Wet Cloth Research Articles

Wet Military Uniforms Pose Low Risk of Hypothermia while Static in Mild Cold Air.

Wet clothing is less insulative than dry clothing and increases heat loss in cold air. Tactical necessity can render removal of wet clothing impossible and/or require Warfighters to remain static to avoid detection, limiting heat production and posing a threat of hypothermia (core temperature <35°C). This study aimed to characterize body temperatures and evaluate hypothermia risk while statically exposed to 5°C air wearing three wet military uniforms. Further, low-speed loaded walking was evaluated as a strategy to raise end-static temperatures. Twelve adults (11M, 1F) randomly completed three wet-cold trials wearing either the Improved Hot Weather Combat Uniform (IHWCU), Army Combat Uniform (ACU), or ACU with silk-weight base layer (ACU+). Each trial involved 180 minutes of cold air (5.3±0.3°C, 0.8 m·s-1) exposure after a clothed 2-minute head-out immersion (34.0 ± 0.2°C). Volunteers were static for 60 minutes followed by 120 minutes of loaded walking. Rectal temperature (Tre) area under the curve did not differ among the three wet uniforms when static (p=0.431) with Tre increasing, rather than decreasing, across the 60 minutes (IHWCU: +0.26±0.19°C, ACU: +0.37±0.21°C, ACU+: +0.36±0.20°C). Hypothermia risk with 60-minute static wet-cold exposure therefore appears minimal, regardless of the military uniform worn. End-static finger temperatures (IHWCU: 9.48±2.30°C, ACU: 9.99±1.82°C, ACU+: 9.27±1.66°C, p >0.999) were reduced by ~20-23°C posing a considerable dexterity concern. Heat production of ~210 W·m2 appeared sufficient to begin to reverse negative cumulative heat storage and initiate slight elevation of rectal and peripheral temperatures, although finger temperatures increased < 2°C after 120 minutes. ClinicalTrials.gov ID:NCT05409937.

Influence of PCMs on thermal performance of wet fire protective clothing

The inclusion of phase change materials (PCMs) in firefighting protective clothing (FPC) has been previously shown to be beneficial during the exposure stage, but detrimental in the post-exposure, mainly due to PCM latent heat release towards the skin, after the exposure. It is unclear whether that is also the case for when the FPC is wet. Hence, in this study, a one-dimensional numerical approach is used to study the effect of PCM parameters (PCM mass, melting temperature) and global heat flux, on the thermal performance of a wet fire protective clothing. It is concluded that under wet conditions, the PCM amount, and its phase change temperature have a significant effect on thermal performance, depending on the heat exposure scenario considered. Great benefits are observed in introducing PCMs to prevent water condensation near the skin, but at the cost of greater PCM re-solidification skin damage.

Effect of a vapor barrier in combination with active external rewarming for cold-stressed patients in a prehospital setting: a randomized, crossover field study

BackgroundUse of a vapor barrier in the prehospital care of cold-stressed or hypothermic patients aims to reduce evaporative heat loss and accelerate rewarming. The application of a vapor barrier is recommended in various guidelines, along with both insulating and wind/waterproof layers and an active external rewarming device; however, evidence of its effect is limited. This study aimed to investigate the effect of using a vapor barrier as the inner layer in the recommended “burrito” model for wrapping hypothermic patients in the field.MethodsIn this, randomized, crossover field study, 16 healthy volunteers wearing wet clothing were subjected to a 30-minute cooling period in a snow chamber before being wrapped in a model including an active heating source either with (intervention) or without (control) a vapor barrier. The mean skin temperature, core temperature, and humidity in the model were measured, and the shivering intensity and thermal comfort were assessed using a subjective questionnaire. The mean skin temperature was the primary outcome, whereas humidity and thermal comfort were the secondary outcomes. Primary outcome data were analyzed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA).ResultsWe found a higher mean skin temperature in the intervention group than in the control group after approximately 25 min (p < 0.05), and this difference persisted for the rest of the 60-minute study period. The largest difference in mean skin temperature was 0.93 °C after 60 min. Humidity levels outside the vapor barrier were significantly higher in the control group than in the intervention group after 5 min. There were no significant differences in subjective comfort. However, there was a consistent trend toward increased comfort in the intervention group compared with the control group.ConclusionsThe use of a vapor barrier as the innermost layer in combination with an active external heat source leads to higher mean skin rewarming rates in patients wearing wet clothing who are at risk of accidental hypothermia.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT05779722.

