Silk

Review from Ringgold Inc., ProtoView: Sponsored the China National Silk Coordinating Office and the China National Silk Association, and organized jointly by Souchow U. and Shinshu U. of Japan, the seventh conference on all aspects of the subject of silk took place September 2010, in Suzhou, China. Approximately 200 contributions are arranged in sections on mulberry and silkworm, textile and silk materials, textile processing and properties, chemical treatment and technology, and clothing science and technology. Given the focus on a single natural product, the range of topics is extraordinary, reflecting both the current and historical importance silk, its inimitable characteristics (and those that can be imitated), the wide range of applications where it plays a role, and the mysteries that remain to be unraveled. A sampling of topics: separation and identification of proteins related to fruits ripening in mulberry; preparation of transparent water-insoluble silk fibroin films, the development of bulky silk knitting fabric, the effect of silk reeling velocity on the aggregation structure of raw silk, students' school uniform based on body height and weight in Liaonning area, androgynous style in fashion, and the flexibility of apparel manufacturing systems. A keyword index is included.