Search

Building upon numerous recent studies of medieval religious women's textile production, this essay explores sewing practices among religious men. From Late Antiquity through the Central Middle Ages, monastic regulators, hagiographers, and homilists promoted stitching as a fitting activity for religious men and women alike, but ascribed different meanings to this work depending on the gender of practitioners. For religious men, sewing was a demonstration of humility, poverty, and simplicity which signalled their rejection of a lay masculinity that coded stitchery as feminine. More broadly, sewing-related metaphors, exempla and miracles evoked a monastic world in which the spiritual and domestic intermingled, so that needles and thread could be understood as both practical tools and symbols of virtue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a new human-based metaheuristic algorithm called Tailor Optimization Algorithm (TOA) is introduced. The basic idea in TOA design is taken from the processes that a tailor makes when sewing clothes. The theory of TOA is stated and then mathematically modeled in two phases of exploration and exploitation. The exploration phase is designed based on the simulation of extensive changes on the fabrics according to the garment pattern. The exploitation phase is designed based on the simulation of small changes on the sewn garments in order to handle the details of the garments. The effectiveness of proposed TOA approach to handle optimization tasks in real-world applications is evaluated on twenty-two constrained optimization problems from the CEC 2011 test suite. The simulation results show that TOA is achieved effective solutions for CEC 2011 test suite optimization with the ability to explore, exploit, and balance them. In addition, the performance of TOA is compared with the results of twelve well-known metaheuristic algorithms. Analysis of the simulation results shows that TOA is successful in 100% of CEC 2011 test suite optimization problems in competition with the compared algorithms. The findings show that TOA with 100% success and ranking as the first best optimizer in the competition with the compared algorithms has an effective efficiency to handle real world applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self‐insertion of foreign bodies into the urethra is uncommon and is often associated with complex psychological or behavioral factors. Many cases of foreign bodies in the urethra have been reported worldwide with variable complaints of penile pain, penile itching, dysuria, hematuria, and complete obstruction of urine. These foreign objects are managed to remove according to their size, complexity of shape, and location in the urethra. We report a case of a self‐inserted sewing needle in the urethra by an old man during an act of achieving sexual gratification, which was removed through an endoscopic approach by cystoscopy, along with a literature review. This is the fourth reported case of auto‐eroticism in which a sewing needle was used to achieve sexual pleasure, making this case report a rare one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the garment sewing defect detection method, this paper proposes an improved YOLOv8-FPCA scheme based on the YOLOv8 algorithm, which improves the YOLOv8 target detection head to enhance the information extraction of small target defects, then introduces Focal Loss to optimize the loss function to guide the network to better handle target data sets with different difficulties and imbalances. Finally, the attention mechanism CA is added to the YOLOv8 network structure to achieve multi-scale feature fusion extraction, and the attention mechanisms CABM and SENet are added at the same locations for experimental comparison. The results show that after increasing the attention mechanisms of CBAM and SENet, the mAP@0.5 model increased by 1.7 % and 1.9 % respectively. The CA attention mechanism emphasizes the importance of location information, and the model has better accuracy and recall after adding the CA attention mechanism, with a 3.7 % increase in mAP@0.5, indicating that YOLOv8-CA has better performance in sewing defect detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Paper Conservation is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Perhaps it is apt that people who knit and sew are drawn to solving puzzles, including fictional and actual crimes. The word clew is an archaic spelling of our modern-day clue. It is derived from the old English cliwen or cleowen, meaning a ball of thread. It may also be a nod to the ball of yarn that Theseus used to escape from the minotaur's labyrinth in Greek legend. Without his clew, Theseus would have no clue how to escape the labyrinth. Its modern-day association with detective work first began with Edgar Allen Poe's detective C. Auguste Dupin who followed 'clues' to solve his crimes and was popularized by Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories. In the past, and more recently fictional and real-life detectives follow clues to solve crimes, and many of them are crafty. This article considers how adaptative the mediums of knitting and sewing are when they are freed from their utilitarian or creative purpose and instead becomes a device to solve crimes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To solve the problem of false positives and false negatives in the manual detection of fabric sewing breaks, a method of fabric sewing break detection based on the U-Net network is proposed. By