Even though there is a multitude of observational evidence from cosmology and astrophysics, the standard model does not include a suitable dark matter candidate and therefore physics beyond the standard model is necessary. There are hypotheses of what the particle candidate could be coming from theories such as supersymmetry or extra dimensions. The processes producing these particles are understood very well from the theoretical perspective. The problem is that these processes have not been observed in any detectors. Therefore the nature of the dark matter remains unknown. However, it is clear that the dark matter-particle interacts with ordinary matter through gravity and in general, candidates may also interact through the weak force. These candidates are called Weakly Interacting Massive Particles. Therefore, by studying weak processes (weak in the sense that the processes are interactions mediated by a force weaker than the Electro-Magnetic and Quantum-Chromo dynamical-forces, not necessarily the weak force of the standard model) in the large hadron collider it may be possible to pose constraints on the dark matter signatures. One possible process which specifically involves the standard model electroweak interaction, which will be the model for the project, is the emission of scalar dark matter particles from the Z boson,which would result in a final state characterized by a Z boson and missing transverse energy. Simulations of the model and calculations of the cross section are done for different masses, ranging from 20−680 GeV, of the scalar dark matter particle and then compared to a standard model background process. Investigations are made whether or not it would be possible to detect darkmatter signals in the background. With the assumptions made, the results indicate that a signal from dark matter with a mass of around 40−150 GeV could not be rejected up to 5σ.

Mémoire numérisé par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.

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<p>Motion events have been argued to be decomposable into a subeventive structure. The aim of this dissertation is to provide a formal syntactic analysis of motion predicates in Limonese Creole, an endangered Creole language spoken in Costa Rica. Motion predicates denote a motion event in which a figure traverses a given space, with or without an endpoint (TELIC/ATELIC). On the structure of these events, Ramchand (2008, p. 39) among others, suggests that even if the event is analyzed as a single one, its syntax can contain three important subeventive components: a causing subevent, a process denoting subevent and a subevent corresponding to result state (yielding the TELIC interpretation). Contrastive analyses (especially Osei-Tutu, 2019; and Taherkhani, 2019), however, have found that a division between a TELIC and a RESULTATIVE subevent is possible as well. For encoding those different subcomponents of complex motion predicates, serial verb constructions (SVCs) have been attested in different languages, including other Pidgins and Creoles e.g., Ghanaian Student Pidgin, Jamaican Creole. However, those findings contrast with the presence of certain linking elements in Limonese Creole, conceptually related to elements like the “linker” (in terms of den Dikken, 2006). It is precisely this difference what motivates this study, since the presence of the linker an in Limonese Creole does not affect the monoeventivity of the macro-eventive structure of the motion predicate as defined by Bohnemeyer et al. (2007, p. 502). This dissertation proposes that subevents are assembled within the motion event in a layered complement structure (Larson 1991; Benedicto et al., 2020), and that the linker an does not involve coordination, rather it marks the structural border between subeventive components. </p> <p><br></p> <p>CHAPTER 1 introduces the main objective of this project: to provide a formal syntactic analysis of motion predicates in Limonese Creole. Then it refers to relevant issues on motion predicates, namely, a contrast between the approaches that have been used to study motion predicates. Additionally, the gap that the study fills and its contribution to the field are discussed. The study also serves the purpose of visibilizing Limonese Creole as a language and empowering its speakers. Finally, the main sociohistorical features of Limonese Creole are analyzed. </p> <p><br></p> <p>CHAPTER 2 outlines the hypothesized structure for motion predicates in Limonese Creole with all its subcomponents. I provide supporting evidence for the hypothesis by proving the monoeventivity of the complex predicate, the complement relation among subcomponents, and the structural connection between subevents with the LINKER that serves as boundary between subcomponents of motion predicates.</p> <p><br></p> <p>CHAPTER 3 describes the methodological procedures that were implemented for this study. Participants, data collection, and data analysis are described for each of the two stages from which the findings of this dissertation stem. The first stage consisted of a controlled data collection with an instrument of 175 clips with figures in motion with the participation of four speakers. This stage elicited contrasts between parameters of motion predicates. Complementarily, a second stage of  qualitative data collection was conducted to look for clarification, evaluation, and validation of items previously elicited or designed during the first stage. </p> <p><br></p> <p>CHAPTER 4 deals with the vectorization of the trajectory, which corresponds to the PROCESS subevent. I discuss how the vectorization is represented, what elements are present within the vectorization and what elements are prioritized or discarded. Based on this information, I identified the structural conditions behind the combinations in which the subcomponents of MANNER (verbs) and PATH (verbs, particles, and prepositional phrases) are expressed within this PROCESS subcomponent, namely the operations triggered by the [_u +V] feature in v. </p> <p><br></p> <p>CHAPTER 5 discusses the structure of the TELIC and RESULTATIVE subcomponents within the motion predicate in Limonese Creole. Even though this dissertation claims that TELIC and RESULTATIVE are two separate subcomponents, this chapter comprises the two of them as they are intricately related. First, I define TELICITY as a compositionally determined subcomponent which brings an event to its endpoint, then I introduce the hypothesis for the TELIC subcomponent, a semi-grammaticalized VP which I name EndP. The chapter discusses the conditions for TELICITY, more specifically, an interpretation that is returned by the functional projection AspQ after being assigned range by EndP. Additionally, I analyze the role of the outer aspect in the TELIC interpretation of motion predicates. Lastly, I examine the structure of the RESULTATIVE subcomponent by defining it and contrasting it with the TELIC subcomponent. There, I present the hypothesized structure for the subcomponent and examine the positions of the RESULTATIVE projection. </p> <p><br></p> <p>CHAPTER 6 discusses the conclusions, contributions, and areas for future research of this project.</p> <p><br></p>