Hyperhidrosis: problems and solutions

The functional role of sweating is not limited only to thermoregulation and excretion. There are other functions of it — the ability to enhance and maintain hydration and barrier function of the skin. Excessive sweating can lead to an exacerbation or cause many skin diseases, form psychological discomfort in a person due to wet clothes or an accompanying unpleasant odor. Primary hyperhidrosis may be an autosomal dominant genetic disease. Secondary, usually generalized hyperhidrosis is often associated with drug effects on the body or a systemic disease. The following approaches are used in the treatment of hyperhidrosis: 1) blocking the release of sweat to the skin surface (aluminum salts and formaldehyde); 2) physiotherapy (iontophoresis); 3) destruction of sweat glands and cessation of sweat production (excision of a skin flap with subcutaneous fat, curettage, microwave technology, etc.); 4) termination of the signal from the central nervous system to the sweat glands (transthoracic endoscopic sympathectomy, percutaneous radiofrequency sympathectomy, botulinum toxin injections, systemic anticholinergic drugs). External remedies for excessive sweating include the Russian drug Formagel®, containing 3.7% formaldehyde. This drug is a non-invasive, easily doable, effective, safe method of treating hyperhidrosis.

Effect of wet clothing removal on skin temperature in subjects exposed to cold and wrapped in a vapor barrier: a human, randomized, crossover field study

BackgroundPrehospital care for cold-stressed and hypothermic patients focuses on effective insulation and rewarming. When encountering patients wearing wet clothing, rescuers can either remove the wet clothing before isolating the patient or isolate the patient using a vapor barrier. Wet clothing removal increases skin exposure but avoids the need to heat the wet clothing during rewarming. Leaving wet clothing on will avoid skin exposure but is likely to increase heat loss during rewarming. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of wet clothing removal compared to containing the moisture using a vapor barrier on skin temperature in a prehospital setting.MethodsThis randomized crossover experimental field study was conducted in a snow cave in Hemsedal, Norway. After an initial cooling phase of 30 min while wearing wet clothes, the participants were subjected to one of two rewarming scenarios: (1) wet clothing removal and wrapping in a vapor barrier, insulating blankets, and windproof outer shell (dry group) or (2) wrapping in a vapor barrier, insulating blankets, and windproof outer shell (wet group). The mean skin temperature was the primary outcome whereas subjective scores for both thermal comfort and degree of shivering were secondary outcomes. Primary outcome data were analyzed using the analysis of covariance (ANCOVA).ResultsAfter an initial decrease in temperature during the exposure phase, the dry group had a higher mean skin temperature compared to the wet group after only 2 min. The skin-rewarming rate was highest in the initial rewarming stages for both groups, but increased in the dry group as compared to the wet group in the first 10 min. Return to baseline temperature occurred significantly faster in the dry group (mean 12.5 min [dry] vs. 28.1 min [wet]). No intergroup differences in the subjective thermal comfort or shivering were observed.ConclusionRemoval of wet clothing in combination with a vapor barrier increases skin rewarming rate compared to encasing the wet clothing in a vapor barrier, in mild cold and environments without wind.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov ID NCT05996757, retrospectively registered 18/08/2023.

