Evolutionary Networks for Multi-Behavioural Robot Control : A thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Computer Science Massey University, Albany, New Zealand

Artificial Intelligence can be applied to a wide variety of real world problems, with varying levels of complexity; nonetheless, real world problems often demand for capabilities that are difficult, if not impossible to achieve using a single Artificial Intelligence algorithm. This challenge gave rise to the development of hybrid systems that put together a combination of complementary algorithms. Hybrid approaches come at a cost however, as they introduce additional complications for the developer, such as how the algorithms should interact and when the independent algorithms should be executed. This research introduces a new algorithm called Cascading Genetic Network Programming (CGNP), which contains significant changes to the original Genetic Network Programming. This new algorithm has the facility to include any Artificial Intelligence algorithm into its directed graph network, as either a judgement or processing node. CGNP introduces a novel ability for a scalable multiple layer network, of independent instances of the CGNP algorithm itself. This facilitates problem subdivision, independent optimisation of these underlying layers and the ability to develop varying levels of complexity, from individual motor control to high level dynamic role allocation systems. Mechanisms are incorporated to prevent the child networks from executing beyond their requirement, allowing the parent to maintain control. The ability to optimise any data within each node is added, allowing for general purpose node development and therefore allowing node reuse in a wide variety of applications without modification. The abilities of the Cascaded Genetic Network Programming algorithm are demonstrated and proved through the development of a multi-behavioural robot soccer goal keeper, as a testbed where an individual Artificial Intelligence system may not be sufficient. The overall role is subdivided into three components and individually optimised which allow the robot to pursue a target object or location, rotate towards a target and provide basic functionality for defending a goal. These three components are then used in a higher level network as independent nodes, to solve the overall multi- behavioural goal keeper. Experiments show that the resulting controller defends the goal with a success rate of 91%, after 12 hours training using a population of 400 and 60 generations

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I checked the bush. I tried the sky, the crickets\u27 legs, soccer fields, and apples\u27 cores. I stoodunder thunderclouds, kitchen counters, catechism teachers inside superstores. I studied Crusoe\u27s isolation after Harold and the Purple Crayon.https://digitalcommons.butler.edu/onearth/1018/thumbnail.jp

Investigation of thermal and mechanical effects during electrically-assisted microforming

The goal of this research was to investigate Electrically-Assisted Forming (EAF) at the microscale. Past research has suggested that EAF has the potential to overcome microforming difficulties (i.e., increased data scatter caused by the individual grains affecting the global material properties). In this thesis, three point bending results are presented for both classical (non-EA) and EA processes with CuZn30 specimens containing different grain sizes. A more uniform strain distribution was achieved with the EA processes. Although the application of current did not result in the expected forming force reduction, a decrease was observed where a temperature spike occurred (believed to be caused by varying electrical contact). In addition to the microbending tests, stationary copper wire temperature tests under compression were also performed. Past research had shown the effect of grain size and Zn content during EAF. However, temperature data of the specimens during the tests was not available

Assessing undergraduate student involvement: a closer look at the African American pattern

The purpose of this study was to investigate the involvement patterns of selected African American undergraduate students and explore the reasoning as to why they choose to participate in certain groups and abstain from others. Data were collected through a three part survey with 60 Likert-type items used, and through a series of interviews. The population used was a convenience sample of 178 students at Rowan University\u27s main campus in Glassboro, NJ. Eight students of that sample were purposely selected to participate in interviews. Data analysis of the surveys showed positive relationships between students who worked with classmates outside of class and worked on projects during class. There were no disparities between gender and class rank when compared to importance and satisfaction of academic involvement. The results of the surveys showed that most of the selected students participated in intramural athletics and social clubs while abstaining from university publication and independent study. Data from the interviews revealed that students felt connected to one another in ethnic and multicultural clubs and organizations, though they believed there is a lack of options on campus to engage in activities with students from other races

Testing quantum expanders is co-QMA-complete

A quantum expander is a unital quantum channel that is rapidly mixing, has only a few Kraus operators, and can be implemented efficiently on a quantum computer. We consider the problem of estimating the mixing time (i.e., the spectral gap) of a quantum expander. We show that this problem is co-QMA-complete. This has applications to testing randomized constructions of quantum expanders, and studying thermalization of open quantum systems

Testing quantum expanders is co-QMA-complete

A quantum expander is a unital quantum channel that is rapidly mixing, has only a few Kraus operators, and can be implemented efficiently on a quantum computer. We consider the problem of estimating the mixing time (i.e., the spectral gap) of a quantum expander. We show that this problem is co-QMA-complete. This has applications to testing randomized constructions of quantum expanders, and studying thermalization of open quantum systems

A Quality Improvement Initiative to Reduce Time to Antibiotics in Oncologic Neutropenic Fever

