<p>The main topic of this thesis is integer quadratic programming with applications to problems arising in the areas of automatic control and communication. One of the most widespread modern control principles is the discrete-time method Model Predictive Control (MPC). The main advantage with MPC, compared to most other control principles, is that constraints on control signals and states can easily be handled. In each time step, MPC requires the solution of a Quadratic Programming (QP) problem. To be able to use MPC for large systems, and at high sampling rates, optimization routines tailored for MPC are used. In recent years, the range of application of MPC has been extended from constrained linear systems to so-called hybrid systems. Hybrid systems are systems where continuous dynamics interact with logic. When this extension is made, binary variables are introduced in the problem. As a consequence, the QP problem has to be replaced by a far more challenging Mixed Integer Quadratic Programming (MIQP) problem. Generally, for this type of optimization problems, the computational complexity is exponential in the number of binary optimization variables. In modern communication systems, multiple users share a so-called multi-access channel, where the information sent by different users is separated by using almost orthogonal codes. Since the codes are not completely orthogonal, the decoded information at the receiver is slightly correlated between different users. Further, noise is added during the transmission. To estimate the information originally sent, a maximum likelihood problem involving binary variables is solved. The process of simultaneously estimating the information sent by multiple users is called multiuser detection. In this thesis, the problem to efficiently solve MIQP problems originating from MPC is addressed. Two different algorithms are presented. First, a polynomial complexity preprocessing algorithm for binary quadratic programming problems is presented. By using the algorithm, some, or all, binary variables can be computed efficiently already in the preprocessing phase. In simulations, the algorithm is applied to unconstrained MPC problems with a mixture of real and binary control signals. It has also been applied to the multiuser detection problem, where simulations have shown that the bit error rate can be significantly reduced by using the proposed algorithm as compared to using common suboptimal algorithms. Second, an MIQP algorithm tailored for MPC is presented. The algorithm uses a branch and bound method where the relaxed node problems are solved by a dual active set QP algorithm. In this QP algorithm, the KKT-systems are solved using Riccati recursions in order to decrease the computational complexity. Simulation results show that both the QP solver and the MIQP solver proposed have lower computational complexity than corresponding generic solvers.</p> / Report code: LiU-TEK-LIC-2005:71.

<p>Denna uppsats behandlar det fenomen som uppstår när en, mer eller mindre isolerad, grupp religiöst hängivna människor, hamnar i en så pass allvarlig konflikt med staten och dess instutitioner att våldsamheter uppstår. Fenomenet brukar gå under beteckningen fanatiskt religiöst våld, och är i dess västerländska tappning mer eller mindre synonymt med sekter och sekterism.</p><p>P.g.a. ämnets digra karaktär är en kraftig begränsning nödvändig för att kunna behandla ämnet i en C-uppsats. Jag har därför gjort valet att koncentrera mig på de två mest extrema och medialt uppmärksammade fallen av religiöst sektvåld. Då ett av syftena med uppsatsen är att undersöka orsakerna till hur och varför väpnade konflikter uppstår mellan stat och sekt har jag valt att utesluta de fall där enbart kollektivt själmord av och med sektmedlemmarna utförts, utan inblandning av staten. Exempel på dylika är Heavens Gate (Hale-Bopp sekten) och allra senast den Ugandiska neo-katolska domedagssekten ”Restoration of the ten commandments of God”, där över tusen människor begick kollektivt självmord. Dessa och liknande händelser är onekligen mycket intressanta, men faller tyvärr utanför ramen för detta arbete.</p>

