Nanotech fabrics on global scale: high-tech clothing and the FIFA World Cup 2014 in Brazil

The football championship 2014 in Brazil has already started, hundred goals have already been scored, yet one question seems to stay unanswered. What do the players jerseys consist of? The FIFA Football World Cup is the ideal platform to showcase new technology around the continually evolving field of sportswear. With 32 teams across the globe kit suppliers, like Puma have been working in overdrive to ensure that the players have kits that are optimised to improve their performance on the field.

While most people focus on the patriotic colors, there is also a lot of technology that goes into those kits that are worn by the players. Take the case of Puma, which supplies kits to the teams such as Italy, Ghana, Cameroon, Algeria and Uruguay. The kits supplied to the teams include the latest innovation from Puma - PWR ACTV (Power Active Technology) which combines athletic taping and compression fit fabric, within the apparel. This shirt by PUMA is the first shirt ever that includes athletic taping in the shirt.

newsfromindia.net

Now what does athletic taping mean?

It is the process of applying tape directly to the skin in order to maintain a stable position of bones and muscles during athletic activity. The goal of this athletic taping is to restrict the motion of injured joint, compress soft tissues to reduce swelling, serve as a splint, protect the injured joint form re-injury. Normally these tapes are taped directly to the skin, this time they are in the material itself. The ACTV tape is placed strategically in the garment, looking like a very thin rubberised coating. It provides micro-massage to the player to specific muscle areas, which helps promote energy supply to the muscles.

What are compression fit fabrics?

Compression sportswear is used by athletes during exercise or a soccer game to prevent chafing and rashes, as well as to ease muscle stiffness and quicken recovery time. This clothes may be shirts, shorts, tights or underwear. They are form-fitting garments often made from a spandex-type material. Spandex or elastane is a synthetic fiber known for its exceptional elasticity.

The main benefits of compression sportswear is that it keeps muscles warm to prevent muscle strain and fatigue and wick sweat away from the body to prevent chafing and rashes.

Compression fit fabrics are like rubber bands tightly along the players’ bodies, holding the muscles tightly together to prevent vibration while running. The jersey moves with you and acts like a second skin.

Its the closest thing you can get to not wearing a shirt, while actually wearing one.

Another feature of nanotech clothing?

In the course of this CAJ it has already been shown that nanotech clothing can be bullet-proof, waterproof, but nevertheless breathable. What has not been revealed, however, is the fact that nanotech clothing is also able to regulate the body temperature. How does this work?

The concept of clothes regulating body temperature is closely linked to the waterproof and breathable characteristics of high-tech clothing. Instead of just preventing moisture from penetrating the fabric and evaporating the sweat, this kind of technology absorbs the excess heat created by the body, stores it and releases it later, as the body cools down. This smart technology has been certified by the NASA for the use in outer space.

One of the more popular brands of this kind of clothing is Outlast®. This clothing system recycles the body’s heat, captures it, stores it and when needed releases it. This can be achieved by the Thermocules® (microcapsules) on the inside layer of the piece of clothing. These Thermocules absorb, store and release excess body heat. In this vein Outlast® products seek to reduce overheating and shivering and regularly distribute the warmth.  

http://www.armedforces-int.com

How do Thermocules store heat? What do PCM-materials have to do with it?

The answer to this question are the PCM-materials. These are phase-change materials, used to cool medicine, for example. PCM is a substance that melts or solidifies at a certain temperature. These materials use phase changes (solidifying/liquefying) to absorb or release relatively large amounts of latent heat. Latent heat is the energy released or absorbed by a body during a constant temperature process. This means that only the substance’s physical state changes, which causes energy to be absorbed or released, but not its temperature.

The temperature of PCMs rises as they absorb heat. They continue to absorb heat until all the material is transformed to the liquid phase. When the ambient temperature around the liquid material falls, it solidifies and releases the stored heat.

Ice cubes are an illustrative example of how phase change materials work: as they melt in a drink, they absorb heat from their environment; as they solidify in the freezer compartment, they release heat into it.

