Understanding learning within a commercial video game: A case study

There has been an increasing interest in the debate on the value and relevance using video games for learning. Some of the interest stems from frustration with current educational methods. However, some of this interest also stems from the observations of large numbers of children that play video games. This paper finds that children can learn basic construction skills from playing a video game called World of Goo. The study also employed novel eye-tracking technology to measure endogenous eye blinks and eye gaze fixations. Measures of both these indicators of cognitive processing further suggested that children in the study learned to play the two video games, World of Goo and Bad Piggies. Overall, the results of the study provide further support of the potential for children to learn by playing commercial video games

Advances in understanding large-scale responses of the water cycle to climate change

Globally, thermodynamics explains an increase in atmospheric water vapor with warming of around 7%/°C near to the surface. In contrast, global precipitation and evaporation are constrained by the Earth's energy balance to increase at ∼2–3%/°C. However, this rate of increase is suppressed by rapid atmospheric adjustments in response to greenhouse gases and absorbing aerosols that directly alter the atmospheric energy budget. Rapid adjustments to forcings, cooling effects from scattering aerosol, and observational uncertainty can explain why observed global precipitation responses are currently difficult to detect but are expected to emerge and accelerate as warming increases and aerosol forcing diminishes. Precipitation increases with warming are expected to be smaller over land than ocean due to limitations on moisture convergence, exacerbated by feedbacks and affected by rapid adjustments. Thermodynamic increases in atmospheric moisture fluxes amplify wet and dry events, driving an intensification of precipitation extremes. The rate of intensification can deviate from a simple thermodynamic response due to in‐storm and larger‐scale feedback processes, while changes in large‐scale dynamics and catchment characteristics further modulate the frequency of flooding in response to precipitation increases. Changes in atmospheric circulation in response to radiative forcing and evolving surface temperature patterns are capable of dominating water cycle changes in some regions. Moreover, the direct impact of human activities on the water cycle through water abstraction, irrigation, and land use change is already a significant component of regional water cycle change and is expected to further increase in importance as water demand grows with global population

Two Decades of Game Jams

In less than a year's time, March 2022 will mark the twentieth anniversary of the first documented game jam, the Indie Game Jam, which took place in Oakland, California in 2002. Initially, game jams were widely seen as frivolous activities. Since then, they have taken the world by storm. Game jams have not only become part of the day-to-day process of many game developers, but jams are also used for activist purposes, for learning and teaching, as part of the experience economy, for making commercial prototypes that gamers can vote on, and more. Beyond surveying game jams and the relevant published scientific literature from the last two decades, this paper has several additional contributions. It builds a history of game jams, and proposes two different taxonomies of game jams - a historical and a categorical. In addition, it discusses the definition of game jam and identifies the most active research areas within the game jam community such as the interplay and development with local communities, the study and analysis of game jammers and organisers, and works that bring a critical look on game jams

Game Jam [4Research]

International audienceRecent years have witnessed a rise in Game Jams - organized events to create playable prototypes in avery short time frame. Game Jams offer a unique and quick way to prototype games. Beyond that, we believe Game Jams can also be seen as a design research method, situated in the research-through-design tradition, to create knowledge in a fast-paced, collaborative environment. The goal of this Game Jam is thus twofold: first, participants will use the Game Jam approach to investigate a research question; second, participants can, through actual practice, identify advantages and disadvantages of Game Jams as a research method. Hereby the Game Jam workshop provides a unique opportunity for HCI practitioners and researchers to gain experience in applying gameoriented methods for research

Putting knowledge to work in clinical practice: understanding experiences of preceptorship as outcomes of interconnected domains of learning.

AIM: To explore how preceptor support can assist newly qualified nurses (NQNs) to put knowledge to work across interconnected forms of knowledge when delegating to health care assistants (HCAs). BACKGROUND: Current literature on preceptorship in nursing has failed to explore how competence is underpinned by knowledge frameworks in clinical practice. DESIGN: An ethnographic case study in three hospital sites in England (2011-2014). METHODS: Data collection included participant observation, interviews with 33 newly qualified nurses, 10 HCAs and 12 ward managers. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. A tool to assist NQNs to delegate and supervise NQNs during the preceptorship period was developed and piloted with thirteen NQNs in the same sites. A process evaluation was undertaken. FINDINGS: Focusing on a key task for NQNS, delegation to HCAs, we argue that preceptorship can support NQNs as they put knowledge to work in the transition from qualifying student to NQN. In supportive ward cultures, limited access to formal preceptorship can be bolstered by team support. NQNs in less supportive ward cultures may have both a greater need for preceptorship and have fewer compensatory mechanisms available to them when formal preceptorship is not available. We argue that organisational learning contexts and individual learning styles (interconnected domains of learning) are key to understanding effective preceptorship. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that putting knowledge to work early in their careers with preceptorship support may assist NQNs to develop confidence and competence in delegation and supervision of health care assistants. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Atmospheric precursors for intense summer rainfall over the UK

