Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Exhalation'

This thesis provides the measurements of 222Rn exhalation rates, 210Pb deposition rates and excess 210Pb inventories for locations in and around Ranger Uranium Mine and Jabiru located within Kakadu National Park, Australia. Radon-222 is part of the natural 238U series decay chain and the only gas to be found in the series under normal conditions. Part of the natural redistribution of 222Rn in the environment is a portion exhales from the ground and disperses into the atmosphere. Here it decays via a series of short-lived progeny, that attach themselves to aerosol particles, to the long lived isotope 210Pb (T1/2 = 22.3 y). Attached and unattached 210Pb is removed from the atmosphere through wet and dry deposition and deposited on the surface of the earth, the fraction deposited on soils is gradually transported through the soil and can create a depth profile of 210Pb. Here it decays to the stable isotope 206Pb completing the 238U series. Measurements of 222Rn exhalation rates and 210Pb deposition rates were performed over complete seasonal cycles, August 2002 - July 2003 and May 2003 - May 2004 respectively. The area is categorised as wet and dry tropics and it experiences two distinct seasonal patterns, a dry season (May-October) with little or no precipitation events and a wet season (December-March) with almost daily precipitation and monsoonal troughs. November and April are regarded as transitional months. As the natural processes of 222Rn exhalation and 210Pb deposition are heavily influenced by soil moisture and precipitation respectively, seasonal variations in the exhalation and deposition rates were expected. It was observed that 222Rn exhalation rates decreased throughout the wet season when the increase in soil moisture retarded exhalation. Lead-210 deposition peaked throughout the wet season as precipitation is the major scavenging process of this isotope from the atmosphere. Radon-222 is influenced by other parameters such as 226Ra activity concentration and distribution, soil porosity and grain size. With the removal of the influence of soil moisture during the dry season it was possible to examine the effect of these other variables in a more comprehensive manner. This resulted in categorisation of geomorphic landscapes from which the 222Rn exhalation rate to 226Ra activity concentration ratios were similar during the dry season. These results can be extended to estimate dry season 222Rn exhalation rates from tropical locations from a measurement of 226Ra activity concentration. Through modelling the 210Pb budget on local and regional scales it was observed that there is a net loss of 210Pb from the region, the majority of which occurs during the dry season. This has been attributed to the fact that 210Pb attached to aerosols is transported great distance with the prevailing trade winds created by a Hadley Circulation cell predominant during the dry season (winter) months. By including the influence of factors such as water inundation and natural 210Pb redistribution in the soil wet season budgeting of 210Pb on local and regional scales gave very good results.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Virginia Commonwealth University, 2008.<br>Prepared for: Dept. of Mechanical Engineering. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 212-233). Also available online via the Internet.

Auto-PEEP is auto positive end-expiratory pressure due to excessive amounts of alveolar gas produced by sustained recurrent incomplete exhalation. Incomplete exhalation occurs when the exhaled breath never reaches a flow rate of 0 L/min. The objective of this dissertation is to develop an automated detection system of auto-PEEP through incomplete exhalation as revealed by ventilator graphics for mechanically ventilated adults. Auto-PEEP can cause adverse effects if allowed to linger and if not quickly identified. An automated detection system will be instrumental in helping to quickly identify auto-PEEP. A computerized algorithm was developed to detect incomplete exhalation based on the following three parameters:1) Foi, was used to represent the value of the flow at the onset of inhalation, 2) ∆T, was used to represent the value of time difference between onset inhalation to the 0 L/min mark, and 3) slope threshold, a value set for the slope of change of flow over ∆T. Optimum parameters of the algorithm were achieved for Foi = -3 L/min, ∆T = 0.2 s, and slope threshold = 90 L-s/min. A novel data set was introduced to validate the algorithm, yielding no significant difference in true positive rates (t = 1.5, df = 12.402, p-value = 0.1408) and false positive rates (t = 1.9, df = 16.765, p-value = 0.0725) as outcomes for two-tailed t-tests comparing the novel and old data set. To determine the relationship between auto-PEEP and detection of sustained incomplete exhalation, a correlation of a linear model of the novel data set between auto-PEEP and the percentage of incomplete exhalation detection out of the existing breaths (index) was investigated. A linear model should interpret the index value that corresponds to significant auto-PEEP presence; unfortunately, no significant linear model was found between incomplete exhalation index and auto-PEEP (F1,62 = 1.67, p-value = 0.2010). However, there was a relationship between the intrinsic PEEP values and the incomplete exhalation index as functions of time. The automated detection algorithm produced by this work provides a non-invasive method of automatically detecting auto-PEEP.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD<br>In Africa as well as in the world, South Africa plays an important role in the mining industry which dates back almost 120 years. Mining activities in South Africa mainly take place in Gauteng Province. Every year millions of tons of rocks are taken from underground, milled and processed to extract gold. Uranium is one of the minerals which is mined as a by-product of gold. The uranium bearing tailings are then placed on large dumps which are usually one or more kilometres in diameter in the environment. There are approximately 250 gold mine tailings dumps covering a total area of about 7000 ha. These gold mine tailings dumps contain considerable amounts of radium (226Ra) and have therefore been identified as large sources of radon (222Rn). Radon release from these tailings dumps pose health concerns for the surrounding communities. This study reports on the 222Rn soil-gas concentrations and exhalations measurements which were conducted at a non-operational mine dump (Kloof) which belongs to Carletonville Gold Field, Witwatersrand, South Africa. Radon soil-gas concentrations were measured using a continuous radon monitor (the Durridge RAD7). The radon soil gas concentration levels were measured at depths starting from 30 cm below ground/air interface up to 110 cm at intervals of 20 cm. These radon soil-gas measurements were performed at five different spots on the mine dump. The concentrations recorded ranged from to kBq.m-3. Furthermore, thirty four soil samples were taken from these spots for laboratory-based measurement. The soil samples were collected in the depth range 0-30 cm and measured using the low-background Hyper Pure Germanium (HPGe) -ray detector available at the Environmental Radioactivity Laboratory (ERL), iThemba LABS, Western Cape Province. The weighted average activity concentrations in the soils samples were Bq.kg-1, Bq.kg-1 and Bq.kg-1 for 238U, 40K and 232Th, respectively. 1 26 23 472 7 308 5 2551 18 The activity concentration of 40K and the decay series of 238U and 232Th for the top 30 cm of the accessible parts of the mine dump were measured using the MEDUSA (Multi-Element Detector for Underwater Sediment Activity) -ray detection system which was mounted on the front of a 44 vehicle, 0.6 m off the ground. The spectra acquired by the MEDUSA system were analysed and the activity concentrations were extracted using the Full Spectrum Analysis approach. The average activity concentrations obtained were 25975 Bq.kg-1 for 40K, 30940 Bq.kg-1 for 238U series and 185Bq.kg-1 for 232Th series for 2002 survey while 26075 Bq.kg-1 for 40K, 31040 Bq.kg-1 for 238U series and 20 5 Bq.kg-1 for 232Th series were recorded for 2010 survey. Moreover, a novel technique by means of the MEDUSA -ray detection system was utilised to map radon exhalation from the Kloof mine dump. In this technique the 214Bi concentration in the top 30 cm of the dump, which is used as a proxy for the 238U or 226Ra concentration, is measured even though there is not secular equilibrium between the radium and bismuth because radon has escaped. The actual activity concentrations of 40K and 226Ra are obtained from soil samples which were collected, sealed and measured in the laboratory settings after attaining secular equilibrium since radon gas does not escape. By comparing the ratios of the activity concentrations of the 214Bi obtained in the field using the MEDUSA -ray detector system to the activity concentrations of the 214Bi obtained in the laboratory using the HPGe -ray detector system yields a reasonable radon exhalation for a particular location in the mine dump. In this case it is assumed that the 40K and 232Th series activity concentrations are not or hardly affected by radon exhalation. By applying this new technique an average normalised radon flux of 0.120.02 and 0.120.02 Bq.m-2.s-1 were obtained for 2002 and 2010 surveys, respectively. The electrets and the IAEA standard formula were also utilised to calculated radon fluxes yielding 0.060.02 and 0.120.02 Bq.m-2.s-1 respectively.

