Une nouvelle méthode, simple et rapide, a été développée pour isoler dans le miel différents antimicrobiens usuellement recherchés en contrôle sanitaire et appartenant à quatre classes différentes: les sulfamides, les tétracyclines, les macrolides et lincosamides associés et les aminoglycosides. Ces molécules antimicrobiennes sont analysées par chromatographie liquide couplée à la spectrométrie de masse en tandem (CL-SM/SM) après avoir été extraites de l’échantillon de miel par une méthode d’extraction unique. Afin de définir les conditions optimales de séparation et de détection, l’influence de la nature et de la concentration d’un agent d’appariement d’ions tel que le HFBA ou le PFPA, introduit dans la phase mobile, a pu être évaluée sur une colonne analytique en chromatographie de phase inversée de type C18. Plusieurs paramètres ont été pris en compte et étudiés lors de l’élaboration de la méthode d’extraction tels que la nature du solvant d’extraction, le pH, l’étape d’hydrolyse acide, l’efficacité de l’extraction par ultrasons et enfin la purification de l’extrait avant injection. La méthode développée a ensuite été validée suivant les recommandations de la Décision de la Commission Européenne (CE) No 2002/657 puis a subi une étape de validation supplémentaire en participant à une comparaison inter-laboratoire organisée sur des matériaux de miel contaminés et gérée par un organisme extérieur accrédité suivant la norme ISO17043. Par la suite, une démarche de transfert de la méthode analytique validée en CL-SM/SM a été mise en place pour son utilisation en chromatographie liquide couplée à la spectrométrie de masse à haute résolution (CL-SMHR). Une validation de cette démarche a été menée par l’application d’une étude statistique descriptive basée sur la notion de profil d’exactitude. Finalement, un programme expérimental de surveillance a été entrepris sur une série d’échantillons de divers miels collectés sur des marchés locaux pour tester la qualité des produits commercialisés au Liban. Contrôlés au regard de leur contamination en résidus d’antimicrobiens en CL-SM/SM parmi la trentaine de molécules prédéfinies dans l’étude, la positivité et/ou la non-conformité de certains échantillons ont pu être confirmées par l’utilisation de la CL-SMHR. / A new, simple and rapid method has been developed for the determination of multiclass antimicrobial residues in honey (sulfonamides, tetracyclines, macrolides, lincosamides and aminoglycosides). All the compounds were extracted from honey within single extraction method and analyzed by liquid chromatography - tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) operating in positive electrospray ionization mode. In our study, we examined the behavior of volatile perfluorinated carboxylic acids (HFBA and PFPA) used as ion-pairing reagents for the separation of multiclass of antibiotic residues by reversed phase Zorbax SB C18 column. Furthermore, the extraction and clean-up steps were investigated and optimized by using ultrasonic-assisted extraction and dispersive solid phase extraction (d-SPE). Different parameters affecting the extraction efficiency including type of solvent, pH, breaking efficiencies of N-glycosidic linkage by hydrochloric acid, ultrasonic extraction and its duration compared to shaking technique, along with dispersive SPE clean-up were examined prior sample injection. The method was then validated according to European Commission Decision (EC) No 2002/657. Furthermore, the method was tested for its validity through participation in proficiency testing scheme organized by FAPAS for the analysis of tetracycline in honey. Afterwards, a transfer of the validated LC-MS/MS analytical method has been applied for the determination of antimicrobial residues in honey from low resolution to High Resolution Mass Spectrometry (HRMS). For that purpose, descriptive statistical approach was performed to assess the performance of the method based on simultaneous evaluation of the trueness and the intermediate precision. Finally, the method was applied for the determination of antimicrobial residues in honey collected from local markets at different regions in Lebanon. Positive samples were then analyzed by the LC-HRMS to confirm the presence of analytes detected by LC-MSMS.

