Full-body motion-based game interaction for older adults

Older adults in nursing homes often lead sedentary lifestyles, which reduces their life expectancy. Full-body motion-control games provide an opportunity for these adults to remain active and engaged; these games are not designed with age-related impairments in mind, which prevents the games from being leveraged to increase the activity levels of older adults. In this paper, we present two studies aimed at developing game design guidelines for full-body motion controls for older adults experiencing age-related changes and impairments. Our studies also demonstrate how full-body motion-control games can accommodate a variety of user abilities, have a positive effect on mood and, by extension, the emotional well-being of older adults. Based on our studies, we present seven guidelines for the design of full-body interaction in games. The guidelines are designed to foster safe physical activity among older adults, thereby increasing their quality of life. Copyright 2012 ACM

Fishtail effect and vortex dynamics in LiFeAs single crystals

We investigate the fishtail effect, critical current density ($J_c$) and vortex dynamics in LiFeAs single crystals. The sample exhibits a second peak (SP) in the magnetization loop only with the field $||$ c-axis. We calculate a reasonably high $J_c$, however, values are lower than in 'Ba-122' and '1111'-type FeAs-compounds. Magnetic relaxation data imply a strong pinning which appears not to be due to conventional defects. Instead, its behavior is similar to that of the triplet superconductor Sr$_2$RuO$_4$. Our data suggest that the origin of the SP may be related to a vortex lattice phase transition. We have constructed the vortex phase diagram for LiFeAs on the field-temperature plane.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figure

Phases of fossil fuel decline: Diagnostic framework for policy sequencing and feasible transition pathways in resource dependent regions

Phasing out fossil fuels requires destabilizing incumbent regimes while protecting vulnerable groups negatively affected by fossil fuel decline. We argue that sequencing destabilization and just transition policies addresses three policy problems: phasing out fossil fuels, transforming affected industries, and ensuring socio-economic recovery in fossil resource-dependent regions. We identify the key mechanisms shaping the evolution of the three systems associated with these policy problems: (i) transformations of technological systems addressed by the socio-technical transitions literature, (ii) responses of firms and industries addressed by the management and business literature and (iii) regional strategies for socio-economic recovery addressed by the regional geography and economics literatures. We then draw on Elinor Ostrom’s approach to synthesize these different bodies of knowledge into a diagnostic tool that enables scholars to identify the phase of decline for each system, within which the nature and importance of different risks to sustained fossil fuel decline varies. The main risk in the first phase is lock-in or persistence of status quo. In the second phase, the main risk is backlash from affected companies and workers. In the third phase, the main risk is regional despondence. We illustrate our diagnostic tool with three empirical cases of phases of coal decline: South Africa (Phase 1), the USA (Phase 2) and the Netherlands (Phase 3). Our review contributes to developing effective policy sequencing for phasing out fossil fuels

How Multidisciplinary is Gamification Research? : Results from a Scoping Review

Gamification has been repeatedly framed as an emerging multidisciplinary research field. However, it is unclear how multidisciplinary the field actually is. To answer this question, this paper presents initial results of a broader scoping review of gamification research published between 2010 and 2016. Close to 2,000 peer-reviewed English-language journal and conference papers were identified across 11 databases and categorized by discipline. Results indicate an explosive growth of literature peaking in 2015. Early on, Information and Computing Science dominated the field, to be overtaken by the sum of other disciplines in 2013, education, economics and tourism in specific. This indicates that gamification was initially a field within computer science and HCI and has only recently become truly multi-disciplinary

Leveraging icebreaking tasks to facilitate uptake of voice communication in multiplayer games

Voice Communication (VC) is widely employed by developers as an essential component of online games. Typically, it is assumed that communications through this mechanism will be helpful and enjoyable, but existing literature suggests that the entry into VC can be problematic. In this paper, we present a study that attempts to mitigate player discomfort when first engaging with VC with strangers, through the use of traditional icebreaking tasks. We integrate these into the game RET, an online cooperative first person shooter which requires effective communication for players to succeed. An online user study with 18 participants suggests that icebreaking tasks can contribute to a positive VC experience, but their inclusion also creates further issues to be considered for successful integration

Qualidade nutricional de plântulas de cultivares de trigo submetidas à inoculação com Azospirillum, bioestimulante e triadimenol

