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The clothing fabric and skin interact continuously across the many regions of users′ bodies during wear, which can lead to both physical skin damage and discomfort. Therefore, this investigation aimed to explore the regional differences in skin friction, tactile perception, and sensitivity in both females and males during the skin-textile interaction. The static and dynamic friction coefficient and textile perception (texture, stickiness, pleasantness, and discomfort) were measured across the 36 selected testing body areas by using a friction measurement device. The results revealed there was a significant difference in skin friction, tactile perceptions, and sensitivity across the various body regions. The anterior neck had the highest skin friction in both females and males, and participants generally rated higher texture perception in their anterior aspects compared to posterior and lateral regions. There was no significant difference in skin friction, tactile perception ratings, and sensitivity between females and males. Practitioner summary: This study sought to examine regional variations in skin friction, tactile perception, and sensitivity during the skin-textile interaction. There was a significant difference in skin friction, tactile perceptions, and sensitivity across the various body regions and no significant sex effect on skin friction, tactile perception ratings, and sensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite research indicating the negative impact that mental fatigue has on physical and cognitive performance, whether this is a result of mental fatigue or a state of under-arousal remains unclear. The current research aimed to explore the effectiveness of the methods being used to induce mental fatigue. Twelve participants attended six sessions in which two cognitive tests, the AX-continuous performance test (AX-CPT) and the TloadDback test, were compared for their effectiveness in inducing mental fatigue. Both tests were set at a standard processing speed (1.2 ms) for two conditions, and a further condition involved the individualisation of the TloadDback test. Participants presented significantly higher physiological and psychological arousal (p < 0.05) in the individualised dual-task test compared to the AX-CPT. The individualised TloadDback test is a more effective method of inducing mental fatigue compared to the AX-CPT, as it sustains physiological arousal whilst inducing measurable reductions in mental resources. Practitioner summary: Mental fatigue negatively impacts physical and cognitive performance. It is unclear whether the current methods being used to induce mental fatigue are effective. This study compared different methods and confirmed that short, individualised and dual-task tests are most effective for inducing mental fatigue whilst maintaining arousal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]