Probability Distributions.- Linear Models for Regression.- Linear Models for Classification.- Neural Networks.- Kernel Methods.- Sparse Kernel Machines.- Graphical Models.- Mixture Models and EM.- Approximate Inference.- Sampling Methods.- Continuous Latent Variables.- Sequential Data.- Combining Models.

Pattern Recognition and Machine Learning

Deposits of clastic carbonate-dominated (calciclastic) sedimentary slope systems in the rock record have been identified mostly as linearly-consistent carbonate apron deposits, even though most ancient clastic carbonate slope deposits fit the submarine fan systems better. Calciclastic submarine fans are consequently rarely described and are poorly understood. Subsequently, very little is known especially in mud-dominated calciclastic submarine fan systems. Presented in this study are a sedimentological core and petrographic characterisation of samples from eleven boreholes from the Lower Carboniferous of Bowland Basin (Northwest England) that reveals a >250 m thick calciturbidite complex deposited in a calciclastic submarine fan setting. Seven facies are recognised from core and thin section characterisation and are grouped into three carbonate turbidite sequences. They include: 1) Calciturbidites, comprising mostly of highto low-density, wavy-laminated bioclast-rich facies; 2) low-density densite mudstones which are characterised by planar laminated and unlaminated muddominated facies; and 3) Calcidebrites which are muddy or hyper-concentrated debrisflow deposits occurring as poorly-sorted, chaotic, mud-supported floatstones. These

Phd by thesis

Data Mining Practical Machine Learning Tools and Techniques

The power of feedback.

Emotion and Adaptation

In this chapter, we give an overview of the FearNot! virtual drama system constructed for use in education against bullying. The motivation for the system is discussed and the chapter considers issues relating to believability. It describes the emotionally driven architecture used for characters as well as the management of the overall story and finally considers issues relating to evaluation of systems like this.

Affective Agents for Education Against Bullying

The objective of our current work was to create a model for agent memory retrieval of emotionally relevant episodes. We analyzed agent architectures that support memory retrieval realizing that none fulfilled all of our requirements. We designed an episodic memory retrieval model consisting of two main steps: location ecphory, in which the agent's current location is matched against stored memories associated locations; and recollective experience, in which memories that had a positive match are re-appraised. We implemented our model and used it to drive the behavior of characters in a game application. We recorded the application running and used the videos to create a non-interactive evaluation. The evaluation's results are consistent with our hypothesis that agents with memory retrieval of emotionally relevant episodes would be perceived as more believable than similar agents without it.

/pdf/i-ve-been-here-before-location-and-appraisal-in-memory-4wu7m2hmhv.pdf

I've been here before!: location and appraisal in memory retrieval

As virtual characters become more autonomous, their use in interactive drama is growing. By creating interesting and well authored personalities, these characters are able to interact with each other and create appealing non-scripted stories. As with any other story, we may want to re-tell it or create a summary of the essential parts. Our goal was to create comic-like summaries of these stories. This paper presents a system that analyses story logs, looks at the characters' emotional information to understand their actions and their importance in the story, selects the most important events and creates comic strips. Forty users evaluated the system and the results show that the summaries driven by the characters' emotional information are effective when compared with showing the stories as they unfold.

/pdf/so-tell-me-what-happened-turning-agent-based-interactive-29ljhietqp.pdf

So tell me what happened: turning agent-based interactive drama into comics

Addressing the problems of bullying in schools, this paper presents a novel and highly innovative pedagogical approach, building on the immersive power of virtual role-play. Educational role-play is widely accepted as a powerful instrument to change attitudes and behaviour, but faces some difficulties and disadvantages when applied to sensitive social issues in the classroom. This paper shows how the FearNot! software application, developed within the scope of the EU-funded projects VICTEC (Virtual ICT with Empathic Characters) and eCIRCUS (Education through Characters with emotional-Intelligence and Role-playing Capabilities that Understand Social interaction) uses virtual role-play and autonomous agents to provide children aged eight to eleven years of age with the opportunity to visit a virtual school environment populated by 3D animated synthetic characters that engage in bullying episodes. The characters’ actions and the storyline are created as improvised dramas by use of emergent narrative, resulting in unscripted and highly believable interaction experiences for the learner. While the students are spectators to the bullying episodes that unfold among the FearNot! characters, the victimised character starts a conversation with the student in between the episodes, describing their experiences with bullying and how they feel as a result to it, and asking the student for advice. The aim of this approach and particularly of this interaction sequence in between the virtual bullying episodes is to sensitise primary school students to the potential problems that victims of persistent aggressive behaviour are facing: By triggering an empathic relationship between learners and characters, learners understand and vicariously feel into the plight of the victimised character. Empirical evidence from bullying research implies that bullies are regularly reinforced by bystanders that witness the bullying and turn their attention to it, but do not actively intervene to end it (Craig & Pepler 1996; Lean 1998; Salmivalli 1999; Hawkins et al. 2001). Hence, this intervention strategy targets these bystanders to stand up to the bully and help the victim, due to their heightened awareness and sensitivity to the grave consequences victims face. Preliminary evaluation results indicate that the children were willing to immerse themselves in the virtual drama and that they empathically engage with the characters, attributing a range of emotions to the characters depending on the events that happen within the respective scenario. An ongoing long-term intervention in school in the UK and Germany covers several interactions with the software over a ten week period of time.

/pdf/e-motional-learning-in-primary-schools-fearnot-an-anti-2evv13icfk.pdf

e-Motional Learning in Primary Schools: FearNot! An Anti-Bullying Intervention Based on Virtual Role-Play with Intelligent Synthetic Characters.

In this paper, we study the influence of a handshake in the human emotional bond to a robot. In particular, we evaluate the human willingness to help a robot whether the robot first introduces itself to the human with or without a handshake. In the tested paradigm the robot and the human have to perform a joint task, but at a certain stage, the robot needs help to navigate through an obstacle. Without requesting explicit help from the human, the robot performs some attempts to navigate through the obstacle, suggesting to the human that it requires help. In a study with 45 participants, we measure the human's perceptions of the social robot Vizzy, comparing the handshake vs non-handshake conditions. In addition, we evaluate the influence of a handshake in the pro-social behaviour of helping it and the willingness to help it in the future. The results show that a handshake increases the perception of Warmth, Animacy, Likeability, and the tendency to help the robot more, by removing the obstacle.

Ana Paiva

Papers

Affective Agents for Education Against Bullying

I've been here before!: location and appraisal in memory retrieval

So tell me what happened: turning agent-based interactive drama into comics

e-Motional Learning in Primary Schools: FearNot! An Anti-Bullying Intervention Based on Virtual Role-Play with Intelligent Synthetic Characters.

The Power of a Hand-shake in Human-Robot Interactions