Natural disaster and household recovery in the aftermath of hurricane Andrew : a case study of four Hispanic households in South Miami Heights

This thesis explores the aid received by four Hispanic households towards recovery after Hurricane Andrew. The four households resided in South Miami Heights, a suburb of Miami. Through the use of questionnaires, information was gathered on various storm related topics. Because the Cuban community in Miami is influential, the role of the Cuban enclave is studied in relation to the recovery of these households. The influence of an urban environment on the extended family ties of these households is also addressed since the literature argues that these ties are powerful among Hispanics. Results show, that aid primarily came from two sources. Furthermore, the Cuban enclave appears to have had no discernible role in the recovery of these households. Finally, an urban setting did not appear to diminish extended family ties.

The white gene and locomotor recovery from anoxia in Drosophila melanogaster

Locomotor recovery from anoxia is complicated and little is known about the molecular and cellular mechanisms regulating anoxic recovery in Drosophila. For this thesis I established a protocol for large-scale analysis of locomotor activity in adult flies with exposure to a transient anoxia. Using this protocol I observed that wild-type Canton-S flies recovered faster and more consistently from anoxia than the white-eyed mutant w1118, which carries a null allele of w1118 in an isogenic genetic background. Both Canton-S and w1118 are commonly used controls in the Drosophila community. Genetic analysis including serial backcrossing, RNAi knockdown, w+ duplication to Y chromosome as well as gene mutation revealed a strong association between the white gene and the timing of locomotor recovery. I also found that the locomotor recovery phenotype is independent of white-associated eye pigmentation, that heterozygous w+ allele was haplo-insufficient to induce fast and consistent locomotor recovery from anoxia in female flies, and that mini-white is insufficient to promote fast and consistent locomotor recovery. Moreover, locomotor recovery was delayed in flies with RNAi knockdown of white in subsets of serotonin neurons in the central nervous system. I further demonstrated that mutations of phosphodiesterase genes (PDE) displayed wild-type-like fast and consistent locomotor recovery, and that locomotor recovery was light-sensitive in the night in w1118. The delayed locomotor recovery and the light sensitivity were eliminated in PDE mutants that were dual-specific or cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP)-specific. Up-regulation of cGMP using multiple approaches including PDE mutation, sildenafil feeding or specific expression of an atypical soluble guanylyl cyclase (Gyc88E) was sufficient to suppress w-RNAi induced delay of locomotor recovery. Taken together, these data strongly support the hypothesis that White transports cGMP and promotes fast and consistent locomotor recovery from anoxia.

Characterising granuloma regression and liver recovery in a murine model of schistosomiasis japonica

For hepatic schistosomiasis the egg-induced granulomatous response and the development of extensive fibrosis are the main pathologies. We used a Schistosoma japonicum-infected mouse model to characterise the multi-cellular pathways associated with the recovery from hepatic fibrosis following clearance of the infection with the anti-schistosomal drug, praziquantel. In the recovering liver splenomegaly, granuloma density and liver fibrosis were all reduced. Inflammatory cell infiltration into the liver was evident, and the numbers of neutrophils, eosinophils and macrophages were significantly decreased. Transcriptomic analysis revealed the up-regulation of fatty acid metabolism genes and the identification of Peroxisome proliferator activated receptor alpha as the upstream regulator of liver recovery. The aryl hydrocarbon receptor signalling pathway which regulates xenobiotic metabolism was also differentially up-regulated. These findings provide a better understanding of the mechanisms associated with the regression of hepatic schistosomiasis.

Shining Examples of Service When the Lights Went Out: Hotel Employees and Service Recovery during the Blackout of 2003

The electrical outage in the summer of 2003 that interrupted power to thousands of hotels wrought a variety of facilities failures and service-process problems. Fortunately, strong service-recovery efforts from hotel employees mitigated the worst of the blackout’s effects. Using survey data from hotel managers who experienced the blackout, this study highlights those employee actions that most contributed to immediate service recovery; however, the study also reveals limited organizational learning or efforts to failsafe hospitality service from the eventuality of future power failures.

