Virtual learning environment for interactive engagement with advanced quantum mechanics

A virtual learning environment can engage university students in the learning process in ways that the traditional lectures and lab formats can not. We present our virtual learning environment \emph{StudentResearcher} which incorporates simulations, multiple-choice quizzes, video lectures and gamification into a learning path for quantum mechanics at the advanced university level. \emph{StudentResearcher} is built upon the experiences gathered from workshops with the citizen science game Quantum Moves at the high-school and university level, where the games were used extensively to illustrate the basic concepts of quantum mechanics. The first test of this new virtual learning environment was a 2014 course in advanced quantum mechanics at Aarhus University with 47 enrolled students. We found increased learning for the students who were more active on the platform independent of their previous performances.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figure

Deployment of an Distributed Strategic Material Flow Control for Automated Material Flow Systems Consisting of Autonomous Modules

The modularisation of hardware and software is one approach to handle the demand for increasing flexibility and changeability of automated material flow systems that are, for example, utilised in flexible production systems. In such automated material flow systems, autonomous modules communicate with each other to coordinate and execute transport tasks. In this paper a strategic material flow control is introduced, which is distributed on several modules realised with a multi-agent system. The strategic material flow control agent coordinates transport tasks with advanced logistical requirements, such as sequencing. A transport task states for a transport unit the system source and sink together with arrival criteria at the sink, e.g. sequence In order to fulfil the arrival criteria the strategic material flow agent selects additional destinations within the automated material flow system to buffer a transport unit. For the selection of suitable buffer modules, several strategies are proposed and evaluated in a simulation study

Deployment of an Distributed Strategic Material Flow Control for Automated Material Flow Systems Consisting of Autonomous Modules

Poster 1

Lesion-induced generation of interneuron cell types in specific dorsoventral domains in the spinal cord of adult zebrafish

In contrast to mammals, adult zebrafish regenerate neurons in the lesioned spinal cord. For example, motor neurons are generated from an olig2-expressing population of pMN-like ependymoradial glial cells in a ventrolateral position at the central canal. However, the extent of neuronal regeneration is unclear. Here we show, using a transgenic fish in which V2 interneurons are labeled by green fluorescent protein (GFP) under the control of the vsx1 promoter, that after a complete spinal cord transection, large numbers of V2 interneurons are generated in the vicinity of the lesion site. Tg(vsx1:GFP)+ cells are not present in the unlesioned spinal cord and label with the proliferation marker bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) after a lesion. Some mediolaterally elongated Tg(vsx1:GFP)+ cells contact the central canal in a medial position. These cells likely arise from a p2-like domain of ependymoradial glial progenitor cells, indicated by coexpression of Pax6 and Nkx6.1, but not DsRed driven by the olig2 promoter in these cells. We also present evidence that Pax2+ interneurons are newly generated after a spinal lesion, whereas the generation rate for a dorsal population of parvalbuminergic interneurons is comparatively low. Our results identify the regenerative potential of different interneuron types for the first time and support a model in which different progenitor cell domains in distinct dorsoventral positions around the central canal are activated by a lesion to give rise to diverse neuronal cell types in the adult zebrafish spinal cord. J. Comp. Neurol. 520:36043616, 2012. (C) 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.</p

Design, Application and Evaluation of a Multi Agent System in the Logistics Domain

The increasing demand for flexibility of automated production systems also affects the automated material flow systems (aMFS) they contain and demands reconfigurable systems. However, the centralized control concept usually applied in aMFS hinders an easy adaptation, as the entire control software has to be re-tested, when manually changing sub-parts of the control. As adaption and subsequent testing are a time-consuming task, concepts for splitting the control from one centralized to multiple, decentralized control nodes are required. Therefore, this paper presents a holistic agent-based control concept for aMFS, whereby the system is divided into so-called automated material flow modules (aMFM), each being controlled by a dedicated module agent. The concept allows the reconfiguration of aMFS, consisting of heterogeneous, stationary aMFM, during runtime. Furthermore, it includes aspects such as uniform agent knowledge bases through metamodel-based development, a communication ontology considering different information types and properties, strategic route optimization in decentralized control architecture and a visualization concept to make decisions of the module agents comprehensible to operators and maintenance staff. The evaluation of the concept is performed by means of material flow simulations as well as a prototypical implementation on a lab-sized demonstrator.Comment: 13 pages, https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/9042827

Getting Humans to do Quantum Optimization - User Acquisition, Engagement and Early Results from the Citizen Cyberscience Game Quantum Moves

