There is an ongoing and increasing interest in the significant and essential role that food plays in the health and survival of all people. As masticatory efficiency diminishes drastically in edentulous patients, many researchers in the past two decades have been studying how dietary intake varies when different types of oral rehabilitation are provided. Since the use of implants to support prostheses in edentulous mandibles has been shown to significantly improve masticatory performance, the question remains as to whether this improvement will influence nutritional status. In the present study, we used several nutritional markers to compare the nutritional status of edentulous patients who randomly received either mandibular conventional dentures or implant-supported overdentures one year previously. Although the conventional denture wearers reported having more difficulty chewing hard foods, no significant differences were detected in any of the nutritional markers. Therefore, even though chewing is more difficult for the patients wearing conventional dentures, it appears that the nutritional status of these two groups is similar.

Feedback is used to decrease the sensitivity of a system to plant uncertainty or to disturbances. This thesis is focused on the reduction of sensitivity to additive disturbances applied at the output. Systems are represented by linear multivariable frequency responses whose inputs and outputs belong to / (DIAGRAM, TABLE OR GRAPHIC OMITTED...PLEASE SEE DAI) / Rigorous conditions under which feedback can reduce sensitivity are derived. / It is shown that given a minimum phase single input-single output plant, there exists a feedback compensator which reduces sensitivity below any arbitrarily positive value on any finite frequency interval while not exceeding a specified upper bound in the right half complex plane. / It is also shown that given a multivariable invertible plant which approaches diagonal dominance at high frequencies, it is possible to build a diagonal feedback compensator to reduce the sensitivity below any arbitrarily value on any finite frequency interval while not exceeding a specified upper bound in the right half complex plane. / A relationship between sensitivity reduction and decentralized control is established. It is shown that reducing sensitivity to additive disturbances at the outputs is in essence the same as achieving local control of a multivariable system.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Auburn University, 2006. / Abstract. Vita. Includes bibliographic references (ℓ. 64-65)

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Western Australia, 1998.

Thesis (M.S.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1994. / Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 87-89). Also available via the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 1997. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [93]-95).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2008. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Dept. of Chemical Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, University of Sydney, 2005. / Bibliography: leaves [327]-333. Also available in print form.

Thesis (M.S.)--Naval Postgraduate School, 2002. / Thesis advisor(s):David R. Henderson, Douglas Moses. "AD-A405 877." Includes bibliographical references (p. 123-132). Also available online.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 161-170).