The long-term operational safety of nuclear power plants is of utmost importance. Seismic isolation has been shown to be effective in reducing the demands on structures in many applications, including nuclear power plants (NPP). Many designs for Generation III+ NPP include a large passive cooling tank as a measure of safety that can be used during power failure. In a large seismic event, the fluid in the tank may be excited, and while the phenomenon of fluid-structure interaction (FSI) has also been studied in the context of base isolated liquid storage tanks, the effect on seismically isolated NPP has not yet been explored. This thesis presents a two-part study on a base isolated NPP with friction pendulum bearings. The first part of the study compares the usage of a linear fluid model to a nonlinear fluid model in determining tank and structural demand parameters. The linear fluid model was found to represent the nonlinear fluid model well for preliminary analysis apart from peak sloshing height, which it consistently underestimated. The second part of the study uses a linear fluid model, an empty tank model and a rigid fluid model to investigate the influence of FSI on the structural response of an isolated NPP compared to a fixed base NPP. In general, the response of a fixed base NPP considering FSI using a linear fluid model can typically be bound by the results assuming an empty tank and assuming a full tank with rigid fluid mass. However, this does not hold for the base isolated NPP, as the peak isolation displacement for an NPP with a linear fluid model at design depth is greater than the peak isolation displacement than the same NPP with an empty tank and with a rigid fluid model. / Thesis / Master of Applied Science (MASc)

My thesis explores the profound impact of contemporary residential architecture on social interaction and a sense of belonging among dwellers. Based on personal experiences in the United States, a critical examination reveals a prevailing trend towards isolation within modern living spaces, fostering disconnection and loneliness. As an architect, I have tried to investigate the spatial and architectural barriers that hinder social cohesion, emphasizing the vital role of "pauses" in facilitating human interaction and community engagement within built environments. Drawing inspiration from historical precedents and vibrant urban settings like the North End in Boston and plazas in Paris, this study advocates for a transformative approach to residential design. By integrating elements reminiscent of lively streets into vertical housing projects, the aim is to create opportunities for spontaneous human interactions. The research delves into specific examples, such as the Foxridge apartments in Blacksburg, to identify and address architectural deficiencies that inhibit verbal and non-verbal communication. Through innovative design interventions and strategic placement of communal spaces, my thesis proposes a paradigm shift towards architecture that fosters community bonds and enriches daily life experiences. It underscores the inherent potential of architecture to bridge societal divides and counterbalance the pervasive trend towards digital engagement, promoting holistic well-being through meaningful human connections. Ultimately, my thesis advocates for a human-centric architectural ethos, envisioning spaces that not only accommodate but actively cultivate a sense of belonging and social connectivity. / Master of Architecture / As Frank Lloyd Wright has told, "We create our buildings and then they create us. Likewise we construct our circle of friends and our communities and then they construct us." Humans are social beings and we have an inert need for social connections and interactions with other humans and nature. We crave the warmth of human connection, the solace of shared laughter, and the embrace of understanding souls. Lack of social interactions and sense of belonging can lead to social isolation and loneliness, and can have really detrimental effects on one's physical and mental health and also on a society as a whole. As Patricia Churchland has told "We long to belong, and belonging and caring anchors our sense of place in the universe." Architecture of the community has the potential or obligation to create a sense of community and belonging by providing opportunities for human interactions, celebrating gathering spaces and visual communication within the community. In the midst of the urban sprawl, the need for community is palpable, like a silent cry echoing through the concrete jungle. With the more vertical the residential units get the social interactions are almost completely lost as it is only double loaded corridors with houses on either sides with uncomfortable, awkward to almost zero human interactions. Even in vertical living we need to keep in mind that those beautiful views from the 12th floor have no value if you are still feeling socially isolated. My thesis focuses on tackling loneliness through the Built Environment and understanding what are the architecture barriers of social interaction. Through my thesis I have explored different strategies developed through my research to foster the sense of community and belonging. I am exploring these ideas in the context of Washington D.C. which is claimed to be one of the loneliest cities in the United States.

