Virtual Training Environment Research Articles

Virtual Reality simulation streamlines medical training for healthcare professionals

According to World Health Organization, our planet will need more than 40 million new doctors, nurses, frontline healthcare workers, and other healthcare professionals by the year 2030, which is double the current medical workforce (1). The existing training model (a master teaching a limited number of apprentices over the course of several years) is unable to meet the level of healthcare professionals needed. Empirical evidence from other industries demonstrates virtual reality (VR) technology is an effective and efficient way of improving training. VR technology allows users to interact with a computer-simulated environment. VR implementation in medicine focuses on the rapid acceleration of human learning in medical training. It aims to provide technology for medical staff to reskill and upskill more effectively, without a large time investment. The combination of cognitive training in an experience-based learning virtual environment enabled by advanced VR software and hardware provides several advantages: (1) unrestricted training time, increased training access during COVID-19 restrictions; (2) remote training access: growing demand for health professionals in countries with less developed infrastructure; (3) modernizing standards: during simulated training competency evaluations for residents are performed. (1) Increased trainee engagement and knowledge retention (70%) compared to videos (10%) or lecturing (5%) (2) Decreased training time, 29% less OR training time due to skill transfer from VR to OR (3) Decreased training costs. An intelligent VR training simulation for dental healthcare professionals results in a proven skills transfer and embodied cognition in a fail-safe environment, in scalable training with low-cost and on-demand VR software, as well as in progress achieved through learning curricula faster, at lower cost and with the highest fidelity.

CASE STUDY: ELEARNING IN COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE FOR MANAGING BY PROJECT

New Internet technologies have expanded the possibilities of interaction, overcoming geographical restrictions. The training within communities of practices that have their own identity, determined by both the specific competencies of its participants and the common domain (field of activity, mission, values, topic), paves the way gradually in different sectors and at different levels. The research aims at generalizing the experience in organization and implementation of e-learning on Management of Projects in Community of Practice: Sustainable Development for further use and formation of virtual environments for professional training, exchange of experience, and distribution of innovations.This article summarizes the typical components of a community of practice as the basis of professional educational systems creation and knowledge management method. The paper considers the essence and prerequisites of successful e-learning. It reveals peculiarities of the virtual learning environment of the "Local Development Project Management" electronic course, which combines all the learning activities and course goals, creates the effect of social presence and co-creation. The main points of the course design should draw attention to its topics, adjust each of its elements to the needs of participants in cognition and learning, motivation for actions, cooperation, and interaction. Methods used include analysis and synthesis, induction and deduction, logical generalization, and comparison.

SP-0012 Virtual reality and other advanced learning environments in oncology training

SP-0012 Virtual reality and other advanced learning environments in oncology training

DkNET Hypothesis Center: A Hub for FAIR Data, Online Resources and Hypothesis Generation