Os radionuclídeos naturais de origem primordial, ou terrestres, são encontrados em quantidades variadas em todo meio ambiente. Nas residências, um importante incremento de dose (INDOOR), é devido aos materiais de construção, que contribuem tanto com a dose externa gama, proveniente das séries do 238U, 235U e 232Th e do radionuclídeo isolado 40K, quanto com a dose interna que é devida principalmente à inalação do 222Rn. Uma vez que rochas graníticas são amplamente utilizadas como materiais de construção, tanto estruturais como de revestimento, estas podem tornar-se uma importante fonte de dose, dependendo das concentrações de radioatividade que apresentem, e da forma e quantidade que são aplicadas nas construções. Neste trabalho foi gerado um banco de dados para rochas graníticas do escudo cristalino paranaense (principalmente da Região Metropolitana de Curitiba, RMC), que são utilizadas na construção civil avaliando em termos de proteção radiológica o incremento da dose, externa e interna, causada pela utilização destes materiais. Também foram estudadas as possíveis correlações entre a concentração de atividade de 226Ra, taxa de exalação de 222Rn, densidade, porosidade e composição química (teor de óxidos constituintes) nestas amostras. A dose externa foi avaliada por meio da técnica de espectrometria gama com detector de germânio hiperpuro, onde as concentrações de atividade dos radionuclídeos 226Ra, 232Th e 40K são os parâmetros utilizados em modelos dosimétricos (Índices Dosimétricos), os quais estabelecem limites máximos permitidos de acordo com forma, quantidade e aplicação do material de construção. Para o cálculo da dose efetiva anual externa foi adotado o modelo de sala com dimensões 4 m x 5 m x 2,8 m e todas as paredes são revestidas internamente com granitos de espessura de 2 cm e considerando o tempo de exposição anual de 7000 h, conforme sugerido pela Comissão Européia de Proteção Radiológica para materiais de revestimento interno supercial. A exposição interna foi avaliada a partir da concentração de radônio no ar da sala modelo, simulada a partir do valor da taxa de exalação supercial de 222Rn. A taxa de exalação foi determinada pela técnica de detecção passiva utilizando detectores sólidos de traços nucleares (CR-39) por meio da técnica do recipiente selado, considerando taxa de ventilação de 0,5 h-1 e tempo de exposição anual de 7000 h . Os resultados destes estudos mostram que o incremento da dose efetiva anual externa variou de (62 &plusmn; 3) &mu;Sv.a-1 a (138 &plusmn; 1) &mu;Sv.a-1 e o incremento da dose efetiva anual interna variou de (0,39 &plusmn; 0,04) &mu;Sv.a-1 a (70 &plusmn; 4) &mu;Sv.a-1. Estes valores estão abaixo do limite máximo de 1 mSv.a-1 sugerido pela Comissão Européia de Proteção Radiológica, portanto os granitos avaliados neste trabalho podem ser utilizados sem implicações radiológicas desde que obedecido o cenário descrito. Os valores obtidos para a contribuição devida à dose interna variaram de 1 % a 78 % dos valores obtidos para a respectiva dose externa, mostrando que a contribuição do radônio varia fortemente com o tipo da rocha. Os resultados das correlações entre taxa de exalação supercial de 222Rn, concentração de atividade de 226Ra, densidade, porosidade e principais óxidos componentes das amostras, mostraram que, em termos de inuência na fração de emanação do radônio, o parâmetro mais importante é a densidade, devido a baixa porosidade e a semelhança em termos de composição química entre as amostras.<br>Primordial, or terrestrial natural radionuclides, are found in dierent amounts in the environment. In dwellings, an important dose increment is due to building materials, which contribute for both the external gamma dose from the radionuclides of the 238U, 235U and 232Th series and the natural 40K and the internal dose, due mainly to 222Rn inhalation. Once granitic rocks are widely used both as construction materials or structural flooring, those rocks can become an important dose source, depending on the content of concentrations of radioactivity, and the construction application. In this work, a database for granitic rocks of the crystalline shield of Paraná (mainly in the Metropolitan Region of Curitiba, RMC), used in civil construction, was generated, evaluating in terms of radiological protection the external and internal dose increments, caused by the use of these materials. Also, possible correlations between the 226Ra activity concentration, the 222Rn exhalation rate, density, porosity and chemical composition (oxide content) in these samples had been studied. The external dose was assessed by gamma-ray spectrometry with High-Purity Germanium detectors, where the activity concentration of the radionuclides 232Th, 226Ra and 40K are the parameters used in dosimetric models (Dosimetric Indexes), which established limits in accordance with the form, amount and application of material of construction. For the calculation of the annual eective external dose it was assumed a room model with dimensions of 4 m x 5 m x 2.8 m and all walls internally covered with 2 cm thickness of granite and an annual exposure time of 7000 h as suggested by the European Commission of Radiological Protection for internal supercial coating materials. The internal exposure was assessed from the radon concentration in the air of the room model, simulated from the supercial exhalation rate of 222Rn. The exhalation rate was determined by the passive detection technique with the Solid State Nuclear Track Detectors (CR-39) and the sealed can technique, assuming a ventilation rate of 0.5 h-1 and an annual exposure time of 7000 h. The results for this studies show that the annual eective dose ranged from (62 &plusmn; 3) &mu;Sv.y1 to (138 &plusmn; 1) &mu;Sv.y-1 and the internal annual eective dose ranged from (0,39 &plusmn; 0,04) &mu;Sv.y-1 to (70 &plusmn; 4) &mu;Sv.y-1. These values are below the maximum limit of 1 mSv.y-1 suggested by the European Commission of Radiological Protection, meaning that the granitic rocks evaluated can be used without radiological implications since the considered scenario is obeyed. The values obtained for the contribution due to the internal dose ranged from 1 % to 78 % of the values obtained for the respective external dose showing the radon contribution varies strongly with the rock type. The results of the correlations between 222Rn supercial exhalation rate, 226Ra activity concentration, density, porosity and major oxides of the samples, showed that, in terms of inuence in the emanation fraction of radon, the most important parameter is the density, due to low porosity and similarity in terms of chemical composition amid the studied samples.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T12:34:31Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0<br>Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T13:59:57Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0<br>Dissertação (Mestrado)<br>IPEN/D<br>Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares - IPEN-CNEN/SP

