Thermal comfort characteristics of knitted fabrics for abaya

Fabric material plays an important role in the thermal comfort of Abaya because it is the outer garment of Muslim women. Abaya is black in colour and covers the whole body except the hands, feet and face. It is mandatory to wear Abaya in the Saudi Arabia and certain parts of Middle East countries irrespective of the outside environmental temperature which could be up to 45°C. Therefore, the thermal transmission characteristics of the abaya are extremely important as human body responds to the external thermal environment through clothing. In a hot environment, it is extremely uncomfortable to wear several layers of clothing under the Abaya. Hence it is essential to enhance the thermal comfort of fabrics used for Abaya. This study investigated five selected knitted fabrics that could be used as Abaya fabrics for thermal resistance, air permeability, thermal comfort and vapour resistance. The results indicated that the fabrics with different knit structures, fibre composition and fabric weight have greater influence on thermal comfort performance

An investigation of thermal comfort properties of abaya under heat stress

Abaya is a black outer garment worn by women in Saudi Arabia when they are outside their homes. It is designed to cover the whole body. It may be worn either from shoulder or from the top of the head and reveals only the face, feet and hands. Abaya absorbs heat from sunlight in a hot climate, as it is black, making the wearer very uncomfortable. In addition, the multiple layers of clothing within the abaya add more thermal stress. The present research aims to obtain an overview of the type, variety and comfort of abaya worn by women in Saudi Arabia. This was used in identifying the textile materials for abaya and understanding the comfort factors of the wearers. The outcome was used to understand and improve the thermal comfort performance of the traditional abaya. A survey was undertaken to obtain the opinion of women in Saudi Arabia regarding the problem of thermal discomfort of current abaya. The key points considered were the type of fabrics and designs being used and the degree of perceived comfort. The survey showed that the discomfort affects a specific type of clothing. It also revealed that the current abaya when worn over multi-layers of inner clothing was thermally uncomfortable. Objective evaluations of the thermal performance of abayas, made from the commonly used woven and knitted fabrics were carried out using various standard tests. Thermal comfort properties were determined based on thermal resistance, air permeability, and vapour resistance. The results indicated that the fabric structure (woven or knit), fibre composition, fabric weight and fabric thickness greatly influence the fabric thermal comfort performance. It was found that woven abaya fabric is more comfortable than knitted. A female sweating thermal manikin was utilized to evaluate physical properties related to the heat transfer and moisture management properties of abayas.  This was conducted in combination with daily wear clothing, including underwear, skirt / pants and shirt, with abaya and scarf, as worn in Saudi Arabia. The thermal and evaporative resistances of clothing worn within the abaya were measured. The results could contribute to the improvement of abaya design so as to minimize thermal and evaporative resistance in a hot environment. In order to improve the comfort properties, woven fabrics were dyed in black and treated with an Energy Reflecting Chemical (ERC), so as to reflect heat from the environment, in particular solar energy. This would aid in keeping such fabrics cooler. The fabrics were evaluated to assess the thermal comfort properties. The degree of comfort depends not only on the type of fabric and design but also on the clothing worn underneath. Most of the abayas were made from woven fabrics that masked body contour. Synthetic fibres (polyester) were used prevalently because of its easy care feature.   It is evident that the lightweight and thinner satin fabric is most suitable for abaya and can provide better handle and thermal comfort in a hot environment. In addition,   the results showed that ERC marginally improved the thermal comfort properties under the current experimental conditions. Moreover, it was found that the ERC lowered the temperature of the surface fabric between 0.9 - 1.8 °C

Thermal comfort properties of wool and polyester/wool woven fabrics dyed in black

An abaya is a traditional Muslim woman's outer garment. It is black and worn on a day-to-day basis when women are outside their homes. The abaya absorbs most of the heat from sunlight in a hot climate as it is black, making the wearer very uncomfortable. In order to reduce absorption of heat in an abaya and to make the wearer more comfortable, it is proposed that a treatment with a solar energy re°ector could enable the wearer to perspire less; thus allowing them to feel cooler. This paper investigates the thermal comfort properties of plain-woven fabrics dyed in black and treated chemically to re°ect a proportion of sunlight's energy. The fabrics were made from 100% wool and two polyester/wool blends. The testing results showed that the fabrics that had received the re°ective treatment possessed marginally improved thermal comfort properties as compared to fabrics without the treatment

Surgical Approaches to Congenital Anomalies of Esophagus

With prevalence of about 1 in 3000 live births, pediatric surgeons commonly deal with esophageal abnormalities, which may provide substantial clinical complications. Surprisingly, the embryologic processes underlying esophageal atresia (EA) with or without tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF), one of the hallmark disease entities of pediatric surgery, have only lately been largely uncovered. When it comes to the treatment of congenital esophageal abnormalities, notably esophageal atresia and tracheoesophageal fistula, surgical methods are essential. In order to address the anatomical abnormalities and restore normal function, surgical correction is often necessary in the care of congenital esophageal anomalies, including esophageal atresia and tracheoesophageal fistula. In this review we are going to cover surgical approaches to repair those malformations, long-term outcomes, and latest developments in esophageal surgical approaches

Assessing the probiotic potential, antioxidant, and antibacterial activities of oat and soy milk fermented with Lactiplantibacillus plantarum strains isolated from Tibetan Kefir

