Fitted Value Function Iteration With Probability One Contractions

This paper studies a value function iteration algorithm that can be applied to almost all stationary dynamic programming problems. Using nonexpansive function approximation and Monte Carlo integration, we develop a randomized fitted Bellman operator and a corresponding algorithm that is globally convergent with probability one. When additional restrictions are imposed, an OP(n-1/2) rate of convergence for Monte Carlo error is obtained.

A Survey of the Phaenocarpa Förster species of the Carpathian Basin, Central Europe (Hymenoptera, Braconidae: Alysiinae).

Nachdem der Verfasser zuvor die im Karpathenbecken (Mitteleuropa) gefundenen Arten von Aphaereta Foerster vom taxonomischen Standpunkt aus überarbeitet hatte, legt er jetzt seine neue Abhandlung über Phaenocarpa Förster vor. Von den 43 bisher bekannten paläarktischen Arten wurden 14 im Karpathenbecken gefunden, die jetzt mit insgesamt 153 Exemplaren im Ungarischen Naturwissenschaftlichen Museum in Budapest aufbewahrt werden. Darunter befinden sich drei neue Arten. Sieben Arten sind neu für die Fauna des Karpathenbeckens. Im Zuge weiterer Untersuchungen werden sich diese Zahlen noch erhöhen, besonders die der Neufunde in diesem Gebiet. Bisher sind folgende Arten aus dem Karpathenbecken bekannt: Phaenocarpa angustiptera sp. n., Ph. collaris sp. n., Ph. conspurcator (Haliday), Ph. eugenia (Haliday), Ph. eunice (Haliday), Ph. flavipes (Haliday), Ph. laticellula sp. n., Ph. livida (Haliday), Ph. nitida Thomson, Ph. picinervis (Haliday), Ph. pratellae (Curtis), Ph. pullata (Haliday), Ph. ruficeps (Nees), Ph. tabida (Nees). - Die Arbeit enthält eine Charakteristik der Gattung Phaenocarpa, einen Schlüssel der Arten, eine genaue Beschreibung jeder Art, ihre Verbreitung und eine Liste der Fundorte im Karpathenbecken (Tschechoslowakei, Ungarn, Rumänien und Jugoslawien). - Durch Untersuchung der Typen stellte der Autor fest, daß Ph. arctica Thomson mit Ph. conspurcator Haliday synonym ist. Außerdem beschreibt er das bisher unbekannte Männchen von Ph. nitida Thomson.Nomenklatorische Handlungenangustiptera Papp, 1968 (Phaenocarpa), spec. n.arctica Thomson, 1895 (Phaenocarpa), syn. n. of Phaenocarpa conspurcator (Haliday, 1838)collaris Papp, 1968 (Phaenocarpa), spec. n.laticellula Papp, 1968 (Phaenocarpa), spec. n.The author, having revised from the taxonomical viewpoint the Aphaereta Förster species found in the Carpathian Basin (Central Europe) now presents his new essay on Phaenocarpa Förster. From the known 43 Palaearctic species 14 have been collected in the Carpathian Basin which are now deposited in the Hungarian Museum of Natural History, Budapest, in all 153 specimens. Out of the species 3 are new to science, and 7 are new to the fauna of the Carpathian Basin These numbers, of course, especially the new records to the Carpathian Basin, will increase as scientific research progresses. The following species are known so far from the Carpathian Basin: Phaenocarpa angustiptera sp.n. Ph. collaris sp. n., Ph. conspurcator (Haliday), Ph. eugenia (Haliday), Ph. eunice (Haliday), Ph. flavipes (Haliday), Ph. laticellula sp. n., Ph. livida (Haliday), Ph. nitida Thomson, Ph. picinervis (Haliday), Ph. pratellae (Curtis), Ph. pullata (Haliday), Ph. ruficeps (Nus), Ph. tabida (Nees). - This essay contains a characterization of the genus Phaenocarpa, a key to the species, a detailed description of each species, their distribution and a list of the localities in the Carpathian Basin (Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Roumania, and Yugoslavia). By examining types the author found that Phaenocarpa arctica Thomson and Ph. tatrica Niezabietowski are synonym with Ph. conspurcator (Haliday ), and he describes the male of Ph. nitida Thomson which was unknown so far.Nomenclatural Actsangustiptera Papp, 1968 (Phaenocarpa), spec. n.arctica Thomson, 1895 (Phaenocarpa), syn. n. of Phaenocarpa conspurcator (Haliday, 1838)collaris Papp, 1968 (Phaenocarpa), spec. n.laticellula Papp, 1968 (Phaenocarpa), spec. n

Hungarian shamanism, material and history of research

It is claimed that it is possible to recover an important segment of the religion of pre-Christian Hungary and its intellectual culture by attempting to isolate the shamanistic survival in Hungarian folk tradition. According to certain scholars this shamanistic element came from the East some thousand years ago to the region now dominated by Hungarian folk tradition along with the migrant Hungarians. It should consequently be compared foremost with shamanism in the Eastern lands where the Hungarians originated and where shamanistic beliefs and practices were living until quite recently, principally Siberia. At the same time, however, one must also take into account the contact between the invaders and other tribes in Central-Asia and South-East Europe. Furthermore, the Hungarians encountered and underwent the influence of beliefs that already existed in the land of their adoption before their arrival. Finally, all these traditions were again modified and overlaid by Christian ideas and customs

A revision of five braconid species described by Szépligeti in 1913 and deposited in Senckenberg Deutsches Entomologisches Institut (Hymenoptera: Braconidae).