Nowadays, numerous applications of active sound transmission control require lightweight partitions with high transmission loss over a broad frequency range and simple control strategies. In this work an active-passive sound transmission control approach is investigated that potentially addresses these requirements. The approach involves the use of lightweight stiff panels, or tiles, attached to a radiating base structure through active-passive soft mounts and covering the structure surface. The resulting double-partition configuration was shown to have good high frequency passive isolation, but poor low frequency transmission loss due to the coupling of the tiles to the base vibration through the air gap. The low frequency transmission loss performance of the partition was increased by using the active mounts to cancel the local volume velocity of the tiles. The use of a decentralized control approach with independent single channel controllers for each tile facilitates the implementation of a multiple tile system in a large scale application. A coupled structural-acoustic model based on an impedance mobility matrix approach was formulated to investigate the potential performance of active-passive tile approach in controlling sound transmission through plates. The model was initially applied to investigate the sound transmission characteristics of a double-panel partition consisting of a single tile-plate configuration and then extended to model a partition consisting of multiple-tiles mounted on a plate. The system was shown to have significant passive performance above the mass-spring-mass resonance of the double-panel system. Both feedback and feedforward control approaches were simulated and shown to significantly increase the transmission loss of the partition by applying control forces in parallel with the mounts to reduce the tile normal velocity. A correspondent reduction in sound radiated power was obtained over a broad frequency range limited by the tile stiffness. The experimental implementation of the active-passive tile approach for the control of sound transmission through plates was also performed. Two main experimental setups were utilized in the investigations, the first consisting of a single tile mounted on a clamped plate and the other consisting of four active tiles mounted of a simply supported plate. Tile prototypes were implemented with lightweight stiff panels and integrated active-passive mounts were implemented with piezoelectric Thunder actuators. Both analog feedback and digital feedforward control schemes where designed and implemented with the objective of reducing the normal velocity of the tiles. Experimental results have demonstrated significant broad frequency range reductions in the sound transmission through the partition by active attenuation of the tile velocity. In addition, the experiments have shown that decentralized control can be successfully implemented for multiple tiles systems. The active-passive sound transmission control characteristics of the systems experimentally studied were observed to be in accordance with the analytical results. / Ph. D.

We extend the application of the substructure synthesis method to more complex structures, and establish a design methodology for base isolation and active control in a distributed model of a building under seismic excitation. Our objective is to show that passive and active control complement each other in such an advantageous manner for the case at hand, that simple devices for both types of control are sufficient to achieve excellent response characteristics with very low control forces. The Rayleigh-Ritz based substructure synthesis method proved to be highly successful in analyzing a structure more complex than the ones previously analyzed with it. Comparing the responses of the hybridly controlled building and the conventional fixed building under El Centro excitation, we conclude that the stresses are reduced by 99.6 %, the base displacement is reduced by 91.7 % and the required control force to achieve this is 1.1 % of the building weight. / Ph. D.

