This study assessed the effects of clothing and air temperature combinations on workplace productivity and physiological response. Ten male Japanese subjects were exposed to six combinations of clothing (0.3 clo and 0.9 clo) and air temperature (16 °C, 26 °C, and 36 °C) during which cognitive performance (Bourdon and calculation tests), manual motor performance (finger-tapping test), and physiological responses (heart rate, blood pressure, and skin and oral temperatures) were measured. Both cold exposure and lower clothing levels increased the Bourdon test performance. Calculation test performance tended to be affected by exposure to cold or neutral temperatures at the beginning of the test. Cold exposure undermined manual motor performance (especially when combined with fewer clothing items) while heat exposure significantly increased heart rate. Both cold exposure and higher clothing level during heat exposure increased blood pressure. Body temperature, particularly mean skin temperature, increased with higher air temperature and was significantly influenced by clothing insulation during cold exposure. These results provide novel evidence for the effects of clothing and air temperature (particularly cold) on human productivity and physiological responses in humans. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: This study shows that both lower temperature and clothing levels tend to reduce skin temperature, and consequently motor and calculation test performances, but to some extent they also likely enable higher sustained attention levels. Therefore, the results of this study can help workplaces improve conditions for better worker comfort and productivity, for example, by changing clothing and temperature conditions.

There is an increase of application of Nickel in the form of nanoparticles (NiNPs) in several fields including modern metallurgy, bioengineering, and medicine. Such growth of the areas of application is actually accompanied with an increase of exposure to Nickel, thus an intensification of the negative effects, the most frequent being the allergic contact dermatitis. Indeed, due to their smaller size, and therefore their higher surface area, NiNPs can release more Ni ions compared to bulk material, that can penetrate and permeate through the skin. To reduce the Ni cutaneous penetration, barrier creams (BC) are applied on the skin surface. There is little information, however, on the efficiency of such commercial protective creams on decreasing Ni cutaneous penetration. For this reason, the objective of the current study was to investigate the protective role of one commercially available formulation for Ni (Nik-L-Block™ containing a chelating agent) and one moisturizing cream (Ceramol 311 basic cream without chelating agent), following exposure to NiNPs, using in vitro Franz cells, as well as the cytotoxicity of NiNPs in primary human dermal fibroblasts was studied. Our results demonstrated that although both tested formulations can decrease Ni accumulation in the skin (4.13 ± 1.74 μg/cm2 for Nik-L-Block™ and 7.14 ± 1.46 μg/cm2 for Ceramol 311 basic cream); there are significant differences between the two creams (p = 0.004). Based on the experimental evidence, we therefore conclude that the composition of such formulations has an imperative role for dermal uptake of Ni. Finally, NiNPs showed no cytotoxic effect on cultured human dermal fibroblasts after 24 and 72 h.

of melanin and vitamin D by the body. Excessive exposure to ultraviolet rays has negative health effects, including sunburn. Some people tan or sunburn Sun tanning or tanning is the process whereby skin color is darkened or tanned. It is most often a result of exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from sunlight or from artificial sources, such as a tanning lamp found in indoor tanning beds. People who deliberately tan their skin by exposure to the sun engage in a passive recreational activity of sun bathing. Some people use chemical products tha S… The most common risk of exposure to ultraviolet radiation is sunburn, the speed and severity of which vary among individuals. This can be alleviated at least to some extent by the prior application of a suitable-strength sunscreen, which also hinders the tanning process due to the blocking of UV light. Overexposure to ultraviolet radiation is known to cause skin cancer, make skin age and wrinkle faster, mutate DNA, and impair the immune system. Frequent tanning bed use triples the risk of developing melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, according to a 2010 study. The study suggests that the melanoma risk is linked more closely to total exposure than it is to the age at which an individual first uses a tanning bed. Frequent tanning also has behavioural reinforcing effects, following UVA radiation epidermal keratinocytes synthesize POMC inducing the production of β-Endorphins, which are opioid agonists. An opioid blockade also then causes withdrawal signs after habitual UV exposure, leading to many tanners meeting the DSM-IV criteria for addiction. Several organizations, such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the American Cancer Society and the US Surgeon General have issued guidelines warning about sun tanning and UV radiation exposure, either from the sun or from indoor tanning. Production of vitamin D is essential for human health. Moderate exposure (avoiding sunburn) to UV radiation provides benefits su Sun tanning or tanning is the process whereby skin color is darkened or tanned. It is most often a result of exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from sunlight or from artificial sources, such as a tanning lamp found in indoor tanning beds. People who deliberately tan their skin by exposure to the sun engage in a passive recreational activity of sun bathing. Some people use chemical products that can produce a tanning effect without exposure to ultraviolet radiation, known as sunless tanning. A person's natural skin color affects their reaction to exposure to sunlight. An individual's natural skin color can vary from a dark brown to a nearly colorless pigmentation, which may appear white. In 1975, Harvard dermatologist Thomas B. Fitzpatrick devised the Fitzpatrick scale to describe the common tanning behavior of various skin types, as follows: The most common risk of exposure to ultraviolet radiation is sunburn, the speed and severity of which vary among individuals. This can be alleviated at least to some extent by the prior application of a suitable-strength sunscreen, which also hinders the tanning process due to the blocking of UV light. Overexposure to ultraviolet radiation is known to cause skin cancer, make skin age and wrinkle faster, mutate DNA, and impair the immune system. Frequent tanning bed use triples the risk of developing melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, according to a 2010 study. The study suggests that the melanoma risk is linked more closely to total exposure than it is to the age at which an individual first uses a tanning bed. Frequent tanning also has behavioural reinforcing effects, following UVA radiation epidermal keratinocytes synthesize POMC inducing the production of β-Endorphins, which are opioid agonists. An opioid blockade also then causes withdrawal signs after habitual UV exposure, leading to many tanners meeting the DSM-IV criteria for addiction. Several organizations, such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the American Cancer Society and the US Surgeon General have issued guidelines warning about sun tanning and UV radiation exposure, either from the sun or from indoor tanning. Production of vitamin D is essential for human health. Moderate exposure (avoiding sunburn) to UV radiation provides benefits such as increased vitamin D, as well as other possible benefits that are still being studied. Several tanning activators have used different forms of psoralen, which are known to be photocarcinogenic. Health authorities have banned psoralen since July 1996. In the United States and Western Europe before the 1920s, tanned skin was associated with the lower classes because they worked outdoors and were exposed to the sunlight. Parasols and long sleeves were typically worn, even at beaches. By the 1920s, however, a cultural transformation took place, and tan skin became the ideal. By the early 20th century, the therapeutic benefits of sunlight were advertised to the public. In 1903, Niels Finsen was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine for his "Finsen Light Therapy". The therapy was a To avoid exposure to UVB and UVA rays, or in seasons without strong sunshine, some people take alternative steps to achieve darker skin. They may use sunless tanning (also known as self-tanners); stainers that are based on dihydroxyacetone (DHA); or cosmetics such as bronzers. Many sunless tanning products are available in the form of darkening creams, gels, lotions, and sprays that are self-applied on the skin. There is also a professional spray-on tanning option or "tanning booth" that is offered by spas, salons, and tanning businesses. Spray tanning does not involve a color being sprayed on the body, instead it uses a colorless chemical that reacts with proteins in the top layer of the skin, resulting in a brown color. Information on tanning from The Skin Cancer Foundation; Archived 7 December 2011 at the Wayback Machine Research on the benefits of UV exposure Melanoma Research Alliance

