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Following the evaluation of leg ulcer services in one NHS Trust, it was identified that staff did not perceive lower limb wound care as a priority. Vascular assessments were repeatedly deferred, and follow-up compression visits became irregular. The team had limited capacity due to job vacancies, maternity leave and long-term sickness, leading to practitioners working approximately 300 hours extra per month. A solution was required to allow effective skill mix use and to improve patient care while improving wound healing rates. This paper presents a 6-month quality improvement programme (QiP) that was introduced within the Trust to improve the referral process for people with leg ulcers by promoting the effective use of staff time, reducing excessive workloads and implementing the effective use of compression hosiery, improving clinical outcomes for patients. Evaluation of the QiP demonstrated an improvement in consistency and continuity of care of the lower limb, aligning with the Trust's 5-year strategy plan to reduce the risk of lower limb amputations. Wound healing rates improved and facilitated the timely identification of potential vascular issues, leading to appropriate referrals. An evaluation of staff time highlighted team savings of 15,840 minutes/264 hours/35.2 days of nursing time per month, equating to an average financial saving of £5,944.75 in nursing time and £1,066 in dressings per month. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stocking–Lord (SL) linking is a popular linking method for group comparisons based on dichotomous item responses. This article proposes a bias correction technique based on the simulation extrapolation (SIMEX) method for SL linking in the 2PL model in the presence of uniform differential item functioning (DIF). The SIMEX-based method is compared to the analytical bias correction methods of SL linking. It turned out in a simulation study that SIMEX-based SL linking performed best, is easy to implement, and can be adapted to other linking methods straightforwardly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The management and conservation of faunas at regional scales depend on current data on species diversity and distribution. Relative to the ichthyofauna of West Virginia, few studies have recently documented the richness and distribution of fishes in the state, with even the most comprehensive publications rarely discussing either the conservation status of individual fishes or historical sportfish stockings. In this paper, we review the state's historic sportfish stockings. We also clarify inconsistent published data and present new information for several species, delete 3 species from the West Virginia ichthyofaunal list, and add 35 species representing extant or extirpated populations. Lastly, we provide a checklist of 195 species by major drainage of West Virginia's fishes, including their origin (i.e., native or introduced). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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In this article I critically examine the history of nylon stockings in the United States through the lenses of race and gender. Drawing on visual and material culture examples related to nylon and nude colours, I show how whiteness was standardized and presented as the unmarked norm. Employing an intersectional feminist approach, my archival research expands the narrative beyond these exclusionary practices, highlighting how in ensuing decades individuals and companies marketed and crafted nylon foundationwear for a wider range of consumers. These examples offer a vital counter-history to nylon's normalization of bodies and mass production that mobilized a standard ideal of womanhood as white, thin, heterosexual and cisgender. The legacy of the creation of 'nude' colours that standardize whiteness as the norm can still be seen today in foundationwear branding and everyday items like bandages. However, this has not gone unchallenged and there are increased efforts to address this, particularly among Black-owned businesses like gc2b, Nude Barre and Browndages. It is important to historicize the emergence of standard practices, such as singular definitions of nude and limited sizing practices, and how they serve to reinforce norms of racialized gender. Deconstructing these practices and critically examining less documented alternatives uncovers and addresses embedded power structures within standardization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Melissa J Kiely, Ashleigh Poulsen, Simon D Muschamp, Chloe Sallis, Mark S Whiteley Research Department, the Whiteley Clinic, Guildford, Surrey, UKCorrespondence: Mark S Whiteley, The Whiteley Clinic, 1 Stirling House, Stirling Road, Guildford, Surrey, GU2 7RF, UK, Email mark@thewhiteleyclinic.co.ukBackground: Cellulite affects 80– 90% of post-pubertal females and, although cosmetic, has proven adverse psychological effects. A new compression garment with patented “vari-pad” technology has been developed, aiming to stimulate lymphatic return from the buttocks and thighs. The primary aim of this small pilot study was to assess participant satisfaction after using this garment in the short term and secondarily, to look for any objective improvements.Methods: Eighteen female participants (mean 47.5y, range 26– 60) completed the study. There were 2 weeks of “stabilisation”, 4 weeks of wearing the garment, and 2 weeks of further assessment. With the initial assessment, there were 9 visits for each participant. At each visit, weight, participant satisfaction (0– 10), 3D images (Canfield, USA) and transcutaneous water content (LymphScanner, Delfin Technologies, Finland) and comfort (0– 10) were recorded.Results: There was no significant weight change in any of the participants during the trial period. After 4 weeks of wearing the garment, there was a significant improvement in participant satisfaction of their cellulite (n = 15, p = 0.0036) with a mean improvement of 18.5%. 