When an ice cube forms, the particles of the freezing water move together, releasing the stored energy, as there is no room left for it;  when he melts, the particles move apart, making space for energy to be absorbed.

Why is temperature regulating clothing needed?

In the first place it has long only been used by athletes, as it keeps them comfortable while they exercise. In the last couple of years, however, this type of clothing has also become popular for everyday use. Waking up in the middle of the night sweating, for example, means a sleepless night for many people. Temperature regulating clothing can give them a better night’s sleep.

Abstract: WHEN ZOMBIES ATTACK: MATHEMATICAL MODELLING OF AN OUTBREAK OF ZOMBIE INFECTION

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the flexibility of mathematical modelling and to prove that mathematical models can respond to a variety of biological challenges, including infectious diseases, represented here as “zombie” infections. Five different models are presented containing different variables. The first three models conclude with the fact that coexistence between humans and zombies is impossible, as this will eventually lead to the eradication of human beings. In the fourth model the existence of a cure for zombiism is taken into consideration, which enables humans to survive in low numbers. Only in the fifth model humans survive an outbreak relatively undamaged, by eradicating the zombies. Although in the different formulas different parameters were used, it becomes clear that in case of an outbreak, it has to be dealt with quickly. Despite being unrealistic, the findings of the zombie outbreak scenario can in real life be applied to examine diseases with dormant infection. As can be seen by the outcomes, mathematical modelling is very flexible.

dmm.med.ubc.ca

Waterproof fabric

www.campinglife.com

In order to understand how waterproof clothing works, we have to understand what waterproof fabrics are and what they are made of. Waterproof fabrics, or breathable fabrics, as they are often called, are fabrics that have been treated to become resistant to penetration by water and wetting. What is special about them is that they keep water from passing through, but allow water vapor to evaporate. Usually they are natural or synthetic fabrics that are laminated or coated with waterproofing material, such as rubber, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polyurethane (PU). These are materials that are used in Mackintosh jackets, sauna suits, inflatable boats and even in footballs and glasses. 

What is PVC and PU?

PVC clothing is shiny clothing made of the plastic polyvinyl chloride. PU clothing consists out of waterproof fabric, typically polyester, but may be cotton or a polyblend material that has been heat-laminated to a polyurethane layer. It is lightweight and extremely durable. These fabrics are used in several industries, from medical companies to the manufacture of diapers and active wear.

How can waterproof fabrics keep water from passing through, but allow water vapor to move through its fabric?

Making a material breathable and waterproof is often accomplished by using a membrane or substance that consists of many tiny holes. These pore-like holes are too small for a water droplet to pass through it, but are large enough for air molecules to evaporate. This allows a breathable waterproof jacket to protect underclothes from getting wet, while allowing sweat to pass through and escape from a person’s skin or clothes.

Detailed description

All in all there are three layers: 

Inside

The interior or underside of WP/BR rainwear uses one of the following techniques and technologies to become waterproof and breathable: 

Laminates are formed when a WP/BR membrane is bonded to the underside of a garment's face fabric, as if wallpaper was applied to a wall. In other words: membrane (or wallpaper) + fabric (or wall) = a laminate. 

Coatings are liquid solutions that provide WP/BR characteristics when spread across the interior of a garment. It is like applying an ultrathin coat of paint to a wall. 

All rainwear exteriors, also known as face fabrics are treated with a durable water repellent (DWR) finish. A DWR affects only the exterior of rainwear and is separate from the laminate or coating. Its purpose is to protect the face fabric from becoming saturated, weighing it down and causing any sensation of dampness. It (DWR) accomplishes this by causing water to bead up and roll off the garment's exterior. DWRs however do not inhibit fabric breathability.  

www.impactlab.net

Sources: 

