This thesis is about determining the risks of positioning swimming pools on top of high-rise buildings.Pursuing this determination, computational simulations of constructed structural models in a finiteelement model software called RFEM have been analyzed. In further pursuit of wanted results comingfrom the computational software, the models have acquired relevant theory regarding both swimmingpools and high-rise buildings respectively to obtain realistic approximations of equivalent results if themodels were real life structures. Thence analytical observations and measures of each structural modelcontaining different positions of the swimming pools are generated, in several degrees, differentpossibilities of risks of failure are possible. Results have been compared out of design of swimmingpools and high-rise buildings in an initial stage of background and thereafter set as input values for themodeling where following perspectives have been analyzed:• Structural deformations,• Internal forces,• Utilization ratios, and• Mode shapes.Further analysis of social-, economic-, and environmental sustainability have been deliberated. Thus,in conclusion of this thesis, swimming pools positioned on top of the structure core or at center of theplan section tend to harm the stability of the structure likewise if the positioning of the swimming poolare cantilevered completely over the edge of the rooftop. More suitable design would either bepositioning the swimming pool attached to the core of the structure meanwhile cantilevered over theedge or integrated entirely along the edge.The results showed that some of the overhanging swimming pools pass the requirements of theEurocode. This will result in the columns experiencing a utilization which exceed its capacity. Thecolumn utilization was shown to behave differently depending on where the swimming pool was placedon the top floor. Furthermore, it was also a difference between the structures studied as dimensions ofthe members required either more or less depending on the form the structure had. The reaction of theswimming pool could be observed to behave as a stiff part of the structures with the deformation mostlybeing located at the slabs. The internal forces developed in the members due to the swimming poolaffected the columns at the bottom floors the most. The thesis finally shows how much is needed forthe worst case of each structure to pass the requirements. This resulted in different dimensions for themembers where the smaller structure (structure model 1) needed bigger dimensions and the largerstructure (structure model 2) needed smaller dimensions compared to the originally based dimensions.The social, economic, and environmental impact of the structures showed that the larger structureswould release more carbon dioxide than the smaller structures. The social aspect was treated moreregarding the safety and the experience of the user of the facility of swimming pool. The reinforcementvaried the most between the structures with the concrete being mostly the same for the two differentstructures made, in which an impact was made for both the economic and the environmental. Here itwas shown that in order to pass the requirements of the Eurocodes the impact on the climate needed tobe considerable different.

<p>The osmorespiratory compromise is the trade-off between high gill permeability for oxygen uptake and low gill permeability for conservation of ions in fish. The fundamental purpose of this study was to examine facets of the osmorespiratory compromise in freshwater fish under conditions of extended exercise and acute hypoxia, in light of previous research identifying very different gill morphometric and ionoregulatory modifications in the hypoxia-tolerant Amazonian oscar (<em>Astronotus ocellatus</em>) and the hypoxia-intolerant rainbow trout (<em>Oncorhynchus mykiss</em>). A technique using [³H]polyethylene-4000 ([³H]PEG-4000) for branchial paracellular permeability measurement was developed, and then applied to investigate the osmorespiratory compromise during extended swimming. Methods were developed to overcome the challenges of renal [³H]PEG-4000 loss, respirometer surface adsorption, and freshwater drinking of the chemical. In both trout and oscar, corrections were employed for these sources of error – leading to findings that in both species, branchial [³H]PEG-4000 permeability was not rectified and freshwater drinking was quite high. In both species, during an 8-h swim (1.2BL/s), oxygen consumption rate increased by 75-90%; drinking rate remained high but did not increase. Branchial paracellular permeability increased by 61% during exercise in trout but remained constant in oscar. The methods developed here can be widely applied to future studies of branchial paracellular permeability.</p> <p>Unidirectional fluxes (by ²²Na) of sodium, and net fluxes of potassium, ammonia, and urea were observed during a 2-h nomoxia:2-h hypoxia (30% O₂ saturation):2-h normoxic recovery protocol – to identify adaptive trends across phylogenies and/or environments in North and South American teleosts. Strategies for coping with hypoxia appeared to be environmentally, rather than phylogenetically linked, since both the oscar (perciform) and the tambaqui (<em>Colossoma macropomum</em> – characiform) displayed characteristic permeability reduction (of apparent transcellular origin); both frequently encounter severe hypoxia in their natural habitat. Two North American perciforms, pumpkinseed (<em>Lepomis gibbosus</em>) and bluegill sunfish (<em>Lepomis macrochirus</em>) which live in less hypoxic environments, increased branchial ion leakage as in the hypoxia-intolerant trout. Four Amazonian tetra species (all characiformes: <em>Paracheirodon axelrodi, Hemigrammus rhodostomus, Moenkausia diktyota,</em> <em>Hyphessobrycon bentosi rosaceus</em>) which experience intermediate hypoxia in their native Rio Negro presented variable responses. Finally, during a 4-h swim at1.2BL/s, branchial ion fluxes were not reduced but elevated in oscar, indicating that ionoregulation in this species occurs primarily transcellularly, and that adaptive strategies to one manifestation of the osmorespiratory compromise (hypoxia) may not apply to another (exercise).</p> / Master of Science (MSc)