Introduction: This paper documents a Quality Improvement (QI) initiative using Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles to decrease time to antibiotics (TTA) in oncologic neutropenic fever (NF) patients in a large tertiary-care academic medical center to the national guideline target of 60 minutes. Methods: We measured baseline NF TTA across hospital units in the summer of 2018 and analyzed factors underlying delays in antibiotic treatment. We then developed a multi-disciplinary team to implement four proposed interventions: Ensure that oncology floors are appropriately stocked with antibiotics required for initial NF treatment Implement a nursing based order set for treatment of new NF cases. Develop revised guidelines for treatment of oncologic NF Create and disseminate educational materials for house staff about treatment of NF. NF TTA was measured after implementation of each intervention and stakeholder groups were held to assess challenges and successes with each intervention. Following this, interventions would be continued, revised, or abandoned. Results: Results from pilot implementation of interventions 1 & 3 showed a decrease in median TTA to 73 minutes compared to 117.5 minutes in the baseline period. Based on these results, interventions 1 and 3 were adopted as standard practice in summer 2019 and 4 was implemented in December 2019. Conclusion: This study shows the utility of the PDSA cycle approach in implementing initiatives designed to improve time sensitive aspects of hospital care. Ongoing efforts are needed to meet national guidelines with a goal TTA of 60 minutes. We feel our methodology is reproducible for similar problems in other fields of medicine and flexible enough to be scalable to other institutions

Removal of Carbamazepine from Drinking Water

Due to the increasing prevalence of prescription medication over the past few decades, pharmaceuticals have accumulated in various water sources. This has become a public health concern because many pharmaceuticals have limited research on the effects of chronic low-level exposure. According to the World’s Health Organization (WHO), traces of pharmaceuticals products have been reported in different water sources such as surface waters, wastewater, groundwater, and drinking water.[1] One pharmaceutical of interest that has been detected in water sources is carbamazepine. Carbamazepine (CBZ) is a common pharmaceutical prescribed for the treatment of seizure disorders, neuropathic pain, and various psychological disorders. It’s mechanism of action is “sodium channel blocking,” which is the impairment of conduction of sodium ions in sodium channels. This, in effect, reduces nervous-system conductivity in key areas related to the treated disorders mentioned above.[2] Carbamazepine is also not easily biodegradable and current conventional treatment methods in some drinking water and wastewater facilities do not adequately remove carbamazepine and other pharmaceuticals from treated water. While carbamazepine is not federally regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Safe Water Drinking Act (SWDA) at this time, it does have the potential for producing adverse health effects in humans. Therefore, being proactive in finding ways to remove carbamazepine and compounds like it should be encouraged. The Carbamaza-Clean team designed a bench scale unit as well as an in-home treatment system using granular activated carbon (GAC) to effectively remove carbamazepine from water. GAC was chosen for this design because it is inexpensive and does not create by-products that are harmful to human health. Several experiments were conducted to determine the efficiency of the removal of carbamazepine using two different GACs: coconut shell GAC (CSGAC) and bituminous coal GAC (BGAC). A packed bed column was constructed to determine if both carbons could reduce the concentration of carbamazepine from 1 ppm to 1 ppb or lower. The CSGAC packed bed was able to lower the concentration below 1 ppb at a packed bed length of 4.4 ft, while the BGAC only required half that (2.2 ft). Both carbons can remove carbamazepine to the desired concentration; however, the costs vary. An economic analysis was performed to determine the costs of the carbons. The CSGAC system would cost $990 for the first year and$589.68 for each following year. The BGAC system would cost $639 for the first two years, and then$200 every two years following the initial capital investment

The Physiological and Psychological Benefits of CrossFit Training – A Pilot Study

CrossFit has been one of the fastest growing training methods in the fitness industry since its inception in 2000. CrossFit combines classic strength and conditioning along with gymnastics movements, Olympic weightlifting, and other functional movements into a constantly varied, high intensity workout. The success of CrossFit and what seems to be exponential growth of their over 10,000 affiliated gyms is undeniable. This popularity might be stem from two main factors: the physiological changes of training and the psychological benefits of a community emphasized, social atmosphere. However, there is very limited research evidence supporting the potential benefits of CrossFit . This study was conducted to investigate the physiological and psychological benefits of CrossFit training in a healthy adult population undergoing their first exposure to the training method. Sixteen participants were recruited from a local CrossFit affiliate in San Angelo, Texas. Participants completed a series of self-report psychological questionnaires including the Motives for Physical Activity Measures (MPAM), Mental Health Inventory 38 (MHI-38), and the Group Environment Questionnaire (GEQ). Following these questionnaires, physical metrics including: heart rate, blood pressure, height, body weight, body composition via Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA), along with performance measures including 1-RM back squat, 1-RM bench press, vertical jump test, and a Wingate Anaerobic Power Test were conducted. The CrossFit program was conducted for 8 weeks by certified CrossFit coaches at the local affiliate gym. After the 8-week training, the participants were reassessed using the same measures. Over the course of the study, 6 participants completed the program (2 males, 4 females, 36.2 ± 10.8 years of age, 73.6 ± 7.4 kg, 167.6 ± 5.5 cm, and 31.0 ± 9.2% body fat). Despite the large attrition rate, there were statistically significant increase of lean mass (1.44 ± 1.26 kg; p= 0.039), decrease of mean fat (1.67 ± 1.17 kg ; p= 0.017) and changes in interest subset of motivation from MPAM motivational test (p \u3c 0.05). In conclusion, this pilot study suggests that CrossFit training might be beneficial for improving body composition and concurrently changes certain motivational factors to continue engaging in the fitness activity. Further studies with a longer intervention period and a larger sample size are needed to support these findings