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Playing video games is one way to break up the monotony of an otherwise boring day. However, a significant number of people quickly tire of playing some of the games that are available to them. This study will result in the development of a strategy that will give a rapid response during combat and may boost NPC abilities. This will be done so that this problem can be circumvented. There is a non-player character that is considered to be one of the most important in the game (NPC). NPCs that are autonomous and adaptive may change their behavior in reaction to the decisions made by the player as well as the conditions in their environment. Previous research has made use of the neural network methodology to forecast the behavior of NPCs; however, this method has a drawback in that the predicted behavior is not necessarily as desired, which leads to a poor level of accuracy. This study attempts to answer the problem of inadequate accuracy by using as its three input parameters the power of the non-player character (NPC), the distance between the player and the NPC, and the power of the opponent. The outcomes of the test indicate that the machine learning technique may be used to identify the results of the NPC behavior analysis as well as the level of accuracy reached.

Video games are a means of entertainment for everyone, from children to adults. The genre of games now is also very diverse, ranging from adventure, puzzles to storytelling, and even many folk stories have been made into video games by several developers in Indonesia. Starting from folk tales with horror themes such as kuntilanak, legends such as cucumber mas, to folk tales that rarely sound like golden oranges. The folklore video game of buah jeruk emas is a video game that tells of a king who gets a whisper from the gods to get golden oranges. The king then held a competition to get the golden orange fruit. The player must be able to take the golden orange fruit from the enemy in the form of a Non Playable Character (NPC) who will chase the player. In making NPCs, algorithms are used to help play video games. Therefore, the author wants to apply the A * algorithm in the game of golden oranges so that npc can catch up to players according to the planned system. The main method used is A * and then the addition of the FSM method for other methods. The golden orange fruit is a video game using the A * algorithm and the FSM method after testing it can be concluded that it is enough to make the game run. With the results according to the planned system.

We developed a virtual environment (VE) and artificial intelligence (AI) techniques that enables the study of virtual reality (VR) training applications to develop a sense of empathy and empathetic curiosity in nursing students towards patients living with schizophrenia. The VE is a simulated city-street setting providing simulated auditory hallucinations (hearing voices), and interactive animated non-player characters (NPCs). The VE is implemented in the Unity game development platform and is experienced using an OculusRift_S head mounted display (HMD). Our new machine learning (ML) algorithms and deep learning (DL) models provide a simulated vision capability, enabling the primary NPC to recognize the user’s facial expressions and react with a variety of facial, body, and verbal animated responses. Our ML and DL techniques are designed to provide effective facial detection and expression classification when the user’s face is occluded by the HMD. The integration of the VE and AI-based techniques provides the opportunity to create more complex, two-way user-to-NPC interactions in the future. We hypothesize that these enriched interactions provide value by simulating encounters between caregivers and patients when the same experiences are not readily available in a real world clinical environment, thus filling a need for improved empathy training. An IRB study to test our hypothesis is planned by the College of Nursing faculty.

The advances in both video games and minimally invasive surgery have allowed many to consider the potential positive relationship between the two. This review aims to evaluate outcomes of studies that investigated the correlation between video game skills and performance in laparoscopic surgery. A systematic search was conducted on PubMed/Medline and EMBASE databases for the MeSH terms and keywords including "video games and laparoscopy," "computer games and laparoscopy," "Xbox and laparoscopy," "Nintendo Wii and laparoscopy," and "PlayStation and laparoscopy." Cohort, case reports, letters, editorials, bulletins, and reviews were excluded. Studies in English, with task performance as primary outcome, were included. The search period for this review was 1950 to December 2014. There were 57 abstracts identified: 4 of these were found to be duplicates; 32 were found to be nonrelevant to the research question. Overall, 21 full texts were assessed; 15 were excluded according to the Medical Education Research Study Quality Instrument quality assessment criteria. The five studies included in this review were randomized controlled trials. Playing video games was found to reduce error in two studies (P 0.002 and P 0.045). For the same studies, however, several other metrics assessed were not significantly different between the control and intervention group. One study showed a decrease in the time for the group that played video games (P 0.037) for one of two laparoscopic tasks performed. In the same study, however, when the groups were reversed (initial control group became intervention and vice versa), a difference was not demonstrated (P for peg transfer 1 - 0.465, P for cobra robe - 0.185). Finally, two further studies found no statistical difference between the game playing group and the control group's performance. There is a very limited amount of evidence to support that the use of video games enhances surgical simulation performance.