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-breathable-waterproof-fabric.htm

http://www.bicycleapparel.com/quick-reference/rain-gear/waterproof-fabrics.html

http://www.campinglife.com/camping-gear/high-tech-outdoor-fabrics/

http://www.dickiesstore.co.uk/blog/2013/10/08/waterproof-fabric-history/

http://specialtyfabricsreview.com/articles/0810_ep80_transhield.html

http://dogblog.ruffwear.net/2010/06/01/the-difference-between-waterproof-and-water-resistant/

http://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/rainwear-how-it-works.html

How to go back in time and prevent other time travelers from killing Hitler (following 14 simple steps):

Requirements: 

• a time machine
• charme
• eagle eyes 
• talent for observation 
• acting talent 
• persuading-skills 
• sleeping pills 
• a wheelbarrow (when needed) 
• patience 
• willingness to undergo plastic surgery 
• a general's uniform 
• the article: "Time Travelers: Please don‘t kill Hitler" by Dean Burnett
• blackmailing skills
• be able to give a lecture
• "puppy face skills"

1. Enter the time machine and choose a point in time in Hitlers youth at which it was still possible to get close to him. 
2. Attend the same school as Hitler and become his "best friend forever til the end". 
3. Always stay close by his side, preferably avoid to eat, to sleep and to go to the toilet, so nobody can seize the chance to attack him, while you are not around him.
4. If time travelers appear in front of you and attempt to kill Hitler, start crying hysterically and try to explain that, behind the facade of being a complete, cold-hearted bastard, he is not a completely lost soul. 
5. Tell them to leave him alone. 
6. Make sure they enter their time machine and go back into their decade. 
7. If they refuse to voluntarily return, administer sleeping pills to them, and carry them back to their time machine (you might want to use a wheelbarrow to do so). 
8. If this does not work, keep waiting until Hitler establishes his Nazi Party, change your face through plastic surgery, so he does not recognize you, and become one of his generals. 
9. Position hundreds of security guards around Hitler, his residence and the Reich Chancellery and make sure that they lie on look out in case suspicious people appear. 
10. If time travelers arrive to kill Hitler, let the guards bring them to you. 
11. Show them the article “Time Travelers: Please don‘t kill Hitler” by Dean Burnett and try to explain why it is a bad idea to get rid of him just yet. 
12. If they do not listen, threaten them that their smart phones will disappear if they kill Hitler and he will be safe. 
13. If they do listen, assure them that you do not like Hitler as well, but in order not to change the future it is better not to change things in the past.
14. While saying that do the "puppy face". They will understand and Hitler will not be killed. 

More on carbon nanotubes

We have talked about carbon nanotubes before, but I think they deserve a more detailed explanation, as they do an incredible job. We have already heard that carbon nanotubes are the strongest and stiffest material yet discovered, but why? What is the reason for the strength of these tiny molecules? Let us take a closer look:

Carbon nanotubes, measuring about one ten-thousandth of the thickness of human hair, are members of the fullerene structural family. A fullerene is any molecule composed entirely of carbon. They are called nanotubes because of their long, hollow structure, with their walls formed by one-atom-thick sheets of carbon, called graphene. A carbon nanotube consists either of one cylindrical graphene sheet (single-wall nanotube, SWNT) or of several cylindrical graphene sheets (multiwall nanotube, MWNT).

There are several different possibilities to form a cylinder with a graphene sheet: The sheet can be rolled along one of the symmetry axis, which gives either a zig-zag tube or an armchair tube or in a direction that differs from the axis, which forms a chiral nanotube, and its properties strongly depend on this geometry. All in all, carbon nanotubes show a unique combination of stiffness, strength and tenacity, as well as thermal and electrical conductivity. 

http://ipn2.epfl.ch

Thanks to their tubular structure and the chemical bond between the carbon atoms (known as sp2 carbon atoms) which are considered the strongest of all atomic bonds, carbon nanotubes have a measured strength 117 times higher than metal. Carbon nanotubes are made entirely of this stable bond, which makes it strong against bending and stretching. Because of the differences in the way the familiar chicken-wire patterns of carbon atoms line up across the surface, nanotubes can either act as conductors of electricity or semiconductors. The lattice-like arrangement of carbon atoms thus, makes them not only extremely strong, but gives them a high thermal and electrical conductivity, meaning that electrons and heat are able to pass through them without destroying them. Nanotubes can stretch considerably like toffee before breaking. This makes them ideal for a variety of futuristic applications, such as Conductive plastics, gas storage, batteries with improved lifetime, flat-panel displays and of course technical textiles (to name only a few of them). 

