Particulate matter (PM) emitted from diesel engines encompasses soluble (volatile) and insoluble (non-volatile) matter. The concept of volatility or solubility depends on the method of separation. The volatile matter includes sulphates and nitrates which are bound to water vapour; and myriads of hydrocarbon species. The solid matter is comprised of black carbon and ash. Its mitigation combines the use of internal engine design and operating factors like fuel injection and spray, air and fuel mixing, chamber designs and fuel improvements. Control technologies that act on the exhaust gases are called ‘after-treatments' which include the use of oxidation catalysts, filter trap and reductant of nitrogen oxides along the exhaust system. The central issues of this thesis are measurement schemes that involve stripping the PM of volatile matter in order to determine the actual values of nano-size solid carbon particles that pose significant health risk and their mitigations. In the experimental measurements, exhaust gases were generated at low engine load which are rich in unburnt hydrocarbons that nucleate into particles at low temperatures. Similarly, exhaust gases generated at medium load contain volatile and soot components; these were used to study dilution effects on PM emission. The interplay of mixing and cooling was used to explain the behaviour of saturation characteristics of the volatile fractions in the dilution process which influenced nucleation of volatile species. The parameters of particle number concentration reduction factor (PCRF) and volatile removal efficiency (VRE) were used to give extended interpretation to dilution of PM during conditioning, than mere dilution ratios. On this basis, comparison was made on the effect of carrier gases on dilution process and it was found that air is superior when there is need for volatile reduction while nitrogen is better when it is necessary to freeze further reaction, especially at low dilution ratios. In addition, a two-stage hot dilution technique was used to mimic the Particle Measurement Programme (PMP) prescription, and it gave better PCRF and VRE values. The study of PM mitigation by filter traps focused on burning-off the accumulated matter to allow free flow of exhaust gases, and the energy it takes to initiate and maintain PM combustion. Therefore a fundamental study of soot oxidation relevant to regeneration of diesel particulate filter (DPF) was made. This was extended to investigate if blending of petrodiesel with biodiesel affects PM oxidation. It is deducible that oxidation of PM generated from fuel with biodiesel blends is slightly faster compared to that from pure petrodiesel. A feasible use of microwave power to regenerate catalysed and non-catalysed silicon carbide (SiC) diesel particulate filters (DPFs) using an available multimode microwave cavity was also carried out. Results show that with catalysed DPFs, catalyst light-off temperature reduced by 100oC under the influence of microwave irradiation, while for non-catalysed DPF, regeneration was achieved within 550-600oC at a time estimated to be lower compared to electrical resistance heating approach.

Orientadores: Jose Wilson Magalhães Bassani, Rosana Almada Bassani / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Eletrica e de Computação / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-06T07:47:18Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Boer_DenileCominato_M.pdf: 557480 bytes, checksum: e378c01e865d04a595d3f0e7ad3c60dd (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006 / Resumo: Embora haja demonstração de que a estimulação simpática tenha efeito facilitatório sobre a indução de atividade espontânea em miocárdio há controvérsia sobre a participação dos tipos de adrenoceptores na mediação deste efeito. No presente trabalho, descrevemos um método desenvolvido para determinação, em átrio esquerdo isolado (AE) de rato, da relação concentração-efeito para agentes que exercem efeito arritmogênico por aumento da mobilização celular de 'Ca POT. 2+¿. O método baseou-se na interposição de pausas estimulatórias, durante as quais registraram-se contrações espontâneas (CE), precedidas ou não por trens estimulatórios de alta freqüência (5 Hz). O protocolo estimulatório foi repetido na presença de diferentes concentrações de agonistas. Para cada concentração de agonista, a resposta