Description:
'Griefing' is a term used to describe when a player within a multiplayer online environment intentionally disrupts another player’s game experience for his or her own personal enjoyment or gain. Every day a certain percentage of users of Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPG) are experiencing some form of griefing. There have been studies conducted in the past that attempted to ascertain the factors that motivate users to play MMORPGs. A limited number of studies specifically examined the motivations of users who perform griefing (who are also known as 'griefers'). However, those studies did not examine the motivations of users subjected to griefing. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to examine the factors that motivate the subjects of griefing to play MMORPGs, as well as the factors motivating the griefers. The authors conducted an online survey with the intention to discover the motivations for playing MMORPGs among those whom identified themselves as (i) those that perform griefing, and (ii) those who have been subjected to griefing. A previously devised motivational model by Nick Yee that incorporated ten factors was used to determine the respondents’ motivational trends. In general, players who identified themselves as griefers were more likely to be motivated by all three 'achievement' sub-factors (advancement, game mechanics and competition) at the detriment of all other factors. The subjects of griefing were highly motivated by 'advancement' and 'mechanics', but they ranked 'competition' significantly lower (compared to the griefers). In addition, 'immersion' factors were rated highly by the respondents who were subjected to griefing, with a significantly higher rating of the 'escapism' factor (compared with rankings by griefers). In comparison to the griefers, the respondents subjected to griefing with many years’ experience in the genre of MMORPGs, also placed a greater emphasis on the 'socializing' and 'relationship' factors. Overall, the griefers in this survey considered 'achievement' to be a prime motivating factor, whereas the griefed players tended to be motivated by all ten factors to a similar degree.
Description:
'Griefing' is a term used to describe when a player within a multiplayer online environment intentionally disrupts another player’s game experience for his or her own personal enjoyment or gain. Every day a certain percentage of users of Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPG) are experiencing some form of griefing. There have been studies conducted in the past that attempted to ascertain the factors that motivate users to play MMORPGs. A limited number of studies specifically examined the motivations of users who perform griefing (who are also known as 'griefers'). However, those studies did not examine the motivations of users subjected to griefing. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to examine the factors that motivate the subjects of griefing to play MMORPGs, as well as the factors motivating the griefers. The authors conducted an online survey with the intention to discover the motivations for playing MMORPGs among those whom identified themselves as (i) those that perform griefing, and (ii) those who have been subjected to griefing. A previously devised motivational model by Nick Yee that incorporated ten factors was used to determine the respondents’ motivational trends. In general, players who identified themselves as griefers were more likely to be motivated by all three 'achievement' sub-factors (advancement, game mechanics and competition) at the detriment of all other factors. The subjects of griefing were highly motivated by 'advancement' and 'mechanics', but they ranked 'competition' significantly lower (compared to the griefers). In addition, 'immersion' factors were rated highly by the respondents who were subjected to griefing, with a significantly higher rating of the 'escapism' factor (compared with rankings by griefers). In comparison to the griefers, the respondents subjected to griefing with many years’ experience in the genre of MMORPGs, also placed a greater emphasis on the 'socializing' and 'relationship' factors. Overall, the griefers in this survey considered 'achievement' to be a prime motivating factor, whereas the griefed players tended to be motivated by all ten factors to a similar degree.
Description:
For risk analysis of reclaimed water, current animal and toxicity testing may not detect subtle effects such as interactions that could contribute to complex diseases such as cancers that develop over a long period of time. There is a need for assays that can be validated against known human physiological processes. We have previously validated sensitive human cell culture assays for their responsiveness to agents that induce carcinogenesis in vivo. In this initial study we analysed the effects of three batches of reclaimed water on human colonic cells. At concentrations of up to 10-fold, they had no significant effect on the cellular markers, indicating an overall lack of biological activity. The assay has potential but needs to be refined to maximise its sensitivity.
Description:
Aim To explore the prevalence of unmet demand for training by mature age Australians and to identify the main barriers to accessing training. Methods A total of 3007 Australians aged 45-74 years were surveyed using Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing. The sample frame was randomly selected and stratified based on the capital city and the rest of the state, and data were weighted to be nationally representative. Results Over one-third (37%) of respondents who had worked in the past five years reported wanting to attend some form of training but were unable to; these were most likely women and those aged 45-54 year. Commonly cited reasons for not being able to attend training included not being able to fit it in with work commitments, affordability and employer reluctance. Conclusion Reduction of these barriers to workplace training can improve mature age people's ability to remain engaged in the workforce.
Description:
We study a special case of an optimal control problem governed by a differential equation and a differential rate{independent variational inequality, both with given initial conditions. Under certain conditions, the variational inequality can be reformulated as a differential inclusion with discontinuous right-hand side. This inclusion is known as sweeping process. We perform a discretization scheme and prove the convergence of optimal solutions of the discretized problems to the optimal solution of the original problem. For the discretized problems we study the properties of the solution map and compute its coderivative. Employing an appropriate chain rule, this enables us to compute the subdifferential of the objective function and to apply a suitable optimization technique to solve the discretized problems. The investigated problem is used to model a situation arising in the area of queuing theory.