Sources:

http://www.theguardian.com/nanotechnology-world/carbon-nanotubes-tiny-revolution

http://www.org-chem.org/yuuki/nanotube/nanotube_en.html

https://www.asme.org/engineering-topics/articles/nanotechnology/carbon-nanotube-super-fabric

http://physics.aps.org/story/v2/st27

http://www.nanocyl.com/en/CNT-Expertise-Centre/Carbon-Nanotubes

http://www.news-medical.net/news/20100916/Carbon-nanotubes-are-117-times-stronger-than-steel.aspx

Here some other useful links:

http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/multimedia/2013/feb/18/why-are-carbon-nanotubes-so-strong

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XDJC64tDR0

Narrative article: A vicious "Ring of Fire"

It is three o‘clock in the morning. Joaquin Gonzales, a 23-year-old man from Chile is lying in his bed. Suddenly the earth starts shaking. Glass, plates, everything is smashed on the floor and shatters into thousand pieces. Car alarms and barking dogs can be heard from the distance. „Go and get the girls“, Joaquin‘s wife screams desperately. He runs, when all of a sudden the lights go out.

www.inhabitat.com

A few hours later the aftershocks have finally stopped as well. Joaquin and his family are lucky, they survived, but many died. All in all 200 people fell victims to Mother Nature in this night. The earthquake left a trail of destruction: destroyed buildings and snapped power poles are now defining the landscape.

www.boston.com

This is not a rare thing to happen in Chile. The country lies in the middle of the Ring of Fire, an arc of volcanoes and fault lines in the Basin of the Pacific Ocean that is prone to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

[160]

Rhetorical analysis: Carbon nanotubes make your suit bulletproof!

http://www.gizmag.com/bulletproof-suit-carbon-nanotube-garrison/29677/

The article presents the new and fashionable bullet-proof business suit from Garrison Bespoke. The author, Brian Dodson, explains how a normal looking suit can protect a human being from being killed and provides lot of details on the material out of which this suit consists. He states that it contains several sheets of carbon nanotube fabric in its lining. These sheets of carbon nanotubes are thinner and lighter than other materials, like Kevlar, normally used for the production of bulletproof vests. The author explains that the resistance of the suit to bullets and stabbing is due to carbon nanotubes, the strongest and stiffest materials yet discovered. There strength stems from the layers of carbon atoms. Carbon tends to form a very strong bond to itself. The more layers are used, the stronger the bond. As they tend to tighten their weave when a point force tries to "cut" them, they cause the knife to blunt and in this vein stop it from penetrating the fabric. The author tries to undermine these statements by providing the results of tests, that showed that not even a 9mm round can penetrate the different layers. 

www.dailymail.co.uk

You might want to watch this :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJ8VLYGLKPM

High-tech clothing – The attempt at a definition

www.gadgetreview.com

What do we understand when we hear the expression “high-tech clothing”? It can be a number of various things, as this is a really vague term. The term high-tech clothing includes jackets with built-in electronic equipment, jeans equipped with an iPod docking station, sweaters that regulate body temperature, bulletproof suits as well as nano-waterproof clothing. On the other side it also includes different fashion styles, dresses with laser tags sewed on it, glowing leggings, or illuminated sneakers. For this reason high-tech clothing in the sense of fulfilling a certain function is called “functional fashion” or “smart clothing”. 

As this is a very complex and wide ranging topic, this CAJ focuses on functional fashion designed as a second skin. Therefor, in the following blog posts different types of high-tech clothing, such as bulletproof and waterproof suits as well as sweaters regulating body temperature are to be presented and looked at in more detail. 

