Advances in Reinforcement Learning

Reinforcement Learning (RL) is a very dynamic area in terms of theory and application. This book brings together many different aspects of the current research on several fields associated to RL which has been growing rapidly, producing a wide variety of learning algorithms for different applications. Based on 24 Chapters, it covers a very broad variety of topics in RL and their application in autonomous systems. A set of chapters in this book provide a general overview of RL while other chapters focus mostly on the applications of RL paradigms: Game Theory, Multi-Agent Theory, Robotic, Networking Technologies, Vehicular Navigation, Medicine and Industrial Logistic

Building blocks of innovation within a state-owned enterprise (Part One).

This article (part one of a two-part study) presents a literature review aimed at establishing a theoretical framework on the innovation building blocks in a state-owned enterprise (SOE). Part two of the study will focus on SOE managers’ espoused theory on the building blocks of innovation. The findings of the literature (theoretical) review, suggested that the current theoretical framework on innovation consisted of five important building blocks, namely contextual setting; strategic enablers; business enablers; foundational enablers; and human resources; each with its own categories and sub-categories. The study also identified barriers to innovation

Building blocks of innovation within a state-owned enterprise (Part One).

This article (part one of a two-part study) presents a literature review aimed at establishing a theoretical framework on the innovation building blocks in a state-owned enterprise (SOE). Part two of the study will focus on SOE managers’ espoused theory on the building blocks of innovation. The findings of the literature (theoretical) review, suggested that the current theoretical framework on innovation consisted of five important building blocks, namely contextual setting; strategic enablers; business enablers; foundational enablers; and human resources; each with its own categories and sub-categories. The study also identified barriers to innovation

Life Cycle Evaluation under Uncertain Environmental Policies Using a Ship-Centric Markov Decision Process Framework.

A novel design evaluation framework is offered to improve early stage design decisions relating to environmental policy change and similar non-technical disturbances. The goal of this research is to overcome the traditional treatment of policy as a static, external constraint and to address in early stage design the potential disruptions to performance posed by regulatory policy change. While a designer’s primary purpose is not to affect policy, it is the responsibility of the designer to be cognizant of how policy can change, of how to assess the implications of a policy change, and of how to deliver performance despite change. This research addresses a present need for a rigorous means to keep strategic pace with policy evolution. Use of a Markov Decision Process (MDP) framework serves as a unifying foundation for incorporating temporal activities into early stage design considerations. The framework employs probabilistic methods via a state-based structure to holistically address policy uncertainty. Presented research enables exploration of the performance of a design solution through time in the face of environmental instabilities and identifies decisions necessary to negotiate path dependencies. The outcome of this research is an advanced framework for addressing life cycle management needs that arise due to policy change, as judged from a life cycle cost perspective. Original metrics for evaluating decision paths provide insight into how the timing, location, and confluence of disturbances impact design decisions. Development of the metrics is driven by a desire to communicate the design-specific characteristics of a strategic response to policy change. Quantifying the amount and type of uncertainty present, changeability afforded, and life cycle changes exercised offer points of comparison among individual design solutions. The knowledge gained from path-centric measurements enables an enhanced ability to characterize design lock-in. Principles and metrics borne out of the design evaluation framework are validated through two ship design examples related to ballast water treatment and carbon emissions.PHDNaval Architecture & Marine EngineeringUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/96130/1/ndniese_1.pd

\u3ci\u3eJournal of Actuarial Practice,\u3c/i\u3e Volume 5, No. 1, 1997

ARTICLES Providing Pensions for U.K. Employees with Varied Working Lives • Deborah R. Cooper Seeking the Profitability-Risk-Competitiveness Frontier Using a Genetic Algorithm • Ronnie Tan Fuzzy Underwriting: An Application of Fuzzy Logic to Medical Underwriting • Per-Johan Horgby, * Ralf Lohse, and Nicola-Alexander Sittaro Accelerated Death Benefits, Viatical Settlements, and Viatical Loans: Options for the Terminally III • Paula Schmidt The Right to Underwrite? An Actuarial Perspective With a Difference • Thomas A. Moultrie and R. Guy Thomast Discussion of T.A. Moultrie and R.G. Thomas\u27s \u27\u27The Right to Underwrite? An Actuarial Perspective With a Difference • Charles L. Trowbridge Editor - Colin Ramsay, University of Nebraska. Associate Editors: Robert Brown, University of Waterloo ○ Cecil Bykerk, Mutual of Omaha ○ Ruy Cardoso, Actuarial Frameworks ○ Samuel Cox, Georgia State University ○ David Cummins, University of Pennsylvania ○ Robert Finger, Retired ○ Charles Fuhrer, The Segal Company ○ Farrokh Guiahi, Hofstra University ○ Steven Haberman, City University ○ Merlin Jetton, Retired ○ Eric Klieber, Buck Consultants ○ Edward Mailander, WeIlpoint Health Networks ○ Charles McClenahan, Mercer Oliver Wyman ○ Robert Myers, Temple University ○ Norman Nodulman, Retired ○ François Outreville, United Nations ○ Timothy Pfeifer, Milliman USA ○ Esther Portnoy, University of Illinois ○ Robert Reitano, John Hancock Financial Services ○ Alice Rosenblatt, WeIlpoint Health Networks ○ Arnold Shapiro, Penn State University ○ Elias Shiu, University of Iowa ○ Michael Sze, Sze Associates Ltd. ○ Joseph Tan, National Actuarial Network ○ Ronnie Tan, Great Eastern Life ○ Richard Wendt, Tower Perrin; Margo Young, Technical Edito

Work Organisation and Innovation

[Excerpt] Innovations in work organisation have the potential to optimise production processes in companies and improve employees’ overall experience of work. This report explores the links between innovations in work organisation – under the broader label of high performance work practices (HPWPs) – and the potential benefits for both employees and organisations. It draws on empirical evidence from case studies carried out in 13 Member States of the European Union where workplace innovations have resulted in positive outcomes

A Generic Prognostic Framework for Remaining Useful Life Prediction of Complex Engineering Systems

Prognostics and Health Management (PHM) is a general term that encompasses methods used to evaluate system health, predict the onset of failure, and mitigate the risks associated with the degraded behavior. Multitudes of health monitoring techniques facilitating the detection and classification of the onset of failure have been developed for commercial and military applications. PHM system designers are currently focused on developing prognostic techniques and integrating diagnostic/prognostic approaches at the system level. This dissertation introduces a prognostic framework, which integrates several methodologies that are necessary for the general application of PHM to a variety of systems. A method is developed to represent the multidimensional system health status in the form of a scalar quantity called a health indicator. This method is able to indicate the effectiveness of the health indicator in terms of how well or how poorly the health indicator can distinguish healthy and faulty system exemplars. A usefulness criterion was developed which allows the practitioner to evaluate the practicability of using a particular prognostic model along with observed degradation evidence data. The criterion of usefulness is based on comparing the model uncertainty imposed primarily by imperfectness of degradation evidence data against the uncertainty associated with the time-to-failure prediction based on average reliability characteristics of the system. This dissertation identifies the major contributors to prognostic uncertainty and analyzes their effects. Further study of two important contributions resulted in the development of uncertainty management techniques to improve PHM performance. An analysis of uncertainty effects attributed to the random nature of the critical degradation threshold, , was performed. An analysis of uncertainty effects attributed to the presence of unobservable failure mechanisms affecting the system degradation process along with observable failure mechanisms was performed. A method was developed to reduce the effects of uncertainty on a prognostic model. This dissertation provides a method to incorporate prognostic information into optimization techniques aimed at finding an optimal control policy for equipment performing in an uncertain environment