The 2014 General Video Game Playing Competition

This paper presents the framework, rules, games, controllers, and results of the first General Video Game Playing Competition, held at the IEEE Conference on Computational Intelligence and Games in 2014. The competition proposes the challenge of creating controllers for general video game play, where a single agent must be able to play many different games, some of them unknown to the participants at the time of submitting their entries. This test can be seen as an approximation of general artificial intelligence, as the amount of game-dependent heuristics needs to be severely limited. The games employed are stochastic real-time scenarios (where the time budget to provide the next action is measured in milliseconds) with different winning conditions, scoring mechanisms, sprite types, and available actions for the player. It is a responsibility of the agents to discover the mechanics of each game, the requirements to obtain a high score and the requisites to finally achieve victory. This paper describes all controllers submitted to the competition, with an in-depth description of four of them by their authors, including the winner and the runner-up entries of the contest. The paper also analyzes the performance of the different approaches submitted, and finally proposes future tracks for the competition

The 2016 Two-Player GVGAI Competition

This paper showcases the setting and results of the first Two-Player General Video Game AI competition, which ran in 2016 at the IEEE World Congress on Computational Intelligence and the IEEE Conference on Computational Intelligence and Games. The challenges for the general game AI agents are expanded in this track from the single-player version, looking at direct player interaction in both competitive and cooperative environments of various types and degrees of difficulty. The focus is on the agents not only handling multiple problems, but also having to account for another intelligent entity in the game, who is expected to work towards their own goals (winning the game). This other player will possibly interact with first agent in a more engaging way than the environment or any non-playing character may do. The top competition entries are analyzed in detail and the performance of all agents is compared across the four sets of games. The results validate the competition system in assessing generality, as well as showing Monte Carlo Tree Search continuing to dominate by winning the overall Championship. However, this approach is closely followed by Rolling Horizon Evolutionary Algorithms, employed by the winner of the second leg of the contest

Arabic and contact-induced change

This volume offers a synthesis of current expertise on contact-induced change in Arabic and its neighbours, with thirty chapters written by many of the leading experts on this topic. Its purpose is to showcase the current state of knowledge regarding the diverse outcomes of contacts between Arabic and other languages, in a format that is both accessible and useful to Arabists, historical linguists, and students of language contact

Arabic and contact-induced change

This volume offers a synthesis of current expertise on contact-induced change in Arabic and its neighbours, with thirty chapters written by many of the leading experts on this topic. Its purpose is to showcase the current state of knowledge regarding the diverse outcomes of contacts between Arabic and other languages, in a format that is both accessible and useful to Arabists, historical linguists, and students of language contact

Arabic and contact-induced change

This volume offers a synthesis of current expertise on contact-induced change in Arabic and its neighbours, with thirty chapters written by many of the leading experts on this topic. Its purpose is to showcase the current state of knowledge regarding the diverse outcomes of contacts between Arabic and other languages, in a format that is both accessible and useful to Arabists, historical linguists, and students of language contact

De-colonizing Language Needs: A Critical Ethnographic Study of Former and Current Teachers’ Language Dispositions and How Taking a Multicultural Education Course Mediates Those Dispositions

The purpose of this critical ethnographic research was to examine how taking a Multicultural Education course mediated teachers’ language dispositions. Particularly, this study examined how language and culture have a profound connection that is largely unrecognized in the American education system, and how lack of respect for the home language of students by their teachers leads to negative attitudes towards the children and impedes students’ academic progress. This study used a theoretical and conceptual framework that incorporate intersectionality (Crenshaw, 1991) as its research paradigm to understand the interaction and overlapping roles of language and culture in society, and how neoliberal economic trends manipulate this connection and negatively impact language practices in education. There is not one theory of intersectionality; hence, this research also utilized the vectors of neoliberal education policy and practice with respect to No Child Left Behind (2002) and its English-only emphasis, mainstream teachers’ deficit perspective towards linguistically diverse learners (LDL), and the postcolonial lens to deconstruct English as a canon. Intersectional theory also offered a design for effective interventions on behalf of linguistically diverse learners by tethering Culturally Responsive Pedagogy (CRP), Critical Social Theory (CST), and delivering Quality Education (Leonardo, 2004) to establish a Linguistically Responsive Teaching Environment (LRTE). This research employed two phases. In Phase I, participants completed a 15-minute online survey that focused on current and former teachers’ demographic information, teaching profile, education background, and teaching disposition, additionally offering open-ended critical reflection questions to solicit opinions of the participants. For Phase II, participants were selected using Criterion-i sampling from the existing Phase I participants. Personal one-hour-long face-to- face or e-interviews were conducted to achieve a comprehensive understanding of results obtained in Phase I. In summary, this study used a combination of two data sources to distill the themes and patterns related to teachers’ language dispositions, in connection with their in-class thinking and behavior while teaching the LDLs. Largely, the study found that taking a Multicultural Education course impacts teachers’ language dispositions but in varying degrees due to interplay of other factors such as teachers’ own linguistic and cultural background, years of teaching experience, formal ESL teacher/student experience, and the amount of LDL interaction—all of which also play a vital role in shaping language dispositions of the educators. The study reaffirmed that it is easy for teachers to build connection with students of similar language or cultural background as their own. Despite their awareness about the growing numbers of linguistically and culturally diverse students, most participants felt unprepared and unsupported to teach in a linguistically responsive manner. Further, the study argues that mainstream teachers’ value-added dispositions towards LDLs’ first language reflect positively on their classroom behavior and language inclusive pedagogies, which are vital to LDLs’ academic success