The Influence of Curing Treatments on Compressive Strength and Durability of Geopolymer Paving Blocks

The current study focused on developing geopolymer paving blocks for infrastructure facilities utilizing industrial wastes. This research investigated the effect of various curing treatments on the compressive strength and durability of geopolymer paving blocks. Three curing methods, such as laying to room temperature, moist curing covered by a wet cloth sheet and total immersion in artificial acidic water, were studied. The geopolymer paver specimen was produced by mixing low calcium of fly ash, sand, and alkali activator, such as sodium silicate (Na₂SiO₃) with 8M and 10M sodium hydroxide (NaOH) with a ratio of 2.5. The hydraulic press machine was then used for pressing the specimen. The evaluation of these specimens included assessing their compressive strength, water absorption, resistance to sodium sulfate, and density following recommended standards. The results indicated that the geopolymer paver cured by total immersion in artificial acid water exhibited worse performance in strength and durability than the other two curing methods. The highest compressive strength, exceeding 35 MPa, categorizing it as class A, was achieved by the specimens subjected to moist curing. All geopolymer paving block specimens are suitable for various applications, pedestrian zones and city parks.

Performance of a Chemical Heat Blanket in Dry, Damp, and Wet Conditions Inside a Mountain Rescue Hypothermia Wrap

Casualties with accidental hypothermia are evacuated using multilayer wraps, typically including a chemical heat blanket (CHB), a vapor barrier, and an insulating outer bag. We investigated CHB performance against dry, damp, and wet fabric, in a multilayer wrap, in response to a case report indicating diminished performance when wet. We wrapped a torso manikin in a base layer, CHB, vapor barrier, casualty bag, and vacuum mattress, recording CHB panel temperatures at intervals of up to 7 h. Experimental conditions were dry, damp, and wet clothing, with 2 blankets tested in each condition. We subsequently used a forward-looking infrared camera to assess whether the panels heated evenly and heat flux sensors to quantify heat transfer across 2 dry, 1 damp, and 1 wet fleece under CHB panels. Chemical heat blankets maintained heat output for >7 h inside the wraps. Median (IQR) panel steady state temperatures were 52°C (39-56°C) against dry fleece, 41°C (36-45°C) against damp fleece, and 30°C (29-33°C) against wet fleece. Peak panel temperature was 67°C. The heat flux results indicated that CHBs generated similar quantities of heat in dry and damp conditions, as the lower temperatures were compensated by more efficient transfer of heat across the moist clothing layer. Chemical heat blanket heat output was diminished in wet conditions. Rescuers should cut off saturated clothing in a protected environment before wrapping casualties, but damp clothing need not be removed. Because of the high peak temperatures recorded on the surfaces of CHBs, they should not be placed directly against skin, and compression straps should not be placed directly over CHBs.

Product Design Of Clothes Drying Cabinet Using Quality Function Deployment (QFD) Method

The problem that often occurs in the laundry business during the rainy season is the difficulty of drying cloth/clothes. Erratic weather changes make it difficult for wet clothes to dry. Ideally, drying clothes in the summer takes 6-7 hours and in the rainy season it can take up to 2 days. Drying clothes outside the home is susceptible to bacteria and germs. Clean clothes that are not maintained will cause bacteria to stick to the clothes and can certainly cause irritation to the skin. This study aims to design a clothes drying cabinet. To find out the specifications of the needs and desires of users, this research uses the Quality Function Deployment method. Closed interviews were used to obtain more detailed attributes and produce the HOQ (House Of Quality). The results of the HOQ are the level of difficulty of the design, the level of importance for each technical character and estimated costs so that it is feasible to design and implement. In designing a clothes drying cabinet, it requires a heater to function as a heater, a 12V fan functions to spread the temperature released by the heater, a temperature sensor functions to determine the temperature and humidity levels in the clothes drying cabinet, the control panel box functions to control the clothes drying cabinet like a button. on/off, temperature and humidity settings.