arrítmica foi considerada como a soma dos números de CE/min, no total de preparações. Foi analisada também a resposta inotrópica, como sendo o incremento de força ou encurtamento de pico, desenvolvidos em AE e miócitos ventriculares (MV), respectivamente. A relação foi ajustada por uma função sigmóide para cálculo de Min (i.e., valor da variável na ausência do agonista), Rmax (resposta máxima) e pD2 (-log da concentração do agonista que produziu uma resposta igual a 50% de Rmax). Este método foi aplicado no estudo dos tipos de adrenoceptores envolvidos na resposta arrítmica a catecolaminas em AE e MV. A Rmax inotrópica à ativação de adrenoceptores 'alfa IND. 1¿ + 'beta IND. 1¿ foi comparável àquela por ativação de apenas receptores 'beta IND. 1¿, em ambos AE e MV. Já a ativação de adrenoceptores 'alfa IND. 1¿ produziu uma Rmax inotrópica de apenas metade daquela observada pela estimulação 'alfa IND. 1¿ + 'beta IND. 1¿. Da mesma forma, a resposta arrítmica foi semelhante para estimulação de adrenoceptores a1+ß1 e de apenas receptores 'beta IND. 1¿. Entretanto, nenhuma resposta foi obtida pela estimulação de receptores adrenérgico do tipo 'alfa IND. 1¿. Estes resultados indicam que a estimulação de adrenoceptores 'alfa IND. 1¿, apesar de evocar uma resposta inotrópica positiva em ambos AE e MV, não é arritmogênica. A ativação do tipo 'beta¿, por outro lado, parece ser a principal via para estimulação inotrópica simpática e na indução de arritmias. Além disso, concluímos que parece existir antagonismo funcional entre os subtipos de adrenoceptores 'beta¿, manifestado por ações pró- e anti-arrítmicas dos subtipos 'beta IND. 1¿ e 'beta IND. 2¿, respectivamente, em miocárdio (tanto atrial, quanto ventricular) de rato / Abstract: Although it has been shown that sympathetic stimulation facilitates the appearance of myocardial spontaneous activity, it is still not clear which types of adrenoceptors mediate this effect. In this study, we describe a method developed for determination, in isolated rat atria (AE), of the concentration-effect relationship for arrhythmogenic agents that act via promotion of cell 'Ca POT. 2+¿ overload. The method was based on the interposition of stimulatory rest periods, during which spontaneous contractions (CE) were recorded, preceded or not by high frequency (5 Hz) stimulus trains. The stimulation protocol was applied at each agonist concentration, and the arrhythmic response was taken as the sum of the number of CE/min in all preparations. The positive inotropic response was considered as the agonist-dependent increment of developed force or peak shortening in AE and isolated ventricular myocytes (MV), respectively. Concentration-effect curves were determined by fitting a sigmoid function, from which the following parameters were estimated: Min (i.e., value of the variable in the absence of the agonist), Rmax (maximal response) e 'pD IND. 2¿ (-log of the molar agonist concentration that evokes a response equal to 50% of Rmax). This method was applied to investigate the adrenoceptor types involved in the mediation of catecholamine-induced arrhythmogenesis in AE and MV. Inotropic Rmax to activation of 'alfa IND. 1¿ + 'beta IND. 1¿ adrenoceptors was comparable to that of activation of solely 'beta IND. 1¿ adrenoceptors in both AE and MV. However, Rmax to selective 'alfa IND. 1¿ adrenoceptor activation was only half of that produced by 'alfa IND. 1¿ + 'beta IND. 1¿ adrenoceptor stimulation. The arrhythmic responses to 'alfa IND. 1¿ + 'beta IND. 1¿ and 'beta IND.1¿ receptor stimulation were similar, but selective a1 adrenoceptor activation was unable to evoke any spontaneous activity. The results indicate that a1 adrenoceptors, although able to mediate stimulation in both AE and MV, are not involved in arrhythmogenesis. 'beta¿-adrenoceptor activation, thus, seems the main type involved in both inotropic and arrhythmic responses to catecholamines. In addition, our results point out a functional antagonism between 'beta¿-adrenoceptor subtypes: i.e., pro- and anti-arrhythmic effects mediated by 'beta IND. 1¿ and 'beta IND. 2¿-adrenoceptors, respectively in both atrial and ventricular rat myocardium / Mestrado / Engenharia Biomedica / Mestre em Engenharia Elétrica

