Tight-fitting Clothing Research Articles

Investigation of the tissue displacement through textile pressure on soft avatar in Browzwear’s VStitcher software

Nowadays, soft avatars are used in various fields to simulate the behavior of human soft tissues in different applications. Likewise, they are also utilized in the garment industry in order to achieve a realistic testing of the fit and functionality of tight-fitting clothing. Therefore it is important that avatars in CAD programs for clothing conform to the mechanical properties of human soft tissue. The accuracy of the avatars' properties in simulating the change in shape of human tissue is crucial here, which is caused by the contact pressure that compressive or tight-fitting garments exert onto the body. In this study, Browzwear’s VStitcher soft avatar Sofia was investigated and different body shapes resulting from being influenced by a legging with different levels of negative ease values were compared with non-affected natural avatar body shape. The examination of the soft avatar simulation shows that although a fast estimation of the tissue displacement can be predicted, there are some shape changes limitations compared to the natural behavior of human soft tissue.

CTSN: Predicting cloth deformation for skeleton-based characters with a two-stream skinning network

We present a novel learning method using a two-stream network to predict cloth deformation for skeleton-based characters. The characters processed in our approach are not limited to humans, and can be other targets with skeleton-based representations such as fish or pets. We use a novel network architecture which consists of skeleton-based and mesh-based residual networks to learn the coarse features and wrinkle features forming the overall residual from the template cloth mesh. Our network may be used to predict the deformation for loose or tight-fitting clothing. The memory footprint of our network is low, thereby resulting in reduced computational requirements. In practice, a prediction for a single cloth mesh for a skeleton-based character takes about 7 ms on an nVidia GeForce RTX 3090 GPU. Compared to prior methods, our network can generate finer deformation results with details and wrinkles.

Efficient Model-Based Anthropometry under Clothing Using Low-Cost Depth Sensors.

Measuring human body dimensions is critical for many engineering and product design domains. Nonetheless, acquiring body dimension data for populations using typical anthropometric methods poses challenges due to the time-consuming nature of manual methods. The measurement process for three-dimensional (3D) whole-body scanning can be much faster, but 3D scanning typically requires subjects to change into tight-fitting clothing, which increases time and cost and introduces privacy concerns. To address these and other issues in current anthropometry techniques, a measurement system was developed based on portable, low-cost depth cameras. Point-cloud data from the sensors are fit using a model-based method, Inscribed Fitting, which finds the most likely body shape in the statistical body shape space and providing accurate estimates of body characteristics. To evaluate the system, 144 young adults were measured manually and with two levels of military ensembles using the system. The results showed that the prediction accuracy for the clothed scans remained at a similar level to the accuracy for the minimally clad scans. This approach will enable rapid measurement of clothed populations with reduced time compared to manual and typical scan-based methods.

NEGOSIASI BUDAYA DALAM OLAHRAGA (Studi Kasus Atlet Berhijab Figure skating Pertama Uni Emirat Arab)

The phenomenon of hijab is creating more and more space for consideration. The use of hijab among female athletes in various sports is increasing. This research discusses the clothing performance of Zahra Lari, a figure skating athlete from Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Figure skating is a sport performed by dancing on ice with tight clothing attached to the athlete's body. This type of tight-fitting clothing is aerodynamic and lightweight to make it easier for athletes to move without feeling overloaded. Zahra Lari was the first female athlete to wear the hijab at the 2012 European Cup Winter Championships in Italy. Zahra Lari received a deduction in the competition due to her unusual use of the hijab. The deduction made Zahra Lari appeal to the International Skating Union (ISU), because she felt unfairly treated. The appeal was eventually accepted by the ISU and since then many figure skating athletes have worn the hijab in various competitions. Zahra Lari's efforts to negotiate the figure skating clothing model with the addition of hijab is the focus of this research. This research aims to explain how Zahra Lari negotiates culture in order to be accepted to compete in international figure skating competitions without leaving her attitude and worldview in dressing. This research uses a qualitative method. Data collection techniques were carried out by studying English-language media and remote interviews. Interviews were conducted with Zahra Lari as the main informant. Interviews were also conducted with a figure skating coach in Kuwait and a Kuwaiti national figure skating athlete. The results showed that Zahra Lari's cultural negotiation had an impact on cultural harmonisation in figure skating.