Discovering and learning how to use fast‐growing publicly available online bioinformatics and data resources can be challenging for bench scientists. The NIDDK Information Network (dkNET; https://dknet.org) is an open community resource information portal for biomedical researchers supported by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). dkNET helps researchers find resources relevant to their research and provides up‐to‐date information on new tools, services, and mandates to support reproducible science. To help bench scientists utilize available online bioinformatics tools, dkNET has launched a “Hypothesis Center”(https://dknet.org/hypothesis‐center) that brings together tutorials for a collection of online tools to assist researchers in exploring datasets and utilize online analytics and visualization tools. Our goal is to help researchers not only follow the step‐by‐step tutorial but also gain more understanding about these online tools, how to interpret the results, and encourage researchers to combine and/or reuse more online resources. Based on the questions and examples that a researcher has selected, the system suggests tool(s) and detailed tutorials based on specific use cases. For example, the Hypothesis Center phenotype‐genotype analytics module utilizes tools from the Signaling Pathways Project (SPP), a FAIR knowledgebase that allows researchers to ask questions across thousands of annotated transcriptomic and ChIP‐Seq datasets, and the Mouse Metabolic Phenotyping Center (MMPC), that provides information on mammalian phenotypes associated with specific gene manipulations in mouse models. The Hypothesis Center also provides information on tools and tutorials from external resources, including resources such as the Human Islet Research Network (HIRN) and the Type 1 Diabetes Knowledge Portal, that enables browsing, searching, and analysis of human genetic information linked to type 1 diabetes and related traits. To evaluate whether the approach of the Hypothesis Center can help educate researchers on using online resources more efficiently, we conducted beta testing with 15 students ranging from undergraduate to graduate. Students were new to the specific online bioinformatics tools represented and were asked to use the Hypothesis Center to learn how to use these tools. Feedback about usability and learning experience was collected to help improve the Hypothesis Center. Students found that the Hypothesis Center was helpful in learning to use a new bioinformatics tool and suggested that integrating additional tools and modifying the tutorial selections based on the knowledge level of the users could benefit trainees. To increase awareness of publicly available resources, dkNET also hosts a webinar series introducing helpful resources and promotes these resources via social media channels and YouTube. Through detailed tutorials in the Hypothesis Center and associated webinars, dkNET has created a virtual training environment that can assist researchers in finding and learning how to use online resources to support their research, breaking down barriers to the utilization of bioinformatics tools by bench researchers, and improve the utility of publicly available bioinformatics resources.

Motivation effect of animated pedagogical agent's personality and feedback strategy types on learning in virtual training environment

BackgroundThe personality and feedback of an animated pedagogical agent (APA) are vital social-emotional features that render the agent perceptually believable. Their effects on learning during virtual training need to be examined. MethodsIn this paper, an explanation model is proposed to clarify the underlying mechanism of how these two features affect learners. Two studies were conducted to investigate the model. In Study 1, the effect of the APA's personality type and feedback strategy on flow experience and performance was reexamined, revealing significant effects of the feedback strategy on flow and performance and a marginally significant effect of the personality type on performance. To explore the mechanism behind these effects, a theoretical model is proposed by distinguishing between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation effects. In Study 2, the model was evaluated, and the APA's personality type was found to significantly influence the factors in the path of the extrinsic motivation effect rather than those in the path of the intrinsic motivation effect. ResultsIn contrast, the feedback strategy affected factors in the path of the intrinsic motivation effect. ConclusionsThese results validated the proposed model. Further distinguishing the two motivation effects is necessary to understand the respective effects of an APA's personality and feedback features on learning experiences and outcomes.

Odour enhances the sense of presence in a virtual reality environment.

Virtual reality (VR) headsets provide immersive audio-visual experiences for users, but usually neglect to provide olfactory cues that can provide additional information about our environment in the real world. This paper examines whether the introduction of smells into the VR environment enhances users’ experience, including their sense of presence through collection of both psychological and physiological measures. Using precise odour administration with an olfactometer, study participants were exposed to smells while they were immersed in the popular PlayStation VR game “Resident Evil 7”. A within-subject study design was undertaken where participants (n = 22) walked-through the same VR environment twice, with or without the introduction of associated congruent odour stimuli. Directly after each gameplay, participants completed a questionnaire to determine their sense of presence from the overall gameplay and their sense of immersion in each of the virtual scenes. Additionally, physiological measurements (heart rate, body temperature and skin electrodermal activity) were collected from participants (n = 11) for each gameplay. The results showed the addition of odours significantly increased participants’ sense of spatial presence in the VR environment compared to VR with no odour. Participants also rated the realism of VR experience with odour higher compared to no odour, however odour addition did not result in change in emotional state of participants (arousal, pleasure, dominance). Further, the participants’ physiological responses were impacted by the addition of odour. Odour mediated physiological changes were dependent on whether the VR environment was novel, as the effect of odour on physiological response was lost when participants experienced the aroma on the second gameplay. Overall, the results indicate the addition of odours to a VR environment had a significant effect on both the psychological and physiological experience showing the addition of smell enhanced the VR environment. The incorporation of odours to VR environments presents an opportunity to create a more immersive experience to increase a person’s presence within a VR environment. In addition to gaming, the results have broader applications for virtual training environments and virtual reality exposure therapy.