<p><strong>Syfte: </strong>Uppsatsens huvudsyfte är att kartlägga nyttan med branschkontoplaner. Detta görs genom att påvisa eventuella fördelar respektive nackdelar. Vidare vill vi kartlägga hur branschkontoplaner uppfattas av de parter som använder den samt att förstå vad som görs för att motivera användandet av branschkontoplaner och om dessa medför ökade jämförelsemöjligheter.</p><p><strong>Metod: </strong>Studien är av kvalitativ karaktär och kommer beskriva problemet utifrån skaparnas perspektiv. Undersökningen präglas av tvärsnittsdesign och kommer ske med semistandardiserade intervjuer av semistrukturerad karaktär. Frågorna som ställs återfinns i våra intervjuguider och respondenterna har valts ut med tanke på deras anknytning till BAS, BAS lantbruk eller FastBAS. Eftersom vi undersöker två olika branscher, lantbruk och fastighetsförvaltning för allmännyttiga bostadsföretag, kommer vi få två perspektiv på problemet som senare kan jämföras.</p><p><strong>Slutsats: </strong>Resultatet pekar på att användarna har en positiv inställning till branschkontoplaner samt att fördelarna med en branschkontoplan väger upp de nackdelar vi funnit. Nyttan med branschkontoplaner är främst den jämförelsemöjlighet och statistik som dessa bidrar till. Det görs inget specifikt för att motivera alla företag inom samma bransch att följa en branschkontoplan. </p><p><strong>Vidare forskning: </strong>Jämföra resultatet mot fler branscher eller mot andra länder. Går det att få fram vissa nyckeltal som kan användas globalt?</p> / <p><strong>Aim: </strong>The essay's main purpose is to identify the benefits of using branch adapted account plans. This is done by demonstrating the potential benefits and drawbacks. Furthermore, we want to identify how branch adapted account plans are apprehended by the parties using it and to understand what is being done to justify the use of the branch adapted account plans and whether these have increased the comparison opportunity.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>The study is qualitative in nature and describe the problem from the creator's perspective. The study's characterized by cross-sectional design and will be done by semi-standardized interviews of semi-structured nature. Our interview questions can be found in our interview guides and the respondents were selected in view of their relationship with the BAS, BAS lantbruk or FastBAS. Since we investigate two different branches, agricultural and real estate for public housing companies, we get two perspectives that can be compared.</p><p><strong>Result: </strong>The results indicate that users have a positive attitude towards branch adapted account plans, and that the benefits of a branch adapted account plan are weighing up the disadvantages we have found. The use of branch adapted account plan is primarily the comparison opportunity and statistics that they contribute. There is nothing specific done to motivate all companies within the same branch to follow a branch adapted account plan.<strong></strong></p><p><strong>Future research: </strong>Comparing the results against more branches or to other countries. Is it possible to obtain certain financial ratios that can be used globally?</p>

<p>During the autumn of 2007 I carried out an investigation within the bank and finance Sector. The aim of the investigation was to see how informal aspects could be understood in relation to equality within Bank AB? The main question was: Which are the obstacles and opportunities for equality within Bank AB? To answer the main question I asked the following questions to the material: Are there any gender related different within the organization? How are men and women represented within the internal magazine? Which are the conceptions related to sex/gender within the organization? The investigation is based on a survey, the internal magazine was investigated and finally interviews took place. Throughout the investigation I used organization theory in a gender perspective. With the gender organization theory I examined concepts as structures, leadership, symbolism and changes associated with equality. I also used an organization theory based on changing system/non changing system related to equality work. The analysis shows that obstacles related to equality are: masculinity is the norm and therefore is seen as the prototype, focus is on the imbalance between the sexes, direct and indirect discrimination do exist, a risk with internal recruitment are that positions may re-established and equality is placed on the management and staff department. The opportunities related to equality are: improve from management, quantitative aims can improve and contribute for the minority, equality model that has a management position and finally questioning of existing norms and values in the organization.</p> / <p>Hösten 2007 genomfördes denna jämställdhetsutredning inom bank- och finansbranschen.</p><p>Syftet med utredningen var att belysa hur informella aspekter inom Bank AB kunde förstås i relation till jämställdhet. Den konkreta och övergripande frågeställningen är: Vilka hinder och möjligheter framträder för jämställdhet i Bank AB:s organisation? För att besvara den övergripande frågan ställdes följande frågor till mitt material: Framträder det några skillnader inom organisationen som är relaterade till kön/genus? Hur framställs kvinnor och män i interntidningen? Vilka föreställningar finns om kön/genus i organisationen?</p><p>Utredningen utfördes via enkäter, därefter undersöktes personaltidningen och slutligen genomfördes intervjuer. Teoretisk utgångspunkt är organisationsteori med genusperspektiv uppdelat i begrepp som gäller strukturer, ledarskap, symbolism och förändring. Även teoretiska resonemang om systemförändrande/systembevarande jämställdhetsarbete applicerades på materialet. Resultaten visar på hinder för jämställdhet som: mannen ses som norm och blir därmed ”mallen” för dem som ingår i organisationen, för att uppnå jämställdhet fokuseras det på kvantitativ jämn fördelning av kvinnor och män, direkt och indirekt diskriminering förekommer, innehav av positioner riskerar att återskapas genom internrekrytering och slutligen att jämställdhet är förknippat och förflyttat till ledning och personalavdelning. Möjligheter för jämställdhet framträder som: jämställdhetssträvan är förankrat i ledningen, kvantitativa mål kan bidra till och underlätta för det underrepresenterade könet i relation till jämställdhet, förebild i chefsposition och ett ifrågasättande av rådande normer och värderingar kan medverka till en positiv förändringspotential för organisationen.</p>

