Learning Parameterized Skills

We introduce a method for constructing skills capable of solving tasks drawn from a distribution of parameterized reinforcement learning problems. The method draws example tasks from a distribution of interest and uses the corresponding learned policies to estimate the topology of the lower-dimensional piecewise-smooth manifold on which the skill policies lie. This manifold models how policy parameters change as task parameters vary. The method identifies the number of charts that compose the manifold and then applies non-linear regression in each chart to construct a parameterized skill by predicting policy parameters from task parameters. We evaluate our method on an underactuated simulated robotic arm tasked with learning to accurately throw darts at a parameterized target location.Comment: Appears in Proceedings of the 29th International Conference on Machine Learning (ICML 2012

Elaboração de check list para planejamento e execução de experimentos na produção de microalgas em sistema semi-contínuo

TCC (graduação) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina. Centro de Ciências Agrárias. Curso de Engenharia de Aquicultura.Este trabalho visa à elaboração de um check list para planejamento de execução de projetos na área de cultivo de microalgas. Através da realização de um experimento piloto no cultivo da microalga Chaetoceros muelleri em sistema semi-contínuo realizado nas dependências do Laboratório de Moluscos Marinhos (LMM) da Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC) no primeiro semestre de 2014, utilizando este para identificação de pontos críticos do sistema, avaliação das estruturas utilizadas e propor melhorias. Contudo, após análise dos resultados e procedimentos do experimento piloto, produziu-se um check list baseado no conjunto de perguntas que auxiliam no planejamento e elaboração de experimentos nesta área.This paper aims to draw up a checklist for planning implementation of projects in the area of cultivation of microalgae. By conducting a pilot experiment in the cultivation of microalgae Chaetoceros muelleri in semi-continuous system held on the premises of the Laboratory of Marine Mollusks (LMM) of the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC) in the first half of 2014, using this to identify points critical system, evaluation of the structures and propose improvements. However, after analysis of the results and procedures of the pilot experiment produced a checklist based on the set of questions that assist in the planning and design of experiments in this area

Entrepreneurial capacity, government intervention and diffusion of technologies in Uganda: Comparing the supply side of modern types of energy and mobile telephony technologies

The diffusion of modern technologies plays a critical role in job creation. Mobile Telephony Technology (MTT) has been successfully diffused in Uganda, within a short time, and with minimal government intervention. However, despite heavy government interventions, Modern Energy Technology (MET) remains outside the reach of most Ugandans. Low access to MET seems to be contributing to Uganda’s under-development and unemployment. Projects initiated to spur MET diffusion haven’t been very successful, and METs widely used in other developing countries and successfully piloted in Uganda have found minimal diffusion and failed to up-scale. Although policy makers are quick to blame poverty and ignorance for the slow diffusion of MET, the rapid diffusion of MTT in similar environments have put to doubt most these arguments. This study explored the diffusion of technologies in Uganda, using entrepreneurial capacity as an independent variable. By comparing the fast diffusing MTT with the slow diffusing MET, this study helps to provide a better understanding of the dynamics of technology diffusion in Uganda. Using government documents and a questionnaire survey targeting employees of MTT and MET vending firms, the study identifies differences in intervention related to governance, regulation and funding between MTT and MET vendors, which significantly affect some aspects of Entrepreneurial capacity. The study also found evidence of significant differences in the constructs of Entrepreneurial Capacity measured for MET and MTT vending firms that affect technology diffusion

The impact of software as a service in software piracy : has the change in the distribution and sale of software provided not only an accurate answer against software piracy but also an increase in consumer-value?

This dissertation aims to answer the question “Has the change in the distribution and sale of software provided not only an accurate answer against software piracy but also an increase in consumer-value?” and it supports its argument not only on the current literature available on the software industry and on software piracy but also on the personal research carried out through an extensive survey of different people in different age groups and from different countries. To aid the analysis, strategic frameworks such as PEST and Five Forces of Porter were used, giving the reader a special landscape view of the industry’s characteristics to better understand how the changes in software distribution will impact consumer demand and satisfaction. It is important to note also that, during the literature review stage, it was understood that authors disagree on several important issues regarding software such as its classification, its origin and whether or not it constitutes patentable subject matter. This particular path led me to question the actions of software companies and whether there was a need or not to patent software. Through this road, I was led to the issue of piracy and to the action that companies have taken with changing the way software was produced and sold to better fit the current landscape of the industry

Modelling water vapor permeability through atomic layer deposition coated photovoltaic barrier defects

Transparent barrier films such as Al2O3 used for prevention of oxygen and/or water vapour permeation are the subject of increasing research interest when used for the encapsulation of flexible photovoltaic modules. However, the existence of micro-scale defects in the barrier surface topography has been shown to have the potential to facilitate water vapour ingress, thereby reducing cell efficiency and causing internal electrical shorts. Previous work has shown that small defects (≤ 3 μm lateral dimension) were less significant in determining water vapour ingress. In contrast, larger defects (≥ 3 μm lateral dimension) seem to be more detrimental to the barrier functionality. Experimental results based on surface topography segmentation analysis and a model presented in this paper, will be used to test the hypothesis that the major contributing defects to water vapour transmission rate are small numbers of large defects. The model highlighted in this study has the potential to be used for gaining a better understanding of photovoltaic module efficiency and performance

New records of encyrtids (HYmenoptera: Encyrtidae) parasitoids of Coccomorpha (Hemiptera) from Portugal

One new record for Iberian peninsula Leptomastix algirica Trjapitzin and three new records: Metaphycus dispar (Mercet), M. maculipennis (Timberlake) and Microterys dichrous (Mercet) for Portugal are giveninfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio