bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Establishment and maintenance of H19 imprinting in the germline and preimplantation embryo
Authors: Reese K.J. , Bartolomei M.S.
Published: March 2006

The mouse H19 and Igf2 genes are oppositely imprinted and share enhancers that reside 3′ to the genes. The imprinted expression of these genes is coordinated by a 2-kb regulatory element, the differentially methylated domain (DMD), positioned between the two genes. The methylation status of this region determines the ability of the insulator factor CTCF to bind to its sites in the DMD. Deletions and mutations of the DMD that affect imprinting in the soma have little effect on the methylation pattern of H19 in the germline, suggesting that additional sequences and factors contribute to the earliest stages of imprinting regulation at this locus. Less is known about these initial steps, which include the marking of the parental alleles, the onset of allele-specific expression patterns and maintenance of the imprints in the preimplantation embryo. Here, we will focus on these early steps, summarizing what is known and what questions remain to be addressed.
The imprinted mouse Igf2r/Air cluster – a model maternal imprinting system
Authors: Regha K. , Latos P.A. , Spahn L.
Published: March 2006

Every diploid organism inherits a complete chromosome set from its father and mother in addition to the sex chromosomes, so that all autosomal genes are available in two copies. For most genes, both copies are expressed without preference. Imprinted genes, however, are expressed depending on their parental origin, being active on the paternal or maternal allele only. To date 73 imprinted genes are known in mouse (www.mgu.har.mrc.ac.uk/research/imprinting), 37 show paternal expression while 36 show maternal expression, indicating no bias for imprinting to occur in one sex or the other. Therefore, two different parental-specific imprinting systems may have evolved in mammals, acting specifically in the paternal or maternal gamete. Similarities and differences between the two imprinting systems will be reviewed, with specific reference to the role of non-coding RNAs and chromatin modifications. The mouse Igf2r/Air cluster is presented as a model of the maternal imprinting system.
Cross-species clues of an epigenetic imprinting regulatory code for the IGF2R gene
Authors: Vu T.H. , Jirtle R.L. , Hoffman A.R.
Published: March 2006

The epigenetic marks on the IGF2R gene that encodes a receptor responsible for IGF-II degradation consist of differentially methylated DNA in association with multiple modifications on the associated histones. We review these epigenetic marks across various species during the evolution of IGF2R imprinting. Both IGF2 and IGF2R genesare imprinted in the mammal lineage that diverged from Monotremata approximately 150 million years ago. While IGF2 is consistently imprinted in all mammals following its divergence, IGF2R imprinting disappears in the Euarchonta lineage, including human species, approximately 75 million years ago. Differential DNA methylation marks on the two parental alleles correlate with imprinting in all imprinted genes including IGF2R. While the DNA methylation marks in the IGF2R promoter region 1 (DMR1) correlate with IGF2R allelic expression, the DNA methylation marks in the intron region 2 (DMR2) fail to correlate with IGF2R imprinting status in a number of species. Human IGF2R and mouse neuronal Igf2r are not imprinted despite the presence of DMR2. We have noted that human IGF2R is not imprinted in more than 100 informative samples including various tumor tissues. Furthermore, opossum (Marsupialia) IGF2R is consistently imprinted despite the absence of DMR2. These lines of evidence indicate that DNA methylation marks in DMR2 are neither necessary nor sufficient for consistent imprinting of IGF2R across species. Histone modification marks, however, correlate more consistently with the tissue-specific and species-specific imprinting status of IGF2R in human and mouse. Acetylated histone H3 and H4 and methylated lysine 4 of H3 (H3-K4Me) associate with transcriptionally active alleles while tri-methylated lysine 9 of H3 (H3-K9Me3) marks the silenced alleles. In the mouse, an antisense non-coding transcript called Air is transcribed from DMR2 on the paternal allele, and this imprinted transcript plays a central role in Igf2r imprinting. Mouse Igf2r imprinting depends on an Air RNA while the existence of AIR in other species is unknown. Overall, DNA methylation, histone acetylation, and histone methylation play a vital role in coordinating IGF2R allelic expression across all species. Rare monoallelic or skewed allelic expression of human IGF2R and their biological importance warrants further rigorous study.
Analysis of mouse conceptuses with uniparental duplication/deficiency for distal chromosome 12: comparison with chromosome 12 uniparental disomy and implications for genomic imprinting
Authors: Tevendale M. , Watkins M. , Rasberry C. , Cattanach B. , Ferguson-Smith A.C.
Published: March 2006

Distal mouse chromosome 12 is imprinted. Phenotypic analysis of mouse embryos with maternal or paternal uniparental disomy for the whole of chromosome 12 has characterized the developmental defects associated with the altered dosage of imprinted genes on this chromosome. Here we conduct a characterization of maternal and paternal Dp(dist12) mice using the reciprocal translocation T(4;12)47H. This limits the region analysed to the chromosomal domain distal to the T47H breakpoint in B3 on mouse chromosome 12. Both MatDp(dist12)T47H and PatDp(dist12)T47H conceptuses are non-viable and the frequency of recovery of Dp(dist12) conceptuses by 10.5 days post coitum (dpc) was lower than expected after normal adjacent-1 disjunction. A subset of MatDp(dist12) embryos can survive up to one day post partum. In contrast to paternal uniparental disomy 12 embryos, no live PatDp (dist12) embryos were recovered after 16.5 days of gestation. Other phenotypes observed in maternal and paternal chromosome 12 uniparental disomy mice are recapitulated in the Dp(dist12) mice and include placental, muscle and skeletal defects. Additional defects were also noted in the skin of both MatDp(dist12) and maternal uniparental disomy 12 embryos. This study shows that the developmental abnormalities associated with the altered parent of origin for mouse chromosome 12 can be attributed to the genomic region distal to the T47H breakpoint.
Aberrant regulation of imprinted gene expression in Gtl2lacZ mice
Authors: Sekita Y. , Wagatsuma H. , Irie M. , Kobayashi S. , Kohda T. , Matsuda J. , Yokoyama M. , Ogura A. , Schuster-Gossler K. , Gossler A. , Ishino F. , Kaneko-Ishino T.
Published: March 2006

