Mechanical strength recognition and classification of thermal protective fabric images after thermal aging based on deep learning.

Objectives. Currently, numerous studies have focused on testing or modeling to evaluate the safe service life of thermal protective clothing after thermal aging, reducing the risk to occupational personnel. However, testing will render the garment unsuitable for subsequent use and a series of input parameters for modeling are not readily available. In this study, a novel image recognition strategy was proposed to discriminate the mechanical strength of thermal protective fabric after thermal aging based on transfer learning. Methods. Data augmentation was used to overcome the shortcoming of insufficient training samples. Four pre-trained models were used to explore their performance in three sample classification modes. Results. The experimental results show that the VGG-19 model achieves the best performance in the three-classification mode (accuracy = 91%). The model was more accurate in identifying fabric samples in the early and late stages of strength decline. For fabric samples in the middle stage of strength decline, the three-classification mode was better than the four-classification and six-classification modes. Conclusions. The findings provide novel insights into the image-based mechanical strength evaluation of thermal protective fabrics after aging.

Validation of ISO 9920 clothing item insulation summation method based on an ambulance personnel clothing system.

This study aimed to validate the summation methods suggested by ISO 9920. Twenty seven items from an ambulance personnel clothing system were selected for testing. The basic insulation of each garment item (Iclu) was calculated based on the thermal manikin tests. More than 100 realistic clothing combinations were compiled and basic insulation (Icl) of these ensembles was calculated according to ISO 9920. These were ranked after the calculated insulation, and 14 sets covering insulation from 0.63 to 3.33 clo were measured on the thermal manikin for acquiring the basic clothing insulation (Icl). Regression analysis was used to compare the summed and measured Icl values. The difference between values varied from -18 to 12%. The highest percentual difference was for the lightest clothing sets, while the absolute differences were similar over the whole insulation range ranging between -0.17 to 0.18 clo with an average difference of 0.02 clo (-0.16%). All basic insulation values stayed very close to the line of identity (R2=0.98). The summation equation gave, in the case of this ambulance clothing system, very close results to the measured values. This encourages evaluating and selecting protective clothing combinations for thermal comfort based on individual item measurements.

[Selection of disposable personal protective equipment for work with samples containing highly pathogenic microorganisms]. / Dobór jednorazowych srodków ochrony osobistej do pracy z materialem zawierajacym wysoce niebezpieczne patogeny.

Emerging microbiological threats, such as SARS, Ebola, MERS-CoV, anthrax, cause necessity of considering how effectively protect laboratory workers against dangerous pathogens which might be present in clinical samples. The article presents requirements for personal protective equipment (PPE) in microbiological laboratories and examples of selection and application of disposable PPE.

The AOA-JOA 2014 exchange traveling fellowship: Banzai and beyond.

The American Orthopaedic Association-Japanese Orthopaedic Association (AOA-JOA) traveling fellowship was established in 1992 as a method for creating collaboration between the American and Japanese orthopaedic communities and providing a friendly exchange of current practices and scientific endeavors. The fellowship is designed to allow early-career orthopaedic surgeons the opportunity to participate in international travel and scholarship. This year's traveling fellows (Hassan Mir, Wakenda Tyler, Leo Kroonen, and Dan Zlotolow) all hail from different parts of the United States and have a variety of practice subspecialties. During the fellowship, the fellows were able to visit five academic centers that spanned the entire country of Japan as well as the JOA meeting in Kobe. The experience is one that contributed to the growth and development of each fellow's practices and depth of understanding of orthopaedic surgery.

Thermoregulatory responses to layered personal protective clothing: practical implications for oil spill clean-up and remediation.

