Em medicina nuclear, os trabalhadores diretamente envolvidos nos exames são frequentemente expostos à radiação ionizante. Neste estudo, utilizou-se um detector Geiger-Mueller (GM) para medir as doses da radiação ocupacional durante a realização de algumas das etapas mais críticas para a exposição à radiação em exames de cintilografia de perfusão miocárdica (CPM), são elas: 1) fracionamento das atividades no preparo das seringas; 2) administração do radiofármaco Tecnécio99m-sestamibi nas etapas de repouso e estresse; e 3) aquisição das imagens diagnósticas na sala de exames. Na avaliação, procurou-se discriminar e relacionar o tempo de experiência profissional às doses medidas. Para isso, foi acompanhado um total de 494 procedimentos entre os meses de outubro e dezembro de 2012, sendo 229 seringas preparadas no fracionamento das atividades, 165 administrações de radiofármaco (55 na etapa de repouso realizadas por profissionais com tempo de experiência superior a 2 anos, 55 na etapa de repouso realizada por profissionais com tempo de experiência inferior a 1 ano, e 55 na etapa de estresse), e 100 aquisições de imagem (50 na etapa de repouso e 50 na etapa de estresse). Foram avaliados também os registros das doses obtidas na monitoração individual por dosimetria termoluminescente (TLD), realizada entre julho de 2010 e dezembro de 2012. Os resultados obtidos com o detector GM, quando extrapolados para o acúmulo de doses no período de um ano, mostraram-se significantes em relação ao limite anual de 20 mSv determinado pela legislação brasileira para uma média em cinco anos consecutivos. As doses médias acumuladas nos procedimentos avaliados corresponderam aos seguintes percentuais em relação a esse limite: 1) 13%, no fracionamento das atividades; 2) 8% e 35%, na administração dos radiofármacos das etapas de repouso e estresse, respectivamente; e 3) 4% e 10%, na aquisição das imagens das etapas de repouso e estresse, respectivamente. Esses valores foram compatíveis com os resultados da monitoração individual por TLD, cujos valores registrados foram superiores (34,6% a 63,2% do limite de 20 mSv) pelo fato de não discriminar as doses em cada procedimento. Em virtude dos valores de dose encontrados, o uso de equipamentos de proteção individual e a agilidade na realização dos procedimentos, ligada a experiência profissional, contribuem de forma efetiva para a redução destes valores de dose. / In nuclear medicine, workers directly involved in the exams are frequently exposed to ionizing radiation. In this study, a Geiger-Mueller detector was used to measure the occupational radiation doses while conducting some of the steps with critical radiation exposure during myocardial perfusion scintigraphy exams, which are: 1) fractionation of radiopharmaceutical activities in single-dose syringes, 2) Technetium99m-sestamibi administration during rest and stress steps, and 3) diagnostic images acquisition in the exam room. In the evaluation, it was sought to distinguish and relate the length of professional experience to measured doses. For that reason a total of 494 procedures were followed up including 229 fractionation of radiopharmaceutical activities in single-dose syringes, 165 radiopharmaceutical administrations (55 during rest step performed by professionals with experience time above two years, 55 during rest step performed by professionals with experience time below one year, and 55 during stress step), and 100 image acquisitions (50 during rest step and 50 during stress step). Dose records obtained during individual monitoring by thermoluminescent dosimetry (TLD) conducted between July 2010 and December 2012 were also evaluated. The results obtained by the GM detector, when extrapolated for dose accumulation over one year, proved to be significant in relation to the 20 mSv annual limit determined by Brazilian regulations to an average over five consecutive years. The mean accumulated doses evaluated during the procedures correspond to the following percentages relative to the annual limit value: 1) 13%, at the fractionation of radiopharmaceutical activities, 2) 8% and 35%, during rest and stress steps of radiopharmaceuticals administration, respectively, and 3) 4% and 10%, during rest and stress images acquisition, respectively. These values are consistent to the results of individual monitoring by TLD. These values were consistent to the results of individual monitoring by TLD, whose registered values were higher (34.6% to 63.2% of the limit of 20 mSv) due to the fact that they don't discriminate the dose by each procedure. Because of the dose values found, the use of personal protective equipment and the agility in procedures, linked to professional experience, effectively contribute to the reduction of these dose values.

The goal of the thesis was to analyse the space arrangement of the gamma - spektrometry laboratory at the RC SÚJB České Budějovice in order to design an optimal regime in a radiological emergency.

One of the relatively cheap and easily available instruments suitable for a terrorist attack is the dirty bomb. Using conventional charges (TNT, Semtex etc.) it disperses radioactive materials. Its use is based on contamination of the area where the explosion took place and on creating a radioactive cloud, which may travel rather fast depending on the wind, and which pollutes other areas with its fall-out particles. Such areas become dangerous to live or stay in for a longer period due to the danger of irradiation sickness and cancer. The polluted areas must be decontaminated, which is a very difficult task. Another problem that may occur after the explosion of such a bomb is also panic as well as burns and injuries caused by shells. This work deals with possibilities of radiological weapon construction, the results of using a dirty bomb and with the work of integrated emergency services on such an occasion.