Sources: 

http://www.catii.com/hightech/hightech036.html

http://www.forbes.com/2007/03/19/hightech-function-clothing-forbeslife-cx_hp_0320smartclothes.html

High-tech clothing – More than just fashion

High-tech clothing does not only look good, but fulfills a wide range of different functions. This functional fashion can be tight-or loose-fitting, casual or elegant, extravagant or it can look like everyday clothes. As can be seen by its functions technology has also reached the fashion world. Smart clothes for men and women come in all forms: from waterproof suits, similar to Laura Crafts garment in Tomb raider, bulletproof clothing in style of a man's suit to sweaters that regulate body temperature. Nothing seems to be impossible. These characteristics and functions are tried to be demonstrated and examined in the course of this CAJ.

In order to make high-tech clothing and its functions more understandable to the readers, the structure as well as the physical and chemical functions of this kind of fashion are to be explained and appropriate examples given. 

First of all a definition of the vague term high-tech fashion is tried to be found, followed by some background information by giving a short insight into the contemporary history of high-tech clothing. Furthermore different types of this functional fashion are named and later introduced one ofter the other, providing information on its characteristics and functions.

creativityandexpression.wordpress.com

Life after death? Come and get it now!

Has one of your beloved ones passed away? Is the pain almost unbearable? Stay in touch. It is as simple as that. You are just one mouse click away from talking to your parents, grandparents or anyone that is no longer on this planet again. Get in touch with immortal.com and make the impossible possible – call: 000 994 3324. 

Vocabulary Notebook

linguistics.ohio.edu

In order to improve my vocabulary and learn the words we need to know for the PCs, I print out the lists on vocabulary.com or write them down myself. I enjoy writing glossaries and I am used to it, because of my Russian classes. In my opinion this is also the best way to remember words. I search for synonyms, antonyms and also look up how all the words are pronounced correctly. I always print out all the lists and glossaries, because I can‘t learn by using the computer. 

If I have to look up a word, I mostly use online dictionaries, because then I can also immediately look at synonyms, antonyms and the pronunciation. In addition I am faster in looking up things on the internet and typing them into a document, than searching for them in a paper dictionary. I also have dictionary apps on my smart phone, thus I can look up a word wherever and whenever I need it. Websites like pons.eu, antimoon.com, dictionary.reference.com, englishpage.com are really very useful when it comes to looking for word definitions. 

I also use the games on vocabulary.com to improve my vocabulary, but it‘s easier for me to remember the words if I see everything I have to study on a printed version. When I study, I read through all the words, and mark the ones I don't know immediately. I keep writing down the really complicated ones and if I still haven‘t memorized them by then, I write them on a Post-it and attach them to my bedroom door. I do that in all my languages and I can really recommend it. Works every time ;).

When I read through an English article or watch my series and I don‘t understand a word I it comes into my personal vocab-book. Like all the techniques described above, I use these little books as well in Russian and in Spanish. 

Maybe that's not the most creative and modern way to study, but for me it's the most effective. 

Pronunciation Diary - Part 2

In order to find out where our weakness lies when reading an unknown text, we did a Pronouncing Diagnostic Exercise. The exercise consisted out of reading a tex aloud for about 30 seconds, while being recorded. Our teachers then listened to these recordings and gave us some feedback on our pronunciation, intonation, sounds that we had trouble with and voicing. 

In the following lines I am going to write about the feedback I got and what I did in order to improve my pronunciation. 

Feedback 

As I already knew I have got problems in pronouncing the “z in “zero“. I pronounce it as an “s”, rather than a “z”. My “t” and “d” sounds at the end of a word are also often difficult to distinguish and sometimes almost silent. I also have some work to do in order to be able to distinguish different sounds involving the letter “a”, like in can, bath, saw, for example. 

As you can see I still have a long way to go, before my pronunciation is perfect (if that ever happens). 

