Teaching games level design using the StarCraft II editor

Level design is often characterised as “where the rubber hits the road” in game development. It is a core area of games design, alongside design of game rules and narrative. However, there is a lack of literature dedicated to documenting teaching games design, let alone the more specialised topic of level design. Furthermore, there is a lack of formal frameworks for best practice in level design, as professional game developers often rely on intuition and previous experience. As a result, there is little for games design teachers to draw on when presented with the opportunity to teach a level design unit. In this paper, we discuss the design and implementation of a games level design unit in which students use the StarCraft II Galaxy Editor. We report on two cycles of an action research project, reflecting upon our experiences with respect to student feedback and peer review, and outlining our plans for improving the unit in years to come.

Anthropogenic-based regional-scale factors most consistently explain plot-level exotic diversity in grasslands

Aim Evidence linking the accumulation of exotic species to the suppression of native diversity is equivocal, often relying on data from studies that have used different methods. Plot-level studies often attribute inverse relationships between native and exotic diversity to competition, but regional abiotic filters, including anthropogenic influences, can produce similar patterns.We seek to test these alternatives using identical scale-dependent sampling protocols in multiple grasslands on two continents. Location Thirty-two grassland sites in North America and Australia. Methods We use multiscale observational data, collected identically in grain and extent at each site, to test the association of local and regional factors with the plot-level richness and abundance of native and exotic plants. Sites captured environmental and anthropogenic gradients including land-use intensity, human population density, light and soil resources, climate and elevation. Site selection occurred independently of exotic diversity, meaning that the numbers of exotic species varied randomly thereby reducing potential biases if only highly invaded sites were chosen. Results Regional factors associated directly or indirectly with human activity had the strongest associations with plot-level diversity. These regional drivers had divergent effects: urban-based economic activity was associated with high exotic : native diversity ratios; climate- and landscape-based indicators of lower human population density were associated with low exotic : native ratios. Negative correlations between plot-level native and exotic diversity, a potential signature of competitive interactions, were not prevalent; this result did not change along gradients of productivity or heterogeneity. Main conclusion We show that plot-level diversity of native and exotic plants are more consistently associatedwith regional-scale factors relating to urbanization and climate suitability than measures indicative of competition. These findings clarify the long-standing difficulty in resolving drivers of exotic diversity using single-factor mechanisms, suggesting that multiple interacting anthropogenic-based processes best explain the accumulation of exotic diversity in modern landscapes.

Estimating present day extreme water level exceedance probabilities around the coastline of Australia : tropical cyclone-induced storm surges

The incidence of major storm surges in the last decade have dramatically emphasized the immense destructive capabilities of extreme water level events, particularly when driven by severe tropical cyclones. Given this risk, it is vitally important that the exceedance probabilities of extreme water levels are accurately evaluated to inform risk-based flood and erosion management, engineering and for future land-use planning and to ensure the risk of catastrophic structural failures due to under-design or expensive wastes due to over-design are minimised. Australia has a long history of coastal flooding from tropical cyclones. Using a novel integration of two modeling techniques, this paper provides the first estimates of present day extreme water level exceedance probabilities around the whole coastline of Australia, and the first estimates that combine the influence of astronomical tides, storm surges generated by both extra-tropical and tropical cyclones, and seasonal and inter-annual variations in mean sea level. Initially, an analysis of tide gauge records has been used to assess the characteristics of tropical cyclone-induced surges around Australia. However, given the dearth (temporal and spatial) of information around much of the coastline, and therefore the inability of these gauge records to adequately describe the regional climatology, an observationally based stochastic tropical cyclone model has been developed to synthetically extend the tropical cyclone record to 10,000 years. Wind and pressure fields derived for these synthetically generated events have then been used to drive a hydrodynamic model of the Australian continental shelf region with annual maximum water levels extracted to estimate exceedance probabilities around the coastline. To validate this methodology, selected historic storm surge events have been simulated and resultant storm surges compared with gauge records. Tropical cyclone induced exceedance probabilities have been combined with estimates derived from a 61-year water level hindcast described in a companion paper to give a single estimate of present day extreme water level probabilities around the whole coastline of Australia. Results of this work are freely available to coastal engineers, managers and researchers via a web-based tool (www.sealevelrise.info). The described methodology could be applied to other regions of the world, like the US east coast, that are subject to both extra-tropical and tropical cyclones.

