Dress and National Identity: Women’s Clothing and the Celtic Revival

This paper will focus on an interesting diversion in the history of dress in Ireland: the story of clothing and the Irish cultural revival of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It will endeavour to address the ideology of so-called Irish costume, and how it was intended to be a visual symbol of an Irish renaissance, one which would help in the effort to counter British influences and establish a strong cultural identity. Although Celtic Revival clothing was worn by both men and women as a signifier of cultural and political sympathies, this paper will look specifically at women’s dress and attempts to promote Irish costume as a tool for nation building, and as a practical solution to the wearing of imported fashions. It will highlight just some examples of where, when and by whom Celtic Revival dress was worn.     

Rethinking Textile: The Advent of the “Smart” Fiber Surface

Abstract

The advent of the “intelligent object” has happened almost unnoticed. A new sensing, networking, and automating technology has been created with the sole purpose of vivifying “dead” objects by making them responsive to human need and emotion. This article examines the appearance of wireless technology in “smart” clothing and discusses its implications for our understanding of personhood.     

From Clothing for Sport to Sportswear and the American Style: The Movies Carried the Message, 1912–1940

Abstract

When I hear the words ‘fashion’ and ‘sport’ together, what immediately comes to mind is sportswear — that casual collection of menswear-styled separates that the world now lives in. The history of its development as the essence of American Style covered some thirty to forty years. These were the same years that American movies were taking over the imagination of the world. In my opinion, this was not a coincidence. The movies are unique in the twentieth century for being both an unparalleled reflection of and influence on who we are at any given moment. Sportswear, as the foundation of American Style, developed hand in hand with the growing influence of American movies. Movies, in fact, carried this new look almost instantaneously to the rest of the world, creating a demand that few acknowledged or even realized at the time. As we will see, many influences came together to create this twentieth- century phenomenon. It all began with women's enthusiasm for sport in the mid-nineteenth century.     

Spicing Up the Imagination: Culinary Exoticism in France and Germany, 1930–1990

Exoticism's protean characterization invites an empirical study of its meanings over time. This scrutiny of the reach and content of “the exotic” in culinary discourse draws on a corpus of 9,578 cooking recipes taken from four French and German women's magazines published between the 1930s and the end of the 1990s. Numerical analysis identifies fruits and spices as markers of exoticism in both France and Germany, and sure enough, India and the Far East emerge as the regions whence exotic attributes originate. Yet differences remain salient: whereas the French magazines play up the “taste for” exoticism, the German publications expound the “taste of” exoticism. Enchantment on the one hand, organoleptic qualities on the other drive the search for alterity in cooking. This classificatory principle of “exoticism” is likely to explain the reason why German magazines demonstrate a fondness for culinary alterity stemming from neighboring countries while French publications seek out distant sources of “otherness” (while showing less interest in foreign cuisines altogether).     

Invited review: The role of the blood–milk barrier and its manipulation for the efficacy of the mammary immune response and milk production

The intact blood–milk barrier (BMB) prevents an uncontrolled exchange of soluble and cellular components between blood and milk in the mammary gland. It enables the sustainability of the optimal milk composition for the nourishment of the offspring. Endothelial cells, connective tissue, the basal membrane, and mainly the epithelial cells provide the semipermeability of this barrier, allowing only a selective transfer of components necessary for milk production. The epithelial cells are closely connected to each other by different formations, in which the tight junctions are the most critical for separating the milk-containing compartments from the surrounding extracellular fluid and vasculature. During mastitis, the integrity of the BMB is reduced. This facilitates the transfer of immune cells and immune factors such as antibodies from blood into milk. Simultaneously, the transfer of soluble blood constituents without an obvious immune function into milk is promoted. Furthermore, a reduced BMB integrity causes a loss of milk constituents into the blood circulation. Different mechanisms are responsible for the barrier impairment including tight junction opening, but also cell degradation. To promote the cure of mastitis, the targeted manipulation of the BMB permeability may be a tool to optimize the immune function of the mammary gland. An intensified opening of the BMB supports the antibody transfer from blood into milk, which is supposed to increase the contribution of the specific immune system in the immune defense. On the contrary, a fast closure of the BMB during the recovery from mastitis can accelerate the normalization of milk composition and milk yield. Various agents have been experimentally shown to either open (e.g., pathogens and pathogen-associated molecular patterns, several nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, oxytocin, calcium chelators) or close (e.g., glucocorticoids, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, natural anti-inflammatory drugs) the BMB.     

