For a clothing system, comfort is a fundamental necessity. In this paper, basic definitions and elements of clothing comfort and the general research trends were reviewed. In particular, understanding comfort of textile materials, its relevance to clothing choice and some assessment methods have been discussed. The impact of fabric and clothing attributes on clothing comfort was explored. Psychological, physical and physiological perceptions of clothing comfort were reviewed, including subjective and objective modes of assessment. A thorough discussion of handle comfort was presented, including assessment methods. Statistical presentations from selected comfort studies were also reviewed. Other sensory comfort properties particularly acoustic and appearance were also mentioned. From the aforementioned reviews, it was noted that the main focus for most researchers has been on sensorial and thermal comfort. Practical Applications To comfort researchers, this review gives resourceful insights relevant to subject selection and the general research trend on clothing comfort. For clothing manufacturers, the compiled consumer feedbacks by wearers of particular clothing are tools for product improvement to enhance utility. Finally, this review informs consumers about clothing comfort, which will contribute to informed decision making during purchasing.

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IntroductionTo meet key millennium development goals, the rural population needs to be reached for health assessment and service delivery. Gastroduodenal ulcer disease is a common ailment affecting the health of people in Uganda. A cross-sectional study was conducted at Bwera Hospital in Kasese district of western Uganda, to establish the prevalence and predisposing factors of Helicobacter pylori among gastroduodenal ulcer disease patients.MethodsA sample of 174 patients with symptoms of gastroduodenal ulcer disease was purposively obtained. Using two laboratory test methods, the prevalence of H. pylori among these patients was determined. A structured questionnaire was administered to participants to establish their demographic background and selected aspects of their lifestyle. Finally, the results obtained by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunochromatographic rapid test (IRT) were compared.ResultsWe established the prevalence of H. pylori as 29.9% (52/174) by ELISA and 37.4% (65/174) by IRT. Cigarette smoking, poor sanitation, and lack of formal education were the significant predisposing factors with p-values <0.05. The two tests gave identical results in 87.9% of the patients.DiscussionThe prevalence of H. pylori by IRT and ELISA test methods was similar to what has been reported elsewhere in developed countries; but was lower than previously reported in developing countries including Uganda. The previous studies in Uganda were carried out in the urban population and on young children; and some used antibody-detection methods only, therefore leading to different prevalence as a result of difference in study population and methods.

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In this study, regenerated Bombyx Mori (B. Mori ) silk fibroin from two aqueous solvents was analyzed for structural deviations. Results from Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Wide angle x-ray diffraction (WAXD) implied great alteration in the secondary structure, crystallinity and molecular weight due to the regeneration process.

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