Video games are a major source of entertainment and is starting to be studied in detail. However, video games very so widely throughout the industry that it is difficult to see what makes games more popular. One of the most important aspects of video games is difficulty and it can drastically change the response the game gets. Through reading previous studies conducted on difficulty in video games a research question was formed: What do video game players want in games in terms of difficulty? A survey was created and conducted to peer into the preferences of gamers and their reasons for those preferences. The need for dynamic difficulty is highlighted and supported by the findings of the survey.

Purpose: The article sought to answer research questions regarding investigated branded content generated by players in simulation video games. How does the process work in video games? What are the characteristics of branded user-generated content in video games? To what extent players are willing to participate in branded content creation? Methodology: I conducted 20 in-depth interviews among Polish players, with the application of snowball sampling. The study participants were adult users of chosen simulation video games: The Sims, Second Life, and Euro Truck Simulator 2. Findings: We can distinguish content based on game mechanism, official add-ons, or game modding. Players frequently check some brands from a set offered by game developers and create content (e.g. in The Sims users can design house interiors with IKEA furniture). Some players are not satisfied by what a game offers and generate content based on modding (e.g. DHL trucks or McDonald’s restaurants inside the Euro Truck Simulator 2). In this respect, the article refers to Smith’s, Fischer’s, and Yongjian’s content dimensions. Branded game modifications described by respondents are characterized by a high level of similarity towards real brands and positive brand sentiment (valence). I noted no statement about player and marketer (brand) communication in gathered material. The biggest challenge for practitioners in the field of UGC in video games is how to manage brand messages. Practical Implications: Brand-related user-generated content is an important phenomenon in terms of the brand-building process and its impact on brand reception, which all require marketers’ attention. For game developers, such a content is a source of information about customer expectations. Players show their personal expectations by game modding. Originality/Value: Brand-related content generated by users is frequently associated with social media. The scholarship shows a lack of knowledge of branded user-generated content in video games.

This paper delves into the surprisingly under-considered convergence between Hollywood animation and ‘Big Tech’ in the field of social robotics, exploring the implications of character animation for human-robot interaction, and highlighting the emergence of a robotic character archetype. We explore the significance and possible effects of a Hollywood-based approach to character design for human-robot sociality, and, at a wider level, consider the possible impact of this for human relationality and the concept of ‘companionship’ itself. We conclude by arguing for greater consideration of the socio-political and ethical consequences of importing and perpetuating relational templates that are drawn from powerful media conglomerates like Disney. In addition to facing a possible degradation of social relations, we may also be facing a possible delimitation of social relationality, based on the values, affects, and ideologies circulating in popular Hollywood animation.

Background: College student preferences regarding substance use disorder (SUD) education and treatment-related education have been understudied, despite this population's relatively high risk of developing SUDs and low help-seeking rates. We sought to identify students' preferences regarding content, style, and format of educational online videos about SUDs and SUD treatment. Method: We held six, two-hour long focus groups with college student participants from Indiana University from 2017 to 2018 during which participants were shown drafts of scripts, mock-up images, and animation and then asked open-ended questions about their preferences and suggested changes. Focus groups were audio recorded and transcribed. Researchers then undertook thematic analysis of focus groups: independently coding transcripts for data related to the research questions, conducting consensus coding, and then analyzing coded data for themes. Results: 39 students participated in focus groups, approximately half of whom were undergraduate students and the other half were graduate students. They preferred animated video characters that were relatable to college students but abstract enough to represent a range of students, such as stick figures with backpacks. They preferred conversational narration with subtle humor and references to realistic reasons for college students using drugs or alcohol. Participants encouraged inclusion of information about SUD impacts on school, work, and relationships, in addition to physical health. Participants opposed any content or style that could be interpreted as fear-mongering. They requested more information regarding medication-assisted treatment efficacy and less information about side effects. Conclusion: College students have unique cultural needs, necessitating tailored educational interventions about SUD and SUD treatments.

