Effect of material elastic properties and surface roughness on grip performances of ski boot soles under wet and icy conditions

A set of thermoplastic materials employed in soles for alpine skiing boots were characterized in terms of chemical composition, cristallinity, hardness, surface roughness, and grip. The results of friction experiments on different substrates reproducing the real environmental scenarios point out that materials provide more grip as they become softer. Moreover, higher roughness results in lower dynamic coefficient of friction (COF). Finite element simulations corroborate the experimental measures of COF and let to rationalize the role of material elasticity and surface roughness on the frictional characteristics of soles. The measure of grip on an inclined wet surface provides analogous results, indicating that COF can be used as key performance indicator in the design of ski-boot soles and of other anti-slip equipments in wet and icy environments

The meteo-hydrological analysis and the sport performance: which are the connections? The case of the XXI Winter Olympic Games, Vancouver 2010

The main goal of this research is to show how the climatological and meteorological analysis, relatively to a determinate geographical zone and with reference to a specific period of interest, are able be used in sport area for the amelioration of the athlete’s performance

The meteo-hydrological analysis and the sport performance: which are the connections? The case of the XXI Winter Olympic Games, Vancouver 2010

The main goal of this research is to show how the climatological and meteorological analysis, relatively to a determinate geographical zone and with reference to a specific period of interest, are able be used in sport area for the amelioration of the athlete's performanc

Different Conformations of Phosphatase and Tensin Homolog, Deleted on Chromosome 10 (PTEN) Protein within the Nucleus and Cytoplasm of Neurons

PTEN is a critical gene involved in the regulation of many cellular processes. The product of this gene has dual phosphatase activity and is able to dephosphorylate the 5′ end of the phosphatidylinositol (3,4,5)-trisphosphate. Within the cellular nucleus, this protein has been associated with regulation of the expression of many genes, although the mechanism of this regulation remains unclear. In this paper, two specific oligonucleotide aptamers were developed and selected, using the SELEX procedure, according to their ability to detect the PTEN protein in different subcellular compartments of neurons. While one aptamer was able to detect PTEN in the nucleus, the other recognized PTEN in the cytoplasm. The recognition pattern of PTEN by both aptamers was confirmed using antibodies in western blots of the proteins purified from mouse cerebellar homogenates and subcellular fractions. Additionally, we demonstrated that the two aptamers recognized different epitopes of the target peptide. The results presented here could not be fully explained by the canonical phosphatase structure of PTEN, suggesting the existence of different conformations of phosphatase in the nucleus and the cytoplasm

Method for the evaluation of thermal properties and moisture management on ski boots

Winter sports are often performed in severe environmental conditions and this could represent a limit in terms of comfort and therefore performance. Since alpine skiing has the biggest number of practitioners among the winter sports and because the feeling of cold in the feet is one of the most common problem, a testing protocol has been developed to perform outdoor tests on ski boots in order to evaluate the thermal comfort for different shell’s design and for different liner’s material. The tests, performed on both male and female genders wearing the same shell with different liners at the same moment, showed that in certain conditions, especially the colder ones, there will be a big difference in terms of comfort using different liners in the same environmental conditions. Specific tests were made to ensure that such differences between the two feet wasn’t due to physiological difference from left to right feet; for this reason, data has been recorded using the same shell and liner for both the feet, obtaining negligible differences between the two. Moreover, the collected data can be used to product optimization in function of the target of use of the ski boot and liner, choosing the best materials to achieve specific behaviour in terms of heating, breathability and moisture management

Pilot Study for the Evaluation of Thermal Properties and Moisture Management on Ski Boots

Winter sports are often performed in severe environmental conditions and this could represent a limit in terms of comfort and therefore performance. Since alpine skiing has the biggest number of practitioners among the winter sports and because the feeling of cold in the feet is one of the most common problem, a testing method has been developed to perform outdoor tests on ski boots in order to evaluate the thermal comfort for different liner materials. The tests, performed on both male and female skiers wearing the same shell with different liners simultaneously (one on the left foot and one on the right foot), showed that a significant difference in terms of comfort using different liners in the same environmental conditions is present. Specific tests have been made to ensure that such differences between the two feet were not due to physiological difference between left to right feet; for this reason, data has been recorded using the same shell and liner for both feet, obtaining negligible differences between the two. Moreover, the collected data can be used to optimize the target of use of the ski boot and liner, choosing the best materials to achieve specific behaviour in terms of heating, breathability and moisture management

Method for the evaluation of thermal properties and moisture management on ski boots

Winter sports are often performed in severe environmental conditions and this could represent a limit in terms of comfort and therefore performance. Since alpine skiing has the biggest number of practitioners among the winter sports and because the feeling of cold in the feet is one of the most common problem, a testing protocol has been developed to perform outdoor tests on ski boots in order to evaluate the thermal comfort for different shell's design and for different liner's material. The tests, performed on both male and female genders wearing the same shell with different liners at the same moment, showed that in certain conditions, especially the colder ones, there will be a big difference in terms of comfort using different liners in the same environmental conditions. Specific tests were made to ensure that such differences between the two feet wasn't due to physiological difference from left to right feet; for this reason, data has been recorded using the same shell and liner for both the feet, obtaining negligible differences between the two. Moreover, the collected data can be used to product optimization in function of the target of use of the ski boot and liner, choosing the best materials to achieve specific behaviour in terms of heating, breathability and moisture managemen