Perancangan Jemuran Otomatis Berbasis Arduino Uno

Ongoing global warming makes the seasons in Indonesia irregular. These uncertain conditions will be very inconvenient if you want to dry clothes. This worry increases when the house is empty, while the clothesline that is used to dry wet clothes is still outside the house so that the clothes that are being dried in the sun do not dry as optimally. The research method that will be implemented in this research is Prototype.&#x0D; The author designed an automatic clothesline using an Arduino Uno-based microcontroller and a rain sensor with a miniature minimalist house. people do not need to manually pick up clothes that are drying in the sun when the weather conditions are rainy. Because the to designed by the author is able to secure clothes automatically when it's raining. The rain sensor used can detect rain conditions, so it can protect clothesline. The design of an automatic clothesline with a miniature minimalist house, which was made in this study, is the answer to problems that often occur in society.

Prevalence of hypothermia and critical hand temperatures during military cold water immersion training

ABSTRACT Cold-weather military operations can quickly undermine warfighter readiness and performance. Specifically, accidental cold-water immersion (CWI) contributes to rapid body heat loss and impaired motor function. This study evaluated the prevalence of hypothermia and critical hand temperatures during CWI. One-hundred seventeen (N = 117) military personnel (mean ± SD age: 27 ± 6 yr, height: 176 ± 8 cm, weight: 81.5 ± 11.6 kg) completed CWI and rewarming during cold-weather training, which included a 10-min outdoor CWI (1.3 ± 1.4°C) combined with cold air (−4.2 ± 8.5°C) exposure. Following CWI, students removed wet clothing, donned dry clothing, and entered sleeping systems. Core (Tc) and hand (Thand) temperatures were recorded continuously during the training exercise. Tc for 96 students (mean ± SD lowest Tc = 35.6 ± 0.9°C) revealed that 24 students (25%) experienced Tc below 35.0°C. All of 110 students (100%) experienced Thand below 15.0°C, with 71 students (65%) experiencing Thand at or below 8.0°C. Loss of hand function and hypothermia should be anticipated in warfighters who experience CWI in field settings. Given the high prevalence of low Thand, focus should be directed on quickly rewarming hands to recover function.

Prehospital Active and Passive Warming in Trauma Patients

ObjectiveHypothermia is common among trauma patients and can lead to a serious rise in morbidity and mortality. This study was performed to investigate the effect of active and passive warming measures implemented in the prehospital phase on the body temperature of trauma patients. MethodsIn a multicenter, multinational prospective observational design, the effect of active and passive warming measures on the incidence of hypothermia was investigated. Adult trauma patients who were transported by helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) or ground emergency medical services with an HEMS physician directly from the scene of injury were included. Four HEMS/ground emergency medical services programs from Canada, the United States, and the Netherlands participated. ResultsA total of 80 patients (n = 20 per site) were included. Eleven percent had hypothermia on presentation, and the initial evaluation occurred predominantly within 60 minutes after injury. In-line fluid warmers and blankets were the most frequently used active and passive warming measures, respectively. Independent risk factors for a negative change in body temperature were transportation by ground ambulance (odds ratio = 3.20; 95% confidence interval, 1.06-11.49; P = .03) and being wet on initial presentation (odds ratio = 3.64; 95% confidence interval, 0.99-13.36; P = .05). ConclusionFor adult patients transported from the scene of injury to a trauma center, active and passive warming measures, most notably the removal of wet clothing, were associated with a favorable outcome, whereas wet patients and ground ambulance transport were associated with an unfavorable outcome with respect to temperature.