Cultivated seafood is a potential alternative protein source that can address the rising global food demand with exponentially rising human population growth. Cultivated seafood is made by growing animal cells in vitro using stem cells for edible food, eliminating the need to raise the entire animal. A crucial first step in developing cultivated seafood is creating a well-characterized cell line that can continuously grow and differentiate into desired cell types. Due to difficulties in determining optimal primary cell culture conditions, no continuous cell lines of food-relevant mollusks have been established so far. This study used the adult Eastern Oyster, Crassostrea virginica, as a model bivalve to study the decontamination, cell dissociation, and culture conditions suited for mollusk adductor muscle cells. Oyster adductor (OAD) cells were obtained via tissue explant, mechanical and enzymatic digestion. The cells were routinely monitored using an inverted microscope for phase-contrast and fluorescence imaging. Culture vessels were coated with surface proteins such as fibronectin, laminin, matrigel, and poly-d-lysine to promote cell attachment. The tissue decontamination with Penicillin-Streptomycin (100 µg/mL), Amphotericin B (0.25 µg/ml), and algaecide solution (0.03%) was effective in controlling microbial growth. OAD cells grew best at lower nutrient levels in a one-to-one ratio of Lebovitz L-15 media and artificial seawater. Lower fetal bovine serum levels, 1-5%, provided a high number of cell attachments and consistent growth in combination with 1% adult oyster whole-body or larvae extract. The tissue explant method resulted in the optimal cell dissociation from the three methods, and proceeding cultures had attached cells surviving for up to 10 days. All the plate coatings promoted cell attachment, but fibronectin provided optimal cell attachment of OAD cells. Fibroblast-like, neuron-like, epithelial-like, and rounded cells were observed. Fluorescence cell staining confirmed the presence of cytoskeleton and nuclei in the OAD cell cultures. These advances in primary cell culture methods of OAD cells may be beneficial for establishing mollusk cell lines for cultivated seafood production. / Master of Science in Life Sciences / For sustainable seafood production, alternative sources of seafood proteins are essential in ensuring food security in the future. Cultivated seafood is an alternative protein source to address this rising food demand without the need to raise, farm, or slaughter animals. In developing cultivated seafood, self-renewing stem cells of the animal of interest are grown and made into edible products. A crucial first step in making cultivated seafood is understanding the growth conditions of the primary cells taken from animal tissue. Marine mollusk composes a significant part of seafood consumption, and developing cultured mollusks can address the growing food demand as a seafood alternative. However, there are many gaps in understanding the biological and physiological requirements of mollusk cells. No continuous, self-renewing mollusk cells of food-relevant species have yet been established. This study used the adult Eastern Oyster, Crassostrea virginica, as a model bivalve to study the tissue decontamination, cell dissociation, and culture conditions suited for oyster adductor muscle (OAD) cells. OAD cells were obtained via three cell dissociation methods. Cell growth was routinely monitored using an inverted microscope. Cell-surface proteins such as fibronectin, laminin, matrigel, and poly-d-lysine were used to promote cell attachment. The tissue decontamination was effective with Penicillin-Streptomycin, Amphotericin B, and algaecide. OAD cells grew best at lower nutrient levels in the one-to-one ratio of Lebovitz L-15 media and artificial seawater. Lower fetal bovine serum levels, 1-5%, provided a high number of cell attachments and consistent growth in combination with 1% adult oyster whole-body or larvae extract. Various cell morphologies were observed in the OAD cell cultures. Fluorescence cell staining confirmed the presence of cytoskeleton and nuclei in the OAD cell cultures. These advances in cell culture methods of OAD cells may be beneficial for establishing mollusk cell lines for cultivated seafood production.

Two themes appear to be prevalent today in K-12 physical education-- the challenges of workplace conditions in relationship to teachers professional development, and the increasing use of the Internet and its services. These two themes are reflected in this study. The purpose of this study was to explore how USPE-L was being used by its subscribers and describe the influence, if any, it had on K-12 physical education teachers. USPE-L is a physical education listserv which encourages teachers to discuss and share ideas about improving their teaching and programs--and perhaps also gain support from distant colleagues when it may not be immediately available in a local community. This study used multiple sources of data collection including an on-line (electronic mail) survey (N=113), follow-up phone interviews (N=10), and the investigator's fieldnotes. Data analysis included quantitative descriptive statistics and a qualitative inductive content analysis. The findings revealed two overarching themes--benefits of participation and factors limiting participation. These findings indicated that teachers read messages almost daily, yet prefer to interact with others through private e-mail. Participation on the listserv appeared to be a valued resource leading subscribers to teaching activities, teaching resources, curricular materials, and reduced feelings of isolation. Implications are provided for listserv owners and K-12 physical educators. / Ph. D.

