Στην παρούσα διπλωματική εργασία παρουσιάζεται η διαδικασία ανάπτυξης μιας εφαρμογής για την αυτόματη παραγωγή σταυρολέξων από μια βάση δεδομένων ελληνικών λέξεων. Πιο αναλυτικά, το πρόβλημα αντιμετωπίζεται ως ένα πρόβλημα ικανοποίησης περιορισμών (CSP) και ως μεταβλητές θεωρούνται ολόκληρες λέξεις πάνω στο πλέγμα του σταυρολέξου. Στα πλαίσια αυτά επιλέγεται η μέθοδος της αναζήτησης με υπαναχώρηση για την επίλυση του προβλήματος. Κατά την διαδικασία της αναζήτησης γίνεται χρήση διάφορων ευρετικών μηχανισμών για προβλήματα ικανοποίησης περιορισμών, προσαρμοσμένων στις ανάγκες του συγκεκριμένου προβλήματος και στις ιδιαιτερότητες της ελληνικής γλώσσας. Η εφαρμογή είναι ανεπτυγμένη σε γλώσσα προγραμματισμού Java, υποστηρίζει διάφορα μεγέθη σταυρολέξων και έχει ικανοποιητική απόδοση σε ρεαλιστικά προβλήματα. Επίσης, είναι η πρώτη αντίστοιχη εφαρμογή για την ελληνική γλώσσα. / This diploma dissertation presents the development process of an application for the automatic generation of crossword puzzles from a database of Greek words. More specifically, the problem is treated as a constraint satisfaction problem (CSP) and word slots on the crossword grid are considered as variables. Therefore, the method of backtracking search is used to solve the problem. During the search process various heuristic mechanisms for constraint satisfaction problems are being used. Those mechanisms are then adapted to the needs of the specific problem and the particularities of the Greek language. The application is developed in the Java programming language. It also supports several crossword grid sizes and has good performance in realistic problems. Furthermore this is the first such application for the Greek language.

Yes / Previous research has suggested that older adults who are more cognitively active in later life show an attenuation in cognitive decline in healthy aging. Furthermore, cognitive intervention studies have indicated that ecologically valid cognitive interventions can promote cognitive functioning but only in taskspecific abilities. Since it has been shown that the art of self‐testing can promote metacognitive awareness in older adults, attempting cryptic crosswords may be used as a cognitive intervention for older adults. In Experiments 1 and 2, a questionnaire technique was used and demonstrated that older adults became more aware of their episodic memory deficits after attempting cryptic crossword clues. Based on this, Experiment 3 used an intervention technique over a six‐week period to investigate whether such awareness enabled older adults to improve cognitive functioning in a number of domains. This experiment used a revolutionary within‐subjects technique to control for potential mediating factors. The results supported previous research in that older adults showed an increase in the monitoring pathway of metacognition but were unable to use this enhanced awareness to change their behaviour when undertaking objective tests of cognitive ability. Post‐hoc analysis highlighted subgroups of older adults who showed improvements in certain cognitive abilities, such as episodic memory functioning and judgement of learning abilities. The standard clinical trial technique might be inappropriate when testing either cognitive interventions or pharmacological tests. The within‐subjects approach could be adapted to investigate follow‐up effects of different types of interventions including ecologically valid cognitive interventions. / Harold Hyman Wingate Foundation

This thesis deals with automatic computer generation of crosswords with filled-in clue algorithm design and related problems. Beside basic definitions and information about crosswords, the state space analysis and description of some tested methods of generation is performed in this thesis. Designed and implemented method removes inadequacies of tested methods. Remarkable part of text is designated to solve crossword rendering problems. Results of rendering process should be suitable for DTP without any additional touches, which includes also CMYK color space support. Fully functional implementation of crossword generator and tool for computer aided crossword design is part of this thesis.