Experimental Study on Heat Recovery of Air Dryer from Waste Heat Energy of Condensing Unit from VCRS Air Conditioner

Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) is a system to condition indoor air by cooling or heating to achieve thermal comfort for a human being. The HVAC system operates based on the refrigeration cycle, where heat is dissipated from the condensing unit in the warm air arrangement. This represents an ironic foundation of heat that might be recovered for further schemes or applications. In this paper, experimental work was developed to validate the proposed heat recovery system using heated air released from the condenser unit of the HVAC system as a source for the air dryer for the drying rack. Four different output parameters are to be observed in this research: the dry-bulb temperature of the air exit from the condenser unit, the dry-bulb temperature of the air inflowing the dryer, and the drying time and the relative humidity of the air leaving the dryer. These experimental works were conducted using a domestic application of a 1.0 hp air conditioning (AC) system with R-22 refrigerant gas and based on the following factors: The three-variant mass of wet clothes, the three-stage of mechanical fan speed for releasing warm air from the condenser, and the effect of variable ambient or surrounding air dry-bulb temperature were studied. A physical prototype of the dryer was constructed for proof-of-concept purposes. The experimental output was then analyzed to obtain precision and accurate data. To determine the system behavior, a refrigeration cycle analysis was conducted. It has been shown that an AC system of 1.0 hp can cover wet clothes drying of weights 1950 g, 4255 g, and 6350 g at 55, 80, and 110 min with a constant air velocity of 0.34 m-3.s-1 in an ambient temperature of 33°C. The significant contribution of this research is the proposed heat-recovery-based air dryer system with the capability to increase the Coefficient of Performance (COP) of the AC unit from 2.36 to 2.70. Hence, the energy-saving was received using the heat-recovered-based air dryer instead of a commercial electric air dryer system that uses high power consumption from their heater element.

A multi-segmented human bioheat model under immersed conditions

A multi-segmented human bioheat model was developed to characterize the heat exchange phenomena of the human body while immersed in water and to predict the body's thermoregulation and physiological reactions under immersed conditions. The model is based on the Tanabe model, which divides the human body into 15 segments according to the “Walter” thermal manikin. Each segment is made up of the core layer, muscle layer, fat layer, skin layer and central blood layer. The wet clothing model, which uses empirical equations derived from several underwater manikin experiments, is used in the multi-segmented human bioheat model to represent the mechanism of heat exchange between the human body and the outside world through wet clothing after falling into water. Ten healthy males were chosen for the water immersion experiment and placed in a climatic chamber with simulated falling water. Six different body parts' core temperatures, skin temperatures, and heat flow densities were continually monitored throughout the experiment. By contrasting the experimental results of the water immersion environment with the multi-segmented human bioheat model's predicted outcomes, the accuracy of the model was assessed. The results showed that the values predicted by the model simulation matched the results of the experiments, which indicates that the multi-segmented human bioheat model was reliable, valid, and very useful.

Massive furunculoid myiasis in a traveller after a trip to Uganda

A 52 year-old man came to the emergency room of our hospital. He had spent 14 days in an organized safari in Uganda (Queen Elizabeth National Park and Kampala environs) and arrived in Spain on the 14th day. On the 8th day of his trip, he noticed some painful lesions affecting different parts of the body such as the limbs, neck and trunk and scrotum. During the following days, the lesions progressed becoming more painful, as well as presenting a pustular appearance, with no other associated systemic symptoms. He extracted more than 60 “motile parasites'' from the skin lesions, with pain improvement afterwards. Upon his arrival to Spain, he looked for medical advice in dermatological emergencies at our center. During anamnesis, he recalled having his wet clothes and towels hung during the night outside the tents and shelters he used to sleep 1 Robbins K. Khachemoune A. Cutaneous myiasis: a review of the common types of myiasis. Int J Dermatol. 2010; 49: 1092-1098https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-4632.2010.04577.x Crossref PubMed Scopus (123) Google Scholar . On physical examination, 93 furunculoid lesions in the mentioned areas were observed (Figure 1A). After exploring all the body surface and removing all visible living larvae (measuring 4 to 8 mm) through extrusion (Figure 1B,F) with the help of a dermoscope, two doses of 15 mg of Ivermectin taken seven days apart were prescribed due to the massive infestation, the possibility of viable larvae remaining in subclinical or incipient lesions, and providing that Ivermectin is a safe drug broadly used by dermatologists that has demonstrated effectiveness in other cutaneous myiasis 2 Dourmishev A.L. Dourmishev L.A. Schwartz R.A. Ivermectin: pharmacology and application in dermatology. Int J Dermatol. 2005; 44: 981-988https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-4632.2004.02253.x Crossref PubMed Scopus (146) Google Scholar . Afterwards, progressive improvement and ulterior complete resolution of all lesions was achieved.

