Apocynum venetum L. and Apocynum pictum Schrenk (Apocynaceae) as multi-functional and multi-service plant species in Central Asia: a review on biology, ecology, and utilization

During the second half of the 20th century cotton was strongly promoted along the rivers of Central Asia. The irrigation agriculture resulted in wide spread soil salinization and severe water shortages within the river systems. Most prominent example is the desiccation of the Aral Sea. The natural vegetation along the rivers of Central Asia is adapted to periods of water shortage, is very productive, and contains plant species with valuable utilization opportunities. We reviewed the literature about Apocynum venetumL. and A. pictum Schrenk, two plant species of those riparian ecosystems, which are used as fibre and medicinal plants. A. venetum and A. pictum yield fibres, which can be used as textiles, though the fibres best are blended with cotton and/or chemical fibres. Though, the fibre extraction process needs more research attention. Furthermore, the literature shows that Apocynum leafs are used to produce antihypertonic tea and medicine. Both species grow under the arid climate of Central Asia without irrigation, because they exploit groundwater. Furthermore, both species can withstand higher soil salinization levels than cotton. Both species can be used and provide an income to local people under conditions, which are unfavourable to grow crops under irrigation. Such conditions are unreliable water supply for irrigation systems and/or saline soils

Finite element modeling of 3D spacer fabric : effect of the geometric variation and amount of spacer yarns

202310 bckwAccepted ManuscriptOthersNational Natural Science Foundation of China; Shanghai Pujiang Program; Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities; Initial research funds for Young Teachers of Donghua UniversityPublishe

Selekcja ubrań przeznaczonych do noszenia przy niskich temperaturach przy uwzględnieniu termofizjologicznego komfortu

Results are presented from a study on the prediction of the insulation abilities of outerwear clothing for cold protection from the point of view of the thermophysiological comfort of the wearer. The Required Clothing Insulation (IREQ) index is used to simulate the abilities of 14 assemblies of layers designed for the production of winter jackets to protect the body in different cold environments. The calculations allow to assess the limits of applicability of the garments in terms of the thermophysiological comfort assured, the activities performed and the weather conditions. Discussions are presented on the correspondence between ISO11079:2007 and the online JavaScript code for calculation of IREQ based on it. The results predicted and their analysis have a practical use, as they allow to estimate the cold protection effectiveness of the textile layers used in an assembly at the design stage, thusgiving room for necessary changes depending on the conditions of its use.Wykorzystano wskaźnik IREQ (required clothing insulation – wymagana ciepłochronność odzieży) do symulacji zdolności termicznej 14 zestawów warstw przeznaczonych do produkcji kurtek zimowych chroniących organizm w niskich temperaturach. Obliczenia te pozwalają ocenić ograniczenia zastosowania odzieży przy założeniu wymaganego komfortu termofizjologicznego, przy określonej aktywności użytkowników i w danych warunkach pogodowych. Uzyskane wyniki badań skorelowano z obowiązującymi normami. Wyniki badań mają praktyczne zastosowanie, gdyż pozwalają ocenić skuteczność ochrony przed zimnem danych zestawów warstw tekstylnych na etapie projektowania ubioru, przed sprawdzeniem gotowego wyrobu w praktyce

Determination of the Mechanical Properties of Braided Composite Beams with Experimental and Numerical Methods

International audienceComposite beams reinforced with braided fabrics exhibit good mechanical properties and are used for different applications as basic structural element. This work presents an investigation about the numerical determination of the mechanical behavior of braided architectures using geometrical modelling and subsequent voxel-FE homogenization of the structure for estimation of the tensile properties. The experimental and voxel-FE results are finally compared