<p>Farm animals face a variety of stressors during commercial production practices, and economic necessities and ethical considerations require mitigation strategies to help animals cope with stressors that might otherwise reduce animal performance or lead to morbidity. In swine production, arguably the most stressful period of a pig’s life is the first several weeks following weaning (nursery period), where pigs must rapidly adapt to a host of environmental and physiological stressors. In broiler chickens, exposure to environmental temperatures above their comfort zone is a considerable stressor. Accordingly, several studies were conducted with the objective of developing alternative ways to measure physiological stress in nursery pigs and broiler chickens. These alternative methods may improve the ability of animal scientists to measure physiological stress and thereby aid in development of mitigation strategies. Nursery pigs frequently struggle with diarrhea and other intestinal diseases characterized by increases in intestinal permeability. Therefore, several studies were conducted to evaluate the use of non-metabolizable carbohydrates (lactulose and mannitol) as a non-invasive measure of intestinal health in weanling pigs. In Exp 2.1 and Exp 2.2, an aspirin-induced model of intestinal permeability was explored and the excretion pattern of lactulose and mannitol in urine over a 48 h urine collection period was determined. Aspirin at 15 mg/kg BW increased the excretion of lactulose over that of pigs given 0 or 30 mg/kg of aspirin, and therefore has potential to be used to induce intestinal permeability in nursery pigs. The excretion of lactulose and mannitol peaked at 4 h post-oral dose with a solution of lactulose and mannitol and was primarily complete by 8 h post-oral dose. In the few published reports of the lactulose and mannitol test of intestinal health in weanling pigs, the dose of lactulose and mannitol has varied considerably, raising questions as to the comparability of the results. Accordingly, in Exp 3.1, the impact of variation in the dose of lactulose and mannitol was explored, and pigs given the lowest dose at 0.2 g/kg BW lactulose and 0.02 g/kg BW mannitol had large numerical decreases in lactulose excretion warranting further investigation. Pigs in Exp 3.1 also demonstrated low urine recovery rates (50% successful urine collection averaged over the 3 urine collection time points) which were postulated to be due to the stresses associated with urine collection in metabolism cages combining with the stresses of weaning. Therefore, in Exp 3.2, an alternative urine collection procedure was developed that utilized a urine collection pad held in place by an elastic wrap. Results from Exp 3.2 with urine collected either by metabolism cages or via the urine collection pads indicated that the urine collection pad held promise as an alternative urine collection method that would not require the use of metabolism cages. Accordingly, the use of the collection pad was evaluated as part of a lactulose and mannitol test of intestinal health in group-housed nursery pigs in Exp 5.1. In brief, in Exp 5.1, pigs were weaned, transported for 12 h in a livestock trailer, and fed five treatment diets for 14 d post-weaning. The treatment diets were designed to evaluate the additive effects of L-glutamine and a combination of prebiotics and probiotics as potential antibiotic alternatives to aid in mitigating stress associated with weaning and transport. After two weeks of treatment diets, common diets were fed through market-weight. Urine collection pads were used on 40 pigs (8 pigs per treatment) on d 5 and d 12 post-weaning, with pigs allowed to remain in their familiar group pen during the urine collection period, and urine collection success rates averaged 84% across collection days. This improvement over that of Exp 3.1 may indicate that the use of a urine collection pad may improve the ability to obtain urine from pigs shortly after weaning. Considerable variation in the excretion of lactulose and mannitol was still observed similarly to that seen in Exp 3.1 and precluded statistical differences among dietary treatments. An increase in urine collection length was postulated to be one potential way to reduce that variation. Additional responses to the nursery diets fed in Exp 5.1 are discussed in Chapters 4 and 5. In broiler chickens, measurement of physiological heat stress is limited by the existing techniques which have considerable disadvantages. Therefore, in Chapter 6 a simple surgical procedure is detailed that allows small data loggers to be placed into the abdominal cavity of anesthetized broiler chickens. After a period to allow the chickens to recover from the surgery, these data loggers can record the internal temperature of the chicken at user-defined intervals and have the ability to gather large amounts of internal body temperature data in a wide variety of research settings. A more traditional measure of physiological heat stress in chickens is measurement of the temperature of the cloaca with a thermometer. Therefore, to compare the two methods, values from implanted data loggers were compared to values obtained by measuring the temperature of the cloaca in Exp 6.1 and Exp 6.2, and in general, the two methods yielded similar results. Since surgery to implant data loggers is not always possible or practical, in Chapter 7 the development and evaluation of an equation to predict the internal temperature of broiler chickens was investigated. In Exp 7.1, broiler chickens were exposed to four ambient temperatures each day for four days. The surface temperature of the chicken’s face was measured with a thermal imaging camera, while internal temperature was measured with data loggers as in