Becoming virtually real: using the Virtual Environment for Radiotherapy Training (VERT™) platform for the summative assessment of performance in a palliative radiotherapy treatment technique

Abstract Introduction: Direct observation in the radiotherapy clinic remains the primary method for the assessment of procedural skills. But with increasing automation and reductions in clinical placement time during the recent pandemic, the role of summative, simulation-based assessment is being revisited. The aim of this article is to share early experiences of using Virtual Environment for Radiotherapy Training (VERT) in the assessment of a palliative, parallel pair, external beam treatment delivery technique in a new pre-registration undergraduate programme. Methods: Eight first-year students completed a campus-based individual virtual assessment using virtual patient plans representing metastatic disease in the brain and pelvis and late-stage primary lung tumours. Performance was logged on a 25-item checklist for pre and post-procedure checks and treatment delivery tasks. Results: All eight students participated in the assessment with seven students (87·5%) achieving a pass grade at first attempt. The course team observed that participants demonstrated a range of skills and abilities and were able to compare and contrast individual approaches to patient positioning. Specific feed-forward action points were also highlighted as areas for students’ to focus on during their second placement. The project also identified logistical benefits for assessment teams. Conclusions: While these experiences are a single snapshot, a VERT simulation-based summative assessment is feasible and identified benefits included controlled observation and structured feedback on individual performance and scheduling pressure reductions for clinical teams. However, more work is needed to determine the psychometric qualities and predictability of performance in more complex techniques.