Submitted by LEONARDO ALFREDO SALIM null (leonardosalim_las@hotmail.com) on 2018-06-27T16:08:53Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Tese Leonardo Alfredo Salim.pdf: 12084411 bytes, checksum: 4e4df6683eab7d6125b71ecc8e629d94 (MD5)<br>Approved for entry into archive by Adriana Aparecida Puerta null (dripuerta@rc.unesp.br) on 2018-06-28T12:11:24Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 salim_la_me_rcla.pdf: 11907717 bytes, checksum: 326a51071a02d7874baae0361ba36f01 (MD5)<br>Made available in DSpace on 2018-06-28T12:11:24Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 salim_la_me_rcla.pdf: 11907717 bytes, checksum: 326a51071a02d7874baae0361ba36f01 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-05-02<br>Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)<br>O gás radônio, resultado do decaimento radioativo do 238U e 232Th, é motivo de grande preocupação para o homem. Ele é uma das mais importantes fontes de radiação ionizante de origem natural que as pessoas estão expostas, sendo considerado pela OMS (Organização Mundial da Saúde) como o segundo maior causador de câncer de pulmão. O carvão mineral como qualquer outro combustível fóssil está associado a materiais radioativos naturais, devido principalmente ao seu conteúdo de 238U e 232Th. Para a compreensão do comportamento do gás radônio em área de mineração de carvão e determinar o grau de exposição das pessoas ao gás nesta área, foram determinadas a taxa de exalação de radônio de amostras de carvão, cinza, siltito e tufo vulcânico coletadas na mina Amado Simões PI-08 (Companhia Carbonífera do Cambuí), em Figueira (PR), a concentração de radônio no ar do interior da mina e a concentração de radônio, parâmetros físicos e químicos dos solos próximos à mina. As taxas de exalações foram obtidas por curvas experimentais da concentração de radônio em função do tempo, e variaram de 0,064 a 0,717 Bq/kg.h. Observou-se que o gás radônio entrou em equilíbrio radioativo após 180 horas de análise. A concentrações de radônio dissolvido no ar do interior da mina variaram de 7,2 a 770,5 Bq/m³, observou-se que o radônio tem maior escape das rochas por fraturas presentes nas frentes de lavra e que maior taxa de exalação vem das rochas encaixantes, remetendo em um problema radiológico à área de descarte. A concentrações de radônio nas amostras de solo variaram de 0,04 a 276,48 (kBq/m³), a qual obteve correlação com a concentração de U, que variou de 0,43 a 8,46 ppm. Observou-se a tendência do radônio se acumular em ambientes com maior concentração de urânio, úmidos, aluminosos, argilosos e com presença de matéria orgânica.<br>Radon gas, the result of the radioactive decay of 238U and 232Th, is a matter of great concern to man. It is one of the most important sources of naturally occurring ionizing radiation that people are exposed to and is considered by the World Health Organization (WHO) to be the second largest cause of lung cancer. Mineral coal like any other fossil fuel is associated with natural radioactive materials, mainly due to its content of 238U and 232Th. In order to understand the behavior of the radon gas in the coal mining area and determine the degree of exposure of the people to the gas in this area, the radon exhalation rate of samples of coal, ash, silt, and volcanic tuff collected at the Amado mine Simões PI-08 (Companhia Carbonífera do Cambuí), in Figueira (PR), the radon concentration in the air inside the mine and the radon concentration, physical and chemical parameters of the soils near the mine. The exhalation rates were obtained by experimental curves of the radon concentration as a function of time, and ranged from 0.064 to 0.717 Bq / kg.h. It was observed that the radon gas entered into radioactive equilibrium after 180 hours of analysis. The concentrations of radon dissolved in the air inside the mine varied from 7.2 to 770.5 Bq / m³, it was observed that the radon has greater escape of the rocks by fractures present in the mining fronts and that higher exhalation rate comes from encasing rocks, sending in a radiological problem to the area of discard. The concentrations of radon in the soil samples ranged from 0.04 to 276.48 (kBq / m³), which correlated with the U concentration, which ranged from 0.43 to 8.46 ppm. It was observed the tendency of radon to accumulate in environments with higher concentration of uranium, humid, aluminous, clayey and with presence of organic matter.<br>CNPq: 142378/2017-8.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Florida, 2004.<br>Typescript. Title from title page of source document. Document formatted into pages; contains 127 pages. Includes Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Les aquifères fracturés hétérogènes se développant dans les roches cristallines, telles que les schistes et les granites, assurent 20% de l’alimentation en eau potable de la Bretagne. Ces milieux fracturés présentent une large gamme de perméabilités. Dans ces aquifères, les circulations de fluides et le transport des éléments dissous dans l’eau sont fortement dépendants de la géométrie du réseau de fractures. Une meilleure compréhension du fonctionnement hydrogéologique de ces systèmes est essentielle pour la gestion et la protection de ces ressources en eaux souterraines. Le radon-222 est un gaz rare radioactif dissous dans l’eau et issu de la chaîne de désintégration de l’uranium-238 contenu dans la roche encaissante de l’aquifère. Les concentrations en radon dans les eaux souterraines sont donc susceptibles d’apporter des informations sur la surface de contact entre l’eau et la roche ainsi que d’être utilisés comme ml traceur des échanges hydrauliques entre les différentes zones de l’aquifère. Trois résultats principaux ont été obtenus dans cette étude: 1. Une caractérisation détaillée des activités volumiques du radon dans l’eau de l’aquifère de Ploemeur (Morbihan) a été réalisée. Une variabilité spatiale importante des concentrations en radon dans l’eau a été mise en évidence dans l’aquifère, la gamme de concentrations mesurées s’étendant de 0 à 1500 Bq. L-¹. 2. L’influence de l’épaisseur des fractures sur la quantité de radon dissous dans l’eau a été mise en évidence lors de la modélisation des activités volumiques du radon dans l’aquifère. En effet, les résultats satisfaisants obtenus lors de l’utilisation d’un modèle considérant le réseau de fractures sous la forme, d’une fracture unique semble souligner le rôle prépondérant joué par les propriétés géométriques des fractures. 3. La mesure de la concentration en radon dans l’eau de l’aquifère pendant des essais de pompages a mis en évidence une augmentation de l’activité volumique en radon lorsque les ressources en eau souterraines sont sollicitées. Cette évolution semble liée à l’existence de flux hydrauliques entre les zones très perméables du système, constituées des fractures principales d’épaisseur importante, et les zones beaucoup moins perméables, telles que la matrice rocheuse peu altérée et le réseau de fractures secondaires. La comparaison de la variabilité des activités volumiques du radon dans l’eau avec celle d’autres traceurs a permis de conforter cette hypothèse. En effet, des corrélations ont été établies entre la concentration en radon dans l’eau et le rapport NO3/SO4² ainsi que la teneur en SF6 des eaux souterraines. Les résultats obtenus à l’aide de ces traceurs semblent confirmer une contribution de l’eau contenue dans la matrice rocheuse au flux d’eau circulant dans le réseau de fractures<br>Heterogeneous fractured aquifers which developed in. Crystalline rocks, such as schist or granite, supply 20% of tap water production cf Brittany. These fractured media present a large range of permeability. In these aquifers, fluid flow and transport cf elements dissolved in water are strongly related on the geometry of the fractured network. Increasing the knowledge of the hydrogeological behaviour of the aquifer is fondamental for the management and the protection of the groundwater resources. Radon-222 is a radioactive noble gas produced from radium-226 further to the radioactive decay of uranium-238; it occurs naturally in ground waters and derives primarily from U-rich rocks and minerais that have been in contact with water. Radon-222 concentrations in waters are hable to provide significant and relevant information on both the geometry of a fracture network and the flow distribution. Furthermore, radon may also be used as a tracer in the aquifer of water exchanges between zones of variable permeability. Three main results were obtained in this study : 1. An accurate characterisation of the radon concentrations in water was carried out in the Ploemeur aquifer (Brittany, France). These results higjilight die variability in die spatial and vertical distributions of ²²²Rn activity in groundwater together with a wide range of concentrations extending from 0 to 1500 Bq. L-¹. 2. The influence of fracture aperture on radon content in -groundwater bas been demonstrated with the modelling of radon concentration. Indeed, the satisfactory results obtained with a simple crack model highlight that the geometry of the fracture network controls the radon activity in groundwater. 3. Thus, the results of pumping tests performed in the boreholes improved our understanding of the system. After the pumping test, an increase of the radon content in groundwater occurred and evidenced a contribution of a radon-rich water to supply tle flow rate that seems to come from the low-permeability rock matrix. Indeed, a water flow seems to occur between the most permeable zones of the aquifer, made up of the main flow pathways, and the zones with low permeability, consisted of the unfractured rock matrix and secondary fractures of lower permeability. Then, we compared the variability of radon volume activity with the evolution of the NO3/SO4² ratio and the SF6 content of groundwater. The results obtained with these tracers seem to allow the hypothesis of a water flux from the rock matrix te the fractured network

A insuficiência cardíaca é uma síndrome clínica de alta morbimortalidade e por este motivo é crescente o interesse em se estudar novos biomarcadores da doença visando buscar caminhos para novas estratégias terapêuticas. Neste contexto, a análise do ar exalado pode ser promissora. Baseado nestes dados e na observação de que pacientes com insuficiência cardíaca grave exalam odor peculiar, ainda em estudo piloto, nós identificamos acetona no ar exalado de pacientes com insuficiência cardíaca. Assim, nosso estudo teve por objetivo primário avaliar o papel da acetona exalada como biomarcador do diagnóstico de insuficiência cardíaca e de insuficiência cardíaca descompensada. Como objetivo secundário, avaliar sua relação com a classe funcional segundo a classificação da New York Heart Assocation (NYHA) e sua correlação com o peptídeo natriurético do tipo B (BNP). Entre maio de 2009 e setembro de 2010, pacientes consecutivos com disfunção sistólica (grupo IC) admitidos na emergência (insuficiência cardíaca descompensada grupo ICDESCOMP) e pacientes estáveis nos últimos três meses encaminhados para o teste cardiopulmonar (insuficiência cardíaca compensada grupo ICCOMP) foram submetidos à coleta de ar exalado (extração em água) para posterior análise qualitativa por cromatografia gasosa acoplado à espectrometria de massas e quantificação por espectrofotometria de absorção, através da reação com salicilaldeído. Entre os 235 pacientes avaliados, 89 foram incluídos (59 com insuficiência cardíaca descompensada e 30 com insuficiência cardíaca compensada), 61% do sexo masculino e com mediana de idade de 52 anos. Vinte indivíduos saudáveis (grupo controle) pareados por idade participaram do estudo. O valor mediano (intervalo interquartil) de acetona exalada foi maior no grupo IC em relação ao controle [3,70 g/L (1,69-10,45 g/L) versus 0,39 g/L (0,30-0,79 g/L), p < 0,001]. O valor mediano de acetona em pacientes com insuficiência cardíaca descompensada foi maior do que no grupo com insuficiência cardíaca compensada [7,80 g/L (3,60-15,20 g/L) versus 1,22 g/L (0,682,19 g/L), p < 0,001]. A acurácia do método tanto para o diagnóstico de insuficiência cardíaca (acetona > 1,16 g/L; área sob a curva = 0,94) quanto para o diagnóstico de insuficiência cardíaca descompensada (acetona > 2,50 g/L; área sob a curva = 0,93) foi aproximadamente 85 %, semelhante à acurácia do BNP (BNP > 42 pg/mL; área sob a curva = 0,97 e BNP > 424 pg/mL; área sob a curva = 0,94, respectivamente). Houve correlação positiva entre acetona exalada e BNP (r = 0,772, p < 0,001). Observamos aumento progressivo nas concentrações de acetona exalada de acordo com a piora da classe funcional segundo NYHA (p < 0,001). Assim, podemos concluir que nosso estudo revelou a acetona exalada como um novo biomarcador do diagnóstico de insuficiência cardíaca e de insuficiência cardíaca descompensada, que está associado à maior gravidade da doença e que apresenta correlação positiva com BNP. Sua dosagem é um novo método de diagnóstico não invasivo que pode ser realizado à beira leito, cuja acurácia é semelhante à do BNP<br>Heart failure (HF) is a condition associated with high mortality and frequent hospital admissions. In this context, multiple biomarkers of heart failure severity have emerged recently. However, the usefulness of most of these biomarkers has not been fully established. Exhaled breath has been considered a suitable tool (biomarker) to evaluate different diseases. Based on the clinical observation that patients with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) exhale a distinct odor, in a pilot study we have identified acetone in exhaled breath of heart failure patients and this study aimed to evaluate the role of acetone as a new biomarker of heart failure and ADHF disease. As secondary aims, we intended to analyze the relation to New York Heart Association (NYHA) class and the correlation with B-Type Natriuretic Peptide (BNP). Patients with systolic dysfunction (HF group) admitted consecutively at the emergency room (ADHF group) and stable patients referred to the cardiopulmonary test (chronic HF CHF group) between May 2009 and September 2010 were submitted to exhaled breath collection (extraction into water). Acetone identification was done by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and its determination by absorption spectrophotometry after reaction with salicylaldehyde. Twenty healthy subjects matched for age were enrolled (control group). Among 235 patients with HF, 89 were included in the study (59 ADHF and 30 CHF), 61% male, with median age of 52 years. Median exhaled breath acetone value (interquartile range) was higher in the HF group when compared to control group [3.7 g/L (1.69-10.45 g/L) versus 0.39 g/L (0.30-0.79 g/L), p < 0.001] and also higher in ADHF when compared to CHF group [7.80 g/L (3.60-15.20 g/L) versus 1.22 g/L (0.682.19 g/L), p < 0,001]. The accuracy of the method to diagnose CHF (Acetone > 1.16 g/L; AUC = 0.94) and ADHF (Acetone > 2.5 g/L; AUC = 0.93) was similar to the accuracy of BNP (BNP > 42 pg/mL; AUC = 0.97 and BNP > 424 pg/mL; AUC = 0.94, respectively). There was a positive correlation between exhaled breath acetone and plasmatic BNP (r = 0.772, p < 0.001). Levels of exhaled breath acetone were different among the four different NYHA classes (p<0.001). In summary, we can conclude that our study showed exhaled breath acetone as a new biomarker of heart failure and ADHF. It is associated with heart failure severity and has a good correlation with BNP. This is a promising non-invasive diagnostic method of heart failure, whose accuracy is equivalent to BNP