β-Lactoglobulin nanofibrils: The long and the short of it

The bovine whey protein β-lactoglobulin will self-assemble into amyloid-like nanofibrils when heated at pH ≤ 3 and temperatures ≥75 °C. These fibrils have diameters <10 nm and lengths that can exceed 10 μm. The length and stiffness of fibrils depends on ionic strength; heating at low ionic strength produces long semi-flexible fibrils, whereas heating with added salts produces highly flexible ‘worm-like’ fibrils that are an order of magnitude shorter. Over the last two decades there has been a substantial research effort focused on imaging fibrils, manipulating conditions to accelerate fibril formation, and characterising microstructural and rheological properties of fibril dispersions. Here we review the major mechanistic findings, explore potential applications for fibrils as food ingredients, and highlight the major gaps in knowledge surrounding these intriguing self-assembled structures.     

The microbiological profile of foods in the Republic of Cyprus: 1991–2000

In Cyprus, as part of the exercised official food microbiological control, 28 835 of a large variety of foodstuffs were examined during the years 1991–2000. Parameters examined included Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes, Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Vibrio spp., E.coli and aerobic plate count. The results indicate a prevalence of 1·8% for Salmonella spp. and L. monocytogenes, with desserts ranking first as the primary vehicle for Salmonella spp. and cured meats for L. monocytogenes. S. aureus was isolated in 0·7% of the samples examined in significant, potentially hazardous levels (>10⁴ cfu g⁻¹), whereas B. cereus in 1% of the samples in numbers (>10⁴ cfu g⁻¹). The most common food vehicle for both pathogens was found to be traditional Cyprus cheese. V. parahaemolyticus and V. cholerae non-01 were isolated exclusively from imported frozen, raw prawns and shrimps at isolation rates of 6·9% and 1·3%, respectively. The incidence of E. coli at levels >10² g⁻¹ amounted to 6% of the samples examined, with traditional Cyprus cheese being the leading food vehicle. High aerobic plate counts were found in desserts, ready-to-eat meals, sandwiches and cured, non-fermented meats. The results presented in this paper indicate for the most part the good microbiological quality achieved by the majority of the food industry in Cyprus.     

The Mechanical Properties of Wool Fibres and the Influence of Fibre Structural and Dimensional Variation: The Stress–Strain Behaviour at Varying Humidities—Reply

It is shown that the quantity of water mixing into the air-flow is an insignificant proportion of the total amount of water used in the air-jet texturing process and that this has a negligible effect on the air-flow in the texturing nozzle. It is suggested that only a fraction of this water is needed to impart the desired effects of wetting. Experimental investigations show that water acts as a lubricant to reduce the filament–filament and filament–solid-surface friction and hence aids the longitudinal displacements of the filaments relative to each other. A realignment of the yarn path minimizes the friction between the filaments and solid surfaces.     

‘Comfort and Freedom’: The Duke of Windsor’s Wardrobe

Abstract

Clothing belonging to the late Duke of Windsor (1894–1972), which remained in his Paris home until it was dispersed in 1998, provides an insight into both his taste and character. As the young and popular Prince of Wales in the 1920s, he courted notions of modernity, celebrity and informality, rejecting the stiff conventions of his father’s dress and court. His innovative sense of style was emulated on both sides of the Atlantic. Throughout his life he remained loyal to the tailors and haberdashers who helped to craft his image and provide the comfort and freedom he craved in his clothes. This paper considers how some of the surviving garments in his wardrobe can help to define the man who was Prince of Wales, King Edward VIII and Duke of Windsor.     

Modernity Through the Lens: The Westernization of Thai Women’s Court Dress

Abstract

Photography came to Thailand in the mid-nineteenth century and was adopted first by King Mongkut (Rama IV, r. 1851–1868) and subsequently by his son King Chulalongkorn (Rama V, r. 1868–1910). Earlier reigns had forbidden the creation of images of the king. However, King Mongkut, eager to demonstrate that Siam was a modern state on the world stage, willingly sat for daguerreotype portraits modelled after those of European royalty. These were distributed to foreign visitors to the Thai court and sent as gifts to Western heads of state. King Chulalongkorn, who became an enthusiastic patron of photography and an accomplished amateur photographer himself, commissioned countless portraits of himself and his family, especially the women and children of the court. By the end of his reign, portraits of members of the royal family, especially the women, became routine. These portraits offer an unmatched record of the dress of an otherwise invisible population and served as inspiration for Thailand’s reigning queen in her development of modern court dress. This essay, the first of its kind in English, attempts to chart the changes in court attire from c. 1860–1930, as it gradually evolved from fully Thai to fully Western.     

