A comparison of learning performance in two-dimensional Q-learning by the difference of Q-values alignment

In this article, we examine the learning performance of various strategies under different conditions using the Voronoi Q-value element (VQE) based on reward in a single-agent environment, and decide how to act in a certain state. In order to test our hypotheses, we performed computational experiments using several situations such as various angles of rotation of VQEs which are arranged into a lattice structure, various angles of an agent’s action rotation that has 4 actions, and a random arrangement of VQEs to correctly evaluate the optimal Q-values for state and action pairs in order to deal with continuous-valued inputs. As a result, the learning performance changes when the angle of VQEs and the angle of action are changed by a specific relative position.     

Case studies on the usability,acceptability and functionality of autonomous mobile delivery robots in real-world healthcare settings

Intelligent Service Robotics - Autonomous mobile delivery robots are used as a way to improve efficiency in hospitals and reduce staff workload amongst a growing workforce shortage in healthcare....     

Distinctiveness and repetition in item recognition.

We scrutinized the hypothesis that the distinctiveness of unrepeated stimuli yields an enhancement of their memorability, when contrasted with repeated stimuli. In three conditions of a variant of von Restorff's (1933) isolation paradigm, unrepeated stimuli were respectively rendered either distinctive, by intermixing them with repeated stimuli from a different category, or nondistinctive, by having both unrepeated and repeated items originate in the same category or categories. The recognition-memory strength difference between unrepeated and repeated stimuli, in terms of a signal-detection measure of sensitivity, was less when the unrepeated stimuli were distinctive than when they were not distinctive. This implies that the relative weakness of unrepeated stimuli may be offset by distinctiveness that accrues from their infrequency. These findings are considered with reference to contemporary theoretical treatments of distinctiveness. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Migration of photoinitiators from cardboard into dry food: evaluation of Tenax® as a food simulant

Photoinitiators are widely used to cure ink on packaging materials used in food applications such as cardboards for the packaging of dry foods. Conventional migration testing for long-term storage at ambient temperature with Tenax^® was applied to paperboard for the following photoinitiators: benzophenone (BP), 4,4?-bis(diethylamino)benzophenone (DEAB), 2-chloro-9H-thioxanthen-9-one (CTX), 1-chloro-4-propoxy-9H-thioxanthen-9-one (CPTX), 4-(dimethylamino)benzophenone (DMBP), 2-ethylanthraquinone (EA), 2-ethylhexyl-4-dimethylaminobenzoate (EDB), ethyl-4-dimethylaminobenzoate (EDMAB), 4-hydroxybenzophenone (4-HBP), 2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzophenone (HMBP), 2-hydroxy-4?-(2-hydroxyethoxy)-2-methylpropiophenone (HMMP), 2-isopropyl-9H-thioxanthen-9-one (ITX), 4-methylbenzophenone (MBP) and Michler’s ketone (MK). Test conditions (10 days at 60°C) were according to Regulation (EU) No. 10/2011 and showed different migration patterns for the different photoinitiators. The results were compared with the migration in cereals after a storage of 6 months at room temperature. The simulation with Tenax at 60°C overestimated actual migration in cereals up to a maximum of 92%. In addition, the effect of a lower contact temperature and the impact of the Tenax pore size were investigated. Analogous simulation performed with rice instead of Tenax resulted in insufficiently low migration rates, showing Tenax is a much stronger adsorbent than rice and cereals.     

Effect of particle size on three dimensional printed mesh structures

Three dimensional printing is a unique technique that can print complex 3D structures that cannot be produced by other means, especially for rapid prototyping purpose. In this study, 3D mesh structures are created by three dimensional printing with four different TiNiHf powder sizes. Mesh structure green strength and surface smoothness are characterized in order to produce high quality 3D structures. Binder spreading time and spreading rate in the TiNiHf powders are measured in order to understand binder penetration difference in the mesh structures. The study shows that smaller TiNiHf particle size produces higher mesh structure green strength and surface smoothness, consistent with the observation that binder spreading is slower for smaller TiNiHf particles.     