Formation of two isomeric C3HO radicals from charged precursors in the gas phase. Potential interstellar molecules

Theoretical calculations of the C3HO potential surface at the CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVDu/B3LYP/6-31G* level indicate that the three radicals HCCCO, CCCHO, and (cyclo-C3H)=O are stable, with HCCCO being the most stable of the three. A fourth isomer, CCHCO, is unstable with respect to cyclization to (cyclo-C3H)=O. Two isomers have been prepared by neutralization of charged precursors, formed as follows: (i) HCCCO, by HC drop C-C(O)-O+(H)(Me) --> HC3O+ + MeOH, and (ii) C2CHO, by (a) Me3SiC drop C-CHO + HO- --> C- drop C-CHO + Me3SiOH and (b) C- drop C-CH(OH)-C drop CH --> C- drop C-CHO + C2H2. A comparison of the CR and -NR+ spectra of -C2CHO indicate that C2CHO is (partially) rearranging to an isomer that shows significant formation of CO.(+) in the -NR+ spectrum of the anion. Ab initio calculations indicate that HCCCO is the product of the isomerism and that a proportion of these isomerized neutrals dissociate to CO and C2H. The neutral HCCCO may be formed by (i) synchronous rearrangement of C2CHO and/or (ii) stepwise rearrangement of C2CHO through (cyclo-C3H)=O. The second of these processes should have the higher rate, as it has the lower barrier in the rate-determining step and the higher Arrhenius pre-exponential A factor.

Hydrogen-bonded two- and three-dimensional polymeric structures in the ammonium salts of 3,5-dinitrobenzoic acid, 4-nitrobenzoic acid and 2,4-dichlorobenzoic acid

The structures of the ammonium salts of 3,5-dinitrobenzoic acid, NH4+ C7H3N2O6- (I), 4-nitrobenzoic acid, NH4+ C7H4N2O4- . 2H2O (II) and 2,4-dichlorobenzoic acid, NH4+ C7H3Cl2O2- . 0.5H2O (III), have been determined and their hydrogen-bonded structures are described. All salts form hydrogen-bonded polymeric structures, three-dimensional in (I) and two-dimensional in (II) and (III). With (I), a primary cation-anion cyclic association is formed [graph set R3/4(10)] through N-H...O hydrogen bonds, involving a carboxyl O,O' group on one side and a single carboxyl O-atom on the other. Structure extension involves both N-H...O hydrogen bonds to both carboxyl and nitro O-atom acceptors. With structure (II), the primary inter-species interactions and structure extension into layers lying parallel to (0 0 1) are through conjoined cyclic hydrogen-bonding motifs: R3/4(10) [one cation, a carboxyl (O,O') group and two water molecules] and centrosymmetric R2/4(8) [two cations and two water molecules]. The structure of (III) also has conjoined R3/4(10) and centrosymmetric R2/4(8) motifs in the layered structure but these differ in that he first involves one cation, a carboxyl (O,O') as well as a carboxyl (O) group and one water molecule, the second, two cations and two carboxyl O-groups. The layers lie parallel to (1 0 0). The structures of the salt hydrates (II) and (III) reported in this work, giving two-dimensional layered arrays through conjoined hydrogen-bonded nets provide further illustrations of a previously indicated trend among ammonium salts of carboxylic acids, but the anhydrous three-dimensional structure of (I) is inconsistent.

