Improved Reinforcement Learning with Curriculum

Humans tend to learn complex abstract concepts faster if examples are presented in a structured manner. For instance, when learning how to play a board game, usually one of the first concepts learned is how the game ends, i.e. the actions that lead to a terminal state (win, lose or draw). The advantage of learning end-games first is that once the actions which lead to a terminal state are understood, it becomes possible to incrementally learn the consequences of actions that are further away from a terminal state - we call this an end-game-first curriculum. Currently the state-of-the-art machine learning player for general board games, AlphaZero by Google DeepMind, does not employ a structured training curriculum; instead learning from the entire game at all times. By employing an end-game-first training curriculum to train an AlphaZero inspired player, we empirically show that the rate of learning of an artificial player can be improved during the early stages of training when compared to a player not using a training curriculum.Comment: Draft prior to submission to IEEE Trans on Games. Changed paper slightl

Glove Use in Restaurants: Efficacy is Questionable

Apparently there seems to be a growing consensus on the part of both industry managers and consumers that the use of gloves is an effective barrier to the spread of food-borne illness. However, with more than 13 years’ experience as a food service manager and executive, the author has discovered otherwise

Formal Insertion Reactions Of Stannylenes And Germylenes Into Phosphorus-Halogen Bonds: A Structural And Mechanistic Investigation

Insertion reactions of Group 14 carbenoids, divalent species of the form (R2N)2M (M = Ge or Sn) into the P-halogen bond of halophosphines have been known for some time. However, very few examples have been reported and no evidence has been presented regarding the mechanism by which these reactions take place. Comparatively, insertion of the same or analogous carbenoid species into C-halogen bonds have been thoroughly explored for scope and application, and the mechanism has been investigated multiple times. In this dissertation, numerous new examples of insertion products of Group 14 carbenoids into P-halogen bonds are presented. This array of products has been characterized by 31P{1H} and 1H NMR spectroscopy and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. In addition, purity of the obtained compounds has been confirmed by elemental analyses. In concert with a diverse group of products, kinetic experiments were employed to examine the possible mechanistic pathways. All reasonable pathways for these reactions are discussed, analyzed and compared. Additionally, as most tin-containing insertion products are unstable, the likely mechanisms for their decomposition are discussed in detail

Diphenyl ditelluride: An inorganic laboratory exercise featuring a main group organometallic target

While there are many organometallic complexes that are commonly used as synthetic targets for upper-level inorganic chemistry courses, those utilizing p-block metals are quite rare. We have designed an expeditious procedure to prepare diphenyl ditelluride that can be fully completed in a 4-hour laboratory period. This laboratory exercise can serve as a transition between the organic and inorganic curriculum, an introduction to the handling of air-/moisture-sensitive substances and reintroduction to several critical laboratory skills. Students completed characterization of their products via melting point, UV-vis spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and multinuclear NMR. An additional molecular modeling supplement has been designed to facilitate exploration of the effects of atomic size and prosperity towards hybridization on observable structural parameters for related dichalcogenides

Hydrological controls of in situ preservation of waterlogged archaeological deposits

Environmental change caused by urban development, land drainage, agriculture or climate change may result in accelerated decay of in situ archaeological remains. This paper reviews research into impacts of environmental change on hydrological processes of relevance to preservation of archaeological remains in situ. It compares work at rural sites with more complex urban environments. The research demonstrates that both the quantity and quality of data on preservation status, and hydrological and chemical parameters collected during routine archaeological surveys need to be improved. The work also demonstrates the necessity for any archaeological site to be placed within its topographic and geological context. In order to understand preservation potential fully, it is necessary to move away from studying the archaeological site as an isolated unit, since factors some distance away from the site of interest can be important for determining preservation. The paper reviews what is known about the hydrological factors of importance to archaeological preservation and recommends research that needs to be conducted so that archaeological risk can be more adequately predicted and mitigated. Any activity that changes either source pathways or the dominant water input may have an impact not just because of changes to the water balance or the water table, but because of changes to water chemistry. Therefore, efforts to manage threatened waterlogged environments must consider the chemical nature of the water input into the system. Clearer methods of assessing the degree to which buried archaeological sites can withstand changing hydrological conditions are needed, in addition to research which helps us understand what triggers decay and what controls thresholds of response for different sediments and types of artefact

Scotland Chikwawa Health Initiative - improving health from community to hospital

The Scotland Chikwawa Health Initiative is a three year programme funded by the Scottish Executive International Development Fund which aims to achieve measurable reductions in major causes of disease and death in four villages within the Chikwawa District of Malawi alongside improving the hospital environment for the good of both staff and patients. The initiative has developed a holistic approach to health improvements through the provision of infrastructure at both health facilities and within communities, and training of government personnel and community volunteers. Specific areas targeted have included water and sanitation, maternal health, and communicable disease control with provision of training and materials to facilitate interventions and health education. At the end of the second year the programme has already seen reductions in diarrhoeal disease (30% overall in target communities), improved access to safe water, an increase in the uptake of growth monitoring and immunisations in children under the age of five years (15% increase since training volunteers), improved safe delivery of babies within the community (245 babies delivered safely in target communities with 25 referred due to complications) and increased community health activity (training and integration of village health committees, water point committees, traditional birthing attendants and health surveillance assistants). The programme hopes to act as a model for the District to follow in other communities to achieve it’s obligations under the Malawi Ministry of Health Essential Health Package

Education & Awareness for the URI Community for LGBTIQQ Issues Minutes 2-17-11

This document contains the minutes of Education & Awareness for the URI Community for LGBTIQQ Issues meeting on February, 17th 2011