3D image analysis of dimple volume showed no significant change in buttock cellulite, a significant decrease in left thigh cellulite (n = 17, p = 0.0123), but not on the right (n = 14, p = 0.6890). There was a significant decrease of localised water (n = 36, p = 0.0041). Comfort was 86% (range 40– 100%) and there were no adverse reactions to the garment.Conclusion: The vari-padded compression garment produced a significant improvement in participant satisfaction after just 4 weeks of treatment. Objective measurements failed to show a significant difference in cellulite on the buttocks but showed a significant improvement in the thighs by analysis of both dimple volumes and reduced transcutaneous water measurements. Further study is suggested to demonstrate if longer timeframes for use of the apparel will lead to further significant improvement in the appearance of cellulite.NCT Number: NCT05748678.Keywords: cellulite, compression, garment, hosiery

Introduction. Pregnancy is the leading cause of varicose veins(VVs) in women. Therapeutic measures during pregnancy include the wearing of compression hosiery and the phlebotropic therapy.Purpose. To evaluate the clinical effectiveness of graduated elastic compression and phlebotropic therapy in pregnant women with VVs.Materials and methods. A total of 88 pregnant women were included, 30 of whom used compression stockings (group 1), 28 women received phlebotonics together with compression (group 2) and 30 were controls. VVs severity was determined using the Venous Clinical Severity Score (VCSS). Quality of life (QoL) was calculated using the Chronic Venous Insufficiency Questionnaire (CIVIQ-20). The calf circumference was measured with a measuring tape in an orthostatic position.Results and discussion. At the end of the study there was a decrease in VCSS (p < 0.001 and p < 0.008) in both treatment groups, whereas the control group showed an increase in VCSS severity (p < 0.001). At the end of follow-up the QOL score in the treatment groups showed a tendency to improve while the control group showed a decrease in QOL. A bilateral decrease in tibial circumference (p < 0.001) was seen in groups 1 and 2 and the adjuvant phlebotropic treatment was found to be superior in controlling the oedema.Conclusions. The combined use of elastic compression and phlebotonics is more effective in eliminating venous oedema in pregnant women with VVs.

This is a review of Professor Craig Stockings' fiery official history of the East Timor crisis and the Australian led intervention. It spans the diplomatic, historical, cultural, geographic and political background to the Indonesian occupation in 1975, the 1999 ballot and the part played by the UN Assistance Mission East Timor (UNAMET) as well as the subsequent Australian led intervention in September 1999. This no-punches-pulled account exposes significant shortcomings in Australia's departments of Defence, Foreign Affairs and Trade, and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seamless garment technology is apparently a sustainable and efficient garment-manufacturing approach. This technology is already used in knitting for sportswear, hosiery and other knitted garments. Garment industry relies mainly on weaving technique; therefore, seamless weaving also needs to be studied for its further exploration. This review paper aims to investigate the prevalent techniques for seamless weaving in the textile industry and to explore its future prospects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Custom socks, such as medical compression socks and hiking socks, are precisely designed and knitted according to the user's foot shape. However, developing styles of custom socks with commercial computer-aided design software requires workers to manually calculate the knitting parameters, and repeatedly adjust the knitting parameters through sample-making to meet the design requirements. We present a method to optimize the manual calculation and adjustment process of knitting parameters by using graphics technology. Our method converts a sock mesh model created by conventional modeling software into knitting parameters. Hosiery machines are able to knit socks with the same dimensions as the mesh based on the output parameters. Specifically, given user-defined top and toe markers on an input mesh, our system runs a sampling procedure over this mesh to gradually generate a knitting path that contains shape and dimension features of the mesh, and transforms the knitting path into knitting parameters for machine knitting. We demonstrated the feasibility of our method by knitting on a computerized hosiery machine. Filling the knitted socks with a soft foam model, we found that the knitted socks fit roughly well with the mesh surface, and the dimensional gap between the input mesh and the knitted socks (relaxed state) in several positions was below 4.90%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Physicians tend to omit examinations of the foot and ankle in routine practice because it consumes a lot of time when working within tight time constraints. Although barefoot examination is critical to assess disease activity of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), we think occasional examination of foot over socks or stockings is better than not examining foot at all. The aim of this study was to assess the accuracy of foot examinations over socks or stockings in patients with RA. Methods: Sixty patients with RA