The educational progress of pupils is of deep concern to pupils, parents, and teachers alike. If one is teaching in an Indian community, he knows that the teaching of music to such children will require different methods from those used in some other community. Often the pupils have had little or no experience with music. The effective school adjusts its curriculum to the abilities and needs of all pupils. The general music class in the junior high school is the heart of the music program. The pupil’s growth in musical values is the teacher’s responsibility. The materials and methods of the music teacher cannot be effective unless they are chosen and used with a total picture in mind of the child and his background. Classroom situations must be set up which consider and encompass as well as possible the student’s environment, his personal needs, and his present interests and attitudes.

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Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are widespread persistent organic pollutants. The metabolism of PCBs by various organisms involves many steps that can lead to the formation of a wide range of metabolites. These metabolites frequently exhibit a toxicity and biodegradability different than the parent compounds. There is currently little information available about the biological effects of PCB hydroxylated metabolites that can be generated by various organisms and potentially released into the environment. The objective of the present research is to compare the toxicity of selected PCB congeners and their corresponding mono-hydroxylated metabolites. To achieve this objective, the following specific aims were performed: (1) to determine the effect of selected PCBs and PCB hydroxylated metabolites on the growth rate of a model PCB-degrading bacterium, Burkholderia xenovorans LB 400, (2) to determine the microbial toxicity of PCBs and PCB metabolites using the bioluminescent assay Microtox®, and (3) to determine the estrogenicity of PCBs and PCB metabolites using the Yeast Estrogen Screen assay (YES). The effects of a range of PCBs (PCB-2, -3, -8, -9, -30, -35, -36, -39, -61, -68, and -79) and their mono-hydroxylated metabolites on the growth rate of the PCB degrader, Burkholderia xenovorans LB400, were recorded. The results showed that the parent PCBs (50 mg L-1) did not affect the growth rate of LB400 although their hydroxylated metabolites strongly inhibited microbial growth. Using Microtox® assay, Parent PCBs (50 mg L-1) did not exhibit observable toxicity, while their hydroxylated metabolites showed a high level of toxicity (EC50 ranges from 2 mg L-1 to 46 mg L-1). Results using the YES assay also showed that the estrogenicity of hydroxylated metabolites of PCBs (50 mg L-1) was higher than the parent PCBs. The results obtained from the present study show that mono-hydroxylated metabolites of PCBs are more toxic than the corresponding parent PCBs. Because hydroxylated PCB derivatives are produced by a range of organisms and potentially released into the environment, this work raises new concerns associated with the environmental fate of PCBs. / Civil Engineering