Chapter 6. The resulting prediction equation contained the significant explanatory variables of the surface temperature of the face, the sex of the chicken, and the number of days of heat stress exposure. Accordingly, the accuracy of the prediction equation was evaluated in Exp 7.2, where chickens were exposed to the same 4 ambient temperatures and temperatures of the face and the internal body measured as in Exp 7.1. The prediction equation developed in Exp 7.1 was then used with the inputs of the facial surface temperature, sex of the birds, and number of days of heat stress exposure from chickens in Exp 7.2 to calculate a predicted internal temperature. This predicted internal temperature was then compared to the internal temperature as measured with data loggers in Exp 7.2. While the accuracy varied by experimental day and ambient temperature, the predicted internal temperature averaged 0.32°C greater than the measured internal temperature. Therefore, while the prediction equation shows considerable promise as a non-invasive metric of physiological heat stress in broiler chickens, refinement of the equation may be required in future studies before internal temperature may be predicted with the accuracy desired in a research setting. In conclusion, the lactulose and mannitol urinary test of intestinal health requires more research before wide-spread use but has considerable promise as a non-invasive test. Surgical implantation of data loggers to measure internal temperature of broiler chickens enables precise measurement of physiological heat stress in broiler chickens, and further research may enable accurate prediction of internal body temperature of broiler chickens without requiring invasive measurement techniques. <br></p><p> </p>

O fenômeno de permeabilidade refere-se à capacidade com que um fluido é transportado através de um meio poroso, impulsionado por gradiente de pressão entre material e meio externo. Agentes de degradação são conduzidos ao interior de argamassas e concretos impelidos através desse tipo de fenômeno. Por isso, considera-se a permeabilidade como um dos principais parâmetros referentes à durabilidade e vida útil de materiais cimentíceos. Além disso, como esse tipo de avaliação está relacionada às condições estruturais dos vazios capilares de meios porosos, esse tipo de medida pode prover um indicativo das condições da estrutura porosa das argamassas no momento do ensaio, servindo ainda como método de controle de qualidade e avaliação dos processos de produção. Portanto, um novo procedimento de medida de permeabilidade ao ar, em regime de escoamento transiente, foi desenvolvido para avaliação de argamassas de revestimento através do método de vaccum-decay. O potencial do processo não se restringe apenas na determinação dos parâmetros clássicos de permeabilidade propostos por Henry Darcy, mas na avaliação das curvas de recuperação de pressão que fornecem um indicativo das condições microestruturais de diferentes estados da estrutura de meios porosos. Além disso, trata-se de um ensaio portátil, não destrutivo e de baixo custo de implementação para avaliação de argamassas de revestimento in situ. Para isto, neste trabalho foram avaliadas diferentes formulações de argamassas de revestimento tanto em ambiente laboratorial quanto in situ, em comparação ao método de Cembureau (referência), e se existe relação entre as duas diferentes condições apresentadas. A profundidade alcançada por esse tipo de ensaio superficial é uma dúvida recorrente deste e outros ensaios da mesma natureza, e por isso foi considerado no desenvolvimento do plano experimental. Ainda, as diferentes direções do fluxo de ar durante a medida podem influenciar as determinações das permeabilidades para diferentes configurações de experimentos realizados, e também foram considerados no desenvolvimento do método. / The phenomenon of permeability refers to the ability with which a fluid is transported through a porous medium, driven by pressure gradient between the material and the external environment. Degradation agents are conducted to the interior of mortar and concrete driven through such a phenomenon. Therefore, it is the permeability as a key parameters for durability and shelf life of cementitious materials. Moreover, as this type of evaluation is related to structural conditions of the empty capillary porous media, this type of measurement can provide an indication of the conditions of the porous structure of mortar at the time of trial, still serving as a method of quality control and evaluation production processes. Therefore, a new procedure for measuring air permeability in transient flow regime was developed for evaluation of mortar coating by the method of vacuum-decay. The potential of the process is not restricted only to the determination of the classical parameters of permeability proposed by Henry Darcy, but in assessing the recovery curve of pressure that provide a clear picture of states in different microstructural conditions of the structure of porous media. Moreover, it is a portable test, nondestructive and low cost of implementation for evaluation of mortar coating in situ. For this reason, this study evaluated different formulations of mortar coating in laboratory environment and in situ, compared to the Cembureau method (reference), and if there is a relationship between two different conditions presented. The depth reached by this type of test surface is a recurring question of this and other tests of the same nature, and so was considered in developing of this experimental plan. Still, the different directions of air flow during the measurement can influence the determination of permeability for different configurations of the experiments, and were also considered in developing the method.