A utilização de baixos volumes correntes na Injuria Pulmonar Aguda (LPA) / Síndrome do Desconforto Respiratório Agudo (SDRA) está comprovadamente associada à redução de mortalidade. No entanto, a aplicação de manobras de recrutamento e a utilização de níveis elevados de PEEP ainda são controversos. O objetivo do presente estudo foi comparar os efeitos da estratégia ARDSnet e de uma estratégia baseada no Open Lung Concept (OLC), aplicadas de forma seqüencial, com relação à função pulmonar, imagem tomográfica e atividade inflamatória, em pacientes com LPA / SDRA. Dez pacientes que preencheram os critérios de LPA / SDRA segundo a Conferência de Consenso de 1994 com tempo de evolução até 48 horas foram incluídos. Para seleção definitiva, gasometria arterial para cálculo da relação PaO2/FIO2 foi coletada após 30 minutos de ventilação com volume corrente (VT) = 10 mL/kg, PEEP=5 cmH2O e FIO2 = 100%. Nas primeiras 24 horas os pacientes foram ventilados segundo o protocolo ARDSnet. Após este período, caso PaO2/FIO2 350, adotava-se a estratégia de OLC, que consistia na realização de manobra de recrutamento e titulação de PEEP. A manobra de recrutamento foi realizada em PCV, com delta de pressão de 20 cmH2O, com incrementos seqüenciais de PEEP em 5 cmH2O, partindo-se de 20 cmH2O até 30 cmH2O. O objetivo durante a titulação de PEEP foi alcançar PaO2/FIO2 > 350, sendo três níveis testados (17, 19 e 21 cmH2O). Ventilação segundo OLC (com PEEP determinado durante a titulação e VT = 6 ml/kg) foi mantida por 24 h adicionais. Após 24 h de cada estratégia, TC de todo o pulmão (1,25 mm de espessura com 15 mm de espassamento) foi realizada após 24 h de cada estratégia. A instituição de OLC foi necessária em 9 dos 10 pacientes estudados. PEEP foi significativamente superior com OLC (17 [17 - 19] vs. 8 cmH2O [7,25 - 11]; p = 0,007) e resultou em melhora significativa de oxigenação, sustentada após 24 h de seguimento, sem diferença na pressão de platô, pressão de distensão, complacência estática, ventilação-minuto, PaCO2 e pH (p > 0,05). OLC determinou redução significativa na percentagem de volume pulmonar total (VPT) não aerado (13% [10,5 22,5] vs. 37% [31 40,5]; p = 0,008), sem aumento significativo na percentagem de VPT hiperinsuflado (5% [1 13,5] vs. 2% [0 6,5]; p = 0,079). A análise baseada em massa pulmonar total (MPT) evidenciou resultados semelhantes: a percentagem de MPT não aerada com OLC foi significativamente menor (30% [23 48,5] vs. 58% [51 60]; p=0,008), sem aumento significativo na percentagem de MPT hiperinsuflada (1% [0 2] vs. 0 % [0 1]; p=0,084). Não houve diferenças significativas nas doses infundidas de vasopressores, balanço hídrico ou pressão arterial. Observou-se, também, redução significativa nos níveis plasmáticos de IL-6 com OLC (3,32 [2,16 9,46] vs. 4,11 ng/mL [3,26 11,02]; p=0,018) Concluimos que, quando comparada à ARDSnet, OLC melhorou a oxigenação, reduzindo a fração de regiões pulmonares não aeradas, sem aumento significativo nas regiões hiperinsufladas, com níveis semelhantes de pressão arterial e balanço hídrico.<br>Low tidal volumes are associated with a reduction in mortality in ALI / ARDS. Nevertheless, the application of recruitment maneuvers and high levels of PEEP are still controversial. The aim of this study was to compare the ARDSnet protocol with a strategy based on Open Lung Concept (OLC), applied in a sequential way, in terms of pulmonary function, computed tomography images and inflammation, in patients with ALI / ARDS. Ten patients fulfilling criteria for ALI /ARDS, based on the American-European Consensus Conference, with less than 48 hours of evolution, were included. For definitive selection, blood gas collected after 30 min application of 5 cmH2O PEEP and VT = 10 mL/kg had to demonstrate a PaO2/FIO2 < 300 mmHg. The patients were initially ventilated for 24 hours according to the ARDSnet protocol. After this period, if the PaO2/FIO2 was 350, an OLC strategy was adopted, with recruitment maneuver and PEEP titration. The recruitment maneuver was applied in PCV, with sequential 5 cmH2O increments in PEEP, starting from 20 cmH2O until PEEP = 30 cmH2O, maintaining a delta pressure of 20 cmH2O. The aim of PEEP titration was to reach PaO2/FIO2 > 350 and three levels were tested: 17, 19 and 21 cmH2O. Ventilation according to OLC (VT = 6 mL/kg and PEEP´s level found during titration) was applied for the next 24 hours. Whole lung computed tomography images (1.25 mm thickness with 15mm gap) were acquired after 24 hours of each strategy. The institution of OLC was necessary in 9 of the 10 studied patients. The PEEP was significantly higher during OLC (17 [17-19] vs 8 cmH2O [8-11]; p=0,007) and resulted in a significant improvement on oxygenation sustained for 24 hours of follow-up, with no significant differences in plateau pressure, static compliance, minute-ventilation, PaCO2 and pH (p > 0.05). OLC resulted in a significant reduction of the fraction of total lung volume that was non-aerated, as compared to ARDSnet protocol (13% [10,5 22,5] vs. 37% [31 40,5]; p = 0,008), without a significant increase of the fraction of total lung volume that was hyperinsuflated (5% [1 13,5] vs. 2% [0 6,5]; p = 0,079). The results based on lung mass analysis were similar. OLC was associated with a reduction of the fraction of total lung mass that was non-aerated 30% [23 48,5] vs. 58% [51 60]; p=0,008), without a significant increase of the fraction of total lung mass that was hyperinsuflated (1% [0 2] vs. 0 % [0 1]; p=0,084). There was also a reduction in plasma levels of IL-6 with OLC (3,32 [2,16 9,46] vs. 4,11 ng/mL [3,26 11,02]; p=0,018). We concluded that, when compared with ARDSnet protocol, OLC improved oxygenation, reducing the fraction of non-aerated regions without significant increment in hyperinflated areas, with comparable levels of hemodynamics and fluid balance

