The Effect of Maternity Support Garments on Alleviation of Pains and Discomforts during Pregnancy: A Systematic Review.

Maternity support garments (MSGs) are widely available and commonly recommended and used for alleviation of lower back pain (LBP) and pelvic girdle pain (PGP) during pregnancy; however, most studies available use the garments as a conjunct intervention with other therapies, with scarce research demonstrating the effects of the garments as a sole intervention. This study aims to review the available literature on the effects of using MSGs as sole intervention for comfort improvement of women during pregnancy, as well as to discuss the attributes of the garments which may influence their performance. A systematic review was undertaken, which adheres to PRISMA guideline for systematic reviews. Multiple databases, such as ScienceDirect, CINAHL, EBSCO, Elsevier, SCOPUS, Wiley Online Library, ProQuest, ProQuest Health and Medical Complete, PubMed, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, were electronically searched. Six studies met the inclusion criteria and covered three trial studies, two pilot studies and one observational study. Three outcome measurements were identified from the included studies: alleviation of pain, improvement of balance, and improvement of functionality and mobility. The study concluded that wearing MSGs during pregnancy could have beneficial effects in women such as LBP and PGP alleviation, improvement of functionality and mobility, and reduction of risk of fall during pregnancy; however, the mechanisms of the garments' actions as well as the duration of the garments' effectiveness are not elucidated through the studies. This study contributes to the understanding of the effects and effectiveness of the use of MSGs as a sole intervention for improvement of comfort during pregnancy as well as information about the different types of garments commercially available and the attributes that may influence the garment performance.

Design considerations for low-level risk personal protective clothing: a review.

Personal protective clothing (PPC) is mandatory in hazardous industrial workplaces, but can increase thermophysiological strain, causing fatigue, reduced productivity, illness and injury. We systematically reviewed the literature on PPC and heat stress, focusing on research relating to working conditions of high temperature and humidity. PPC must protect industrial workers from a wide variety of hazards, including sun damage, abrasion, chemical spills and electrical burns; these competing demands inevitably compromise thermal performance. Fiber type, textile material construction and treatment need to be considered alongside garment fit and construction to design functional PPC providing wearers with adequate protection and comfort. Several approaches to materials and PPC testing-objective benchtop evaluation, mathematical modelling, and physiological testing-can be combined to provide high-quality thermal and vapor performance data. Our review provides a foundation and directions for further research in low-level risk PPC, where current research in fabrics and clothing in this category is very limited, and will help designers and manufacturers create industrial workwear with improved thermal management characteristics.

Sleep environments and sleep physiology: A review.

Sleep loss impairs task performance and post-physical activity recovery, cognitive performance and mood, heightens fatigue and decreases vigour; poor sleep quality impairs decision-making, the speed and accuracy of task performance, and post-exercise recovery. Sleep time and quality are affected by age, psychological and physiological conditions, culture and environmental factors. Skin temperature, rapid temperature change and sweating during sleep can significantly reduce sleep quality. Hence, the thermal properties of bedding and sleepwear, both in steady-state and transient ambient temperature conditions, are logically important factors. Research to date on sleeping thermal microclimates and their effect on sleep quality is scarce. This present review covers the fundamental elements of human sleep, highlighting physically active people, such as athletes, and the influence of sleepwear and bedding on sleep thermal microclimates, as well as the research methods that have been and could be used in this field. This review identifies opportunity for future research direction and approaches to understanding thermal environments that may support better human sleep.

Firefighters' protective jackets: Fit to female form and its effects on attributes relevant to thermal comfort.

Often male and female workers wear protective garments of identical construction and style, with females typically wearing small-sized men's garments. Consequently, the air spaces under garments worn by male and female wearers can substantially differ in size and distribution affecting the physiological comfort of firefighters' protective clothing. The present study was designed to investigate the effects of varying dimensions and distributions of air spaces in the next-to-skin microclimate under firefighters' protective jackets on attributes relevant to the thermal comfort of wearer, not only in relation to garment construction and fit, but also to human body geometry using 3D body scanning. Analysis of 20 scans demonstrated that jackets of the same size and construction create larger air spaces under them worn on a female as opposed to on a male body form. Both thermal and vapor resistance of clothing were affected significantly by the volume of trapped air.

Flexible Sensors for Pressure Therapy: Effect of Substrate Curvature and Stiffness on Sensor Performance.