The aim of the project Law in Children's Lives is to gamify the research activity of collecting data with a digital game to assess children's awareness of law in their everyday lives. Our main research goal is to address the theoretical and practical concerns in gamification through a user(child)-centred experiential approach. We grounded the design and evaluation of the game in the established User Experience (UX) theoretical frameworks -- Hassenzahl's hedonic-pragmatic model and McCarthy & Wright's four threads of experience. The game prototype consists of four microworlds with each comprising a set of scenarios where children are asked to select an action option and record their reasons by talking to the non-player character. The game was evaluated with 634 children aged 7-11 years. The levels of perceived fun, interestingness and ease of playing were generally high. The game could stimulate the children to think about the given scenarios and beyond them.

Climate change is a pervasive global issue that threatens the livelihoods and wellbeing of billions living globally. Climate change is a risk multiplier impacting all ecosystems, society, and sectors of the economy. The agriculture sector is one such sector that is highly vulnerable to changes in climate. In a country like Nepal where rainfed agriculture is a dominant occupation and a key pillar of the country’s economy, climate change brings risks and negative consequences for on-farm production, farmers' livelihoods as well as on the country’s development. The impacts of climate change including rising temperatures, an increase in the frequency or intensity of extreme weather events such as drought, and shifts in the rainfall seasonality, can cause a decline in food production and threaten the quality of food supplies, leading to reduced food security. The rise in the global population will increase global demand for food which implies that agriculture needs to boost production and increase yields, among other things. The unprecedented risks posed by climate change potentially undermine the ability of farms and farm holders to grow adequate and quality food. The severity of these risks varies due to a range of underlying factors including low economic development, their location, existing biophysical and socioeconomic conditions, and institutional arrangements. While the impacts of climate change on food production as well as agricultural practices in Nepal have been documented, there is a dearth in scholarly literature that has assessed the impacts of climate change on household food security in Nepal incorporating farmers’ perspectives and in particular smallholder subsistence farmers. Furthermore, there is only modest literature that has examined geographical variations in those experiences and understandings. This PhD study aimed, therefore, to investigate the effects of climate change on agricultural practices and food security, with a focus on subsistence smallholder farmers in three main agro- ecological zones of Nepal known as The Mountains, Hills, and the Terai. The study aimed to respond to the primary research question: How are Nepalese farming communities being impacted by climate change and how are they responding to ensure their continued food security? To answer this main research, question the study posed the following secondary research questions: Q1. How is climate changing and how is it impacting subsistence agriculture? Q2. What are the farmers experiencing and what is their understanding? a. Are there gender differences in understanding and experiencing? Q3. What is the state of food insecurity among these farmers? a. How is it being impacted by climate change? Q4. What adaptation strategies have been adopted by smallholder farmers to address threats to agricultural practices and food security from climate change and other pressures? Both the qualitative and qualitative data were collected using multiple methods to address the identified research questions. Methods included a narrative literature review, systematic review, face to face interviews with farmers, individual interviews with key informants and focus groups with the women's group. Climate data on temperature between 1971-2013 and rainfall between 1967-2013 were analysed. Additionally, secondary data on crop yield from 1980 to 2016 were also analysed to gain a better empirical understanding of the relations between climate change and yield pattern and to triangulate and validate the findings from the interviews. Quantitative data on cereal crop yields and climate data were systematically tabulated and further statistically analysed using software R. This study employed the Bayesian approach to statistical modelling. Besides, this study undertook an integrated risk assessment of food insecurity using the Bayesian Belief Network model to reflect how the risk of food insecurity is influenced under two scenarios: (1) current climate conditions and (2) the influences of different adaptation strategies employed. NVivo was used for content analysis for qualitative data obtained from the key informant interview and focus group data and analysis of transcripts from farmers' structured interviews. The findings showed that agricultural practices have undergone various changes over the past 30 years. Climate change impacts were experienced by farmers in all three agro-ecological zones of Nepal. However, the impacts varied between these zones in terms of frequency and intensity. The effect of climate change was highly pronounced in the Mountains zone followed by the Hills and the Terai. The results confirmed that rural subsistence smallholder farmers dependent on rainfed agriculture are vulnerable to climate change impacts. Moreover, it disproportionately affects the poor farmers whose income hinges solely on agriculture and associated activities. Boosting agricultural production and empowering these smallholders is key to enhancing their food security. The experiences reported by farmers are well aligned with the trend of the climatic variables obtained from climate data analysis, highlighting the importance of perception-based survey in complementing climate research. The study demonstrated both the climatic and non-climatic factors are affecting agricultural practices as well as household food security of these farming communities. It is, therefore, difficult to isolate the influence of any of these factors. This was supported by the findings from the risk assessment undertaken by Bayesian modelling. Based on Bayesian modelling, the smallholder farmers mainly at the Mountain zone were at the risk of food insecurity. The measures to increase the adaptive capacity of these smallholders were found to help them manage the risk of food insecurity. Addressing the complicated and multifaceted concerns of climate change and food security needs multidisciplinary and multisectoral adaptation interventions acknowledging underlying biophysical, social, economic, geographical and environmental circumstances. Farmers have taken some actions to adapt and reduce the worsening impacts of climate change. Nevertheless, farmers encountered several barriers in effectively adapting to climate change. This study concluded there is an urgent need for a transformative level of intervention that warrants a coordinated action and collaboration between relevant stakeholders working in this field, including governments and non-governmental organizations, to target the most vulnerable and the needy smallholder farmers addressing the constraints and pressures they face. Policy and decision-makers should work extensively and sensitively with smallholders to ensure the maintenance of their livelihood and to guarantee their food security. Combining local and scientific knowledge is needed to help direct research and tailor adaptation solutions that meet local conditions and needs.

