blended fabrics.