Sufficient intake of probiotics has been shown to help in the digestion, protect the body against pathogenic microorganisms and boost the immune system. Recently, due to high prevalence of milk allergies and lactose intolerance in population, the non-dairy based probiotic alternative are becoming increasing popular. In this context, the oat milk and soya milk-based fermented products can be an ideal alternative for the development of Lactic acid bacteria bacteria based probiotics. These bacteria can not only improve the product’s flavor and bioavailability but also increases its antibacterial and antioxidant capabilities due to fermentation process. The purpose of the resent work was to assess the antioxidant and probiotic properties of oat and soy milk that had been fermented with three different strains of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (L. plantarum) including L. plantarum 12–3, L. plantarum K25, and L. plantarum YW11 isolated from Tibetan Kefir. Different validated assays were used to evaluate the probiotic properties, adhesion and survival in the digestive system (stomach, acid and bile salts resistance), antioxidant and antimicrobial activities and safety (ABTS and DPPH scavenging assays) of these strains. Results of the study showed that soya milk and oat milk fermented with L. plantarum strains possess promising probiotic, antibacterial and antioxidant properties. These results can be helpful to produce dairy-free probiotic replacements, which are beneficial for those who are unable to consume dairy products due to dietary or allergic restrictions

An exploration of the determinants for decision to migrate existing resources to cloud computing using an integrated TOE-DOI model

Migrating existing resources to cloud computing is a strategic organisational decision that can be difficult. It requires the consideration and evaluation of a wide range of technical and organisational aspects. Although a significant amount of attention has been paid by many industrialists and academics to aid migration decisions, the procedure remains difficult. This is mainly due to underestimation of the range of factors and characteristics affecting the decision for cloud migration. Further research is needed to investigate the level of effect these factors have on migration decisions and the overall complexity. This paper aims to explore the level of complexity of the decision to migrate the cloud. A research model based on the diffusion of innovation (DOI) theory and the technology-organization-environment (TOE) framework was developed. The model was tested using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. The quantitative analysis shows the level of impact of the identified variables on the decision to migrate. Seven determinants that contribute to the complexity of the decisions are identified. They need to be taken into account to ensure successful migration. This result has expanded the collective knowledge about the complexity of the issues that have to be considered when making decisions to migrate to the cloud. It contributes to the literature that addresses the complex and multidimensional nature of migrating to the cloud

Effects of hospital facilities on patient outcomes after cancer surgery: an international, prospective, observational study

Background Early death after cancer surgery is higher in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) compared with in high-income countries, yet the impact of facility characteristics on early postoperative outcomes is unknown. The aim of this study was to examine the association between hospital infrastructure, resource availability, and processes on early outcomes after cancer surgery worldwide.Methods A multimethods analysis was performed as part of the GlobalSurg 3 study-a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study of patients who had surgery for breast, colorectal, or gastric cancer. The primary outcomes were 30-day mortality and 30-day major complication rates. Potentially beneficial hospital facilities were identified by variable selection to select those associated with 30-day mortality. Adjusted outcomes were determined using generalised estimating equations to account for patient characteristics and country-income group, with population stratification by hospital.Findings Between April 1, 2018, and April 23, 2019, facility-level data were collected for 9685 patients across 238 hospitals in 66 countries (91 hospitals in 20 high-income countries; 57 hospitals in 19 upper-middle-income countries; and 90 hospitals in 27 low-income to lower-middle-income countries). The availability of five hospital facilities was inversely associated with mortality: ultrasound, CT scanner, critical care unit, opioid analgesia, and oncologist. After adjustment for case-mix and country income group, hospitals with three or fewer of these facilities (62 hospitals, 1294 patients) had higher mortality compared with those with four or five (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 3.85 [95% CI 2.58-5.75]; p<0.0001), with excess mortality predominantly explained by a limited capacity to rescue following the development of major complications (63.0% vs 82.7%; OR 0.35 [0.23-0.53]; p<0.0001). Across LMICs, improvements in hospital facilities would prevent one to three deaths for every 100 patients undergoing surgery for cancer.Interpretation Hospitals with higher levels of infrastructure and resources have better outcomes after cancer surgery, independent of country income. Without urgent strengthening of hospital infrastructure and resources, the reductions in cancer-associated mortality associated with improved access will not be realised

The Saudi Critical Care Society practice guidelines on the management of COVID-19 in the ICU: Therapy section

BACKGROUND: The rapid increase in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases during the subsequent waves in Saudi Arabia and other countries prompted the Saudi Critical Care Society (SCCS) to put together a panel of experts to issue evidence-based recommendations for the management of COVID-19 in the intensive care unit (ICU). METHODS: The SCCS COVID-19 panel included 51 experts with expertise in critical care, respirology, infectious disease, epidemiology, emergency medicine, clinical pharmacy, nursing, respiratory therapy, methodology, and health policy. All members completed an electronic conflict of interest disclosure form. The panel addressed 9 questions that are related to the therapy of COVID-19 in the ICU. We identified relevant systematic reviews and clinical trials, then used the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach as well as the evidence-to-decision framework (EtD) to assess the quality of evidence and generate recommendations. RESULTS: The SCCS COVID-19 panel issued 12 recommendations on pharmacotherapeutic interventions (immunomodulators, antiviral agents, and anticoagulants) for severe and critical COVID-19, of which 3 were strong recommendations and 9 were weak recommendations. CONCLUSION: The SCCS COVID-19 panel used the GRADE approach to formulate recommendations on therapy for COVID-19 in the ICU. The EtD framework allows adaptation of these recommendations in different contexts. The SCCS guideline committee will update recommendations as new evidence becomes available