Mesoporous alumina (Al2O3) in the gamma (γ) phase is widely used as a support in catalytic applications because of its high surface area, large pore volume, acid-base characteristics, and thermal stability. To improve the thermal stability of gamma alumina, dopants such as lanthanum, magnesium, zirconia, and silica are often introduced. Current laboratory-based methods for synthesizing gamma alumina generally involve 10-15 steps and/or use toxic, expensive surfactants and solvents. Industrial methods, while simpler, lack control of pore properties and surface chemistry. In contrast, we have developed an innovative solvent deficient, one-step method that is able to synthesize a wide range of pure and silica-doped aluminas with high surface areas, pore volumes from 0.3 to 1.8 cm3/g, and pore diameters from 5 to 40 nm. More significantly, our silica-doped aluminas are stable up to temperatures as high as 1300<°>C, which is 200<°>C higher than other pure and doped gamma alumina materials.The usefulness of gamma-alumina as a catalyst support is dependent on its favorable combination of textural, thermal, structural, and chemical properties, yet the relationship between structure and these other properties is still not clearly understood due to the poorly crystallized nature of the material. In particular, the mechanism by which the gamma structure is stabilized thermally by so many dopants is still not well understood. Based on our previous PDF experiments on pure and La-doped alumina, we have developed a hypothesis regarding the mechanism by which dopants increase thermal stability. To validate or refute this hypothesis, we collected PDF data on a wider range of laboratory and industrial alumina samples. Herein, we have utilized PDF analysis to study the local to intermediate-range structure of a series of our pure and silica-doped aluminas calcined at 50<°>C intervals between 50 and 1300<°>C as well as pure and silica-doped aluminas from commercial sources and other synthetic methods. This thorough study of alumina local structure will allow us to separate general trends in the local structure from idiosyncrasies based on synthetic method/conditions, and it will help us identify the structural features responsible for improved thermal stability. Having access to these PDF experiments, we have validated our current hypothesis on the nature of stabilization afforded by dopants and, more generally, developed a better understanding of the role structure plays in the properties of aluminas.

El ruido puede ser considerado el contaminante físico con mayor presencia en el mundo laboral. La exposición continuada sin la protección adecuada, a niveles sonoros de elevada intensidad constituye ineludiblemente un riesgo potencial para la salud. El efecto nocivo del ruido en el medio laboral se traduce en una pérdida auditiva o hipoacusia que generalmente es progresiva e irreversible, y que estaría encuadrada dentro de la denominada pérdida auditiva inducida por ruido (PAIR). La evaluación y diagnóstico de la PAIR en el medio laboral se ha basado clásicamente en la realización de audiometrías, pero existen en la actualidad otros métodos diagnósticos que podrían ser de utilidad, entre los que se encuentra el registro de las otoemisiones acústicas de productos de distorsión (OEAPD). En el estudio se conjugan los siguientes factores: determinación y descripción del clima acústico (dosis de ruido, mapa de niveles de presión sonora, composición espectral del ruido), evaluación y análisis de los resultados audiométricos en relación al espectro de frecuencia e intensidad del clima acústico, correlación de los resultados audiométricos con los registros de OEAPD. La población objeto de estudio está compuesta por un total de 184 sujetos expuestos al ruido en el medio laboral de forma prolongada (aquellos en cuyos puestos de trabajo el nivel de ruido diario equivalente superaba los 80 dBA, teniendo todos ellos una historia de exposición superior a 10 años). Sólo fueron incluidos en el estudio un total 134 sujetos que cumplían los siguientes requisitos: Ausencia