A study of the effects of repeated commercial launderings on the performance of 50/50 polyester/cotton momie cloth

Samples of brown 50% polyester/50% cotton momie cloth with a fluorocarbon finish were commercially laundered using a carbonate-built detergent in soft (0 ppm) water. The appearance of the laundered samples was assessed by subjective pilling ratings and instrumental colour determinations; the performance properties examined were tear and tensile strength, abrasion resistance and ability to release oil. The results showed that pilling was at its maximum after 20 launderings. The depth of colour decreased with increased number of cycles and, in most cases, was not accompanied by change of hue Tear and tensile strength were not affected by the laundering process. The fluorocarbon finish on the unlaundered control increased the weight loss due to Accelerator abrasion, thus that due to repeated launderings was significantly less. The finish protected the fibres from flex abrasion, increasing the number of cycles required to rupture the fabric and only the sample laundered 60 times had significantly greater resistance. The ability to release oil decreased with increased number of launderings. Oil remaining in the fabric was located in the interstices between yarns.     

The rise and decline of European parliaments, 1188–17891

This article quantifies the activities of medieval and early modern parliaments. It traces the long‐term evolution of this European institution, and offers a first pass at analysing its impact on long‐term economic development. Starting in Spain in the twelfth century, parliaments gradually spread over the Latin west between 1200 and 1500. In the early modern period, parliaments declined in influence in southern and central Europe and further gained in importance in the Netherlands and Britain, resulting in an institutional ‘Little Divergence’ between 1500 and 1800. We discuss the background of this phenomenon in detail. Moreover, by analysing the effects of parliamentary activity on city growth we find that these differences in institutional development help to explain the economic divergence between north‐western and southern and central Europe.     

An Empirical Examination of the Market Returns and Financial Performance of Entities Engaged in Sustainability Reporting

The importance of sustainability reporting to external stakeholders is reflected in the advent of various reporting guidelines and government inquiries. However, evidence of the inadequacy of such reporting, coupled with limited evidence of its use by market participants (such as investors and creditors) for resource-allocation decisions, raises questions about the overall value-relevance of sustainability reporting. This study seeks to identify, in the Australian context, whether the level of sustainable reporting is associated with a range of financial and market performance attributes of the firm.