Role of active and passive recovery in adaptations to high intensity training

It has been established that Wingate-based high-intensity training (HIT) consisting of 4 to 6 x 30-s all-out sprints interspersed with 4-min recovery is an effective training paradigm. Despite the increased utilisation of Wingate-based HIT to bring about training adaptations, the majority of previous studies have been conducted over a relatively short timeframe (2 to 6 weeks). However, activity during recovery period, intervention duration or sprint length have been overlooked. In study 1, the dose response of recovery intensity on performance during typical Wingate-based HIT (4 x 30-s cycle all-out sprints separated by 4-min recovery) was examined and active recovery (cycling at 20 to 40% of V̇O2peak) has been shown to improve sprint performance with successive sprints by 6 to 12% compared to passive recovery (remained still), while increasing aerobic contribution to sprint performance by ~15%. In the following study, 5 to 7% greater endurance performance adaptations were achieved with active recovery (40%V̇O2peak) following 2 weeks of Wingate-based HIT. In the final study, shorter sprint protocol (4 to 6 x 15-s sprints interspersed with 2 min of recovery) has been shown to be as effective as typical 30-s Wingate-based HIT in improving cardiorespiratory function and endurance performance over 9 weeks with the improvements in V̇O2peak being completed within 3 weeks, whereas exercise capacity (time to exhaustion) being increased throughout 9 weeks. In conclusion, the studies demonstrate that active recovery at 40% V̇O2peak significantly enhances endurance adaptations to HIT. Further, the duration of the sprint does not seem to be a driving factor in the magnitude of change with 15 sec sprints providing similar adaptations to 30 sec sprints. Taken together, this suggests that the arrangement of recovery mode should be considered to ensure maximal adaptation to HIT, and the practicality of the training would be enhanced via the reduction in sprint duration without diminishing overall training adaptations.

Social security and railroad retirement enactments in the 97th Congress within jurisdiction of the Committee on Ways and Means : Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act and Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981 /

At head of title: 97th Congress, 1st session. Committee print. WMCP: 97-15.

Grip strength and functional recovery after hip fracture: An observational study in elderly population

Muscle strength is a common issue in fragility syndrome and sarcopenia, both of them involved in the pathogenesis of falls and fractures. The objective is to study the relationship between hand grip strength and functional recovery after hip fracture surgery. This prospective observational study included patients aged 65. years and older who were admitted to hospital for hip fracture surgery during a 12 month period. Functional status (Barthel Index), mental status (Cruz Roja Index), hand grip strength, 25/OH-Vitamin D plasmatic levels were evaluated at admission. Follow-up was performed 3. months after discharge to assess functional status and survival. Correlations between hand grip strength and the rest of variables were evaluated. Univariate and multivariate analyses were further applied. Mean age of subjects was 85.1. ±. 0.63 years. Out of 127 subjects, 103 were women and 24 were men. Hand grip strength was obtained in 85 patients (76.5%) and, values were between 3.3 and 24.8. kg and 81 patients (95.2%) had values below cut-point of sarcopenia considering European Working Group of Sarcopenia criteria. Hand grip strength at admission shows significant association to Barthel index at three months and functional recovery. It is also associated with age (P <. 0.001) (r = 0.81), sex (P = 0.001), cognitive status by Cruz Roja Index (P <. 0.001) and functional status measured at admission by Barthel Index (P <. 0.01) (r = -0.22). Multivariate analysis confirmed that variables were independently associated to grip strength. Hand grip strength measured at admission in Orthogeriatric Unit after hip fracture is directly related to functional recovery in elderly patients.