de patología ótica infecciosa, ausencia de exposición a ruido extralaboral, ausencia de ingesta de ototóxicos, ausencia de antecedentes familiares de trastornos de la audición, exploración otoscópica normal e impedanciometría con curva de timpanograma tipo “A” y reflejos estapediales presentes. Para la realización del estudio se dispuso del siguiente material técnico: sonómetros Brüel-Kjaer, tipo 2222, Rion NA-27 y Rion NL-05, dosímetros Quest Q100 y Q 500, analizador frecuencial Brüel-Kjaer tipo 2144, otoscopio de la marca Riester, impedanciómetro Handtymp 300, audiómetro y registro OEAPD mediante el equipo “porta REM 2000 Digital. PR 2000” de Rastronic. El estudio se ha llevado a cabo en la fábrica de tabacos que Altadis (Tabacalera) poseía en Alicante. Se realizaron dosimetrías a 25 sujetos, abarcando los distintos puestos de trabajo, con dos metodologías diferentes (Dosímetros Quest Q100 y Q 500: Dosis recibida por trabajador cada jornada de 7,5 horas. Sonómetro integrador Rion NA-27: Medidas de nivel diario equivalente). Se realizaron, además mapas de nivel de presión sonora y determinación de la distribución espectral de la maquinaria. Todos los sujetos fueron examinados mediante otoscopia, impedanciometría, audiometría tonal liminar vía aérea/vía ósea en las frecuencias de 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 6 y 8 kHz y registro de OEAPD en las frecuencias 3, 4 y 6 kHz. La dosimetría con cada metodología arrojó valores del nivel equivalente entre 85-92 dBA, alcanzando dosis con valores entre 1-4 Pa2 x h, (1Pa2 x h = 85 dBA). En el mapa de ruidos se pudo determinar cómo los niveles rebasaban continuamente los 80 dBA. En la distribución espectral cabe resaltar la aparición de picos muy marcados en torno a 250 Hz. El patrón audiométrico de los sujetos pone de manifiesto una incidencia mayor de la esperada de afectación en las frecuencias graves (0.25 y 0.5 kHz). Entre las frecuencias agudas la más afectada es 6 kHz. En los resultados de OEAPD de la población estudiada se aprecia un descenso de su incidencia en las frecuencias de 3, 4 y 6 kHz (igual que ocurre con los resultados de la audiometría, la frecuencia más afectada es 6 kHz). La correlación de los resultados audiométricos con los registros de OEAPD en un subgrupo (n = 50) caracterizado, por altos niveles de exposición durante más de 10 años, puso de manifiesto la afectación de las OEAPD aun cuando el umbral audiométrico estaba preservado. La presencia de altos niveles de contaminación acústica en el medio laboral, durante largos periodos de tiempo, está en relación directa con la aparición de deterioro auditivo. En este sentido tanto las mediciones de nivel equivalente como la de dosis recibidas se consideran métodos válidos, siendo éste más clarificador sobre la dosis real recibida. Dado que los valores del nivel equivalente oscilan entre 85-92 dBA, y que las dosis recibidas arrojan valores de 1-4 Pa² x h, se puede concluir que la población estudiada está inmersa en un clima de alta contaminación acústica. El audiograma típico de un sujeto que sufre PAIR por lo general presenta una pérdida máxima a 4 kHz con crecimiento gradual de la pérdida auditiva que acaba afectando a otras frecuencias. Por otra parte, si un ruido tiene la mayor parte de su energía en la región de una frecuencia particular, el daño máximo se manifestará en una frecuencia alrededor de una octava por encima de la del ruido. El patrón audiométrico de nuestra población pone de manifiesto una incidencia mayor de la esperada de afectación en las frecuencias graves, que pensamos está en relación con el espectro de emisión de la maquinaria de producción. El comportamiento audiométrico de la población estudiada se presentan con un patrón de PAIR donde se afecta predominantemente 6 kHz, en lugar de 4 kHz cómo cabría esperar. Existe una correlación positiva entre el grado de afectación audiométrica por exposición laboral al ruido y la baja incidencia de OEAPD en dichas frecuencias, sugiriéndose una mayor sensibilidad y precocidad de esta prueba en la detección de la lesión coclear por ruido.