The imprinted region on mouse distal chromosome 12 covers about 1 Mb and contains at least three paternally expressed genes (Pegs: Peg9/Dlk1, Peg11/Rtl1, and Dio3) and four maternally expressed genes (Megs: Meg3/Gtl2, antiPeg11/antiRlt1, Meg8/Rian, and Meg9/Mirg). Gtl2lacZ (Gene trap locus 2) mice have a transgene (TG) insertion 2.3 kb upstream from the Meg3/Gtl2 promoter and show about 40% growth retardation when the TG-inserted allele is paternally derived. Quantitative RT-PCR experiments showed that the expression levels of Pegs in this region were reduced below 50%. These results are consistent with the observed phenotype in Gtl2lacZ mice, because at least two Pegs(Peg9/Dlk1 and Dio3) have growth-promoting effects. The aberrant induction of Megs from silent paternal alleles was also observed in association with changes in the DNA methylation level of a differentially methylated region (DMR) located around Meg3/Gtl2 exon 1. Interestingly, a 60∼80% reduction in all Megs was observed when the TG was maternally derived, although the pups showed no apparent growth or morphological abnormalities. Therefore, the paternal or maternal inheritance of the TG results in the down-regulation in cis of either Pegs or Megs, respectively, suggesting that the TG insertion influences the mechanism regulating the entire imprinted region.
The 3′ portion of the mouse H19 Imprinting-Control Region is required for proper tissue-specific expression of the Igf2 gene
Authors: Hagège H. , Nasser R. , Weber M. , Milligan L. , Aptel N. , Jacquet C. , Drewell R.A. , Dandolo L. , Surani M.A. , Cathala G. , Forné T.
Published: March 2006

Genomic imprinting at the H19/Igf2 locus is governed by a cis-acting Imprinting-Control Region (ICR), located 2 kb upstream of the H19 gene. This region possesses an insulator function which is activated on the unmethylated maternal allele through the binding of the CTCF factor. It has been previously reported that paternal transmission of the H19SilK deletion, which removes the 3′ portion of H19 ICR, leads to the loss of H19 imprinting. Here we show that, in the liver, this reactivation of the paternal H19 gene is concomitant to a dramatic decrease in Igf2 mRNA levels. This deletion alters higher-order chromatin architecture, Igf2 promoter usage and tissue-specific expression. Therefore, when methylated, the 3′ portion of the H19 ICR is a bi-functional regulatory element involved not only in H19 imprinting but also in ‘formatting’ the higher-order chromatin structure for proper tissue-specific expression of both H19 and Igf2 genes.
Establishment of the primary imprint of the HYMAI/PLAGL1 imprint control region during oogenesis
Authors: Arima T. , Wake N.
Published: March 2006

Imprinting within domains occurs through epigenetic alterations to imprinting centers (ICs) that result in the establishment of parental-specific differences in gene expression. One candidate IC lies within the imprinted domain on human chromosome region 6q24. This domain contains two paternally expressed genes, the zinc finger protein gene PLAGL1 (ZAC/LOT1) and an untranslated mRNAcalled HYMAI. The putative IC overlaps exon 1 of HYMAI and is differentially methylated in somatic tissues. In humans, loss of methylation within this region is seen in some patients with transient neonatal diabetes mellitus, and hypermethylation of this region is found in ovarian cancer and is associated with changes in expression of PLAGL1, suggesting that it plays a key role in regulating gene expression. Differential methylation within this region is conserved in the homologous region on mouse chromosome 10A and is present on the maternal allele. In this paper, we report that DNA methylation is established during the growth phase of oogenesis and that this coincides with the establishment of monoallelic expression from this region lending further support to the hypothesis that this region functions as an IC.
Regulation of growth and metabolism by imprinted genes
Authors: Smith F.M. , Garfield A.S. , Ward A.
Published: March 2006

A small sub-set of mammalian genes are subject to regulation by genomic imprinting such that only one parental allele is active in at least some sites of expression. Imprinted genes have diverse functions, notably including the regulation of growth. Much attention has been devoted to the insulin-like growth factor signalling pathway that has a major influence on fetal size and contains two components encoded by the oppositely imprinted genes, Igf2 (a growth promoting factor expressed from the paternal allele) and Igf2r (a growth inhibitory factor expressed from the maternal allele). These genes fit the parent-offspring conflict hypothesis for the evolution of genomic imprinting. Accumulated evidence indicates that at least one other fetal growth pathway exists that has also fallen under the influence of imprinting. It is clear that not all components of growth regulatory pathways are encoded by imprinted genes and instead it may be that within a pathway the influence of a single gene by each of the parental genomes may be sufficient for parent-offspring conflict to be enacted. A number of imprinted genes have been found to influence energy homeostasis and some, including Igf2 and Grb10, may coordinate growth with glucose-regulated metabolism. Since perturbation of fetal growth can be correlated with metabolic disorders in adulthood these imprinted genes are considered as candidates for involvement in this phenomenon of fetal programming.
The Prader-Willi/Angelman imprinted domain and its control center
Authors: Kantor B. , Shemer R. , Razin A.
Published: March 2006