Intense sub‐daily summer rainfall is linked to flooding impacts in the UK. Characterizing the atmospheric conditions prior to the rainfall event can improve understanding of the large‐scale mechanisms involved. The most intense sub‐daily rainfall intensity data generated from rain gauge records across the UK over the period 1979‐2014 are combined with fields from the ERA Interim reanalysis to characterize atmospheric conditions prior to heavy rainfall events. The 200 most intense 3‐hourly events for six UK regions are associated with negative anomalies in sea level pressure (< –2 hPa) and 200hPa geopotential height (<–60m) to the west or south west of the UK 1 day earlier, with above average moisture, evaporation and dewpoint temperature over north west Europe. Atmospheric precursors are more intense but less coherent between regions for composites formed of the 25 heaviest rainfall events but all display substantial moisture transport from the south or south east prior to their occurrence. Composites for the heaviest events are characterised by a tripole geopotential anomaly pattern across the north Atlantic. Above average geopotential height and dewpoint temperature over Newfoundland and below average geopotential height but elevated evaporation in the north Atlantic are found to be weakly associated with an increased chance of the most intense sub‐daily rainfall events 5 to 9 days later

Multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging in mucosal primary head and neck cancer: A prospective imaging biomarker study

Background: Radical radiotherapy, with or without concomitant chemotherapy forms the mainstay of organ preservation approaches in mucosal primary head and neck cancer. Despite technical advances in cancer imaging and radiotherapy administration, a significant proportion of patients fail to achieve a complete response to treatment. For those patients who do achieve a complete response, acute and late toxicities remain a cause of morbidity. A critical need therefore exists for imaging biomarkers which are capable of informing patient selection for both treatment intensification and de-escalation strategies. Methods/design: A prospective imaging study has been initiated, aiming to recruit patients undergoing radical radiotherapy (RT) or chemoradiotherapy (CRT) for mucosal primary head and neck cancer (MPHNC). Eligible patients are imaged using FDG-PET/CT before treatment, at the end of week 3 of treatment and 12 weeks after treatment completion according to local imaging policy. Functional MRI using diffusion weighted (DWI), blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD ) and dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE) sequences is carried out prior to, during and following treatment. Information regarding treatment outcomes will be collected, as well as physician-scored and patient-reported toxicity. Discussion: The primary objective is to determine the correlation of functional MRI sequences with tumour response as determined by FDG-PET/CT and clinical findings at 12 weeks post-treatment and with local control at 12 months post-treatment. Secondary objectives include prospective correlation of functional MRI and PET imaging with disease-free survival and overall survival, defining the optimal time points for functional MRI assessment of treatment response, and determining the sensitivity and specificity of functional MRI sequences for assessment of potential residual disease following treatment. If the study is able to successfully characterise tumours based on their functional MRI scan characteristics, this would pave the way for further studies refining treatment approaches based on prognostic and predictive imaging data

Association of Body Mass and Brain Activation during Gastric Distention: Implications for Obesity

BACKGROUND:Gastric distention (GD), as it occurs during meal ingestion, signals a full stomach and it is one of the key mechanisms controlling food intake. Previous studies on GD showed lower activation of the amygdala for subjects with higher body mass index (BMI). Since obese subjects have dopaminergic deficits that correlate negatively with BMI and the amygdala is innervated by dopamine neurons, we hypothesized that BMI would correlate negatively with activation not just in the amygdala but also in other dopaminergic brain regions (midbrain and hypothalamus). METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS:We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to evaluate brain activation during GD in 24 healthy subjects with BMI range of 20-39 kg/m(2). Using multiple regression and cross-correlation analyses based on a family-wise error corrected threshold P = 0.05, we show that during slow GD to maximum volumes of 500 ml and 700 ml subjects with increased BMI had increased activation in cerebellum and left posterior insula, and decreased activation of dopaminergic (amygdala, midbrain, hypothalamus, thalamus) and serotonergic (pons) brain regions and anterior insula, regions that were functionally interconnected with one another. CONCLUSIONS:The negative correlation between BMI and BOLD responses to gastric distention in dopaminergic (midbrain, hypothalamus, amygdala, thalamus) and serotonergic (pons) brain regions is consistent with disruption of dopaminergic and serotonergic signaling in obesity. In contrast the positive correlation between BMI and BOLD responses in posterior insula and cerebellum suggests an opposing mechanism that promotes food intake in obese subjects that may underlie their ability to consume at once large food volumes despite increasing gastric distention

An early Phase II randomised controlled trial testing the effect on persecutory delusions of using CBT to reduce negative cognitions about the self: the potential benefits of enhancing self confidence

Background Research has shown that paranoia may directly build on negative ideas about the self. Feeling inferior can lead to ideas of vulnerability. The clinical prediction is that decreasing negative self cognitions will reduce paranoia. Method Thirty patients with persistent persecutory delusions were randomised to receive brief CBT in addition to standard care or to standard care (ISRCTN06118265). The six session intervention was designed to decrease negative, and increase positive, self cognitions. Assessments at baseline, 8 weeks (posttreatment) and 12 weeks were carried out by a rater blind to allocation. The primary outcomes were posttreatment scores for negative self beliefs and paranoia. Secondary outcomes were psychological well-being, positive beliefs about the self, persecutory delusions, social comparison, self-esteem, anxiety, and depression. Results Trial recruitment and retention were feasible and the intervention highly acceptable to the patients. All patients provided follow-up data. Posttreatment there was a small reduction in negative self beliefs (Cohen's d = 0.24) and a moderate reduction in paranoia (d = 0.59), but these were not statistically significant. There were statistically significant improvements in psychological well-being (d = 1.16), positive beliefs about the self (d = 1.00), negative social comparison (d = 0.88), self-esteem (d = 0.62), and depression (d = 0.68). No improvements were maintained. No adverse events were associated with the intervention. Conclusions The intervention produced short-term gains consistent with the prediction that improving cognitions about the self will reduce persecutory delusions. The improvement in psychological well-being is important in its own right. We recommend that the different elements of the intervention are tested separately and that the treatment is lengthened