Flood related loss and recovery of intertidal seagrass meadows in southern Queensland, Australia

The loss and recovery of intertidal seagrass meadows were assessed following the flood related catastrophic loss of seagrass meadows in February 1999 in the Sandy Strait, Queensland. Region wide recovery rates of intertidal meadows following the catastrophic disturbance were assessed by mapping seagrass abundance in the northern Great Sandy Strait region prior to and on 3 occasions after widespread loss of seagrass. Meadow-scale assessments of seagrass loss and recovery focussed on two existing Zostera capricorni monitoring meadows in the region. Mapping surveys showed that approximately 90% of intertidal seagrasses in the northern Great Sandy Strait disappeared after the February 1999 flooding of the Mary River. Full recovery of all seagrass meadows took 3 years. At the two study sites (Urangan and Wanggoolba Creek) the onset of Z. capricorni germination following the loss of seagrass occurred 14 months post-flood at Wanggoolba Creek, and at Urangan it took 20 months for germination to occur. By February 2001 (24 months post-flood) seagrass abundance at Wanggoolba Creek sites was comparable to pre-flood abundance levels and full recovery at Urangan sites was complete in August 2001 (31 months post-flood). Reduced water quality characterised by 2–3 fold increases in turbidity and nutrient concentrations during the 6 months following the flood was followed by a 95% loss of seagrass meadows in the region. Reductions in available light due to increased flood associated turbidity in February 1999 were the likely cause of seagrass loss in the Great Sandy Strait region, southern Queensland. Although seasonal cues influence the germination of Z. capricorni, the temporal variation in the onset of seed germination between sites suggests that germination following seagrass loss may be dependent on other factors (eg. physical and chemical characteristics of sediments and water). Elevated dissolved nitrogen concentrations during 1999 at Wanggoolba Creek suggest that this site received higher loads of sediments and nutrients from flood waters than Urangan. The germination of seeds at Wanggoolba Creek one year prior to Urangan coincides with relatively low suspended sediment concentrations in Wanggoolba Creek waters. The absence of organic rich sediments at Urangan for many months following their removal during the 1999 flood may also have inhibited seed germination. Data from population cohort analyses and population growth rates showed that rhizome weight and rhizome elongation rates increased over time, consistent with rapid growth during increases in temperature and light availability from May to October

Tensile flow and work hardening behavior of hot cross-rolled AA7010 aluminum alloy sheets

The present work describes the tensile flow and work hardening behavior of a high strength 7010 aluminum alloy by constitutive relations. The alloy has been hot rolled by three different cross-rolling schedules. Room temperature tensile properties have been evaluated as a function of tensile axis orientation in the as-hot rolled as well as peak aged conditions. It is found that both the Ludwigson and a generalized Voce-Bergstrom relation adequately describe the tensile flow behavior of the present alloy in all conditions compared to the Hollomon relation. The variation in the Ludwigson fitting parameter could be correlated well with the microstructural features and anisotropic contribution of strengthening precipitates in the as-rolled and peak aged conditions, respectively. The hardening rate and the saturation stress of the first Voce-Bergstrom parameter, on the other hand, depend mainly on the crystallographic texture of the specimens. It is further shown that for the peak aged specimens the uniform elongation (epsilon(u)) derived from the Ludwigson relation matches well with the measured epsilon(u) irrespective of processing and loading directions. However, the Ludwigson fit overestimates the epsilon(u) in case of the as-rolled specimens. The Hollomon fit, on the other hand, predicts well the measured epsilon(u), of the as-rolled specimens but severely underestimates the epsilon(u), for the peak aged specimens. Contrarily, both the relations significantly overestimate the UTS of the as-rolled and the peak aged specimens. The Voce-Bergstrom parameters define the slope of e Theta-sigma plots in the stage-III regime when the specimens show a classical linear decrease in hardening rate in stage-III. Further analysis of work hardening behavior throws some light on the effect of texture on the dislocation storage and dynamic recovery.

