Understanding massively multiplayer online role‐playing game addiction: A hedonic management perspective

Massively multiplayer online role‐playing game (MMORPG) addiction presents a serious issue worldwide and has attracted increasing attention from academic and other public communities. This article addresses this critical issue and fills research gaps by proposing and testing a research model of MMORPG addiction. Building on the conceptual foundation of the hedonic management model of addiction and the technology affordance perspective, we develop a research model explaining how MMORPG affordances (ie, achievement, social and immersion affordances) are associated with the duality of hedonic effects (ie, perceived positive mood enhancement and perceived negative mood reduction) and the extent of MMORPG addiction. Using structural equation modelling, we empirically test our research model with 406 MMORPG players. The results show that both perceived positive mood enhancement and perceived negative mood reduction positively correlate with the extent of MMORPG addiction. Furthermore, achievement and immersion affordances are positively associated with the duality of hedonic effects, whereas social affordance is not. Our study contributes to the growing body of technology addiction literature by revealing the relationships between the two hedonic effects and the extent of MMORPG addiction, and by offering a contextualised explanation of the role of MMORPG affordances in these relationships. We offer an alternative perspective on the far‐reaching, unintended relationships between technological affordances and addictive technology use. Our study provides game developers and policymakers with insights into preventing MMORPG addiction to create an entertaining, healthy virtual playground.     

What localizes beneath: A metric multisensor localization and mapping system for autonomous underground mining vehicles

Robustly and accurately localizing vehicles in underground mines is particularly challenging due to the unavailability of GPS, variable and often poor lighting conditions, visual aliasing in long tunnels, and airborne dust and water. In this paper, we present a novel, infrastructure‐less, multisensor localization method for robust autonomous operation within underground mines. The proposed method integrates with existing mine site commissioning and operation procedures and includes both an offline map‐building process and an online localization algorithm. The approach combines the strengths of visual‐based place recognition, LIDAR‐based localization, and odometry in a particle filter fusion process. We provide an extensive experimental validation using new large data sets acquired in two operational Australian underground hard‐rock mines (including a 600m‐deep multilevel mine with approximately 33 km of mapping data and 7 km of vehicle localization) by actual mining vehicles during production operations. We demonstrate a significant increase in localization accuracy over prior state‐of‐the‐art SLAM research systems and real‐time operation, with processing times in the order of 10 Hz. We present results showing a mean error of 0.68 m from the Queensland Mine data set and 1.32 m from the New South Wales Mine data set and at least 86% reduction in error compared with prior state of the art. We also analyze the impact of the particle filter parameters with respect to localization accuracy. Together this study represents a new approach to positioning systems for currently deployed autonomous vehicles within underground mine environments.     

Dynamic analysis of a novel time‐lag four‐dimensional fractional‐order financial system

In this paper, a novel four‐dimensional fractional‐order financial system (FFS) with time delay is presented. Unlike traditional bifurcation analysis of financial systems, the selection rules of two bifurcation points within the system are discussed. In addition, the motion state of the system in the vicinity of two bifurcation points are analyzed separately, such that the dynamic analysis of this novel nonlinear fourth‐dimensional FFS is more comprehensive. The detailed dynamical behaviors of this financial system, such as oscillation, stability, and bifurcation points, are deduced via rigorous mathematical analysis. Finally, some simulations are performed to verify the dynamic characteristics of the FFS around the two bifurcation points which satisfy the selection conditions of the bifurcation point.     

Fixed‐time synchronization for complex‐valued BAM neural networks with time delays

In this paper, the fixed‐time synchronization for complex‐valued bidirectional associative memory (BAM) neural networks with time delays is studied. Based on the fixed‐time stability, the Lyapunov functional method and some inequality techniques, a new criterion is presented to guarantee that the addressed systems achieve synchronization in fixed time and a more accurate estimation independent of the initial conditions is given for the settling time. Meanwhile, a new nonlinear delayed controller different from the existing ones is designed. In the end, two numerical examples are provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the obtained result.     

Hierarchical inversion‐based output tracking control for uncertain autonomous underwater vehicles using extended Kalman filter

In this study, a hierarchical inversion‐based output tracking controller (HIOTC) is developed for an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) subject to random uncertainties (e.g., current disturbances, unmodeled dynamics, and parameter variations) and noises (e.g., process and measurement noises). The proposed HIOTC respectively utilizes a combination of feedforward and feedback controls in a hierarchical structure based on the kinematic and dynamic models of the system. Moreover, to obtain uncontaminated or unavailable states for implementing the proposed control law, the extended Kalman filter (EKF) is employed to estimate the system states. Then, the position outputs, orientation, and velocity of the AUV are reached with guaranteed asymptotic stability. The robustness of the proposed HIOTC is verified through injection of random uncertainties into the system model. The closed‐loop stability of the proposed individual subsystems is respectively guaranteed to have uniformly ultimately bounded (UUB) performance based on the Lyapunov stability criteria. In addition, the asymptotic tracking of the overall system is demonstrated using Barbalat's lemma. Finally, the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed control scheme are evaluated through computer simulations and it is shown that the overall system achieves good asymptotic tracking performance.     