<p>The aim of this study was to get knowledge of the communicationprocess between the branch head and the co-worker in communal geriatric care. To narrow it down we focused on how the branch head experience the communicationprocess in conflictsituations between co-workers and what she or he usually do to resolve the conflict. We made qualitative interviews with ten of the branch heads in communal geriatric care, in four communes. The questions we had in mind throughout the study was based on four keywords (communication, leadership, conflict and conflict management) of which we created a narrative story from every interviewing person to get hold of the experience and knowledge behind their interviews. In our analysis as theoretical perspectives we used system theory, communication theory, attribution theory and the philosophy of Dialogue by Martin Buber. Our result show that the communication between both co-workers and the branch head is the most important tool for conflict management. Here lies a well functioning dialogue where the co-workers get the chance to question, be heard and mark their limit. Based on the interviews we saw that no matter how the branch head treat and lead the co-workers, conflict will rise. However, there are a few things pointed out as important to ease the effect on conflict and that is to communicate with straight and forward messages, inform the co-workers what goal the organization has and strive after a mutual relationship between everyone in the organization. The response then show a group of prosperous co-workers that accept the fact that they can have different opinions and yet work in harmony together and come to decisions that benefit the client. Most of our interviewing persons believe that leadership is about self-reflection, humbleness to oneself and others and to know the right time when to set clear boundaries.</p>

<p>Sexual conflict can lead to antagonistic coevolution between the sexes, but empirical examples are few. In this thesis secondary sexual characters in diving beetles are interpreted in the light of sexual conflict theory. Whether the male tarsal suction cups and female dorsal modifications are involved in a coevolutionary arms race is tested in two ways. First eight populations of a species with dimorphic females that varied in frequency of the morphs were investigated and male tarsal characteristics quantified. The frequency of female morphs is shown to be significantly correlated to the average number and size of male tarsal suction cups in the population, a prediction of the arms race hypothesis. Second, the hypothesis is tested in a phylogenetic perspective by optimizing the secondary sexual characters on a phylogeny. A full taxonomic revision of the genus <i>Acilius</i> is presented, including new synonyms, lectotype designations, geographic distributions based on more than five thousand examined museum specimens and the description of a new species from northeastern USA. Specimens of all species (except one possibly extinct that failed to be found in Yunnan, China 2000), were field collected between 2000 and 2003 in Sardinia, Sweden, Russia, Honshu and Hokkaido in Japan, New York, Maryland, California and Alberta. Three genes (CO1, H3 and Wingless) were sequenced from the fresh material as well as scoring a morphological character matrix all of which was used to derive a robust and complete hypothesis of the phylogenetic relationship in the group. The phylogeny was derived using Bayesian phylogenetics with Markov Chain Monte Carlo techniques and received a posterior probability of 0.85. Changes in male and female characters turned out to be perfectly correlated across the phylogeny, providing one of the best empirical examples to date of an antagonistic arms race between the sexes in a group of organisms. Finally, a review of a pitfall to phylogenetic analysis known under the name long-branch attraction (LBA), is provided. The problem is well known theoretically but has been questioned to occur in real data, and LBA has been in the core center of the hard debate between parsimony and likelihood advocates since different inference methods vary in sensitivity to the phenomenon. Most important conclusions from the review are; LBA is very common in real data, and is most often introduced with the inclusion of outgroups that almost always provide long branches, pulling down long terminal ingroup branches towards the root. Therefore it is recommended to always run analyses with and without outgroups. Taxon sampling is very important to avoid the pitfall as well as including different kind of data, especially morphological data, i.e. many LBA-affected conclusions have recently been reached by analyses of few taxa with complete genomes. Long-branch extraction (incl. outgroup exclusion), methodological disconcordance (parsimony vs modelbased), separate partition analyses (morphology vs molecules, codon positions, genes, etc), parametric simulation (incl. random outgroups), and split graphs are available relevant methods for the detection of LBA that should be used in combinations, because none alone is enough to stipulate LBA.</p>