This thesis is a study of naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) activity concentration, gamma dose rate and radon (222Rn) exhalation from the waste streams of large-scale onshore petroleum operations. Types of activities covered included; sludge recovery from separation tanks, sludge farming, NORM storage, scaling in oil tubulars, scaling in gas production and sedimentation in produced water evaporation ponds. Field work was conducted in the arid desert terrain of an operational oil exploration and production region in the Sultanate of Oman. The main radionuclides found were 226Ra and 210Pb (238U - series), 228Ra and 228Th (232Th - series), and 227Ac (235U - series), along with 40K. All activity concentrations were higher than the ambient soil level and varied over several orders of magnitude. The range of gamma dose rates at a 1 m height above ground for the farm treated sludge had a range of 0.06 0.43 µSv h 1, and an average close to the ambient soil mean of 0.086 ± 0.014 µSv h 1, whereas the untreated sludge gamma dose rates had a range of 0.07 1.78 µSv h 1, and a mean of 0.456 ± 0.303 µSv h 1. The geometric mean of ambient soil 222Rn exhalation rate for area surrounding the sludge was mBq m 2 s 1. Radon exhalation rates reported in oil waste products were all higher than the ambient soil value and varied over three orders of magnitude. This study resulted in some unique findings including: (i) detection of radiotoxic 227Ac in the oil scales and sludge, (ii) need of a new empirical relation between petroleum sludge activity concentrations and gamma dose rates, and (iii) assessment of exhalation of 222Rn from oil sludge. Additionally the study investigated a method to determine oil scale and sludge age by the use of inherent behaviour of radionuclides as 228Ra:226Ra and 228Th:228Ra activity ratios.

This thesis is a study of naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) activity concentration, gamma dose rate and radon (222Rn) exhalation from the waste streams of large-scale onshore petroleum operations. Types of activities covered included; sludge recovery from separation tanks, sludge farming, NORM storage, scaling in oil tubulars, scaling in gas production and sedimentation in produced water evaporation ponds. Field work was conducted in the arid desert terrain of an operational oil exploration and production region in the Sultanate of Oman. The main radionuclides found were 226Ra and 210Pb (238U - series), 228Ra and 228Th (232Th - series), and 227Ac (235U - series), along with 40K. All activity concentrations were higher than the ambient soil level and varied over several orders of magnitude. The range of gamma dose rates at a 1 m height above ground for the farm treated sludge had a range of 0.06 0.43 µSv h 1, and an average close to the ambient soil mean of 0.086 ± 0.014 µSv h 1, whereas the untreated sludge gamma dose rates had a range of 0.07 1.78 µSv h 1, and a mean of 0.456 ± 0.303 µSv h 1. The geometric mean of ambient soil 222Rn exhalation rate for area surrounding the sludge was mBq m 2 s 1. Radon exhalation rates reported in oil waste products were all higher than the ambient soil value and varied over three orders of magnitude. This study resulted in some unique findings including: (i) detection of radiotoxic 227Ac in the oil scales and sludge, (ii) need of a new empirical relation between petroleum sludge activity concentrations and gamma dose rates, and (iii) assessment of exhalation of 222Rn from oil sludge. Additionally the study investigated a method to determine oil scale and sludge age by the use of inherent behaviour of radionuclides as 228Ra:226Ra and 228Th:228Ra activity ratios.

Se ha realizado una investigación de los depósitos de tipo sedex que se encuentran en las series paleozoicas del SW de los Catalánides (España). Los principales depósitos están encajadas en pizarras negras llandoverienses del Bosc de Poblet, y en las series carboníferas del Priorat. Para cada depósito o grupo de depósitos de ha realizado una caracterización detallada, a nivel estructura, mineralógico, geoquímico e isotópico, y microtermométrico (inclusiones fluidas). La mayoría de depósitos consisten en tramos de sulfuros masivos alternando con tramos de niveles feldespáticos criptocristalinos. Se han identificado asociaciones ricas en Cr-V y en plationoides, concretamente para los depósitos de edad silúrica. El resultado de los estudios siotópicos de Pb y Sm-Nd confirman el carácter singenético de las mineralizaciones. La mineralización se atribuye a una actividad hidrotermal submarina, para los distintos depósitos. En el caso de los de edad silúrica, esta actividad tuvo lugar en una cuenca euxínica lo cual favoreció la acumulación de numerosos elementos (V-Cr-U), en una posición distal respecta a las zonas de alimentación. La deposición en la cuanca carbonífera fue en una posición relativamente mas proximal, y el fluido mineralizante era agua marina que circulaba convectivamente en el seno de la cuenca. Se ha atribuido un origen exhalativo para explicar la génesis de los niveles feldespáticos. Se considera la posibilidad de que estos se hubieran formado en la pluma hidrotermal, por interacción entre componentes hidrotermales y agua marina.

More than 60 volcanogenic massive sulfide and sedimentary exhalative deposits are located in the composite upper Jurassic-lower Cretaceous Guerrero terrane of western Mexico. The deposits range from less than 100,000 metric tons up to 6 million metric tons. Most of the deposits are Zn-Pb-Cu Kuroko type and are located within the Zihuatanejo and Teloloapan subterranes. The Guanajuato and Calmalli, Baja California, deposits are Zn-Cu. The Cu type Copper King, Guerrero, deposit is located in the Papanoa complex. Arroyo Seco, Michoacan, is the only Pb-type and can be classified as a sedimentary-exhalative deposit. The sulfides lenses have suffered metamorphism. The δ³⁴S values of Teloloapan deposits are mainly negative. The mean δ³⁴S values of the deposits of Zihuatanejo subterrane are mainly positive. Lead isotopic data suggest that the source of metals for the Zihuatanejo, Teloloapan and Huetamo Tertiary epigenetic deposits of the Guerrero terrane was a combination of metal sources e.g. the Mesozoic crust, the middle-Tertiary volcanic rocks, and the Sierra Madre Oriental. Guanajuato, Zacatecas, Fresnillo, and Real de Angeles districts are located at the suture zone between Guerrero terrane and Sierra Madre Oriental that could have provided channels for hydrothermal systems that extracted metals from different sources.

Les mineralisations exhalatives sedimentaires en zn-pb (co-ni, ge-ga, sn, ag, au), a morphologie stratabound, des pyrenees paleozoiques sont encaissees a differents niveaux stratigraphiques : cambrien, ordovicien, devonien dans la zone axiale et carbonifere dans les massifs basques. Si leur contexte geologique a fait l'objet de nombreux travaux, peu de donnees existent sur leur composition mineralogique et geochimique, ainsi que sur l'evolution de ces concentrations metalliferes avec le temps. Le principal objectif de la presente etude est d'ameliorer le niveau de connaissance de ces derniers aspects. Pour ceux-ci, la recherche a ete focalisee sur un nombre reduit de gisements de la zone axiale pyreneenne representatifs de l'ensemble des mineralisations : (1) lamanere, dans le cambrien inferieur des pyrenees orientales ; (2) pierrefitte, dans l'ordovicien superieur des hautes-pyrenees et (3) carboire, dans le devonien inferieur de l'ariege. Il existent trois parageneses minerales principales : (a) primaire sedex ; b) metamorphique et c) hydrothermale post-hercynienne. Pendant l'episode sedimentaire-exhalatif il se produit la cristallisation des mineraux primaires. Posterieurement, les mineralisations subissent les effets d'une deformation-fracturation et d'un metamorphisme regional (epizone) lies a l'orogenese hercynienne. Dans une periode ulterieure post-hercynienne, il se produit l'ouverture de nouvelles fractures et la reprise de l'activite hydrothermale, permettant la recristallisation de sulfures, carbonates et silicates post-cinematiques. Des etudes thermobarometriques et isotopiques permettent de suivre l'evolution ou la maturite de ces mineralisations.

Táto diplomová práca je zameraná na preukazovanie vplyvov rôznych architektúr spätnej recirkulácie spalín na preplňované benzínové motory. Simulácie boli vytvorené v termodynamickom simulačnom programme GT-Power. Práca začína porovnávaním vplyvov spätnej recirkulácie na ustálené stavy motora, najmä z hľadiska spotreby, ktoré sú následne implementované do tranzientných modelov, simulujúc emisné testovacie cykly. Na konci práce sa venujem vplyvom spätnej recirkulácie na funkciu oxidačno-redukčného katalyzátora a na funkciu turbodúchadla.

