An adaptive critic neural network for motion control of a wheeled mobile robot

In this paper, we propose a new application of the adaptive critic methodology for the feedback control of wheeled mobile robots, based on a critic signal provided by a neural network (NN). The adaptive critic architecture uses a high-level supervisory NN adaptive critic element (ACE), to generate the reinforcement signal to optimise the associative search element (ASE), which is applied to approximate the non-linear functions of the mobile robot. The proposed tracking controller is derived from Lyapunov stability theory and can guarantee tracking performance and stability. A series of computer simulations have been used to emulate the performance of the proposed solution for a wheeled mobile robot.     

An organocatalytic approach to 2-hydroxyalkyl- and 2-aminoalkyl furanes

The first enantioselective methodology for the synthesis of electron-poor 2-hydroxyalkyl- and 2-aminoalkyl furanes is demonstrated in this study. It utilizes a highly stereoselective organocatalytic one-pot reaction cascade: epoxidation or aziridination of α,β-unsaturated aldehydes followed by Feist-Be?nary reaction of various 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds to give the target furanes. This efficient multibond forming reaction cascade benefits from low catalyst loadings and readily available starting materials. Furthermore, the possibility to interrupt the reaction sequence at the stage of the corresponding optically active 2-hydroxyalkyl- and 2-aminoalkyl 2,3-dihydrofuranes with three stereogenic centers is also presented. Finally, models which account for the formation of the optically active 2,3-dihydrofuranes are proposed.     

Model studies of the optical rotation,and theoretical determination of its sign for β‐pinene and trans‐pinane

We have carried out extensive studies on the basis set dependence of the calculated specific optical rotation (OR) in molecules at the level of the time–dependent Hartree–Fock and density functional approximations. To reach the limits of the basis set saturation, we have devised an artificial model, the asymmetrically deformed (chiral) methane (CM) molecule. This small system permits to use basis sets which are prohibitively large for real chiral molecules and yet shows all the important features of the basis set dependence of the OR values. The convergence of the OR has been studied with n‐aug‐cc‐pVXZ basis sets of Dunning up to the 6–ζ. In a parallel series of calculations, we have used the recently developed large polarized (LPolX) basis sets. The relatively small LPolX sets have been shown to be competitive to very large n‐aug‐cc‐pVXZ basis sets. The conclusions reached in calculations of OR in CM concerning the usefulness of LPolX basis sets have been further tested on (S)‐methyloxirane and (S)‐fluoro‐oxirane. The smallest set of the LPolX family (LPol–ds) has been found to yield OR values of similar quality as those obtained with much larger Dunning's aug‐cc‐pVQZ basis set. These results have encouraged us to carry out the OR calculations with LPol–ds basis sets for systems as large as β‐pinene and trans‐pinane. In both cases, our calculations have lead to the correct sign of the OR value in these molecules. This makes the relatively small LPol–ds basis sets likely to be useful in OR calculations for large molecules. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem, 2010     

Holomorphic mappings preserving Minkowski functionals

We show that the equality _m1(f(x))=_m2(g(x))$m_1\left(f\left(x\right)\right)=m_2\left(g\left(x\right)\right)$ for x$x$ in a neighborhood of a point a$a$ remains valid for all x$x$ provided that f$f$ and g$g$ are open holomorphic maps, f(a)=g(a)=0$f\left(a\right)=g\left(a\right)=0$ and _m1,_m2$m_1,m_2$ are Minkowski functionals of bounded balanced domains. Moreover, a polynomial relation between f$f$ and g$g$ is obtained.     

On Hidden Markov Processes with Infinite Excess Entropy

We investigate stationary hidden Markov processes for which mutual information between the past and the future is infinite. It is assumed that the number of observable states is finite and the number of hidden states is countably infinite. Under this assumption, we show that the block mutual information of a hidden Markov process is upper bounded by a power law determined by the tail index of the hidden state distribution. Moreover, we exhibit three examples of processes. The first example, considered previously, is nonergodic and the mutual information between the blocks is bounded by the logarithm of the block length. The second example is also nonergodic but the mutual information between the blocks obeys a power law. The third example obeys the power law and is ergodic.     

Influence of rhodium additive on hydrogen electrosorption in palladium-rich Pd–Rh alloys

Hydrogen electrosorption into Pd-rich (>80 at.% Pd in the bulk) Pd–Rh alloys has been studied in acidic solutions (0.5 M H₂SO₄) using cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry. The influence of temperature (in the range between 283 and 328 K), electrode potential and alloy bulk composition on hydrogen electrosorption properties of Pd–Rh alloys is presented. It has been found that the additive of Rh to Pd–Rh alloys increases the maximum hydrogen solubility (for Rh bulk content below 10 at.%), decreases the potential of absorbed hydrogen oxidation peak and decreases the potential of the α → β phase transition. Increasing temperature decreases the potential of absorbed hydrogen oxidation peak, the maximum hydrogen solubility, and the potential of the α → β phase transition. The amounts of electrosorbed hydrogen for α- and β-phase boundaries, i.e., α_max and β_min, have been determined from the integration of the initial parts of current–time responses in hydrogen absorption and desorption processes. The H/M ratio corresponding to α_max increases with increasing Rh content, while for β_min a maximum of H/M ratio is observed for the alloys containing ca. 95% Rh.

     

Microwave-assisted Cannizzaro reaction—Optimisation of reaction conditions

The microwave-assisted Cannizzaro reaction was studied in order to develop fully reproducible synthetic protocols for transformation of aldehydes to carboxylic acid and alcohols. Optimised were the following process parameters: power, temperature, and time. Aromatic, heteroaromatic and aliphatic aldehydes were used in the studies. It was found that furfural, thiophene-2-carbaldehyde, pyridinecarboxaldehyde and aromatic aldehydes react under mild conditions, while 1-methyl-pyrrole-2-carboxaldehyde derivatives and aliphatic aldehydes require more drastic reaction conditions and a longer exposure time to microwave radiation.     

Low-Temperature TLC-MS of Essential Oils from Five Different Sage (Salvia) Species

JPC – Journal of Planar Chromatography – Modern TLC - In a previous paper we discussed the possibility of fractionating the essential oils of different sage species by low-temperature...     

Prediction of losses in the flow through the last stage of low‐pressure steam turbine

In this paper, the numerical modelling of the flow through the low‐pressure steam turbine last stage was presented. On the basis of predicted wet steam flow‐field, the aerodynamic as well as thermodynamic losses were estimated. For calculations of the wet steam steady flow‐field three numerical methods were employed. The first method was a streamline curvature method (SCM). The commercial CFD code (CFX‐TACflow) and an in‐house code, both solving the 3‐D RANS equations, were the next two methods. In the wet steam region, by means of all three methods, the equilibrium flow was modelled. Additionally, the in‐house CFD code was used for modelling of the non‐equilibrium steam condensing flow. In this work, the comparison of the cascade loss coefficient for stator and rotor and selected flow parameters for the stage were presented, compared and discussed. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.