Description:
Accurate and efficient identification of bat (Microchiroptera) echolocation calls has been hampered by poor knowledge of the intraspecific variability in calls (including regional variation), a lack of call parameters for use in separating species and the amount of time required to manually identify individual calls or call sequences We constructed and tested automated bat call identification keys for three regions in New South Wales, Australia, using over 4,000 reference calls in approximate to 300 call sequences per region. We used the program AnaScheme to extract time, frequency and shape parameters from calls recorded with the Anabat system Classification trees were built to separate species using these parameters and provided the decision rules for construction of the keys An 'Unknown' category was included in the keys for sequences that could not be confidently identified to species The reliability of the keys was tested automatically with AnaScheme, using independent ! sets of reference call sequences, and keys were refined before further testing on additional test sequences Regional keys contained 18-19 species or included species groups We report rates of sequence misidentification (accuracy) and correct identification (detection) relative to all sequences (including 'unknowns') used to test each version of a key. Refined versions of the keys were accurate, with total misidentification rates of 0 5-5 3% for the three regions Additionally, total correct identifications for regions were 56-75% (>= 50% for most species), an overall high rate of detection. When 'unknowns' were ignored, as is common in many published studies, correct identification for regions increased to 91-99%, rates which compare favourably to the most successful classifiers tested to date The future use of AnaScheme for automated bat call identification is promising, especially for the large-scale temporal and spatial acoustic sampling to which Anabat is particularly suited.
Description:
The Big Strike of 1919-20 was Broken Hill’s greatest industrial battle but the photographic record of this militant era on the Barrier mines is dominated by pictures of the Great 1909 Lockout. Rather than cover the details of these well-known disputes, this article considers the value and power of photographs of the disputes – their presence, absence, production and presentation in major newspapers and in postcards – an area which has secured far less attention from Australian labour historians. Our concern is not only to read this visual material as evidence of industrial disputes but also to consider how the widespread circulation of such images affected contemporary perceptions of The Hill. We argue that images of a militant locality with a determined labour movement, popular after the 1909 dispute, may well have attracted militant organisers to the town who were important players in the major 1919-20 Big Strike. These images have dominated perceptions of Broken Hill as a bastion of unionism ever since
Description:
This special issue of Critical Horizons takes up the problematic of political imaginaries from various angles. In putting political imaginaries into question, the conditions of possibility for “the political” (le politique) and “politics” (la politique) are interrogated, as well as the concrete, contemporary contexts in which they are embedded, and which they, in turn, transform. In light of the ongoing Global Financial Crisis, the continued ecological devastation of the earth, new sites of terrorism (such as Norway), but also the recent upsurge of protest movements around the world (from the socalled Arab Spring, to the Occupy movement), the questioning of existing horizons of political imaginaries are evident and, consequently, call for elucidation. The present special issue begins to articulate a field of responses to this urgent task.
The association between selected molecular biomarkers and ambulatory blood pressure patterns in African chronic kidney disease and hypertensive patients compared with normotensive controls : protocol for a longitudinal study
Description:
Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a burgeoning epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa. Abnormal blood pressure variations are prevalent in CKD and potentiate the risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Certain genetic variants (angiotensin II receptor type 1 1166 A>C and angiotensin-converting enzyme insertion and deletion polymorphisms) and biomarkers such as interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor, soluble (s) E-selectin, homocysteine, and highly sensitive C-reactive protein have been shown to affect blood pressure variability among non-African CKD, hypertensive. and nonhypertensive CKD population. However, the contributions of the pattern, genetic, and environmental determinants of ambulatory blood pressure in African CKD have not been characterized. Understanding these interactions may help to develop interventions to prevent major cardiovascular events among people with CKD. Objective: The overarching objective of this study is to identify, document, and develop approaches to address related phenomic, genetic, and environmental determinants of ambulatory blood pressure patterns in African CKD and non-CKD hypertensive patients compared with normotensive controls. Methods: This is a longitudinal short-term follow-up study of 200 adult subjects with CKD and 200 each of age-matched hypertensives without CKD and apparently healthy controls. Demographic information, detailed clinical profile, electrocardiography, echocardiography, and 24-hr ambulatory blood pressure measurements will be obtained. Blood samples will be collected to determine albumin-creatinine ratio, fasting plasma glucose, lipid profile, electrolytes, urea and creatinine, C-reactive protein, serum homocysteine, fibroblast growth factor-23, and complete blood count, while 2 mL blood aliquot will be collected in EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) tubes and mixed using an electronic rolling system to prevent blood clots and subsequently used for DNA extraction and genetic analysis. Results: A total of 239 participants have been recruited so far, and it is expected that the recruitment phase will be complete in June 2020. The follow-up phase will continue with data analysis and publications of results. Conclusions: This study will help stratify Nigerian CKD patients phenotypically and genotypically in terms of their blood pressure variations with implications for targeted interventions and timing of medications to improve prognosis.