Les objectifs de la thèse sont d'étudier le transport de fluide et le transfert de chaleur dans les pores micro et nanométriques. Les expériences et les simulations ont révélé des preuves de l'augmentation du flux provoquée par la vitesse de glissement à la paroi solide. D'autre part, la résistance thermique finie à l'interface fluide-solide est responsable de la différence de température des deux phases. Ces deux phénomènes d'interface peuvent avoir un impact considérable sur la perméabilité et la diffusivité thermique des milieux poreux constitués de micro et nanopores. La contribution se concentre sur l'étude des trois problèmes suivants. Premièrement, nous examinons les effets de glissement des liquides confinés dans un canal de graphème en utilisant le formalisme de Green Kubo et la méthode de la dynamique moléculaire. On montre que lorsque la surface solide est soumise à une contrainte mécanique uniaxiale, la friction présente une anisotropie due à la modification de l'énergie potentielle et de la dynamique des molécules composant le fluide. Les formes moléculaires jouent également un rôle important sur les écarts de frottement entre les deux directions principales. Deuxièmement, nous étudions le régime des gaz raréfiés. Dans ce cas, la vitesse de glissement et le saut de température sont régis par les collisions entre les atomes de gaz et la paroi solide. Ces effets peuvent être déterminés à l’aide d’un modèle statistique qui peut être construit à partir des vitesses incidente et réfléchie des molécules de gaz. A cette fin, différentes méthodes basées sur des techniques d'apprentissage statistique ont été proposées. Enfin, la méthode des éléments finis est utilisée pour calculer la perméabilité et la diffusivité thermique des milieux poreux sous l'influence des effets d'interface / The objectives of the thesis are to study the fluid transport and heat transfer in micro and nano-scale pores. Both experiments and simulations revealed evidence of an enhancement of flow-rate, originated from slip velocity at the solid boundary. On the other hand, the finite thermal resistance at the fluid-solid interface is responsible for the temperature difference between the two phases. These two interface phenomena can have a considerable impact on the permeability and thermal diffusivity of porous media constituted of micro and nano-pores. This contribution focuses on studying the following three issues. First, we examine the slip effects of liquids confined in graphene channel using Green Kubo formalism and Molecular Dynamics method. It is shown that when the solid surface is subject to mechanical uniaxial strain, the friction exhibits anisotropy due to the modification of the potential energy and the dynamics of the fluid molecules. The molecular shapes also play an important factor on the friction discrepancies between two principal directions. The quantification of both effects is addressed. Second, we investigate the rarefied gas regime. In this case, the velocity slip and temperature jump are governed by the collisions between the gas and the solid boundary. Those effects can be determined via the study of scattering kernel and its construction from MD simulation data. To this end, different methods based on statistical learning techniques have been proposed including the nonparametric (NP) kernel and Gaussian mixture (GM) kernel. Finally, the finite element method is used to compute the permeability and the thermal diffusivity of porous media under the influence of the interface effects

Introdução e objetivos: As nanocápsulas, uma vez que são produzidas com polímeros, representam sistemas mucoadesivos promissores. O uso desse tipo de sistema é importante no delineamento de medicamentos que vislumbrem a membrana sublingual como via de administração, devido ao constante fluxo de saliva. Em vista disso, esse trabalho tem como objetivos: estudar o efeito da nanoestruturação em nanocápsulas de polímeros de diferentes características iônicas, quanto as suas propriedades mucoadesivas, quando veiculadas em suspensão, hidrogel ou pós, e frente a distintas superfícies mucoadesivas (discos de mucina, mucosa vaginal ou mucosa bucal); desenvolver