Die von Gy. Szépligeti in 1913 beschriebenen fünf Braconidae-Arten (Epimicrodus pumilus, Campyloneurus similis, Curriea nigriventris, Mesosoma elegans, Plaxopsis pulchricaudis) werden revidiert und mit nahestehenden Arten verglichen. Die Typusexemplare befinden sich im Senckenberg Deutsches Entomologisches Institut (Müncheberg).StichwörterAgathidinae, Braconinae, type designation, synonymy, redescription, affinity, identification key.Nomenklatorische Handlungenszepligetii Papp, 2013 (Bassus), LT; nom. nov. pro Epimicrodus pumilus Szépligeti, 1913, nec Ratzeburg, 1844similis Szépligeti, 1913 (Campyloneurus), LTnigriventris Szépligeti, 1913 (Curriea), LTtestaceipes Szépligeti, 1914 (Curriea), LT; syn. nov. of Curriea nigriventris Szépligeti, 1913elegans Szépligeti, 1913 (Mesobracon), LTpulchricaudis Szépligeti, 1913 (Plaxopsis), LTFive braconid species described by Gy. Szépligeti in 1913 (Epimicrodus pumilus, Campyloneurus similis, Curriea nigriventris, Mesosoma elegans, Plaxopsis pulchricaudis) are redescribed and compared with the species which they most resemble. The type specimens of these species are deposited in the Senckenberg Deutsches Entomologisches Institut (Müncheberg).KeywordsAgathidinae, Braconinae, type designation, synonymy, redescription, affinity, identification key.Nomenclatural Actsszepligetii Papp, 2013 (Bassus), LT; nom. nov. pro Epimicrodus pumilus Szépligeti, 1913, nec Ratzeburg, 1844similis Szépligeti, 1913 (Campyloneurus), LTnigriventris Szépligeti, 1913 (Curriea), LTtestaceipes Szépligeti, 1914 (Curriea), LT; syn. nov. of Curriea nigriventris Szépligeti, 1913elegans Szépligeti, 1913 (Mesobracon), LTpulchricaudis Szépligeti, 1913 (Plaxopsis), L

Spinodal phase separation in semi-interpenetrating polymer networks - polystyrene-cross-polymethacrylate

Morphology control in semi-interpenetrating polymer networks has been achieved by means of a two-step process, separating morphology formation and polymerization/crosslinking. Phase textures formed during spinodal liquid/liquid demixing of a solution of atactic polystyrene in methacrylate monomers were arrested by thermoreversible gelation of the polymer-rich phase as this phase passed its glass transition temperature. The phase separated structure was permanently stabilized by low-temperature crosslinking ultraviolet (UV) polymerization of the methacrylate monomer, and studied by transmission electron microscopy. Thus, it was directly observed how the initial demixing process depended on the initial viscosity of the polymer solution and the mode of quenching. Arrest of the earliest stage of spinodal demixing resulted in separated domains of 0.05-0.08 m thickness, which were separated by a distance of the spinodal wavelength . A cocontinuous network only developed in a relatively late stage of demixing

A characterization of totally balanced hypergraphs

AbstractA hypergraph is totally balanced if every non-trivial cycle has an edge containing at least three vertices of the cycle. Totally balanced hypergraphs are characterized here as special tree-hypergraphs. This approach provides a conceptually simpler proof of Anstee's related result and yields the structural description of totally balanced hypergraphs

Above 15-year follow-up of single machined Brånemark implants

Background: Since the late 1980s dental implants have been used in the indication of single-tooth replacement. Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the radiographical and clinical outcome of single-machined Bra°nemark implants with at least 15 years of follow-up. Methods: Fifty-one patients who received 63 single implants between 1987 and 1994 were randomly selected. In this patient group three implants failed (4.8%), leaving 60 implants to be clinically investigated. Mean interproximal probing depth, bleeding and plaque index were measured around each implant. Peri-apical radiographs were compared for marginal bone level between baseline (¼within 6 months after abutment connection) and 2–4 years, 5–8 years and 15–22 years of follow-up. Mean interproximal bone level was measured from the implant shoulder as a reference point. Overall changes in marginal bone level were analyzed with the Friedman test and 2-by-2 comparison between time points was evaluated with the Wilcoxon signed ranks test. Results: The group consisted of 29 males and 22 females with a mean age of 24 years (range 14.7–57.4) at implant placement. Mean follow-up time was 18.5 years (range 15–22). Mean probing depth was 3.9 _ 1.27mm (range 2–10.3). Bleeding and plaque indices were 1.2 _ 0.81 and 0.2 _ 0.48, respectively. Mean bone level after 15–22 years was 1.7 _ 0.88mm (range _0.8 to 5). There was no correlation found between radiographic bone level and probing depth. The Friedman test indicated a statistically significant change in marginal bone level between time points (P < 0.05). Wilcoxon signed ranks test showed a statistically significant difference between baseline and all other time points. After 2–4 years no statistically significant differences could be found. All but one implants (98.3%) were within the currently accepted success criteria corresponding to a maximum accepted bone loss of 4.3mm after 15 years. If one accepts a mean bone level of 2.1mm from the implant shoulder (¼2nd thread), 81.7% of the implants are successful. If a mean interproximal probing depth of 5mm is accepted, 91.7% of the implants are successful. If both these criteria are combined, 76.7% are successful. Conclusions and clinical implications: The machined Bra°nemark implant used as a single-tooth replacement is a predictable solution with high clinical survival and success rates. In general, a steady state bone level can be expected over decades. New criteria for long-term implant success should be determined