This study is engaged in express emergency methods to monitor internal contamination of people in the event of the radiological emergency.

A presente pesquisa faz parte de um trabalho que visa o desenvolvimento de um método de simulação computacional que permita fazer a avaliação da qualidade da imagem radiográfica de maneira rápida e completa e que não apresente os problemas dos métodos tradicionais disponíveis e usados atualmente. Neste trabalho foi desenvolvido um método que leva em consideração e simula os parâmetros importantes dos sistemas radiológicos tais como: o tamanho e a distribuição de intensidade do ponto focal, as condições geométricas de exposição, a heterogeneidade do campo, a distribuição angular dos raios X, a grade supressora, bem como o efeito Compton. O método de simulação computacional desenvolvido realiza o controle de qualidade da imagem para um objeto colocado em qualquer posição do campo de radiação. A simulação foi feita implementando os algoritmos desenvolvidos em linguagem \"C\" e os resultados foram apresentados sob forma gráfica para facilitar a compreensão dos usuários. / This research is part of a work that aims the development of a computer simulation method which allows to evaluate the radiographic image quality in a faster and complete way, so that it doesn\'t present the problems found in the available methods used nowadays. The method developed in this work takes into consideration and simulates the important parameters of the radiologic systems such as: the focal spot size, the intensity distribution focal spot, the geometric conditions exposure, the field heterogeneity, the X-ray angular distribution, the antiscatter grid (Bucky), as well as the Compton effect. This developed computer simulation method achieves the image quality control of an object at any position of the radiation field. The simulation was done implementing the algorithms developed in C language and the results were displayed in a graphic way to facilitate the users comprehension.

Esta tese propõe um método de avaliação de sistemas de obtenção de imagem radiológica através das Funções de Transferência simuladas para qualquer região do campo de radiação. Esse processo de simulação reflete as mudanças sofridas pelo ponto focal e, portanto, pela Função de Espalhamento de Ponto (FEP) ao longo do campo. A avaliação utiliza informações obtidas de Funções de Transferência ótica bi-dimensionais calculadas através da aplicação de Transformadas de Fourier sobre as Funções de Espalhamento de Ponto simuladas. O método permite realizar um mapeamento da resposta em freqüências espaciais dos sistemas radio1ógicos para todo o campo de radiação, comparar a nitidez da imagem de sistemas distintos com relação a regiões equivalentes e estudar uma região especifica para prever as distorções que serão inseridas na imagem. / In this work a method of evaluation for the radiological imaging systems performance by simulated transfer functions for any X-ray field region is proposed. The simulation procedures provide information of the changes of the focal spot sizes and, therefore, of the Point Spread Function (PSF) along the field. The evaluation yields the bi-dimensional optical Transfer Functions calculated from Fourier Transformation of the simulated PSFs. This method provides: the spatial frequency response for the entire radiation field of the radiological systems; comparisons of the image sharpness relative to equivalent field regions for different systems; and the study of a singular region in order to predict image distortions.