GLOBAL FASHION CONSUMPTION MOTIVES: A CROSS-CULTURAL COMPARISON OF APPAREL CONSUMER DECISION-MAKING CHARACTERISTICS IN THE USA, FRANCE, GERMANY AND AUSTRIA

Learners benefit from collaboration because it triggers effective interaction processes such as externalization, elicitation and negotiation of knowledge. In order to communicate effectively, learners need to have a certain representation of their peers' knowledge. We refer to the process of building and maintaining a representation of the peers' knowledge as peer knowledge modeling. The present thesis aim at making contributions to the fields of computer support collaborative learning and work (CSCL, CSCW) on three main levels. First, as an empirical contribution, we investigate the process of peer knowledge modeling in the context of CSCL. Our main research question inquires the effects of a socio-cognitive support, providing co-learners with cues about their peer's prior knowledge, on collaborative learning outcomes and processes. In an empirical study (the KAT experiment), university students (N=64) participated in a remote computer-mediated dyadic learning scenario. They were provided (or not) with a visual representation of their partner's prior-knowledge level through a Knowledge Awareness Tool (KAT). Results showed that the KAT enhances co-learners' collaborative learning gain. This effect appears to be mediated by the positive effect of the KAT on participants' accuracy in estimating their peer's knowledge. Analyses on the process level showed that participants of the KAT condition produce more elaborated utterances. KAT condition dyads' interactions are more focused on knowledge negotiation, whereas the control condition dyads are mainly focused on task completion. The KAT seems to provide a sensitizing metacognitive support, structuring and regulating the collaboration by helping co-learners to cope with their knowledge gaps and discrepancies. Second, as a methodological contribution, we examine the affordance of dual eye tracking techniques as an innovative methodology to investigate, on a deeper level, the socio-cognitive processes underlying collaboration. We introduce DUET (DUal Eye-Tracking), a method using a multimodal technique to collect rich data featuring peers' synchronized gaze patterns, verbal interaction and potentially activities. We examine the main research applications of DUET and exemplify them with analyses conducted in the context of the KAT experiment. DUET method appears to be a promising technique to investigate collaborative processes on a deep level. Finally, as a third computational contribution, we built upon micro-level analyses of the verbal referencing process to introduce and test REGARD, a computational model allowing to automatically detect verbal references and locate the specific object of reference. The results of the test show a reasonably good accuracy of the REGARD algorithm to detect and associate verbal references to objects of reference. We discuss the design and research application of the REGARD model for the field of CSCL, CSCW and more generally HCI.