The present review focuses on the recent advances towards understanding the mode of operation of the imprinting center (IC) within the Prader-Willi/Angelman syndromes (PWS/AS) domain. Special emphasis is put on the elucidation of the functional interaction between the two parts of the center, AS-IC and PWS-IC. The recent studies, on which the review is based, reveal cis-acting elements and trans-acting proteins that constitute the two parts of the IC and presumably provide the molecular mechanism for this interaction. AS-IC acquires the primary imprint during gametogenesis by establishing the maternal epigenotype. The unmethylated maternal allele of the AS-IC binds, very likely, a trans-acting factor that confers methylation on the PWS-IC maternal allele after fertilization. It is assumed that the PWS-IC paternal epigenotype, once established, spreads across the entire PWS/AS domain in the soma.
Imprinting disruption of the CDKN1C/KCNQ1OT1 domain: the molecular mechanisms causing Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome and cancer
Authors: Higashimoto K. , Soejima H. , Saito T. , Okumura K. , Mukai T.
Published: March 2006

Human chromosomal region 11p15.5, which is homologous to mouse chromosome region 7F5, is a well-known imprinted region. The CDKN1C/KCNQ1OT1 imprinted domain, which is one of two imprinted domains at 11p15.5, includes nine imprinted genes regulated by an imprinting center (IC). The CDKN1C/KCNQ1OT1 IC is a differentially methylated region of KCNQ1OT1(KCNQ1OT-DMR) with DNA methylation on the maternal allele and no methylation on the paternal allele. CDKN1C (alias p57KIP2), an imprinted gene with maternal expression, encoding a cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor, is a critical gene within the CDKN1C/KCNQ1OT1 domain. In Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome (BWS), approximately 50% of patients show loss of DNA methylation accompanied by loss of histone H3 Lys9 dimethylation on maternal KCNQ1OT-DMR, namely an imprinting disruption, leading to diminished expression of CDKN1C. In cancer, at least three molecular mechanisms – imprinting disruption, aberrant DNA methylations at the CDKN1C promoter, and loss of heterozygosity (LOH) of the maternal allele – are seen and all three result in diminished expression of CDKN1C. Imprinting disruption of the CDKN1C/KCNQ1OT1 domain is involved in the development of both BWS and cancer and it changes the maternal epigenotype to the paternal type, leading to diminished CDKN1C expression. In this review, we describe recent advances in epigenetic control of the CDKN1C/KCNQ1OT1 imprinted domain in both humans and mice.
The dynamics of imprinted X inactivation during preimplantation development in mice
Authors: Okamoto I. , Heard E.
Published: March 2006

In the mouse, there are two forms of X chromosome inactivation (XCI), random XCI in the fetus and imprinted paternal XCI, which is limited to the extraembryonic tissues. While the mechanism of random XCI has been studied extensively using the in vitro XX ES cell differentiation system, imprinted XCI during early embryonic development has been less well characterized. Recent studies of early embryos have reported unexpected findings for the paternal X chromosome (Xp). Imprinted XCI may not be linked to meiotic silencing in the male germ line but rather to the imprinted status of the Xist gene. Furthermore, the Xp becomes inactivated in all cells of cleavage-stage embryos and then reactivated in the cells of the inner cell mass (ICM) that form the epiblast, where random XCI ensues.
Tsix-deficient X chromosome does not undergo inactivation in the embryonic lineage in males: implications for Tsix-independent silencing of Xist
Authors: Ohhata T. , Hoki Y. , Sasaki H. , Sado T.
Published: March 2006

Differential induction of the X-linked non-coding Xist gene is a key event in the process of X inactivation occurring in female mammalian embryos. Xist is negatively regulated in cis by its antisense gene Tsix through modification of the chromatin structure. The maternal Xist allele, which is normally silent in the extraembryonic lineages, is ectopically activated when Tsix is disrupted on the same chromosome, and subsequently the maternal X chromosome undergoes inactivation in the extraembryonic lineages even in males. However, it is still unknown whether the single Tsix-deficient X chromosome (XΔTsix) in males is also inactivated in the embryonic lineage. Here, we show that both male and female embryos carrying a maternally derived XΔTsix could survive if the extraembryonic tissues were complemented by wild-type tetraploid cells. In addition, Xist on the XΔTsix was properly silenced and methylated at CpG sites in adult male somatic cells. These results indicate that the embryonic lethality caused by the maternal XΔTsix is solely attributable to the defects in the extraembryonic lineages. XΔTsix does not seem to undergo inactivation in the embryonic lineage in males, suggesting the presence of a Tsix-independent silencing mechanism for Xist in the embryonic lineage.
30-Day Survival and Rehospitalization for Stroke Patients According to Physician Specialty
Authors: Smith Maureen A. , Liou Jinn-Ing , Frytak Jennifer R. , Finch Michael D.
Published: March 2006