An H∞non‐fragile observer‐based adaptive sliding mode controller design for uncertain fractional‐order nonlinear systems with time delay and input nonlinearity

In this paper the problem of non‐fragile adaptive sliding mode observer design is addressed for a class of nonlinear fractional‐order time‐delay systems with uncertainties, external disturbance, exogenous noise, and input nonlinearity. An H_∞ observer‐based adaptive sliding mode control considering the non‐fragility of the observer is proposed for this system. The sufficient asymptotic stability conditions are derived in the form of linear matrix inequalities. It is proven that the sliding surface is reachable in finite time. An illustrative example is provided which corroborates the effectiveness of the theoretical results.     

Fault estimation for aero‐engine LPV systems based on LFT

In this paper, a fault estimator with linear fractional transformation (LFT) parameter dependency is designed for the linear parameter‐varying (LPV) system of the aero‐engine with both sensor and actuator faults under disturbances. After an aero‐engine affine parameter‐dependent LPV model is derived by the linear fitting method and matrix pseudo‐inverse method, the LPV model with disturbances and fault signals is transformed into a LFT structure. Based on the full block S‐procedure, the sufficient condition for the existence of the fault estimator is proposed, which can lead to less conservative results. Then the fault estimator design algorithm which can adjust to the current system dynamic adaptively is presented. Finally, a fault estimator is designed for a turbofan aero‐engine under multiple types of faults and disturbances to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.     

Temporal and spatial dynamics of surface run‐off from Lake Basaka catchment (Ethiopia) using SCS‐CN model coupled with remote sensing and GIS

The Lake Basaka catchment (Ethiopia) has undergone a significant land use–land cover (LULC) change and lake level rise over the past five decades. Significant quantities of water and sediment flow annually into the lake through erosion processes. An appropriate method of estimating the surface run‐off from such ungauged and dynamic catchment is extremely important for delineating sensitive areas (based on run‐off responses) to be protected and for development of suitable measures to reduce run‐off and associated soil loss. Reliable prediction of run‐off, however, is very difficult and time‐consuming for catchments such as that of Lake Basaka. The present study estimated the dynamics of surface (direct) run‐off using the NRCS‐CN model in ArcGIS, assisted by remote sensing and ancillary data. The results indicated the Lake Basaka catchment experienced significant temporal and spatial variability in its run‐off responses, depending on the rainfall (amount and distribution) pattern and LULC changes. A significant run‐off increase occurred after 1973, consistent with significant LULC changes and lake level increments occurring after that period. A reduced vegetation cover also resulted in increased run‐off coefficient of the lake catchment from 0.11 in the 1970s to 0.23 in the 2000s, indicating the important need to consider possible future LULC evolution when forecasting the lake catchment run‐off behaviour.     

Influence of a high‐head dam as a dispersal barrier to fish community structure of the Upper Mississippi River

In river systems, high‐head dams may increase the distance‐decay of fish community similarity by creating nearly impermeable dispersal barriers to certain species from upstream reaches. Substantial evidence suggests that migratory species are impacted by dams, and most previous studies in stream/river networks have focused on small streams and headwaters. Here, we assess whether a high‐head dam (Lock and Dam 19; LD 19) on a large river, the Upper Mississippi River (UMR), substantially alters fish community structure relative to variability expected to occur independent of the dam's effect as a fish dispersal barrier. Using fish catch per unit effort data, we modelled the distance‐decay function for the UMR fish community and then estimated the similarity that would be expected to occur across LD19 and compared it with measured similarity. Measured similarity in the fish community above and below LD19 was close to the expected value based on the distance‐decay function, suggesting LD19 does not create an abrupt transition in the fish community. Although some migratory fish species no longer occur above LD19 (e.g., skipjack herring, Alosa chrysochloris), these species do not occur in high abundance below the dam and so do not drive variation in fish community structure. Instead, much of the variation in species structure is driven by the loss/gain of species across the latitudinal gradient. Lock and Dam 19 does not appear to be a clear transition point in the river's fish community, although it may function as a meaningful barrier for particular species (e.g., invasive species) and warrant future attention from a management perspective.     

Influence of habitat heterogeneity and bed surface complexity on benthic invertebrate diversity in a gravel‐bed river

Maintaining or restoring physical habitat diversity is a central tenet of sustainable river management, yet a link between habitat and ecological diversity in fluvial systems has long remained equivocal. The lack of consistent evidence partly reflects the problems of characterizing habitat in ways that are ecologically meaningful. This paper assesses the influence of habitat heterogeneity and complexity on macroinvertebrate assemblages in a mountain gravel‐bed river. With the use of 0.1‐m resolution data obtained from an acoustic Doppler current profiler, heterogeneity and complexity in hydraulic conditions and bed topography were characterized using 13 metrics applied to 30 areas, each 1 m², with an invertebrate sample collected from each area. Turnover of invertebrate taxa (i.e., β‐diversity) between sampled areas was rather limited, but observed differences in diversity were related significantly to several metrics of habitat heterogeneity. Invertebrate abundance was related to habitat diversity, patch size coefficient of variation, and patch size, whereas the Shannon diversity was related to the number of patches and patch size. None of the habitat complexity metrics accounted for a significant amount of observed variation in invertebrate communities between sampled areas. The paper demonstrates that high‐resolution data can help reveal relationships between habitat and benthic invertebrate diversity.