碩士<br>國立臺灣大學<br>職業醫學與工業衛生研究所<br>98<br>Part I Respirators are commonly used to protect workers from inhaling air contaminants, especially when engineering and work practice controls fail to reduce workers’ exposure to acceptable levels. In general, there are three potential routes of leakage into respirators: filter penetration, facial seal leak and exhalation valve leak. Normally, exhalation valve leaks less compared to the other two leak routes. However, when a higher protection (more filter material and better respirator fit) is needed, the valve leakage becomes more important because of the leakage re-distribution. Current static certification test employed by USA and Australia requires leakage into new exhalation valves should not exceed 30 mL/min at a constant suction head of 25 mmH2O. This static test may not able to reflect the overall leak characteristics of exhalation valve when used under practical cyclic flow mode. Therefore, a dynamic leakage test system needs to be developed. A dynamic leakage test apparatus developed in this work consisted of an aerosol generation system, a breathing machine, and a cylinder simulating respirator cavity. The cylinder cavity was connected to aerosol chamber with an exhalation valve as the interface. With the breathing simulator functioning, the air resistance caused by the filter medium can be created by controlling the clean air flow supplied to the cylinder cavity. A condensation particle counter was used to monitor the aerosol concentration inside the cylinder cavity. The results showed the static leakage correlated well with the dynamic test data. However, the dynamic method is apparently more versatile and should not be substituted or replaced by the static test method. For example, static method cannot be used to study the effect of aerosol loading on the valve membrane and/or valve seat, which is likely to occur under cyclic flow. Also, the modification of the valve cover showed significant decrease in valve leakage, but the static test method was insensitive to the benefit. Part II Respirator is the last resort to protect workers against air contaminants. However, the accumulated heat and humidity often make wearers feel uncomfortable, especially for workers wearing respirators for a long period of time. Respirators equipped with an exhalation valve reduce the level of discomfort. In general, there are three routes of leakage on respirators, namely filter penetration, facial seal leak and exhalation valve leak. Usually, the exhalation valve leakage is the least among all potential leak pathways. Nevertheless, when a higher protection is needed, the exhalation valve leakage will become more important due to the increase of air resistance resulted from the thicker filter medium and better fit of the respirator to the wearer’s face. The static leakage test method currently employed by USA and Australia cannot reflect the leak characteristics when the respirators are used under practical cyclic flow mode. In order to characterize the leak behavior of exhalation valve under cyclic flow and design new exhalation valve, a dynamic leakage test system was built. By adding a piece of foam filter, honeycomb, or simply a tube, on top of the valve membrane, the new device was found to reduce the mass change between the clean exhaled breath and the contaminated ambient air. That means lower exhalation valve leakage, and therefore higher protection. To make the respirators user friendly, i.e., handy, portable, miniaturized, the use of highly porous materials, such as foam filters (100 ppi and above) is recommended. The used of porous materials or strengthening devices not only reduce the mass exchange but also help filter the contaminants if they are aerosol particles. The addition of this foam certainly increased the air resistance during exhalation, but the benefit is tremendous decrease in exhalation valve leakage. For example, under breathing flow of 10.5 L/min (tidal volume of 0.7 L, and breathing frequency of 15 breath/min), the maximum exhalation resistance increase from 4.8 to 6 mm H2O, a 25% increase, but the exhalation valve leakage decreased from 0.45 to 0.0005%, a 99.99% decreases by the use of the foam disc with 80 ppi and 24 mm thickness.

碩士<br>國立臺灣大學<br>職業醫學與工業衛生研究所<br>105<br>An ideal tight-fitting full mask with exhalation valve has features of low impedance during exhalation and comfort when worn for a long period of time. The valve normally fits tightly to the base by vacuum created during inhalation; however, leakage could occur when the valves and their bases were defective from the manufacturing process. To date, the only approach to detect leakage and ensure the effectiveness of the masks is to examine every exhalation valve, which can be time consuming. Therefore, the aim of this study was to first compare and improve across different fit testing procedures and subsequently develop a more time efficient test. This study promote the current testing methods to the instant testing system The inspection system includes the bubble collecting method and the laser counting method designed by the principle of drainage collection. The design parameters of the pressure regain method are discussed. The electronic flow method and the pressure difference method are designed by the conventional flowmeter method. The system design of the method of setting and the method of laser counting includes the use of different diameter and leakage rate to observe the characteristics of bubble generation and the detection limit, stability of the system be adjusted by the detection frequency and the loop of detection time. The experimental parameters of the pressure regain method include size of chamber, the detection pressure, and the observed slope of the pressure difference and the reaction time. The comparison of the electric flowmeter and pressure difference methods involve the correlation between the real leakage rate with the relative leakage rate and the pressure difference. Results showed that the reaction of the bubble accumulation and laser bubble method can be about 5 sec and 0.12 sec. The system would be more stable by changing higher detection rate. The experimental results of the pressure regain method shows that smaller chamber size and pressure conditions would have faster reaction time. The slope of the pressure difference and reaction time can present different leakage situation. The electronic flowmeter used in this study can save the time opening and closing the connection to the bubble meter. The measured value of the negative pressure conditions 25 mmH2O would provide the relative leakage rate, and should be adjust by the true leakage rate. The reaction time can be within 0.16 seconds to the stable value. Different leakage rate, suction flow and pressure conditions will affect the pressure difference results and the real leakage rate should correlate to the true leakage rate. The reaction time can be about 0.7 seconds. Based on the above-mentioned detection method development and discussion, the aim of this study is "rapid" detection method. Pressure difference, electronic flow rate and laser bubble count can have the operation time in nearly two seconds to complete a single operation. The electric flowmeter method is the most appropriate one for the application.

碩士<br>國立臺北科技大學<br>能源與冷凍空調工程系碩士班<br>98<br>Respiratory infectious diseases can spread from one infected person to other people by aerosol droplets. An infected patient continuously expels these particles when coughing, sneezing or talking. The infectious particles are easily spread in a room or building unless adequate protection or control is provided. Therefore infected patients are isolated from other individuals in hospitals and placed in negative pressure isolation rooms. This study used the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method to investigate the airflow pattern and exhalation pollutants dispersion in an isolation room. The effects of air inlet/outlet locations and patient style of reclining/sitting have been discussed. Two cases were simulated during the study:continuous exhalation of pathogen-laden air from the patient and expulsion by a single cough. The gases exhaled by the patient were assumed to be composed of air and CO2, and the exhaled gases consisted of CO2 were considered as pathogen-laden air. The simulation results show that a higher location of exhaust outlet in the ward seems to more efficiently remove gaseous pollutants from patient exhalation.

碩士<br>華梵大學<br>東方人文思想研究所<br>99<br>The Research of “Buddha`s Sermon Great Sutra on Mindfulness of Inhalation and Exhalation” ABSTRACT Practicing moral teachings recorded in various meditation database of Buddhism can’t do without three essential factors, that is so called Meditation Princilie of “ Insightful、Zen method and Samadhi ”. This study adhered to Bodhisattva path course, investigated whether the meditators have more strong innovative recognition about meditation “three essential factors” of early meditation classics “Buddha`s Sermon Greae Sutra on Mind fainess of Inhalation and Exhalation” after Buddhism transmitting to China, meditation order of counting the breath、and after Mahayana Buddhism dictionary has been translated one after another. The conclusion of this study reveals that 1. We know from inference of this sutra dharma, there is concealed veins of Mahayana Bodhisattva thought of Anapana ” Conversing from Hinayana to Mahayana” while the Buddha is alive. 2. We found from the discovery of “three essential factors” of this sutra that Zen masters in the early stage, who study Anapana zen value on development of gaseous pulse, generate body and mind change through gaseous pulse flowing freely, activation of brain cells and open the wisdom of prajna, achieving substantial evidence “wisdom of liberation”. 3. The contents of this sutra “Buddha`s Sermon Greae Sutra on Mind fainess of Inhalation and Exhalation” mainly focus on teaching of zen study and Samadhi. It is for “Bujingguan” zen studied by ANAPANA at that time, caused by unhealthy effects, therefore, as to the respect of zen Insightful is lesser than ever, just mentioned slightly. Although this sutra teaches less in zen Insightful , however, it is much help to the meditator of zen study Nirvana way, especially, it is more benefit to the meditator of initial study Anapana .