Background and Purpose: Stroke patients appear to have improved outcomes when cared for by neurologists, but the mechanism by which improved outcome is achieved is unclear. This study compares 30-day cause-specif ic rehospitalization, 30-day mortality, and specific processes of care for patients treated by a neurologist only, a generalist only, a neurologist and a generalist (i.e., collaborative care), or by another specialist during the index hospitalization.Methods: This study uses Cox regression to analyze claims and enrollment data from 44,099 Medicare beneficiaries 65 years of age and older and discharged with acute ischemic stroke from 1998 to 2000 in 11 US metropolitan regions. Results: Patients seen by neurologists had more severe strokes than patients seen by generalists, though patients seen by generalists had more comorbidities. Patients seen by neurologists (alone or collaboratively) had a 10 and 16% lower risk of 30-day mortality, respectively. Patients seen by a neurologist only had a 12% lower risk of rehospitalization for infections and aspiration pneumonitis. In contrast, patients seen by neurologists had a higher risk of rehospitalization for atherosclerotic (cardiovascular and non-acute cerebrovascular) disease. Patients seen by neurologists were more likely to be discharged to inpatient rehabilitation, had longer lengths of stay, and were more likely to receive warfarin after discharge. Conclusions: Results support the hypothesis that neurologists improve outcomes specifically by reducing the potential for aspiration (through increased swallowing evaluations) or by improving functioning (through use of rehabilitation therapy). Future studies should continue to examine the mechanisms by which neurologists may achieve better outcomes in stroke care.
Delayed Transient Worsening of Neurological Deficits after Ischaemic Stroke
Authors: De Reuck J. , De Groote L. , Van Maele G.
Published: March 2006

Background: Although the causes of stroke recurrence are well known, no particular study deals with the specific issue of late-onset transient worsening of the neurological deficit (TWND) after an ischaemic stroke. Patients and Methods: In this retrospective study the aetiology of the TWNDs in 101 patients was compared to the causes of transient ischaemic attacks (TIAs) in 115 patients. All patients had a full cardiovascular and neuroimaging examination according to current guidelines. An electroencephalogram (EEG) was performed when necessary. The diagnosis of inhibitory seizures was retained when the EEG showed periodic lateralized epileptiform discharges or intermittent rhythmic delta activities, or when the patient developed typical seizures afterwards. Results: Arterial hypertension and diabetes were more prevalent vascular risk factors in TWND patients. Small-vessel disease and inhibitory seizures were a more frequent cause of TWNDs than of TIAs. Extracranial large-vessel disease predominates in TIA patients. The global prevalence of cardiac diseases as cause of TIAs and TWNDs was the same, although severe ulcerous plaques of the aortic arch and patent foramen ovale with atrial septum aneurysm occurred more frequently in TWND patients. Conclusions: The most frequent causes of late-onset TWNDs were different from those of TIAs. Apart from repeated neuroimaging of the brain, exhaustive cardiac investigations and EEG are mandatory in TWND patients.
Direct Costs of Surgical Clipping and Endovascular Coiling of Unruptured Intracranial Aneurysms
Authors: Halkes Patricia H.A. , Wermer Marieke J.H. , Rinkel Gabriël J.E. , Buskens Erik
Published: March 2006

Background: Unruptured intracranial aneurysms can be preventively treated by surgical clipping or endovascular coiling. We determined in detail the costs of these treatments. Methods: We included patients who were treated for an unruptured aneurysm between 1997 and 2003. Patients coiled in this period were matched with clipped patients according to the year of treatment, age and gender. Considering clipping and coiling, we compared all pre-admission costs of diagnostic procedures, all costs of treatment, and costs during follow-up including standard angiographic control examinations at 6 and 18 months after coiling. Costs were calculated as the product of the used resources and the costs of these resources. Results: The mean price for clipping was EUR 8,865.42 and that for coiling EUR 10,370.29. The difference was mainly determined by the higher material costs of coiling (EUR 5,300) compared with clipping (EUR 690). Costs of clipping were mainly determined by the need for intensive care facilities (1.2 days after clipping and 0 days after coiling) and the length of hospital stay (10.5 days after clipping and 3.4 days after coiling). After bootstrapping the data, costs of coiling were on average EUR 1,553 (95% confidence interval: EUR 1,539–1,569) higher than those of clipping. Conclusions: For unruptured intracranial aneurysms, direct in-hospital costs of coiling are on average higher than those of clipping, mostly because of the more expensive coils.
A Phase I Study of Oral Uracil-Tegafur Prior to Weekly Intravenous Gemcitabine in Patients with Advanced Pancreatic Cancer
Authors: Tanno Satoshi , Nakano Yasuhiro , Osanai Manabu , Koizumi Kazuya , Izawa Tsutomu , Habiro Atsuya , Mizukami Yusuke , Yanagawa Nobuyuki , Fujii Tsuneshi , Okumura Toshikatsu , Kohgo Yutaka
Published: March 2006