MP34-01 UTI KNOWLEDGE ASSESSMENT AND ACQUISITION FOR URINARY TRACT INFECTIONS AMONG ADULT WOMEN

You have accessJournal of UrologyCME1 Apr 2023MP34-01 UTI KNOWLEDGE ASSESSMENT AND ACQUISITION FOR URINARY TRACT INFECTIONS AMONG ADULT WOMEN Stephanie Gleicher, Elisabeth Sebesta, Melissa Kaufman, Roger Dmochowski, and W. Stuart Reynolds Stephanie GleicherStephanie Gleicher More articles by this author , Elisabeth SebestaElisabeth Sebesta More articles by this author , Melissa KaufmanMelissa Kaufman More articles by this author , Roger DmochowskiRoger Dmochowski More articles by this author , and W. Stuart ReynoldsW. Stuart Reynolds More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1097/JU.0000000000003268.01AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookLinked InTwitterEmail Abstract INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Substantial information and misinformation exists about urinary tract infection (UTI) management, and there is significant variability in provider expertise. While evidence-based UTI guidelines exist for providers, many women are not able to access this information. The aim of this study was to assess current UTI knowledge and preferences for information dissemination in a population-based cohort of adult women. METHODS: Subjects were recruited from Researchmatch database to participate in a web-based study. Inclusion criteria included non-pregnant females aged 18 or older who had a UTI in the last 12 months. Subjects were provided various statements to assess UTI knowledge/perceptions, and asked about preferences for health-information communication. SPSS was used for the statistical analysis. RESULTS: Among the 755 subjects, >50% believe most women suffer from UTI, women get more UTIs as they get older, and supplements are available to prevent UTI (Table 1). 46.2% of women believe UTIs are caused by tight fitting clothing and 44.6% believe UTIs are caused by lack of cleanliness. Among subjects, 89.8% have looked up information regarding UTI, and 81.2% endorsed that health information is more meaningful from their health care provider (HCP). 88.5% of women normally obtain health information from their HCP, and 79.7% obtain information from online websites. When asked about educational preferences, 53.8% strongly preferred office-based HCP visits, followed by virtual HCP visits (25.3%) and online websites (25.2%). More than 30% of subjects would be willing to spend 15+ minutes reviewing information about UTIs, and 33.5% would like to receive UTI information weekly or monthly. Barriers to obtaining information included that information is too complex (26.6%), they did not know where to find information (26.%) and having too much written information (24.6%). CONCLUSIONS: Women have misperceptions about UTIs. Despite most subjects looking up UTI health information, it is often too complex, hard to find, or cumbersome. Most women find health information more meaningful from their HCP and prefer office-based HCP educational platforms. Almost half of participants are interested in frequent UTI information updates. Future research is needed to better design educational campaigns regarding UTI. Source of Funding: VICTR Award ID VR63981 © 2023 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 209Issue Supplement 4April 2023Page: e459 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2023 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.MetricsAuthor Information Stephanie Gleicher More articles by this author Elisabeth Sebesta More articles by this author Melissa Kaufman More articles by this author Roger Dmochowski More articles by this author W. Stuart Reynolds More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement PDF downloadLoading ...

