In the past few years, studies regarding new bio-based materials have led to an increased attention in the nanoscale product of cellulose, called nanocellulose. This biodegradable and renewable material has interesting physical, optical and thermal properties. The optical properties could be affected by tuning the nanostructure of the material, which makes it interesting for further investigation. The promising properties of nanocellulose can be useful in many different applications. The aim of this work was therefore to study the optical properties of nanocellulose, and to examine if the material is suitable for spectral design of camouflage or in passive cooling applications. The optical properties of a nanocellulose, specifically cellulose nanofiber (CNF), have been studied. Freestanding CNF films and CNF films deposited on glass substrates were made and characterized by spectroscopy, ellipsometry, BRDF measurements, and optical microscopy. The freestanding samples were examined with different CNF concentrations of 0.52% and 1.0%, and different thicknesses. The samples on glass substrates all had a concentration of 1.0% CNF, but with different amount deposited solution which was either drop or spin coated. The freestanding CNF samples show high transmission in the visual region and relatively high emissivity in the atmospheric windows. This implies that it can be used as an effective material for passive radiative cooling. A thicker sample could also be used to increase the emissivity in the atmospheric windows and improve the ability for passive cooling. The low reflectance, and high emissivity in the atmospheric windows can be promising for use in camouflage applications, according to earlier studies. However, the suitable properties are very dependent on the spectral response of the background. Additional measurements need to be performed and more specified scenarios are necessary to draw any further conclusions.

De récentes études ont démontré que le profil féminin de l’autisme apparaît méconnu au sein de la communauté psycho-médicale, de sorte que de nombreuses femmes autistes échappent indéfiniment au diagnostic de leur condition neurologique ou ne prennent connaissance de celle-ci qu’une fois leur vie adulte bien entamée. Si le fait d’enfin prendre connaissance de l’origine de leur différence peut permettre aux personnes se découvrant autistes à un âge avancé de mieux comprendre leur propre fonctionnement et de favoriser le respect, par elles-mêmes comme par autrui, des besoins particuliers lui étant associés, les significations se voyant accordées au diagnostic d’autisme tardivement obtenu d’un point de vue identitaire apparaissent peu explorées à ce jour. La présente recherche a ainsi pour objectif premier d’analyser, sur la base de vingt entretiens semi-dirigés menés auprès d’autant de femmes autistes diagnostiquées à l’âge adulte, la façon dont ces dernières sont amenées à redéfinir la conception et l’expression de leur identité personnelle suivant la confirmation de leur différence neurologique. Notre cueillette de données ayant été réalisée en terrain mixte, soit au Québec en France, nous nous intéressons également à la manière dont un tel processus de redéfinition identitaire peut se voir influencé par le contexte géographique dans lequel évolue la personne concernée, et notamment par les représentations dominantes de l’autisme prévalant au sein de celui-ci. Enfin, nous nous interrogeons à savoir si l’émergence de mouvements sociaux luttant pour une meilleure reconnaissance sociale de l’autisme féminin ainsi que pour une plus grande valorisation de la diversité neurologique inhérente à l’espèce humaine peut se voir associée chez nos participantes au développement d’une identité collective en tant que femmes autistes ou, plus largement, en tant que personnes concernées par une forme de neurodivergence. Les résultats obtenus indiquent que l’obtention d’un diagnostic à l’âge adulte semble donner lieu chez les femmes autistes à une reconstruction identitaire globalement positive, mais que plusieurs d’entre elles demeurent réticentes à l’idée d’exprimer leur identité ainsi reconstruite auprès d’autrui dans un contexte social qu’elles estiment marqué par la prévalence d’une conception péjorative et stéréotypée de l’autisme de même que par une culture de la conformité exposant toute personne dont la manière d’être ou d’agir s’écarte des normes en place à un certain risque de stigmatisation. Nous avançons toutefois que le fait de revendiquer ouvertement leur différence à titre individuel et collectif pourrait justement permettre aux femmes autistes de contribuer à une évolution des mentalités entourant leur réalité singulière et, du fait même, à la création d’une société plus tolérante et inclusive en matière de neurodiversité. / Recent studies have shown that the female profile of autism remains largely unknown within the psycho-medical community, to the extent that many autistic women see their condition go indefinitely undetected or only get diagnosed well into their adult lives. While becoming aware of the origin of their difference may enable people discovering themselves to be autistic at an advanced age to better understand their own functioning and to ensure respect, by themselves and others alike, for the particular needs associated with it, the ways in which the late diagnosis of autism can be interpreted from an identity point of view appear to have been little explored to date. The primary objective of this research is thus to analyze, on the basis of twenty semi-structured interviews conducted with as many autistic women diagnosed in adulthood, the ways in which they can be led to redefine the conception and expression of their personal identity following the confirmation of their neurological difference. As our data collection was carried out in two distinct locations, namely in Quebec and in France, we are also interested in how such an identity redefinition process might be influenced by the geographic context in which the person concerned evolves, and especially by the dominant representations of autism prevailing within that context. Finally, we examine whether the emergence of social movements struggling for better social recognition of female autism and for greater appreciation of the neurological diversity inherent to humankind can be associated in our participants with the development of a collective identity as autistic women or, more broadly, as people affected by some form of neurodivergence. Our results indicate that the diagnosis of autism in adulthood appears to result in an overall positive identity reconstruction for autistic women, but that many of them remain reluctant to express their reconstructed identity to others in a social context they perceive to be marked by the prevalence of a pejorative and stereotypical conception of autism and by a culture of conformity that exposes anyone whose way of being or acting deviates from the norms in place to a certain risk of stigmatization. We suggest, however, that openly asserting their difference as individuals and as a group may enable autistic women to contribute to a change in attitudes regarding their specific reality and, as a result, to the creation of a more tolerant and inclusive society with respect to neurodiversity as a whole.