Exposure to the decay products of radon (used in brief to refer to the isotope 222 of Rn) and thoron (used to refer to the isotope 220 of Rn) represents, on average, approximately half of the overall effective dose from natural sources suffered per year by the global population, i.e. 2.4 mSv per year. In particular, the UNSCEAR Report from 2008 reports effective doses due to radon and thoron inhalation of 1.15 mSv per year and 0.1 mSv per year, respectively. Due to the relatively low outdoor concentration, most of the exposure to radon occurs indoor where a wide variability exists in radon daughters concentration. Both temporal and spatial variability of the equilibrium factors surely reflects on radon progeny variability, but the latter is mainly caused by the difference in indoor radon concentration over time and from an indoor place to another. According to the cite{WHO2009}, indoor radon concentration depends on two main factors: typology of building construction and ventilation specifications and habits. Both of them affect the indoor radon concentration by influencing the relative contributions of the various radon sources. Several authors suggest that radon can enter building interiors: directly from soil due to radium-containing rocks still in the crust; via radon-carriers utilities such as water and, in principle, natural gas; indirectly from crustal materials no longer incorporated in crust but contained into building structure in the form of concrete, brick and the like. end{itemize} The relative contribution of each of these entry patterns obviously depends on specific circumstances, i.e. building characteristics (including building materials, construction typology and floor level), morphology and composition of the underlying soil, ventilation features, occupancy patterns and living habits of occupants. Council Directive 2013/59/EURATOM requires Member States to emph{consider} any source of radon ingress, whether from soil, building materials or water. This is required when preparing the national action plan to address long-term risks from radon exposure. In particular, regarding building materials, Member States are explicitly required to identify (and/or develop) strategy, including methods and tools, to identify building materials with significant radon exhalation rate. Pertaining to building materials, several measurements of radon exhalation rate have been reported on literature through the years (more references are available in the text). However, as firstly highlighted by Sahoo (in 2011), the difference between radon exhalation from samples and that from walls has not been investigated enough. As a result of this lack of knowledge, measurements of radon exhalation from building materials samples have been commonly used to assess the effective dose attributable to radon exhaled from walls in indoor environment even though different geometries and boundary conditions characterize the two scenarios. In fact, if the one dimensional (1-D) geometry better describes the radon flux from masonry surfaces, mainly walls, it is not suitable to the radon exhalation from a sample of building material, the latter better modelled as a three dimensional (3-D) phenomenon. At the present state of knowledge and technology, two main possibilities exist to provide reliable values of radon exhalation rate from a wall. The first is estimating the radon surface exhalation rate from a wall as related to that from a building material sample. This approach has been proposed by and recalled by Orabi (n 2018). It relies on the comparison between the 3-D model of the radon flux from the building material sample and the 1-D model used to assess flux from a wall made up by the same material. The 1-D model solution proposed by the authors -- firstly reported by and later recalled by -- is obtained under three main conditions: i) the diffusion is the only mechanism governing the radon transport, ii) the radon concentration inside the wall is an even function, symmetric with respect to the wall half thickness and iii) the room inner volume is much higher than the void wall volume. In other words, the solution is valid only when advective contribution is negligible and both wall surfaces are free to exhale into a radon-free space. As a matter of fact, the boundary conditions adopted by Sahoo and Orabi, despite being far from commonly verified, are not even declared at all. The resulting formulations can so lead to misleading predictions of radon surface flux from an existing wall. The issue just described is an evidence of the need to provide a systematic review of the differential equations describing the radon migration, as well as the corresponding solutions for any reasonable boundary conditions sets. This task has been accomplished by the Chapter 2 of this work. The aim is to provide the readers with a comprehensive description of how typical scenarios for radon transport are mathematically modelled as well as to clarify the assumptions underlying the solutions. In particular, the review has addressed either diffusive, advective and diffusive plus advective transport of radon through a slab, the latter containing radium sources or not, in different scenarios. The second possibility to provide reliable values of radon exhalation rate from a wall is in-situ measuring radon exhalation rate directly from the wall surface, i.e. through the so-called accumulation method described by ISO 11665-7. To the author knowledge, no published study exists of in-situ applications of the ISO method to vertical surfaces. This is mainly due to the several issues affecting the measuring apparatuses available on the market. Firstly, they are not specifically designed for vertical surfaces so they are not self-standing and equipped with a frame supporting the accumulation can. Secondly, they are not provided with sealing systems of any kind and the air exchanges between inside and outside the accumulation container, other than not being prevented, are not traceable at all. Besides, they are sold by the continuous radon monitor manufacturers, so the compatibility is assured only with a specific model of a specific detector. Furthermore, the analysis of the radon concentration registered to obtain exhalation rate value is a quite slow, multi-step and not automatized process completely up to the operator. Chapter 3 of this work deals with design, commissioning and realization of the first custom apparatus specifically conceived to in-situ measure the radon exhalation rate directly from walls vertical surfaces. The prototype, fully developed at the Laboratory of Radioactivity of the Italian National Institute of Health, is intended to solve such critical issues that have prevented similar apparatuses from being adopted by the radon experts: mechanically sustaining the accumulation can during the measurement without interfering with the measurements itself (i) and assuring the sealing of the chamber relative to the radon detector (ii) and the wall under investigation (iii). The prototype also aims to avoid the interfering effect of the chamber pressurization during the measurement and to reduce the effect of the back-diffusion on the accumulation process. The apparatus presented has been already successfully used in some surveys in large buildings to reconstruct the likely radon migration path through some surface flux measurements at different locations in different rooms. The apparatus has been designed for a specific continuous radon monitor model but the configuration can be adapted, with very few modifications, to other radon detectors. The choice comprehends the large number of low-cost detectors that entered, and are still entering, the market in the last few years. This quite recent and sudden entry into the market of a large number of different detectors for both professional and "domestic" purpose has turn a spotlight on the need of increasing the number of testing facilities and calibration apparatuses. These facilities should always rely on radon chambers that are designed to produce reference atmospheres whose radon activity concentration depends on the radium source employed and on the chamber volume. According to the current state of the art, radon chambers are characterized by significant costs as design, construction, commissioning, and maintenance are concerned. In particular, critical issues are i) materials used for the structure and the sealing, ii) fan system for concentration homogenization, iii) source-chamber interface circuit and iv) control instrumentation. Furthermore, industries, agencies or institutions managing a radon chamber need as many radium sources as the radon concentrations required by the different calibration protocols. Holding more than one source complicates the licensing requirements concerned with radioactive materials possession established by the national transpositions of the Council Directive 2013/59/Euratom. Chapter 4 of this work describes an innovative 0.1 m^3 radon chamber fully designed, built and tested at the laboratory of Radiation Protection of Sapienza -- University of Rome. It has been conceived as and easy-to-assemble, cheap and small facility dedicated to research on radon and calibrations services. The main innovation stands in the way radon activity concentration is varied and controlled within the chamber atmosphere: the system, in fact, may allow to establish a wide range of Rn concentrations through a single Ra source placed outside the control volume and by means of two air circulation circuits controlled by specific electric pumps remotely controlled and actuated. On view of this, the apparatus is intended to be suitable for several applications, such as: i) calibrating both passive and active radon detectors at different radon concentrations, ii) checking the response linearity of both passive and active radon detectors and iii) studying the dynamic response of the continuous radon monitors to sudden changes in radon concentration. Pertaining to the water as an indoor exposure source to radon, the Council Directive 2013/51 introduced several requirements to Member States about radon concentration in water, including: i) to adopt a parametric value above which the risk has to be evaluated and remedial actions have to be considered, and ii) to carry out representative surveys in order to identify water sources whose radon content might exceed such a parametric value. The implementation of the Council Directive has led to a considerable increase of radon concentration measurements in drinking waters. The Directive indicates for the method of analysis a minimum limit of detection (or detection limit, DL) of 10 Bq per L, i.e. 10% of the parametric value. Test methods satisfying such a limit are, mainly, gamma-ray spectrometry, liquid scintillation counting, and emanometry, whose achievable lowest detection limit are 10, 0.05 and 0.04 Bq per L, respectively. Findings from previous studies showed no statistically significant differences between results from the three different measuring techniques. The test method using emanometry, regulated by the international standard ISO 13164-3, has been used in several surveys thanks to its advantages: mainly, the possibility to use different detectors with low-to-moderate costs (i.e. 1-20 k€), the low achievable uncertainty (i.e. up to 5%), the suitability for in-situ measurements and the very short turnaround time. Chapter 5 of this work deals with the development of a specific quality assurance (QA) protocol for measurements of radon in water contemporary performed with different measuring chains by emanometry technique. This protocol is intended to allow increasing the number of measurements performed, i.e. samples analysed per day, considering that, for the emanometry test method, the water samples have to be analysed one at a time. The effectiveness of such a protocol has been evaluated by studying the results reproducibility and participating to an international proficiency test organized by the European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC). The quality assurance protocol has been so adopted, with excellent results, during the first survey addressing the radon concentration in self-bottled mineral spring waters.