Muscle strengthening in stroke rehabilitation: knowledge of and barriers to its use by UK neuro-physiotherapists

Deficits in muscle strength are common after stroke and have a strong relationship to functional limitations experienced by stroke patients. Resistance muscle strengthening has been advocated in stroke rehabilitation, yet uptake in clinical practice appears limited. What constitutes muscle strengthening and the barriers and challenges preventing clinicians from implementing its use has not been investigated. This study provides an insight into the clinical decision making process by neuro-physiotherapists, factors that influence their decision to undertake strength training in stroke rehabilitation and the potential barriers to the implementation of muscle strength training. A cross-sectional survey of 700 neuro-physiotherapists registered with the Association of Physiotherapists in Neurology (ACPIN) was conducted with a response rate of 57.2% (N = 401). The results showed 87.5% (N = 351) respondent neuro-physiotherapists undertake muscle strengthening χ2 = 3.16, df = 3, p = 0.37. Factors that influenced the use of muscle strengthening included reading of literature (χ2 = 31.9, df = 1, p < 0.05); attending continuous professional development programmes (χ2 = 86.2, df = 1, p < 0.05); and specialism of practice (χ2 = 66.65, df = 5, p < 0.05); while years of practice, and the number of patients managed weekly had a weak positive association. Comparative analysis showed that factors that constitute barriers to the use of muscle strengthening included: lack of time, excess work load, reduced staff, and poor cognitive abilities of the patients. It was also observed that neuro-physiotherapists were inclined to use an eclectic management approach in stroke rehabilitation, rather than a single based treatment approach. Key Words: Muscle weakness, Muscle strength training, Knowledge, Clinical decision making, Barriers, Evidence-Based Practice

Exploring the relationship between metabolic syndrome and sleep amongst adults in the UK

The metabolic syndrome (MetS) is routinely operationalised as a cluster of adverse risk factors for both cardiovascular heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Amongst the risk factors which may contribute to the development (and consequences) of MetS is sleep. The overarching aim of the present thesis is to generate an improved understanding of the available evidence regarding the speculative relationship between sleep and MetS. After a systematic review and meta-analysis of previous empirical studies exploring the relationship between MetS and sleep, the present study draws on a large-scale, nationally representative survey of UK adults in which directly measured and self-reported MetS symptoms/components and self-reported sleep characteristics have been recorded; and assesses the reliability of self-reported indicators of MetS before re-evaluating the association between MetS and sleep. The systematic review suggested that, while there is some evidence of an association between MetS and sleep across a range of sleep-related characteristics, this evidence draws on a small number of non-UK cross-sectional studies, some of which involved methods that are prone to error and bias. On the other hand, the self-reported MetS components identified in the UKHLS questionnaires provided substantial agreement with direct measures thereof. The subsequent associations observed between three key components of MetS (elevated waist circumference; high blood pressure; and diabetes – and different combinations thereof) and seven self-reported sleep characteristics were dependent upon: the specific sleep characteristic examined; the choice of referent group used; adjustment for sociodemographic and/or lifestyle covariates; and the use of self-reported or directly measured MetS components. Key differences between these findings and those of previous studies suggest these associations remain speculative and subject to methodological and contextual variation between studies

