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Cancer remains one of the most challenging health problems worldwide, and localized therapeutic approaches based on micro/nanofibers have shown potential for its treatment. Micro/nanofibers offer several advantages as a drug delivery system, such as high surface area, tunable pore size, and sustained release properties, which can improve drug efficacy and reduce side effects. In addition, functionalization of these fibers with nanoparticles can enhance their targeting and therapeutic capabilities. Localized delivery of drugs and/or other therapeutic agents via micro/nanofibers can also help to overcome the limitations of systemic administration, such as poor bioavailability and off-target effects. Several studies have shown promising results in preclinical models of cancer, including inhibition of tumor growth and improved survival rates. However, more research is needed to overcome technical and regulatory challenges to bring these approaches to clinical use. Localized therapeutic approaches based on micro/nanofibers hold great promise for the future of cancer treatment, providing a targeted, effective, and minimally invasive alternative to traditional treatments. The main focus of this review is to explore the current treatments utilizing micro/nanofibers, as well as localized drug delivery systems that rely on fibrous structures to deliver and release drugs for the treatment of cancer in a specific area., The authors are thankful to project UID/CTM/00264/2022 of 2C2T—Centro de Ciência e Tecnologia Têxtil, funded by National Funds through FCT/MCTES and to the FCT-Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia Ph.D. Scholarship (grant number SFRH/BD/147812/2019) of Joana C. Araújo. Diana P. Ferreira is thankful to CEECIND/02803/2017.

Smart textiles have become a promising area of research for heating applications. Coatings with nanomaterials allow the introduction of different functionalities, enabling doped textiles to be used in sensing and heating applications. These coatings were made on a piece of woven cotton fabric through screen printing, with a different number of layers. To prepare the paste, nanomaterials such as graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) and multiwall carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were added to a polyurethane-based polymeric resin, in various concentrations. The electrical conductivity of the obtained samples was measured and the heat-dissipating capabilities assessed. The results showed that coatings have induced electrical conductivity and heating capabilities. The highest electrical conductivity of (9.39 ± 1.28 × 10−1 S/m) and (9.02 ± 6.62 × 10−2 S/m) was observed for 12% (w/v) GNPs and 5% (w/v) (CNTs + GNPs), respectively. The sample with 5% (w/v) (CNTs + GNPs) and 12% (w/v) GNPs exhibited a Joule effect when a voltage of 12 V was applied for 5 min, and a maximum temperature of 42.7 °C and 40.4 °C were achieved, respectively. It can be concluded that higher concentrations of GNPs can be replaced by adding CNTs, still achieving nearly the same performance. These coated textiles can potentially find applications in the area of heating, sensing, and biomedical applications., This work was supported by project LH4Auto-POCI-01-0247-FEDER-049652. Furthermore, it was partly financed by FCT/MCTES through national funds (PIDDAC) under the R&D Unit of the Centre for Textile Science and Technology (2C2T) with the reference UID/00264/2020.

An extensive experimental study was conducted to investigate the co-effects of surface area and distance between electrodes as well as filler scales on the percolation threshold of piezoresistive cement-stabilised sand. In this route, the electrical resistivity of numerous specimens of different sizes and composed of different content of carbon-based conductive fillers was measured, including carbon nanotubes (CNTs), graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs), and carbon fibres (CFs) with different aspect ratios. In addition, the numerical relations between the electrical percolation threshold and matrix dimensions were expressed for different conductive fillers. Furthermore, the electrical percolation threshold of two large-scale specimens with different shapes (a 10 × 10 × 85 cm3 beam, and a 15 cm size cube) were predicted through numerical relations, and their piezoresistivity performances were investigated under compression cyclic loading (cube) and flexural cyclic loading (beam). The mechanical properties of the specimens were also evaluated. The results showed that the changes in the length, width, and thickness of the matrix surrounded between electrodes had a significant effect on the electrical percolation threshold. However, the effects of length changes on the percolation threshold were greater than the width and thickness changes. Generally, increasing the aspect ratio of the conductive fillers caused a reduction in the electrical percolation threshold of the cementitious geocomposite. The appropriate piezoresistivity response of the large-scale specimens composed of filler content equal to their percolation threshold (obtained by the numerical relation presented in this study) showed the adequacy of the results in terms of threshold dosage prediction and self-sensing geocomposite design. The results of this study addressed a crucial factor for the design of self-sensing composites and pave the way for the development of field-applicable, smart, cementitious geocomposite., European Commission-Shift2Rail Program under the project “IN2TRACK3, H2020-S2RJU-CFM-2020, S2R-CFMIP3-01-2020”. Furthermore, it is partly financed by FCT/MCTES through national funds (PIDDAC) under the R&D Unit of the Institute for Sustainability and Innovation in Engineering Structures (ISISE), under reference nº. 101012456, as well as under the R&D Unit of the Centre for Textile Science and Technology (2C2T). The first author also acknowledges the support provided by the FCT/PhD individual fellowship with the reference of “2021. 07596.BD”.