No description available.

Total and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (TC and HDL-C) and TC/HDL-C ratio were compared in 30 adult male recreational swimmers and 21 sedentary controls. Percentage of body fat, number of cigarettes smoked daily, and daily alcohol consumption were assessed for both groups. Maximum workout heartrate, weekly swim duration and weekly swim distance of the swimmers were also measured. Maximum workout heartrate (mean ± S. D. ) was 140 ± 24 beats per minute . Mean weekly swim duration was 142 ± 84 minutes, and mean weekly swim distance was 5317 ± 3217 yards. Swimmers and controls were nonsignificantly different in age, number of cigarettes smoked daily, and percent body fat. In this sample, the swimmers consumed significantly higher levels of alcohol than the non-swimmers. TC and HDL-C concentrations of swimmers were not significantly different than controls, (204 vs 199 mg/dl, and 48 vs 47 mg/dl, respectively). TC/HDL-C ratio of swimmers was 4.69, while that of controls was 4.65. This study showed that adult male recreational swimmers who train at low intensity do not differ significantly in total and HDL-C or TC/HDL-C ratio from male sedentary controls. / M.S.

The purpose of this study was to develop a mastery-based adapted aquatics program following an educational research and development model, and to ascertain the potential effectiveness of that program. Factors that were investigated in this study included student performance time, teacher feedback rate, and teacher perceptions of instructional effectiveness. The program was staffed by volunteers. The participants were mentally retarded individuals, and represented a moderate range of ability levels. Mastery sequences were developed for a wide majority of swim skills. Each sequence contained the skill to be learned, the tasks which combine to form the skill, and a criterion to be reached for mastery of each task. Instructors were provided with preliminary and on-going training in the utilization of the mastery sequence cards and the provision of feedback. Data were collected before and during inception of the mastery based program using a naturalistic observation system, and teacher surveys. The results showed a significant increase in the rate of teacher feedback provided, a significant decrease in the amount of off-task time, and an overall positive instructor attitude toward the mastery sequence cards. There was not a significant difference in the amount of performance time although a probable cause was determined to be a lack of sequence cards available. Possible modifications were discussed, as well as recommendations for future research. / M.S.

Biological systems offer novel and efficient solutions to many engineering applications, including marine propulsion. It is of interest to determine how fish interact with the water around them, and how best to utilize the potential their methods offer. A stingray-like fin was chosen for analysis due to the maneuverability and versatility of stingrays. The stingray fin was modeled in 2D as a sinusoidal wave with an amplitude increasing from zero at the leading edge to a maximum at the trailing edge. Using this model, a parametric study was performed to examine the effects of the fin on surrounding water in computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. The results were analyzed both qualitatively, in terms of the pressure contours on the fin and vorticity in the trailing wake, and quantitatively, in terms of the resultant forces and the mechanical power requirements to actuate the desired fin motion. The average thrust was shown to depend primarily on the relationship between the swimming speed and the frequency and wavelength (which both are directly proportional to the wavespeed of the fin), although amplitude can be used to augment thrust production as well. However, acceleration was shown to significantly correlate with a large variation in lift and moment, as well as with greater power losses. Using results from the parametric study, the potential for power regeneration was also examined. Relationships between frequency, velocity, drag, and power input were determined using nonlinear regression that explained more than 99.8% of the data. The actuator for a fin was modeled as a single DC motor-shaft system, allowing the combination of the energetic effects of the motor with the fin-fluid system. When combined, even a non-ideal fin model was able to regenerate more power at a given flow speed than was required to swim at the same speed. Even in a more realistic setting, this high proportion of regenerative power suggests that regeneration and energy harvesting could be both feasible and useful in a mission setting. / Master of Science / Animals interact with the world much differently than engineered systems, and can offer new and efficient ways to solve engineering problems, including underwater vehicles. To learn how to move an underwater vehicle in an environmentally conscious way, it is useful to study how a fish’s movements affect the manner in which it moves through the water. Through careful study, the principles involved can be implemented for an efficient, low-disturbance underwater vehicle. The particular fish chosen for in-depth study was the stingray, due to its maneuverability and ability to travel close to the seafloor without disturbing the sediment and creatures around it. In this work, computational analysis was performed on a model of a single stingray fin to determine how the motion of the fin affects the water around it, and how the water affects the fin in turn. The results were analyzed both in terms of the wake behind the fin and in terms of how much power was required to make the fin move in a particular way. The speed of the fin motion was found to have the strongest effect in controlling swimming speed, although the lateral motion of the fin also helped with accelerating faster. Additionally, the potential for a robotic stingray fin to harness power from the water around it was examined. Based on results from simulations of the fin, a mathematical model was formulated to relate energy harvesting with the flow speed past the fin. This model was used to determine how worthwhile it was to use energy harvesting. Analysis of the model showed that harvesting energy from the water was quite efficient, and would likely be a worthwhile investment for an exploration mission.