The Effect of Using VR Box in Learning Effective Shadow Boxing

The main purpose of the current study was to prepare exercises for the use of virtual reality, called (3D recording with 360 degrees) as well as to identify the effect of using virtual reality on learning effective shadow boxing. The researcher used the experimental method for its suitability for the nature of the study. (20) Undergraduate male students were chosen from the second year of college of physical education and sports science, students at Salahaddin University –Erbil. (n=20, age 19 ± 1.45). The sample was selected using a simple random selection approach, which resulted in ten (10) students from class (D) being assigned to an experimental group that wore virtual reality spectacles. As a control group, there were ten students in class (A). The educational program for the experimental group who wore the (VR) goggles had two instructional units and the same for the control group but with no (VR Box) each week for both groups (experimental and control) for a total of four weeks. The results showed the effectiveness of virtual reality in learning effective shadow boxing; which presence of statistically significant differences between the experimental and control groups in the post-test and in favor of the experimental group. Reference: Al Gburi ,I., Ibrahim .(2017) ‘the impact of virtual reality technology on improving cognitive achievement and learning some basic gymnastics skills for students’ unpublished master thesis. University of Karbala. Bao,T., Carender, WJ,. Kinnaird ,C., Barone, VJ., Peethambaran, G., Whitney, SL., Kabeto, M. ,Seidler RD., Sienko, KH.(2018) ‘ Effects of long-term balance training with vibrotactile sensory augmentation among community-dwelling healthy older adults: a randomized preliminary study’. J NeuroEng Rehab,15(1):5. Barry, G., van Schaik, P., MacSween, A.(2016)‘ Exergaming (XBOX Kinect™) versus traditional gym-based exercise for postural control, flow and technology acceptance in healthy adults: a randomised controlled trial’. BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabilitation , 8, 25 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13102-016-0050-0 Bliss, JP., Tidwell, PD., Guest, MA. (1997) ‘The effectiveness of virtual reality for administering spatial navigation training to firefighters’. Presence: Teleoperators & Virtual Environments. 6(1), pp.73–86. Düking, P., Holmberg ,H-C. and Sperlich, B. (2018) ‘ The Potential Usefulness of Virtual Reality Systems for Athletes: A Short SWOT Analysis’. Physiol. 9:128. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2018.00128. Eaves, D. L., Breslin, G., & Van Schaik, P. (2011) ‘The short-term effects of real-time virtual reality feedback on motor learning in dance’. Presence: Teleoperators and Virtual Environments, 20(1), 62-77. Mohamed, A.,Shawky. A., Muhammad, Abdul Hamid seed, M, Amir. (2019)’The effect of using virtual reality glasses on learning some basic skills in volleyball’, Journal of Physical Education and Sports Sciences.Vol 42,( Benha University - Faculty of Physical Education for Boys - Dec.2019 Part (9). McConville, KMV.,Virk, S.(2012)‘ Evaluation of an electronic video game for improvement of balance’. Virtual Reality. 16(4):315–23. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10055-012-0212-7. Miles, HC., Pop, SR., Watt, SJ., Lawrence, GP., John, NW. (2012) ‘A review of virtual environments for training in ball sports’. Computer Graph, 36, pp. 714–726. Riva, G., Wiederhold, BK., Mantovani, F. (2019) ‘ Neuroscience of virtual reality: from virtual exposure to embodied medicine’, Cyberpsychology, Behav Soc Netw, Jan 1; 22(1): 82–96. Published online 2019 Jan 14. doi: 1089/cyber.2017.29099.gri Sarteep, S., Salah. (2020) ‘The effectiveness of a designed device for measuring and improving choice reaction time among players of physical education and sport Science College’. International Journal of Physical Education, Sports and Health 7(6): 257-260. Sarteep, S.,Salah.(2021) ‘The Study Of Mental Imagery Dimensions And Their Relationship To Perform DIVE On Floor Exercise In gymnastics’. Indian Journal Physical Education, Sports and Applied Science,Vol11, NO 1, Jan,pp.19-23. Seymour,. NE., Gallagher, AG., Roman, SA., O’brien, MK., Bansal, VK., Andersen, DK. (2002)‘Virtual reality training improves operating room performance: Results of a randomized, double-blinded study’. Annals of Surgery. 2002 Oct; 236(4):458-63; discussion 463-4. doi: 10.1097/00000658-200210000-00008. PMID: 12368674; PMCID: PMC1422600. Stefan ,C., Michalski,.ID., Ancret, S., Dimitrios, S. , Tyler, J., Ross , Mark, B., Tobias, L.( 2019),‘ Getting your game on: Using virtual reality to improve real table tennis skills’.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0222351. Stevens, J. A. (2005) ‘Interference effects demonstrate distinct roles for visual and motor imagery during the mental representation of human action’. Cognition, 95(3), 329-350 White, A., and Hardy, L. (1995) ‘Use of different imagery perspectives on the learning and performance of different motor skills’, British Journal of Psychology, 86 (Pt. 2), 169-180.

Higher Education Leadership Development During the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Exploration of Online Learner Readiness

The COVID-19 pandemic precipitated profound disruptions across the higher education sector as institutions were forced to restructure entire systems and operate with significantly reduced resources. Most notably, many institutions were forced to transition to fully virtual instruction. The present study examined adult leadership development program participants’ perceptions of online learning readiness during the transition to a fully virtual training environment precipitated by the COVID-19 pandemic. A census of the 2020 LEAD21 class was taken, and perceptions of online learning readiness were collected via a retrospective pre- and post-test. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used. Respondents had the highest levels of agreement with computer and Internet self-efficacy and the lowest levels of agreement with learner control in an online context. A paired t-test was conducted to analyze the difference in perceptions of online learning readiness post-training and retrospective pre-training. A statistically significant increase was observed for overall online learning readiness, as well as for computer and Internet self-efficacy, learner control, motivation for learning, Internet communication self-efficacy, and self-directed learning. An implication from this finding is that the transition to fully virtual training resulted in increased online learning readiness across all dimensions. With new strains of COVID-19 emerging and the potential for ongoing restrictions for social interaction, online learning will continue to be an important aspect of the educational process. It is vital that higher education leaders consider individuals’ readiness to effectively engage in online training and instruction. Implications and recommendations for future research in practice in international contexts are provided.