A Comparative Analysis between Real and Virtual Stretchable Tight-Fitting Clothing

In order to expand the utilization range of 3D virtual clothing systems in the field of tight clothing, this study attempted to provide more in-depth research data to confirm the utility of CLO software in the field of tight-fitting clothing by comparing and evaluating the appearance similarity of 3D virtual clothing. In this study, the target outfit is selected as a basic short-sleeved top (Garment 1 without lining and subsidiary material), basic short-sleeved top with lining (Garment 2), chest cap (Garment 3), and chest cap (Garment 3-1) to determine the similarity among factors that may affect the appearance similarity of 3D virtual clothing. The costume pattern was digitized into YUKA CAD, the real fitting body was implemented in CLO through the 3D scan, and a 3D virtual image was produced. Then, Garments 1 to 3 were photographed and analyzed by evaluating the similarity between real and 3D virtual images on a 5-point scale to 10 experts. The results of this study are as follows. First, on evaluating the similarity between the real and 3D virtual images of Garments 1, 2, 3, and 3-1, the garments were seen that the implementation of lining insertion was similar and well-executed. There was no significant difference in the evaluation score of all garments to affect the usefulness of the CLO, although the difference between the evaluation scores of all garments was not significant, it was noted that the score of Garment 3 was the lowest, followed by Garment 3-1.

Mechanical acne - a review of contributing factors and diagnostic-therapeutic approach

Introduction and purpose: Acne is a diverse, multifactorial disease. A specific subtype of acne is mechanical acne, which is recurrent acne that occurs at the site of physical trauma to the skin due to repeated mechanical or frictional obstruction of the pilosebaceous outlet. The aim of the article is to present the available information on the pathophysiology, clinical picture, diagnosis, and treatment of mechanical acne.
 Description of the state of knowledge: Mechanical acne may be a complication of preexisting acne or can occur independently in a patient with no previous history of acne. Inflammatory acneiform papules and pustules result from friction from repetitive rubbing, stretching, squeezing, pressure, tension, pinching, or pulling of the skin accompanied by heat, pressure, moisture, and occlusion. Mechanical stress on the skin can be triggered by any pressure or friction inducing physical factors, such as tight clothing, sports gear, accessories, medical equipment, seat backs or hands. Mechanical acne most commonly occurs in athletes and develops from wearing tight-fitting clothing, accessories, or equipment. The severity of lesions increases with excessive sweating and overheating of the skin. In the era of the COVID-19 pandemic, the incidence of mechanical acne caused by prolonged wearing of protective masks ("maskne") has also increased.
 Summary: The most important aspect of mechanical acne treatment and preventions is the identification and elimination (or at least minimization) of the inciting factors. Supporting activities include maintaining cleanliness, proper skin care and applying topical acne treatments. Some patients require oral pharmacotherapy. Preventing recurrence of mechanical acne is important as it can leave unsightly scars and skin discoloration.

VULVOVAGINAL CANDIDIASIS AMONG WOMEN OF REPRODUCTIVE AGE: PREVALENCE AND ASOCIATED FACTORS

Candida overgrowth causes vulvovaginal candidiasis. Most women of reproductive age become infected once, but some get re-infected, leading to issues such as pre-term labour, infertility, and neo-natal illnesses. This study determined the prevalence and associated factors to Vulvovaginal candidiasis among women of reproductive age at a municipality in Ghana. The study recruited 326 reproductive-aged women using a descriptive cross-sectional design and a simple random sampling method. After an aseptic vaginal swab, participants were asked to fill out a standardized research questionnaire. The variables were analyzed using descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression to assess the link between vulvovaginal candidiasis and its associated factors. The study found 38.7% vulvovaginal candidiasis prevalence among reproductive-aged women. Younger age <20 years, urban settlement and secondary education were associated with vaginal candidiasis. Tight fitting clothes is also a risk factor for vaginal candidiasis. Regular health education should be rendered to women on wearing tight-fitting underwear to reduce their risk of Vulvovaginal Candidiasis, Women should be encouraged to visit health facilities to screen for vulvovaginal Candidiasis as it will aid in the early detection and management of vulvovaginal candidiasis problems among reproductive-age women.