This image shows pigmented Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC). Basal Cell Carcinoma is the most common type of non-melanotic skin cancer. It is often referred to as a Rodent Ulcer, as if left untreated the lesions can become inflamed and begin to erode the skin causing ulceration. Common in adults with fair skin, lesions can occur as a result of sun exposure and are therefore often located on the face which generally experiences more frequent exposure. Lesions can appear raised or flat, the raised lesions often have a pearly rolled edge and a deep crater, telangiectasia can also be present both on the

Background: Habituation is a pattern of cold acclimatization characterized by attenuated cold defense responses, including a reduction in peripheral vasoconstriction and subsequent increase in skin temperature (TSk) as well as a decrease in shivering thermogenesis. Habituation is achieved through repeated reductions in TSk, rather than deep body core temperature (TC), via exposure to prolonged cold air or brief cold-water immersion. Due to improvements in TSk, enhanced manual dexterity and peripheral cold injury risk reduction are purported benefits of cold habituation. Warfighters frequently operate in cold climates and experience decrements in manual dexterity and strength. These functional losses can negatively impact mission critical tasks and training exercises; however, the effectiveness of cold habituation as a potential countermeasure to alleviate the deleterious effects of prolonged cold exposure on peripheral temperatures, thermal comfort, and hand function is unclear. Purpose: To evaluate the influence of eight consecutive cold air exposures on the thermal (TC and TSk), perceptual (thermal comfort and sensation), and functional (manual dexterity and strength) responses to cold air. We hypothesized that TSk would be higher and perceptual responses and manual dexterity improved, following repeated cold exposure. Methods: Eight young adults (6 M/1 F/1 FTM; 21 ± 2 years; %BF 24.5 ± 7.0) underwent a 2-h cold air exposure (8 °C, ~50% RH) on 8 consecutive days wearing minimal clothing. On Day 0 (baseline exposure ~1 week prior) and Days 1 and 8 of repeated exposure, TC was recorded continuously via a telemetry pill used as a rectal suppository. Extremity (Thand and Tfinger) and mean weighted TSk (MWTSk) from 8 skin sites were recorded continuously. Thermal comfort (TC) and thermal sensation (TS) were recorded at 20 min intervals. Expired gases were collected at 20 min intervals and used to calculate metabolic heat production (MHP). Manual dexterity was assessed using the Purdue Pegboard and Minnesota Manual Dexterity Test (MMDT), and hand strength were measured before and at the end of cold exposure. Results: TC changed across time ( p < 0.05) but did not differ between days ( p > 0.05). MWTSk, Thand, and Tfinger decreased across time ( p < 0.05) but also did not differ between days ( p > 0.05). Mean and minimum whole-body TS and TC were not different between days ( p > 0.05). MHP increased across time ( p < 0.05) but did not differ between days ( p > 0.05). Purdue Pegboard, MMDT task performance, and hand strength did not differ between days ( p > 0.05). Conclusion: Eight consecutive days of cold air exposure does not augment extremity skin temperature, thermal comfort, or manual performance during prolonged cold conditions. Supported by U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command, Military Operational Medicine Research Program; author views not offcial US Army or DoD policy. This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.