were enrolled in this study. A rheumatologist and a senior resident performed foot examinations on each patient over socks, over stockings, and on bare foot to assess swelling and tenderness. Concordance rates between the barefoot examination and the examinations over socks or stockings by each examiner were investigated. Results: The rheumatologist had a concordance rate of 94.4% over socks and 98.8% over stockings. The senior resident had a concordance rate of 95.6% over socks and 98.5% over stockings. Conclusions: Foot examinations over socks and stockings had high concordance rates with the barefoot examination, and it may be an option for decreasing foot and ankle examination time in RA patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liberated women are always considered to economically independent and contribute more for the societal development and for the nation's welfare. Women's engagement in any kind of economic activities not only support her in uplifting her economic standards, but it also provides an opportunities to a woman in rediscovering herself i.e., in understanding her skills, capabilities, ability to work and produce productive results, being innovative, being initiator any new plans, being a motivator for others and many more things to claim. In short, women participation in economic activities is closely related with their well-being and empowerment in an Indian society. Drawing relevance with the above discussion this chapter of the study draws a detailed introspective analysis and discussion on the women entrepreneur's working in tiny and small hosiery garment making units in Coimbatore cluster and nature of empowerment realised by them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Edema and subjective leg complaints (e.g. pain, heaviness) after long standing or sitting, are defined as orthostatic leg complaints or occupational edema. Compression hosiery should help to prevent or decrease those symptoms. OBJECTIVE: Assess the effects on leg discomforts and leg volume and wearing comfort in two medical below-knee compression stocking types (A vs. B) with an interface pressure of 18 –20 mmHg and a below-knee-low-pressure support stocking (LPSS) with an interface pressure of 8–10mmHg (C). METHODS: Two different types of below-knee medical compression stockings and a LPSS were examined in this randomized, blinded, crossover trial in volunteers having leg discomforts and edema after being in an upright position during the day. Participants were divided into two cohorts, and each type of stocking was worn for three consecutive days in one week with a subsequent washout phase. The assessment of effects and wearing comfort was ascertained by questionnaires. Volume changes in the lower leg were measured with the Bodytronic 600® (Bauerfeind AG, Zeulenroda, Germany). RESULTS: A significant reduction of lower leg volume (mean stocking A: 204.7 ml; mean stocking B: 153.5 ml; mean stocking C: 48.2 ml) and a significant reduction of the life-quality dimension leg-complaints (p < 0.0001) was achieved by all three types of stockings. Compared to the LPSS both compression stockings decreased the lower leg volume significantly more (p < 0.001) and had a significant better fit (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Below-knee medical compression stockings with an interface pressure 18–21mmHg and LPSS with an interface pressure of 8–10 mmHg reduce significantly occupational orthostatic edema and leg discomforts which are due to long standing and sitting activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent historiographical trends have ensured the continued relevance of the strike at the Mansfield Mills' hosiery factory in Loughborough in 1972. How this dispute, one of three in the East Midlands in two years dubbed 'race strikes' by the press, gained notoriety and were interpreted as an exemplar of British working-class racism requires re-evaluation. The article uses sources underutilized in previous studies, including the archive of the National Union of Hosiery and Knitwear Workers (NUHKW), to better understand the industry, the traditions of the hosiery craft, and how its processes of training and promotion differed from other industries that experienced 'race strikes'. This article relocates the dispute within the processes of deindustrialization, demographic and social change, workplace culture, and the importance of press reportage in shaping interpretations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetic disease and its chronic complications is a public health problem that affects millions of people all over the world. Feet diabetics need private care by using appropriate shoes and socks, to avoid friction, sweating and high temperature. Diabetic socks have to attain an effective thermal comfort and higher appraisal performance. To achieve these conditions, the diabetic socks have to attain comfortable fit, no pressure points or seams on fingers, suitable size, classified as spring-summer or autumn-winter and also to avoid high temperature. The specifications of the diabetic socks sold in the market consist of its material combination, size and chemical treatments. No definite physical mechanical properties of diabetic socks are proposed. Diabetic socks taken from the market, with appropriate price, were evaluated for both thermal and non-thermal properties. The tested samples demonstrate a great variability’s in the fabric construction and properties. By analyzing the tested socks, the proposed values concerning the properties of diabetic socks for summer and winter are introduced. Moreover, relative geometrical mean of thermal comfort properties was proposed for determining a global measure of diabetic sock properties.