The estuarine sheepshead minnow (Cyprinodon variegatus) is the most eurythermic fish species, with a thermal tolerance window between 0.6°C and 45.1°C. However, little is known about the physiological mechanisms that allow this species to survive this temperature range. In order to understand how sheepshead minnow physiology is affected by temperature acclimation and acute changes in temperature, I conducted research on this species using a multi-level approach. I began at the organismal level, and examined the effects of these temperature changes on the sheepshead minnow's metabolic rate and swimming performance. The next chapter investigated the effects of changing temperatures on cardiac function (i.e., tissue/organ specific effects). In the final chapter, I conducted research at the sub-cellular level, and determined how mitochondrial bioenergetics / function is impacted by changing temperatures. This research shows that while sheepshead minnows are able to sustain heart function and mitochondrial respiration over a broad range of temperatures; they also display a plastic temperature response which is associated with the downregulation of standard metabolic rate and cardiac remodeling to maintain force generation. Collectively, these physiological responses may contribute to the sheepshead minnow's ability to maintain physiological and organismal function across a large temperature range.

Title: Swimming instruction of mentally handicapped individual and his/her integration - Down's syndrome The diploma thesis deals with a mentally handicapped individual suffering from the Down's syndrome and his/her integration in the preparatory swimming instruction. In practice this includes the execution of preparatory swimming instruction, registration of gradual acquiring of basic swimming skills, evaluation of input and output swimming skills. Key terms: Down's syndrome, mental affliction, swimming instruction, movement activity, movement skills, movement capabilities, integration, basic swimming skills.

The subject of the diploma thesis concerns the integration of mentally handicapped individuals into the group of standard population in the course of preparatory training of swimming. The aim of the thesis is the evaluation and charting of the problem of the Down syndrome and on the basis of the results the proposal and verification of the conception of integration of the handicapped person. The theoretical part of the diploma thesis is based upon the characteristics of the specific traits of mentally handicapped individuals, it explains the terms of the Down syndrome, it explains the integration of mentally handicapped individuals, and it informs about the swimming as a means of integration into the society. The practical part of the diploma thesis described the course of the research work, it characterizes the studied group of individuals, it includes the results of testing (Štochl, 2002) and it registers the acquiring of the respective aptitudes. The results are evaluated by verbal description as well as by the form of graphs. The practical part includes also the preparation of the conception of social integration of mentally handicapped individuals, which has been prepared on the basis of analysis of specialized literature and on the basis of practical and theoretical experience. The conception includes...

This Project involves looking at African American culture as it relates to swimming, water safety awareness, and water skills. The paper explores the myths and cultural norms associated with drowning phobias in African Americans to discover the root causes. Through historic accounts of African American culture one begins to uncover reasons why this culture became, in a sense aqua phobic. The paper will show what water sport professionals are up against, when working with a culture that is several generations removed from the water and their water skills. The ultimate goal is to draw attention to the importance of water safety and the ability to swim as a life skill. / by Jon Eric Groover. / Vita. / Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2011. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2011. Mode of access: World Wide Web.