Future Higgs factories can reach impressive precision on Higgs property measurements. In this paper, instead of conventional focus of Higgs precision in certain interaction bases, we explore its sensitivity to new physics models at the electron-positron colliders. In particular, we study two categories of new physics models, Standard Model (SM) with a real scalar singlet extension, and Two Higgs Double Model (2HDM) as examples of weakly-interacting models, Minimal Composite Higgs Model (MCHM) and three typical patterns of the more general operator counting for strong interacting models as examples of strong dynamics. We perform a global fit to various Higgs search channels to obtain the 95% C.L. constraints on the model parameter space. In the SM with a singlet extension, we obtain the limits on the singlet-doublet mixing angle sin theta, as well as the more general Wilson coefficients of the induced higher dimensional operators. In the 2HDM, we analyze tree level effects in tan beta vs. cos(beta-alpha) plane, as well as the one-loop contributions from the heavy Higgs bosons in the alignment limit to obtain the constraints on heavy Higgs masses for different types of 2HDM. In strong dynamics models, we obtain lower limits on the strong dynamics scale. In addition, once deviations of Higgs couplings are observed, they can be used to distinguish different models. We also compare the sensitivity of various future Higgs factories, namely Circular Electron Positron Collider (CEPC), Future Circular Collider (FCC)-ee and International Linear Collider (ILC).

Burn injury impacts the lives of over 1.1 million people within the United States annually (Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, 2011). Taking into account current advancements in burn trauma care, approximately 95 percent of those hospitalized will survive their injuries. With increased survival rates, greater attention is being focused on the psycho-social aspect of burn treatment and rehabilitation. There is an opportunity for health educators to affect the long-term wellness outcomes of adult burn survivors and to support their growth beyond survival status. This may not constitute recovery to their preinjury lives, but rather recovery to lives closer to optimal health/wellness as opposed to mere acceptance of their current situation. Utilizing a phenomenological qualitative design, this study explored the burn-related experiences and underlying factors of resilience among burn survivors living in the Midwestern United States. After conducting single, semi-structured interviews focused on eight burn survivors' dimensions of health, the themes that emerged through data analysis were "How it Feels," "Somehow I'm Still Me," and "Yet, I'm Better." The findings of this study support the presence of innate resilient protective factors within participants' journey toward recovery and health. Through the experiences of the participants within this study, there is an opportunity for health educators to increase their understanding of the experiences of burn trauma and the impact of resilience on positive recovery outcomes.

This study was initiated to assess the biological, ecological and sociological aspects of the blue crab, Callinectes sapidus, fishery associated with the Pascagoula River Estuary in southern Mississippi. Household surveys were conducted in the cities of Moss Point and Pascagoula, Mississippi, September 2010 to September 2011, to identify, describe and classify subsistence fishing activities associated with the estuary. A stock assessment of blue crab was conducted to determine how biological and environmental variability affect the people engaged in this subsistence fishery. The study revealed two types of subsistence fishing occurring in the Moss Point/Pascagoula area. The first type involves fishing as a livelihood strategy based on economic dependence, and the second type involves fishing as a lifestyle choice based on economic independence. Both are based on customary and traditional patterns of local resource use and consumption and maintained by reciprocal kinship-based social networks. The blue crab fishery in the Pascagoula River Estuary was highly variable and exhibited strong seasonal and spatial patterns in distribution and abundance. Subsistence fishers in the region have developed strategies to cope with this biological and environmental variability. These region-specific strategies include but are not limited to: fishing using multiple gears simultaneously (rod and reel and crab nets), freezing fish, relying on other natural resources including agriculture and wildlife, and generalized reciprocity.

This study called into question the rationale and methods used by researchers used to measure levels of social capital, particularly Putnam (1995), Paxton (1999), and Park (2006). A central purpose to this study was to partially replicate and extend the work of Park, who theoretically derived four dimensions of social capital. I develop measures of each dimension and then regress each on the variables of age, sex, race, ethnicity, marital status, education, income, and religiosity. This created four sets of outcomes from which I drew conclusions about the dimensionality of the social capital concept. Based on the low percentage of variance explained by the models and the fact that many coefficients reverse signs from one model to the next, I conclude that these dimensions do not represent four parts of a single, underlying construct. This was counter to both Paxton and Park’s conclusions. The results of this study also offer a way to examine the effects of subgroups on each dimension. In addition, Park’s hypothesis of “coffeeing together” was tested and found to be inconsistent with the descriptive results. Recommendations were made for future applications of social capital research and an alternative hypothesis was cited as a promising way to conduct subsequent studies.