Team change climate : a group-level analysis of the relationships among change information and change participation, role stressors, and well-being

We explored whether teams develop shared perceptions regarding the quantity and quality of information and the extent of participation in decision making provided in an environment of continuous change. In addition, we examined whether change climate strength moderated relationships between change climate level and team outcomes. We examined relationships among aggregated change information and change participation and aggregated team outcomes, including two role stressors (i.e., role ambiguity and role overload) and two indicators of well-being (i.e., quality of worklife and distress). Questionnaires were distributed in an Australian law enforcement agency and data were used from 178 teams. Structural equation modelling analyses, controlling for a marker variable, were conducted to examine the main effects of aggregated change information and aggregated change participation on aggregated team outcomes. Results provided support for a model that included method effects due to a marker variable. In this model, change information climate was significantly negatively associated with role ambiguity, role overload, and distress, and significantly positively associated with quality of worklife. Change participation climate was significantly positively associated with quality of worklife. Change climate strength did not moderate relationships among change climate level and team outcomes.

Self-labelling versus behavioural experience of workplace bullying : differences in sector- and industry-level prevalence and sources

This study reports on differences in self-labelling versus the behavioural experience of workplace bullying across sectors and industries for a sample of 6,406 Australian employees, as well as differences in source of workplace bullying. It was found that overall prevalence rates of workplace bullying were 2.9% (self-labelling method) and 4.0% (behavioural experience method). Exposure to workplace bullying was found to decrease with age. There was no significant difference between the public and private sectors, or among industries, in the prevalence of workplace bullying; however, two industries (Construction; Health and Community Services) showed a significantly higher rate of workplace bullying with the behavioural experience method compared to the self-labelling method. For the overall sample, the most prevalent source of workplace bullying was reported to be coworkers (49.1%), followed by clients (35.7%), and then supervisors (27.4%). Subordinates were rated as the source in 7.9% of cases. Closer examination of source as a function of sector and industry revealed a number of significant differences specific to sectors and industries, highlighting the need for tailored approaches for managing workplace bullying.

National and state-level politics on social media : Twitter, Australian political discussions, and the online commentariat

This paper examines the use of Twitter for long-term discussions around Australian politics, at national and state levels, tracking two hashtags during 2012: #auspol, denoting national political topics, and #wapol, which provides a case study of state politics (representing Western Australia). The long-term data collection provides the opportunity to analyse how the Twitter audience responds to Australian politics: which themes attract the most attention and which accounts act as focal points for these discussions. The paper highlights differences in the coverage of state and national politics. For #auspol, a small number of accounts are responsible for the majority of tweets, with politicians invoked but not directly contributing to the discussion. In contrast, #wapol stimulates a much lower level of tweeting. This example also demonstrates that, in addition to citizen accounts, traditional participants within political debate, such as politicians and journalists, are among the active contributors to state-oriented discussions on Twitter.

Diode-clamped three-level inverter-based battery/supercapacitor direct integration scheme for renewable energy systems

This paper describes a diode-clamped three-level inverter-based battery/supercapacitor direct integration scheme for renewable energy systems. The study is carried out for three different cases. In the first case, one of the two dc-link capacitors of the inverter is replaced by a battery bank and the other by a supercapacitor bank. In the second case, dc-link capacitors are replaced by two battery banks. In the third case, ordinary dc-link capacitors are replaced by two supercapacitor banks. The first system is supposed to mitigate both long-term and short-term power fluctuations while the last two systems are intended for smoothening long-term and short-term power fluctuations, respectively. These topologies eliminate the need for interfacing dc-dc converters and thus considerably improve the overall system efficiency. The major issue in aforementioned systems is the unavoidable imbalance in dc-link voltages. An analysis on the effects of unbalance and a space vector modulation method, which can produce undistorted current even in the presence of such unbalances, are presented in this paper. Furthermore, small vector selection-based power sharing and state of charge balancing techniques are proposed. Experimental results, obtained from a laboratory prototype, are presented to verify the efficacy of the proposed modulation and control techniques.

