[1] Since 1950, the warmest and coldest days and nights of the year have become warmer. Comparing these observations with climate model simulations in an optimal detection analysis shows a significant human influence on patterns of change in extremely warm nights. Human influence on cold nights and days is also detected, although less robustly, but there is no detection of a significant human i...

We describe an AI behavior architecture that supports responsive collaborative interruptible and resumable behaviors using behavior queues. This architecture wraps sets of behaviors into roles, which provide a simple efficient mechanism for encapsulating behaviors into components that can change dynamically, based on environmental criteria. To illustrate the viability of this architecture in a ...

Intelligent non-player characters that exhibit realistic ambient behaviors produce more captivating and immersive stories for the player. However, the creation of nonrepetitive and entertaining behaviors is challenging, since it involves writing complex custom scripting code for thousands of characters in a common game adventure. This demonstration describes the generation of motivational behav...

Scripting custom content for computer role-playing games requires the designer to tell a story by writing small fragments of computer code distributed among the characters, props, and locations of the game world. The main challenge of these games is to create believable motivations and behaviors for the dozens or even hundreds of characters and rooms with which the player may interact. We prese...

Several plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are known to improve plant tolerance to multiple stresses, including low temperatures. However, mechanisms underlying this protection are still poorly understood. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of the endophytic PGPR, Burkholderia phytofirmans strain PsJN (Bp PsJN), on Arabidopsis thaliana cold tolerance using photosynthesis pa...

Nocturnal temperature inversion (NTI) is an important factor characterizing the local climate in mountainous areas. In central Japan, most of mountain slopes are covered by forests, but effects their leaf expansion/fall on NTI variations basins have not been clarified. According to a three-year area index (LAI) observation mixed forest Sugadaira Highland (1320 m a.s.l.), Nagano Prefecture, we i...

This paper explores the possible origins of some names in 1001 Nights. The names of the major characters of the Night stories, and their borrowed reflexes in Arabic, have been traced back to their ancient Persian roots. Examples from classical works are brought to argue that Shahrāzād, Shahriyār, and Dīnāzād are not only the correct forms but more suitable to the deep structure of the frame-sto...