nanocápsulas contendo carvedilol, avaliando as suas propriedades mucoadesivas e perfil de permeação do fármaco em diferentes modelos de membrana sublingual; e produzir, a partir das nanocápsulas secas, comprimidos sublinguais contendo carvedilol nanoencapsulado. Metodologia: Nanocápsulas formadas por Eudragit® RS100, Eudragit® S100 ou poly(ε-caprolactona) [PCL] foram produzidas pelo método de deposição interfacial do polímero. Suas propriedades mucoadesivas foram avaliadas empregando analisador de textura. As nanocápsulas contendo carvedilol foram produzidas pelo mesmo método citado acima, utilizando Eudragit® RS100 e a PCL. A mucoadesão dessas nanocápsulas foi avaliada quanto a sua interação com moléculas de mucina, além do efeito da sua interação com a mucosa sublingual de porco na permanência do fármaco sobre a mucosa e na sua permeação, em presença de um fluxo salivar mimetizado. O transporte de carvedilol através de uma monocamada celular de células de epitélio oral (SCC4) também foi estudado. As suspensões de nanocápsulas foram, então, secas por aspersão e as propriedades das nanocápsulas redispersas foram reavaliadas. Na última etapa, foram produzidos comprimidos sublinguais pelo método de compressão direta, a partir dos pós desenvolvidos. Resultados: A mucoadesividade dos polímeros Eudragit® RS100, Eudragit® S100 e PCL foi potencializada pela sua estruturação em nanocápsulas. Dentre as formulações analisadas, as nanocápsulas catiônicas, formadas por Eudragit® RS100, veiculadas em gel, foram as que apresentaram melhores propriedades adesivas. Além disso, o processo de secagem não interferiu na adesividade das nanocápsulas originais. Em relação a superfície utilizada, a mucina se mostrou uma superfície mais adesiva comparada as mucosas suínas. Entretanto, a mucina reproduziu as diferenças observadas entre as formulações. As nanocápsulas contendo carvedilol interagiram bem com moléculas de mucina, sendo essa interação mais intensa para as nanocápsulas catiônicas [Eudragit® RS100], que para as aniônicas [PCL]. No entanto, ambas as nanocápsulas melhoraram o contato do carvedilol com a mucosa sublingual suína, o que fez com que mais fármaco permeasse através da mucosa, na presença de um fluxo salivar mimetizado, em comparação com uma solução do fármaco. Além disso, as nanocápsulas controlaram a permeação do fármaco através de mucosa sublingual de porco, bem como através de monocamadas de células SCC4. A partir destes resultados, as suspensões de nanocápsulas foram secas por aspersão. As nanopartículas foram recuperadas após redispersão aquosa dos pós e mantiveram suas propriedades mucoadesivas e biofarmacêuticas. Na sequência, os comprimidos foram produzidos como forma farmacêutica final. A presença de nanoestruturas foi observada nos comprimidos, as quais foram liberadas após total desintegração destes em saliva artificial. Além disso, a liberação do fármaco partir dos comprimidos contendo as nanocápsulas apresentou um perfil controlado comparado aos comprimidos contendo o fármaco livre, reforçando a manutenção da estrutura supramolecular das nanocápsulas nos comprimidos. Conclusão: As nanocápsulas produzidas com Eudragit® RS100, Eudragit® S100 ou PCL apresentaram boas características mucoadesivas. As, nanocápsulas de Eudragit® RS100 e PCL também melhoraram a interação do carvedilol com a membrana sublingual de porco. Em ambos os estudos, um melhor desempenho mucoadesivo foi observado para as nanocápsulas catiônicas. Além disso, o carvedilol apresentou boa permeação através de mucosa sublingual suína e através de monocama celular de células de epitélio oral. Ainda, a secagem por aspersão das suspensões de nanocápsulas não alterou significativamente as suas propriedades. A compressão direta dos pós secos por aspersão produziu comprimidos inovadores contendo um sistema nanotecnológico mucoadesivo para administração sublingual de carvedilol, como um nanomedicamento. / Introduction and objectives: Nanocapsules may represent promissing mucoadhesive systems since they are produced with polymers. The use of these systems is very important for drug administration by the sublingual route due to the constantly salivary flux in the oral cavity. In view