En France, 23 000 tonnes de graphites irradiés générés par le démantèlement des réacteurs nucléaires de première génération Uranium Naturel-Graphite-Gaz (UNGG) sont en attente d'une solution de gestion à long terme. Cette thèse porte sur le comportement du tritium, l'un des principaux contributeurs à l'inventaire radiologique des graphites à l'arrêt des réacteurs. Afin d'anticiper des rejets de tritium lors du démantèlement ou de la gestion des déchets, il est indispensable d'obtenir des données sur sa migration, sa localisation et son inventaire. Notre étude repose sur la simulation du tritium par implantation de l'ordre de 3 % at. de deutérium jusqu'à environ 3 μm dans un graphite nucléaire vierge. Celui-ci a ensuite subi des recuits jusqu'à 300 h et 1300 ° C sous atmosphère inerte, gaz caloporteur UNGG et gaz humide, dans le but de reproduire des conditions proches de celles rencontrées en réacteur et lors des opérations de gestion des déchets. Les profils et la répartition spatiale du deutérium ont été analysés via la réaction nucléaire 2H(3He,p)4He. Les principaux résultats montrent un relâchement thermique du deutérium se produisant selon trois régimes contrôlés par le dépiégeage de sites superficiels ou interstitiels. L'extrapolation des données au cas du tritium tend à montrer que son relâchement thermique en réacteur pourrait avoir été inférieur à 30 % et localisé à proximité des surfaces libres du graphite. L'essentiel de l'inventaire en tritium à l'arrêt des réacteurs serait retenu en profondeur dans les graphites irradiés, dont la décontamination nécessiterait alors des températures supérieures à 1300 °C, et serait plus efficace sous gaz inerte que sous gaz humide / In France, 23 000 t of irradiated graphite that will be generated by the decommissioning of the first generation Uranium Naturel-Graphite-Gaz (UNGG) nuclear reactors are waiting for a long term management solution. This work focuses on the behavior of tritium, which is one of the main contributors to the radiological inventory of graphite waste after reactor shutdown. In order to anticipate tritium release during dismantling or waste management, it is mandatory to collect data on its migration, location and inventory. Our study is based on the simulation of tritium by implantation of approximately 3 at. % of deuterium up to around 3 μm in a virgin nuclear graphite. This material was then annealed up to 300 h and 1300 °C in inert atmosphere, UNGG coolant gas and humid gas, aiming to reproduce thermal conditions close to those encountered in reactor and during waste management operations. The deuterium profiles and spatial distribution were analyzed using the nuclear reaction 2H(3He,p)4He. The main results evidence a thermal release of implanted deuterium occurring essentially through three regimes controlled by the detrapping of atomic deuterium located in superficial or interstitial sites. The extrapolation of our data to tritium suggests that its purely thermal release during reactor operations may have been lower than 30 % and would be located close to the graphite free surfaces. Consequently, most of the tritium inventory after reactor shutdown could be trapped deeply within the irradiated graphite structure. Decontamination of graphite waste should then require temperatures higher than 1300°C, and would be more efficient in dry inert gas than in humid gas

M.Tech. (Radiography) / Conventional film and paper based radiology departments have been replaced by information technology at a rapid rate internationally. The leading technology is the Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS) and Radiology Information System (RIS). The necessity to follow global trends has become more apparent in Africa. Simultaneously, Gauteng has now reached a stage where PACS and RIS have been widely implemented. It has been recommended that radiographers must be prepared for the change in expectations and levels of accountability required when PACS and RIS are adopted into the radiology department. The research question that arises is: What are the experiences of radiographers using PACS and RIS in Gauteng, South Africa? The aim and objectives of this explanatory sequential study was to explore and describe the experiences of radiographers using PACS and RIS in Gauteng, South Africa and to develop guidelines to facilitate the job satisfaction of radiographers in a PACS and RIS-driven radiology department. The study employed an explanatory sequential mixed methods design. The explanatory design is a two-phased mixed methods design. The study began with the first, quantitative phase in which the researcher collected data from the six participating diagnostic radiology practices in the form of questionnaires. For the second phase the researcher interviewed information-rich radiographers who participated in the first phase of the data collection in focus groups. The findings, of this study, indicate that the participants in this study experience PACS and RIS in a positive manner, but that strategies could be put into place to further enhance their experience. Guidelines for facilitating job satisfaction of radiographers in a PACS and RIS-driven radiology department are suggested

Terrorism is academically understood as the quest of non-state actors to cause fear beyond the immediate victims of their action to reach political goals. Means that have an immense psychological impact are therefore expected to be sought after to a high extent by these actors. This paper seeks therefore to explain the surprisingly low frequency of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) attacks by non-state actors and why the attempts which have been made rarely accomplish to cause mass casualties, also called super terrorism. Through multiple logistic regression analysis of data from the Profiles of Incidents Involving CBRN and Non-state Actors (POICN) database, this study found that lack of actor experience from prior CBRN attempts is correlated to failed CBRN events. The paper also found that events before the year 2001 did fail to a higher extent than after 2001. However, the paper did not find support for hypotheses provided by the literature regarding how sophisticated the plot was or that the perpetrator motive affected the outcome of CBRN events. The study did neither find support for alternative explanations regarding that regime type or state wealth correlated with the outcome of CBRN events. Further research should therefore involve grounded theoretical work in both conventional as CBRN terrorism studies as theoretical frameworks lack in the field which has negative complications for this type of positivistic hypothesis-testing studies. Without studies that test theoretical claims, CBRN terrorism studies are at risk of being contaminated with cognitive biases regarding the severity and frequency of the threat.

The focus of this study was on the problem of unwarranted demand for radiological imaging by patients in rural KZN of South Africa. Literature in the context of this topic is scarce. Consequently the aim of this study was to describe sociodemographic factors that might influence patients demand for x-ray examinations. A quantitative in the form of a cross sectional survey was done. A convenient sample of 110 patients was surveyed using a structured questionnaire. Results of the study indicate that age, and educational level might influence patients’ demand for x-ray examinations. The study also revealed that very few respondents 10.9% (n=12) had knowledge about x-rays. The study further revealed that there might be other factors such as patients’ perceived benefits of x-rays, beliefs, lack of public health awareness as well as lack of effective communication between patients and health care providers. / Health Studies / M.A. (Public Health)