Output regulation problems are a class of problems that has high importance in systems control engineering. The solutions of such problems generally involve the design of an internal model based controller with error feedback structure that can also provide stability to the closed-loop system. Most of previous studies of such problems, however, are based on dynamical systems described by di erential equations for continuous-time and by di erence equations for discrete-time on the space of Rn. Few results have been obtained for dynamical systems with more abstract descriptions on sets with more general topologies. In this thesis, we use a set-theoretic approach with commutative diagrams to describe a dynamical system and its properties. Output regulation problems will also be de ned based on such dynamical systems. We will present su cient conditions for output regulation problems on complete metric spaces and Banach spaces.

Output regulation problems are a class of problems that has high importance in systems control engineering. The solutions of such problems generally involve the design of an internal model based controller with error feedback structure that can also provide stability to the closed-loop system. Most of previous studies of such problems, however, are based on dynamical systems described by di erential equations for continuous-time and by di erence equations for discrete-time on the space of Rn. Few results have been obtained for dynamical systems with more abstract descriptions on sets with more general topologies. In this thesis, we use a set-theoretic approach with commutative diagrams to describe a dynamical system and its properties. Output regulation problems will also be de ned based on such dynamical systems. We will present su cient conditions for output regulation problems on complete metric spaces and Banach spaces.

In an era of highly advertised blockbuster medicines, newly approved pharmaceuticals can pose a hazard to the public if not properly monitored following their approval. Drugs are only given to a limited number of healthy individuals during clinical trials, leaving significant questions as to the risks for the population at large. There are limited opportunities for assessment following the product’s introduction onto the market and adverse effects may not be detected. This paper argues that hurdles in tracking long-term safety and effectiveness can be partially remedied through the aggregation and analysis of information collected through pharmaceutical data mining. Pharmaceutical data mining is a process whereby private organizations compile extensive information on patients’ prescription histories, including: the drug prescribed, recommended dosage, and the patient’s subsequent history with the medication. The Canadian government should collect this information and analyze its meaning to better ensure the long-term safety and effectiveness of drugs.

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Methods were established for the serum-free primary culture of rat and sheep hepatocytes. These were used to study the IGF-1 production by the cells. IGF-1 in media was separated by acid gel filtration or HPLC prior to RIA. IGF-1 production by both rat and sheep hepatocytes were time-dependent over 30 hours of culture. Production rates by rat cells in modified Eagle's medium, sheep cells modified Eagle's medium and Waymouth's medium were 13.1, 4.4 and 6.4 pmol/mg cell DNA/10 hours respectively. IGF-1 production by rat cells was very sensitive to altering concentrations of amino acids, glucose and both in the medium. IGF-1 production by sheep cells was also controlled by nutrients in modified Eagle's medium, but was not as sensitive as in rat cells. Growth hormone (GH), unlike insulin and T₃, had no effect on hepatic IGF-1 production in rat cells. In contrast, omitting GH from the medium for sheep cells decreased IGF-1 production by 20-60% in sheep cells. Insulin also controlled hepatic IGF-1 production in sheep. The results show the species difference in the hepatice IGF-1 production and control between rats and sheep. Data in this thesis are thought to provide the first published evidence of a direct nutritional control over IGF-1 production in rat hepatocytes and to give the first direct evidence that sheep hepatocytes produce IGF-1 and this is directly controlled by GH.

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This research was designed to contribute to an understanding of child outcomes and parenting practices associated with father-perpetrated maltreatment, as well as to identify processes that may contribute to emotion regulation difficulties in maltreated children. In particular, the studies described in this dissertation investigated paternal emotion socialization practices as potential pathways to emotion dysregulation in physically maltreated children. In the first study, a normative sample of 200 young adults participated in a retrospective analysis, whereby participants completed questionnaires designed to measure the relationships between history of physical maltreatment, emotion socialization, and current-day emotion regulation. In this study, 26.9% of participants endorsed a childhood history of father-perpetrated physical maltreatment. The second study explored these same relationships in a concurrent analysis of physically maltreating and non-maltreating father-child dyads. Fourteen physically maltreated children and their fathers were recruited from the Children’s Aid Society and treatment programs for abusive fathers, and a control group matched on demographic variables was recruited from the community. Father-child dyads participated in an emotion interaction task where they discussed the child’s experience of negative emotions; interactions were videotaped and coded for fathers’ validating and invalidating responses to children’s emotions. Fathers and children also completed measures that further assessed paternal emotion socialization, as well as children’s emotion regulation. Across both studies, findings indicated that physically maltreated children experienced more difficulties with emotion regulation than their non-maltreated peers. Moreover, abusive fathers were more likely to use non-supportive (neglect, punish, invalidation) and anger magnifying socialization practices, and less likely to use supportive (reward, validation) emotion socialization. Finally, results showed that the relationship between physical maltreatment and emotion dysregulation was mediated through the indirect effects of emotion socialization (reward, neglect, punish, magnify anger, validation, invalidation). In particular, data from child maltreatment victims consistently indicated that paternal neglect of negative emotions and magnification of anger were the strongest unique mediators. Together, results highlight the important role of fathers in the regulatory development of maltreated children. Furthermore, they provide support for intervention efforts designed to decrease non-supportive emotion socialization, while fostering anger management, emotional responsivity, and emotion coaching skills for physically abusive fathers.

Three studies were designed to investigate the hypothesis that physiological and environmental variables are both independent and interactive in determining food intake (FI) in children and adolescents during puberty (8 – 18 y old). Study 1 investigated the effect of obesity, sex and pubertal status on appetite hormones in response to a mixed glucose and whey protein (WP) drink in adolescents. Obese adolescents had higher insulin, PYY and lower ghrelin than normal weight (NW) controls, with a more pronounced effect in males. Puberty did not affect insulin, but the change in PYY in response to the drink was greater and ghrelin was lower in mid-late pubertal than pre-early pubertal obese males. To further describe the role of puberty, Study 2 examined the effect of pubertal status on FI following consumption of glucose and WP drinks in male and female children. In mid-late pubertal children, mealtime compensation for energy from glucose was less at 60 than at 30 min, but not for whey. However, compensation for either drink was not different at 30 and 60 min meals in pre-early pubertal children. Finally to demonstrate the interaction between puberty and environmental influences on FI, Study 3 examined the effect of distraction (television viewing, TVV) while eating and pubertal status on food intake after a pre-meal glucose drink in girls. In Study 3, TVV had no effect on FI, however, glucose suppressed FI more with no TVV compared with TVV (24% vs. 10%). In postpubertal girls, glucose reduced FI by ~27% in both the no TVV and TVV conditions, but in peripubertal girls, reduction in FI was 22% without TVV and only 1% while TVV. Thus, the results of this research support the hypothesis that physiological and environmental variables are both independent and interactive in determining FI in children and adolescents during puberty.