The Archean Cu-Zn Gossan Hill volcanic-hosted massive sulphide deposit is situated on the northeast flank of the Warriedar Fold Belt in the Yilgarn Craton, Western Australia. The deposit is hosted within re-deposited rhyodacitic tuffaceous volcaniclastics of the Golden Grove Formation and is overlain by rhyodacite-dacite lavas and intrusive domes of the Scuddles Formation. The Gossan Hill deposit consists of two discrete subvertical ore zones situated stratigraphically 150 m apart in the middle and upper Golden Grove Formation. The stratigraphically lower Cu-rich ore zone (7.0 Mt @ 3.4% Cu) consists of stratabound, podiform to discordant massive pyrite-chalcopyrite-pyrrhotite-magnetite. In addition to massive sulphides, the lower ore zone also contains discordant to sheet-like zones of massive magnetite-carbonate-chlorite-talc (~12 Mt). The upper Zn-Cu ore zone (2.2 Mt @ 11.3% Zn, 0.3% Cu, 15 g/t Au and 102 g/t Ag) is mound-shaped with sheet-like, stratabound, massive sphalerite-pyrite-chalcopyrite overlying discordant massive pyrite-pyrrhotite-chalcopyrite-magnetite. A sulphide-rich vein stockwork connects the upper and lower ore zones. Metal zonation grades from Cu-Fe (±Au) in the lower ore zone to Zn-Cu-rich sulphides at the base of the upper ore zone. The upper ore zone grades upwards and laterally from Zn-Cu to Zn-Ag-Au (±Cu, ±Pb)-rich sulphides. Regional preservation of primary tuffaceous volcanic textures within the Golden Grove Formation is attributed to an early syndepositional, quartz-chlorite alteration. Induration and differential permeability/porosity reduction of the succession during the early alteration likely promoted more-focussed pathways for successive hydrothermal fluids. Subsequent hydrothermal alteration related to mineralisation at Gossan Hill has a limited lateral extent, and forms a narrow Fe-chlorite-ankerite-siderite envelope to the massive magnetite and sulphide of the lower ore zone, and an intense siliceous envelope surrounding the stockwork and upper ore position. Pervasive calcite-muscovite alteration is recognised in the hangingwall volcanics of the Scuddles Formation. The nature of deformation and metamorphism (greenschist facies: 454 ±4°C at 1 kbar based on andalusite-chloritoid-quartz equilibrium) is uniform throughout the massive magnetite, massive sulphide and host succession. Sediment-sulphide-magnetite relationships at Gossan Hill suggest the formation of magnetite and sulphide during deposition of the upper Golden Grove Formation. Massive magnetite formed entirely by sub-seafloor replacement processes as inferred from gradational upper and lower contacts and interdigitating volcaniclastics. Replacement occurred along permeable tuffaceous strata outward from a discordant feeder. Massive magnetite was later veined, replaced and cut by massive sulphide. The synchronous formation of both upper and lower sulphide ore zones is indicated by the connecting sulphide stockwork. Both sulphide ore zones formed by sub-seafloor replacement, although stratiform hydrothermal chert-sulphide-sediment layers in, and adjacent to, the upper sulphide zone attest to some exhalation of fluids onto the seafloor. The thickest occurrence of massive magnetite, massive sulphide and stringer stockwork spatially coincide and support a common feeder conduit during massive magnetite and sulphide mineralisation. The asymmetry of hydrothermal alteration envelopes, massive magnetite and massive and veins sulphide zones are consistent with synvolcanic structural controls, with a growth structure occupied and obscured by a younger dacite dome from the Scuddles Formation. A systematic increase in sulphide δ\(^{34}\)S values (range of -4.0 to 7.8‰, average 2.1 ± 1.7‰) stratigraphically upwards through massive and vein sulphide is suggestive of progressive mixing of upwelling ore fluids with entrained seawater. Homogeneous δ\(^{34}\)S values of ~1.5‰ in the lower ore zone have a consistent homogeneous rock sulphur source with possible magmatic contributions. The δ\(^{18}\)O\(_{H20}\) values of ore fluids responsible for deposition of magnetite in massive magnetite and disseminated magnetite in the sulphide zones range from 6% to 13%. This data is inconsistent with the direct input of Archean seawater, and favours derivation of hydrothermal fluids by rock buffering of circulating fluids, or by direct magmatic contribution. Thermodynamic considerations suggest massive magnetite and sulphide formed from high temperature (300° to 350°C), reduced (low `f` O\(_2\), slightly acidic hydrothermal fluids. H\(_2\)S deficient fluids formed massive magnetite, whilst H\(_2\)S-rich fluids formed massive sulphides. Fluid chemistry differences are attributed to magmatic sulphur contributions during sulphide mineralisation. Precipitation of sub-seafloor sulphide in the lower ore zone resulted from chemical entrapment by the interaction of upwelling H\(_2\)S-rich fluids with pre-existing massive magnetite. It is suggested that shallow parental magma chambers to the Scuddles Formation drove hydrothermal convection of seawater and may have supplied volatiles and H\(_2\)S to the ascending hydrothermal fluids. The Gossan Hill sulphide-magnetite deposit represents an evolving hydrothermal system in an environment characterised by rapid volcaniclastic sedimentation and changing structural and magmatic processes. An important influence on this hydrothermal system was the creation and destruction of porosity and permeability in the host succession. The hydrothermal system initiated as part of a regional seawater convection-alteration system that led to VHMS mineralisation at Gossan Hill by (1) synsedimentary metasomatism and progressive heating of convecting fluids, (2) formation of massive magnetite by host rock replacement above a buried synvolcanic conduit, and (3) structural re-activation and tapping of deeper H\(_2\)S-rich and metal-bearing fluids, leading to the sub-seafloor sulphide replacement and local exhalation of hydrothermal fluids forming sulphide and chert. Burial by proximal felsic volcanism led to preservation of the deposit.

Over the last two decades, promising steps have been made in the development of new greenfield and brownfield exploration methods for massive sulphide ore-forming systems in the Iberian Pyrite Belt (IPB). However, the effects of lateral and vertical facies variations in metasedimentary piles forming the two main lithostratigraphic units that potentially host massive sulfide deposits [the Phyllite-Quartzite Group (PQG) and the Volcanic-Sedimentary Complex (VSC)] on mineral exploration remain unknown. Massive sulphide deposits of the IPB document the progression of ore-forming processes in the SW Iberian Variscides, throughout uppermost Devonian to Early Carboniferous. Sulphide ores are usually hosted in volcanic-dominated or shale-dominated successions belonging to the VSC (Late Fammenian to Late Visean). Yet, several important orebodies at Neves Corvo are sitting within upper sections (Fammenian) of the early deposited Phyllite-Quartzite Group (PQG). Four key sectors of the Portuguese segment of IPB were revisited and 262 samples collected to characterize the geochemical features of metapelites from PQG and VSC sequences in barren and fertile settings. The selected sectors include active (Neves Corvo and Aljustrel) and old (Lousal) mines, besides promising brownfield (Gavião) and greenfield (Sesmarias) prospects, and other lithostratigraphic sections without known mineralization. The composition of PQG and VSC metapelites is similar and mainly controlled by a mixture of clayey-derived and quartz sandy-derived components largely resulting from different sources of granitic to granodiorite/quartz-diorite composition. Mineral transformations during diagenesis and/or hydrothermal alteration/mineralization partially overprinted the primary composition. During sedimentation/diagenesis, prevalent redox conditions were mostly confined to oxic environments, at places transiting to suboxic. Subsequent multi-stage interaction with reducing hydrothermal fluids (to which the sulphide mineralization is related) generated heterogeneous anoxic signs. Significant hydrothermal/mineralization imprints exist when Fe2O3/TiO2 ≥ 10 and Al2O3/(Al2O3+Fe2O3+MnO) ≤ 0.6. The 5x[(Fe2O3+MgO+MnO)/Al2O3], (Cu+Zn+Pb)/Sc and (As+Sb)/Sc geochemical ratios were recently proposed to separate barren from altered/mineralized metasedimentary successions in the IPB. When all these three ratios are above 10, a realistic vectoring towards massive sulphide accumulations occurs. From this dataset, 98 samples were chosen to conduct a Pb-Nd-Sr isotope study from different sections of the PQG and VSC successions (from Givetian to Upper Visean), including footwall and hanging wall domains of mineralized horizons in Neves Corvo, Aljustrel and Lousal. An extensive review of the isotopic data for pelite rocks in the IPB allow the evaluation of their sources and the potential of radiogenic isotopes as exploration tools, when combined with trace element geochemistry. The whole-rock Nd and Sr isotopic compositions along with Th/Sc ratios shows that PQG and VSC sediments are mostly composed of a silicilastic mix supplied by the dismantling of an old basement: -11 ≤ ƐNdi ≤ -8; 87Sr/86Sri up to 0.727; and TDM ages ranging from 1.08 to 1.91 Ga (𝑥̅ = 1.67 ± 0.16 Ga). The rising of ƐNdi values recorded by many samples of upper VSC (up to ± 0.2 in the Aljustrel sector) is interpreted as a result of local incorporation of volcanic-derived contributions completed during sedimentation processes during and after Upper Tournaisian. The PQG succession, at times complemented by VSC thick piles, represent the main crustal reservoirs of metals that supplied the hydrothermal inflows in IPB, which were dominated by modified seawater. Other sources, more radiogenic, should be involved in the IPB metal budget when the role of Sn- and Cu-rich fluids became central in the ore system, as documented for the Neves Corvo deposit. The increasing of 207Pb/204Pbi ratios in sediments is sensitive to the circulation of mineralizing fluids. On the contrary, significant rise in 206Pb/204Pbi (and 207Pb/204Pb) values in sediments bearing disseminated sulphides other than pyrite only occur when conditions for a protracted interaction with radiogenic hydrothermal inflows of moderate to high temperature existed. The proximity to massive sulphide ore systems could be recognized in sedimentary levels of PQG and VSC whenever 207Pb/204Pbi > 15.60 together with other multi-elemental geochemical ratios such as Fe2O3/TiO2 and (Cu+Zn+Pb)/Sc > 10.