Effect of Large Openings on Bending Strength of Reinforced Concrete Beam

At the design stage of beams, openings for service ducts are rarely taking into consideration. The introduction of openings for service ducts have negative effects on the strength characteristics of beams, hence the focus of this research is to investigate the effect of large service openings on the ultimate load of reinforced concrete beams produced from locally available materials. A total of ten beams were cast using 20.8 N/mm² concrete grade. The cross-sectional dimensions of the beams were 100mm x 150mm and 1000 mm length, with effective span of 750 mm. The tested beams consisted of two control beams. The experimental beams consisted of eight beams, four of the beams were with 40 mm service openings (with two beams having openings at the centre and two beams having openings at the supports) and the other four beams had 50 mm service holes (with two beams having openings at the centre and two beams having openings at the supports). The reinforced concrete beams were cured by covering it with wet cloths and tested at 28th day. The control beams and experimental beams were subjected to point loads at the beam centre to study the effect of the openings on the ultimate load. The average actual ultimate load for the experimental beams with 40 mm openings at the supports (TII) and centre were (TIII) were 49.48 kN and 63.28 kN respectively, representing 28% increase in the ultimate load when opening is moved from support to the centre of the beam. Also there is 45% increase in the average actual ultimate load for the experimental beams with 50 mm, when the opening is moved from supports (TIV) to the centre (TV). The average actual ultimate load for the control beams (TI) was 63.88 kN, while the estimated ultimate loads for control and the experimental beams was 70.13 kN, which shows that the estimated ultimate load is about 10% higher than the actual ultimate load. The openings placed at the supports of beams have more strength reducing effect on the ultimate load, when compared with the openings placed at the centre of the beams.

Training Farmers in How to Apply Pesticides and Other Topical Subjects

When the use of chemical pesticides began to increase, there were several commercially available insecticides that were considered to be highly hazardous pesticides (HHP) to use. Methyl parathion was one of these insecticides. In Zimbabwe, it was decided that the containers of insecticide should have a colour to indicate its toxicity level as defined by the World Health Organisation. Thus, the colour purple indicated an extremely hazardous pesticide (Class I), while the colours red, orange and green indicated Classes II, III and unclassified pesticide. Pesticides with a purple or red label were not displayed and those who wished to purchase these products had to know about their higher toxicity and precautions to be taken when used. Despite this system of simple colour codes, many smallholder farmers in cotton growing areas did not know the significance of this code. In Zimbabwe, pesticides are now sold over the counter regardless of the toxicological and ecotoxicological impacts. However, this government policy was intended to stimulate and grow the agricultural sector, but small-scale farming is prevalent and dominated by vulnerable populations. Due to these factors, beneficiaries of subsidised pesticides engage in uncontrolled vending of pesticides. Companies have not adopted this and unfortunately, responsible registration in many countries has not limited the sale of HHP products. Without proper training workers have died or suffered illness following use of these pesticides. According to Rother label information is a poor communication vehicle regarding risks, so it is argued that the use of the term "misuse" of pesticides in the literature, and by regulators and industry inappropriately allocates blame of poisonings and environmental contamination to end-users. In the UK, the Crop Protection Association introduced a Voluntary Initiative aimed at improving the standards of pesticide use. This resulted in setting up the National Register of Sprayer Operators (NRoSo), which is open to anybody who holds an appropriate certificate of competence qualification approved by the Chemical Regulations Directorate (CRD) for the safe application of pesticides. In some countries, the government has supported Extension Services, usually linked to a University. These provide training for farmers, but in many parts of the world there has been relatively little attention to providing farmers adequate training on the correct and safe way to apply pesticides. The Inter-African Phytosanitary Council (IAPSC), which is a part of the African Union (AU), was increasingly concerned about the safety and efficiency of pesticides used in Africa. In all member states, there were cases of pesticide abuse at the field level and lack of adequate control over the way pesticides were being used. In particular, small-scale farmers using knapsack sprayers and other portable application equipment were inadequately trained. Similarly, this was also a problem amongst plantation workers. An example of the problems in Nigeria is expressed by Asogwa et al and Onuegbu &amp; Harbor. The lack of training was also reported from Pakistan, where the majority of the farmers (88%) in the study had never received any formal training on the use of pesticides and knapsack sprayers. Instead farmers learnt methods of spraying pesticide, handling and tank filling by imitating their relatives or neighbours. Another contributing factor in acute pesticide poisoning of farmers was due to knapsack sprayers being poorly maintained. When spraying, most farmers had wet clothes owing to leakage from ill-fitting nozzles and poorly kept equipment. It was observed that most of the equipment that was in use, was locally made and was of poor quality. Many of the knapsack sprayers had been there for years without any maintenance, repair or replacement by new equipment. The lack of training and unavailability of safetyequipment is consistent with other studies. In 2000, FAO organised a Training programme for agricultural staff in tropical countries, who were expected to utilise their training to organise training sessions in their own country. The initial course was aimed at farms in Cameroon, but for a second course, participants were invited from other African countries. One result of these training sessions was a 273 page booklet produced by FAO.