Path Planning for Robotic Training in Virtual Environments using Deep Learning

Reducing costs in the acquisition of industrial robots and their benefit in continuous production workdays have increased the number of investigations that expand the robot's action capabilities. This work proposes a trajectory planning system for a UR3 robot that is very usual in academic, research, and industrial applications. The system is presented based on a convolutional network training for regression tasks focused on learning the desired trajectory. A virtual environment has been developed to simulate different trajectories based on the interaction between UR3 robot and object detection and location through the convolutional network employed. This work exposes the network's training and the results of the transport of the object, where the robot can position itself on the desired tool (scissors and screwdriver), which is recognized by training a Faster network R-CNN and the re-localization of the tool in a conveyor band. For the trained trajectory’s, a ResNet-50 model is proposed, and the overall performance achieved was 92.63%, with a mean square error of 24.7 mm in the trained trajectory's repetition. Also, the boxplot of each ax in the trajectory is exposed since they show in a more detailed way the deviation of each of the points in the whole validation set. The average collection time, from when the system takes the workspace capture to its initial positioning after leaving the tool on the belt, was 51.3 seconds, enough for real-time applications.

Challenges and Opportunities for Integrating Augmented Reality and Computational Fluid Dynamics Modeling under the Framework of Industry 4.0

The industrial requirements change rapidly due to the technological advancements, and the need to immediately investigate prospective system alternatives to develop a more efficient production system design is more intense than ever. Manufacturing systems simulation as a key technology of Industry 4.0 is a powerful tool towards optimizing manufacturing processes. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation can help smart factories gain a competitive advantage due to low cost, low risk and the provided meaningful insights. However, while CFD tools can provide users with precise simulations, there is strong need for interactive design and analysis tools. Additionally, fluid flow behavior is a challenging problem for cognitive interpretation and visualization. Therefore, engineers/technicians need to visualize the behavior of the desired flow field to improve their cognitive ability in problem-solving. As a result, Augmented Reality (AR) technology is proposed as the solution for an enhanced virtual learning and training environment in smart factories. To address these challenges, this research work presents an Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) framework for simulation and visualization of selected monitored values based on AR and CFD in a cloud-computing environment for the intuitive visualization of the data on smart devices. The applicability of the proposed framework has been validated in a real-life case study derived from an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) supplier of Industrial refrigerator systems.

The personal and professional impact of COVID-19 on school counselors: An exploratory study.

School Counselors historically have faced multiple challenges that impact their lives personally and professionally. Due to numerous and competing demands, school counselors are likely to experience a plethora of stressors including role conflict, high student to school counselor ratios, minimal support, and increasing mental health needs of students. The COVID 19 pandemic exacerbated these challenges by changing and adding to the responsibilities of school counselors, reducing access to appropriate support systems, and increasing students’ needs for counseling services. This qualitative, exploratory study utilized phenomenological inquiry to examine the impact of these challenges on school counselors’ personal and professional lives. The research questions focus on how Covid 19 impacted school counselor roles, their personal lives, and how they coped with the impact of COVID 19 on their personal and professional lives. The study consisted of eight participants who were licensed school counselors in two Midwestern states. The findings included themes of minimal training in moving to an online platform, increase in role conflict and non-school counselor duties, minimal support and resources, and increased burnout. Implications for the profession include the need for school counselors to receive training in technology and virtual environments, being mindful of assigning non-counseling duties, and ensuring that school counselors have organizational and administrative support, access to supervision, and adequate resources to help prevent feelings of burnout.

Evaluating the effect of displaying team vs. individual metrics on team performance

This work explores the assessment dimension of persistent feedback to a team, i.e., how presenting feedback based on individual scores vs. team scores vs. both (I&T) affects team performance and team dynamics of a three-person team. Various studies have attempted to determine which level of feedback interdependence (i.e., individual vs. team vs. I&T), presented within a collaborative context, produced optimal team performance. The studies have shown mixed results. Precisely 117 participants (39 three-person Teams) conducted a modified version of the Multiple Errands Test known as the Team Multiple Errands Test (TMET). The teams performed the TMET within a virtual desktop environment. They performed the task in three real-time persistent feedback conditions: Individual, Team, and I&T. Overall, the feedback condition seemed to influence the speed with which team members completed the task. Specifically, the results indicated that individuals in the Team feedback condition moved more quickly through the task than individuals in the I&T feedback condition. There were no significant differences between the Individual condition and the Team or I&T conditions. We suggest that user interface (UI) designers developing persistent feedback for a virtual collaborative training environment should primarily present feedback based on team assessment, as opposed to the I&T assessment, and to be cautious of information overload.