of this, the objectives of this study were: to study the effect of the nanostructuration in nanocapsules on the mucoadhesiveness of polymers with different charge surface and the effect of the vehicle (suspension, hydrogel, and powder) on the mucoadhesiveness of nanocapsules as well as the effect of different mucosal surfaces (mucin, vaginal mucosa, and buccal mucosa); to develop carvedilol-loaded nanocapsules and to evaluate their mucoadhesive properties and drug permeation profiles using different models of sublingual membrane; and to produce sublingual tablets using spray-dried carvedilol-loaded nanocapsules. Methods: Eudragit®RS100, Eudragit®S100 or poly(ε-caprolactone) [PCL] nanocapsules were produced by interfacial deposition of the polymer method. Their mucoadhesiveness were evaluated by tensile stress tester. Carvedilol-loaded nanocapsules were produced by the method cited above and using Eudragit® RS100 or PCL as polymers. Mucoadhesiveness of nanocapsules were studied analyzing their interaction with mucin molecules and analyzing the effect of their interaction with porcine sublingual mucosa on drug retention as well on the amount of drug permeated to the receptor fluid in the presence of simulated salivary flux. The transport of carvedilol across monolayers of oral epithelial cells (SCC4) was also evaluated. In the next step, nanocapsules suspensions were spray-dried and the properties of redispersed nanocapsules were evaluated. In the last step, sublingual tablets were produced by direct compression using the spray-dried nanocapsules. Results: Mucoadhesiveness of Eudragit® RS100, Eudragit® S100 and PCL were improved by their structuration in nanocapsules. Among the tested formulations, the cationic Eudragit® RS100 nanocapsules formulated as a hydrogel showed the best behavior. Moreover, the drying process did not interfer in the adhesiveness of original nanocapsules. Regarding the surface substrate, mucin discs were more adhesive than porcine mucosas. However, mucin was able to reproduce the differences observed between the formulations. Carvedilol-loaded nanocapsules interacted with mucin molecules and this interaction was more intense for cationic Eudragit® RS100 nanocapsules than for anionic PCL nanocapsules. However, both nanocapsules increased the amount of drug retained on porcine sublingual mucosa and improved the amount of drug permeated through mucosa, in comparison to the drug solution, in presence of a mimetic salivary flux was present. Furthermore, nanocapsules were able to control the drug permeation across porcine sublingual and through SCC4 monolayer. Subsequently, suitable powders were obtained by spray-drying. The original nanoparticles were recovered after aqueous redispersion of powders and the maintenance of their mucoadhesiveness and biopharmaceutics properties was observed. Moreover, sublingual tablets were produced as a final pharmaceutical form. The presence of nanometric particles in the tablets was observed and they were released after tablet disintegration in artififcial saliva. The drug was released by a controlled way from tablets containing nanocapsules when compared to tablets containing the non-encapsulated drug, reinforcing the maintenance of supramolecular structure of nanocapsules in the tablets. Conclusion: The Eudragit® RS100, Eudragit® S100 and PCL nanocapsules showed good mucoadhesive characteristics. Moreover, Eudragit® RS100 and PCL nanocapsules improved the carvedilol interaction with porcine sublingual mucosa. In both studies, cationic nanocapsules showed the best mucoadhesive performance. Additionally, carvedilol showed a good permeation across porcine sublingual mucosa and through oral epithelial cells monolayer. The spray-drying process did not change the properties of the original aqueous nanocapsules. Furthermore, their direct compression produced innovative tablets containing a mucoadhesive nanotechnological system for sublingual administration of carvedilol as a nanomedicine.

Thesis (M.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 1982. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND ENGINEERING / Bibliography: leaves 48-50. / by Maura Elizabeth Donnelly. / M.S.