Yes / In this study, a new three-dimensional (3-D) model was developed to provide better understanding of the mechanism for wave-induced seabed response around mono-pile. Based on poro-elastic theory, the fully dynamic (FD) formulations were adopted in the present model to simulate pore water pressure, soil stresses, displacements of both soil and mono-pile. Good agreement between numerical simulation and experimental results was obtained. Based on parametric study, numerical results indicated: (1) wave diffraction and reflection have significant effects on pore water pressure and soil displacements around mono-pile; (2) the most sensitive position for seabed parameter to pore water pressure around mono-pile locates in front of mono-pile while the least sensitive position is at the position of angle 3π/4 with respect to the incident wave direction; and (3) the increase of mono-pile horizontal displacement corresponds to the increase of wave height and the decrease of seabed Young's modulus. / National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars (51425901), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (51209082, 51379071, 41176073), the Specialized Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education of China (20120094120006, 20130094110014), the 111 project (B12032), the 333 project of Jiangsu Province (2013Ⅲ-1882)

Yes / Stability and safety of offshore wind turbines with mono-pile foundations, affected by nonlinear wave effect and dynamic seabed response, are the primary concerns in offshore foundation design. In order to address these problems, the nonlinear wave effect on dynamic seabed response in the vicinity of mono-pile foundation is investigated using an integrated model, developed using OpenFOAM, which incorporates both wave model (waves2Foam) and Biot’s poro-elastic model. The present model was validated against several laboratory experiments and promising agreements were obtained. Special attention was paid to the systematic analysis of pore water pressure as well as the momentary liquefaction in the proximity of mono-pile induced by nonlinear wave effects. Various embedment depths of mono-pile relevant for practical engineering design were studied in order to attain the insights into nonlinear wave effect around and underneath the mono-pile foundation. By comparing time-series of water surface elevation, inline force, and wave-induced pore water pressure at the front, lateral, and lee side of mono-pile, the distinct nonlinear wave effect on pore water pressure was shown. Simulated results confirmed that the presence of mono-pile foundation in a porous seabed had evident blocking effect on the vertical and horizontal development of pore water pressure. Increasing embedment depth enhances the blockage of vertical pore pressure development and hence results in somewhat reduced momentary liquefaction depth of the soil around the mono-pile foundation. / Energy Technology Partnership (ETP), Wood Group Kenny, and University of Aberdeen; the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars (51425901) and the 111 project (B12032).

Cell phenotypic transitions, or cell fate decision making processes, are regulated by complex regulatory networks composed of genes, RNAs, proteins and metabolites. The regulation can take place at the epigenetic, transcriptional, translational, and post-translational levels to name a few. Epigenetic histone modification plays an important role in cell phenotype maintenance and transitions. However, the underlying mechanism relating dynamical histone modifications to stable epigenetic cell memory remains elusive. Incorporating key pieces of molecular level experimental information, we built a statistical mechanics model for the inheritance of epigenetic histone modifications. The model reveals that enzyme selectivity of different histone substrates and cooperativity between neighboring nucleosomes are essential to generate bistability of the epigenetic memory. We then applied the epigenetic modeling framework to the differentiation process of olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs), where the observed 'one-neuron-one-allele' phenomenon has remained as a long-standing puzzle. Our model successfully explains this singular behavior in terms of epigenetic competition and enhancer cooperativity during the differentiation process. Epigenetic level events and transcriptional level events cooperate synergistically in the OSN differentiation process. The model also makes a list of testable experimental predictions. In general, the epigenetic modeling framework can be used to study phenotypic transitions when histone modification is a major regulatory element in the system. Post-transcriptional level regulation plays important roles in cell phenotype maintenance. Our integrated experimental and computational studies revealed such a motif regulating the differentiation of definitive endoderm. We identified two RNA binding proteins, hnRNPA1 and KSRP, which repress each other through microRNAs miR-375 and miR-135a. The motif can generate switch behavior and serve as a noise filter in the stem cell differentiation process. Manipulating the motif could enhance the differentiation efficiency toward a specific lineage one desires. Last we performed mathematical modeling on an epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process, which could be used by tumor cells for their migration. Our model predicts that the IL-6 induced EMT is a stepwise process with multiple intermediate states. In summary, our theoretical and computational analyses about cell phenotypic transitions provide novel insights on the underlying mechanism of cell fate decision. The modeling studies revealed general physical principles underlying complex regulatory networks. / Ph. D.