Evaluation of Dental Students’ Knowledge and Opinion About Learning with Virtual Reality

AIM: Virtual reality (VR) based technologies have been used in dentistry for almost two decades. Dental simulators, treatment planning software, and CAD/CAM systems have evolved significantly over the years, changing both dental education and clinical practice. The purpose of this survey study is to learn the knowledge, opinions, and thoughts of dental students in our country on the use of VR-based dental simulators in education, and to raise awareness on this issue. METHODS: Questions testing participants’ knowledge were based on the data from peer-reviewed dental journals. The survey questions consisting of a total of 25 questions were delivered online via Google Forms (Google Inc., USA) to students who had preclinical training in the dental faculty before the Covid-19 pandemic. The data obtained were evaluated using the descriptive statistics and Pearson chi-square test. RESULTS: 422 of the 662 students in the study were female and 240 were male students. 82.3% of the study participants were studying at a state university. 74.6% of the participants in the study stated that they needed more preclinical education. While 89.9% of the students participating in the survey stated that they do not have information about preclinical education with virtual reality, 97.4% stated that they have not used a VR-based dental simulator before. 85.5% of them stated that they feel positive about training in virtual environment with VR-based dental simulator and 86% of them prefer using both VR-based training and phantom models in preclinical training. CONCLUSION: Dental students had overall positive attitudes towards VR-based dental simulator but very few used VR-based dental simulators in education and practice. While using VR-based dental simulators as part of undergraduate and continuing education programs is rapidly advancing in the world, in our country having knowledge about VR-based dental simulators will increase awareness for the development of such technologies and their inclusion in dentistry education.

Adaptive Admittance Control Scheme with Virtual Reality Interaction for Robot-Assisted Lower Limb Strength Training

Muscle weakness is the primary impairment causing mobility difficulty among stroke survivors. Millions of people are unable to live normally because of mobility difficulty every year. Strength training is an effective method to improve lower extremity ability but is limited by the shortage of medical staff. Thus, this paper proposes a robot-assisted active training (RAAT) by an adaptive admittance control scheme with virtual reality interaction (AACVRI). AACVRI consists of a stiffness variable admittance controller, an adaptive controller, and virtual reality (VR) interactions. In order to provide human-robot reality interactions corresponding to virtual scenes, an admittance control law with variable stiffness term was developed to define the mechanics property of the end effector. The adaptive controller improves tracking performances by compensating interaction forces and dynamics model deviations. A virtual training environment including action following, event feedback, and competition mechanism is utilized for improving boring training experience and engaging users to maintain active state in cycling training. To verify controller performances and the feasibility of RAAT, experiments were conducted with eight subjects. Admittance control provides desired variable interactions along the trajectory. The robot responds to different virtual events by changing admittance parameters according to trigger feedbacks. Adaptive control ensures tracking errors at a low level. Subjects were maintained in active state during this strength training. Their physiological signals significantly increased, and interaction forces were at a high level. RAAT is a feasible approach for lower limb strength training, and users can independently complete high-quality active strength training under RAAT.

섬유 공장의 안전 교육훈련을 위한 ISM 기반 가상환경 시나리오 설계

Recently, research has actively examined applications of virtual reality technology in the field of safety education training to effectively respond to risk factors in abnormal situations. In this paper, we propose a virtual environment scenario design method based on the industrial secure module (ISM) for safety education training for dyeing machines and tenter machines, which are the core facilities of a textile mill. First, by analyzing the working environment of the actual textile process, the accident risks according to the process are classified for each type to identify the cause of the accident and its potential impact. Based on this, after creating an ISM document consisting of 172 items, the types and causes of accidents are linked according to the flow of the process to graphically illustrate the scenarios necessary for the establishment of a virtual environment. Finally, using this scenario, we build a virtual experience environment for safety education training in a textile mill. The ISM-based scenario design method can be effectively applied to the development of various education training programs.