Exploring the relationship between metabolic syndrome and sleep amongst adults in the UK

The metabolic syndrome (MetS) is routinely operationalised as a cluster of adverse risk factors for both cardiovascular heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Amongst the risk factors which may contribute to the development (and consequences) of MetS is sleep. The overarching aim of the present thesis is to generate an improved understanding of the available evidence regarding the speculative relationship between sleep and MetS. After a systematic review and meta-analysis of previous empirical studies exploring the relationship between MetS and sleep, the present study draws on a large-scale, nationally representative survey of UK adults in which directly measured and self-reported MetS symptoms/components and self-reported sleep characteristics have been recorded; and assesses the reliability of self-reported indicators of MetS before re-evaluating the association between MetS and sleep. The systematic review suggested that, while there is some evidence of an association between MetS and sleep across a range of sleep-related characteristics, this evidence draws on a small number of non-UK cross-sectional studies, some of which involved methods that are prone to error and bias. On the other hand, the self-reported MetS components identified in the UKHLS questionnaires provided substantial agreement with direct measures thereof. The subsequent associations observed between three key components of MetS (elevated waist circumference; high blood pressure; and diabetes – and different combinations thereof) and seven self-reported sleep characteristics were dependent upon: the specific sleep characteristic examined; the choice of referent group used; adjustment for sociodemographic and/or lifestyle covariates; and the use of self-reported or directly measured MetS components. Key differences between these findings and those of previous studies suggest these associations remain speculative and subject to methodological and contextual variation between studies

Rumo a uma mudança efetiva: uma reflexão sobre o passado, presente e futuro da educação ambiental