Quest for producing lightweight and biodegradable materials has encouraged researchers to replace synthetic fibers with natural fibers. Hence a study is made to investigate the effects of introducing secondary reinforcement (natural fibers), stacking sequence, and addition of graphite particles on the mechanical characteristics and water uptakes along with diffusivity of hybrid (glass\jute) composites. Different weight fractions of graphite particulates are incorporated into the epoxy to produce different samples having 4 plies for each sample by hand layup vacuum bagging method. The obtained specimens are subjected to various mechanical tests, water absorption tests as per the ASTM standards, and optical microscopy was used to study the fracture morphology of the samples. The results displayed that the properties are deteriorated a little with the addition of secondary reinforcement, however they have improved with the addition of graphite. E-Glass as skin layer and treated jute as core layer composite exhibits ameliorate tensile strength (201.5 MPa), compression strength (515.12 MPa), flexural strength (106.9 MPa), hardness (25 BHN). However highest impact energy of 26 J is recorded for the sample with jute as skin layer and E-Glass as the core layer. Water absorption tests revealed that the addition of graphite has reduced the water absorption in the hybrid samples.

The development of materials with hydrophobic properties has been widely explored in areas such as textiles, healthcare, sports, and personal protective equipment. Hydrophobic properties that arise from nanoparticles (nPs) directly promote other valuable properties, including self-cleaning capabilities, decreased bacterial growth, and increased comfort. In this study, biodegradable poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) nanofibers were functionalized by the incorporation of titanium dioxide (TiO2) nPs to develop water-repellent materials. The membranes were produced through electrospinning, and variables such as the polymer concentration, nP concentration, and needle diameter were optimized to achieve PCL/TiO2 composite fibers with water-repellent capabilities. The nanofibers were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and the water contact angle (WCA). In general, it was observed that the nanofibers presented higher roughness values when TiO2 nPs were present and that this result promoted higher WCA values. The highest WCA value (156°) was obtained for the nanofiber mat produced with 20% weight-to-volume (w/v) PCL and 0.6% (w/v) TiO2, The authors disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This work was supported by Portugal2020 for funding the project (23958, `TECHNICAL STAPLE CELLULOSIC YARN'), granted by Fundo Europeu do Desenvolvimento Regional through Compete 2020.

[Extract] Over the last few decades, materials are facing a continuous revolution due to important scientific and technical achievements obtained in cutting edge areas like physics, chemistry or biology. The possibility to design the materials properties at the molecular level or to enhance their performance using advanced functionalization techniques, are making materials smart, able to respond and adapt to external stimuli, more durable and resistant and, mainly, completely adapted to each specific application.

The removal of agriculture residual plastic films is nowadays a big concern for all environmentalists. Several ecological alternatives were developed for more sustainable products and cleaner production. In this work, the effect of three months of exposure under accelerated weathering conditions (ultraviolet light, moisture, and heat) on the properties of two textile waste nonwovens as a sustainable alternative to plastic mulching films was investigated. Results showed that thermostability and mechanical properties of the clothing textile waste felt and cotton waste nonwoven decreased after accelerated weathering. The chemical variation of cotton waste nonwoven and textile waste felt and the degradation rate of natural and synthetic fibers due to the photolysis and hydrolysis caused by accelerated weathering conditions were studied following the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and the fibrous composition variation of the blended textile waste felt structure during the study

When tendon injuries present a too large damage extension, the conventional treatment options do not result, so a new prosthetic device needs to be developed to partially replace a tendon. Therefore, in this study, different braided textile structures based on polypropylene (PP) and poly (ethylene terephthalate) (PET) multifilament yarns were developed, using a textile technology-based technique, in order to mimic the fibrous structure of tendons. Structures with different architectures were developed using different PP or PET yarns number and different braiding take-up rates, which consequently leads to different braid angles. The braids architecture influenced the porosity level, swelling profile, wicking ability and mostly their mechanical behavior. It was observed that the load at failure of the braids was mainly controlled by the number of yarns, but the strain level was mostly influenced by the take-up rate and consequently by the braid angle. Regarding the stiffness level, it results from a combination of the yarns number and braid angle. The structure based on 16 PET yarns, produced with the highest take-up rate, revealed a very promising creep and force-relaxation behavior for the final application, as well as a very interesting fatigue resistance., Authors acknowledge the financial support from FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia), through the Grant SFRH/BD/88829/2012, Project PEst-C/EME/UI0285/2011 and Project UIDB/50006/2020.