CBRNe Training in Virtual Environments: SWOT Analysis & Practical Guidelines

CBRNe Training in Virtual Environments: SWOT Analysis & Practical Guidelines

Integrating a dialog system with an intelligent tutoring system for a 3D virtual laboratory

ABSTRACT This paper addresses the challenge of integrating a dialog system with an ITS created for supporting procedural training in a 3D virtual environment. To this end, we first describe the desired features of the dialog to be provided to students in such system. Then, we explain some technical issues of our proposal such as the architecture; the design of the dialog manager; and the construction of the answers to the students’ questions by leveraging an ontology related to the virtual world. Next, we present a pilot study with students to validate our approach. In this pilot study, we utilized a prototype that encompasses a 3D virtual laboratory. In the last seven years, students have used this virtual laboratory to perform a practice guided by an automatic tutor without dialog capacity. So, the evaluated prototype represents an extension of this automatic tutor that aims to give it the dialog capacity in the context of the practice.

Cognitive Remediation in Virtual Environments for Patients with Schizophrenia and Major Depressive Disorder: A Feasibility Study.

Standard approaches to cognitive remediation can suffer from limited skill transferability to patients’ life. Complex virtual environments (VEs) enable us to create ecologically valid remediation scenarios while preserving laboratory conditions. Nevertheless, the feasibility and efficacy of these programs in psychiatric patients are still unknown. Our aim was to compare the feasibility and efficacy of a novel rehabilitation program, designed in complex VEs, with standard paper–pencil treatment in patients with schizophrenia and major depressive disorder. We recruited 35 participants to complete a VE rehabilitation program and standard treatment in a crossover pilot study. Twenty-eight participants completed at least one program, 22 were diagnosed with schizophrenia and 6 with major depressive disorder. Participant’s performance in the representative VE training task significantly improved in terms of maximum achieved difficulty (p ≤ 0.001), speed (p < 0.001) and efficacy (p ≤ 0.001) but not in item performance measure. Neither the standard treatment nor the VE program led to improvement in standardized cognitive measures. Participants perceived both programs as enjoyable and beneficial. The refusal rate was higher in the VE program (8.6%) than in the standard treatment (0%). But in general, the VE program was well-accepted by the psychiatric patients and it required minimal involvement of the clinician due to automatic difficulty level adjustment and performance recording. However, the VE program did not prove to be effective in improving cognitive performance in the standardized measures.

Selective Catalytic Reduction System Ammonia Injection Control Based on Deep Deterministic Policy Reinforcement Learning

The control of flue gas emission in thermal power plants has been a topic of concern. Selective catalytic reduction technology has been widely used as an effective flue gas treatment technology. However, precisely controlling the amount of ammonia injected remains a challenge. Too much ammonia not only causes secondary pollution but also corrodes the reactor equipment, while too little ammonia does not effectively reduce the NOx content. In recent years, deep reinforcement learning has achieved better results than traditional methods in decision making and control, which provides new methods for better control of selective catalytic reduction systems. The purpose of this research is to design an intelligent controller using reinforcement learning technology, which can accurately control ammonia injection, and achieve higher denitrification effect and less secondary pollution. To train the deep reinforcement learning controller, a high-precision virtual denitration environment is first constructed. In order to make the virtual environment more realistic, this virtual environment was designed as a special structure with two decoders and a unique approach was used in fitting the virtual environment. A deep deterministic policy agent is used as an intelligent controller to control the amount of injected ammonia. To make the intelligent controller more stable, the actor-critic framework and the experience pool approach were adopted. The results show that the intelligent controller can control the emissions of nitrogen oxides and ammonia at the outlet of the reactor after training in virtual environment.