detecting the adjacent distance between the characteristic contours of adjacent sewing stitches, the distribution uniformity of sewing stitches in sewing patterns is calculated, and the abnormal detection and traceability of fabric sewing broken threads are realized. First, the U-Net network sewing feature extraction model was trained using sewing images and their corresponding stitching feature annotation maps. Then, the trained network model was used to process sewing image samples to obtain binary stitching feature maps. Second, the stitching feature maps were processed using a closing operation to eliminate residual image noise. On this basis, the template matching algorithm was used to extract the stitching feature contours. Finally, according to the distance between adjacent feature contours, the fabric sewing break detection and abnormality tracing model was constructed. The model is validated by examples, and the results show that the abnormal samples of stitching lines are detected, and the corresponding break positions are given. The overall detection accuracy of the model is 95.75%, indicating that the constructed fabric sewing break detection model is effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hacia 1850, en Buenos Aires, la costura era una actividad que realizaban diferentes personas en sitios diversos. Podía ser parte de un oficio artesanal, una labor femenina, un castigo productivo o una de las tareas que se esperaban del servicio doméstico. Observar esas distinciones y distancias vuelve a la aguja y al hilo un prisma para interrogarnos por las jerarquías sociales –de género, raza y edad– que estructuraron este mercado de trabajo e incidieron en la construcción de nociones de derechos y justicia, así como para identificar el lugar que ocupó este puerto sudamericano en una trama global de procesos de industrialización, nuevas pautas de consumo y movimientos migratorios. A través del análisis de un nutrido corpus documental, este estudio realiza un aporte desde la historia social con perspectiva de género al ofrecer una mirada del período al ras de experiencias sociales de trabajo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the development of a methodology for the directional structural modification of warp-knitted fabrics by sewing on carbon fiber tapes. Four-, five-, and six-axial geometric systems were designed to optimize the qualitative distribution of stresses on the surface of the tested product. Through a numerical experiment in the ANSYS environment, the impact of the change in the axiality of a textile structure on the mechanical properties of the modeled geometric configuration was assessed. This analysis was experimentally verified by measuring the multiaxial force distribution on the knitted surface, which demonstrated that Variant 7, with six axes 30° apart, was the most favorable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Industria Textila is the property of Institutul National de Cercetare-Dezvoltare pentru Textile si Pielarie and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Purpose: To reduce the difficulty of the sewing process and promote the automation process of fabric sewing, a soft finger-assisted feeding method is proposed to investigate the effect of sewing process parameters on the quality of automatic sewing. Design/methodology/approach: Taking cotton woven fabrics as an example, the causes of sewing deviation are firstly investigated from three aspects: fabric properties, sewing speed and sewing edge position. By simulating the sewing action of human hands, the method of reducing sewing deviation by using soft fingers to press and feed the fabric is proposed. Then, four sewing process factors, namely, robot arm end pressure, sewing machine speed, sewing needle gauge and stitch density, were selected, and three levels were set for each factor to design orthogonal sewing experiments. The sewing deviation of 1# sample under different sewing processes was measured, and the optimal parameter matching for automatic sewing of this specimen was derived. Findings: The findings demonstrate that, while sewing cloth automatically, the sewing deviation is significantly influenced by the robotic arm's end pressure, sewing speed, and stitch density, whereas the sewing deviation is not significantly impacted by the needle number. Originality/value: The findings offer fundamental information for the development of an automated sewing procedure using soft fingers, which has theoretical and real-world application value to speed up the intelligent modernization and transformation of the apparel industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metamaterials enable the modulation of elastic waves or acoustic waves in unprecedented ways and have a wide range of potential applications. This paper achieves the simultaneous manipulation of surface elastic waves (SEWs) and surface acoustic waves (SAWs) using two-dimensional acousto-elastic metamaterials (AEMMs). The proposed AEMMs are composed of periodic hollow cylinders on the surface of a semi-infinite substrate. The band diagrams and the frequency responses of the AEMMs are numerically calculated through the finite element approach. The band diagrams exhibit simultaneous bandgaps for the SEWs and SAWs, which can also be effectively tuned by the modification of AEMM geometry. Furthermore, we construct the AEMM waveguide by the introduction of a line defect and hence demonstrate its ability to guide the SEWs and SAWs simultaneously. We expect that the proposed AEMMs will contribute to the development of multi-functional wave devices, such as filters for dual waves in microelectronics or liquid sensors that detect more than one physical property. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Business Process Reengineering (BPR) eliminates non-value-added (NVA) and essential non-value-added (ENVA) waste through radical process redesign to improve organizational operations. Comprehensive research integrating BPR tools is needed to understand their benefits for manufacturing firms. This research presents an integrated BPR-simulation framework tailored to the manufacturing sector to maximize process improvements and operational excellence. Design/methodology/approach: The BPR design methodology adopts a systematic, multi-stage approach. The first phase involves identifying a specific improvement process aligned with BPR's core objectives. This phase analyses and redesigns workflows to optimize task sequences, roles, and stakeholder interactions while eliminating redundancies and inefficiencies via Workflow Process Reengineering. Visual process mapping tools, including VSM and simulation, pinpoint areas of waste, delay, and potential enhancement. The second phase follows the workflow analysis and aims to improve efficiency and effectiveness by redefining roles, rearranging tasks, and integrating automation and technology solutions. The redesigned process undergoes evaluation against key performance indicators to ensure measurable improvements are achieved. The final phase validates the proposed changes through simulation models, assesses the impact on key performance metrics, and establishes the necessary infrastructure for successful implementation. The proposed model is empirically validated through a case study of a leading apparel company in Vietnam, confirming its effectiveness. Findings: The findings reveal that NVA activities are being eliminated, and ENVA activities in key departments are significantly reduced. This yielded a substantial improvement, reducing 25 out of 186 combined ENVA and NVA operations in the sewing facility, involving a decrease of 15 ENVA operations and the removal of 10 NVA operations. Consequently, this led to an 8.5% reduction in the proportion of ENVA operations, accompanied by a complete 100% elimination of NVA activities. Research limitations/implications: The single case study limits generalizability; thus, expanded implementation across diverse manufacturing sub-sectors is required to establish validity and broader applicability of the integrated framework. Originality/value: The experimental results highlight the proposed model's effectiveness in optimizing resource utilization and its practical implementation potential. This structured BPR methodology enables organizations to validate, evaluate, and establish proposed process changes to enhance operational performance and productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How and what do we make through method? This paper imagines the processes of designing and carrying out socio-environmental research through the lens of a slow, creative craft form: sewing a patchworked piece from hand-dyed fabric samples. In doing so, it contributes to thinking about how methodologies are pieced and stitched together from multiple parts. Based on early findings from an extended research project exploring the practice of natural textile dyeing in the UK, I offer a range of textile processes for thinking through the creative dimensions of the doing of methodological work. The quilt-like piece I am attempting to make from plant-dyed fabric is at once the object, objective, and method in this study. I draw on auto-ethnographic reflections on my attempts to begin learning natural dyeing and sewing skills, suggesting piecing, stitching, and steeping may be useful, tactile metaphors for thinking through the early, often messy and uncertain stages of multi-sited and multi-method qualitative research. As such, I build on and extend recent discussions about 'patchwork ethnography', an approach recognising that the realities of ethnographic research in practice are often fragmented, non-linear, and intricately shaped by researchers' everyday lives and commitments. The paper also offers insight into the potentials and pitfalls of intentionally 'slow' scholarship that aims to disrupt the urgent temporalities of research projects as they are often imagined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of nuclear fusion as a safe and virtually limitless power source is receiving growing attention in the context of looming energy crisis and climate change. ITER project stands as the flagship international initiative and is advancing steadily. The construction of the Tokamak Complex is nearly finished, and the assembly of core components has begun on site. Simultaneously, the design is being finalized, and the safety case is becoming more concrete. Current approaches to radiation safety demonstration using 3D nuclear analysis with the Monte Carlo code MCNP require sophisticated artifacts to sew together simulations in separate models for the Tokamak and the rest of the facility. This results in cumbersome studies and, consequently, challengeable conclusions. To address this issue, we have built the an integral MCNP model of the ITER facility: the ITER full model. Along with improvements to the D1SUNED code, we illustrate its computational practicality and pertinence in two meaningful simulations for ITER safety case. This work represents