Background: Gemcitabine is widely accepted as the first-line agent for advanced pancreatic cancer. The antitumor cell activity of gemcitabine is higher when administered after 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) rather than before 5-FU in an in vitro study. The present study was conducted to define the maximum tolerated dose and dose-limiting toxicity associated with an oral fluoropyrimidine prodrug that combines uracil and tegafur (UFT), given prior to weekly intravenous gemcitabine in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. Methods: Over a 21-day cycle, gemcitabine was given intravenously over 30 min on days 8 and 15, while UFT was given orally from days 1 to 14. The dose of UFT used was 400 mg per day, given as two doses. The dose of gemcitabine was escalated in a stepwise fashion from 800 (level 1, n = 3) to 900 mg/m2 (level 2, n = 6) and then to 1,000 mg/m2 (level 3, n = 3), such that totally 12 patients received the combination chemotherapy. Results: During the first cycle, grade 3 leukopenia was observed in 2 patients at dose level 1. Only 1 patient treated at dose level 2 experienced dose-limiting toxicity (grade 3 elevated transaminase), including additional patients treated at this dose level. No grade 3/4 toxicities occurred in patients treated at dose level 3. A significant response was observed in 1 out of 12 patients (8.3%). Seven patients (58.3%) had stable disease, while 4 patients (33.3%) showed disease progression. Conclusions: The combination chemotherapy of oral UFT and gemcitabine was convenient, well tolerated and may benefit patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. Doses recommended for further study of this schedule are gemcitabine 1,000 mg/m2 and UFT 400 mg/day.
Created Identities: Hybrid Cultures and the Internet
Authors: Clothier Ian M.
Published: March 2006

Homi K. Bhabha has written that authorised power in a hybrid culture ‘does not depend on the persistence of tradition; it is resourced by the power of tradition to be reinscribed through conditions of contingency and contradictoriness’ (Homi K. Bhabha, The Location of Culture, London: Routledge, 1994, p. 2). This view of culture is one aligned with concepts of flux and transition. Hybrid cultural identity is created as time progresses, in part based on contingency. The boundaries of hybrid cultures are negotiated and able to absorb diverse cultural influences: borders are active sites of intersection and overlap, which support the creation of in-between identities. Hybrid cultures are antagonistic to standing authority and cultural hegemony - hybridisation engenders diversity and heterogeneity, once framed as bastardisation. Heterogeneity and multiplicity are here underlined as important aspects of hybrid cultures. Heterogeneity, multiplicity and rupture are three aspects of Deleuze and Guattari’s rhizome that have been identified by Stefan Wray as similarly characteristic of the internet. This makes the internet an entirely suitable place to manufacture a hybrid cultural identity, with a cultural profile akin to that reported in mainstream news media. This paper maps out the above points with reference to the online/internet project the District of Leistavia welcomes you created by the author.
The Art Portrait, the Pixel and the Gene: Micro Construction of Macro Representation
Authors: McCarthy Steven
Published: March 2006

Digital images rely on the fineness of pixels to create an illusion of pictorial reality, with individual ‘picture elements’ sacrificing themselves in service of the overall image. The elemental binary code underlying digital pictures has its parallel in human genetic code: bits of information are stored in the DNA, itself consisting of binary chemical relationships. The nature of human identity - as translated by artistic representations of the face - is emerging from this intersection. The mapping of the human genome has had implications for socio-cultural constructions of identity, especially for race and hereditary characteristics. This paper examines three artists whose creative inquiry addresses the human face and its relationship to digitisation, identity and genetic code: painter Chuck Close, Photomosaics® software inventor Rob Silvers, and photographer Nancy Burson. Their varying imaging strategies all employ micro and macro relationships, yet each offers different models for representing human identity.
Hybrid Architecture: An Environment for the Prosthetic Body
Authors: Teyssot Georges
Published: March 2006

Drawing from philosophical, literary, artistic and technological sources, this text focuses on the theoretical relations between body and environment. It illustrates the argument by probing into various topics such as: desiring machines, body without organs, organs without body, gymnastic implements, body-building, celibate machines, incorporation, disembodiment, androids, robots, cyborgs, electro-mechanical and electronic apparatuses, spacesuits, wearable computers and augmented reality, the eco-technical spheres and the matrix. In addition, it looks into theories of medical devices that help explain the notion of the prosthetic body. Finally, within the context of theories of tools and cyber-organism, it attempts to rethink design through the terms of contemporary practices of daily life.
Wireless Affections: Embodiment and Emotions in New Media/Theory and Art
Authors: Dyson Frances
Published: March 2006

A central strategy in selling information technology has involved the appropriation of earlier historical notions of the ether: as an immersive environment, communicative medium and electronic presence. Just as telephony was connected to the ‘wireless ether’, virtual reality and cyberspace have been connected to the idea of a virtual, electronic sphere, represented as an informatic space, through which a mode of (digital) being is conducted. However, as this paper will argue, while the data trails generated through ‘dataveillance’ technologies, or the information collected by wearable computers, may indeed situate the individual within a digitally rendered ‘ether’, these technologies are based on the generation of knowledge more than the creation of a space, installing an epistemological, rather than an ontological framework for understanding telepresent agency. With reference to recent works by Canadian artist Catherine Richards, this paper will discuss both research into new ‘reality mining’ and ‘affective computing’ technologies and the discourse of posthumanism, as it elaborates the transformation from autonomous liberal subject to post-human hybrid currently underway, and the developing relationships between humans and embodied, emotionally intelligent machines.
Stylistic Morphing: Notes on the Digitisation of Contemporary Music Culture
Authors: Sandywell Barry , Beer David
Published: March 2006

