Controlling the Gaze of Conversational Agents

We report on a pilot experiment that investigated the effects of different eye gaze behaviours of a cartoon-like talking face on the quality of human-agent dialogues. We compared a version of the talking face that roughly implements some patterns of human-like behaviour with\ud two other versions. In one of the other versions the shifts in gaze were kept minimal and in the other version the shifts would occur randomly. The talking face has a number of restrictions. There is no speech recognition, so questions and replies have to be typed in by the users\ud of the systems. Despite this restriction we found that participants that conversed with the agent that behaved according to the human-like patterns appreciated the agent better than participants that conversed with the other agents. Conversations with the optimal version also\ud proceeded more efficiently. Participants needed less time to complete their task

Experimenting with the Gaze of a Conversational Agent

We have carried out a pilot experiment to investigate the effects of different eye gaze behaviors of a cartoon-like talking face on the quality of human-agent dialogues. We compared a version of the talking face that roughly implements some patterns of humanlike behavior with two other versions. We called this the optimal version. In one of the other versions the shifts in gaze were kept minimal and in the other version the shifts would occur randomly. The talking face has a number of restrictions. There is no speech recognition, so questions and replies have to\ud be typed in by the users of the systems. Despite this restriction we found that participants that conversed with the optimal agent appreciated the agent more than participants that conversed with the other agents. Conversations with the optimal version proceeded more efficiently. Participants needed less time to complete their task

Magnetized Type I Orbifolds in Four Dimensions

I review the basic features of four dimensional Z_2 x Z_2 (shift) orientifolds with internal magnetic fields, describing two examples with N=1 supersymmetry. As in the corresponding six-dimensional examples, D9-branes magnetized along four internal directions can mimic D5-branes, even in presence of multiplets of image branes localized on different fixed tori. Chiral low-energy spectra can be obtained if the model also contains D5-branes parallel to the magnetized directions.Comment: 4 pages, LATEX; misprints correcte

Pore-Scale Modeling of Drainage Displacement Patterns in Association With Geological Sequestration of CO2

©2020. The Authors. We investigate the immiscible displacement (drainage) of a wetting fluid in a porous medium by a nonwetting fluid using multi–graphics processing unit (GPU) lattice Boltzmann simulations with the aim of better understanding the pore-scale processes involved in the geological sequestration of CO2. Correctly resolving the dynamics involved in multiphase flow in permeable media is of paramount importance for any numerical scheme. Generally, the average fluid flow is assumed to be at low Reynolds numbers Reav. Hence, by neglecting inertial effects, this immiscible displacement should be characterized by just two dimensionless numbers, namely, the capillary number Caav and the viscosity ratio, which quantify the ratio of the relevant forces, that is, the viscous and capillary forces. Our investigation reveals that inertial effects cannot be neglected in the range of typical capillary numbers associated with multiphase flow in permeable media. Even as the average Caav and Reav decrease away from the injection point, inertial effects remain important over a transient amount of time during abrupt Haines jumps, when the nonwetting phase passes from a narrow restriction to a wider pore space. The local Rel at the jump sites is orders of magnitude higher than the average Reav, with the local dynamics being decoupled from the externally imposed flow rate. Therefore, a full Navier-Stokes solver should be used for investigating pore-scale displacement processes. Using the Ohnesorge number to restrict the parameter selection process is essential, as this dimensionless number links Caav and Reav and reflects the thermophysical properties of a given system under investigation

Pore-filling events in single junction micro-models with corresponding lattice Boltzmann simulations

This work was conducted as part of the Qatar Carbonates and Carbon Storage Research Centre (QCCSRC), jointly funded by Qatar Petroleum, Shell and the Qatar Science and Technology Park. E.M.C. would also like to acknowledge the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) for their funding