Studies on thermal comfort of multi-layered fabric assembly after wetting with sweat and distilled water

Textiles play a vital role in assuring the thermal stability of the human body. The absorption of perspiration or moisture from a humid environment might result in wet clothing. Protective and sports apparel are often wet when the wearer is involved in high level of activity; thereby affecting the comfort. In order to understand the comfort behaviour of textiles in wet state, most of the researchers used the distilled water or NaCl aqueous solution. However, human sweat is a very complex aqueous mixture of chemicals comprising of salts, lipids, urea, lactic acid, carbohydrates, and minerals. In the present study, the effect of simulated sweat solution on the thermal behaviour of multi-layered fabric assembly is studied and compared with that of distilled water. The multi-layered fabric assembly consists of breathable PU-coated nylon as an outer layer; polyester knitted fabric as an inner layer; and micro-polyester wadding/hollow-polyester wadding/spacer fabric as the middle layer. In addition, the inner layer (next to the skin) is also tested for thermal comfort for both dry and wet states. It is observed that thermal properties of fabrics are drastically affected under wet conditions. The inner layer of fabric wetted with distilled water shows higher thermal conductivity as compared to that wetted with simulated sweat. Among various multi-layered assemblies, the thermal resistance and thermal diffusion of multi-layered assembly having hollow polyester wadding as a middle layer is high as compared to that having spacer fabric in the middle, under both dry and wet conditions.

Pediatric Environmental Cold Injuries.

Cold weather injuries are relevant concerns for children during winter sports and outdoor activities. To mitigate the risk of cold injury in this high-risk population, providers can educate parents on proper outdoor attire as well as the added risks of wind and water exposure. There are 2 types of environmental cold injuries: freezing injuries and nonfreezing injuries. Frostbite is a freezing injury from direct contact with cold air or surfaces. The extent of injury depends on the depth to which the freezing extends. Treatment involves rewarming the frozen tissue with warm water baths and considering analgesia. Hypothermia is a nonfreezing cold injury, and it can occur even when ambient temperatures are above freezing. When there is a decrease in the body's core temperature, hypothermia progresses from mild to severe symptoms. Treatment of hypothermia is threefold but is also dependent on the core body temperature, as colder core temperatures will require more aggressive warming techniques. Hypothermia treatment involves passive protection from further heat loss (ie, removing wet clothing), which helps the body to warm itself. Treatment also involves active external rewarming wherein a heat source, such as a heated blanket, is used to increase body temperature. Active internal rewarming is the delivery of heat inside the patient's body, such as warmed intravenous fluids.

