Quantitative measurement of stress vs. strain in supported thin films by the layer compression test

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An Energy-aware, Fault-tolerant, and Robust Deep Reinforcement Learning based approach for Multi-agent Patrolling Problems

Autonomous vehicles are suited for continuous area patrolling problems. However, finding an optimal patrolling strategy can be challenging for many reasons. Firstly, patrolling environments are often complex and can include unknown environmental factors. Secondly, autonomous vehicles can have failures or hardware constraints, such as limited battery life. Importantly, patrolling large areas often requires multiple agents that need to collectively coordinate their actions. In this work, we consider these limitations and propose an approach based on model-free, deep multi-agent reinforcement learning. In this approach, the agents are trained to automatically recharge themselves when required, to support continuous collective patrolling. A distributed homogeneous multi-agent architecture is proposed, where all patrolling agents execute identical policies locally based on their local observations and shared information. This architecture provides a fault-tolerant and robust patrolling system that can tolerate agent failures and allow supplementary agents to be added to replace failed agents or to increase the overall patrol performance. The solution is validated through simulation experiments from multiple perspectives, including the overall patrol performance, the efficiency of battery recharging strategies, and the overall fault tolerance and robustness

Practical Interests, Relevant Alternatives, and Knowledge Attributions: an Empirical Study

In defending his interest-relative account of knowledge, Jason Stanley relies heavily on intuitions about several bank cases. We experimentally test the empirical claims that Stanley seems to make concerning our common-sense intuitions about these cases. Additionally, we test the empirical claims that Jonathan Schaffer seems to make, regarding the salience of an alternative, in his critique of Stanley. Our data indicate that neither raising the possibility of error nor raising stakes moves most people from attributing knowledge to denying it. However, the raising of stakes (but not alternatives) does affect the level of confidence people have in their attributions of knowledge. We argue that our data impugn what both Stanley and Schaffer claim our common-sense judgments about such cases are

The Role of Visual Sensory Performance Outcomes in Concussions: Impact on Concussed Special Operations Forces Combat Soldiers and Possible Implications for the Future of Sports-Related Concussions

The Role of Visual Sensory Performance Outcomes in Concussions: Impact on Concussed Special Operations Forces Combat Soldiers and Possible Implications for the Future of Sports-Related Concussions Clara Soligon, BS, CAT(C) Concordia University, 2022 This thesis details the increased concern towards concussions in athletes and Soldiers as well as the role of visual sensory performance. More studies are showing the consequences, whether short term or long term, of concussions. The symptoms burden and multiple neurocognitive deficits faced by a concussed athlete are getting increasingly recognized by society, as well as healthcare professionals. Studies have shown how concussions can also cause visual sensory performance deficits, even when traditional assessments are normal, and the athletes are cleared to return to play. One big challenge with concussions is the lack of objective measures to diagnose a concussion, as well for medically clearing an athlete or Soldier to return to full activity. Even with the knowledge that visual deficits might be present after a concussion; most traditional assessments do not assess vision due to a lack of unified platform and test availability. Visual sensory performance is important for injury prevention and impact anticipation, as well as assuring peak occupational performance. We assessed US Special Operations Forces combat Soldiers’ visual sensory performance outcomes. Concussions are the most common traumatic injury in the US military since 2000. Visual sensory performance outcome deficits could prevent Soldiers to complete their missions and impact their safety. Finding visual sensory performance outcomes deficits could help prevent an early return to play or return to duty, an increased risk of re-injury as well as help guide rehabilitation in athletes and military alike

Free will without consciousness?

Findings demonstrating decision-related neural activity preceding volitional actions have dominated the discussion about how science can inform the free will debate. These discussions have largely ignored studies suggesting that decisions might be influenced or biased by various unconscious processes. If these effects are indeed real, do they render subjects’ decisions less free or even unfree? Here, we argue that, while unconscious influences on decision-making do not threaten the existence of free will in general, they provide important information about limitations on freedom in specific circumstances. We demonstrate that aspects of this long-lasting controversy are empirically testable and provide insight into their bearing on degrees of freedom, laying the groundwork for future scientific-philosophical approaches

Free Will Without Consciousness?

