Validation of an expert system intended for research in distributed artificial intelligence

The expert system discussed in this paper is designed to function as a testbed for research on cooperating expert systems. Cooperating expert systems are members of an organization which dictates the manner in which the expert systems will interact when solving a problem. The Blackbox Expert described in this paper has been constructed using the C Language Integrated Production System (CLIPS), C++, and X windowing environment. CLIPS is embedded in a C++ program which provides objects that are used to maintain the state of the Blackbox puzzle. These objects are accessed by CLIPS rules through user-defined functions calls. The performance of the Blackbox Expert is validated by experimentation. A group of people are asked to solve a set of test cases for the Blackbox puzzle. A metric has been devised which evaluates the 'correctness' of a solution proposed for a test case of Blackbox. Using this metric and the solutions proposed by the humans, each person receives a rating for their ability to solve the Blackbox puzzle. The Blackbox Expert solves the same set of test cases and is assigned a rating for its ability. Then the rating obtained by the Blackbox Expert is compared with the ratings of the people, thus establishing the skill level of our expert system

Lost in the Moral Desert

Examination of this topic through the lens of actual case precedents exposes the impassable chasm separating practical jurisprudence from theoretical morality or the “gut impulse” to support the battered woman’s actions. For example, the Judge gave no jury order indicating it mattered that Hanington had admitted to years of vicious abuse towards Kelso because in US Jurisprudence “today’s murder” pays no attention to past acts of injustice by the murder victim and only grants affirmative defense to a strictly limited set of circumstances whose temporal proximity to the murder would leave no person (or juror) any reason to doubt the absolute requirement to kill

Transport Analysis and Model for the Performance of an Ultrasonically Enhanced Filtration Process

This paper presents an analysis of a filtration technique that uses ultrasound to aid the collection of small particles (tens of microns in diameter) from suspension. In this method, particles are retained within a porous mesh that is subjected to a resonant ultrasonic field, even though the pore size of the mesh is two orders of magnitude greater than the particle diameter. The role of acoustic forces in driving the retention phenomena has previously been studied on a micro-scale, which included modeling and experimental verification of particle motion and trapping near a single element of the mesh. Here, we build on this work to develop an overall transport model to predict macroscopic performance criteria such as breakthrough times and the dynamics of the filtration performance. Results from this model compare favorably to experimental studies of the filtration phenomena; simulation results scale appropriately with experimental results in which inlet feed concentration and flow rate are varied

Comparison of near-interface traps in Al2_2O3_3/4H-SiC and Al2_2O3_3/SiO2_2/4H-SiC structures

Aluminum oxide (Al2O3) has been grown by atomic layer deposition on n-type 4H-SiC with and without a thin silicon dioxide (SiO2) intermediate layer. By means of Capacitance Voltage and Thermal Dielectric Relaxation Current measurements, the interface properties have been investigated. Whereas for the samples with an interfacial SiO2 layer the highest near-interface trap density is found at 0.3 eV below the conduction band edge, Ec, the samples with only the Al2O3 dielectric exhibit a nearly trap free region close to Ec. For the Al2O3/SiC interface, the highest trap density appears between 0.4 to 0.6 eV below Ec. The results indicate the possibility for SiC-based MOSFETs with Al2O3 as the gate dielectric layer in future high performance devices.Comment: 3 figures. Applied Physics Letters, accepted for publicatio

Single-Collector Experiments and Modeling of Acoustically Aided Mesh Filtration

A model for the motion of particles driven by acoustic and hydrodynamic effects in the vicinity of a cylindrical collector has been previously reported. This trajectory model was developed to describe the essential physics that underlies an ultrasonically aided particle-filtration process in which a porous mesh is used to capture particles two orders of magnitude smaller than the pore size. To validate this trajectory model, experiments were performed to elucidate the detailed motion of particles in the neighborhood of a single cylindrical collector. Images of 54-μm-diameter polystyrene particles in aqueous suspension responding to acoustic and hydrodynamic forces were analyzed. Particle trajectories, calculated using only experimentally measured parameters as model inputs, well predicted the experimental observations. Adjustment of the local magnitude of the acoustic field, which accounts for spatial nonuniformities in the field, results in improvements in the correspondence between the trajectory predictions and the experimental observations