What Risks Does the Residential Laundry Process Pose?: A Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment (QMRA) Study

<h3>Background</h3> Fomites are an important pathway for infectious disease spread in residential and home healthcare settings (i.e., nursing, assisted living, and retirement communities). Many healthcare professionals launder work clothes at home that may be contaminated by contact with infected patients. Through quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA), the study objectives were to (1) evaluate pathogen transmission risks for those doing laundry, and (2) compare infection control interventions to reduce laundering risks. <h3>Methods</h3> A simulation model was used to evaluate exposure events related to laundry process. One baseline scenario (no handwashing) and three handwashing scenarios (scenario 1: after moving dirty clothes to washing machine, scenario 2: after moving wet clothes to dryer, scenario 3: after both of these previous steps) were evaluated. Each scenario involved a single user, three contacts with contaminated laundry, and three contacts with the face. Five representative microorganisms known to spread via intra-familial transmission were modeled: SARS-CoV-2, rotavirus, norovirus, nontyphoidal Salmonella, and Escherichia coli. <h3>Results</h3> The mean infection risks for the baseline scenario were all above a 1 in 1,000,000 risk threshold: 7.22 × 10^(-4) (SARS-CoV-2), 8.74 × 10^(-1) (rotavirus), 7.49 × 10^(-4) (norovirus), 7.12 × 10^(-1) Salmonella), and 1.41 × 10^(-3) (E. coli). Regardless of organism type, handwashing after loading dirty clothes into the washing machine yielded a greater risk reduction (scenario 1: 39.95 – 99.86 %) than handwashing after loading washed clothes into the drying machine (scenario 2: 1.35 – 55.25 %). Handwashing two times (scenario 3) further reduced risk where SARS-CoV-2 achieved 1/1,000,000 risk threshold and norovirus and E. coli achieved 1/10,000 risk threshold. <h3>Conclusions</h3> More data is needed to more accurately evaluate real-world exposure potentials (i.e., the hand-to-face contact frequency during laundering and viability of organisms on laundry), however, handling contaminated garments may pose considerable infection risks for some pathogens. To prevent infection, it is important to reduce hand-to-face contacts and to handwash directly after touching contaminated clothing.

Breath Carbon Monoxide Levels in Different Forms of Smoking

Bidi, cigarette, hookah and chillum are common modes of tobacco smoking in India. Many people consider hookah and chillum smoking less toxic because smoke is filtered through water or wet cloth. We evaluated the toxicity of tobacco smoking by measuring end-tidal carbon monoxide (eCO) levels after various modes of smoking. Eighteen healthy smokers who smoked bidi, cigarette, hookah and chillum on six days were studied. They smoked one bidi, one cigarette, five minutes hookah, one serve (15 minutes) hookah, five minutes chillum and one serve (15 minutes) chillum on six days randomly. The eCO values were measured before initiation of smoking and for a period of one hour after the smoking session. Increase in eCO values in comparison to baseline after different modes of smoking was compared. In comparison to baseline, mean eCO levels were raised by 4.94 (0.96) parts per million (ppm) immediately and 4.17 (1.07) ppm 60 minutes after cigarette smoking. Bidi smoking caused slightly less increase in mean eCO levels (3.17 [0.82]). One serve of hookah and chillum smoking caused elevation of mean eCO values by almost eight-folds higher than that of cigarette smoking. Five minutes of smoking with hookah (22.18 [5.29]) and one serve of hookah (33.0 [8.76]) and chillum (40.14 [12.73]) caused significantly higher values of mean increase in eCO in comparison to cigarette smoking (p<0.001). With regard to eCO levels, hookah and chillum smoking are much more toxic than cigarette smoking.