Description:
Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a burgeoning epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa. Abnormal blood pressure variations are prevalent in CKD and potentiate the risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Certain genetic variants (angiotensin II receptor type 1 1166 A>C and angiotensin-converting enzyme insertion and deletion polymorphisms) and biomarkers such as interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor, soluble (s) E-selectin, homocysteine, and highly sensitive C-reactive protein have been shown to affect blood pressure variability among non-African CKD, hypertensive. and nonhypertensive CKD population. However, the contributions of the pattern, genetic, and environmental determinants of ambulatory blood pressure in African CKD have not been characterized. Understanding these interactions may help to develop interventions to prevent major cardiovascular events among people with CKD. Objective: The overarching objective of this study is to identify, document, and develop approaches to address related phenomic, genetic, and environmental determinants of ambulatory blood pressure patterns in African CKD and non-CKD hypertensive patients compared with normotensive controls. Methods: This is a longitudinal short-term follow-up study of 200 adult subjects with CKD and 200 each of age-matched hypertensives without CKD and apparently healthy controls. Demographic information, detailed clinical profile, electrocardiography, echocardiography, and 24-hr ambulatory blood pressure measurements will be obtained. Blood samples will be collected to determine albumin-creatinine ratio, fasting plasma glucose, lipid profile, electrolytes, urea and creatinine, C-reactive protein, serum homocysteine, fibroblast growth factor-23, and complete blood count, while 2 mL blood aliquot will be collected in EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) tubes and mixed using an electronic rolling system to prevent blood clots and subsequently used for DNA extraction and genetic analysis. Results: A total of 239 participants have been recruited so far, and it is expected that the recruitment phase will be complete in June 2020. The follow-up phase will continue with data analysis and publications of results. Conclusions: This study will help stratify Nigerian CKD patients phenotypically and genotypically in terms of their blood pressure variations with implications for targeted interventions and timing of medications to improve prognosis.
Description:
A stickiness testing device based on the probe tack test has been designed and tested. It was used to perform in situ characterization of drying hemispherical drops with an initial radius 3.5 mm. Tests were carried out in two drying temperatures, 63 and 95 degreesC. Moisture and temperature histories of the drying drops of fructose, honey, sucrose, maltodextrin and sucrose-maltodextrin mixtures were determined. The rates of moisture evaporation of the fructose solution was the fastest while those of the maltodextrin solution was the lowest. A profile reversal was observed when the temperature profiles of these materials were compared. Different modes of failure were observed during the stickiness tests. Pure fructose and honey solutions remained completely sticky and failed cohesively until the end of drying. Pure sucrose solution remained sticky and failed cohesively until complete crystallization occurred. The surface of the maltodextrin drops formed a skin shortly after the start of drying. It exhibited adhesive failure and reached a state of non-adhesion. Addition of maltodextrin significantly altered the stickiness of sucrose solution. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Description:
A probe tack test has been used for the in situ characterization of the surface stickiness of hemispherical drops with an initial radius of 3.5 mm while drying. Surface stickiness of drops of fructose and maltodextrin solutions dried at 63degreesC and 95degreesC was determined. The effect of addition of maltodextrin on fructose solution-was studied with fructose/maltodextrin solid mass ratios of 4: 1, 1: 1, and 1:4. Pure fructose solutions remained completely sticky and failed cohesively even when their moisture approached zero. Shortly after the start of drying, the surface of the maltodextrin drops formed a skin, which rapidly grew in thickness. Subsequently the drop surface became completely nonsticky probably due to transformation of outer layers into a glassy material. Addition of malto,dextrin significantly altered the surface stickiness of drops of fructose solutions, demonstrating its use as an effective drying aid.
Description:
We report the synergistic and competitive interactions between multiple plasticizers in plasticized low-amylose starch that result in either enhanced or reduced water migration fluxes and effective moisture diffusivities. The starch was plasticized using glycerol and xylitol either individually or in 1:1 combination. The water migration fluxes and moisture diffusivities were higher in xylitol plasticized films compared to the glycerol plasticized ones. For low plasticizer concentrations, the presence of both the plasticizers competitively reduced the effective moisture diffusivities and moisture migration fluxes due to antiplasticization. However, at higher plasticizer contents (at and above 15wt%), the presence of multiple plasticizers enhanced the moisture migration fluxes and effective moisture diffusivities due to synergistic plasticization. The moisture migration fluxes and effective moisture diffusivities exhibited both moisture and plasticizer concentration dependence and the former was found to be stronger than the latter. These findings can be used for designing and controlling the vapor barrier properties of starch-based bioplastics during drying and formulation phase.
Description:
Solutions of fructose, maltodextrin (DE 5), and their mixtures at the ratios of 20:80, 40:60, 50:50, 60:40, and 80:20 were gelled with 1% agar-agar and dried under convective-conductive drying conditions. The thin slabs were maintained at isothermal drying condition of 30 and 50 degrees C. Yamamoto's simplified method based on regular regime approach was used to calculate the (effective) moisture diffusivity. Both the drying rates and the moisture diffusivity exhibited strong concentration dependence. The concentration dependence was stronger in the case of fructose and fructose rich solutions. Both the moisture diffusivity and drying rates of the mixture solutions were enhanced due to plasticization of fructose on maltodextrin, which is explained through free volume theory.