Sexual conflict can lead to antagonistic coevolution between the sexes, but empirical examples are few. In this thesis secondary sexual characters in diving beetles are interpreted in the light of sexual conflict theory. Whether the male tarsal suction cups and female dorsal modifications are involved in a coevolutionary arms race is tested in two ways. First eight populations of a species with dimorphic females that varied in frequency of the morphs were investigated and male tarsal characteristics quantified. The frequency of female morphs is shown to be significantly correlated to the average number and size of male tarsal suction cups in the population, a prediction of the arms race hypothesis. Second, the hypothesis is tested in a phylogenetic perspective by optimizing the secondary sexual characters on a phylogeny. A full taxonomic revision of the genus Acilius is presented, including new synonyms, lectotype designations, geographic distributions based on more than five thousand examined museum specimens and the description of a new species from northeastern USA. Specimens of all species (except one possibly extinct that failed to be found in Yunnan, China 2000), were field collected between 2000 and 2003 in Sardinia, Sweden, Russia, Honshu and Hokkaido in Japan, New York, Maryland, California and Alberta. Three genes (CO1, H3 and Wingless) were sequenced from the fresh material as well as scoring a morphological character matrix all of which was used to derive a robust and complete hypothesis of the phylogenetic relationship in the group. The phylogeny was derived using Bayesian phylogenetics with Markov Chain Monte Carlo techniques and received a posterior probability of 0.85. Changes in male and female characters turned out to be perfectly correlated across the phylogeny, providing one of the best empirical examples to date of an antagonistic arms race between the sexes in a group of organisms. Finally, a review of a pitfall to phylogenetic analysis known under the name long-branch attraction (LBA), is provided. The problem is well known theoretically but has been questioned to occur in real data, and LBA has been in the core center of the hard debate between parsimony and likelihood advocates since different inference methods vary in sensitivity to the phenomenon. Most important conclusions from the review are; LBA is very common in real data, and is most often introduced with the inclusion of outgroups that almost always provide long branches, pulling down long terminal ingroup branches towards the root. Therefore it is recommended to always run analyses with and without outgroups. Taxon sampling is very important to avoid the pitfall as well as including different kind of data, especially morphological data, i.e. many LBA-affected conclusions have recently been reached by analyses of few taxa with complete genomes. Long-branch extraction (incl. outgroup exclusion), methodological disconcordance (parsimony vs modelbased), separate partition analyses (morphology vs molecules, codon positions, genes, etc), parametric simulation (incl. random outgroups), and split graphs are available relevant methods for the detection of LBA that should be used in combinations, because none alone is enough to stipulate LBA.

