Hypertext Narrative and Globalisation: Studying the Cultural Intersection of Carnivalesque and Altermodernism in Michael Joyce’s Twelve Blue

Globalisation has brought the world together and technology has helped it do so efficiently. It has eliminated the idea of distance by proposing virtual proximity so much that everything seems almost the same. Although this cultural homogenisation leads the path towards wider accessibility, it has also resulted in a lack of originality and uniqueness. This article aims to explore the structure of Michael Joyce’s work Twelve Blue to understand the contemporary cultural significance of hypertext narrative construction in this globalised context. By drawing from the notion of carnivalesque by Mikhail Bakhtin and altermodernism by Nicolas Bourriaud, it seeks to present the function of hypertext as that of creating singularities within a totalization of heterogeneous values. The nodal standpoint of this kind of narrative, where the chaos of the carnival and altermodernist individuality converge, represents the inherent complication of our cultural ethos faced by all individuals. The article argues that hypertexts like Twelve Blue address this complexity and writers like Joyce make sure that their work structurally replicates the dilemma of this age. Moreover, it is posited that instead of mourning the loss of a traditional reading process which had stability, Twelve Blue celebrates the newfound authority of choice with readers of a literary work. The article is thus an attempt to reconcile the hypertext narratology of Twelve Blue with our present cultural sensibility in terms of its disconnection within connection, singularity within standardisation, and chaos within stability.&nbsp

Seam grinning behavior of single jersey fabric

120-126Influence of fibre, yarn count, loop length and fabric direction on seam grinning behavior of a single jersey fabric has been investigated. A 33 Box–Behnken design is employed to investigate the influence of various parameters on seam grinning behavior of single jersey fabric. The test results show that the seam grinning d5ecreases for the specimen having lycra filament but it is maximum for 100% cotton specimen. At higher value of loop length, seam grinning decreases in cotton and polyester/cotton fabrics but increases for polyester-lycra and cotton-lycra fabric samples. It had also been seen that seam grinning is higher in wale-wise and bias direction as compared to that in course-wise direction. Hence, seam grinning can be reduced by choosing appropriate values of yarn count, loop length for a particular kind of fibre. This study will be helpful for garment industrialist to minimise the seam grinning effect among knitted garments and to improve quality of producing seam

Seam performance of knitted fabrics based on seam strength and seam efficiency

22-28The current study has been conducted on 100% cotton, polyester/cotton and cotton/lycra single jersey fabrics for investigation of seam performance in term of seam strength and seam efficiency. The influence of various parameters, viz. sewing needle size, sewing needle type and seam angle, on seam performance of these fabrics have been studied and analyzed. The response surface methodology is employed to investigate their effect on seam strength and seam efficiency by analysis of variance and regression equations. The test results reveal that cotton and cotton/lycra fabrics have lower seam strength as compared to polyester/cotton fabric. Also, with increase in seam angle and needle size, seam strength decreases. However, with sewing needle type, an increase in seam strength is observed for all the three fabrics. The cotton/lycra half plated fabric shows higher seam efficiency among all the three fabrics. It is noted that seam efficiency increases with seam angle and sewing needle type. It has been found that SES needle type (Small ball point) exhibits poor seam efficiency but an improvement in efficiency has been observed with SUK (Medium ball point) and SAN needle type (Conical point) for all three knitted fabrics

Effect of yarn count and loop length on needle penetration force and needle cut index in single jersey fabrics

388-394The present study embodies the sewability of single jersey knitted fabric based on needle penetration force and needle cut index. Four types of single jersey fabric, viz. 100% cotton, polyester/cotton, polyester/lycra, and cotton/lycra, are taken for investigation. The materials are prepared on circular knitting machine by varying the yarn count and loop length. The influence of various parameters, viz. type of fibre, yarn count and loop length, on needle penetration force and needle cut index have been analyzed. In addition, the influence of seam direction on the needle cut index is also studied. A 3_level factorial design is employed to analyse the influence of there parameters. The statistical analysis shows that yarn count and loop length has a significant effect on needle penetration force and needle cut index. It has been observed that in all single jersey knitted fabrics, cotton-lycra and polyester-lycra half plated fabrics have higher value of needle penetration force than cotton and polyester/cotton.  The test results also show that for both coarser yarn and finer yarn count, longer loop length gives a lower value of needle penetration force. The needle cut index decreases with increase in the yarn count and loop length. Also it is observed that, the needle cut index is more in wale direction as compared to that in course direction. It is also concluded that cotton fabric samples are more susceptible to needle damages as compared to their counterparts

Optimization of parameters for needle cut index using TOPSIS method

319-324The influence of loop length, stitches per inch, and sewing needle type on needle cut index in 100% cotton single jersey fabric has been studied considering factorial design. Further optimization of factors using Design Expert Tool has been done followed by ranking the optimized solution through TOPSIS method along with the confirmatory test. The results show that sewing needle type has the highest contribution with 29.83% followed by the 23.08% for stitches per inch and 11.95% in the case of loop length as far as needle cut index in the course direction is concerned. In the wale direction, sewing needle type has the highest contribution with 50.45% followed by the 13.30% for loop length and 10.77% for stitches per inch. It has also been observed that SES needle type is generating more needle cut as compared to SUK and SAN type needles. It is confirmed that the error percentage has been the lowest for highest rank solutions and subsequently the error increases with decreasing rank in terms of closeness coefficient. The present study is expected to be helpful for garment industrialists in minimising the needle cut defect among knitted garments and improve the quality of producing seam