Spin transport in graphene nanostructures

Graphene is an interesting material for spintronics, showing long spin relaxation lengths even at room temperature. For future spintronic devices it is important to understand the behavior of the spins and the limitations for spin transport in structures where the dimensions are smaller than the spin relaxation length. However, the study of spin injection and transport in graphene nanostructures is highly unexplored. Here we study the spin injection and relaxation in nanostructured graphene with dimensions smaller than the spin relaxation length. For graphene nanoislands, where the edge length to area ratio is much higher than for standard devices, we show that enhanced spin-flip processes at the edges do not seem to play a major role in the spin relaxation. On the other hand, contact induced spin relaxation has a much more dramatic effect for these low dimensional structures. By studying the nonlocal spin transport through a graphene quantum dot we observe that the obtained values for spin relaxation are dominated by the connecting graphene islands and not by the quantum dot itself. Using a simple model we argue that future nonlocal Hanle precession measurements can obtain a more significant value for the spin relaxation time for the quantum dot by using high spin polarization contacts in combination with low tunneling rates

Box traps on an atom chip for one-dimensional quantum gases

We present the implementation of tailored trapping potentials for ultracold gases on an atom chip. We realize highly elongated traps with box-like confinement along the long, axial direction combined with conventional harmonic confinement along the two radial directions. The design, fabrication and characterization of the atom chip and the box traps is described. We load ultracold ($\lesssim1 \mu$K) clouds of $^{87}$Rb in a box trap, and demonstrate Bose-gas focusing as a means to characterize these atomic clouds in arbitrarily shaped potentials. Our results show that box-like axial potentials on atom chips are very promising for studies of one-dimensional quantum gases.Comment: 9 pages 4 figure

The Effects of Penicillin on E. Rhusiopathiae Infected Pigeons

Advantage was taken of an opportunity to study the effects of penicillin on Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae, the causative organism of swine erysipelas. Owing to the fact that swine cannot readily be infected with erysipelas by artificial methods, pigeons which are highly susceptible to the disease, were selected to serve as experimental animals. It was the purpose of these studies to ascertain whether or not the swine erysipelas bacillus is sensitive to the drug and incidentally to determine the possibility of finding application of penicillin in the treatment of swine

Studies on the Validity of Swine Erysipelas Culture-Vaccines

In countries where vaccination against swine erysipelas has been practiced during the last half century, there is a consensus among veterinarians that the best results are obtained when the live culture-vaccine is not only fresh and highly virulent but is endowed also with a good capacity for growth on artificial culture media. Apparently avirulent culture-vaccines are apt to engender only a transitory immunity or fail altogether. The problem presented by undesirable culture-vaccines was deemed to be of such importance to the swine industry that this Station undertook a series of experiments, to determine what influences might be accountable for the production of inferior vaccination materials

Potensi Produksi Minyak Atsiri Dari Limbah Kulit Kayu Manis Pasca Panen

Kayu manis (Cinnamomum burmanii BL) is known and cultivated for its aromatic content. In the previous experiment the powder of kayu manis leather can be extracted to be atsiri oil. And the rubbish like; leaf, scrap, the powder from cutting tree, trank are the parts of wood leather that haven\u27t been used yet, so it will be appear as a problem for the environment. If the rubbish are extacted by steam and water destilation it will produce atsiri oil with good quality and good cost, as a mix ingredient of medicine beverages, food, and parfume. The experiment goal is to filter by using arrange destilation tool to get output the process is an optimal rendeman atsiri oil. An the extract metode used is steam and water destilation. To get a good filter output should be treated by parameter variety suitable with test tool performance they are; pressure variety (1 atm; 1,65 atm; 1.85 atm), temperatur (99oC; 114oC; 119oC) and resident time (1 hour; 2 hour; 3hour). The result of the testing is an output of the most atsiri oil, it is at pressure 1,85atm, the ingredient weigh is 750 gram, and the resident time 3 hour. Where, the maximum percentage rendeman from the leaf, powder, and scrap until 1,63 %; 1,49%; and 1,42%. Atsiri oil has not reached optimum point, because the pressure has not been optimal and the capacity of the tank is limited. The percentage rendeman up to 1% can give chance for the rubbish of kayu manis to be processed become atsiri oil. So that, this research can be continue by project for study of home industry