BackgroundAn estimated 49.5 million children under five years of age are wasted. There is a lack of robust studies on effective interventions to prevent wasting. The aim of this study was to identify and prioritise the main outstanding research questions in relation to wasting prevention to inform future research agendas.MethodA research prioritisation exercise was conducted following the Child Health and Nutrition Research Initiative method. Identified research gaps were compiled from multiple sources, categorised into themes and streamlined into forty research questions by an expert group. A survey was then widely circulated to assess research questions according to four criteria. An overall research priority score was calculated to rank questions.FindingsThe prioritised questions have a strong focus on interventions. The importance of the early stages of life in determining later experiences of wasting was highlighted. Other important themes included the identification of at-risk infants and young children early in the progression of wasting and the roles of existing interventions and the health system in prevention.DiscussionThese results indicate consensus to support more research on the pathways to wasting encompassing the in-utero environment, on the early period of infancy and on the process of wasting and its early identification. They also reinforce how little is known about impactful interventions for the prevention of wasting.ConclusionThis exercise provides a five-year investment case for research that could most effectively improve on-the-ground programmes to prevent child wasting and inform supportive policy change.

Domain-Specific Languages: A Systematic Mapping Study

The main purpose of this study is to gain insight about scientific productivity and cooperation among Turkish language speaking countries in today’s conditions in which scientific cooperation has gained ever-increasing significance. The basic problematic of the current research is as follows: although scientific production and cooperation has gained a strategic importance and bibliometric studies have become popular on scientific production processes with reference to the number of academic publications and citations, academic studies on this field have not been carried out yet in Turkish language speaking countries. In the current study, a bibliometric analysis was done with reference to co-authored scientific documents and citations between 2000 and 2016 years in the countries being a member of “Turkic Council” which is one of the main international organizations aiming to institutionalize scientific cooperation in Turkic world. In the analyses obtained from Web of Science, the following phenomena were highlighted the number of academic documents, the number of citations, the number of academic documents per academic staff, the number of academic documents per institutions, the impact factors of the studies, the main research fields, the number of co-authored academic studies which the member countries carried out together and with the other countries and finally the languages used in these academic studies. The basic research question in the present research focuses on what kind of evolution appeared in the number of academic documents, their impact factors, co-authoring matter and their main research fields in Turkic Council member countries. The essential findings of this interdisciplinary study in which scientific research statistics of the member countries are presented in analyses along with geopolitical descriptions can be listed as follows; Turkey is the main research partner of Turkic Council member countries, Turkey has still kept its preliminary role in the process of scientific cooperation in Turkic world together with the end of the cold war, the other member countries except for Turkey have fallen behind considerably in the rank of publication and citation performance, the scientific cooperation among other member countries has not been activated yet despite the institutional moves of the Council, the use of Turkish language in the examined documents is rather scarce although Turkey occupies the scientific preliminary position and the Council is an international organization which is shaped under the framework of common language axis.