The medical use of marijuana is increasing, yet little is known about the exposure-response relationships resulting in its psychoactive effects. Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and its active metabolite (11-hydroxy-THC; THC-OH) are the principal psychoactive components in marijuana. It is well known that the plasma concentrations of the psychoactive components of marijuana do not directly relate to the observed psychoactive effects. The presence of a counter-clockwise hysteresis in the plasma concentrations-effect plot demonstrates a temporal delay between the plasma concentrations and observed effect following the intravenous administration of THC. The overarching objective of this research was to better understand the relationship between the plasma and brain concentrations of the psychoactive components (THC and THC-OH) and the observable psychoactive effects after intravenous administration of THC, utilizing model-based approaches. Specifically, the pharmacokinetics were explored using population pharmacokinetic (Pop PK) and physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling whereas the pharmacodynamics (PD) of the psychoactive effect (“highness”) were explored using effect-compartment modeling and linking the PD to the PBPK-derived concentrations predicted in the brain and an assumed effect-site. A “hypothetical” effect compartment model was developed to characterize the observed delay in peak “highness” ratings. A direct relationship was established between the reported psychoactive effects (“highness” or intoxication) and the predicted effect-site concentrations of both components (THC and THC-OH) using this effect-compartment modeling approach. The faster plasma to effect compartment equilibration for THC-OH indicated a more rapid equilibration of the active metabolite between plasma and the effect-site (biophase) than for the parent THC. In addition, a PBPK modeling approach was pursued to predict and relate the brain concentrations of THC and THC-OH to the psychoactive effect. The relationship between the effect and the predicted unbound brain concentration of THC indicated an indirect relationship, suggesting a temporal delay between brain concentrations of THC and observed effect. However, a direct relationship was observed between the observed effect and the unbound brain THC-OH concentrations. In addition, the unbound concentrations of THC-OH in the brain were predicted to be higher than the corresponding THC concentrations. These findings highlight the importance for the inclusion of THC-OH, in addition to THC, when relating the observed effect to the concentrations of the psychoactive components of marijuana. These models contribute to the understanding of the PK-PD relationships associated with marijuana use and are important steps in the prediction of the pharmacodynamic effects related to the psychoactive components in marijuana and establish an approach for investigating other THC-related effects.

No / Rheological characterisation of hydroxyapatite -high density polyethylene (HA-HDPE) composites has been performed in terms of isothermal compressibility and wall slip. Addition of HA to the polymer melt decreases the compressibility of the melt. The unfilled HDPE was found to exhibit wall slip at shear stresses as low as 0.10 MPa. The flow curves of the composites showed three distinct regions: a gradient at low shear rates; a plateau region; and a gradient at higher shear rate. An increase in rheometer pressure seems to suppress the slip in composites. The 40 vol.-% HA-HDPE composite exhibited two critical shear stresses, one corresponding to wall slip, which occurs in the lower shear rate region of the flow curve, and the other corresponding to a plateau, which is identified with the stick-slip behaviour of unfilled HDPE reported in the literature. The plateau shear stress increased with filler volume fraction and this effect is attributed to the decreased compressibility of the melt. A good correlation with a negative correlation coefficient was found to exist between compressibility and shear stress in the plateau region. The slip observed in unfilled HDPE and at low shear rates in the 40 vol.-% HA- HDPE systems has been explained in terms of a low molecular weight polymer layer formed at the melt/wall interface. The large interfacial slip observed in the plateau region is attributed to complete disentanglement of adsorbed chains from free chains at the melt/wall interface at and beyond the plateau region.