User Modelling and Adaptive, Natural Interaction for Conflict Resolution

Confronting conflicts and coping with them is part of social life, since conflicts seem to arise in almost every context and developmental stage of human life. The personal and collective gains that follow conflict resolution have motivated scholars across many research fields to advocate the use of pro-social mechanisms for resolution. The Siren serious game aims to support teachers' role to educate young people on how to resolve conflicts, by employing user- and cultural adaptivity and affective, non-verbal interaction to provide interesting and relevant conflict scenarios and resolution approaches

A randomised controlled trial of the Neuro Emotional Technique (NET) for childhood Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): a protocol

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>An abundance of literature is dedicated to research for the treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Most, is in the area of pharmacological therapies with less emphasis in psychotherapy and psychosocial interventions and even less in the area of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM).</p> <p>The use of CAM has increased over the years, especially for developmental and behavioral disorders, such as ADHD. 60–65% of parents with children with ADHD have used CAM. Medical evidence supports a multidisciplinary approach (i.e. pharmacological and psychosocial) for the best clinical outcomes. The Neuro Emotional Technique (NET), a branch of Chiropractic, was designed to address the biopsychosocial aspects of acute and chronic conditions including non-musculoskeletal conditions. Anecdotally, it has been suggested that ADHD may be managed effectively by NET.</p> <p>Design/methods</p> <p>A placebo controlled, double blind randomised clinical trial was designed to assess the effectiveness of NET on a cohort of children with medically diagnosed ADHD.</p> <p>Children aged 5–12 years who met the inclusion criteria were randomised to one of three groups. The control group continued on their existing medical regimen and the intervention and placebo groups had the addition of the NET and sham NET protocols added to their regimen respectively. These two groups attended a clinical facility twice a week for the first month and then once a month for six months.</p> <p>The Conners' Parent and Teacher Rating Scales (CRS) were used at the start of the study to establish baseline data and then in one month and in seven months time, at the conclusion of the study. The primary outcome measures chosen were the Conners' ADHD Index and Conners' Global Index. The secondary outcome measures chosen were the DSM-IV: Inattentive, the DSM-IV:Hyperactive-Impulsive, and the DSM-IV:Total subscales from the Conners' Rating Scales, monitoring changes in inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity.</p> <p>Calculations for the sample size were set with a significance level of 0.05 and the power of 80%, yielding a sample size of 93.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>The present study should provide information as to whether the addition of NET to an existing medical regimen can improve outcomes for children with ADHD.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>Australian New Zealand Clinical Trial Registration Number: ANZCTRN 012606000332527</p

Chiropractic care for paediatric and adolescent Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A systematic review

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Psychostimulants are first line of therapy for paediatric and adolescent AD/HD. The evidence suggests that up to 30% of those prescribed stimulant medications do not show clinically significant outcomes. In addition, many children and adolescents experience side-effects from these medications. As a result, parents are seeking alternate interventions for their children. Complementary and alternative medicine therapies for behavioural disorders such as AD/HD are increasing with as many as 68% of parents having sought help from alternative practitioners, including chiropractors.</p> <p>Objective</p> <p>The review seeks to answer the question of whether chiropractic care can reduce symptoms of inattention, impulsivity and hyperactivity for paediatric and adolescent AD/HD.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Electronic databases (Cochrane CENTRAL register of Controlled Trials, Cochrane Database of Systematic reviews, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Scopus, ISI Web of Science, Index to Chiropractic Literature) were searched from inception until July 2009 for English language studies for chiropractic care and AD/HD. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied to select studies. All randomised controlled trials were evaluated using the Jadad score and a checklist developed from the CONSORT (Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials) guidelines.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The search yielded 58 citations of which 22 were intervention studies. Of these, only three studies were identified for paediatric and adolescent AD/HD cohorts. The methodological quality was poor and none of the studies qualified using inclusion criteria.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>To date there is insufficient evidence to evaluate the efficacy of chiropractic care for paediatric and adolescent AD/HD. The claim that chiropractic care improves paediatric and adolescent AD/HD, is only supported by low levels of scientific evidence. In the interest of paediatric and adolescent health, if chiropractic care for AD/HD is to continue, more rigorous scientific research needs to be undertaken to examine the efficacy and effectiveness of chiropractic treatment. Adequately-sized RCTs using clinically relevant outcomes and standardised measures to examine the effectiveness of chiropractic care verses no-treatment/placebo control or standard care (pharmacological and psychosocial care) are needed to determine whether chiropractic care is an effective alternative intervention for paediatric and adolescent AD/HD.</p

Modernism. The material picture of the bauhaus

295 σ.Ο άνθρωπος των κυκλάδων πίστευε ότι θα έφτιαχνε την μεγάλη θεά ή κάτι παρόμοιο. Εγώ στο παρίσι ξέρω τι θέλησε να κάνει. Όχι τον θεό αλλά τη γλυπτική. Pablo Picasso Η εργασία αυτή από τη μία προσπαθεί να θεωρήσει τα σημεία εκείνα που επιτρέπουν τον διάλογο για την τέχνη στην εποχή του μοντερνισμού και μετά μέσα από το παράδειγμα της Γερμανικής σχολής bauhaus να ανιχνεύσει την μετάφραση σε υλικούς καθημερινούς όρους των αντιλήψεων της μοντερνιστικής προτωπορίας.The Man of Cyclads belived that he was creating the great goddess or something similar to this. Me , in Paris , i know what he was trying to form. Not the goddess but sculpture herself. Pablo Picasso This Thesis is a try on finding the points that allow the discussion for art in the modern Era. Secondly, through the example of the German School bauhuas, finds the ways that the modernistic cultural aesthetics managed to transport into everyday life "values" .Ιωάννης Α. Καρπούζη