Many jobs in toxic environments and in less than ideal surroundings, such as oil spill remediation, require the use of 2 layers of personal protective equipment (PPE) to maximize worker safety. This study was designed to assess physiological and subjective responses while working in a single-layer (SL) or double-layer (DL) ensemble during a continuous work protocol in a hot environment of 31 °C WBGT. Eleven men in a repeated-measures design performed 2 counterbalanced work-bouts at a time-weighted work rate of 300 kcal/h. All tests were terminated when a rectal temperature (Tre) of 38.7 °C was attained. Total work time was significantly (P < 0.05) shorter in DL (60.5 ± 3.9 versus 66.4 ± 4.6 min in SL), and final microenvironmental temperature (MEt) (35.6 ± 0.9 °C vs 37.1 ± 0.3 °C) and humidity (MEh) (90.0 ± 4.0% vs 95.4 ± 1.1%) were higher in DL. There were no differences for Tre, mean skin temperature, or sweat rate over time. These data have practical implications in that although the physiological strain on workers in DL was not substantially greater than in SL, worker safety, and productivity can be reduced while working in layered PPE.

Performance of different work clothing types for reducing skin exposure to pesticides during open field treatment.

The aim of this study was to estimate the performance of different work clothing types for reducing skin exposure to five pesticides (azinphos-methyl, terbutylazine, alachlor, dimethoate, and dicamba) in field distribution by tractor equipped with boom sprayer. Performance was assessed by measuring the penetration factors of different types of work clothing. The results show that the protection offered by personal protective equipment (PPE) was always >97%, whereas the performance of cotton garments ranged from 84.1% to 92.5%. The different cotton garments differed significantly in their permeability, and the upper part of the body was the anatomical region showing the greatest values of the penetration factors. These results confirm the necessity of using PPE properly to minimise dermal exposure to pesticides.

Operative modalities and exposure to pesticides during open field treatments among a group of agricultural subcontractors.

This paper reports the results of a field study of occupational pesticide exposure (respiratory and dermal) among a group of Italian agricultural subcontractors. These workers consistently use pesticides during much of the year, thus resulting in a high exposure risk. Ten complete treatments were monitored during spring/summer. Pesticides that were applied included azinphos-methyl, dicamba, dimethoate, terbuthylazine, and alachlor. Several observations were made on worker operative modalities and the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) during work. Total potential and actual exposure ranged from 14 to 5700 microg and from 0.04 to 4600 microg, respectively. Dermal exposure contributed substantially more than inhalation to the total exposure (93.9-100%). Hand contamination ranged from 0.04 to 4600 microg and was the major contributor to dermal exposure. Penetration through specific protective garments was less than 2.4% in all cases, although penetration through general work clothing was as high as 26.8%. The risk evaluation, based on comparison between acceptable daily intake and total absorbed doses, demonstrates that it is presumable to expect possible health effects for workers regularly operating without PPE and improper tractors. Comparisons between exposure levels and operative modalities highlighted that complete PPE and properly equipped tractors contributed to a significant reduction in total exposure to pesticides during agricultural activities. In conclusion, monitored agricultural subcontractors presented very different levels of pesticide exposure due to the high variability of operative modalities and use of PPE. These results indicate the need to critically evaluate the efficacy of training programs required for obtaining a pesticide license in Italy.

Effects of insoles and additional shock absorption foam on the cushioning properties of sport shoes.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of insoles and additional shock absorption foam on the cushioning properties of various sport shoes with an impact testing method. Three commercial sport shoes were used in this study, and shock absorption foam (TPE5020; Vers Tech Science Co. Ltd., Taiwan) with 2-mm thickness was placed below the insole in the heel region for each shoe. Eight total impacts with potential energy ranged from 1.82 to 6.08 J were performed onto the heel region of the shoe. The order of testing conditions was first without insole, then with insole, and finally interposing the shock absorption foam for each shoe. Peak deceleration of the striker was measured with an accelerometer attached to the striker during impact. The results of this study seemed to show that the insole or additional shock absorption foam could perform its shock absorption effect well for the shoes with limited midsole cushioning. Further, our findings showed that insoles absorbed more, even up to 24-32% of impact energy under low impact energy. It seemed to indicate that insoles play a more important role in cushioning properties of sport shoes under a low impact energy condition.