During the autumn of 2007 I carried out an investigation within the bank and finance Sector. The aim of the investigation was to see how informal aspects could be understood in relation to equality within Bank AB? The main question was: Which are the obstacles and opportunities for equality within Bank AB? To answer the main question I asked the following questions to the material: Are there any gender related different within the organization? How are men and women represented within the internal magazine? Which are the conceptions related to sex/gender within the organization? The investigation is based on a survey, the internal magazine was investigated and finally interviews took place. Throughout the investigation I used organization theory in a gender perspective. With the gender organization theory I examined concepts as structures, leadership, symbolism and changes associated with equality. I also used an organization theory based on changing system/non changing system related to equality work. The analysis shows that obstacles related to equality are: masculinity is the norm and therefore is seen as the prototype, focus is on the imbalance between the sexes, direct and indirect discrimination do exist, a risk with internal recruitment are that positions may re-established and equality is placed on the management and staff department. The opportunities related to equality are: improve from management, quantitative aims can improve and contribute for the minority, equality model that has a management position and finally questioning of existing norms and values in the organization. / Hösten 2007 genomfördes denna jämställdhetsutredning inom bank- och finansbranschen. Syftet med utredningen var att belysa hur informella aspekter inom Bank AB kunde förstås i relation till jämställdhet. Den konkreta och övergripande frågeställningen är: Vilka hinder och möjligheter framträder för jämställdhet i Bank AB:s organisation? För att besvara den övergripande frågan ställdes följande frågor till mitt material: Framträder det några skillnader inom organisationen som är relaterade till kön/genus? Hur framställs kvinnor och män i interntidningen? Vilka föreställningar finns om kön/genus i organisationen? Utredningen utfördes via enkäter, därefter undersöktes personaltidningen och slutligen genomfördes intervjuer. Teoretisk utgångspunkt är organisationsteori med genusperspektiv uppdelat i begrepp som gäller strukturer, ledarskap, symbolism och förändring. Även teoretiska resonemang om systemförändrande/systembevarande jämställdhetsarbete applicerades på materialet. Resultaten visar på hinder för jämställdhet som: mannen ses som norm och blir därmed ”mallen” för dem som ingår i organisationen, för att uppnå jämställdhet fokuseras det på kvantitativ jämn fördelning av kvinnor och män, direkt och indirekt diskriminering förekommer, innehav av positioner riskerar att återskapas genom internrekrytering och slutligen att jämställdhet är förknippat och förflyttat till ledning och personalavdelning. Möjligheter för jämställdhet framträder som: jämställdhetssträvan är förankrat i ledningen, kvantitativa mål kan bidra till och underlätta för det underrepresenterade könet i relation till jämställdhet, förebild i chefsposition och ett ifrågasättande av rådande normer och värderingar kan medverka till en positiv förändringspotential för organisationen.

The aim of this study was to get knowledge of the communicationprocess between the branch head and the co-worker in communal geriatric care. To narrow it down we focused on how the branch head experience the communicationprocess in conflictsituations between co-workers and what she or he usually do to resolve the conflict. We made qualitative interviews with ten of the branch heads in communal geriatric care, in four communes. The questions we had in mind throughout the study was based on four keywords (communication, leadership, conflict and conflict management) of which we created a narrative story from every interviewing person to get hold of the experience and knowledge behind their interviews. In our analysis as theoretical perspectives we used system theory, communication theory, attribution theory and the philosophy of Dialogue by Martin Buber. Our result show that the communication between both co-workers and the branch head is the most important tool for conflict management. Here lies a well functioning dialogue where the co-workers get the chance to question, be heard and mark their limit. Based on the interviews we saw that no matter how the branch head treat and lead the co-workers, conflict will rise. However, there are a few things pointed out as important to ease the effect on conflict and that is to communicate with straight and forward messages, inform the co-workers what goal the organization has and strive after a mutual relationship between everyone in the organization. The response then show a group of prosperous co-workers that accept the fact that they can have different opinions and yet work in harmony together and come to decisions that benefit the client. Most of our interviewing persons believe that leadership is about self-reflection, humbleness to oneself and others and to know the right time when to set clear boundaries.

The cooperative relaying scheme is a promising technique for increasing the capacity and reliability of wireless communication. Even though extensive research has performed in information theoretical aspect, there are still many unresolved practical problems of cooperative relaying system. This dissertation analyzes the performance of cooperative decode-and-forward (DF) relaying systems in the presence of multiple interferers and improve network throughput for these systems. We propose and summarize various systems in the view of network topology, transmission structure, and slot allocation. We present closed-form expressions for the end-to-end outage probability, average symbol-error-probability, average packet-error-probability, and network throughput of the proposed systems. This dissertation shows that the robustness of the destination against interference is more important than robustness of the relay against interference from an interference management perspective, and increasing the number of branches yields better outage and error performance improvements against shadowing than increasing the number of hops. In cellular networks, the cooperative diversity systems can outperform the dual-Rx antenna system, but only when the relay is located in a relatively small portion of the total cell area with respect the the destination mobile terminal. The results also show that since the effective regions of the uplink and the downlink do not overlap, different relays should be utilized for cell sectorization in the uplink and the downlink. Finally, the proposed variable-slot selection DF scheme can reduce the system complexity and make the maximum throughput point in the low and moderate signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio region.