2nd World Conference on Advanced Materials for Defense, AUXDEFENSE 2020Virtual, Online6 July 2020 through 7 July 2020Code 266239, The study of the impact energy and the composite behaviour plays a vital role in the efficient design of composite structures. Among the various categories of impact tests, it is essential to study low-velocity impact tests as the damage generated due to these loads is often not visible to the naked eye. The internal damages can reduce the strength of the composites and hence the impact behaviour must be addressed specifically for improving their applications in the transport industry. The main aim of this paper is to provide a comprehensive review of the work focusing on the assessment of biocomposites performance under low impact velocity, the different deformations, and damage mechanisms, as well the methods to improve the impact resistance., (undefined)

International Patent: USD903293S1, Anti-slip sole for a sock.

This study was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) under the scope of the strategic funding of UIDB/04469/2020 unit and BioTecNorte operation (NORTE-01-0145- FEDER-000004) funded by the European Regional Development Fund under the scope of Norte2020 - Programa Operacional Regional do Norte. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

This work reports the development of multiscale cementitious composites containing sisal fibres and microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), previously dispersed by ultrasonication and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), as the novel dispersing agent. The mechanical tests performed allowed to identify significant improvement in the mechanical properties, hydration degree, and microstructure., The authors gratefully acknowledge the funding by Araucária Foundation to Support Scientific and Technological Development of the State of Paraná, Federal University of Technology – Paraná – UTFPR - Apucarana Campus - Brazil, Fibrenamics and University of Minho – Guimarães, Portugal, Project UID/CTM/00264/2019 of 2C2T – Centre for Textile Science and Technology, funded by National Founds through FCT/MCTES".

Bi-helical yarns when made by single yarns with different diameters, helix angles and tensile strengths, present a dynamic behaviour that results in a significant difference in the relationship between the transversal and longitudinal variation, that is, in the Poisson´s ratio. The longitudinal and transversal measurement of a bi-helical yarn in a dynamic test is a complex process, especially when dealing with multifilament yarns. For this reason, a methodology was specially developed using image analysis. To demonstrate the dynamic behaviour of the bi-helical yarns under tensile loads, the results obtained for four different samples using polyamide and polyester multifilament yarns are presented and analysed.

This paper proposes an innovative method to improve the accuracy of strain determination on the split-Hopkinson pressure bar experiments. This is essential for assessing the energy absorption capability of para-aramid fabrics and composite panels used in ballistic protections. The presentation is focused on a specially designed inductive coil extensometer and experimental technique to accurately measure strain. Results from force–displacement characterization of para-aramid fabrics under impact loading are presented to demonstrate the validity of the proposed concept., This work was supported by FCT, through IDMEC, under LAETA, project UIDB/50022/2020.

The main goal of this work was the functionalization of natural fibers with nanoparticles (NPs) for the development of multifunctional fibrous systems. Thus, natural fibres were functionalized with metal and metal oxide NPs by in-situ synthesis (using water as solvent and a minimal concentration of reducing agent) and the precursor was chosen depending on the kind of NPs under use. Besides in situ synthesis, the dip-pad-dry method was also used for the fibers’ impregnation with the NPs formulations. The developed systems were characterized using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), Attenuated Total Reflectance-Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and Ground-State Diffuse Reflectance (GSDR). Several properties were analysed including degradation of chemical agents, antibacterial activity, self-cleaning capability, UV protection, electrical conductivity and piezoresistive response., The authors are thankful to project UID/CTM/00264/2019 of 2C2T – Centro de Ciência e Tecnologia Têxtil, funded by National Founds through FCT/MCTES and Diana Ferreira is also thankful to CEECIND/02803/2017.

Technical textiles and functional garment assemblies can be engineered to optimize the protection against heat, flame, molten metal, static electricity, electromagnetic radiation, chemical agents, among others. The present work aims to study the use of wool-based fabrics as a fibrous substrate for thermal and electric protection by surface functionalization with Graphene Nanoplatelets (GNP’s) in polymeric-based dispersions. Wool fabrics were functionalized with 1% GNPs dispersed in chitosan and polyurethane, using impregnation and coating techniques. The results show that wool fabrics coated with polyurethane (PU) functionalized with 1% GNPs present an interesting approach regarding multiscale protection., The authors would like to express appreciation for the support of Portugal2020 for funding the project nº 038328,” MultiscaleProtech”, granted by Fundo Europeu do Desenvolvimento Regional (FEDER). Are also thankful to CEECIND/02803/2017 and UID/CTM/00264/2019 funded by National Founds through FCT/MCTES.