The insectivore’s dilemma,and how to take the West out of it

A number of health and agricultural organizations have been encouraging Westerners to integrate insects into their diet, without success. Appealing to consumer’s reason and responsibility, as they do, is likely to reinforce a dilemma in the mind of consumers: many know that they can, in principle, eat insects, and perhaps that they should eat some, but very few are willing to eat them. Here we argue that current strategies are on the wrong track in identifying the key obstacle to overcome as a question of the negative representation of insects. Decades of laboratory research, as well as years of experience in gastronomy, suggest that people’s food choices are relatively immune to rational changes of representation, and instead tend to be driven by taste preferences and exposure. Here we suggest an alternative sensorially-driven strategy, which stands a much greater chance of making people eat insects on a regular basis. The turn – or better said return – to entomophagy in this sense, needs to be driven by a psychologically realistic motivation and gastronomic interest.     

The effect of seasonality of the growing–finishing period on carcass,meat and fat characteristics of heavy barrows and gilts

A trial was conducted to study the effect of gender (barrows; gilts) and seasonality of growing–finishing period (S, summer; W, winter) on the carcass and meat characteristics and fatty acid (FA) profile of subcutaneous fat of pigs slaughtered at 131 kg of body weight. No significant gender × seasonality interaction was detected and the differences between genders were scarce. The S pigs had a 13.2% thinner fat depth over the Gluteus medius muscle and a higher yield of shoulders and loins by 10.6% and 10.0%, respectively than W pigs. Meat from S pigs had 32.5% lower intramuscular fat content and higher cooking losses (9.1%) and shear force (6.4%) than meat from W pigs. Subcutaneous fat from S pigs had a 7.8% higher percentage of saturated FA and 4.9% lower monounsaturated FA than that from W pigs. It is concluded that in Spanish natural-environment facilities, the seasonality of the growing–finishing period affects the carcass, and meat and fat quality of heavy pigs.     

Giles Moore’s Clothes:The Clothing of a Sussex Rector,1656–1679

Abstract

This article uses the household account book of Giles Moore, rector of Horsted Keynes in Sussex from 1656 to 1679, to explore clothing production, supply and consumption in rural England in the second half of the seventeenth century. Moore’s detailed record-keeping provides an insight into the supply and acquisition of textiles and clothing, as well as the clothing choices of a well-to-do country parson. A careful analysis of this underused source reveals Moore’s attitudes to shopping and clothing through his selection of shops, trade and craftsmen, his concerns about excessive prices, and his cloth, clothing and accessory choices. The article examines the range of shopping opportunities that were available to Moore and which ones he made use of, arguing that he exercised a high degree of consumer choice, made possible by a well-developed shopping culture. As well as the costs of his own clothing, Moore’s book records expenditure on that of his teenage niece, Martha Mayhew. In contrast to Moore’s shopping choices, we can see that Martha’s were considerably more circumscribed. This is consistent with recent studies of seventeenth-century consumption which have identified men rather than women as primary shoppers.     

The influence of beverages on the stimulation and viscoelasticity of saliva: Relationship to mouthfeel?

The viscoelasticity and secretion rate of stimulated saliva depends on food and beverage related stimuli, and it is demonstrated that this may subsequently influence the sensory properties and particularly the mouthfeel and afterfeel associated with the product being consumed. Using saliva donated by twelve volunteers, it is shown that acidic beverages such as peach flavoured iced tea and a fizzy cola stimulate significantly higher flow rates of whole mouth saliva that has greater elasticity in comparison to that generated following stimulation by water. In comparison, mechanical action from chewing flavourless gum and the stimulation from sucking a mint also stimulate high flow rates of saliva, although it is significantly less elastic than that from acid-based stimuli. However, the viscosity of human whole mouth saliva is relatively insensitive to beverage type, chewing, or mint. It is speculated that the stimulation of highly elastic saliva in response to acidic beverages is a defence mechanism for protecting the teeth from acid erosion. A separate sensory panel was used to identify key mouthfeel attributes that are likely to be related to the response of saliva, including: tongue dryness, mouth moistness, amount of saliva, tongue sensation, and throat drying. These results indicate that saliva viscoelasticity and flow rate alter dramatically in response to what a consumer eats and drinks, and that this in turn may affect mouthfeel and other organoleptic properties.     

The influence of temperature on residual deformation of Phenylon and Nomex yarns following the creep–recovery process

High-performance synthetic filaments and yarns are subjected to different loads and temperature during their practical and industrial applications, resulting in changes in their mechanical properties. Knowledge of the deformation and strength properties of these polymer materials at various temperatures and different levels of preliminary stretching is therefore very important. Semi-rigid chain polymers Phenylon and Nomex yarns are popular materials for use at high temperatures. Their mechanical properties can be changed significantly at high temperatures. It is also shown that preliminary stretching of Phenylon and Nomex yarns at more than 5% will change the nature of the stress–strain curves due to the rearrangement of the supermolecular structures which occur at this elongation. However, there is no change in the character of accumulation of residual deformation at elevated temperatures for Phenylon and Nomex yarns.