This doctoral research was realized within the frame of the SMARTNET Project which aimed at developing coatings to improve the cleanability of stainless steel, targeting open surface applications. Throughout this thesis, the radial-flow cell was selected to study the removal of different soils due to its ability to generate well-controlled wall shear stress distributions on the investigated surfaces. Model surfaces were selected for their different physico-chemical and mechanical properties to study the interactions between the soils and the surfaces in detail. A thin layer chromatography sprayer giving a narrower and more reproducible droplet sizes distribution was preferred to mimic splashing and produce controlled spatters. The first experimental campaign involving oil droplets showed that the analytical models available to relate the detachment radius with the critical wall shear stress (minimal wall shear stress required for soil detachment) and the soil adhesion strength in the radial flow cell could only be applied for weakly adherent soils for which removal occurs below 3 Pa, due to the complex hydrodynamics near the inlet. Consequently, the flow inside the radial-flow cell has been characterized using computational fluid dynamics over the whole inlet laminar regime and validated experimentally. Studying the adherence of starch granule aggregates in the radial-flow cell revealed that the conversion of critical radius into critical wall shear stress may be biased when the adhering aggregate height is not negligible with respect to the channel height and when the adherence is such that flow rates above creeping flow conditions are required for soil detachment. The influence of several environmental factors and substrate properties was then examined to improve the understanding of the mechanisms affecting soiling and cleanability. By influencing droplet spreading and competition between capillary forces at the granule-substrate and granule-granule interfaces, substrate wettability affects the shape and compactness of the adhering aggregates, the efficiency of shear forces upon cleaning, and finally the adherence of soiling particles. Macromolecules originating from the starch granules suspension are adsorbed on the substrate from the liquid phase or carried by the retracting film and accumulated at the granule-substrate interface. They influence granule adherence by acting as an adhesive joint, the properties of which seem to be influenced by the detailed history of drying and exposure to humidity. On compliant substrates, the aggregate-substrate interactions induce stresses at the granule-substrate interface which may lead to substrate deformation and promote a more intimate contact between the granules and their substrate, thereby appreciably increasing adherence.

Sea water intake structures submerged in the surf zone are used to provide water for cooling processes in large facilities such as power plants and refineries. Structures submerged in the surf zone are subject to large forces from breaking waves. To study these forces induced from realistic sea state conditions, a physical model of an intake structure submerged in the wave breaking zone was constructed and subjected to a wide spectrum of regular and irregular waves. The model structure was designed in a manner so force measurement could be isolated to separate components of the structure. The data of peak forces on the structure was analyzed for correlations with varying irregular wave properties. Using the results of forcing on the structure from regular wave tests, drag and inertia coefficients for use in the Morison equation were determined for each separate component and configuration of the structure. These force coefficients were plotted against various wave properties to analyze correlations with wave conditions. Finally, the force coefficients for the structure were used with the Morison equation and current data from the experiments to successfully model forcing on the structure during irregular wave tests.

Thesis (Master, Political Studies) -- Queen's University, 2007-10-25 13:31:32.904 / My thesis is an examination of militarized masculinity in Canada’s JTF2 Special Forces and the Private Security Firm Blackwater. I employ a gender analysis to highlight how militarized masculinity impedes women’s participation from Special Forces and private security firms. Feminist scholarship by Cynthia Enloe, Ann Tickner, Sandra Whitworth, and Charlotte Hooper has examined how militarized masculinity is associated within a particular political/situational context and therefore should be understood in its plural—as militarized masculinities. However, there is limited scholarship focusing on how masculinities vary in Special Forces and private security firms. This lack of scholarship results in limited knowledge of the implications militarized masculinity in these units has for women’s security and for women’s participation in these units. The purpose of this thesis is to add to the current literature by exploring, through militarized masculinities, the gender barriers to women’s participation and the consequences of the security produced when these units deploy. To analyze the impact of militarized masculinity in these units I conducted interviews with authorities on these units, applicants interested in participating in these units, and performed a content analysis of Blackwater’s website. I argue based on the information gathered that militarized masculinity, while varied in its application in special units and private security firms, continues to impede women’s participation and in some cases can cause greater insecurity for women where these units are deployed. / Master

