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Mood fluctuations, influenced by factors such as workplace stress, academic pressure, and interpersonal relationships, can significantly affect mental health and decision making. Effective mood regulation is essential for maintaining psychological well-being, especially during critical developmental phases such as adolescence. Traditional mood management methods often rely on personal willpower and subjective techniques, which can be inadequate in high stress situations. Recent advancements in wearable technology, particularly in the field of smart textiles, have led to continuous and objective mood regulation. This review explores the integration of wearable smart textiles with mood regulation, focusing on emerging technologies that incorporate psychological principles into fabric designs. It examines various wearable textiles equipped with sensors, actuators, and biofeedback mechanisms that monitor physiological indicators related to mood, such as the heart rate and skin conductivity. These technologies not only provide real-time feedback but also offer interactive elements, such as temperature regulation, light modulation, and tactile feedback, allowing users to actively engage with their emotional states. In addition, the integration of mobile applications allows users to track mood patterns and identify emotional triggers, thereby enhancing their self-awareness. In the end, through a synthesis of the current research, this review discusses the psychological impacts of these wearables, including their efficacy in stress reduction, anxiety management, and overall emotional resilience. It also highlights the challenges and future research directions in the realm of wearable mood regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

The integration of advanced textile materials is crucial to enhance the quality of healthcare solutions. Three-dimensional (3D) knitted spacer fabrics (KSFs) have emerged as a revolutionary class of medical textiles distinguished by their unique ability to provide high breathability, moisture management, and customizable structural properties. This comprehensive review systematically examined the multifaceted applications of 3D KSFs in the healthcare sector. It begins with an overview of various design and manufacturing techniques, including warp and weft knitting processes, that facilitate the production of innovative fabrics. The review then details the distinct structural and functional features of 3D KSFs, emphasizing their cushioning effects, porosity, and adaptability, which enhance their effectiveness in the medical context. Subsequent sections explore diverse applications, including wound care, where their moisture-wicking capabilities promote healing, pressure ulcer prevention, leveraging their ability to evenly distribute pressure, and orthopedic supports, which benefit from their comfort and supportive characteristics. This paper also discusses the potential of 3D KSFs in scaffold development for tissue engineering, as well as their use in assistive devices for enhanced patient mobility. Emerging trends, such as the incorporation of smart technologies for real-time monitoring and commitment to sustainability through washable and reusable designs, are critically analyzed. In turn, this review provides an in-depth resource for healthcare professionals, textile researchers, and product developers, highlighting the transformative potential of 3D KSFs for advancing healthcare solutions and improving patient outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

