Andreas W. Liehr

On the communication of scientific data: The Full-Metadata Format

In this paper, we introduce a scientific format for text-based data files, which facilitates storing and communicating tabular data sets. The so-called Full-Metadata Format builds on the widely used INI-standard and is based on four principles: readable self-documentation, flexible structure, fail-safe compatibility, and searchability. As a consequence, all metadata required to interpret the tabular data are stored in the same file, allowing for the automated generation of publication-ready tables and graphs and the semantic searchability of data file collections. The Full-Metadata Format is introduced on the basis of three comprehensive examples. The complete format and syntax are given in the appendix.

Networking Resources for Research and Scientific Education in BW-eLabs

The aim of the BW-eLabs architecture (networked virtual and remote labs in Baden-Württemberg) is the expansion of the access to heterogeneous experimental resources (remote and virtual) for the sustainable indexing and use of raw data and experiments for research and education purposes. The creation of efficient possibilities of external access to local experimental surroundings as well as a guarantee of transparency and reproducibility of experiments form a central request. A substantial characteristic of BW-eLabs is that the corresponding data and documents are examined along their entire life cycle and embedded into the entire process chain of experimental environments. Scientific communities and the promotion of cooperation and collaboration in high-technology take centre stage in this concept. Nanotechnology serves as a pilot discipline because especially in this cost intensive area access to experimental equipment is an important prerequisite for ensuring access to professional tools for all scientific communities involved. Existing infrastructure, e.g. digital libraries, decentralized tools, and repositories, are embedded into the 3D-Plattform BW-eLabs. The BW-eLabs stands under OpenAccess-Policy and sees itself as an open network for scientific data and experimental set-ups.

Scientific Information Repository Assisting Reflectance Spectrometry in Legal Medicine

Reflectance spectrometry is a fast and reliable method for the characterization of human skin if the spectra are analyzed with respect to a physical model describing the optical properties of human skin. For a field study performed at the Institute of Legal Medicine and the Freiburg Materials Research Center of the University of Freiburg, a scientific information repository has been developed, which is a variant of an electronic laboratory notebook and assists in the acquisition, management, and high-throughput analysis of reflectance spectra in heterogeneous research environments. At the core of the repository is a database management system hosting the master data. It is filled with primary data via a graphical user interface (GUI) programmed in Java, which also enables the user to browse the database and access the results of data analysis. The latter is carried out via Matlab, Python, and C programs, which retrieve the primary data from the scientific information repository, perform the analysis, and store the results in the database for further usage.

Spectrometric evaluation of post-mortem optical skin changes

As to their optical properties, the components of human skin can be divided into two different categories: the light-scattering components shown as peaks and those absorbing light appearing as dips in the reflectance spectrum. As the post-mortem interval progresses, the concentration of scatterers and absorbers and thus the reflectance spectra change due to post-mortem tissue breakdown and degradation. Based on a total number of 532 reflectance spectrometric measurements in 195 deceased, a characteristic change in the reflectance spectra could be documented in the post-mortem course. Subsequently, an algorithm to calculate the post-mortem interval was developed by analysing the reflectance spectrometric extrema.

Interaction of Slow Dissipative Solitudes

The following section accounts the interaction of slowly propagating dissipative solitons by means of a particle ansatz and a nonlinear perturbation analysis. This approach results into a reduction of the field dynamics to the position and excitation of the respective propagator mode where the interaction between dissipative solitons can be regarded approximately as classical central force. Starting from the reduced dynamics, scattering and the formation of bound states are investigated and compared to solutions of the underlying reaction-diffusion system, which shows good agreement between field and particle model. Also on basis of the reduced dynamics and under consideration of internal degrees of freedom the dynamics of rotating bound states are investigated which leads to the description of centrifugal forces and related distance dependent angular velocities. The chapter finishes with some general considerations on many-particle systems of dissipative solitons.

Generation and Annihilation

On basis of an exemplary simulation campaign the transition from particle conserving interaction to generation and annihilation phenomena is demonstrated. The transition is controlled by the intrinsic velocity of the dissipative solitons, which is adjusted by varying the time scale constant of the driving inhibitor. The formation of bound states is observed for slow dissipative solitons. With increasing propagator mode amplitude, the interaction processes are complemented by generation through self-completion and finally by annihilation through fading. These observations are the starting point for discussing the mechanisms of generation and annihilation phenomena. Concerning annihilation processes the mechanisms of fading and merging are introduced. The generation of dissipative solitons occurs due to the formation of complex intermediate states, the division of dissipative solitons (self-replication), Turing-destabilization of homogeneous systems, destabilization of single dissipative solitons (self-completion), and interaction of two and more dissipative solitons (replication). Finally, the phenomena of self-completion and replication are related to the superposition of oscillating tails which leads to the formation of a critical nucleus.

Control Task for Reinforcement Learning with Known Optimal Solution for Discrete and Continuous Actions

The overall research in Reinforcement Learning (RL) concentrates on discrete sets of actions, but for certain real-world problems it is important to have methods which are able to find good strategies using actions drawn from continuous sets. This paper describes a simple control task called direction finder and its known optimal solution for both discrete and continuous actions. It allows for comparison of RL solution methods based on their value functions. In order to solve the control task for continuous actions, a simple idea for generalising them by means of feature vectors is presented. The resulting algorithm is applied using different choices of feature calculations. For comparing their performance a simple measure is introduced