the culmination of a two-decade-long effort of ITER modelling aiming to demonstrate adequate radiation safety. Beyond supporting the remaining design tasks, this model simplifies the corresponding 3D nuclear analysis and improves the robustness of the ITER safety case. In this work, authors present an integral MCNP model of the ITER facility for radiation transport, addressing limitations of separate models for the Tokamak and Tokamak Complex. This model streamlines safety simulations, enhancing the robustness and simplicity of radiation safety analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease whose incidence is increasing. Skin barrier dysfunction plays an important role in this disease. It has been observed that AD patients have higher transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and lower stratum corneum hydration (SCH); however, there is little information about skin microtopography in this pathology. The objective of this study is to evaluate skin barrier dysfunction and structural changes in patients with AD. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted including patients with AD. Parameters of skin barrier function were measured (TEWL, temperature, erythema, pH, skin hydration, elasticity) and also other topographical parameters (scaliness, wrinkles, smoothness, surface, contrast, variance) in both healthy skin and flexural eczematous lesions. Results: A total of 32 patients with AD were included in the study. Flexural eczematous lesions had higher erythema (369.12 arbitrary unit (AU) vs. 223.89 AU, p < 0.001), higher TEWL (27.24 g/h/m2 vs. 13.51 g/h/m2, p < 0.001), lower SCH (20.3 AU vs. 31.88 AU, p < 0.001) and lower elasticity (0.56% vs. 0.65%, p = 0.05). Regarding topographic parameters, flexural eczematous lesions presented greater scaliness (5.57 SEsc vs. 0.29 SEsc, p = 0.02), greater smoothness (316.98 SEsm vs. 220.95 SEsm p < 0.001), more wrinkles (73.33 SEw vs. 62.15 SEw p = 0.03), greater surface area (836.14% vs. 696.31%. p < 0.001), greater contrast (2.02 AU vs. 1.31 AU p = 0.01), greater variance (6.22 AU vs. 4.96 AU p < 0.001) and a lower number of cells (105.5 vs. 132.5 p < 0.001) compared to unaffected healthy skin, reflecting a decrease in skin quality in AD patients. Conclusions: Both skin barrier function and skin topography are damaged in patients with AD, with differences between healthy skin and flexural eczema. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the effect of the overseas growth experiences of successors in family businesses on corporate risk-taking. We theorize that successors in family businesses, influenced by psychological characteristics imprinted during their overseas experiences, are more inclined to undertake risky strategic decisions. However, due to considerations related to social emotional wealth, family businesses may intervene in the successors’ risk-taking decisions. Therefore, family control may positively or negatively moderate the relationship between successors’ overseas growth experiences and corporate risk-taking. Our theoretical expectations are tested using a matched sample of Chinese-listed family firms from 2012 to 2021. With supportive empirical results, we contribute to the literature on risk-taking by This study explores the effect of the overseas growth experiences of successors in family businesses on corporate risk-taking by exploring the predecessors of corporate risk-taking and enriching SEW theory by bringing in the insights of imprinting theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Spontaneous pneumothorax is a life-threatening thoracic condition that could be either primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP) in the absence of an underlying lung disease or secondary spontaneous pneumothorax (SSP) in the presence of an underlying lung disease. In the case of recurrent, contralateral spontaneous pneumothorax or persistent air leak with a chest drain, surgery with bullectomy associated with pleurectomy or pleurodesis is the gold standard management. Aim: To compare two different techniques for bullectomy, either by using staplers or by hand sewing. Material and methods: Retrospective review of all patients with spontaneous pneumothorax who underwent bullectomy and pleurectomy by thoracotomy. Group A (30 patients) had repair by using staplers and group B (30 patients) had repair using the hand sewing technique. Results: The mean operative cost was 4400 ±433.4 Egyptian pounds (EGP) versus EGP 2733.3 ±253.7 in group A and group B respectively (p = 0.001). Mean post-operative cost was 1000 ±100 EGP in group A compared to EGP 2060 ±154.4 in group B (p = 0.0001). Duration of air leak was 1.8 ±1.095 and 9.1 ±3.2 days in group A and group B, respectively (p = 0.0001). Re-exploration occurred in 1 patient in group A (3.3%) and 2 patients in group B (6.6%) (p = 0.5). Conclusions: The operative cost was significantly higher in the stapler group compared to the hand sewing technique group. However, the duration of post-operative air leak, post-operative hospital stay and post-operative cost were significantly lower in the stapler group. There was no significant difference between the 2 groups in the re-exploration rate after surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista de Ensino em Artes, Moda e Design is the property of Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article explores the author's experience of navigating relational ethics. It details the aftermath of a reflexive discussion with the author's