The game Quantum Moves was designed to pit human players against computer algorithms, combining their solutions into hybrid optimization to control a scalable quantum computer. In this midstream report, we open our design process and describe the series of constitutive building stages going into a quantum physics citizen science game. We present our approach from designing a core gameplay around quantum simulations, to putting extra game elements in place in order to frame, structure, and motivate players' difficult path from curious visitors to competent science contributors. The player base is extremely diverse - for instance, two top players are a 40 year old female accountant and a male taxi driver. Among statistical predictors for retention and in-game high scores, the data from our first year suggest that people recruited based on real-world physics interest and via real-world events, but only with an intermediate science education, are more likely to become engaged and skilled contributors. Interestingly, female players tended to perform better than male players, even though men played more games per day. To understand this relationship, we explore the profiles of our top players in more depth. We discuss in-world and in-game performance factors departing in psychological theories of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, and the implications for using real live humans to do hybrid optimization via initially simple, but ultimately very cognitively complex games.Comment: 26 pages, 15 figure

COVID-19-pandemian vaikutukset suomalaisten elämään - COVIDiSTRESS-hankkeen väliraportti

Tämä väliraportti käsittelee COVID-19-pandemian psykologisia vaikutuksia suomalaisille. Tulokset pohjautuvat yli 20 000 vastaukseen ja tarjoavat ainutlaatuisen näkökulman suomalaisten pandemianaikaisiin mielensisältöihin. Keskeisimmät löydökset viittaavat kuormitustason Suomessa olevan verrattain alhaista ja suomalaisten olevan 20 Euroopan maasta neljänneksi vähiten stressaantuneita. Eniten suomalaisia huolettavat kansantalous sekä oma ja läheisten terveys. Suomalaiset ovat muita eurooppalaisia huolestuneempia kansantaloudesta, yksinäisyydestä ja alle 12-vuotiaiden lasten kanssa selviytymisestä poikkeustilanteessa. Muiden muuttujien suhteen suomalaiset kokivat muita eurooppalaisia vähemmän huolta. Suomessa luotetaan hallitukseen enemmän kuin muissa Euroopan maissa, sekä pidetään hallituksen koronavirustoimenpiteitä tarkoituksenmukaisina ja oikein mitoitettuina. Aiempia tutkimuslöydöksiä mukaillen suomalaisilla on korkea luottamus instituutioihin. Yllättäen suomalaiset kuitenkin raportoivat hieman muita eurooppalaisia alhaisempaa mukautuvuutta rajoitustoimenpiteiden noudattamiseen. Yhteenvetona voidaan todeta Suomen reaktion COVID-19pandemiaan näyttäytyvän varsin hyvänä muihin Euroopan maihin verrattuna, joskin tietyt asiat painavat suomalaisten mieltä. Suomalaisten verrattain positiivisilta vaikuttavia psykologisia reaktioita voidaan lähestyä korkean luottamuksen ja selkeän tiedon ja ohjeiden välittämisen kautta. Viiden itselleen merkittävimmän selviytymismekanismin joukossa suomalaiset listaavatkin hallituksen välittämän tiedon ja tilanteeseen liittyvät selkeät toimintaohjeet. </p

Distribution of glycinergic neurons in the brain of glycine transporter-2 Tg(glyt2:gfp) transgenic adult zebrafish:Relation with brain-spinal descending systems

We used a Tg(glyt2:gfp) transgenic zebrafish expressing the green fluorescent protein (GFP) under control of the glycine transporter 2 (GLYT2) regulatory sequences to study for the first time the glycinergic neurons in the brain of an adult teleost. We also performed in situ hybridization using a GLYT2 probe and glycine immunohistochemistry. This study was combined with biocytin tract tracing from the spinal cord to reveal descending glycinergic pathways. A few groups of GFP-positive/GLYT2 negative cells were observed in the midbrain and forebrain, including numerous pinealocytes. Conversely, a small nucleus of the midbrain tegmentum, was GLYT2 positive but GFP negative. Most of the GFP-positive and GLYT2-positive neurons were observed in the rhombencephalon and spinal cord, and a proportion of these cells showed double GLYT2/GFP labeling. In the hindbrain, GFP/GLYT2-positive populations were observed in the medial octavolateral nucleus, the secondary, magnocellular and descending octaval nuclei, the viscerosensory lobes and reticular populations distributed from trigeminal to vagal levels. No glycinergic cells were observed in the cerebellum. Tract tracing revealed three conspicuous pairs of GFP/GLYT2-positive reticular neurons projecting to the spinal cord. In the spinal cord, GFP/GLYT2-positive cells were observed in the dorsal and ventral horns. GFP-positive fibers were observed from the olfactory bulbs to the spinal cord, although its density varied among regions. The Mauthner neurons received very rich GFP-positive innervation, mainly around the axon cap. Comparison of the zebrafish glycinergic system with those of other adult vertebrates reveals shared patterns but also divergent traits in the evolution of this system. J. Comp. Neurol., 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc