This paper aims to argue that TSS prevention has been and continues to be the responsibility of the menstruator and that this responsibility restricts menstrual freedoms. First, this paper will demonstrate that tampons were an integral part of menstrual culture when the TSS health crisis began in 1980. Secondly, the efforts of the CDC to mitigate, how the mitigations played out in print media, and what tampon manufacturers were doing will be analyzed to argue that mitigations restricted menstrual freedom while simultaneously making any future occurrence of TSS a product of user error. Finally, the current preventative advice given to menstruators, current CDC activity, and current scientific understandings and activity are analyzed to argue that menstruators are still restricted and made responsible for TSS today.

Pavements in Canada that are built on top of frost susceptible soil experience loss of support in early spring as the frozen structure begins thawing. To minimize pavement damage, low- volume roads rely on Spring Load Restrictions (SLR), since building these roads to withstand spring thaw is usually not feasible. However, implementing SLR increases operational costs to commercial transporters and impacts local economies. The Ministry of Transportation Ontario (MTO) is routinely faced with requests from the truck industry to lift restrictions on certain roads, and questioning from municipalities that seek understanding on the needs for SLR in their roads. To help answer these questions, a comprehensive study was performed at 15 Seasonal Load Adjustment (SLA) stations across Ontario. The data collected included Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD) testing, borehole investigation, climatic data, traffic volumes, and pavement rehabilitation data. A backcalculation using the FWD data estimated pavement structural capacity and remaining service life for each SLA for different dates throughout spring, followed by a life cycle analysis using the rehabilitation data. The SLAs were divided in three groups of similar pavement support conditions based on the service life analysis results. Results indicate that none of Group 1 SLAs need load restrictions, with the calculated remaining service life being greater than 25 years for all test dates. Within Group 2, pavement recovery throughout spring suggests that SLR could extend service life, although generally not necessary for the intended life cycle. Results indicate most SLAs in Group 2 achieving a full life cycle from the last rehabilitation activities for estimates based on early spring parameters, suggesting that these roads were likely designed with spring conditions accounted for. For Group 3, the lack of structural support and low service life values indicate the need for strict load restrictions to avoid excessive damage and maintain serviceability. Pavements with high-quality subgrades, granular structures and non-frost susceptible materials, thick asphalt layers and major rehabilitation activities were found to generally perform well for spring conditions. However, with several site-specific conditions, an overall recommendation for implementation of SLR cannot be generalized based on the pavement structure and subgrade soil type alone. The structural condition and thawing behaviour of individual sites must be thoroughly understood before a decision is made, as investigation might indicate that some roads can withstand full traffic year-round and would not need SLR, while others might need more rigorous restrictions. In addition to the service life analysis, approximately 600 lane km of deflection data was collected using a Multi-Speed Deflectometer in Southern Ontario. Recommendations were made for potential applications of the equipment as a network screening device, able to identify weak road sections in a time and cost-effective manner prior to a detailed investigation using FWD; and for regular monitoring of road conditions at a network level, including the monitoring of seasonal variations. / Thesis / Master of Applied Science (MASc)

Master of Science / Department of Grain Science and Industry / Sajid Alavi / The objective of the study was to investigate extrusion as an alternative processing method and grain sorghum as a viable substitute for corn in fortified blended foods (FBFs) used in nutrition and food assistance programs around the world. In the first part of this study, sorghum-soy blend (SSB), corn-soy blend (CSB) and whole corn-soy blend (WCSB) were developed using extrusion and compared with traditional CSB13 for physico-chemical and sensory properties. After milling of extrudates, average particle size (PS) ranged between 341-447 microns, with 78-85% below 600 microns. In general, Bostwick flow rates (VB=12-23 cm/min) of rehydrated blends (11.75% solids) were within standard specifications but higher than CSB13. Descriptive sensory analysis indicated that the sorghum-based rehydrated blends were significantly less lumpy and had a more uniform texture as compared to corn-based blends and CSB13. In the second part, the impact of decortication level and process conditions was investigated with respect to sorghum-based extruded blends. Degree of gelatinization of the whole sorghum-soy blend (WSSB) and decorticated sorghum-soy blend (DSSB) extrudates ranged from 93-97%. Expansion ratio (ER=3.6-6.1) was correlated with specific mechanical energy input (SME=145-415 kJ/kg; r=0.99) and average particle size after milling (PS=336-474 microns; r= -0.75). Rehydrated blends at 20% solids concentration provided recommended energy density (0.8 kcal/g) for FBFs. Bostwick flow rates had high correlation (r = -0.91) with pasting data (final viscosity) obtained using rapid visco analyzer (RVA). Addition of oil (5.5%) prior to extrusion was also studied, and resulted in process instabilities and also lower shelf-life as determined via descriptive sensory analysis (rancid and painty attributes) and gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (hexanal, heptenal and octanal concentrations). In conclusion, extruded sorghum-soy blends met standard specifications for energy density and consistency (Bostwick flow rate), and were superior in some aspects as compared to extruded corn-soy blends and traditional corn-soy blends (CSB13). Relationships between extrusion mechanical energy input, expansion, particle size after milling and consistency of rehydrated blends were established. Consistency of the rehydrated blends is an extremely important criterion as it affects the ease of ingestion by target consumers (children below 5 years, in this case).

Resource scarcity and increasing environmental pressure have raised the stakes for rethinking material efficiency and textile recycling potential. As current practices fail to feed a closed loop recycling system, this research aims to contribute to the improvement of prevailing practices regarding denim as one of the most popular apparel materials worldwide while focusing on the issue of increasing amounts of discarded post-consumer textiles. The superordinate objective to define the optimum point for denim recycling to retain the value of the cotton fibre as long as possible in a closed loop system, thereby elevating the recycling efficiency, can be considered a key driver for the present research. The following data acquisition is constructed and executed along a mixed method research, in which a qualitative approach based on expert interviews informs and builds up on the quantitative counter part of laboratory use simulation testing on two different denim fabrics and vice versa, leading to an embedded research design. A subjective assessment of potential alterations of the denim fabrics’ visual and tactile characteristics, caused by the use simulation, provides quantitative data through an employed expert panel, which is enhanced by objectively recorded results from the conducted tear strength test and comparative weight investigation to inform changes regarding the physical properties. The applied research methods provide parameters to monitor the decomposition and weakening of the overall fabric structure throughout the experiment. The analysis of the data allowed to assign the number of washing and drying cycles, that a denim garment has undergone, to a corresponding degree of degradation. The presented findings are a valuable resource for developing and innovating current open-end recycling options. The maintenance of the raw material value throughout various reprocessing cycles can counteract the elevated natural fibre scarcity. The insights on the material and process level build a fundament for the successful operationalisation and management of sustainable recycling practices. Further research in this field can pave the way towards value retaining circularity.

Master's thesis deals with the damage tolerance analysis of wing-to-fuselage joint of L 410 NG airplane. Thesis includes determination of the load distribution to the individual attachments of wing-to-fuselage joint, residual strength analysis and residual fatigue life analysis of the most loaded attachment lugs, calculation of fatigue crack growth curves in the attachment solids and inspection program proposal. This analysis was performed using FE model of the wing and central part of the fuselage and AFGROW software.