Os tratamentos que visam a remissão dos sintomas provocados pela hipersensibilidade dentinária são baseados na obliteração física dos túbulos dentinários com o objetivo de reduzir a condutibilidade hidráulica da dentina. Nesse contexto, diversos tratamentos têm sido avaliados, entre eles, a irradiação da superfície dentinária com laser. O objetivo do presente estudo foi avaliar a condutibilidade hidráulica da dentina radicular bovina, após irradiação com um laser de diodo (980nm), associado ou não com um verniz fluoretado. Sessenta espécimes de dentina radicular bovina com dimensões 5,5 X 5,5 X 1mm foram divididos em 6 grupos (n=10): Grupos 1, 3 e 5 (laser de diodo com 0,5; 0,7 e 1W respectivamente); Grupos 2, 4 e 6 (associação entre verniz fluoretado e laser de diodo com 0,5; 0,7 e 1W). A condutibilidade hidráulica da dentina, avaliada em FLODEC, foi analisada em 4 momentos: após criação da smear layer (permeabilidade mínima), após condicionamento com gel de ácido fosfórico a 37% (permeabilidade máxima), após os tratamentos propostos e após o desafio ácido com ácido cítrico a 6%. Os dados obtidos foram avaliados pela ANOVA a 2 critérios e teste de Tukey para comparação entre os diferentes grupos e ANOVA 1 critério de medidas repetidas e teste de Tukey para comparação entre as diferentes leituras dentro de cada grupo, sempre com p<0,05%. As análises demonstraram um melhor resultado conforme o aumento da potência de irradiação, principalmente se esta for associada à aplicação do verniz fluoretado, garantindo uma melhor estabilidade dos tratamentos, mesmo após o desafio ácido. Após essa última etapa, os espécimes foram avaliados quanto à composição mineral em EDX, apresentando como principais alterações nos grupos irradiados com laser, um aumento na proporção de ions Cálcio e Fósforo, associada à redução dos íons Carbono e Oxigênio. Dessa forma, a irradiação da dentina exposta com laser de diodo promoveu redução significante na condutibilidade hidráulica, principalmente com densidades de energia mais elevadas e quando associado ao verniz fluoretado. / The dentin hypersensitivity treatments are based on the physical obliteration of dentinal tubules in order to reduce the dentin hydraulic conductance. Hence, many treatments have been evaluated, such as the dentin surface laser irradiation. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the bovine root dentin hydraulic conductance after 980nm diode laser irradiation, associated or not with a fluoride varnish. Sixty bovine root dentin specimens were divided into six groups (n=10): Groups 1, 3 and 5 (0.5, 0.7 and 1W diode laser respectively); Groups 2, 4 and 6 (association between fluoride varnish application and 0.5, 0.7 and 1W diode laser irradiation). The dentin hydraulic conductance was evaluated at 4 moments, with FLODEC: after smear layer (minimum permeability), after 37% phosphoric acid gel etching (maximum permeability), after the treatments and after 6% citric acid challenge. The analysis demonstrated a better result with increased irradiation power, especially if the diode laser irradiation was associated with the application of a fluoride varnish, ensuring a greater treatment stability, even after acid challenge. After the citric acid challenge, the specimens were evaluated for mineral composition in EDX. The irradiated groups showed, as major changes after laser irradiation, an increase in the proportion of calcium and phosphorus ions, associated with the reduction of carbon and oxygen ions. In conclusion, the laser irradiation of the exposed dentin promoted a significant reduction in hydraulic conductance, mainly with higher energy densities and when combined with a fluoride varnish.

The concept of empathy has long been studied by literary scholars. Empathy can refer to several different affective, political, and aesthetic phenomena, however, and its often assumed connection to reading is far from proven. This dissertation explores three specific aspects of empathy as they appear in postwar North American fiction, with special emphasis on what they suggest about empathy’s relationship to gendered embodiment. Reading Ruptures examines readerly empathy (an aesthetic encounter with literature) in representations of dubious sexual consent; affective empathy (a political sentiment) in representations of pregnancy; and communicative empathy (a linguistic trope of science fiction) in representations of language viruses. While these distinct types of empathy can be conceptualized and experienced separately, they illuminate each other’s political opportunities and challenges when placed in conversation. Ultimately, this dissertation argues that although science fiction’s contributions to this conversation have historically been undervalued, SF offers fresh insights into empathy’s continuing and evolving relevance for posthuman embodiment and postmodern literature.

The use of plastic concrete for cutoff walls in dams for remediation of seepage issues has become more widely used in the past 25 years, however, the in-situ material properties are still not well understood. The research presents a new testing procedure that combines two existing testing methods, triaxial shear and permeability testing. By developing this laboratory testing method, material properties of the cutoff wall backfill material can be more accurately examined and explained using changes in the permeability of the material to discern the ductility and stiffness.