A clinicomycological study on chronic dermatophytosis in a tertiary care hospital in North India: An observational study

Background: Chronic dermatophytosis is a considerable challenge in routine clinical practice. There is, however, scarce information available in the literature on its extent and characteristics. Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the host-related factors of chronic dermatophytosis and to identify the common fungal isolates. Methods: The study enrolled a total of 145 cases of chronic dermatophytosis attending the out-patient department of a tertiary care hospital in Jammu from November 2017 through October 2018. A detailed history was taken, followed by a clinical examination and investigations such as routine baseline investigations, an absolute eosinophil count, a wet mount for direct microscopy, and a fungal culture. Results: The most common presentation was tinea corporis with tinea cruris (33.1%), followed by tinea corporis alone. The majority of the patients (54.5%) had more than 20% of the body surface area involved. Most of the patients were manual workers (n = 44; 30.3%). The number of hours of sun exposure varied between 1 to 8.5 hours (mean ± SD: 3.53 ± 1.75 h). The fungal culture was positive in 65 (44.8%) patients. The most frequent isolates were Trichophyton mentagrophytes (53.8%), followed by Trichophyton rubrum (38.5%). Conclusion: We found Trichophyton mentagrophytes the predominant pathogen in chronic dermatophytosis, followed by Trichophyton rubrum, which demonstrates a changing trend as far as the causative organism is considered. Besides, various risk factors for chronicity such as prolonged sun exposure, lack of proper hygiene, wearing tight-fitting synthetic clothes, the use of topical steroids, and non-compliance to treatment were identified.

Meralgia Paresthetica associated with weight loss

Belts and tight-fitting clothing, obesity, and pregnancy are all common causes of compression of the Lateral Femoral Cutaneous Nerve (LFCN) also known as Meralgia Paresthetica (MP). But the LFCN can be vulnerable to other sources of traction as it passes beneath the inguinal ligament. We sought to consider if MP, much to our surprise, could be caused by weight loss.

Aurah Covering Parameters: A Study on Muslim Women’s Level of Understanding

Islam emphasizes preserving chastity onto its believers, which is derived into several commandments to achieve this goal. Among them is aurah (parts of body that are prohibited to be exposed to the public) covering. In the context the current society, wearing a hijab (veil) among female Muslim is a common sight in public places. However, wearing a hijab is not what all it takes to completely cover the aurah, in fact, one may wear the hijab but with tight-fitting clothes, for example, that does not adhere to the right concept of aurah covering. This article aims to investigate the level of understanding on aurah covering parameters among Muslim women. Quantitative analysis has been conducted for 135 female students from 27 different nationalities in the International Islamic University Malaysia where a questionnaire consisting of questions related to aurah covering parameters are distributed. Datas were analysed using the SPSS version 26. The findings suggest that Muslim women have a high level of understanding on aurah covering parameters. The findings from this study may be helpful in providing insights to further exploration of hijab and aurah covering issue as there have not yet many studies tackling the hijab issue from the perspective of aurah covering guidelines.

All-Fabric Piezoionic Sensor for Simultaneous Sensing of Static and Dynamic Pressures