Over the next decade, 5G networks will become more and more prevalent in everyday life. This will provide solutions to current limitations by allowing access to bands previously unavailable to civilian communication networks. However, this also provides new challenges primarily for the military operations. Radar bands have traditionally operated primarily in the sub-6 GHz region. In the past, these bands were off limits to civilian communications. However, that changed when they were opened up in the 2010's. With these bands now being forced to co-exist with commercial users, military operators need systems to identify the signals within a spectrum environment. In this thesis, we extend current research in the area of signal identification by using previous work in the area to construct a deep learning-based classifier that is able to classify a signal as either as a communication waveform (Single-Carrier (SC), Single-Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM), Amplitude Modulation (AM), Frequency Modulation (FM)) or a radar waveform (Linear Frequency Modulation (LFM) or Phase-coded). However, the downside to this method is that the classifier is based on the assumption that all possible signals within the spectrum environment are within the training dataset. To account for this, we have proposed a novel classifier design for detection of unknown signals outside of the training dataset. This two-classifier system forms an open-set recognition (OSR) system that is used to provide more situational awareness for operators. / M.S. / Over the next decade, next-generation communications will become prevalent in everyday life providing solutions to limitation previously experienced by older networks. However, this also brings about new challenges. Bands in the electromagnetic spectrum that were reserved for military use are now being opened up to commercial users. This means that military and civilian networks now have a challenge of co-existence that must be addressed. One way to address this is being aware of what signals are operating in the bands such as either communication signals, radar signals, or both. In this thesis, we will developed a system that can do that task of identifying a signal as one of five communication waveforms or two radar waveforms by using machine learning techniques. We also develop a new technique for identifying unknown signals that might be operating within these bands to further help military and civilian operators monitor the spectrum.

ABSTRAKT Bakgrund: Den resistenta bakterien MRSA- Meticillinresistent Staphylococcus Aureus har kommit att bli ett globalt problem. Studier har påvisat att individer med MRSA som vårdas i isolering upplever förvirring över sitt sjukdomstillstånd då informationen om infektionen är bristfällig, som bland annat kan ge uttryck i rädsla samt oro hos patienter.   Syfte: Syftet med litteraturstudien är att belysa hur isolering upplevs av personer med MRSA.     Metod: Denna litteraturstudie baserades på tio vetenskapliga artiklar med kvalitativ ansats. Resultaten har analyserats och sammanställts till ett resultat.   Resultat: Det analyserade materialet presenteras i tre huvudkategorier och tio underkategorier. Huvudkategorierna omfattar: Att lida i utanförskap, Att leva i fångenskap och Att hantera sin situation.   Konklusion: Övervägande i resultatet var de negativa känslorna hos patienterna. Patienterna upplevde till stor del tristess, ensamhet och en känsla av fångenskap, medan ett fåtal föredrog att vara ensam och uppskattade isoleringen. För patienter kan deras upplevelse förbättras om det från deras perspektiv kommer fram fler studier om hur det är att vara isolerad med MRSA. Det är viktigt för patienternas välbefinnande att belysa kunskapsluckor som finns och att bedriva mer forskning med utgångspunkt hos patienterna. / ABSTRACT Background: The resistant bacterium MRSA Metacillinresistent Staphylococcus aureus has become a globalproblem. Studies have shown that individuals with MRSA who have been treated in isolation experiencing confusion over their illness when the information on the infection is poor, and it can express fear and anxiety in patients.   Aim: The purpose of this study is to explore how the isolation experienced by people with MRSA.   Method: This study was based on ten scientific articles with qualitative approach. The results have been analyzed and compiled to a result.   Results: Data is presented in three main categories and ten subcategories. Main categories include: Suffering in isolation, To live in captivity and To cope with the situation.     Conclusion:  Predominant in the results was the negative emotions of patients. Patients experienced largely boredom, loneliness and a sense of imprisonment, while a few preferred to be alone and appreciated the insulation. Patients can improve their experience of it from their perspective appears more studies on how it is to be insulated with MRSA. It is important for the patients well-being to highlight knowledge gaps and to conduct more research on the basis of the patients.