parents, which focused on autoethnographic episodes about family experience, within a wider autoethnographic exploration of the author's experience as a trainee counselor. The work, which had originally examined what it feels like for counselors to disclose erotic countertransference within clinical supervision, grew to encompass the author's parallel experiences of (dis)honesty around sexuality, specifically regarding disclosures to the author's parents and church: his original "moral supervisors." As he and his mother spend time together sewing, recovering from the previous reflexive conversation and looking ahead to the next, the author considers the emotional impact of sharing an autoethnography with intimate others who are alive. Through evocative autoethnography, the article aims to use narrative analysis (as opposed to analysis of narrative) to capture an embodied and emotional response to the sharing of an autoethnography. It asks: what is it like to be honest? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Veterinary Journal / Revue Vétérinaire Canadienne is the property of Canadian Veterinary Medical Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Developing artificial protective layers is an effective strategy to address the issue of dendrites for aqueous Zn‐metal batteries (ZMBS). However, drawbacks such as rough microscopic morphology, excessive thickness, and single functionality remain, limiting the attainment of a stable zinc anode. Herein, a novel multifunctional organic–inorganic hybrid artificial protective layer is produced by splicing inorganic fragments onto organic materials in situ using a chemical sewing. The protective layer is well‐compatible and also retains the function of organic and inorganic materials, which not only inhibits dendrite production but also alleviates Zn corrosion. The Si─OH bond of the zincophilic group enables planar Zn deposition while forming hydrogen bonds with water, suppressing water activity near the anode and reducing the hydrogen evolution reaction. As expected, the Zn||Zn symmetric cell with a protective layer provides high cycling stability of more than 1960 h at 1 mA cm−2, which is about 28 times higher than that of the symmetric cell assembled without the protective layer. More importantly, a Zn||V2O5 full cell with an ultra‐long lifetime has been achieved with an artificial protective layer. This work provides a potential viable path to achieve long‐lived ZMBS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a disorder in neurological growth, which includes cognitive and behavioral impairment and it starts from infancy. However, the reason for ASD is still vague and no effective medical ways are used for its discovery. Earlier discovery of ASD is extensively beneficial for children's health sustainability. The classical detection models rely on expertise analysis which tends to be expensive and inaccurate. Thus, this paper presents an effectual autism diagnostic model with electroencephalogram (EEG) signals that are produced through the electrical activities of the brain for detecting ASD. The Gaussian filter is employed to abandon the noise. Various statistical features signal and spectral-based features are extracted and provided to DRN for enhanced efficiency. The ASD detection is undergone using Chronological Sewing Training Optimization-Deep Residual Network (CSTO-DRN) wherein DRN is pre-trained using CSTO algorithm by tuning finest weights. The CSTO is built by incorporating the Chronological concept with Sewing Training-Based Optimization (STBO). The CSTO-DRN provided finest accuracy of 88.6%, Negative Predictive Value (NPV) of 87.8%, Positive Predictive Value (PPV) of 89.4%, True negative rate (TNR) of 85%, True positive rate (TPR) of 88.9%, and F-Measure of 87.5%. Its execution can enhance the efficiency of detection and minimize cost and human intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Greer Lankton was a prominent transgender artist who showed with the founding East Village Gallery, Civilian Warfare, in the early 1980s. Drawing on Lankton's archives, this article argues that the relationship between some of her works and her personal history provides insight into the challenges and necessity of studying trans figures in art history. Two of Lankton's dolls, Sissy (ca. 1984–85) and Princess Pamela (ca. 1983), as well as Princess Pamela 's prior iterations as a stoner dude, Madame Eadie , and Dee Dee Lux , offer compelling examples of how Lankton's dolls challenged fixed and binary approaches to human embodiment. This essay encourages art historians of all stripes to disentangle gender from the shape of bodies in art and to embrace the temporal instability of gender as a new analytic mode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of TEC Empresarial is the property of Instituto Tecnologico de Costa Rica, Escuela de Administracion de Empresas and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In order to solve the problems of high production cost, low user experience satisfaction, and difficulty in meeting consumers' individual needs in traditional down garment sewing due to the time- consuming and time-consuming process and the difficulty in quickly and intuitively feeling the dressing effect, a down jacket was taken as the research object and 3D virtual sewing was completed with Style3D modeling software, the sewing technology was improved and optimized, and the effective and feasible virtual sewing technology measures for down garments were discussed. The results