The development of flexible and textile-based wearable pressure sensors has provided the opportunity of continuous and real time measurement of human physiological and biomechanical signals during daily activities. Pressure sensors are transducers that convert an exerted compression stress into a detectable electrical signal. Different transduction mechanisms have been introduced so far including triboelectricity, transistivity, capacitance, piezoelectricity, and piezoresistivity. Piezoresistive pressure sensors are the most widely used type due to the simplicity of their structure, and the wide range of materials that can be selected along with low-cost fabrication methods, and easy read-out system required for signal extraction.A vast majority of piezoresistive sensors developed so far are on-skin sensors developed to detect subtle pressures (1 Pa-10 kPa) for touchpads and electronic skin applications. However, to sense physiological signals such as pulse, respiration, and phonation the sensor range of detection must fall within medium range of 10 kPa to 100 kPa. As expected, for larger-scale human motion detection such as sleep posture and footwear evaluation, the sensor must be able to sense compression stresses larger than 100 kPa. This wide range of detection required by the piezoresistive pressure sensors is one of the important challenges in designing these sensors.Many of the piezoresistive sensors function based on employing the composite of conductive additives in an elastomer as an active layer. The functionality and sensitivity of these sensors are highly limited by the poor bulk mechanical properties of the elastomer in addition to unbreathability and the complications arising from the skin-sensor interface. Textile-based sensors overcome the issues regarding the elastomer sensors to a good extend. These sensors are mainly developed through coating fibers by conductive inks or intrinsically conductive polymers (ICPs). However, these sensors suffer from major drawbacks. First, the high conductivity of the conductive coatings leads to shortening in signals upon the application of a small amount of pressure. These sensors can respond either to static or dynamic pressures and once being pressed by a pressure, completely lose their sensitivity to further pressure exertions which resembles a connection/disconnection mode of performance. Second, the sensors need to be used in tight-fitting clothing to be able to capture signals which makes it quite uncomfortable and hinders the widespread adoption of the device in society.Here, we introduce an all-fabric piezoionic pressure sensor, called “PressION”, that successfully overcomes the mentioned drawbacks. We gained significant wide range of pressure detection (several kPa to larger than 100 kPa) through tunning the conductivity of the active layer by coating the fabric with an ion-conductive polysiloxane polymer. This optimal conductivity of the fabric makes the sensor capbale of simultaneously responding to both static and dynamic pressures. To overcome challenge of tight-fitting clothing, we took advantage of the fact that even with loose-fitting garments, there are still some parts of the garment which are pressed due to the exerted pressure by the body limbs over the torso or against an external surface such as bed/chair or even a subtle pressure exerted by a blanket over the body. The success of PressION was confirmed by data acquisition from different body locations (Fig1a-h). All these characteristics makes PressION an ideal candidate to be embedded in daily garments for future biomedical and psychological studies. -Figure Caption- A variety of physiological signals can be extracted by gently placing PressION on different locations of the body: (a) artery pulse from the face; (b) phonation from throat; (c) joint motion at the elbow or knee; (d) heartbeat from the chest while lying face down on a bed; (e) steps from the sensor used as an insole in footwear; and respiration from the sensor placed on the (f) back, (g) side or (h) front of the body. Figure 1

Towards a Live Feedback Training System: Interchangeability of Orbbec Persee and Microsoft Kinect for Exercise Monitoring

Many existing motion sensing applications in research, entertainment and exercise monitoring are based on the Microsoft Kinect and its skeleton tracking functionality. With the Kinect’s development and production halted, researchers and system designers are in need of a suitable replacement. We investigated the interchangeability of the discontinued Kinect v2 and the all-in-one, image-based motion tracking system Orbbec Persee for the use in an exercise monitoring system prototype called ILSE. Nine functional training exercises were performed by six healthy subjects in front of both systems simultaneously. Comparing the systems’ internal tracking states from ’not tracked’ to ‘tracked’ showed that the Persee system is more confident during motion sequences, while the Kinect is more confident for hip and trunk joint positions. Assessing the skeleton tracking robustness, the Persee’s tracking of body segment lengths was more consistent. Furthermore, we used both skeleton datasets as input for the ILSE exercise monitoring including posture recognition and repetition-counting. Persee data from exercises with lateral movement and in uncovered full-body frontal view provided the same results as Kinect data. The Persee further preferred tracking of quasi-static lower limb motions and tight-fitting clothes. With these limitations in mind, we find that the Orbbec Persee is a suitable replacement for the Microsoft Kinect for motion sensing within the ILSE exercise monitoring system.