Flexible pressure sensors are increasingly being used in medical and non-medical applications, and particularly in innovative health monitoring. Their efficacy in medical applications such as compression therapy depends on the accuracy and repeatability of their output, which in turn depend on factors such as sensor type, shape, pressure range, and conformability of the sensor to the body surface. Numerous researchers have examined the effects of sensor type and shape, but little information is available on the effect of human body parameters such as support surfaces' curvature and the stiffness of soft tissues on pressure sensing performance. We investigated the effects of body parameters on the performance of pressure sensors using a custom-made human-leg-like test setup. Pressure sensing parameters such as accuracy, drift and repeatability were determined in both static (eight hours continuous pressure) and dynamic (10 cycles of pressure application of 30 s duration) testing conditions. The testing was performed with a focus on compression therapy application for venous leg ulcer treatments, and was conducted in a low-pressure range of 20-70 mmHg. Commercially available sensors manufactured by Peratech and Sensitronics were used under various loading conditions to determine the influence of stiffness and curvature. Flat rigid, flat soft silicone and three cylindrical silicone surfaces of radii of curvature of 3.5 cm, 5.5 cm and 6.5 cm were used as substrates under the sensors. The Peratech sensor averaged 94% accuracy for both static and dynamic measurements on all substrates; the Sensitronics sensor averaged 88% accuracy. The Peratech sensor displayed moderate variations and the Sensitronics sensor large variations in output pressure readings depending on the underlying test surface, both of which were reduced markedly by individual pressure calibration for surface type. Sensor choice and need for calibration to surface type are important considerations for their application in healthcare monitoring.

Evaluation of Flexible Force Sensors for Pressure Monitoring in Treatment of Chronic Venous Disorders.

The recent use of graduated compression therapy for treatment of chronic venous disorders such as leg ulcers and oedema has led to considerable research interest in flexible and low-cost force sensors. Properly applied low pressure during compression therapy can substantially improve the treatment of chronic venous disorders. However, achievement of the recommended low pressure levels and its accurate determination in real-life conditions is still a challenge. Several thin and flexible force sensors, which can also function as pressure sensors, are commercially available, but their real-life sensing performance has not been evaluated. Moreover, no researchers have reported information on sensor performance during static and dynamic loading within the realistic test conditions required for compression therapy. This research investigated the sensing performance of five low-cost commercial pressure sensors on a human-leg-like test apparatus and presents quantitative results on the accuracy and drift behaviour of these sensors in both static and dynamic conditions required for compression therapy. Extensive experimental work on this new human-leg-like test setup demonstrated its utility for evaluating the sensors. Results showed variation in static and dynamic sensing performance, including accuracy and drift characteristics. Only one commercially available pressure sensor was found to reliably deliver accuracy of 95% and above for all three test pressure points of 30, 50 and 70 mmHg.

Influence of hand movement on skin deformation: A therapeutic glove design perspective.

The fit of a therapeutic glove directly influences the hand function of the wearer as well as wear comfort. Static and dynamic hand dimensions and characteristics must be considered when designing a glove, as significant changes in hand shape, size, and skin surface morphology result from hand movements. The aim of this study is to investigate the skin relaxed-strain ratio at the dorsal side of the hand and its relationship to skin deformation behaviour during hand movements. The point cloud raw data of the right hands of 13 female participants (40-65 years, size M) were recorded using a 3D INFOOT scanner in three different hand postures. Twenty-two measurements of skin relaxed-strain ratios in each posture were calculated, and differences between them were identified using the Kruskal-Wallis H test. The results demonstrate that different hand postures cause substantial changes in hand geometry, especially in the metacarpal region. The findings of this study are valuable for the construction of functional tight-fitting therapeutic gloves with optimal fit, performance, and comfort.

Towards sustainable and safe apparel cleaning methods: A review.

Perchloroethylene (PERC) is a compound commonly used as a solvent in dry cleaning, despite its severe health and environmental impacts. In recent times chemicals such as hydrocarbons, GreenEarth(®), acetal and liquid carbon dioxide have emerged as less damaging substitutes for PERC, and an even more sustainable water-based wet cleaning process has been developed. We employed a systematic review approach to provide a comprehensive overview of the existing research evidence in the area of sustainable and safe apparel cleaning methods and care. Our review describes traditional professional dry cleaning methods, as well as those that utilise solvents other than PERC, and their ecological attributes. In addition, the new professional wet cleaning process is discussed. Finally, we address the health hazards of the various solvents used in dry cleaning and state-of-the-art solvent residue trace analysis techniques.

Therapy gloves for patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a review.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease that causes pain, joint stiffness and swelling leading to impaired hand function and difficulty with daily activities. Wearing therapy gloves has been recommended by occupational therapists as one of the alternative treatment methods for rheumatoid arthritis. This study aims to review the available literature on the effects of wearing therapy gloves on patients' hand function and symptoms as well as to discuss the attributes of gloves that might influence the glove performance. An electronic databases search of MEDLINE, Physiotherapy Evidence Database, Occupational Therapy Systematic Evaluation of Evidence, Wiley Online Library, ScienceDirect and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trial was performed. Eight articles met the inclusion criteria, and covered seven clinical trials and one case study. Seven outcome measures were identified from the included studies and were then classified into two categories: hand function and hand symptoms. The hand symptoms such as pain, stiffness and swelling improve substantially when the therapy gloves are used. However, marginal or no improvement in hand function (with the exception of grip strength) linked to the use of therapy gloves is being reported. Further research is needed to quantify the effectiveness of therapy gloves, especially in improvement of hand function and in patients' interest in wearing therapy gloves. Furthermore, future studies should include parameters which might influence therapy gloves' performance, such as duration of trials, interface pressure generated by the gloves on the underlying skin and tissue, glove fit and construction, as well as thermophysiological comfort.