The Australian magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen) is a large, sedentary, omnivorous passerine. In some populations, individuals live in groups, and some of these groups breed cooperatively. The white-backed magpie (G. t. tyrannica) from the south-eastern corner of the continent, has had relatively little study, and few details are known of its mating system, social structure, and method of parental care. I conducted an observational study on a population of white-backed magpies, recording details of their demography, dispersal, breeding system, and parental care. In conjunction, I conducted a genetic analysis of the population, to determine if the genetic mating system matched the observed social system, to detect instances of extra-group mating, and to sex juvenile birds. Extra-pair paternity (EPP) is a common feature of the mating systems of many birds. The rate of EPP may vary between species, races and populations. I made a comparison of extra-group paternity (EGP) rates between two races of the Australian magpie, to determine if similar mating systems were being employed. The two populations had similar social structure, but differed in group size and dispersal. I predicted that dispersal differences would have a profound effect on the rate of EGP between the populations, as the population with the lower rate of dispersal and higher chance of breeding with a close relative would engage in EGPs more frequently. Eight microsatellite loci were used to determine parentage in the white-backed Australian magpie. The rate of EGP was found to be 44%. Dispersal rates were estimated from observational data. Over half of the juvenile magpie cohort from the previous breeding season leave the territorial group. These results contrast sharply with the results found by other researchers in a population of western Australian magpies (G t. dorsalis). In this population, 82% EGP is recorded and dispersal of juveniles is close to nil. The results indicate that dispersal rate is a potentially important predictor of rates of extra-group fertilisations between populations of this species, and suggest that females maximise their reproductive output by avoiding breeding with close kin. The reproductive success of a male bird is often correlated with measurable traits that predict his intrinsic quality. Females are thought to select mates based on their quality to gain their 'good genes'. Male Australian magpies of the white-backed race were trapped in two breeding seasons. Measurements were taken of morphometric and other characteristics in order to discover whether particular traits of males were associated with: a) number of fledglings produced in the territory per season; b) percentage of offspring sired in the territory; and c) whether females select males for their 'good genes'. The only variable that was correlated with number of territorial offspring was feather lice load. Males with high numbers of lice were less likely to produce territorial fledglings in one season and across both seasons. Males of inferior quality may be subject to increased conspecific territorial intrusions, leading to more time spent on defence, more failed breeding attempts, less time allocated to grooming and thus high parasite loads. Males that produced many territorial fledglings were more likely to gain genetic paternity of at least some of them, although again this was significant for only one season. Also, across both seasons, a high number of females in the group was correlated with increased paternity within the group. The general lack of correlation between the variables and level of genetic paternity may be due to females engaging in extra-group mating primarily to avoid breeding with a close relative rather than to choose a quality male. In this scenario, males would not have to be 'high quality', but merely genetically different to the female's social mate. Extra-group paternity (EGP) can affect paternal effort. It may also influence the helping effort of auxiliary birds in cooperatively breeding species. If helping is driven by kin selection, helpers should decline to provision unrelated young. Relatedness becomes difficult to assess however, when females mate outside the group. Alternative rewards may then become important in helper decisions. In my study population of Australian magpies, 38% of fledglings were sired by males outside the territorial group. In a second population (G. t. dorsalis), 82% of fledglings were sired by extra-group males. I observed within-group male and helper feeding effort over three breeding seasons in the first population and obtained data recorded over a single season in the second population. In both populations, males provisioned young regardless of relatedness, as did helpers. Males provisioned less than the nesting female on average. Paternal effort did not reduce with an increase in the rate of EGP between populations. In the population with intermediate levels of EGP, the white-backed magpies, I observed helpers in about half of the sampled territories that produced fledglings. Helpers did not increase the production of young. In the population with high levels of EGP, western magpies, I detected helping behaviour in proportionally more territories. It appears that Australian magpie helpers provide help in order to pay 'rent' and remain on the natal territory. I discuss these results in light of the differences between the two races of magpie and the major theories regarding male parenting decisions and helper activity. Finally, I examine the relatively high rates of EGP's in the Australian magpie from a phylogenetic perspective. Although inbreeding avoidance is strongly supported by this study as the major reason EGP is so common in magpie populations, there may be an element of phylogenetic inertia that maintains the frequency of this behavioural trait. I comment upon the use of single-population estimates of species EGP rates in comparative analyses, given the intraspecific variation discovered between Australian magpie populations. Future directions for the study of mate choice in the Australian magpie are outlined with a proposal to study variation at the major histocompatibility complex between mated pairs.