show that the method of directly generating the lining layer can effectively reduce the virtual sewing time; choosing the appropriate type sewing will result in a cleaner sewing effect for clothing; the convenient filling effect can be achieved by cutting the bottom hem of down jacket separately; the double-layer folding effect of the cuffs can reduce collision detection time and improve simulation fidelity by cutting into a single layer, and increasing the additional rendering thickness of the fabric. The research results aim to provide reference for virtual setting, efficient simulation, and realistic display of similar types of clothing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building on recent works calling for more tax research in the family business context, this study draws on the distinction between restricted and extended socioemotional wealth (SEW) to analyze how both SEW dimensions affect tax aggressiveness. Based on a sample of 201 private Belgian family firms, consistent findings from multiple regression analyses indicate that restricted SEW is positively related to tax aggressiveness, whereas extended SEW exerts a negative influence on tax aggressiveness. Our results also indicate that the family status of the CEO, CEO gender and CEO tenure moderate the relationship between both SEW dimensions and tax aggressiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Diálogo com a Economia Criativa is the property of Dialogo com a Economia Criativa and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper presents findings from a practice-informed, participatory textile craft research study focusing on the experiences of people learning to make clothes for themselves at home. Necessitated by the social distancing restrictions of the Covid-19 pandemic, the study used a combination of journaling and video elicitation methods rather than the in-person workshop-based methodology originally planned for it. While these remote methods limited the community aspect of learning, they also provided an authentic insight into practices undertaken within the home, where both on- and offline resources are used to support learning. The hybrid nature of the research, which involved embodied material craft practices being captured and relayed by participants through digital means, mirrored the way that much contemporary home sewing practice is conveyed. As for other crafts, the popularity of home sewing has been greatly amplified online over the last twenty years. The resurgence of interest in sewing has been associated with a new generation of sewing patterns and instructions as well as a vast array of amateur and professional online content from which sewing beginners glean inspiration, information and instruction. This paper elucidates what happens when sewing beginners encounter these resources and try to make sense of them in material form in relation to their own bodies, skills and material surroundings. The limitations of video in relaying craft practices and the challenges of conveying embodied and tacit knowledge between individuals are highlighted as a result.

A direct-current large-volume atmospheric pressure air glow discharge plasma (APAGDP) was developed to enhance the sewing process of denim fabric. The generated plasma was characterized optically, electrically, and spectroscopically. The generated plasma presents a positive electric resistance behaviour. The plasma emission spectra are dominated by the nitrogen second positive system. Its intensity increases with the applied voltage. The generated plasma was used as a pre-treatment to enhance the sewing of the denim fabric at different exposure times, from 5 to 600 s. The scanning electron microscopy images showed no damage to the surface morphology of the denim fabric after plasma treatment. The sound pressure level (SPL) was used to verify the plasma effect on the denim fabric as compared to the untreated fabric. The SPL decreases with plasma exposure time. This result indicates that the plasma improves the sewing performance of the denim fabric.

The purpose of this study is to determine how the Bangladeshi garment industry's sewing defect reduction and productivity enhancement are affected by the Plan, Do, Check, Act (PDCA) and 5S (Sort, Set in order, Shine, Standardize, Sustain) techniques. One of the main reasons for production delays and increased costs is sewing defects. By reducing defects, improving Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), and methodically using integrated PDCA concepts, the study aims to streamline and expand the production flowline while increasing throughput. To continuously evaluate and improve the sewing process, the 5S method is also employed. Tools like cause-effect diagrams and Pareto charts were used to identify the defect correctly. The OEE was used to evaluate the actual efficiency. The integration of 5S and PDCA as a lean methodology was utilized to minimize the defect rate and maximize quality to improve efficiency. For this purpose, data was collected from some renowned factories in Bangladesh. This mixed-integrated methodology is used in the study to integrate quantitative defect analysis with worker satisfaction along with efficiency surveys. The findings should offer valuable insights to the RMG industry in Bangladesh, as producers seek sustainable methods to increase productivity and enhance product quality while mitigating the impact of sewing errors on their production procedures. OEE was increased by almost 3-4% through this research.