The growing awareness of environmental concerns and the increasing demand for sustainable materials have driven the development of eco-friendly alternatives. Green composites have emerged as a widely adopted solution, owing to their biodegradability, eco-friendliness, and environmental benefits. Among green composites starch-based composites have made significant progress toward commercially viable products, but their weak mechanical characteristics, high hydrophilicity, and high density limit their widespread application. Researchers are exploring using agro-waste cellulosic fibers, abundant by-products from agricultural practices, as reinforcing fillers in the thermoplastic starch matrix. This critical review aims to highlights significant advancements made by incorporating agro-waste cellulosic fibers into various starch matrices. The findings reveal that the integration of these materials significantly enhances the mechanical properties, water resistance, and biodegradability of the resulting composites. This review also offers researchers and industry professionals valuable insights into sustainable materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Air-jet weaving is an innovative weaving technique that uses friction between the yarn surface and air stream to propel the weft yarn. The interaction between the yarn surface and air is complex and affects weft yarn motion. Understanding the factors influencing this interaction is crucial for optimizing the weft yarn speed and twist loss in air jet weaving. This critical evaluation examined the impact of weft yarn structures such as yarn count, twist, hairiness, volume, and fiber types such as cotton and polyester on weft yarn speed and twist loss. The findings revealed that both the yarn structure and fiber type significantly impact the twist loss and insertion time during air jet weft insertion. Factors such as hairiness, volume, linear density, fiber type, and twist level were found to significantly affect the twist loss and weft yarn velocity. High hairiness and thin yarns exhibited higher velocity but greater twist losses, whereas highly twisted yarns demonestrated lower velocity and higher twist loss. Additionally, polyester yarns showed a lower velocity and experienced more twist loss than cotton yarns. These insights can assist textile manufacturers in optimizing the air-jet weaving parameters to improve weft yarn insertion and overall fabric quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Natural fiber-reinforced composites have gained significant popularity owing to their lightweight nature, low environmental impact, favorable specific properties, and cost-effectiveness. However, these composites often lack sufficient mechanical strength, thermal resistance, water repellence, and antibacterial performance, limiting their applicability in a variety of fields. To address these limitations, researchers have recently investigated the incorporation of ZnO nanofillers into the polymeric matrix of natural-fiber-reinforced composites. Nevertheless, there is a gap in the current literature regarding a review on the utilization of ZnO nanoparticles as fillers in matrix materials to improve the performance of natural-fiber-reinforced composites. Therefore, this review discusses recent advancements in incorporating ZnO nanofillers into natural fiber composites, with an emphasis on how these advancements affect the mechanical, water, thermal, and antibacterial properties of the composites. This review explores the methods for incorporating ZnO nanofillers into a matrix, including solution and melt mixing, and discusses the influence of surface modification on mitigating agglomeration issues. The potential applications and future perspectives of ZnO nanofiller-reinforced natural fiber composites in the automotive, construction, and packaging industries are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Natural fiber-reinforced composites have attracted considerable attention as variable and environmentally friendly alternatives to conventional materials in various industries. However, the development of high-performance natural fiber composites currently faces challenges due to the hydrophilic nature of natural fibers, incompatibility with the matrix, thermal instability, and poor interfacial bonding. To address these challenges, researchers have explored surface treatments, such as alkaline, silane, acetylation, and physical treatments. Unfortunately, such composites with organic compounds are not feasible in structural and high-temperature applications. Therefore, a potential solution lies in the application of ZnO nanoparticles for the surface treatment of natural fibers before preparing fiber-reinforced composites. In light of the aforementioned points, this paper aims to review the impact of using ZnO nanoparticle surface-treated natural fibers in composites, focusing on their mechanical, thermal, and water resistance properties. The review also highlights avenues for future research in this domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Current research and design initiatives are cautiously focused on the use of natural fibers from agricultural waste, as they can generate financial gains, improve crop sustainability, and effectively address environmental issues. In Ethiopia, an estimated 100–million Enset plants are harvested annually for their starchy food, providing 20% of the population. This process generates approximately 150,000 tons of Enset fiber, which researchers are actively investigating as a promising and eco-friendly fiber source. Fibers from the Enset plant have been investigated for their potential use in various applications, particularly as materials for cellulosic nanocrystals, paper, and composites production. However, the potential of Enset fiber remains largely untapped due to the limited understanding of its properties, and the inconsistencies in the data reported by previous studies regarding its chemical, physical, mechanical, and thermal properties. Therefore, it is crucial to organize the data for researchers and manufacturers to make informed decisions regarding future studies and applications of this fiber. This review discusses recent research on the unique properties of Enset fibers, their potential as green composites, and their potential for paper and cellulosic nanocrystals as an alternative to natural fibers. The review also unveils the challenges of Enset fibers in advanced applications and suggests future research avenues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

The composites industry is advancing towards producing green composites as sustainability is quickly becoming a global focus across numerous industries. Natural fiber-based composites have emerged as materials of interest in important industries, such as packaging, automobiles, and construction. False banana fiber-reinforced composite is a promising area of research owing to their partial or full biodegradability, easy availability, low cost, and considerable mechanical properties. However, more research is required to understand the full potential of false banana fiber on its composites. As a result, this review gives a basic overview of several researchers work and explain in terms of how they are prepared, what features they have, and how they are used. Particularly in regards to the mechanical and water absorption capabilities of composites, the use of false banana fibers as reinforcements in different matrices has produced interesting results. The study also found that preparation, hybridization and treatment of fiber influence the properties of false banana fiber composites. Furthermore, the development of these composites has promoted the use of environmentally friendly materials and the development of a sustainable world. This review also provides a strong and holistic outlook on the potential of false banana fibers for use as a partially or fully biodegradable composite and has not been reviewed earlier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...