Global environmental changes, including climate change, constitute a broad and complex challenge that requires multi-level and multidisciplinary approaches. Going beyond the sphere of scientific research, global environmental changes need to be addressed by all sectors of society, with public engagement being essential. Environmental education was idealized as a holistic and interdisciplinary lifelong process that should be an important part of every citizen’s life, promoting an active and informed engagement of individuals and communities in environmental issues. Nevertheless, through time, environmental education has drifted away from its core principles and guidelines, becoming a narrowed version of itself. Several factors have been contributing to the shortcoming of environmental education, including low levels of integration with communities. Thus, this thesis aims to provide and intervention methodology that will contribute for a stronger and transversal integration of environmental education in society, strengthening the connection to social and health areas. This multidisciplinary vision allows for a broader approach of the socioecological system that comprehends the way through which individuals and communities interact with nature. The first study corresponds to a systematic review that reflects the state of the art regarding the impact of nature-based interventions in overall human wellbeing. Twenty-six studies reporting the benefits of nature to human wellbeing (physical, social and psychological) were included. Despite the existence of methodological limitations that require results to be interpreted with caution, it was concluded that the already existent evidence sustains the beneficial role of nature for human overall wellbeing. The second study assesses the impact of a nature-based holistic development methodology aimed at promoting domestic violence victims’ wellbeing. Project CarryOn – Ecosystem services and their role in domestic violence victims’ support processes encompassed environmental educations’ holistic and interdisciplinary character, and its high potential as a resource for social intervention. This project aimed to promote domestic violence victims’ wellbeing, but also to raise awareness to the importance of nature to human wellbeing, contributing to strengthen the link between individuals and nature. The results reported several significant improvements in the victims’ wellbeing, including improved overall life quality, psychological adjustment and selfesteem. These results support the claim that nature should be an integral part of promotional, restorative and therapeutic processes. Connecting with nature appears to be essential to ensure access to its benefits and for the development of pro-environmental behaviors. Therefore, 9 assessing levels of nature connection is quite important. Nature relatedness scale proved to be a suitable instrument, assessing three dimensions of the individual’s connection with nature (self, perspective and experience). This scale was applied in Project CarryOn, though not yet validated for the Portuguese population. In order to address the lack of an instrument to evaluate nature connection validated for the Portuguese population, the validation study of the nature relatedness scale was performed. This study showed a good adjustment of the proposed models for both forms of the scale (full and short). Despite the positive and noteworthy contributes, environmental education’s potential has not yet been fully explored. A greater awareness of the importance of nature to human wellbeing may be a determinant factor to the adoption of pro-environmental behaviors and to nature conservation support. Thus, the integration of environmental education in social and health interventions can be beneficial for all stakeholders, allowing it to reach society as whole and enhancing the bond between individuals/communities and nature. This socio-ecological approach may also be the key to renew environmental education’s public trust and support, clarifying its importance and usefulness.As alterações ambientais globais, incluindo as alterações climáticas, constituem um desafio amplo e complexo que requer abordagens multiníveis e multidisciplinares. Indo além da esfera da pesquisa científica, as alterações ambientais globais precisam ser abordadas por todos os setores da sociedade, sendo essencial o envolvimento do público. A educação ambiental, idealizada como um processo contínuo, holístico e interdisciplinar, foi perspetivada como um importante pilar na promoção da sustentabilidade e na superação dos desafios ambientais. No entanto, ao longo do tempo, desviou-se dos seus princípios e linhas-guia, tornando-se uma versão reduzida de si mesma. Vários fatores têm vindo a contribuir para esta situação, incluindo baixos níveis de integração com as comunidades. Esta tese visa assim providenciar uma metodologia de intervenção promotora de uma integração transversal da educação ambiental na sociedade, reforçando a ligação às áreas social e de saúde. Através desta visão multidisciplinar, é estabelecida uma abordagem abrangente e compreensiva do sistema socio ecológico que integra a forma como indivíduos e comunidades interagem com o meio natural. O primeiro estudo apresentado corresponde a uma revisão sistemática que reflete o estado da arte sobre o impacto de intervenções baseadas na natureza no bem-estar humano. Foram incluídos 26 estudos que reportam diversos benefícios da natureza para o bem-estar humano (físico, social e psicológico). Apesar de limitações metodológicas que impõem uma interpretação cautelosa dos resultados, concluiu-se que as evidências já existentes apoiam o papel benéfico dos ambientes naturais para o bem-estar geral dos seres humanos. O segundo estudo reporta o impacto de uma metodologia de desenvolvimento holística, baseada no recurso aos serviços dos ecossistemas naturais, direcionada para a promoção do bem-estar de vítimas de violência doméstica. O Projeto CarryOn - Serviços de ecossistemas e seu papel nos processos de apoio às vítimas de violência doméstica foi desenvolvido tendo em conta o carácter holístico e interdisciplinar da educação ambiental, assim como o seu importante papel na esfera da intervenção social. Este projeto visou promover o bem-estar de vítimas de violências doméstica, assim como consciencializar para a importância da natureza para o bem-estar humano, fortalecendo a ligação entre indivíduos e natureza. Os resultados obtidos mostraram mudanças positivas em diversas dimensões do bem-estar das vítimas participantes, incluindo qualidade de vida em geral, ajustamento psicológico e autoestima. Estes resultados apoiam 7 o argumento de que a natureza deveria ser um recurso integrante de processos promocionais, restaurativos e terapêuticos. A conexão com a natureza parece ser essencial para garantir o acesso aos seus benefícios e para o desenvolvimento de comportamentos próambientais. Portanto, avaliar os níveis de conexão da natureza reveste-se de elevada importância. Dos vários instrumentos analisados, a Nature relatedness scale provou ser um instrumento adequado, avaliando três dimensões da conexão do indivíduo com a natureza (self, perspetiva e experiência). Este instrumento foi aplicado no processo de avaliação do Projeto CarryOn, embora não se encontrasse validado para a população portuguesa. De modo a colmatar esta lacuna, foi realizado o estudo de validação da Nature relatedness scale para a população portuguesa. Este estudo mostrou um bom ajustamento dos modelos propostos para ambas as versões (completa e curta) da escala original. Apesar das importantes contribuições dadas, o potencial da educação ambiental ainda não foi totalmente explorado. Uma maior consciência da importância da natureza para o bem-estar humano pode ser um fator determinante para a adoção de comportamentos pró-ambientais e apoio à conservação da natureza. Assim, a integração da educação ambiental em intervenções sociais e na área da saúde torna-se benéfico para todos os envolvidos. Permite que a educação ambiental alcance a sociedade como um todo, dando importantes contributos para a vida comunitária e individual, reforçando o elo entre comunidades/indivíduos e natureza. Uma abordagem socioecológica pode também ser um meio para renovar a confiança e o apoio público na educação ambiental, clarificando a sua importância e utilidade.Programa Cidadania Ativa, financiado pelo Mecanismo Financeiro do Espaço Económico Europeu (EEA Grants), e da Sociedade Portuguesa de Vida SelvagemPrograma Doutoral em Biologia e Ecologia das Alterações Globai