Five-level current-source inverters with buck-boost and inductive-current balancing capabilities

This paper presents new five-level current-source inverters (CSIs) with voltage/current buck-boost capability, unlike existing five-level CSIs where only voltage-boost operation is supported. The proposed inverters attain self-inductive-current-balancing per switching cycle at their dc front ends without having to include additional balancing hardware or complex control manipulation. The inverters can conveniently be controlled by using the well-established phase-shifted carrier modulation scheme with only two additional linear references and a mapping logic table needed. Existing modulators can therefore be conveniently retrofitted for controlling the presented inverters. By appropriately coordinating the inverter gating signals, their implementations can be realized by using the least number of components without degrading performance. These enhanced features of the inverters have already been verified in simulation and experimentally using a scaled-down laboratory platform.

Estimating present day extreme total water level exceedance probabilities around the Australian coastline

The occurrence of extreme water level events along low-lying, highly populated and/or developed coastlines can lead to devastating impacts on coastal infrastructure. Therefore it is very important that the probabilities of extreme water levels are accurately evaluated to inform flood and coastal management and for future planning. The aim of this study was to provide estimates of present day extreme total water level exceedance probabilities around the whole coastline of Australia, arising from combinations of mean sea level, astronomical tide and storm surges generated by both extra-tropical and tropical storms, but exclusive of surface gravity waves. The study has been undertaken in two main stages. In the first stage, a high-resolution (~10 km along the coast) hydrodynamic depth averaged model has been configured for the whole coastline of Australia using the Danish Hydraulics Institute’s Mike21 modelling suite of tools. The model has been forced with astronomical tidal levels, derived from the TPX07.2 global tidal model, and meteorological fields, from the US National Center for Environmental Prediction’s global reanalysis, to generate a 61-year (1949 to 2009) hindcast of water levels. This model output has been validated against measurements from 30 tide gauge sites around Australia with long records. At each of the model grid points located around the coast, time series of annual maxima and the several highest water levels for each year were derived from the multi-decadal water level hindcast and have been fitted to extreme value distributions to estimate exceedance probabilities. Stage 1 provided a reliable estimate of the present day total water level exceedance probabilities around southern Australia, which is mainly impacted by extra-tropical storms. However, as the meteorological fields used to force the hydrodynamic model only weakly include the effects of tropical cyclones the resultant water levels exceedance probabilities were underestimated around western, northern and north-eastern Australia at higher return periods. Even if the resolution of the meteorological forcing was adequate to represent tropical cyclone-induced surges, multi-decadal periods yielded insufficient instances of tropical cyclones to enable the use of traditional extreme value extrapolation techniques. Therefore, in the second stage of the study, a statistical model of tropical cyclone tracks and central pressures was developed using histroic observations. This model was then used to generate synthetic events that represented 10,000 years of cyclone activity for the Australia region, with characteristics based on the observed tropical cyclones over the last ~40 years. Wind and pressure fields, derived from these synthetic events using analytical profile models, were used to drive the hydrodynamic model to predict the associated storm surge response. A random time period was chosen, during the tropical cyclone season, and astronomical tidal forcing for this period was included to account for non-linear interactions between the tidal and surge components. For each model grid point around the coast, annual maximum total levels for these synthetic events were calculated and these were used to estimate exceedance probabilities. The exceedance probabilities from stages 1 and 2 were then combined to provide a single estimate of present day extreme water level probabilities around the whole coastline of Australia.