One of the major processes in lumber industry is wood drying. This process consumes large amounts of energy and capital, and due to the length of time it takes, it acts as a governing factor in lumber production levels. Development of improvements in processes and equipment used in wood drying can be expedited through computer simulation of various drying procedures. These numerical simulations depend on the accuracy of numerical models representing wood transport properties, including functional dependency of liquid permeability through wood with respect to local saturation level. Data available in the literature mainly represent wood permeability properties at fully saturated levels. This is an indication of steady state flow methods used in determining these values which are based on wide spread use of similar methods utilized in studies on fluid flow through soil. This research determines unsaturated wood permeability using transient liquid flow methods that are more representative of actual drying process. Initially saturated wood samples are spun in a low speed centrifuge to induce liquid migration through the cell structures. Transient local moisture profiles along the sample are measured using a scanning gamma ray densitometer. Numerical integration and curve fitting procedures are used to process these data. Finally, utilizing liquid continuity equation the functional dependency of permeability with respect to saturation is calculated. Some permeability results appear to be reasonable when compared with actual wood behavior during drying. Measurement procedures prove to yield accurate results for moisture content and saturation levels in wood with less than 5% relative error in average saturation level of .75. However, due to natural inhomogeneities in wood cellular structure, the final calculated results for unsaturated permeability show high levels of uncertainty (up to 112% relative error).

Ce mémoire de thèse a été consacrée à étudier expérimentalement la perméabilité relative au gaz et à l’eau des matériaux cimentaires partiellement saturés, et à simuler numériquement le transfert d’eau dans le béton. La perméabilité relative d’un mortier de référence et d’un béton utilisé dans un centre de stockage de déchets radioactifs a été mesurée. Une méthode de mesurer la perméabilité relative à l’eau de deux bétons CEM I et CEM V, qui seront utilisés dans un stockage profond, a été proposée. Mais les quantités d’eau mis en jeu n’ont pas permis d’exploiter cette approche. Ceci indique la prépondérance de la capillarité sur la perméation lors du processus de saturation du matériau. On a ensuite mesuré la sorption capillaire de deux bétons CEM I et CEM V. A la même saturation en eau, la perméabilité relative au gaz de l’échantillon pré-traité par l’imbibition capillaire est moins grande que celle de l’échantillon pré-traité par adsorption sous humidité relative. Un double-modèle de rétention a été proposé qui peut bien modéliser l’isotherme de sorption des bétons CEM I et CEM V. La perméabilité relative au gaz et à l’eau est déduite. L’hystérésis de l’isotherme de sorption entraîne l’hystérésis de la perméabilité relative à l’eau tandis que la perméabilité relative au gaz n’a pas d’hystérésis remarquable. Avec le double-modèle de rétention et les courbes de la perméabilité relative à l’eau, on a pu simuler le processus de sorption sous humidité relative en utilisant une propre perméabilité intrinsèque à l’eau qui est dans le domaine de valeurs mesurées tandis que on n’a pas réussi à simuler l’imbibition capillaire à cause de la cinétique différente / This dissertation was devoted to study gas and water relative permeability and transfer of water in partially saturated cementitious materials. The gas relative permeability of a reference mortar and a concrete, which is used in the low and intermediate level waste storage center in Soulaines, has been measured. A method to measure water relative permeability of two concretes CEM I and CEM V, which will be used in the building of a underground disposal, has been proposed. But the difficulty of isolating the part due to the permeation in the unsaturated flow shows that the flow of capillarity is predominant in unsaturated flow. The capillary adsorption of concretes CEM I and CEM V has been measured. At the same level of water saturation, the gas relative permeability of sample pre-treated by capillary adsorption is less than that of sample pre-treated by adsorption in relative humidity. A double retention model has been proposed and it can describe the sorption isotherm of two concretes CEM I and CEM V. The curves of gas and water relative permeability are deducted. The hysteresis of sorption leads to the hysteresis of water relative permeability while there is not notable hysteresis of gas relative permeability. With double-retention model and water relative permeability expression, we can simulate sorption process under relative humidity by using a proper value of water intrinsic permeability which is in the domain of measured values