Assessment of sun protection for children's summer 2005 clothing collection.

Overexposure to solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR) in childhood is considered to be a critical factor for developing skin cancer in later life. Clothing may offer a simple and effective means of protection against overexposure to the sun, but its use has often been underrated in public opinion. The Health Protection Agency, in close collaboration with a number of UK retailers, conducted a study to evaluate the UVR protection characteristics of the summer 2005 collection of children's clothing for outdoor activity. The current paper presents a summary of the assessment and the effects of stretching and wetting on the Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) rating of children's clothing. The results demonstrate the need for better public guidance in sun protection of children and more comprehensive evaluation procedures for sun protection provided by clothing.

[Grading of the functional sport shoe parameter "cushioning" and "forefoot flexibility" on running shoes]. / Gradierung der funktionellen Sportschuhparameter "Dämpfung" und "Vorfussflexibilität" am Laufschuh.

On nearly every running event a heterogeneous structure of participants regarding body height and body weight can be observed. This study should figure out whether the running shoe manufacturers will consider this anthropometric variability. Moreover it should be investigated the runners needs based on different anthropometrics regarding preferred cushioning and forefoot flexibility properties. In order to check whether the running shoe manufacturers will apply a grading pattern, a dynamic material study with conventional running shoes in different sizes was conducted. In a second step a field study in Middle Europe and North America with 244 female and 227 male runners was organized. Every subject had to run and evaluate 7 different shoe modifications. Based on the material study it is to state, that the running shoe manufacturers currently do not consider a systematic grading of cushioning and forefoot flexibility properties. In contrast to this, the field study reveals the necessity to grade these properties. A shoe size dependent and a geographic grading concept are suggested. It is supposed, that the application of these grading concepts do not only provide a comfort improvement, but they also contribute to a reduction of joint loads of the lower extremities and consequently to a prevention of overuse injuries.

Effects of sock type on foot skin temperature and thermal demand during exercise.

Many fabrics and clothing 'systems' have been designed to enhance heat balance and provide greater thermal comfort for the wearer. However, studies on the effects of socks have largely been ignored in clothing research. It has been suggested that the thermal state of the extremities may alter core temperature and mental stress may be a major determinant of skin blood perfusion on the foot. However, no definite conclusions have been drawn. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of two different sock types on foot skin temperature and to investigate any impact on whole body thermoregulation and energy expenditure. Sixteen subjects carried out two sessions of treadmill running exercise, one session wearing a standard running sock and one session wearing an ergonomic asymmetric fitted sock. The overall mean heart rate, core (aural) temperature, foot skin temperature, weighted mean skin temperature and sweat rate during exercise were not statistically significant between the sock conditions (p > 0.05). There was a consistent trend in all participants for the ergonomic sock to induce a higher core temperature and higher skin temperatures compared to the standard sock. Overall mean ratings of perceived exertion and ratings of thermal perception were similar for both sock conditions. Participant questionnaires highlighted a general perception that the ergonomic socks had superior cushioning but that the standard socks were comfortable to wear. Despite there being no significant physiological or thermal differences between socks, the ergonomic sock was perceived to be cooler and was the preferred sock which suggests that subjective perceptions may be more important than objective measurements when selecting a sock for wear during prolonged exercise.

A suggested approach to the selection of chemical and biological protective clothing--meeting industry and emergency response needs for protection against a variety of hazards.

The paper describes the development of a comprehensive decision logic for selection and use of biological and chemical protective clothing (BCPC). The decision logic recognizes the separate areas of BCPC use among emergency, biological, and chemical hazards. The proposed decision logic provides a system for type classifying BCPC in terms of its compliance with existing standards (for emergency applications), the overall clothing integrity, and the material barrier performance. Type classification is offered for garments, gloves, footwear, and eye/face protection devices. On the basis of multiple, but simply designed flowcharts, the type of BCPC appropriate for specific biological and chemical hazards can be selected. The decision logic also provides supplemental considerations for choosing appropriate BCPC features.