Despite manufacturer claims that athletic socks attenuate force during exercise, no device exists to assess this. Therefore, this study outlines the development of a custom-built impact-testing device for assessing the cushioning properties of socks. The device used a gravity-driven impact striker (8.5 kg), released from 0.05 m, which impacted a no-sock, sock or a basic shoe/sock condition in the vertical axis. A load cell (10,000 Hz) assessed peak impact force, time to peak impact force and loading rate. Reliability was investigated between day, between trial and within trial. Excellent reliability (coefficient of variation < 5% adjusted for 95% confidence limits) was reported for peak impact force in all conditions, with no evidence of systematic bias. Good reliability (coefficient of variation < 10% adjusted for 68% confidence limits) was reported for time to peak impact force and loading rate with some evidence of systematic bias. It was concluded that the custom-built impact-testing device was reliable and sensitive for the measurement of peak impact force on socks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compression therapy for venous and lymphatic conditions may be delivered via a range of treatment modalities using many different technologies, depending on the patient's condition and needs. Clinical decision-making relies on accurate assessment of the patient, their presenting and underlying clinical condition, skill and training of the applier and the available resources. However, changes in the patient's condition or lifestyle may necessitate re-evaluation of the treatment pathway. Generally, compression bandages and Velcro wraps are used in the intensive acute phase of treatment, with self-management using compression hosiery or wraps being used for long-term maintenance to prevent recurrence. Although guidelines recommend the highest class of compression hosiery for maximum effectiveness, clinical evidence shows practical challenges associated with application and tolerance of higher pressures and stiffness. An audit of a new type of compression garment was conducted, and it showed that incorporating stiffness into circular knitted hosiery helped overcome some of these challenges with improvements in limb size, skin softening and wound size. Additionally, self-management was facilitated by the ease of donning and doffing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Problems with knitting needles are one of the main causes of production loss of fabric. In order to detect problems with knitting needles quickly and accurately, this paper proposes a hosiery knitting needle detection system based on machine vision. Meanwhile, according to the working condition of real hosiery knitting needles, a simulated needle cylinder rotary platform is built. The system can detect knitting needle problems, and the needle causing the issue can be identified as the beginning of the fabric defect appears. The production losses caused by the bending and fracture of knitting needles are reduced at the source. In the image processing, the vertical projection algorithm is introduced in the system, and the defect of image binarization is improved. At the same time, the multi-classification support vector machine based on the decision tree is used to realize the image classification. The experimental results show that the classification accuracy of the two levels classifiers in the system can reach 100% and 98%, and the best time of system detection is 0.348 s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stocking rate is a fundamental management factor that has major impacts on animal performance, profitability, and long-term sustainability of native range ecosystems. This research was conducted to determine the effects of stocking rate on performance and economics of growing steers grazing a mixed-grass prairie on a rolling upland red shale ecological site at the Marvin Klemme Range Research Station (35° 25′ N 99° 3′ W). The recommended sustainable stocking rate at this location is suggested to be 25 animal unit days (AUD)/ha. Steers [ n = 836, initial body weight (BW) ± SD = 216 ± 11.7 kg] grazed at seven stocking rates ranging from 4.13 ha/steer to 1.83 ha/steer over a 7-yr period, from 1990 to 1996, with year considered the random replication. During the experimental period, overall climatic conditions were favorable for forage production with average growing season precipitation of 118% of the long-term average over the 7-yr experiment, and only 1 yr (1994 with only 57% of the long-term average) with growing season precipitation substantially less than the long-term average. Over the entire summer grazing season, average daily gain (ADG) decreased linearly (P < 0.01) with increasing stocking rate, such that for each additional hectare available per steer ADG increased by 0.05 kg/d (R 2 = 0.88). Contrary to ADG, BW gain per hectare over the grazing season increased linearly (P < 0.01) with increasing stocking rate, as stocking rate increased from 4.13 ha/steer to 1.83 ha/steer BW gain per hectare doubled from 33.1 kg/ha to 66.8 kg/ha, respectively. With land costs included in the economic analysis, net return per hectare increased linearly (P < 0.01) from $13 [U.S. Dollars [USD]) at the 4.13 ha/steer to $52/ha at the 1.83 ha/steer. For each additional hectare per steer, net return was reduced by $15.80 (USD)/steer and $15.70 (USD)/ha. In favorable climatic conditions, such