L'étude des effets isotopiques dans le processus de la multifragmentation du projectile spectateur a été effectuée en utilisant le spectromètre ALADiN auprès de l'accélérateur GSI à Darmstadt. Des réactions aux énergies relativistes avec des faisceaux stables d'197Au et 124Sn et des faisceaux radioactifs de 124La et 107Sn ont été utilisés pour couvrir une large gamme en masse et en N/Z. La mesure du vecteur moment et l'identification des fragments du projectile ayant une charge Z>1 entrant dans l'acceptance de l'aimant ALADiN ont été obtenues avec une grande efficacité et résolution en utilisant le dispositif ALADiN amélioré en association avec le détecteur de neutrons LAND. L'étude des propriétés globales de la multifragmentation a montrée une dépendance en N/Z en accord avec les prédictions du modèle statistique de la multifragmentation. L'effet pair-impair dans la multifragmentation du projectile spectateur a été investigé pour pouvoir trouver une interprétation à sa manifestation à hautes énergies d'excitation. Un accord qualitatif a été obtenu pour les mesures de la températures avec les précédentes données et les prédictions théoriques.

<p>The purpose of this study was to investigate the collaboration of four learners of Swedish as a second language during a pair-writing task, as well as their experiences of the process, in order to draw conclusions about how to execute pair-writing in the L2 classroom. The study has found that the establishment of compatible partners are of great importance to achieve success and learning through pair-writing. One of the pairs studied managed to work well together and use each other’s knowledge to improve their text, while the other pair continuosly battled for dominance, which had a negative impact on their performance. The two successful students had enjoyed the task and believed they had learned something from it and that pair-writing can be a useful source of knowledge. The other two both felt that they were too independent to write together and that they could not learn from writing collaboratively with a peer.</p>

Cotoneaster is an ornamental shrub valued for showy flowers, berries and architecture as well as the ability tolerate adverse conditions under which other taxa fail. Cotoneaster is a highly diverse genus of over 400 species, of which few are available in the US nursery trade. Some species commercially available have been identified as potentially invasive in the state of Oregon and also are susceptible to the bacterial disease fire blight. Cotoneaster selections with reduced fertility and disease resistance would be desirable characteristics for low input landscape plants. A goal of my research was to characterize Cotoneaster spp. to provide information for the rationale planning and development of novel clones to meet these horticultural goals. In the first study, genome sizes were estimated using flow cytometery and ploidy levels were inferred using holoploid genome size. Observed differences in monoploid genome sizes translate to a difference in chromosome size. Differences in chromosome size may present a reproductive barrier when they are large. This may pose a challenge in wide crosses, but may be utilized to achieve sterility in the F1 interspecific hybrid population. Differences in genome size are not related to taxonomic ordering, so wide inter sectional and inter subgeneric crosses may be possible. In the second study, susceptibility of Cotoneaster to fire blight was measured on plants inoculated with Erwinia amylovora strain Ea153. In greenhouse assays conducted over two years, plants were inoculated by cutting leaves with scissors infested with the pathogen. Some species were 'highly susceptible' to fire blight where plants were killed to the ground, and others were rated 'highly resistant' and no lesions were observed. Seventeen accessions were rated as resistant to fire blight This research provides the first report of ploidy, genome sizes, and susceptibility of species of Cotoneaster to fire blight. Collectively this research provides a toolbox for a breeder to tackle the challenge of creating disease resistant cultivars with reduced fertility. / Graduation date: 2013

Particle-laden turbulent flow through a straight square duct at Reτ = 300 is studied using direct numerical simulation (DNS) and Lagrangian particle tracking. A parallelized 3-D particle tracking direct numerical simulation code has been developed to perform the large-scale turbulent particle transport computations reported in this thesis. The DNS code is validated after demonstrating good agreement with the published DNS results for the same flow and Reynolds number. Lagrangian particle transport computations are carried out using a large ensemble of passive tracers and finite-inertia particles and the assumption of one-way fluid-particle coupling. Using four different types of initial particle distributions, Lagrangian particle dispersion, concentration and deposition are studied in the turbulent straight square duct. Particles are released in a uniform distribution on a cross-sectional plane at the duct inlet, released as particle pairs in the core region of the duct, distributed randomly in the domain or distributed uniformly in planes at certain heights above the walls. One- and two-particle dispersion statistics are computed and discussed for the low Reynolds number inhomogeneous turbulence present in a straight square duct. New detailed statistics on particle number concentration and deposition are also obtained and discussed.