Dual Z-source inverter with three-level reduced common mode switching

This paper presents the design of a dual Z-source inverter that can be used with either a single dc source or two isolated dc sources. Unlike traditional inverters, the integration of a properly designed Z-source network and semiconductor switches to the proposed dual inverter allows buck-boost power conversion to be performed over a wide modulation range with three-level output waveforms generated. The connection of an additional transformer to the inverter ac output also allows all generic wye- or delta-connected loads with three-wire or four-wire configuration to be supplied by the inverter. Modulation-wise, the dual inverter can be controlled using a carefully designed carrier-based pulse-width modulation (PWM) scheme that always will ensure balanced voltage boosting of the Z-source network, while simultaneously achieving reduced common-mode switching. Because of the omission of dead-time delays in the dual inverter PWM scheme, its switched common-mode voltage can be completely eliminated, unlike in traditional inverters where narrow common-mode spikes are still generated. Under semiconductor failure conditions, the presented PWM schemes can easily be modified to allow the inverter to operate without interruption and for cases where two isolated sources are used, zero common-mode voltage can still be ensured. These theoretical findings together with the inverter practicality have been confirmed both in simulations using PSIM with Matlab/Simulink coupler and experimentally using a laboratory implemented inverter prototype.

Dual Z-source inverter with three-level reduced common-mode switching

This paper presents the design of a dual Z-source inverter that can be used with either a single dc source or two isolated dc sources. Unlike traditional inverters, the integration of a properly designed Z-source network and semiconductor switches to the proposed dual inverter allows buck-boost power conversion to be performed over a wide modulation range, with three-level output waveforms generated. The connection of an additional transformer to the inverter ac output also allows all generic wye-or delta-connected loads with three-wire or four-wire configuration to be supplied by the inverter. Modulationwise, the dual inverter can be controlled using a carefully designed carrier-based pulsewidth-modulation (PWM) scheme that will always ensure balanced voltage boosting of the Z-source network while simultaneously achieving reduced common-mode switching. Because of the omission of dead-time delays in the dual-inverter PWM scheme, its switched common-mode voltage can be completely eliminated, unlike in traditional inverters, where narrow common-mode spikes are still generated. Under semiconductor failure conditions, the presented PWM schemes can easily be modified to allow the inverter to operate without interruption, and for cases where two isolated sources are used, zero common-mode voltage can still be ensured. These theoretical findings, together with the inverter practicality, have been confirmed in simulations both using PSIM with Matlab/Simulink coupler and experimentally using a laboratory-implemented inverter prototype.

A comparative study of airborne particulate pollution at two bus stations of different site geography

Airborne particulate pollutant is considered to be one of the major harmful emissions produced by vehicle engines as it has been directly linked to serious health problems. Passengers spend long times at bus stations and may be exposed to high concentrations of pollution. Particle pollution at two bus stations in Brisbane, Australia were monitored. The two bus stations consisted of markedly different site geography and surroundings with one situated in a street canyon and the other elevated above ground level. The same flow of traffic operated through both stations. Real time measurements of ultrafine particle concentration, size distribution and meteorological conditions were carried out on the platform continuously over several days. The results showed that the particle number concentrations were significantly different at the two stations, suggesting that the layout of site geometry and surroundings was a dominant determining factor through the injection of fresh air into the station platforms and the rates of dilution.

Bayesian hierarchical models for analysing spatial point-based data at a grid level: A comparison of approaches

Spatial data are now prevalent in a wide range of fields including environmental and health science. This has led to the development of a range of approaches for analysing patterns in these data. In this paper, we compare several Bayesian hierarchical models for analysing point-based data based on the discretization of the study region, resulting in grid-based spatial data. The approaches considered include two parametric models and a semiparametric model. We highlight the methodology and computation for each approach. Two simulation studies are undertaken to compare the performance of these models for various structures of simulated point-based data which resemble environmental data. A case study of a real dataset is also conducted to demonstrate a practical application of the modelling approaches. Goodness-of-fit statistics are computed to compare estimates of the intensity functions. The deviance information criterion is also considered as an alternative model evaluation criterion. The results suggest that the adaptive Gaussian Markov random field model performs well for highly sparse point-based data where there are large variations or clustering across the space; whereas the discretized log Gaussian Cox process produces good fit in dense and clustered point-based data. One should generally consider the nature and structure of the point-based data in order to choose the appropriate method in modelling a discretized spatial point-based data.