Studies on effect of fiber properties and fabric structure on fabric hand

M.S.Sundaresan Jayarama

Textiles as a meta-wearable: Studies on textiles as an information infrastructure

Joseph Marie Jacquard (circa 1801) created the world’s first automatic binary information processor – the Jacquard mechanism. This invention in textile manufacturing was instrumental in bringing about the second Industrial Revolution, also known as the Information Processing Revolution. The significant advancements in sensing, computing and communications technologies have given birth to the paradigm of pervasive information processing. There is a need for convergence of these advanced enabling technologies with textiles to transform the traditionally passive, yet pervasive, textiles into an interactive intelligent information infrastructure for the demanding end-user and facilitate pervasive and personalized mobile information processing. The primary objective of the research is to design and develop a personal wearable information infrastructure – known initially as the Sensate Liner and then as the Wearable Motherboard – that would be comfortable like any garment and realize the paradigm of “fabric is the computer.” Yet another objective is to demonstrate the versatility of the Wearable Motherboard paradigm through applications and develop the concept of textiles as a meta-wearable. In this dissertation, a structured methodology for product design and development in a concurrent engineering environment has been proposed. A novel technology for creating a full-fashioned woven garment on a loom has been developed, which represents a pioneering contribution to textile engineering. The concept of “interconnections” in a textile structure has been proposed to seamlessly route information from sensors or devices in any part of the fabric to another through the yarns in the fabric thus creating a flexible textile-based information infrastructure analogous to the traditional printed circuit board (PCB). An interconnection technology has been developed to create interconnects or electrical junctions in textile structures. The concept of Textillography for automating the creation of large-scale interconnects in textile structures has been proposed and defined. The novel concept of a “Wearable Motherboard” has been proposed. It is a fabric-based information infrastructure, which serves as a flexible and wearable framework into which sensors and devices can be plugged making it similar to a motherboard in an electronic device. This represents true convergence between electronics and textiles giving birth to the field of electronic or “e-textiles.” Real-world instantiations of the Wearable Motherboard – for physiological monitoring (medical, sports, and infants) and in-fabric information processing network – demonstrate the value of the Wearable Motherboard as a platform for personalized mobile information processing and lay the foundation for the next generation of adaptive and responsive textile structures. Fabric-based sensors have been designed and successfully tested to address the shortcomings of gel-based sensors currently used for physiological monitoring. The concept of textiles as a meta-wearable has been realized. It is the bridging catalyst between the Internet of Things (IoT) and the Internet of People (IoP). The vision for the new field of interactive or i-textiles has been defined; the advancements realized on the various building blocks during the course of this research have brought this exciting vision closer to reality as seen in the range of commercial products in the marketplace.Ph.D

Undifferentiated carcinoma of the pancreas with osteoclast-like giant cells: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Undifferentiated carcinomas of the pancreas with osteoclast-like giant cells (UCPOGC) are rare pancreatic neoplasms that account for less than 1% of all pancreatic malignancies. This case report of a 54-year-old male with metastatic UCPOGC adds to the existing literature and further ascertains the clinical and imaging features, treatment options, and prognosis of this rare entity. CASE PRESENTATION: We present the detailed clinical course of a 54-year-old Asian male patient with UCPOGC, with focus on the relevant clinical features and imaging findings that are characteristic of this disease entity. CONCLUSIONS: UCPOGC is an extremely rare pancreatic tumor with a unique histopathology and clinical course. It is often difficult to distinguish UCPOGCs from other pancreatic tumors, such as traditional pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDAC), on imaging, and it therefore remains a pathological diagnosis. Surgery is generally regarded as the first-line treatment option, and the roles of chemotherapy and radiation are unclear. Due to the exceeding rarity of this tumor, large-scale clinical studies are not feasible. Therefore, it is important to share individual insights and experiences to improve our understanding and care for patients with this devastating disease

Salivary levels of total huntingtin are elevated in Huntington’s disease patients

Patients with Huntington's disease (HD), an autosomal-dominant neurodegenerative disease, show substantial variability in age-of-onset, symptom severity and course of illness, warranting the need for biomarkers to anticipate and monitor these features. The HD gene encodes the disease protein huntingtin (Htt), a potentially useful biomarker for this disease. In the current study, we determined whether total Htt protein (normal plus mutant; "tHtt") could be reliably measured in human saliva, a body fluid that is much more accessible compared to cerebral spinal fluid or even blood, and whether salivary levels of tHtt were clinically meaningful. We collected 146 saliva samples from manifest HD patients, early-premanifest individuals, late-premanifest patients, gene-negative family members and normal controls. We found that tHtt protein could be reliably and stably detected in human saliva and that tHtt levels were significantly increased in saliva from HD individuals compared to normal controls. Salivary tHtt showed no gender effects, nor were levels correlated with total protein levels in saliva. Salivary tHtt was significantly positively correlated with age, but not age-of-onset or CAG-repeat length. Importantly, salivary tHtt was significantly correlated with several clinical measures, indicating relevance to disease symptom onset and/or severity. Measurements of salivary tHtt offer significant promise as a relevant, non-invasive disease biomarker for HD, and its use could be implemented into clinical applications

Imaging uterine lipoleiomyomas: A case series and review of the literature

Background: Lipoleiomyomas are uncommon uterine lesions containing adipose and smooth muscle tissue. They have a variable presentation and are usually found incidentally on imaging or post-hysterectomy tissue analysis. Given their low prevalence, there is a dearth of literature describing imaging characteristics for uterine lipoleiomyomas. In this image-rich case series, we summarize an example of an initial presentation as well as present ultrasound, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings for 36 patients. Case presentation: We present the detailed clinical course of a representative patient evaluated for uterine lipoleiomyoma and describe imaging findings seen in another 35 patients. This includes ultrasound findings from 16 patients, CT findings from 25 patients, and MRI findings from 5 patients. Among the 36 total patients, symptoms at the time of diagnosis were variable but often included abdominal or pelvic pain; however, most patients were asymptomatic, and the lipoleiomyomas were incidentally discovered on imaging. Conclusions: Uterine lipoleiomyomas are rare and benign tumors with variable presentations. Ultrasound, CT, and MRI findings can assist in diagnosis. Findings on ultrasound typically include well-circumscribed hyperechoic and septated lesions with minimal to no internal blood flow. CT shows fat-containing either homogeneous or heterogeneous circumscribed lesions depending on their ratio of fat and smooth muscle tissue. Lastly, on MRI, uterine lipoleiomyomas commonly appear heterogenous with loss of signal on fat-suppressed sequences. These imaging findings are highly specific for lipoleiomyomas, and familiarity with these findings may reduce unnecessary and potentially invasive procedures

Electronic textiles: A platform for pervasive computing

The invention of the Jacquard weaving machine led to the concept of a stored "program" and "mechanized" binary information processing. This development served as the inspiration for C. Babbage's analytical engine - the precursor to the modern-day computer. Today, more than 200 years later, the link between textiles and computing is more realistic than ever. In this paper, we look at the synergistic relationship between textiles and computing and identify the need for their "integration" using tools provided by an emerging new field of research that combines the strengths and capabilities of electronics and textiles into one: electronic textiles, or e-textiles. E-textiles, also called smart fabrics, have not only "wearable" capabilities like any other garment, but also have local monitoring and computation, as well as wireless communication capabilities. Sensors and simple computational elements are embedded in e-textiles, as well as built into yarns, with the goal of gathering sensitive information, monitoring vital statistics, and sending them remotely (possibly over a wireless channel) for further processing. The paper provides an overview of existing efforts and associated challenges in this area, while describing possible venues and opportunities for future research. © 2003 IEEE