In the current work, fibrous structures based on biodegradable polymer ε-caprolactone (PCL) functionalized with zinc oxide (ZnO) and titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles (NPs) were produced by electrospinning, to achieve materials with ultraviolet (UV) protection properties. These nanofiber-based webs were produced either with ZnO or TiO2 NPs in different concentrations, as well with different densities, in order to study their influence in the UV protection properties. The webs were evaluated in terms of UV protection through the measurement of transmittance values with a spectrophotometer UV/Vis, followed by the calculation of the UVA transmission and ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) values. A set of nanofiber webs has shown UV protection capability, namely those with nanofibers functionalized with TiO2, that presented lower UVA transmission and higher UPF values. In opposition, the nanofibers produced without NPs, didn’t reveal UV protection properties, highlighting the potential of ZnO and TiO2 NPs in this field., The authors are thankful to Portugal2020 for funding the project 23958,” TECHNICAL STAPLE CELLULOSIC YARN”, granted by Fundo Europeu do Desenvolvimento Regional, through Compete 2020.

This work aims to develop a fibrous material, capable of adsorb and degrade dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP), based on magnesium oxide (MgO) nanoparticles (NPs) and natural fibres (NF). NF were functionalized with the MgO NPs by a simple and sustainable in-situ method. In order to do this, different reducing agents, reaction and calcination temperatures and reaction times were tested. All the developed systems were characterized by Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), Attenuated Total Reflectance-Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and Ground-State Diffuse Reflectance (GSDR). The adsorption and decontamination of DMMP was also evaluated., The authors are thankful to project UID/CTM/00264/2019 of 2C2T – Centro de Ciência e Tecnologia Têxtil, funded by National Founds through FCT/MCTES" and FCT PhD Scholarship (SFRH/BD/147812/2019). Diana Ferreira is also thankful to CEECIND/02803/2017.

This work has as main objective the evaluation of the effect of the content of hybrid fibers on the flexural strength, toughness and residual resistances of reinforced concrete with hybrid fibers (RFC) of steel and carbon nanotubes (CNT). Three different quantity of CNT were previously dispersed by ultrasonication using a Pluronic F-127 surfactant concentration. A fixed quantity of steel fibers was used in concrete. The results obtained shows improvement in mechanical properties of RFC as compressive strength, flexural strength, flexural modulus, good interaction between steel fibres and CNTs, in the microstructure of concrete matrix and in the Pull Out steel fibre strength. The concrete showed a ductile behaviour improved with the hybridization when compared just with steel fibres. This high performance material can be applied in specific buildings like defense engineering with sensing properties.

Micro and nanofibres produced by electrospinning are becoming one of the most interesting and advantageous structures for the development of protective textiles, including military protection (Bhardwaj & Kundu, 2010). In this work, poly-e-caprolactone (PCL) electrospun microfibres were functionalized with graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) in order to produce green textile materials with enhanced conductive properties. GNPs were incorporated in the PCL microfibres. FESEM images demonstrated that the GNPs were successfully incorporated. The electrical conductivity behaviour was excellent, showing a semiconductor performance., The authors are thankful to TSSiPRO project, UID/CTM/00264/2019 of 2C2T – Centro de Ciência e Tecnologia Têxtil, funded by National Funds through FCT/MCTES and CEECIND/02803/2017.

The present work intends to compare the mechanical properties of eleven different highperformance textile structures, which are composed of fibrous flame-retardant materials, varying only the materials and percentages of the entrance to the weft. For the correlation analysis between structures were evaluated the tear strength, flexural rigidity and air permeability, with a view to being integrated into fire protection devices. The performed experimental procedures allowed to better understand the performance aspects for the intended application, and to identify significant differences in the mechanical behaviour of the studied flame-retardant fabrics. Thus, regarding the obtained results it was concluded that the samples with the most promising performance are samples FG and B in their composition., The authors would like to express appreciation for the support of Portugal2020 for funding the project POCI-01-0247-FEDER033637,” ThermFire4Woven”, granted by Fundo Europeu do Desenvolvimento Regional (FEDER), through Programa Operacional Regional do Norte (NORTE 2020).