Catfishes Ictaluridae are important food fish that are harvested from the New River, Virginia by multiple methods, yet standard creel survey approaches do not accurately sample setline effort, a popular fishing gear for catfish. I characterized the New River setline fishery by estimating setline effort and catch rates of catfish and by-catch in 2011, and by investigating the attitudes and opinions of setline users during 2012. Setline effort was highest during June-August, and declined significantly by mid-September. Several dedicated setline users accounted for a significant portion of total setline effort. Experimental setlines baited with live minnows Cyprinidae proved to be an effective method for catching catfish but caught few walleye Sander vitreus, smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieu, and muskellunge Esox masquinongy. Estimated by-catch of these species by setline fishers is small compared to catch by hook-and-line anglers, though walleye experienced high setline hooking mortality, and catch rates increased in autumn months. Setlines appear to be part of a larger "way of life" for some rural individuals, who may also hunt, trap, and garden as part of activities to supplement their diet or income. New River setline fishers strongly believe that setline fishing has declined significantly in the New River Valley due to improving socioeconomic status of the region, changing recreational values (such as focus on catch-and-release fishing and paddle sports), increasing recreational traffic and law enforcement presence, and decreasing participation in setline fishing by younger generation. / Master of Science

L'utilisation accrue de l'aluminium structural au cours des dernières décennies s'explique par ses nombreux avantages, tels que son excellente résistance par rapport à son poids, sa résistance à la corrosion et ses bénéfices environnementaux. Dû à son coup initial élevé, l'optimisation des méthodes de conception est essentielle pour exploiter pleinement ces propriétés. Cependant, les normes actuelles utilisent des approches simplifiées pour prédire la résistance des éléments en aluminium, qui ne sont pas optimisées pour tenir compte des effets de l'écrouissage, des instabilités, des propriétés réduites dans la zone affectée thermiquement et des formes extrudées souvent complexes. Ce mémoire présente le développement d'une méthode alternative de dimensionnement des sections ouvertes en aluminium, basée sur l'Overall Interaction Concept (O.I.C.). Cette approche de conception innovante est basée sur l'interaction entre résistance et stabilité, tout en considérant les imperfections géométriques et matérielles. De plus, elle permet d'obtenir des résultats précis et cohérents par l'utilisation de courbes de flambement continues. Un modèle numérique d'éléments finis a été développé pour prédire avec précision la résistance en section des éléments en aluminium. Son efficacité a été validée en comparant les résultats à ceux de tests expérimentaux. Des études paramétriques approfondies ont ensuite été menées, permettant d'étudier l'impact de diverses géométries, d'alliages et de cas de charge sur la résistance. Avec les résultats de plus de 4500 simulations numériques non linéaires, des propositions de calculs de type O.I.C. ont été formulées pour la résistance locale des sections d'aluminium extrudées et soudées en forme de "I". La performance des propositions a été évaluée en la comparant d'abord aux résultats numériques, puis aux prévisions de résistance des normes de conception d'aluminium canadienne, européenne et américaine. Les comparaisons ont prouvé que la méthode de conception de l'O.I.C. mène à des résultats beaucoup plus précis que les normes actuelles, tout en étant plus simple et plus efficace. / The increased use of structural aluminium in the last decades can be explained by the many advantages of this material, such as its great strength-to-weight ratio, resistance to corrosion, and environmental benefits. Due to its high initial cost, optimization of design methods is essential to fully benefit of these properties. However, current standards use simplified approaches to predict the resistance of aluminium elements, that are not optimized to account for the effects of strain hardening, instabilities, heat reduced properties and often complex extruded shapes. This thesis presents the investigations conducted for the development of an alternative design method for aluminium open cross-sections, based on the Overall Interaction Concept (O.I.C.). This innovative design approach relies on the interaction between resistance and stability, and also allows to consider geometrical and material imperfections. Moreover, it allows to obtain precise and consistent results by the use of continuous buckling curves. A numerical finite element model was developed to accurately predict the cross-sectional resistance of aluminium elements. Its efficiency was validated by comparing the results to available experimental test data. Extensive parametric studies were then conducted, allowing to study the impact of various geometries, alloys, and load cases on the resistance. Using the results from more than 4500 nonlinear numerical simulations, O.I.C.-type design proposals were formulated for the local resistance of extruded and welded aluminium sections of "I" shape. The performance of the proposals was evaluated by first comparing it to the numerical results, then to the resistance predictions from the Canadian, European, and American aluminium design standards. The comparisons showed that the O.I.C. design proposal leads to much more accurate results than the current standards, while still being simpler and more efficient.