Seam grinning behavior of single jersey fabric

Influence of fibre, yarn count, loop length and fabric direction on seam grinning behavior of a single jersey fabric has been investigated. A 33 Box–Behnken design is employed to investigate the influence of various parameters on seam grinning behavior of single jersey fabric. The test results show that the seam grinning d5ecreases for the specimen having lycra filament but it is maximum for 100% cotton specimen. At higher value of loop length, seam grinning decreases in cotton and polyester/cotton fabrics but increases for polyester-lycra and cotton-lycra fabric samples. It had also been seen that seam grinning is higher in wale-wise and bias direction as compared to that in course-wise direction. Hence, seam grinning can be reduced by choosing appropriate values of yarn count, loop length for a particular kind of fibre. This study will be helpful for garment industrialist to minimise the seam grinning effect among knitted garments and to improve quality of producing seam

Effect of yarn count and loop length on needle penetration force and needle cut index in single jersey fabrics

The present study embodies the sewability of single jersey knitted fabric based on needle penetration force and needle cut index. Four types of single jersey fabric, viz. 100% cotton, polyester/cotton, polyester/lycra, and cotton/lycra, are taken for investigation. The materials are prepared on circular knitting machine by varying the yarn count and loop length. The influence of various parameters, viz. type of fibre, yarn count and loop length, on needle penetration force and needle cut index have been analyzed. In addition, the influence of seam direction on the needle cut index is also studied. A 3_level factorial design is employed to analyse the influence of there parameters. The statistical analysis shows that yarn count and loop length has a significant effect on needle penetration force and needle cut index. It has been observed that in all single jersey knitted fabrics, cotton-lycra and polyester-lycra half plated fabrics have higher value of needle penetration force than cotton and polyester/cotton.  The test results also show that for both coarser yarn and finer yarn count, longer loop length gives a lower value of needle penetration force. The needle cut index decreases with increase in the yarn count and loop length. Also it is observed that, the needle cut index is more in wale direction as compared to that in course direction. It is also concluded that cotton fabric samples are more susceptible to needle damages as compared to their counterparts.

Seam performance of knitted fabrics based on seam strength and seam efficiency

The current study has been conducted on 100% cotton, polyester/cotton and cotton/lycra single jersey fabrics for investigation of seam performance in term of seam strength and seam efficiency. The influence of various parameters, viz. sewing needle size, sewing needle type and seam angle, on seam performance of these fabrics have been studied and analyzed. The response surface methodology is employed to investigate their effect on seam strength and seam efficiency by analysis of variance and regression equations. The test results reveal that cotton and cotton/lycra fabrics have lower seam strength as compared to polyester/cotton fabric. Also, with increase in seam angle and needle size, seam strength decreases. However, with sewing needle type, an increase in seam strength is observed for all the three fabrics. The cotton/lycra half plated fabric shows higher seam efficiency among all the three fabrics. It is noted that seam efficiency increases with seam angle and sewing needle type. It has been found that SES needle type (Small ball point) exhibits poor seam efficiency but an improvement in efficiency has been observed with SUK (Medium ball point) and SAN needle type (Conical point) for all three knitted fabrics

Heterosis as Investigated in Terms of Polyploidy and Genetic Diversity Using Designed Brassica juncea Amphiploid and Its Progenitor Diploid Species

Fixed heterosis resulting from favorable interactions between the genes on their homoeologous genomes in an allopolyploid is considered analogous to classical heterosis accruing from interactions between homologous chromosomes in heterozygous plants of a diploid species. It has been hypothesized that fixed heterosis may be one of the causes of low classical heterosis in allopolyploids. We used Indian mustard (Brassica juncea, 2n = 36; AABB) as a model system to analyze this hypothesis due to ease of its resynthesis from its diploid progenitors, B. rapa (2n = 20; AA) and B. nigra (2n = 16; BB). Both forms of heterosis were investigated in terms of ploidy level, gene action and genetic diversity. To facilitate this, eleven B. juncea genotypes were resynthesized by hybridizing ten near inbred lines of B. rapa and nine of B. nigra. Three half diallel combinations involving resynthesized B. juncea (11×11) and the corresponding progenitor genotypes of B. rapa (10×10) and B. nigra (9×9) were evaluated. Genetic diversity was estimated based on DNA polymorphism generated by SSR primers. Heterosis and genetic diversity in parental diploid species appeared not to predict heterosis and genetic diversity at alloploid level. There was also no association between combining ability, genetic diversity and heterosis across ploidy. Though a large proportion (0.47) of combinations showed positive values, the average fixed heterosis was low for seed yield but high for biomass yield. The genetic diversity was a significant contributor to fixed heterosis for biomass yield, due possibly to adaptive advantage it may confer on de novo alloploids during evolution. Good general/specific combiners at diploid level did not necessarily produce good general/specific combiners at amphiploid level. It was also concluded that polyploidy impacts classical heterosis indirectly due to the negative association between fixed heterosis and classical heterosis

Letter to Editor - Special issue on rural surgery

Please accept my congratulations and thanks for bringing out the recent special issue of Indian Journal of Surgery on "rural surgery". This issue brings home the reality of the "Changing face of health care and our responsibilities" as Dr. Bose's presidential address has been aptly titled.