In this thesis I have performed theoretical studies on the reaction dynamics in few-atom molecules. In particular, I have looked at reaction processes in which highly excited resonant states are involved. When highly excited states are formed, the dynamics becomes complicated and approximations normally used in chemical reaction studies are no longer applicable.To calculate the potential energy curve for some of these states as a function of internuclear distance, a combination of structure calculations and scattering calculations have to be performed, and the reaction dynamics on the potentials has been studied using both time-independent and time-dependent methods.The processes that have been studied and which are discussed in this thesis are ion-pair formation in electron recombination with H3+, dissociative recombination and ion-pair formation of HF+, mutual neutralization in H++F- collisions and dissociative recombination of BeH+. Isotope effects in these reactions have also been investigated. Our calculated cross sections are compared with experimentally measured cross sections for these reactions.

Modern control theory is today an interdisciplinary area of research. Just as much as this can be problematic, it also provides a rich research environment where practice and theory meet. This Thesis is conducted in the borderline between computing science (numerical analysis) and applied control theory. The design and analysis of a modern control system is a complex problem that requires high qualitative software to accomplish. Ideally, such software should be based on robust methods and numerical stable algorithms that provide quantitative as well as qualitative information. The introduction of the Thesis is dedicated to the underlying control theory and to introduce the reader to the main subjects. Throughout the Thesis, the theory is illustrated with several examples, and similarities and differences between the terminology from mathematics, systems and control theory, and numerical linear algebra are highlighted. The main contributions of the Thesis are structured in two parts, dealing with two mainly unrelated subjects. Part I is devoted to the qualitative information which is provided by the stratification of orbits and bundles of matrices, matrix pencils and system pencils. Before the theory of stratification is established the reader is introduced to different canonical forms which reveal the system characteristics of the model under investigation. A stratification reveals which canonical structures of matrix (system) pencils are near each other in the sense of small perturbations of the data. Fundamental concepts in systems and control, like controllability and observability of linear continuous-time systems, are considered and it is shown how these system characteristics can be investigated using the stratification theory. New results are presented in the form of the cover relations (nearest neighbours) for controllability and observability pairs. Moreover, the permutation matrices which take a matrix pencil in the Kronecker canonical form to the corresponding system pencil in (generalized) Brunovsky canonical form are derived. Two novel algorithms for determining the permutation matrices are provided. Part II deals with numerical methods for solving periodic Riccati differential equations (PRDE:s). The PRDE:s under investigation arise when solving the linear quadratic regulator (LQR) problem for periodic linear time-varying (LTV) systems. These types of (periodic) LQR problems turn up for example in motion planning of underactuated mechanical systems, like a humanoid robot, the Furuta pendulum, and pendulums on carts. The constructions of the nonlinear controllers are based on linear versions found by stabilizing transverse dynamics of the systems along cycles. Three different methods explicitly designed for solving the PRDE are evaluated on both artificial systems and stabilizing problems originating from experimental control systems. The methods are the one-shot generator method and two recently proposed methods: the multi-shot method (two variants) and the SDP method. As these methods use different approaches to solve the PRDE, their numerical behavior and performance are dependent on the nature of the underlying control problem. Such method characteristics are investigated and summarized with respect to different user requirements (the need for accuracy and possible restrictions on the solution time). / Modern reglerteknik är idag i högsta grad ett interdisciplinärt forskningsområde. Lika mycket som detta kan vara problematiskt, resulterar det i en stimulerande forskningsmiljö där både praktik och teori knyts samman. Denna avhandling är utförd i gränsområdet mellan datavetenskap (numerisk analys) och tillämpad reglerteknik. Att designa och analysera ett modernt styrsystem är ett komplext problem som erfordrar högkvalitativ mjukvara. Det ideala är att mjukvaran består av robusta metoder och numeriskt stabila algoritmer som kan leverera både kvantitativ och kvalitativ information.Introduktionen till avhandlingen beskriver grundläggande styr- och reglerteori samt ger en introduktion till de huvudsakliga problemställningarna. Genom hela avhandlingen illustreras teori med exempel. Vidare belyses likheter och skillnader i terminologin som används inom matematik, styr- och reglerteori samt numerisk linjär algebra. Avhandlingen är uppdelade i två delar som behandlar två i huvudsak orelaterade problemklasser. Del I ägnas åt den kvalitativa informationen som ges av stratifiering av mångfalder (orbits och bundles) av matriser, matrisknippen och systemknippen. Innan teorin för stratifiering introduceras beskrivs olika kanoniska former, vilka var och en avslöjar olika systemegenskaper hos den undersökta modellen. En stratifiering ger information om bl.a. vilka kanoniska strukturer av matrisknippen (systemknippen) som är nära varandra med avseende på små störningar i datat. Fundamentala koncept i styr- och reglerteori behandlas, så som styrbarhet och observerbarhet av linjära tidskontinuerliga system, och hur dessa systemegenskaper kan undersökas med hjälp av stratifiering. Nya resultat presenteras i form av relationerna för täckande (närmsta grannar) styrbarhets- och observerbarhets-par. Dessutom härleds permutationsmatriserna som tar ett matrisknippe i Kroneckers kanoniska form till motsvarande systemknippe i (generaliserade) Brunovskys kanoniska form. Två algoritmer för att bestämma dessa permutationsmatriser presenteras. Del II avhandlar numeriska metoder för att lösa periodiska Riccati differentialekvationer (PRDE:er). De undersökta PRDE:erna uppkommer när ett linjärt kvadratiskt regulatorproblem för periodiska linjära tidsvariabla (LTV) system löses. Dessa typer av (periodiska) regulatorproblem dyker upp till exempel när man planerar rörelser för understyrda (underactuated) mekaniska system, så som en humanoid (mänsklig) robot, Furuta-pendeln och en vagn med en inverterad (stående) pendel. Konstruktionen av det icke-linjära styrsystemet är baserat på en linjär variant som bestäms via stabilisering av systemets transversella dynamik längs med cirkulära banor. Tre metoder explicit konstruerade för att lösa PRDE:er evalueras på både artificiella system och stabiliseringsproblem av experimentella styrsystem. Metoderna är sk. en- och flerskotts metoder (one-shot, multi-shot) och SDP-metoden. Då dessa metoder använder olika tillvägagångssätt för att lösa en PRDE, beror dess numeriska egenskaper och effektivitet på det underliggande styrproblemet. Sådana metodegenskaper undersöks och sammanfattas med avseende på olika användares behov, t.ex. önskad noggrannhet och tänkbar begränsning i hur lång tid det får ta att hitta en lösning.