Cooling vests alleviate heat strain. We quantified the perceptual and physiological heat strain and assessed the effects of wearing a 21°C phase change material cooling vest on these measures during work shifts of COVID-19 nurses wearing personal protective equipment (PPE). Seventeen nurses were monitored on two working days, consisting of a control (PPE only) and a cooling vest day (PPE + cooling vest). Sub-PPE air temperature, gastrointestinal temperature (T), and heart rate (HR) were measured continuously. Thermal comfort (2 [1-4] 1 [1-2], p < 0.001) and thermal sensation (5 [4-7] 4 [2-7], p < 0.001) improved in the cooling vest control condition. Only 18% of nurses reported thermal discomfort and 36% a (slightly) warm thermal sensation in the cooling vest condition 81% and 94% in the control condition (OR (95%CI) 0.05 (0.01-0.29) and 0.04 (<0.01-0.35), respectively). Accordingly, perceptual strain index was lower in the cooling vest control condition (5.7 ± 1.5 4.3 ± 1.7, p < 0.001, respectively). No differences were observed for the physiological heat strain index T and rating of perceived exertion across conditions. Average HR was slightly lower in the cooling vest the control condition (85 ± 12 87 ± 11, p = 0.025). Although the physiological heat strain among nurses using PPE was limited, substantial perceptual heat strain was experienced. A 21°C phase change material cooling vest can successfully alleviate the perceptual heat strain encountered by nurses wearing PPE.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/23328940.2020.1868386 | DOI Listing |
J Occup Environ Hyg
January 2025
Human and Environmental Physiology Research Unit, School of Human Kinetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
With mines extending deeper and rising surface temperatures, workers are exposed to hotter environments. This study aimed to characterize heat stress and strain in the Canadian mining industry and evaluate the utility of the Heat Strain Score Index (HSSI), combined with additional self-reported adverse health outcomes. An exploratory web-based survey was conducted among workers ( = 119) in the Canadian mining industry.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Mol Model
January 2025
School of Mechanics and Safety Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, People's Republic of China.
Context: SiGe nanotubes (SiGeNTs) hold significant promise for applications in nanosolar cells, optoelectronic systems, and interconnects, where thermal conductivity is critical to performance. This study investigates the effects of length, diameter, temperature, and axial strain on the thermal conductivity of armchair and zigzag SiGeNTs through molecular dynamics simulations. Results indicate that thermal conductivity increases with sample length due to ballistic heat transport and decreases with temperature as phonon scattering intensifies.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Biol Macromol
January 2025
Key Lab of Paper Science and Technology of Ministry of Elucation, Qilu University of Technology, Shandong Academy of Sciences, Jinan 250353, China; State Key Laboratory of Biobased Material and Green Papermaking, Qilu University of Technology, Shandong Academy of Sciences, Jinan 250353, China. Electronic address:
Environmental pollution and health problems caused by traditional non-degradable fossil-based plastics are significant concerns, rendering green and renewable bio-based materials, such as cellulose and C-Priamine (1074), as attractive substitutes. In particular, the low plasticity of cellulose can be optimized using soft alkyl chains. Herein, multifunctional cellulose-based materials were constructed via covalent adaptable networks using the Schiff base reaction of oxidized microcrystalline cellulose with varying aldehyde (dialdehyde cellulose (DAC)) contents and C-Priamine (1074).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Antimicrob Agents
January 2025
School of Pharmacy, Shenzhen University Medical School, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518055, China. Electronic address:
The prevalence of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) infection and the emergence of drug-resistant HSV-1 strains posts a significant global health challenge, necessitating the urgent development of effective anti-HSV-1 drugs. As one of the most prevalent molecular chaperones, heat shock protein 90 α (Hsp90α) has been extensively demonstrated to regulate a range of viral infections, thus representing a promising antiviral target. In this study, we identified JD-13 as a novel Hsp90α inhibitor and explored its capability in inhibiting HSV-1 infection.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Therm Biol
January 2025
China Institute of Sport Science, Beijing, 100061, China. Electronic address:
Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of different cold acclimation strategies on exercise performance in male mice exposed to low-temperature environments.
Methods: Male mice were subjected to five distinct acclimation regimens over 8 weeks: immersion at 10 °C (10 °CI) or 20 °C (20 °CI), swimming at 10 °C (10 °CS), 20 °C (20 °CS), or 34 °C (34 °CS). During the first 2 weeks, the acclimation time progressively decreased from 30 min to 3 min per day, and the water temperatures were lowered from 34 °C to the target levels, followed by 6 weeks of consistent exposure.
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