This article is a series of notes concerned with tracking the social and cultural implications of the digitisation of music. In this piece we explore a number of emerging questions and phenomena with the explicit intention of opening new sets of questions and creating opportunities for further reflections and more detailed empirical case studies. This article, therefore, is not intended as a final word or a definitive statement on the phenomenon of cultural morphing, but rather it represents an attempt to experiment, to develop, and to explore the field of hybridisation and popular cultural change. It is hoped that these exploratory notes will illuminate some of the cultural transformations resulting from the proliferation and appropriation of a wide range of digital music technologies.
Arts, Media, Cultures: Histories of Hybridisation
Authors: Kluszczynski Ryszard W.
Published: March 2006

Nowadays we are faced with an enormous development of digital, information and communication technologies. Together with numerous phenomena, which are the products of activities that belong to the biotechnosphere, these technologies build a complex corpus called cyberculture. In this context art has an important, critical role to play. In particular (multi)media art can serve as an experimental laboratory, not only for new technologies but, especially, for studies of the new social relation(ship)s created or fuelled by those technologies. Media and multimedia information and communication technologies generate new promises, problems, and threats; and artists undertake efforts to examine this emerging area that has been repeatedly considered as a ‘post-biological syndrome’. In other words, artists do not only use media technologies, but also scrutinise and challenge them. In this sense the new (multi)media art could be deemed a successor of the avant-garde movement.
Effects of Helium Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Treatment on Low-Stress Mechanical Properties of Polypropylene Nonwoven Fabrics
Authors: Hwang Yoon J. , Mccord Marian G. , An Jae S. , Kang Bok C. , Park Shin W.
Published: March 2006

Polypropylene nonwoven fabrics are treated by He atmospheric pressure glow discharge plasma. After plasma treatment, weight loss (%), surface properties (wettability, morphology, and chemical composition changes), tensile strength, low-stress mechanical properties, and air permeability of the fabrics are examined. Scanning electron microscopy analysis shows significant surface morphology changes in plasma-treated polypropylene fiber surfaces, corresponding to reductions in fabric weight. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis reveals that surface oxidation by the formation of hydrophilic groups enhances the surface wettability of the fabrics. Surface morphology changes with plasma treatment increase fiber-to-fiber friction, playing an important role in enhancing their tensile strength, low-stress mechanical properties, and air permeability.
Nanoclay and Modified Nanoclay as Sorbents for Anionic, Cationic and Nonionic Dyes
Authors: Yang Yiqi , Han Shinyoung , Fan Qinguo , Ugbolue Samuel C.
Published: March 2006

The nanoclay, montmorillonite, and some modified nanoclays were used as sorbents for nonionic, anionic and cationic dyes. From the sorption differences among the different dye and clay structures, both chemical and morphological, the sorption forces that played important roles were identified. The nanoclay could easily have a sorption capacity of more than 600 mg sorbate per gram of sorbent at a liquor-to-sorbent ratio of 100 to 1. Furthermore, it could have a sorption of 90% at an initial dye concentration of 6 g/L, or 60% based on the weight of the sorbent, indicating an extremely high dye affinity. This study showed that with certain modifications the nanoclay, montmorillonite, could easily become an excellent sorbent for anionic, cationic and nonionic dyes.
Analysis of Spun Yarn Failure. Part I: Tensile Failure of Yarns as a Function of Structure and Testing Parameters
Authors: Ghosh Anindya , Ishtiaque S. M. , Rengasamy R. S.
Published: March 2006

The phenomenon of spun yarn failure is strongly dependent on the yarn structure namely, the configuration, alignment and packing of the constituent fibers in the yarn cross-section. The structure of yarn is solely determined by the methods of consolidating the fibers into yarns. In the present study, ring, rotor, air-jet and open-end friction spun yarns were produced from identical fibers and their structural parameters; namely, mean fiber extent, spinning-in-coefficient, helix angle of the fibers, percentage of different hooks and their extents, number of fibers in yarn cross-section and yarn diameter were measured. These yarns were subjected to uniaxial loading on the tensile testers with a large range of gauge lengths (0 to 500 mm) and strain rates (5 to 400 m/min). The results showed that the strength of yarns largely depends on the structure of the yarns, gauge lengths and strain rates. A combined effect of fiber extent in the yarn and gauge length influences the yarn strength. At high strain rates the yarn failure is dominated by the breakage of fibers rather than the slippage of fibers. Furthermore, the analysis of the region of yarn failure provides more direct evidences of the influence of yarn structure and testing parameters on the strength of different spun yarns.
Analysis of Spun Yarn Failure. Part II: The Translation of Strength from Fiber Bundle to Different Spun Yarns
Authors: Ghosh Anindya , Ishtiaque S. M. , Rengasamy R. S.
Published: March 2006

A generalized mathematical model has been developed for predicting the strength of spun yarns produced by ring, rotor, air-jet and open-end friction spinning systems. The model is based on the translation of fiber bundle tenacity into the yarn tenacity and it is applicable to all spun yarns. The model describes the failure behavior of spun yarns. Experimental strength results are compared with the predicted ones on the basis of theory, and a satisfactory agreement is reached. The limitations of the model are also analyzed.
Electro-Mechanical Properties of Knitted Fabric Made From Conductive Multi-Filament Yarn Under Unidirectional Extension
Authors: Zhang Hui , Tao Xiaoming , Wang Shanyuan , Yu Tongxi
Published: March 2006