<p> The aim of this thesis is to construct some smooth Einstein manifolds with nonzero Einstein constant, and then to investigate their topological and geometric properties.</p> <p> In the negative case, we are able to construct conformally compact Einstein metrics on 1. products of an arbitrary closed Einstein manifold and a certain even-dimensional ball bundle over products of Hodge Kähler-Einstein manifolds, 2. certain solid torus bundles over a single Fano Kähler-Einstein manifold. We compute the associated conformal invariants, i.e., the renormalized volume in even dimensions and the conformal anomaly in odd dimensions. As by-products, we obtain many Riemannian manifolds with vanishing Q-curvature.</p> <p> In the positive case, we are able to construct complete Einstein metrics on certain 3-sphere bundles over a Fano Kähler-Einstein manifold. We classify the homeomorphism and diffeomorphism types of the total spaces when the base manifold is the complex projective plane.</p> / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Inflation, the currently favoured solution to the grievous initial conditions problems of the Big Bang model of the universe, is a very general framework that can be constructed from any number of underlying theories. As inflation is meant to solve a problem of initial conditions, it is generally preferred that it not introduce its own initial conditions problem. The purpose of this thesis is to explore the sensitivity to initial conditions of solutions to two toy models of inflation. The models in and of themselves are not intended to explain inflation, but rather seek to begin to explore, in a controlled way, interesting properties that a full inflationary theory might have. The first model is one with a single scalar inflaton, but two compact extra dimensions. We find this model has two inflationary solutions that can be well understood analytically. These solutions are power laws in time. One is found to be marginally insensitive to its initial conditions, and the other is found to be highly sensitive to its initial conditions. We also find a solution to this model that exhibits 4D quasi-de Sitter space, but is difficult to understand analytically, and its sensitivity to initial conditions is not yet well known. The second model examines an n-scalar field Lagrangian that includes kinetic terms first-order in the derivatives of the fields (similar to certain ferromagnetic Lagrangians). It is found that this model can realize slow-roll inflation with arbitrarily steep potentials. A solution is constructed that can realize an exact de Sitter equation of state without saying anything about the slope of its potential. This solution is found to be marginally insensitive to its initial conditions for a certain range of parameters. Corrections from higher order terms in the Lagrangian are found to introduce a parameter space for which this solution is in fact highly insensitive to its initial conditions. We therefore make progress in understanding higher-dimensional inflation, slow-roll inflation with steep potentials, and the sensitivity of solutions in both those cases to their initial conditions. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

Thesis advisor: Richard Kearney / All our movements presuppose our being oriented. But what does it mean for the embodied subject to be oriented in space? How is the egocentric space of the lived body connected to the larger domain of objective space? While Husserl explored how the egocentric subject comes to situate itself within intersubjectively constituted objective space, Merleau-Ponty’s further inquiry into pre-objective spatiality suggests that the embodied subject is always already oriented beyond itself, via its connections to the three dimensions of the physical world. His work on the subjective experience of depth and verticality laid the groundwork for a phenomenology of the three dimensions, which I undertake here. For each of the three dimensions—verticality, horizontality and depth—I explore the interconnections among a) the sensed dimensions of bodily space b) the dimensions of intersubjective space and c) the geometric, abstract axes of objective space. Each of the dimensions in lived space is qualitatively distinct, both as sensed in the body and perceived externally, and they differ accordingly as bearers of meaning. My primary aim is to elucidate the specific character of the dimensions in all their expressive, existential, and cultural significance; this is done first at the level of subjective, bodily spatiality and then again at the broader cultural and historical level. To this end, I look to philosophy as well as to visual art, architecture, the history of religion and myth, psychology, cognitive linguistics and neuroscience. Investigating the axes of the body in relation to the dimensions of the world means asking about orientation itself, for it lies at their nexus. I examine the role of spatial orientation in self-understanding, self-identity and memory as well as in shaping relations with the Other. Ultimately, the prevailing cultural (western) ideas of modern space and subjectivity, rooted in the cogito, prove to be in tension with a phenomenology of space and the three dimensions. The primacy of egocentricity deserves to be questioned in light of various alternate modes of spatial experience (attuned, shared) and alternate modes of orientation (allocentric, absolute). I conclude that orientation is better described as symbiotic and reciprocal, with the lived body always in relation to the world beyond itself. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2020. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Philosophy.

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