http://www.itast.ir/ Journal of Textiles and Polymers en daily 1 Sun, 01 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0330 Sun, 01 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0330 http://www.itast.ir/article_247418.html This study explores the innovative development of electronic textiles, focusing on wearable textile-based antennas designed for advanced applications in healthcare, and fitness. In this study, a novel textile-based ISM band microstrip patch antenna was designed and modeled to work in the 2.4 GHz frequency. The woven fabrics by silver-coated nylon6 multifilament yarns was used to prepare the patch and ground of antenna. A key aspect of the designing process involves calculating the relative permittivity of the denim fabric used as substrate. Determining this value caused the optimization of the antenna’s performance in the 2.4 GHz, ISM band. Moreover, the Simulation Technology using CST software analyzed the suggested antenna performance. Key findings of proposed antenna include a return loss below -10 dB, a gain of 7 dBi, and a Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) of 0.154 W/kg. The SAR results reveal that the antenna complies with safety standard limits. These results demonstrate the antenna’s efficiency, safety, and suitability for future application in wearable technologies. http://www.itast.ir/article_247562.html The structural integrity of concrete slabs is a vital concern in civil engineering, necessitating innovative reinforcement and retrofitting techniques to ensure their long-term performance and resilience. This study explores the use of a novel two-dimensional braided glass/epoxy composite grid for retrofitting two-way reinforced-concrete slabs. Through comprehensive numerical analysis and experimental validation, the research aims to assess the effectiveness of this advanced reinforcement technique in enhancing the mechanical properties and stress distribution of retrofitted slabs. The finite-element modeling procedure was validated experimentally using an unretrofitted control slab and a slab retrofitted with a 50×50 mm braided composite grid. A Representative Volume Element (RVE) model is employed to simulate the braided composite grid, providing insights into its advantages and potential challenges. The findings demonstrate significant improvements in load-bearing capacity, energy absorption and overall durability, offering a promising solution for the rehabilitation of aging infrastructure. Within the investigated configurations, braided-grid retrofitting increased the ultimate load by up to 53.62%, with the maximum improvement obtained for the 105 mm-thick C35 slab strengthened using the 100×100 mm grid. This study contributes to the existing body of knowledge by highlighting the practical applications and benefits of incorporating braided composite grid in the retrofitting of concrete slabs. http://www.itast.ir/article_245957.html Nanofibrous scaffolds based on polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), gelatin (GE), and sodium alginate (SA) were fabricated by electrospinning and loaded with silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs, 0.4 wt%) to develop antibacterial biomaterials. The optimal scaffold composition consisted of PVA/SA at a volume ratio of 70:30 and was crosslinked with citric acid (5 wt% of the total polymer content). The physicochemical properties of the fabricated scaffolds were characterized using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis, and water contact angle (WCA) measurements. FTIR analysis confirmed intermolecular interactions among the polymer components and successful incorporation of Ag-NPs within the crosslinked polymer network. SEM observations demonstrated the formation of continuous nanofibrous structures, with the optimized PVA/SA/Ag-NP scaffold exhibiting an average fiber diameter of 266 ± 44 nm. EDX mapping verified the presence and homogeneous distribution of Ag-NPs throughout the nanofibrous matrix without noticeable aggregation. The incorporation of hydrophilic polymers resulted in favorable surface wettability, with the optimized scaffold exhibiting a water contact angle of 37.8°. Antibacterial activity evaluated against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli demonstrated inhibition zone diameters of 3.4 mm. Scaffolds without Ag-NPs showed no detectable antibacterial activity, whereas Ag-NP-loaded scaffolds effectively inhibited bacterial growth. These results demonstrate that Ag-NP-loaded PVA/GE/SA nanofibrous scaffolds possess favorable physicochemical characteristics, surface wettability, and antibacterial activity, suggesting their potential as antibacterial biomaterials for future tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications. However, further investigations involving mechanical characterization, biological evaluation, and silver-release studies are required to fully establish their biomedical applicability.