A theoretical model for electro-mechanical properties of intrinsically conductive knitted fabrics made from stainless steel multi-filament yarns under large uniaxial deformation is presented. The investigations are focused on the relationship between the load and electrical resistance of the fabric under uniaxial extension. A circuit network is proposed based on the loops configuration and fabric structure. The equivalent resistance of the fabric is obtained by solving the circuit equations of the network. In order to simplify the calculation of the contacting forces on the overlapped yarns, a two-dimensional hexagon model is used to represent the loop configurations. An image-capturing system is employed to record the images of the loop configurations during the extension process and the relationship between the configurations of the loops and the load imposed on the fabric is obtained. From the theoretical analysis and experimental investigations, it is found that the contacting resistance of the overlapped yarns in the fabric is the key factor that governs the sensitivity of the fabric sensor. In addition, the fabric structure that determines the structure of the circuit network is also an important factor affecting the characteristics of the fabric sensor.
Fourier Transform Near-infrared Spectroscopy for Determining Linen Content in Linen/Cotton Blend Products
Authors: Sohn Miryeong , Himmelsbach David S. , Akin Danny E. , Barton Franklin E.
Published: March 2006

Flax fibers may be blended with cotton to provide an aesthetic property, improve performance and tailor fabric properties. The quality and cost of the woven fabric blends are affected by the amount of linen in the blend. Microscopic and chemical analyses are currently used to determine linen content in fabrics. This study describes a method to predict the linen percentage in linen/cotton blends using Fourier transform near-infrared (FT-NIR) spectroscopy, rapidly and non-invasively. A calibration model using partial least squares regression analysis was developed with gravimetrically measured ground flax-cotton fiber mixtures as reference samples versus NIR spectra. The best model occurred with a combination of multiplicative scatter correction and first derivative processing of the spectral data gave a standard error of validation of 2.20%, and only one factor was used for the model performance. Using this model, flax content was predicted in specific mixtures of flax and cotton fibers, blended flax-cotton yarns, and various non-scoured flax-cotton fabrics, giving standard errors of prediction less than 3%. Application of the calibration model to the scoured fabric, however, resulted in a higher error value. This result seemed to be due to loss in wax components and substantial changes in the NIR absorbance values of the fabric resulting from the scouring process. An alternative calibration model for scoured and dyed fabrics was developed, and using the model it was possible to predict flax contents in dyed fabrics with an error of 4–6%.
Mechanical Behavior of a Textile Polyester Vascular Prosthesis: Theoretical and Experimental Study
Authors: Abdessalem Saber Ben , Mokhtar Sofiene , Belaissia Habib , Filali Nabila , Durand Bernard
Published: March 2006

Woven and knitted cardiovascular prostheses are tubular structures made of polyester filaments. They are used as bypasses to derive blood circulation or to replace failed blood vessels. The conditions of use require particular mechanical properties of the graft, such as elasticity and bending. A theoretical model, based on elasticity hypotheses, and a pulsatile flow system were used to determine the mechanical behavior of a knitted vascular graft under fluid pressure. For steady flow, prosthesis bending evolves in direct ratio to pressure. In pulsatile flow conditions, the prosthesis bends but not in proportion to the fluid pressure, showing instead a viscoelastic behavior by the textile structure.
Assessment of Reflectance and Color Differences of Wool Fabrics after Abrasion
Authors: Alpay Halil Rifat , Becerir Behcet , Akgun Mine
Published: March 2006

This paper focuses on the assessment of color differences and percentage reflectance changes that occurred in dyed wool fabrics after different cycles of abrasion for different constructional parameters of the fabric. Twelve wool fabrics having different constructional parameters were used. The fabrics differed from each other by their weft yarn counts, weft densities, warp densities and the fabric weaves. The warp yarn type and count and the warp yarn twist were the same for all fabrics. The dyeing of the fabric samples were performed by using a commercial 1: 2 metal complex dye (Mix Dye). Four different abrasion levels (2500, 5000, 7500 and 10 000) were used. The percentage reflectance values of the abraded fabrics were measured and color differences between the original (control fabric, dyed but not abraded) and abraded fabrics were calculated. Percentage reflectance values and color difference values are presented in figures for changing fabric constructional properties. The percentage reflectance values and color difference values were higher for the wool fabrics having thicker siro-spun weft yarns and having higher weft and warp densities. The effect of increasing abrasion cycles on percentage reflectance values and on color differences was more visible for plain woven wool fabrics. Photographs of the abraded fabrics are presented to show the surface of the wool fabrics after 10 000 abrasion cycles. It was observed that the yarn breakages occurred on the fabric surface because of the lower tenacity of the wool fibers made the fabric surface smoother as a result of the siro-spun yarn structure. It is concluded that the broken ends of the fibers played an important role in surface reflectance beyond a certain abrasion level which was observed to be 7500 cycles.
Grab and Strip Tensile Strengths for Woven Fabrics: An Experimental Verification
Authors: Wu Jianhua , Pan Ning
Published: March 2006