新疆三种盐生植物种子萌发和幼苗早期生长对环境的适应对策

肉质小半灌木盐节木（Halocnemum strobilaceum）、里海盐爪爪（Kalidium capsicum）和盐爪爪（Kalidium foliatum）是中国西北盐生荒漠中分布的重要优势种植物。本文对生长在新疆盐漠环境中的三种植物种子的萌发生态学进行了研究。研究内容包括：（1）光照、温度对种子萌发的影响;（2）NaCl盐度对种子萌发和恢复、幼苗生长和恢复的影响;以及（3）低温层积处理对三种盐生植物种子休眠打破和耐盐性影响。 新成熟的盐节木、里海盐爪爪和盐爪爪种子都具有非深度生理休眠，它们分别需要经过4，4和8周的低温层积处理打破休眠。打破休眠的种子萌发的最适光温条件分别是25-30°C和光照（盐节木）;15-30°C，光照或黑暗（里海盐爪爪）;25°C和黑暗（盐爪爪）。 三种盐生植物的种子萌发对NaCl盐度胁迫有相似的响应，即低浓度不抑制萌发，高于一定浓度后，种子萌发随盐度的升高而逐渐降低，直至种子萌发被完全抑制。但是，开始抑制和完全抑制三种植物种子萌发的NaCl盐度是不同的。三种植物种子萌发受到抑制的起始浓度和种子萌发完全被抑制的盐度分别是：0.4和2.0 M（盐节木），0.2和0.6 M（里海盐爪爪），0.2和1.0 M（盐爪爪）。将未萌发的种子转入用蒸馏水饱和的滤纸上继续萌发，三种盐生植物的种子均有可恢复萌发的能力，经4.0 M NaCl处理后的种子，萌发恢复率都高于80%。三种植物的种子在蒸馏水中的总萌发率（在初始盐溶液中萌发的种子数与在蒸馏水中恢复萌发的种子数之和占所有供试种子数的百分率）高于各盐度条件下的种子总萌发率（在初始盐溶液中萌发的种子数与在蒸馏水中恢复萌发的种子数之和占所有供试种子数的百分率）。 盐节木和里海盐爪爪的种子萌发出的幼苗的早期生长对NaCl盐度胁迫有相似的响应，即随着盐度的升高，胚根的伸长逐渐降低;但是低盐度（≤0.4 M）不影响、甚至促进盐节木胚根的伸长，而各个盐度的NaCl均抑制里海盐爪爪的胚根伸长。盐节木的胚根生长较慢，在蒸馏水中培养24 h 后的根长< 1mm。低盐（0.2 M）促进胚根的伸长，但随盐度的继续升高（≥ 0.6 M），胚根伸长逐渐受到抑制，当盐度 ≥ 2.0 M NaCl时，盐节木胚根伸长完全停止。里海盐爪爪的胚根伸长快速，在蒸馏水中培养12 h后的平均根长为5 cm。低盐并不促进里海盐爪爪胚根的伸长，随盐度升高，胚根伸长逐渐受抑制。当盐度 ≥ 1.0 M NaCl时，里海盐爪爪的胚根伸长完全停止。但当转入蒸馏水中时，两种植物的胚根都可以继续伸长，伸长的能力随预处理盐溶液浓度的升高而降低，经 ≥ 4.0 M NaCl 预处理的盐节木胚根完全丧失继续伸长的能力;经0.6 M NaCl 预处理的里海盐爪爪胚根无法继续伸长。 低温层积处理对三种盐生植物的种子在NaCl溶液中的萌发均有显著促进作用。低温层积后，种子萌发可以发生的盐度范围提高;相同浓度NaCl溶液中，低温层积后的种子的萌发率和萌发速率都显著高于未经低温层积处理的种子。 实验结果表明三种盐生植物在种子萌发和早期幼苗生长阶段对盐生生境具有适应性。种子和幼苗早期在高盐分胁迫下保持的萌发恢复能力和胚根伸长生长的恢复能力是对盐生环境的特殊适应对策。这种适应对策有助于这三种植物在新疆的盐漠环境中得以成功的生存和繁衍。