Yes / It has been suggested that the isolation rearing paradigm models certain aspects of schizophrenia symptomatology. This study aimed to investigate whether isolation rearing impairs rats’ performance in two models of cognition: the novel object recognition (NOR) and attentional set-shifting tasks, tests of episodic memory and executive function, respectively. Two cohorts of female Hooded-Lister rats were used in these experiments. Animals were housed in social isolation or in groups of five from weaning, post-natal day 28. The first cohort was tested in the NOR test with inter-trial intervals (ITIs) of 1 min up to 6 h. The second cohort was trained and tested in the attentional set-shifting task. In the NOR test, isolates were only able to discriminate between the novel and familiar objects up to 1-h ITI, whereas socially reared animals remembered the familiar object up to a 4-h ITI. In the attentional set-shifting task, isolates were significantly and selectively impaired in the extra-dimensional shift phase of the task (P < 0.01). Rats reared in isolation show impaired episodic memory in the NOR task and reduced ability to shift attention between stimulus dimensions in the attentional set-shifting task. Because schizophrenic patients show similar deficits in performance in these cognitive domains, these data further support isolation rearing as a putative preclinical model of the cognitive deficits associated with schizophrenia.

Ziel dieser Arbeit war die Etablierung zweier Methoden zur Analyse und Isolation retinaler Zellen. Das Augenmerk wurde dabei auf Photorezeptoren, Mikroglia und Müller Zellen gelegt. Zur Darstellung der Spezifität der verwendeten Oberflächenmarker wurden diese auf retinalen Kryoschnitten eingesetzt und mittels Fluoreszenzmikroskop analysiert. Zur Analyse und Isolation von Zellen wurde zunächst ein Protokoll zur Herstellung einer Einzelzellsuspension etabliert, um im Anschluss mittels Durchflusszytometrie Photorezeptoren und Mikroglia Zellen als Zellpopulationen darzustellen und isolieren zu können. Weiterführend wurden Photorezeptoren und Mikroglia Zellen einer Mauslinie mit einer Deletion von Smad7 in retinalen Neuronen, Müller Zellen (Smad7∆oc Mäusen) sowie Photorezeptoren und Mikroglia Zellen der Kontrollgeschwistertiere isoliert und mittels qPCR ein signifikant geringeres Smad7 mRNA Expressionsniveau in den Smad7∆oc Photorezeptoren gezeigt. Problematisch gestaltete sich die Isolation von Müller Zellen sowohl mittels Durchflusszytometrie aber auch mittels magnetisch aktivierter Zellseparation. Diese Zellpopulation konnte in der vorliegenden Arbeit nicht erfolgreich isoliert werden. Weiterführende immunhistochemische Studien zeigten, dass der verwendete CD29 Antikörper, obwohl in der Literatur als zuverlässiger Müller-Zell-Marker beschrieben, eine starke Reaktivität mit Endothelzellen zeigt. Zusammenfassend konnte durch die Daten dieser Promotion ein Protokoll etabliert werden, um mittels Durchflusszytometrie sowohl die Analyse als auch die Isolation von Photorezeptoren und Mikroglia aus murinen Retinae zu ermöglichen und diese in weiterführenden Studien zu verwenden. / The aim of this study was to establish two methods for the analysis and isolation of retinal cells, with a focus on photoreceptors, microglia, and Müller cells. To demonstrate the specificity of the surface markers used, they were applied to retinal cryosections and analyzed using fluorescence microscopy For cell analysis and isolation, a protocol for generating a single-cell suspension was first developed, allowing photoreceptors and microglia cells to be represented and isolated as cell populations via flow cytometry. Furthermore, photoreceptors and microglia cells from a mouse line with a deletion of Smad7 in retinal neurons and Müller cells (Smad7∆oc mice) as well as photoreceptors and microglia cells from control littermates were isolated. Using qPCR, a significantly lower Smad7 mRNA expression level was shown in the Smad7∆oc photoreceptors. The isolation of Müller cells proved challenging using both flow cytometry and magnetic-activated cell sorting. This cell population could not be successfully isolated in the present study. Further immunohistochemical studies showed that the CD29 antibody used, although described in the literature as a reliable Müller cell marker, showed strong reactivity with endothelial cells. In summary, this thesis established a protocol that enables both the analysis and isolation of photoreceptors and microglia from murine retinas via flow cytometry, providing a basis for further studies.