This study aimed to evaluate the nutritional quality of wheat seedlings subjected to treatments with biostimulant, triadimenol and Azospirillum brasilense. The experimental design was completely randomized, with four replications in a factorial scheme 3 x 8: three wheat cultivars and eight seed treatments. The cultivars used were CD-150, CD-116 and CD-104, and the treatments were a combination of the following: 150 g L-1 of triadimenol (TRI), 90 mg L-1 of kinetin + 50 mg L-1 of gibberellic acid + 50 mg L-1 of indolebutyric acid (KGA), and strains Ab-V5 and Ab-V6 of A. brasilense at the concentration of 2.0 x 108 viable cells mL-1, organized as follows: control, TRI, KGA, AZO, TRI+KGA, TRI+AZO, AZO+KGA and TRI+KGA+AZO. Germination (%), shoot and root dry matter, and the levels of N and K in plant shoot and root were evaluated. The results showed that: TRI, KGA and AZO do not interfere with seed germination of CD-150, CD-116 and CD-104; germination of wheat cultivar CD-104 is greater than of the cultivars CD-150 and CD-116; nutritional quality is affected by the performance of triadimenol in wheat seedlings in both shoot and root, and the isolated use of CGA increases the dry matter portion of the cultivars CD-150, CD-116 and CD-104; treatment KGA+AZO raises the nitrogen levels in the shoot and root in wheat seedlings in the early development of wheat cultivar CD-116.Objetivou-se avaliar a qualidade nutricional de plântulas de trigo submetidas aos tratamentos com bioestimulante, triadimenol e bactéria Azospirillum brasilense. O delineamento utilizado foi inteiramente casualizado, quatro repetições, esquema fatorial 3 x 8 (três cultivares de trigo e oito tratamentos de sementes). As cultivares foram CD-150, CD-116 e CD-104, e os tratamentos foram obtidos da combinação entre: 150 g L-1 de triadimenol (TRI); 90 mg L-1 de cinetina + 50 mg L-1 de ácido giberélico + 50 mg L-1 de ácido indolbutírico (CGA) e estirpes Ab-V5 e Ab-V6 de A. brasilense na concentração de 2,0 x 108 células viáveis mL-1, organizados da seguinte forma: testemunha; TRI; CGA; AZO; TRI+CGA; TRI+AZO; CGA+AZO e TRI+CGA+AZO. Foram avaliadas a germinação (%), matéria seca da parte aérea e raiz e o teor de N e K na parte aérea e raiz. Os resultados evidenciaram que: TRI, CGA e AZO não interferem na germinação das sementes da CD-150, CD-116 e CD-104; a germinação da cultivar de trigo CD-104 é maior que as cultivares CD-150 e CD-116; a qualidade nutricional é prejudicada pela atuação do triadimenol em plântulas de trigo tanto na parte aérea como na raiz, e a utilização isolada de CGA incrementa a massa de matéria seca de parte nas cultivares CD-150, CD-116 e CD-104; O tratamento CGA+AZO eleva o conteúdo de nitrogênio na parte aérea e raiz em plântulas de trigo e no desenvolvimento inicial da cultivar CD-116 de trigo

Telepresence and the Role of the Senses

The telepresence experience can be evoked in a number of ways. A well-known example is a player of videogames who reports about a telepresence experience, a subjective experience of being in one place or environment, even when physically situated in another place. In this paper we set the phenomenon of telepresence into a theoretical framework. As people react subjectively to stimuli from telepresence, empirical studies can give more evidence about the phenomenon. Thus, our contribution is to bridge the theoretical with the empirical. We discuss theories of perception with an emphasis on Heidegger, Merleau-Ponty and Gibson, the role of the senses and the Spinozian belief procedure. The aim is to contribute to our understanding of this phenomenon. A telepresence-study that included the affordance concept is used to empirically study how players report sense-reactions to virtual sightseeing in two cities. We investigate and explore the interplay of the philosophical and the empirical. The findings indicate that it is not only the visual sense that plays a role in this experience, but all senses

Games in Higher Education

International audienceThis entry presents an overview of how and why Learning Games are used in higher education.Learning Games can be defined as games that are designed to captivate the learners’ attention and facilitate their learning process. They have explicit educational purposes and can be used for teaching at all levels of education. All types of games can be used for learning: board games, card games, role-playing games, First Person Shooter games, simulation games, management games, puzzle games, treasure hunts…The main characteristic of Learning Games for higher education is the fact that they are designed to teach specific complex skills taught at university or during professional training programs. Unfortunately, it is not infrequent to observe strong opposition on the part of this target audience to this mode of learning, that these adult students associate with children.The use of Learning Games in primary school seems natural to teachers and is encouraged by specialists in didactics and neuroscience. This learning technique is much less frequently used in middle school and is almost completely absent from higher education. Yet teachers at all these levels are faced with the same problems, such as lack of motivation and investment, for which games are known to be an effective solution. This entry presents an overview of the games that can be used for higher education and the reasons why some teachers and students still show resistance to this type of learning. The numerous advantages of games for higher education will then be presented, citing games presently used in universities, in graduate schools and for professional training. Finally, thisDraft : Marfisi-Schottman I. (2019) Games in Higher Education. In: Tatnall A. (eds) Encyclopedia of Education and Information Technologies. Springer, Chamentry presents the current research questions that need to be addressed concerning the design of games for higher education and the acceptance of these games by teachers