In the present study we have attempted to verify a theoretical model of grab versus strip strengths of fabrics [ Textile Research Journal, 2003, 73(2), 165–171] through experimental investigation. Five different fabrics were included in this study, and three related parameters were investigated including the modulus ratio of the specimen (shear versus tensile moduli), the specimen gauge length and the ungripped specimen width. The ratios of grab versus strip tensile strengths were computed from the experimental results and compared with the values predicted from the theoretical model. The predicted results are compatible with the measured values, suggesting that the theoretical model is capable of estimating the tensile strength of a grab specimen.
Fourier Transform Infrared Analysis of Trehalulose and Sticky Cotton Yarn Defects Using ZnSe-Diamond Universal Attenuated Total Reflectance
Authors: Abidi Noureddine , Hequet Eric
Published: March 2006

The universal attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (UATR-FTIR) equipped with a ZnSe-diamond composite crystal accessory was used to investigate the implication of trehalulose in the formation of yarn defects during rotor spinning of moderately sticky cotton mixes. One cotton bale contaminated with aphid honeydew and one contaminated with whitefly honeydew were selected. Mixes having moderate levels of stickiness were prepared from these two bales by mixing sticky cotton with non-sticky cotton. These cotton mixes were processed and the yarn defects were collected and analyzed using UATR-FTIR. The results obtained showed a high correlation between the FTIR spectra of the yarn defects from the whitefly honeydew-contaminated mixes and the spectra of artificial reconstituted whitefly honeydew. No significant difference was seen between the spectra of yarn defects from aphid honeydew-contaminated cotton and those of non-contaminated cotton. The FTIR and Raman studies of the hydration process of trehalulose showed a drastic impact of moisture absorption on the intensities of the vibration modes of trehalulose. These results all indicate that trehalulose is the primary concern when forming yarns from cotton with moderate honeydew contamination.
Optimization Aspects on the Hand of the Fabrics
Authors: Vassiliadis Savvas G. , Venetsanos Demetrios T. , Provatidis Christopher G.
Published: March 2006

Fabric hand is an essential property of textile fabrics. It affects the sensorial perception of humans when they touch a fabric. The feeling of hand depends on many factors; mainly on the low stress mechanical behavior of the fabric as well as on the subjective aspects of the person assessing the fabric such as sensitivity, culture, etc. The hand of the fabrics can be approached either by subjective estimations or by objective measurements. Both evaluation methods provide the necessary information for the calculation of the total hand value (THV) of the fabric. The THV is a function of multiple variables: the primary hand values. The complex expression of the THV introduces difficulties in predicting the conditions for the maximization of its final value. The present work provides a mathematical tool for a parametric study and definition of the quantities, which have to change, in order to maximize the THV of the fabric.
Investigating the Plasma Modification of Natural Fiber Fabrics-The Effect on Fabric Surface and Mechanical Properties
Authors: Sun D. , Stylios G. K.
Published: March 2006

Following previous work [ Textile Research Journal, 74,751-756 (2004)], the mechanical and surface properties and handle of wool and cotton fabrics were measured using the KES-FB system after different stages of treatment. This investigation shows that the mechanical properties of wool and cotton changed remarkably after oxygen plasma treatment. There were no significantly observed differences between plasma treated and untreated fabrics after wet scouring and dyeing.
Repeat Pattern Segmentation of Printed Fabrics by Hough Transform Method
Authors: Kuo Chung-Feng Jeffrey , Shih Chung-Yang , Lee Jiunn-Yih
Published: March 2006

A novel approach of repeat pattern segmentation is proposed for printed fabrics. Printed fabrics are captured by a color scanner and converted into full color digital files. To classify the color segmentation and pattern elements a fuzzy C-means (FCM) clustering algorithm and a specific cluster-validity criterion are used to obtain the pattern image of printed fabric. Then, the repeat pattern segmentation of the pattern image is established by Hough transform. The experimental results have shown that this systematic method is very suitable for the analysis of the repeat pattern of printed fabrics.
Functional Nanotube-based Textiles: Pathway to Next Generation Fabrics with Enhanced Sensing Capabilities
Authors: Laxminarayana Karthik , Jalili Nader
Published: March 2006

With a surge in technological advancements and the needs of diverse communities such as consumers, military and navy, the textile industry is shifting its focus to fabrication of next-generation textiles that not only meet the basic conventional requirements, but also serve a host of other functions. In this pursuit of fabricating next-generation textiles, called here e-textiles (electronic textiles), a novel technique is presented to produce nanocomposite fabrics made from carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with enhanced sensing capabilities. Catering to the ever increasing demand of improved sensors, this work discusses the electrospinning fabrication scheme that has been employed to develop novel CNT-based piezoelectric strain sensors. The resulting sensors have been characterized by performing structural vibration experiments to evaluate their strain-sensing performance. When these new CNT-based piezopolymer composites are electrospun into smart fabrics, the strain-sensing ability (as measured by voltage across the sensor) is increased by a dramatic 35 times, from 2.4 to 84.5 mV for 0.05 wt% of the nanotubes. The dominant mechanism responsible for such improvement is found to be the alignment of dipoles in the piezoelectric material. Such alignment is mainly attributed due to ability of the electrospinning process to generate very thin fibers from polymer-nanotube solution. The direct and reverse conversion of electrical energy into mechanical energy in the proposed sensors can create a platform for developing next-generation smart fabric with applications in membrane structures, distributed shape modulation and energy harvesting.