Synthesis and characterization of a novel biodegradable, thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer

A series of biodegradable, thermoplastic polyurethane elastomers poly (epsilon-caprolactone-co-lactide)polyurethane [PCLA-PU] were synthesized from a random copolymer Of L-lactide (LA) and epsilon-caprolactone (CL), hexamethylene diisocyanate, and 1,4-butanediol. The effects of the LA/CL monomer ratio and hard-segment content on the thermal and mechanical properties of PCLA-PUs were investigated. Gel permeation chromatography, IR, C-13 NMR, and X-ray diffraction were used to confirm the formation and structure of PCLA-PUs. Through differential scanning calorimetry, tensile testing, and tensile-recovery testing, their thermal and mechanical properties were characterized. Their glass-transition temperatures were below -8 degrees C, and their soft domains became amorphous as the LA content increased. They displayed excellent mechanical properties, such as a tensile strength as high as 38 MPa, a tensile modulus as low as 10 MPa, and an elongation at break of 1300%. Therefore, they could find applications in biomedical fields, such as soft-tissue engineering and artificial skin.

Polylactide-based polyurethane and its shape-memory behavior

A series of polylactide polyurethanes (PLAUs) were synthesized from poly(L-lactide) diols, hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI), and 1,4-butanediol (BDO). Their thermal and mechanical properties and shape-memory behavior were studied by infrared spectroscopy (IR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXID), tensile testing, and thermal mechanical analysis (TMA). The T(g)s of these polymers were in the range of 33-53 degrees C, and influenced by the Mn of the PLA diol and the ratio of the soft-segment to the hard-segment. These materials can restore their shapes almost completely after 150% elongation or twofold compression. By changing the M-n of the PLA diol and the ratio of the hard-to-soft-segment, their Ts and shape-recovery temperatures can be adjusted to the neighborhood of the body temperature. Therefore, these PLAUs are expected to find practical medical applications.

Development and Integration of Biocontrol Products in Branched Broomrape (Phelipanche ramosa) management in Tomato

