Reinforcement learning-based AI assistant and VR play therapy game for children with Down syndrome bound to wheelchairs

Some of the most significant computational ideas in neuroscience for learning behavior in response to reward and penalty are reinforcement learning algorithms. This technique can be used to train an artificial intelligent (AI) agent to serve as a virtual assistant and a helper. The goal of this study is to determine whether combining a reinforcement learning-based Virtual AI assistant with play therapy. It can benefit wheelchair-bound youngsters with Down syndrome. This study aims to employ play therapy methods and Reinforcement Learning (RL) agents to aid children with Down syndrome and help them enhance their abilities like physical and mental skills by playing games with them. This Agent is designed to be smart enough to analyze each patient's lack of ability and provide a specific set of challenges in the game to improve that ability. Increasing the game's difficulty can help players develop these skills. The agent should be able to assess each player's skill gap and tailor the game to them accordingly. The agent's job is not to make the patient victorious but to boost their morale and skill sets in areas like physical activities, intelligence, and social interaction. The primary objective is to improve the player's physical activities such as muscle reflexes, motor controls and hand-eye coordination. Here, the study concentrates on the employment of several distinct techniques for training various models. This research focuses on comparing the reinforcement learning algorithms like the Deep Q-Learning Network, QR-DQN, A3C and PPO-Actor Critic. This study demonstrates that when compared to other reinforcement algorithms, the performance of the AI helper agent is at its highest when it is trained with PPO-Actor Critic and A3C. The goal is to see if children with Down syndrome who are wheelchair-bound can benefit by combining reinforcement learning with play therapy to increase their mobility

Green synthesis of silver nanoparticle using rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum L.)

Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs) have been synthesized via green method using rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum L.) peel (RP) extract. RP extract was prepared by washing the RP using tap water thoroughly and boiling it in distilled water at 70°C for 60 min. RP extract and AgNO3 were used as the starting materials for the synthesis of AgNPs. RP extract was added to 10-3 M AgNO3 solution with a ratio by volume of 1:10 (RP : AgNO3), stirred at room temperature. The solution’s color changes from reddish to dark brown, indicating the reduction of Ag+ in the solution. The synthesized AgNPs were characterized using UV-Visible Spectrophotometer, FTIR Spectrophotometer, and Scanning Electron Microscopy-Energy-dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) instruments. UV-Visible spectra show that the AgNPs have the maximum absorption band at 450 nm which is typical for AgNPs. The FTIR spectra revealed that the protein in RP extract acts as the capping agent for the synthesized AgNPs. The synthesized AgNPs were tested for their antibacterial activity against Salmonella parathypi A. The antibacterial test shows that 50 μL of AgNPs resulted in the inhibition zone of 4 mm against the aforementioned microorganism

Design of an Ultra-Wideband (UWB) Bandpass Filter using Defected Ground Structure with improved out -of-Band Performances

Abstract-In this paper, a novel compact ultra-wideband band-pass filter with good transmission characteristic and group delay is presented by using a new kind of multiple-mode resonator (MMR), open stubs and DGS. The out of band performance has been improved by cascading the structure through coupling mechanism which in turn helps in size reduction. The dimension of this structure is 10.74 mm x 2.82 mm (not including the 50 Ω microstrip), which is much less than conventional structure

Culture Method-Dependent Variation in the Sensitivity of Escherichia coli to Silver Nanoparticles

Preparation of various metal nanoparticles using plant extracts has been well studied in recent years. In this study, we found that nanoparticles synthesized using the extracts of the inflorescence of Cocos nucifera exhibited differential inhibitory activity against Escherichia coli depending on the nature of the bacterial culture source. Incorporation of silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) into the nutrient broth culture of E. coli resulted in poor inhibitory activity. However, when the silver nanoparticles are added to nutrient agar plates used for culture of E. coli, effective inhibition was observed. Additionally, E. coli in broth culture resisted the inhibitory effects of Ag-NPs by forming aggregates of bacterial cells. The aggregates then generated a protective zone around the colonies to prevent the entry of Ag-NPs, and the bacterial cells multiplied without inhibition by the Ag-NPs. These differential effects of Ag-NPs on E. coli culture grown in nutrient broth and on nutrient agar plates indicated that E. coli in broth culture formed aggregates of cells to develop a biofilm for protection against toxins probably via the quorum sensing mechanism

Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles from the extract of the inflorescence of Cocos nucifera (Family: Arecaceae) for enhanced antibacterial activity

Green synthesis of nanoparticles using plant source has been given much importance. In the present study, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized using the ethyl acetate and methanol (EA: M 40:60) extracts of the inflorescence of the tree Cocous nucifera. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by UV-visible spectroscope, FTIR and TEM analysis. The particle size of the synthesized AgNPs was 22 nm as confirmed by TEM. The qualitative assessment of reducing potential of the extracts of inflorescence indicated the presence of reducing agents. Synthesized AgNPs exhibited significant antimicrobial activity against human bacterial pathogens viz., Klebsiella pneumoniae, Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Salmonella paratyphi

Ekstrakcja barwników z Petrocarpus santalinus i barwienie naturalnych włókien przy użyciu różnych zapraw farbiarskich

Aqueous extraction of natural dyes from Petrocarpus santalinus tree wood and dyeing of the following natural fibres: banana fibre, screw fine fibre, pineapple fibre, sisal fibre, korai and palm leaf using various mordants to fix the colour in the fibre materials were performed. Salt, sodium bicarbonate, oxalic acid, tannic acid, ferrous ammonium sulphate, stannous chloride (tin metal powder), alum and tamarind (Tamarindus indica) were used as a mordant for the dying of the natural fibres. Petrocarpus santalinus dye was effectively dyed on natural fibres using different mordants, producing different colours like tomato, maroon, orange red, chocolate, brown, quarry red, black, brick red, tile red, terra colla, sunbaked clay, gray, brick red, victorian red, firebrick, brown, crimson and orange, using these mordants.W artykule omówiono wykonanie wodnej ekstrakcji naturalnych barwników z drzewa Petrocarpus santalinus oraz barwienie włókien naturalnych, m.in. bananowca, ananasa, sizalu, korai i liści palmowych przy zastosowaniu różnych zapraw farbiarskich, których użycie miało na celu utrwalenie koloru w materiałach włóknistych. Jako zapraw farbiarskich użyto soli, wodorowęglanu sodu, kwasu szczawiowego, kwasu garbnikowego, siarczanu żelazowo-amonowego, chlorku cyny (proszek cyny metalicznej), ałunu i tamaryndowca (Tamarindus indica). Włókna naturalne skutecznie zabarwiono barwnikiem Petrocarpus santalinus przy użyciu różnych zapraw uzyskując różne kolory takie jak: pomidorowy, bordowy, pomarańczowy, czerwony, czekoladowy, brązowy, czarny, czerwony ceglany, terra colla, glinka opalana, szara, ceglastoczerwona, wiktoriański czerwony, ognisty, brązowy, szkarłatny i pomarańczowy