Sorption of Am(III) onto 6-line-ferrihydrite and its alteration products: investigations by EXAFS

For the long-term performance assessment of nuclear waste repositories, knowledge about the interactions of actinide ions with mineral surfaces such as iron oxides is imperative. The mobility of released radionuclides is strongly dependent on the sorption/desorption processes at these surfaces and on their incorporation into the mineral structure. In this study the interaction of Am(III) with 6-line-ferrihydrite (6LFh) was investigated by EXAFS spectroscopy. At low pH values (pH 5.5), as well at higher pH values (pH 8.0), Am(III) sorbs as a bidentate corner-sharing species onto the surface. Investigations of the interaction of Am(III) with Fh coated silica colloids prove the sorption onto the iron coating and not onto the silica substrate. Hence, the presence of Fh, even as sediment coating, is the dominant sorption surface. Upon heating, Fh is transformed into goethite and hematite as shown by TEM and IR measurements. The results of the fit to the EXAFS data indicate the release of sorbed Am(III) at pH 5.5 during the transformation and likely a partial incorporation of Am into the Fh transformation products at pH 8.0.     

MChip: a tool for influenza surveillance

The design and characterization of a low-density microarray for subtyping influenza A is presented. The microarray consisted of 15 distinct oligonucleotides designed to target only the matrix gene segment of influenza A. An artificial neural network was utilized to automate microarray image interpretation. The neural network was trained to recognize fluorescence image patterns for 68 known influenza viruses and subsequently used to identify 53 unknowns in a blind study that included 39 human patient samples and 14 negative control samples. The assay exhibited a clinical sensitivity of 95% and clinical specificity of 92%.     

Meta-analysis of effects of inoculation with homofermentative and facultative heterofermentative lactic acid bacteria on silage fermentation,aerobic stability,and the performance of dairy cows

Forages are usually inoculated with homofermentative and facultative heterofermentative lactic acid bacteria (LAB) to enhance lactic acid fermentation of forages, but effects of such inoculants on silage quality and the performance of dairy cows are unclear. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis to examine the effects of LAB inoculation on silage quality and preservation and the performance of dairy cows. A second objective was to examine the factors affecting the response to silage inoculation with LAB. The studies that met the selection criteria included 130 articles that examined the effects of LAB inoculation on silage quality and 31 articles that investigated dairy cow performance responses. The magnitude of the effect (effect size) was evaluated using raw mean differences (RMD) between inoculated and uninoculated treatments. Heterogeneity was explored by meta-regression and subgroup analysis using forage type, LAB species, LAB application rate, and silo scale (laboratory or farm-scale) as covariates for the silage quality response and forage type, LAB species, diet type [total mixed ration (TMR) or non-TMR], and the level of milk yield of the control cows as covariates for the performance responses. Inoculation with LAB (≥10⁵ cfu/g as fed) markedly increased silage fermentation and dry matter recovery in temperate and tropical grasses, alfalfa, and other legumes. However, inoculation did not improve the fermentation of corn, sorghum, or sugarcane silages. Inoculation with LAB reduced clostridia and mold growth, butyric acid production, and ammonia-nitrogen in all silages, but it had no effect on aerobic stability. Silage inoculation (≥10⁵ cfu/g as fed) increased milk yield and the response had low heterogeneity. However, inoculation had no effect on diet digestibility and feed efficiency. Inoculation with LAB improved the fermentation of grass and legume silages and the performance of dairy cows but did not affect the fermentation of corn, sorghum, and sugar cane silages or the aerobic stability of any silage. Further research is needed to elucidate how silage inoculated with homofermentative and facultative heterofermentative LAB improves the performance of dairy cows.     

Enhanced Release of Drugs from Silicone Elastomers (I) Release Kinetics of Pineal and Steroidal Hormones

The release of melatonin, estradiol, and flourogestone acetate from subdermal implants was enhanced when implants were fabricated from silicone elastomers containing co-solvents. This enhancement followed a Q vs. t relationship. As glycerol concentration increased, the increments in release rate were greater for hydrophilic drugs than for hydrophobic drugs. When drug loading in the implants was held constant, release rates were found to be a function of glycerol concentrations in the device. A synergistic enhancement of release rate was observed when both glycerol and sodium chloride were added to the silicone matrix. The fact that co-solvents enhance the rate of drug release from silicone elastomers indicates that a reduction in the activation energy required for drug release may occur.