Single-Collector Experiments and Modeling of Acoustically Aided Mesh Filtration

A model for the motion of particles driven by acoustic and hydrodynamic effects in the vicinity of a cylindrical collector has been previously reported. This trajectory model was developed to describe the essential physics that underlies an ultrasonically aided particle-filtration process in which a porous mesh is used to capture particles two orders of magnitude smaller than the pore size. To validate this trajectory model, experiments were performed to elucidate the detailed motion of particles in the neighborhood of a single cylindrical collector. Images of 54-μm-diameter polystyrene particles in aqueous suspension responding to acoustic and hydrodynamic forces were analyzed. Particle trajectories, calculated using only experimentally measured parameters as model inputs, well predicted the experimental observations. Adjustment of the local magnitude of the acoustic field, which accounts for spatial nonuniformities in the field, results in improvements in the correspondence between the trajectory predictions and the experimental observations

Single Fiber Model of Particle Retention in an Acoustically Driven Porous Mesh

A method for the capture of small particles (tens of microns in diameter) from a continuously flowing suspension has recently been reported. This technique relies on a standing acoustic wave resonating in a rectangular chamber filled with a high-porosity mesh. Particles are retained in this chamber via a complex interaction between the acoustic field and the porous mesh. Although the mesh has a pore size two orders of magnitude larger than the particle diameter, collection efficiencies of 90% have been measured. A mathematical model has been developed to understand the experimentally observed phenomena and to be able to predict filtration performance. By examining a small region (a single fiber) of the porous mesh, the model has duplicated several experimental events such as the focusing of particles near an element of the mesh and the levitation of particles within pores. The single-fiber analysis forms the basis of modeling the overall performance of the particle filtration system

Risks Posed by H5N1 HPAI to Texas Species of Wild Turkeys and Montezuma Quails

Migratory waterfowl are now the primary epizootic vector for HPAI/H5N1 viral incubation and dispersal. The primary vector for transmission is feces contamination from migrating bird viral hosts shedding the virus as migrate south along the North American Central Flyway, a route which lies directly in the path of the roosting sites of Texas' wild turkeys & the foraging holes of Montezuma Quail. The specter of viral-loaded feces cross-contamination makes the food sources of both Texas' turkeys' and quails' dangerous fomites for lethal H5N1 viral infection. This paper presents the results of a synthesis of epidemiological analysis of data presented in research published by The Borderlands Institute, Sul Ross State University, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Institutes for Health in order to assess the risks posed by the presently highly lethal strain of H5N1 HPAI to the habitats and populations of Texas Wild Turkeys in the Davis Mountain Preserve, the Oasis Ranch Preserve & the Trans-Pecos Ecoregion and to perform a similar risk assessment for Montezuma Quails and their habitat in the Elephant Mountain Wildlife Management Area. The paper will present a risk assessment profile for each species of wild turkey and their particular roosting sites and present the same for the Montezuma Quail. The paper will then propose risk mitigation strategies based on the severity of the risk profile for each species of bird

The Use of Dwarf Octopus (Octopus joubini) As A Model for Hands-On Research Experience in Comparative Psychology

The Laboratory of Comparative Psychology and Behavioral Biology at Oklahoma State University has been developing comparative psychology teaching exercises for over 30 years. In this paper, we provide suggestions for using the dwarf octopus (Octopus joubini) to teach students about the importance of observation, and the relationship of observation in the creation of ethograms and experimental design. Throughout this paper, students learn how to properly make an observation of a novel animal, create an ethogram, and conduct an experiment. We present a sample observation activity and three additional experiments, during which students will observe and record behaviors and environmental conditions. Students learn saltwater tank upkeep, time management, creation and coding of operational definitions, attention to changes in animal behavior, and the experimental process. These observation studies allow students to observe and record behavioral data to understand comparative psychology and experimental design.  &nbsp