Findings demonstrating decision-related neural activity preceding volitional actions have dominated the discussion about how science can inform the free will debate. These discussions have largely ignored studies suggesting that decisions might be influenced or biased by various unconscious processes. If these effects are indeed real, do they render subjects’ decisions less free or even unfree? Here, we argue that, while unconscious influences on decision-making do not threaten the existence of free will in general, they provide important information about limitations on freedom in specific circumstances. We demonstrate that aspects of this long-lasting controversy are empirically testable and provide insight into their bearing on degrees of freedom, laying the groundwork for future scientific-philosophical approaches

Inter-Segmental Coordination during a Unilateral 180° Jump in Elite Rugby Players: Implications for Prospective Identification of Injuries

Musculoskeletal injuries often occur during the execution of dynamic sporting tasks that involve rotation. The prescription of appropriate prevention strategies of musculoskeletal injury relies on assessments to identify risk, but current assessment tools focus on uniplanar movements. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the utility of the unilateral 180 • jump as a potential assessment tool for injury risk in the lower body by (1) providing descriptive kinematics of the knee, thigh, and pelvis (2) conducting inter-segmental coordination analysis, and (3) comparing the knee kinematics between the dominant and non-dominant limb (NDL) during the loading (LOP) and landing phase (LAP). Elite rugby players completed one session, performing five 180 • unilateral jumps on each limb while collecting kinematic data. Independent t-tests were used to compare peak angles of DL and NDL. Continuous Relative Phase (CRP) plots were constructed for thorax and pelvis in the transverse plane. At the loading phase, the non-dominant limb had greater peak knee abduction (ABD) (p = 0.01). At the landing phase, the dominant limb had greater peak knee adduction (ADD) (p = 0.05). At the landing phase, the non-dominant limb had greater peak knee ABD (p = 0.01). CRP plots indicate participants can utilize a thorax-led, pelvis-led, or synchronized rotational method. Bilateral asymmetries were observed, indicated by significant differences in the bilateral landing phase peak ADD/ABD, which is of particular interest considering all participants were healthy. Therefore, additional research is needed to determine thresholds for injury risk during rotational tasks

Efficacy of Guardian Cap Soft-Shell Padding on Head Impact Kinematics in American Football: Pilot Findings

Sport-related concussion prevention strategies in collision sports are a primary interest for sporting organizations and policy makers. After-market soft-shell padding purports to augment the protective capabilities of standard football helmets and to reduce head impact severity. We compared head impact kinematics [peak linear acceleration (PLA) and peak rotational acceleration (PRA)] in athletes wearing Guardian Cap soft-shell padding to teammates without soft-shell padding. Ten Division I college football players were enrolled [soft-shell padding (SHELL) included four defensive linemen and one tight end; non-soft-shell (CONTROL) included two offensive linemen, two defensive linemen, and one tight end]. Participants wore helmets equipped with the Head Impact Telemetry System to quantify PLA (g) and PRA (rad/s2) during 14 practices. Two-way ANOVAs were conducted to compare log-transformed PLA and PRA between groups across helmet location and gameplay characteristics. In total, 968 video-confirmed head impacts between SHELL (n = 421) and CONTROL (n = 547) were analyzed. We observed a Group x Stance interaction for PRA (F1,963 = 7.21; p = 0.007) indicating greater PRA by SHELL during 2-point stance and lower PRA during 3- or 4-point stances compared to CONTROL. There were no between-group main effects. Protective soft-shell padding did not reduce head impact kinematic outcomes among college football athletes

The SLUGGS Survey: Calcium Triplet-based Spectroscopic Metallicities for Over 900 Globular Clusters

Although the colour distribution of globular clusters in massive galaxies is well known to be bimodal, the spectroscopic metallicity distribution has been measured in only a few galaxies. After redefining the calcium triplet index-metallicity relation, we use our relation to derive the metallicity of 903 globular clusters in 11 early-type galaxies. This is the largest sample of spectroscopic globular cluster metallicities yet assembled. We compare these metallicities with those derived from Lick indices finding good agreement. In 6 of the 8 galaxies with sufficient numbers of high quality spectra we find bimodality in the spectroscopic metallicity distribution. Our results imply that most massive early-type galaxies have bimodal metallicity, as well as colour, distributions. This bimodality suggests that most massive galaxies early-type galaxies experienced two periods of star formation.Comment: 23 pages, 13 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRAS. For more information about the SLUGGS Survey please see http://sluggs.swin.edu.a