Parasitic weeds of the genera Striga, Orobanche, and Phelipanche pose a severe problem for agriculture because they are difficult to control and are highly destructive to several crops. The present work was carried out during the period October, 2009 to February, 2012 to evaluate the potential of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) to suppress P. ramosa on tomatoes and to investigate the effects of air-dried powder and aqueous extracts from Euphorbia hirta on germination and haustorium initiation in Phelipanche ramosa. The work was divided into three parts: a survey of the indigenous mycorrhizal flora in Sudan, second, laboratory and greenhouse experiments (conducted in Germany and Sudan) to construct a base for the third part, which was a field trial in Sudan. A survey was performed in 2009 in the White Nile state, Sudan to assess AMF spore densities and root colonization in nine fields planted with 13 different important agricultural crops. In addition, an attempt was made to study the relationship between soil physico-chemical properties and AMF spore density, colonization rate, species richness and other diversity indices. The mean percentage of AMF colonization was 34%, ranging from 19-50%. The spore densities (expressed as per 100 g dry soil) retrieved from the rhizosphere of different crops were relatively high, varying from 344 to 1222 with a mean of 798. There was no correlation between spore densities in soil and root colonization percentage. A total of 45 morphologically classifiable species representing ten genera of AMF were detected with no correlation between the number of species found in a soil sample and the spore density. The most abundant genus was Glomus (20 species). The AMF diversity expressed by the Shannon–Weaver index was highest in sorghum (H\= 2.27) and Jews mallow (H\= 2.13) and lowest in alfalfa (H\= 1.4). With respect to crop species, the genera Glomus and Entrophospora were encountered in almost all crops, except for Entrophospora in alfalfa. Kuklospora was found only in sugarcane and sorghum. The genus Ambispora was recovered only in mint and okra, while mint and onion were the only species on which no Acaulospora was found. The hierarchical cluster analysis based on the similarity among AMF communities with respect to crop species overall showed that species compositions were relatively similar with the highest dissimilarity of about 25% separating three of the mango samples and the four sorghum samples from all other samples. Laboratory experiments studied the influence of root and stem exudates of three tomato varieties infected by three different Glomus species on germination of P. ramosa. Root exudates were collected 21or 42 days after transplanting (DAT) and stem exudates 42 DAT and tested for their effects on germination of P. ramosa seeds in vitro. The tomato varieties studied did not have an effect on either mycorrhizal colonization or Phelipanche germination. Germination in response to exudates from 42 day old mycorrhizal plants was significantly reduced in comparison to non-mycorrhizal controls. Germination of P. ramosa in response to root exudates from 21 day old plants was consistently higher than for 42 day-old plants (F=121.6; P<.0001). Stem diffusates from non-mycorrhizal plants invariably elicited higher germination than diffusates from the corresponding mycorrhizal ones and differences were mostly statistically significant. A series of laboratory experiments was undertaken to investigate the effects of aqueous extracts from Euphorbia hirta on germination, radicle elongation, and haustorium initiation in P. ramosa. P. ramosa seeds conditioned in water and subsequently treated with diluted E. hirta extract (10-25% v/v) displayed considerable germination (47-62%). Increasing extract concentration to 50% or more reduced germination in response to the synthetic germination stimulants GR24 and Nijmegen-1 in a concentration dependent manner. P. ramosa germlings treated with diluted Euphorbia extract (10-75 % v/v) displayed haustorium initiation comparable to 2, 5-Dimethoxy-p-benzoquinon (DMBQ) at 20 µM. Euphorbia extract applied during conditioning reduced haustorium initiation in a concentration dependent manner. E. hirta extract or air-dried powder, applied to soil, induced considerable P. ramosa germination. Pot experiments were undertaken in a glasshouse at the University of Kassel, Germany, to investigate the effects of P. ramosa seed bank on tomato growth parameters. Different Phelipanche seed banks were established by mixing the parasite seeds (0 - 32 mg) with the potting medium in each pot. P. ramosa reduced all tomato growth parameters measured and the reduction progressively increased with seed bank. Root and total dry matter accumulation per tomato plant were most affected. P. ramosa emergence, number of tubercles, and tubercle dry weight increased with the seed bank and were, invariably, maximal with the highest seed bank. Another objective was to determine if different AM fungi differ in their effects on the colonization of tomatoes with P. ramosa and the performance of P. ramosa after colonization. Three AMF species viz. GIomus intraradices, Glomus mosseae and Glomus Sprint® were used in this study. For the infection, P. ramosa seeds (8 mg) were mixed with the top 5 cm soil in each pot. No mycorrhizal colonization was detected in un-inoculated control plants. P. ramosa infested, mycorrhiza inoculated tomato plants had significantly lower AMF colonization compared to plants not infested with P. ramosa. Inoculation with G. intraradices, G. mosseae and Glomus Sprint® reduced the number of emerged P. ramosa plants by 29.3, 45.3 and 62.7% and the number of tubercles by 22.2, 42 and 56.8%, respectively. Mycorrhizal root colonization was positively correlated with number of branches and total dry matter of tomatoes. Field experiments on tomato undertaken in 2010/12 were only partially successful because of insect infestations which resulted in the complete destruction of the second run of the experiment. The effects of the inoculation with AMF, the addition of 10 t ha-1 filter mud (FM), an organic residues from sugar processing and 36 or 72 kg N ha-1 on the infestation of tomatoes with P. ramosa were assessed. In un-inoculated control plants, AMF colonization ranged between 13.4 to 22.1% with no significant differences among FM and N treatments. Adding AMF or FM resulted in a significant increase of branching in the tomato plants with no additive effects. Dry weights were slightly increased through FM application when no N was applied and significantly at 36 kg N ha-1. There was no effect of FM on the time until the first Phelipanche emerged while AMF and N application interacted. Especially AMF inoculation resulted in a tendency to delayed P. ramosa emergence. The marketable yield was extremely low due to the strong fruit infestation with insects mainly whitefly Bemisia tabaci and tomato leaf miner (Tuta absoluta). Tomatoes inoculated with varied mycorrhiza species displayed different response to the insect infestation, as G. intraradices significantly reduced the infestation, while G. mosseae elicited higher insect infestation. The results of the present thesis indicate that there may be a potential of developing management strategies for P. ramosa targeting the pre-attachment stage namely germination and haustorial initiation using plant extracts. However, ways of practical use need to be developed. If such treatments can be combined with AMF inoculation also needs to be investigated. Overall, it will require a systematic approach to develop management tools that are easily applicable and affordable to Sudanese farmers. It is well-known that proper agronomical practices such as the design of an optimum crop rotation in cropping systems, reduced tillage, promotion of cover crops, the introduction of multi-microbial inoculants, and maintenance of proper phosphorus levels are advantageous if the mycorrhiza protection method is exploited against Phelipanche ramosa infestation. Without the knowledge about the biology of the parasitic weeds by the farmers and basic preventive measures such as hygiene and seed quality control no control strategy will be successful, however.