as during this 7-yr experiment, economically optimal stocking rates can be more than doubled compared with the stocking rate recommended by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Soil Conservation Service. Increasing stocking rates decrease individual animal performance but maximize BW gain per hectare, which leads to the increasing economic returns observed. Research is needed to determine the long-term implications of these stocking rates during unfavorable growing conditions and setting stocking rates based on seasonal weather patterns and extended weather outlook predictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One reason human beings wear stockings is to warm their legs. Ordinary textile materials are thermally insulative, which prevents body's heat from dissipating. In contrary to this common sense, it was discovered that some knitted stockings made up of them permanently promote heat release and cool body. This non-intuitive phenomenon emerges when micro-size yarns are knitted to form wide spacing between neighboring yarns. However, the reason why they cool body was unclear because conventional principles of cooling garments cannot account for it. Here, in the basis of fluid-solid conjugate heat transfer analysis of natural convection, we have clarified the cooling mechanism originates from relative relationship between their geometric structure, a periodic alignment of minuscule ribs, and thermal boundary layer. Our novel finding revealed that sufficiently small ribs on the surface are exposed to steep temperature gradient within thermal boundary layer. Thereby, thermal conduction via ribs is enhanced complementarily as they are separated to guide cooler flow onto the surface. Our study provides a general insight into understanding permanent cooling mechanism on micro-size ribbed surfaces in contrast to conventional theory for heat sink, which is applicable not only to other clothes, but also to artificial devices or natural structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on Texel Stocking Project conference, took place in November 2-3 , 2019, in Leiden, Netherlands, which is organized by the Textile Research Centre (TRC) and the Knitting History Forum. Topics include evidence for using a wooden former to shape the stockings from contemporary records of the period in Denmark; and new-to-me emphasis on the social aspect of taking part in a citizen science project, and the notion versus lab experiments benefits for the researcher.

During the Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945), Chinese American clubwoman Alice Fong Yu organized a San Francisco-based boycott of Japanese silk hose. Through an analysis of her war relief fashion shows and published essays, this article argues that Yu used the boycott to communicate the political acuity and cultural modernity of Chinese and Chinese American women. Using her ties with the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), Yu kneaded Nationalist ideas about gender, consumption, and patriotism into US discussions. Her writing and performance did not simply reproduce "Western" understandings of womanhood, political subjectivity, and modernity, but rather developed new meanings through transcultural exchange. By examining broader US responses, the article also shows how domestic racial politics and the transnational production of silk hose impacted the boycott's reception. It concludes that by countering racialized representations of China, Yu worked to claim cultural citizenship for Chinese Americans. Her conversations beyond US borders helped to refashion ideas about who belonged within them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The review considers a modern state and historic aspects of the compression use therapy for prevention of thromboembolic complications and therapy of symptoms of chronic venous insufficiency related to chronic vein diseases. Pathogenetic aspects of the therapy by graduated compression, fundamentals of use of mechanical means of prevention and therapy, fundamentals of these methods effect on the state of venous return, movement of tissue liquid are discussed. The attention is focused on evidence of effectiveness of compression therapy.

Background: Low concordance with compression hosiery following healing of venous leg ulcers leads to high rates of venous leg ulceration reoccurrence. Aims: To determine what factors impact concordance and what actions can be undertaken to limit reoccurrence rates. Methods: Medline, CINAHL, AMED, TRIP and Joanna Briggs institute databases were explored from 2007-2017. Studies concerning concordance/ adherence with compression hosiery post venous leg ulcer (VLU) healing were reviewed. Seven studies were included in the final literature review. Results: Discomfort/pain, application difficulties, lack of patient education regarding compression hosiery use and aesthetic factors were all reported to influence hosiery concordance. These factors contributed to increased VLU recurrence rates, affecting patients' quality of life (QoL) and providing an avoidable burden on healthcare services. Conclusion: Current practice provides limited support to patients. The implementation of a compression clinic would provide assessment of leg condition, hosiery efficacy, advice and support to patients to increase hosiery concordance and thus reduce VLU recurrence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]