This work presents first-principles calculations of long-range intermolecular dispersion energies between two atoms or molecules and of electronic circular dichroism spectra of chiral molecules. The former is expressed in terms of the C6 dipole-dipole dispersion coefficients Δε, and the latter is given in terms of the extinction coefficient. In a series of publications, the complex linear polarization propagator method has been shown to be a powerful tool to provide accurate ab initio and first-principles density functional theory results. This was the case not only for the C6 dispersion coefficients but also for the electronic circular dichroism at an arbitrary wavelength ranging from the optical to the X-ray regions of the spectrum. The selected samples for the investigation of dispersion interactions in the electronic ground state are the noble gases, n-alkanes, polyacenes, azabenzenes, alkali-metal clusters, and C60. It is found that the values of C6 for the sodium-cluster-to-fullerene interactions are well within the error bars of the experiment. The proposed method can also be used to determine dispersion energies for species in their respective excited electronic states. The C6 dispersion coefficients for the first π → π* excited state of the azabenzene molecules have been obtained with the adopted method in the multiconfiguration self-consistent field approximation. The dispersion energy of the π → π* excited state is smaller than that of the ground state. It is found that the characteristic frequencies ω1 defined in the London approximation of n-alkanes vary in a narrow range which makes it possible to construct a simple structure-to-property relationship based on the number of π-bonds for the dispersion interaction in these saturated compounds. However, this simple approach is not applicable to the interactions of the π-conjugated systems since, depending on the systems, their characteristic frequencies ω1 can vary greatly. In addition, an accomplishment of calculations of the electronic circular dichroism spectra in the near-edge X-ray absorption has been demonstrated.

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Introduction. Despite increased metabolic demands, infantry soldiers are known to not eat enough during military manoeuvres. We undertook this study to examine food provided and consumed by male soldiers in the Canadian Forces in operational environments to examine and potentially improve their nutrition. / Methods. Subjects recorded their food intakes using dietary questionnaires during two exercises. The adequacy of dietary intake and the nutrient value of foods offered were assessed against Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI). / Results. Soldiers did not consume enough energy, carbohydrate, fibre, folate, vitamin C, potassium and calcium compared to operational requirements. The combat rations provided less than the recommended DRI for some nutrients. Food sources of nutrients were examined. / Discussion. We recommend increasing the quantity of easy-to-eat nutrient-dense foods while decreasing sodium content. To optimize nutrition and combat readiness, new products rich in carbohydrate, potassium, folate and calcium need to be added.

My thesis is an examination militarized masculinity in Canada's JTF2 Special Forces and the Private Security Firm Blackwater. I employ a gender analysis to highlight how militarized masculinity impedes women's participation from Special Forces and private security firms. Feminist scholarship by Cynthia Enloe, Ann Tickner, Sandra Whitworth, and Charlotte Hooper has examined how militarized masculinity is associated within a particular political/situational context and therefore should be understood in its plural--as militarized masculinities. However, there is limited scholarship focusing on how masculinities vary in Special Forces and private security firms. This lack of scholarship results in limited knowledge of the implications militarized masculinity in these units has for women's security and for women's participation in these units. The purpose of this thesis is to add to the current literature by exploring, through militarized masculinities, the gender barriers to women's participation and the consequences of the security produced when these units deploy. To analyze the impact of militarized masculinity in these units I conducted interviews with authorities on these units, applicants interested in participating in these units, and performed a content analysis of Blackwater's website. I argue based on the information gathered that militarized masculinity, while varied in its application in special units and private security firms, continues to impede women's participation and in some cases can cause greater insecurity for women where these units are deployed.

Sea water intake structures submerged in the surf zone are used to provide water for cooling processes in large facilities such as power plants and refineries. Structures submerged in the surf zone are subject to large forces from breaking waves. To study these forces induced from realistic sea state conditions, a physical model of an intake structure submerged in the wave breaking zone was constructed and subjected to a wide spectrum of regular and irregular waves. The model structure was designed in a manner so force measurement could be isolated to separate components of the structure. The data of peak forces on the structure was analyzed for correlations with varying irregular wave properties. Using the results of forcing on the structure from regular wave tests, drag and inertia coefficients for use in the Morison equation were determined for each separate component and configuration of the structure. These force coefficients were plotted against various wave properties to analyze correlations with wave conditions. Finally, the force coefficients for the structure were used with the Morison equation and current data from the experiments to successfully model forcing on the structure during irregular wave tests.

This thesis examines how and why two amateur videos, broadcast across Canada in 1995, contributed to the disbandment of the Canadian Airborne Regiment. A brief history of the Airborne highlights discipline problems that were known to exist before the videos were broadcast. Common assumptions about images, particularly amateur video images, are explored. The concept of the "media event" is used to show how mediation magnified the videos' impact. A detailed examination of the videos and their constructions as news stories demonstrates how narrative frames and the newsmaking process in general shaped what the public saw. A general content analysis of the media coverage surrounding the videos shows how a moral panic developed when Canadian values were threatened. It is argued that the videos and reaction to them shed more light on attitudes Canadians wanted to keep hidden than they did on any secrets the military harboured.