Kamouflagenät är ett viktigt verktyg inom försvarsindustrin där det används för att maskera eller dölja objekt från att bli visuellt upptäckta. Kamouflagenät är utformade för att efterlikna den omgivande miljön eller terräng som den appliceras vid. Traditionellt tillverkas kamouflagesystemen genom virkningsstekniken bi-axial varptrikå med två system inslagstrådar i 0° respektive 90°. För produktutvecklingens syfte att tillverka ett lätt kamouflagenät med lämpliga hållfasthetsegenskaper, undersöks tekniken multi-axial varptrikå med fyra system inslagstrådar i 0°, 90° och ±45°. Genom semi-strukturerade intervjuer med experter inom bi- och multi-axial varptrikå samlas det in information och fakta om multi-axial teknik. Detta fungerar som en grund för att avgöra om det är en möjlig teknik för den befintliga produkten. En teoretisk modellering utförs sedan för att undersöka, förutsäga samt jämföra beteenden och egenskaper hos de bi- och multi-axiella strukturerna. De semi-strukturerade intervjuerna resulterade i en omfattande och informativ faktainsamling om multi-axial teknik. Det inhämtades underlag gällande hur tillämpbar den multi-axiella tekniken är för kamouflagenät, samt information om maskinens begränsningar och trådorientering. Den teoretiska modelleringen innebär tillämpning av kända matematiska och fysikaliska begrepp, modelleringen lägger således en grund för att förstå mekaniska beteenden hos bi -och multi-axiella strukturer då de utsätts för små deformationer. Den teoretiska modelleringen resulterade i värden som beskriver styvheten hos de båda strukturerna vid deformationer på =0,01 i fyra riktningar. Kunskapen om lämpliga styvhetsegenskaper för kamouflagenät i kombination med resultatet från den teoretiska modelleringen lade en grund för att dra slutsatser om ifall multi-axiella strukturer, som är lika lätta som motsvarande bi-axiella strukturer vilka idag används i kamouflagenät, är lämpliga för att användas i kamouflagenät. Resultaten från modelleringen visar att de multi-axiella strukturerna i nästan samtliga fall har lägre elasticitetsmodul än deras motsvarande bi-axiella strukturer, detta innebär att det inte krävs lika stor kraft för att deformera de multi-axiella strukturerna. Modelleringen visar även att de båda strukturerna besitter olika egenskaper i olika riktningar, där de multi-axiella strukturerna beter sig likadant i alla fyra riktningar, till skillnad från de bi-axiella strukturerna som inte gör det. Enligt resultatet beror styvheten för de båda strukturerna på ett antal olika faktorer; trådtäthet, garnnummer och effektiv bredd, vilka appliceras som variabler i den teoretiska modelleringen. Modelleringen resulterade alltså därmed både till en förståelse för vilka faktorer som bidrar till skillnader i styvheten, och hur styvheten förhåller sig hos de båda strukturerna i olika riktningar. Studien visar att det i praktiken finns goda möjligheter för tillverkning av kamouflagenät i multi-axial varptrikå och att de multi-axiella strukturerna både kan göra kamouflagenäten mindre styva och bidra till isotropiska egenskaper. / Camouflage net is an essential device in the arms industry, where it is utilized to camouflage and hide objects from being visually detected. The camouflage net is designed to imitate the surrounding environment or terrain in which it is being applied. Traditionally, camouflage systems are manufactured using a knitting technique called bi-axial warp knitting with two systems of inlay yarns in 0° and 90° angles relative to the fabrics warp direction. To enhance the current product and produce light camouflage net with suitable strength properties, the multi-axial warp knitting technique with four systems of inlay yarns at 0°, 90° and ±45° angles is investigated. By utilizing semi-structured interviews with experts in the area of bi- and multi-axial warp knitting, can information and facts about multi-axial be collected and be used as a basis for concluding whether multi-axial is a suitable technique for the existing product. A theoretical modeling is then performed to examine, predict and compare the behaviors and properties of the bi- and multi-axial structures. The semi-structured interviews resulted in a comprehensive and informative collection of data about multi-axial technique. It also gathered information about the suitability and application of the technique to camouflage nets, as well as information regarding the machine’s limitations and thread orientation. The theoretical modeling involves the application of known mathematical and physical concepts, thus providing a foundation for understanding the mechanical behavior of bi- and multi-axial structures under small deformations. The theoretical modeling resulted in values that describe the stiffness of both structures at deformations of =0,01 in four directions. The knowledge of appropriate stiffness properties for camouflage nets, combined with the results from the theoretical modeling, laid the groundwork for drawing conclusions about the suitability of using multi-axial structures, which are as lightweight as the corresponding bi-axial structures currently used in camouflage nets. The modeling results show that the multi-axial structures generally have a lower initial modulus than their corresponding bi-axial structures, indicating that less force is required to deform the multi-axial structures. The modeling also reveals that the two structures exhibit different properties in different directions, with the multi-axial structures behaving similarly in all four directions, unlike the bi-axial structures. According to the results, the stiffness of both structures depends on several factors: thread density, yarn count, and effective width, which are applied as variables in the theoretical modeling. Thus, the modeling provides an understanding of the factors contributing to differences in stiffness and how the stiffness varies between the two structures in different directions. The study demonstrates that there are promising opportunities for manufacturing camouflage nets using multi-axial warp knit fabric in practice, and that the multi-axial structures can both reduce the stiffness of camouflage nets and contribute to isotropic properties.