Computational design of skintight clothing

We propose an optimization-driven approach for automated, physics-based pattern design for tight-fitting clothing. Designing such clothing poses particular challenges since large nonlinear deformations, tight contact between cloth and body, and body deformations have to be accounted for. To address these challenges, we develop a computational model based on an embedding of the two-dimensional cloth mesh in the surface of the three-dimensional body mesh. Our Lagrangian-on-Lagrangian approach eliminates contact handling while coupling cloth and body. Building on this model, we develop a physics-driven optimization method based on sensitivity analysis that automatically computes optimal patterns according to design objectives encoding body shape, pressure distribution, seam traction, and other criteria. We demonstrate our approach by generating personalized patterns for various body shapes and a diverse set of garments with complex pattern layouts.

Exploring Hygienic Behaviors and Vulvodynia.

Vulvodynia is common and characterized by vulvar discomfort and pain. However, few studies have assessed hygienic practices in relation to onset. We investigated whether hygienic behaviors were associated with the onset of vulvodynia. We assessed a self-reported history of personal hygienic behaviors, including wearing tight-fitting clothing, vulva care and genital washing, pubic hair removal, douching, and powdering, a year before first reported onset of vulvar pain among 213 clinically confirmed cases and a similar time period among 221 general population controls. Compared with women who reported never wearing tight-fitting jeans or pants, women wearing tight-fitting jeans or pants 4 or more times per week had twice the odds of vulvodynia (95% CI = 1.14-3.95). Relative to controls, women with vulvodynia were substantially less likely to report use of soaps and gels to cleanse the vulva (95% CI = 0.17-0.63). Among women who chose to remove pubic hair, those who removed pubic hair from the mons pubis compared with bikini-area only hair removal, were 74% more likely to have vulvodynia (95% CI = 1.05-2.89). Finally, compared with women who reported bikini-area only hair removal less than monthly, those who removed hair from the mons pubis weekly or more were nearly 2 times more likely to be vulvodynia cases (95% CI = 0.83-3.49). Wearing tight-fitting jeans or pants and removing hair from the mons pubis area were associated with increased odds of vulvodynia. Research on how hygienic practices could influence vulvar pain in larger and more temporally addressed populations is warranted.

What Can Trigger Chinese Female Self-Objectification: Revealing Clothes, Tight-Fitting Clothes, or Both?

We aimed to assess if type of clothing caused self-objectification. This study was based on the framework of Objectification Theory. 120 Chinese female undergraduates aged 17 - 25 years were divided into 4 groups: revealing tight-fitting clothes, revealing loose clothes, full tight-fitting clothes, and full loose clothes. They were asked to wear clothes of the most suitable size in two settings, a private setting and a public setting. In both settings, we measured state self-objectification before the participants changed into their original clothes. It was indicated that wearing both revealing and tight-fitting clothes could produce female state self-objectification in the Chinese sociocultural environment. In addition, the public setting led to greater state self-objectification than the private setting. We demonstrate that clothing type is an important contributor to self-objectification of contemporary young women and extend the scope and application of Objectification Theory.

Fit issues in ready-to-wear clothing for African-American female college students based on the body shapes

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this study was to explore actual ready-to-wear (RTW) clothing fit for African-American female college students and their satisfaction with it. Seventy-two African-American female participants volunteered for the study. Their body shapes were classified into several groups using bust, waist, and hip measurements. Fit of RTW clothing was assessed based on participants’ body shapes. They were manually measured with a tape measure and were also surveyed via questionnaire to identify their actual and self-reported body shapes and examine satisfaction with clothing fit. Findings of this study demonstrated that most African-American female students tended to wear RTW tight-fitting clothing, especially around waist but did not feel uncomfortable. This result makes sense because they psychologically assume their body shapes to be an hourglass shape as shown in their self-report. However, each body shape group exhibits its discriminative satisfaction with tight-fitting clothing around bust and hips.

