7,188 research outputs found
An Emphatic Approach to the Problem of Off-policy Temporal-Difference Learning
In this paper we introduce the idea of improving the performance of
parametric temporal-difference (TD) learning algorithms by selectively
emphasizing or de-emphasizing their updates on different time steps. In
particular, we show that varying the emphasis of linear TD()'s updates
in a particular way causes its expected update to become stable under
off-policy training. The only prior model-free TD methods to achieve this with
per-step computation linear in the number of function approximation parameters
are the gradient-TD family of methods including TDC, GTD(), and
GQ(). Compared to these methods, our _emphatic TD()_ is
simpler and easier to use; it has only one learned parameter vector and one
step-size parameter. Our treatment includes general state-dependent discounting
and bootstrapping functions, and a way of specifying varying degrees of
interest in accurately valuing different states.Comment: 29 pages This is a significant revision based on the first set of
reviews. The most important change was to signal early that the main result
is about stability, not convergenc
Tracheary Elements Of The Ferns. I. Factors Which Influence Tracheid Length; Correlation Of Length With Evolutionary Divergence
Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/141392/1/ajb207213.pd
Perceived stressors, coping strategies, and burnout pertaining to psychiatric nurses working on locked psychiatric units
The purpose of this study was to describe perceived occupational stressors, coping strategies, and burnout levels of psychiatric nurses working on locked psychiatric units in southeastern Michigan (N = 46), as well as to examine the relationships among demographic factors and these variables. This study utilized a correlation design, adapting the stress, coping, and burnout theoretical frameworks of Seyle, Lazarus, Folkman, and Maslach.
The results indicated that the majority of psychiatric nurses in this study were experiencing low levels of stress and moderate levels of burnout. The findings suggested that staffing issues were an important factor in determining stress levels, and activities outside of work were preferred as methods of coping. Because the majority of research in the area of psychiatric nursing has been conducted outside of the United States, this research provides a baseline from which to address the problem of stress among psychiatric nurses working on locked psychiatric units
Tracheary Elements Of The Ferns Ii. Morphology Of Tracheary Elements; Conclusions
Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/142192/1/ajb207224.pd
Hubble Advanced Camera for Surveys Observations of the z=6.42 Quasar SDSS 1148+5251: A Leak in the Gunn-Peterson Trough
The Hubble Advanced Camera for Surveys has been used to obtain a narrow-band
image of the weak emission peak seen at lambda=7205 A in the Gunn-Peterson Ly
beta absorption trough of the highest redshift quasar, SDSS J1148+5251. The
emission looks perfectly point-like; there is no evidence for the intervening
galaxy that we previously suggested might be contaminating the quasar spectrum.
We derive a more accurate astrometric position for the quasar in the two
filters and see no indication of gravitational lensing. We conclude that the
light in the Ly beta trough is leaking through two unusually transparent,
overlapping windows in the IGM absorption, one in the Ly beta forest at z ~ 6
and one in the Ly alpha forest at z ~ 5.
If there are significant optical depth variations on velocity scales small
compared with our spectral resolution (~150 km/s), the Ly alpha trough becomes
more transparent for a given Ly beta optical depth. Such variations can only
strengthen our conclusion that the fraction of neutral hydrogen in the IGM
increases dramatically at z>6. We argue that the transmission in the Ly beta
trough is not only a more sensitive measure of the neutral fraction than is Ly
alpha, it also provides a less biased estimator of the neutral hydrogen
fraction than does the Ly alpha transmission.Comment: Submitted to the Astronomical Journa
Probing the Ionization State of the Universe at z>6
We present high signal-to-noise ratio Keck ESI spectra of the two quasars
known to have Gunn-Peterson absorption troughs, SDSS J1030+0524 (z=6.28) and
SDSS J1148+5251 (z=6.37). The Ly alpha and Ly beta troughs for SDSS J1030+0524
are very black and show no evidence for any emission over a redshift interval
of ~0.2 starting at z=6. On the other hand, SDSS J1148+5251 shows a number of
emission peaks in the Ly beta Gunn-Peterson trough along with a single weak
peak in the Ly alpha trough. The Ly alpha emission has corresponding Ly beta
emission, suggesting that it is indeed a region of lower optical depth in the
intergalactic medium at z=6.08.
The stronger Ly beta peaks in the spectrum of SDSS J1148+5251 could
conceivably also be the result of "leaks" in the IGM, but we suggest that they
are instead Ly alpha emission from an intervening galaxy at z=4.9. This
hypothesis gains credence from a strong complex of C IV absorption at the same
redshift and from the detection of continuum emission in the Ly alpha trough at
the expected brightness. If this proposal is correct, the quasar light has
probably been magnified through gravitational lensing by the intervening
galaxy. The Stromgren sphere observed in the absorption spectrum of SDSS
J1148+5251 is significantly smaller than expected based on its brightness,
which is consistent with the hypothesis that the quasar is lensed.
If our argument for lensing is correct, the optical depths derived from the
troughs of SDSS J1148+5251 are only lower limits (albeit still quite strong,
with tau(LyA)>16 inferred from the Ly beta trough.) The Ly beta absorption
trough of SDSS J1030+0524 gives the single best measurement of the IGM
transmission at z>6, with an inferred optical depth tau(LyA)>22.Comment: To appear in July 2003 AJ, 34 pages, 11 figures; minor changes/typos
fixe
An assessment of residents’ and fellows’ personal finance literacy: An unmet medical education need
Objectives: This study aimed to assess residents' and fellows' knowledge of finance principles that may affect their personal financial health. Methods: A cross-sectional, anonymous, web-based survey was administered to a convenience sample of residents and fellows at two academic medical centers. Respondents answered 20 questions on personal finance and 28 questions about their own financial planning, attitudes, and debt. Questions regarding satisfaction with one's financial condition and investment-risk tolerance used a 10-point Likert scale (1=lowest, 10=highest). Of 2,010 trainees, 422 (21%) responded (median age 30 years; interquartile range, 28-33). Results: The mean quiz score was 52.0% (SD = 19.1). Of 299 (71%) respondents with student loan debt, 144 (48%) owed over 25,000. Respondents' mean satisfaction with their current personal financial condition was 4.8 (SD = 2.5) and investment-risk tolerance was 5.3 (SD = 2.3). Indebted trainees reported lower satisfaction than trainees without debt (4.4 vs. 6.2, F (1,419) = 41.57, p < .001). Knowledge was moderately correlated with investment-risk tolerance (r=0.41, p < .001), and weakly correlated with satisfaction with financial status (r=0.23, p < .001). Conclusions: Residents and fellows had low financial literacy and investment-risk tolerance, high debt, and deficits in their financial preparedness. Adding personal financial education to the medical education curriculum would benefit trainees. Providing education in areas such as budgeting, estate planning, investment strategies, and retirement planning early in training can offer significant long-term benefits.Open access journalThis item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]
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