The association between leisure motivation and recovery: A pilot study

Background and aims: Recovery from mental illness may be facilitated by participation in activities that provide meaning and purpose in the lives of consumers. Leisure participation can be a major source of enjoyment as well as mental and physical well-being. Methods and results: This study examined the association between consumers’ motivation to engage in leisure and their self-reported perception of recovery in a sample of 44 Clubhouse members. The Leisure Motivation Scale and the Recovery Assessment Scale were used to measure the association between leisure motivation and recovery. The results indicated a statistically significant association between leisure motivation and recovery. Conclusion: These findings have implications for service delivery within mental health settings, as occupational therapists may be able to design leisure-based programs more effectively if they can understand the needs and motives for participation. More emphasis should be placed on supporting consumers to re-integrate and be socially included within the community through leisure-based initiatives.

A comparison between conductive and infrared devices for measuring mean skin temperature at rest, during exercise in the heat, and recovery

Purpose: Skin temperature assessment has historically been undertaken with conductive devices affixed to the skin. With the development of technology, infrared devices are increasingly utilised in the measurement of skin temperature. Therefore, our purpose was to evaluate the agreement between four skin temperature devices at rest, during exercise in the heat, and recovery. Methods: Mean skin temperature (T̅sk) was assessed in thirty healthy males during 30 min rest (24.0± 1.2°C, 56 ± 8%), 30 min cycle in the heat (38.0 ± 0.5°C, 41 ± 2%), and 45 min recovery(24.0 ± 1.3°C, 56 ± 9%). T̅sk was assessed at four sites using two conductive devices(thermistors, iButtons) and two infrared devices (infrared thermometer, infrared camera). Results: Bland–Altman plots demonstrated mean bias ± limits of agreement between the thermistors and iButtons as follows (rest, exercise, recovery): -0.01 ± 0.04, 0.26 ± 0.85, -0.37 ± 0.98°C; thermistors and infrared thermometer: 0.34 ± 0.44, -0.44 ± 1.23, -1.04 ± 1.75°C; thermistors and infrared camera (rest, recovery): 0.83 ± 0.77, 1.88 ± 1.87°C. Pairwise comparisons of T̅sk found significant differences (p < 0.05) between thermistors and both infrared devices during resting conditions, and significant differences between the thermistors and all other devices tested during exercise in the heat and recovery. Conclusions: These results indicate poor agreement between conductive and infrared devices at rest, during exercise in the heat, and subsequent recovery. Infrared devices may not be suitable for monitoring T̅sk in the presence of, or following, metabolic and environmental induced heat stress.