Vulvovaginal Complaints

Teaching patients the proper vulvar care is the first, and arguably the most important, aspect of treating vulvovaginal complaints in the pediatric population. Other treatments, which will be discussed in this chapter, will be less effective with a high risk of recurring symptoms if the patient and her parents do not adopt good vulvar care habits. Vulvovaginitis usually can be managed with conservative measures, including proper hygiene and education on vulvar care guidelines. These include avoiding chemical irritants and excessive hygiene, wearing white cotton underwear, avoiding dryer sheets, wiping from front to back, and limiting tight-fitting clothing. Additionally, it is important to discuss bathing, including recommending showers or baths without soaps and bubble products. If both the child and the parents follow these simple rules, the vast majority of vulvovaginal complaints will dramatically improve. Consistently following the vulvar care guidelines will not only help relieve the symptoms of itching and irritation but will also aid in the healing and treatment of vulvovaginitis. If the girl is infected with a specific organism, the treatment should be directed at that organism, and the girl should be educated on proper vulvar care. Finally, any condition that requires topical steroid ointment or simple barrier creams will be treated more quickly and effectively when good vulvar hygiene is added to the treatment regimen.

A comparison of dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry, air displacement plethysmography and A‐mode ultrasound to assess body composition in college‐age adults

There is currently a dearth of scientific literature exploring the agreement of A-mode ultrasound (US) body composition analysis with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and air displacement plethysmography (ADP). To investigate the agreement of US with DXA and ADP for estimating fat mass (FM) and fat-free mass (FFM). College-age men (n=33) and women (n=41) volunteered to participate in this study. Participants were instructed to adhere to the following pretest protocol: refrain from food and drink 12h prior to testing and wear tight fitting clothing. Body composition (BCA) was assessed using US, DXA and ADP in accordance with the respective manufacturer's guidelines. Two-way mixed-model AVOVA and Bland and Altman techniques were applied to explore agreement for FM and FFM among the three methods: US, ADP and DXA and by sex. There was no statistically significant effect by sex for either FM or FFM across all BCA comparisons (P=0·504 and 0·510, respectively). US was not statistically different from ADP for FM and FFM (P≈1·00). However, for FM and FFM, there were significant differences between DXA and both US and ADP (P≤0·001). The Bland and Altman analyses revealed large individual differences for all BCA. There was statistical agreement between US and ADP for FM and FFM but lack of agreement for US and ADP when compared to DXA. However, the large limits of agreement between methods warrant caution in generalizing these findings.

Tactile cues significantly modulate the perception of sweat-induced skin wetness independently of the level of physical skin wetness.

Humans sense the wetness of a wet surface through the somatosensory integration of thermal and tactile inputs generated by the interaction between skin and moisture. However, little is known on how wetness is sensed when moisture is produced via sweating. We tested the hypothesis that, in the absence of skin cooling, intermittent tactile cues, as coded by low-threshold skin mechanoreceptors, modulate the perception of sweat-induced skin wetness, independently of the level of physical wetness. Ten males (22 yr old) performed an incremental exercise protocol during two trials designed to induce the same physical skin wetness but to induce lower (TIGHT-FIT) and higher (LOOSE-FIT) wetness perception. In the TIGHT-FIT, a tight-fitting clothing ensemble limited intermittent skin-sweat-clothing tactile interactions. In the LOOSE-FIT, a loose-fitting ensemble allowed free skin-sweat-clothing interactions. Heart rate, core and skin temperature, galvanic skin conductance (GSC), and physical (w(body)) and perceived skin wetness were recorded. Exercise-induced sweat production and physical wetness increased significantly [GSC: 3.1 μS, SD 0.3 to 18.8 μS, SD 1.3, P < 0.01; w(body): 0.26 no-dimension units (nd), SD 0.02, to 0.92 nd, SD 0.01, P < 0.01], with no differences between TIGHT-FIT and LOOSE-FIT (P > 0.05). However, the limited intermittent tactile inputs generated by the TIGHT-FIT ensemble reduced significantly whole-body and regional wetness perception (P < 0.01). This reduction was more pronounced when between 40 and 80% of the body was covered in sweat. We conclude that the central integration of intermittent mechanical interactions between skin, sweat, and clothing, as coded by low-threshold skin mechanoreceptors, significantly contributes to the ability to sense sweat-induced skin wetness.