Practice, practice, practice!

www.missiontolearn.com

In order to improve my pronunciation I had a look at the following website: 

http://www.rachelsenglish.com/videos/s-pronounced-z

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFezTa9SGuU

http://www.speakmethod.com/sandzsounds.html

I consulted the following websites to get more information on the “d” and “t” sound:

http://www.grammar.cl/english/pronunciation-ed.htm

http://www.englishclub.com/pronunciation/-ed.htm

http://www.multimedia-english.com/videos/different-pronunciations-for-t-examples--3825

http://www.elementalenglish.com/past-tense-verb-pronunciation-t-d-id/

How to pronounce the letter “a” in a correct way I found on this website: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPP9BcuVklI

I also looked at different websites in order to get a better understanding of American English. I particularly found this one useful, because you really get the chance to practice your pronunciation: 

http://pronuncian.com/

Pronunciation Diary :)

Hey there! 

To begin with, I would like to ask a question: why is pronunciation so important? 

Many people think that pronunciation is not actually that important if your grammar and vocabulary in general is good. Wrong. Pronunciation is the key to a successful communication. Done right, it enables you to understand the person you are talking to without any problems. This fact is also more than important for becoming a good interpreter. Who is going to enjoy listening to an interpreter whose accent is much worse than Arny‘s? 

How good does the pronunciation have to be? 

For my part, I am a perfectionist (which is undoubtedly not the right way to start off the day), so I want to speak like an American, not like an Austrian that tries to talk like an American. However, I think in general it is not important if you do not sound exactly like a native. You should have a good, more or less neutrally pronounced English. That means that you should not pronounce a Spanish r instead of an English one, for example. 

How can you improve your pronunciation? 

• One of the best ways to improve your pronunciation is undoubtedly talking to natives. This means, get a tandempartner! There are so many Americans in Graz if you just start searching for them. First of all you will have the chance to generally improve your English (grammar, vocab, expression) and secondly you learn so much just by listening how they pronounce a word. In addition to that you also see what they do with their lips when they pronounce a word. Babies only learn by imitating their parents, for example. Why shouldn‘t that be possible for us too? Imitate, imitate, imitate! :)
• Now that we did pronunciation exercises in class and most of you know what you still have to work on, you can also ask one of your fellow students to help you. As we don‘t all have the same problems, this is also very helpful in improving your pronunciation. 
• I would also recommend watching TV shows or series. That's how you also learn how the words should sound. Even if you don‘t directly speak while watching them your brain is capable of memorizing the sound and after some time it automatically reproduces them. 
• Vocabulary.com and dictionary.reference.com are also good measures to improve your pronunciation. You can listen to the words, dictionary.reference.com also shows you where exactly the word is stressed and where the difference lies between pronouncing the verb and the noun. 

What have I done so far to improve my pronunciation? 

I love speaking English. That is why I try to talk as often as possible to my friends from the States. I also learn by imitating people and as stated before, I think that is one of the best ways to improve pronunciation. I also watch series and TV shows, which can be as well considered as learning by imitating. Vocabulary.com and dictionary.reference.com always help me to find out how to pronounce a word correctly and, again, as you can listen to how it is pronounced correctly, you learn by imitating. I am really a fan of learning by imitating (as you might have noticed), because if i hear a word once, it usually stays in my mind and I immediately memorize it. 

paper news :)

http://penmasters.net/

Hey folks!

Just writing to let you know that my paper is going well. As you have probably heard before, the title of my paper is "Erasmus – or the never ending story of recognizing your courses". I think it is pretty interesting and affects especially students studying at the Department of Applied Translation Studies in Graz, because it would be important for us to go abroad in order to improve our foreign language skills. 

As I have been an exchange student  myself I know the difficulties that can emerge during an semester abroad. This is also the reason why I have not really had problems structuring my paper. Due to the fact that I know exactly how I am going to structure my paper, the personal experience I have on this field and that I found enough useful sources, in my opinion,  the job of writing the paper itself, it is to say the writing process itself does not appear to be that hard any more. 

As far as my progress is concerned I have already written half of the first version of my paper. I would not hand it in yet, of course, but I think that I will have finished my paper by Christmas.