StackInTheFlow: StackOverflow Search Engine

Programmers increasing rely on an Integrated Development Environment (IDE), which offers capabilities for writing, debugging and testing code. Most developers, ranging from novices to pros, reference outside sources when developing, such as the popular Q&A site StackOverflow. In the 2016 StackOverflow Developer Survey it was observed that 78% of survey participants visited StackOverflow at least once a day, with 58% visiting multiple times a day. The purpose of the StackInTheFlow software development tool is to reduce the amount of time and interruption necessary to gather external information during development. This enables the developer to remain in-the-flow of solving software engineering problems. This tool not only provides standard information retrieval capabilities similar to popular search engines such as Google, but also a feature to auto-generate queries based on the developer’s current work context, extracted from within the IDE. The auto-query feature functions by first extracting features from the IDE, including snippets of source code such as import statements and the current cursor line, as well as, if available, compilation error messages. From these features candidate query terms are extracted. These candidate terms are then compared against a dictionary constructed from a dump of all StackOverflow articles. From this dictionary, various retrieval statistics for pre-retrieval query quality are computed for each term. The highest ranking terms are then chosen to form a query which is sent to the StackOverflow API and the relevant questions are returned and displayed to the developer.https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/capstone/1172/thumbnail.jp

Effects of pharmaceutical wastes on growth of microalgae

The purpose of this work was to assay samples of waste material from Puerto Rican pharmaceutical industries for inhibition of growth of algae. Two samples (noted as I and II) supplied to us were tested for toxicity to six microalgae. The test organisms, two blue-green algae, two green algae, and two diatoms [r]epresent three major divisions of algae.University of Texas Marine Science InstituteMarine Scienc

A single night of sleep restriction impairs recovery from heavy exercise

We examined the effects of one night of sleep restriction (Sleep-; 2.5 hrs) on subsequent 3-km cycling performance and skeletal muscle recovery from heavy exercise compared to a full night of rest (Sleep+; 7 hrs). Seven recreational cyclists (n=6 male, n=1 female; age = 24.4 ± 7 yrs; height = 170 ± 10 cm; weight = 68 ± 13 kg VO2max = 61.5 ± 4.4 ml/kg/min) completed four simulated 3-km time trials (TT) and six peak isokinetic torque trials at different speeds (30 and 120°/sec) under both conditions. The first exercise trial (EX1) consisted of baseline testing followed by heavy exercise (60 min interval session + resistance exercise) in the evening, while follow-up testing occurring in the morning of the next two days (EX2 and EX3) . TT performance and peak torque were assessed on the evening of EX1 between 3-5pm and between 8-10am the following morning (EX2), while only peak torque was assessed during the same morning time on EX3. Magnitude-based inferences were used to evaluate all variables. Sleep- clearly impaired average power output (-12.7 ± 1%) and overall time (-3.5 ± 0.39%) of TT performance compared to Sleep+, while there was no clear impact of sleep on peak torque at either speed. The current study demonstrates the importance of sleep on recovery from heavy exercise with potential differences in exercise types, and warrants further research on the topic

International river basin management : a case study of the Okavango River Basin.

Thesis (M.Env.Dev.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2002.This dissertation reviews the principles of International River Basin Management and their application by the governments of Angola, Botswana and Namibia. The dissertation deals with the issues popularised by governments, water planners and international agencies that the twenty-first century's conflicts will be fought over water. Increasingly this concern is being used to justify new water-supply dams and river diversion projects. This is especially so in arid Southern Africa, the focus of this dissertation, where numerous major international water transfers are underway and many more are being planned. While Namibia's growing thirst is a serious problem, the story is more complicated than just too many basin states putting their straws into one glass. The growing conflicts over the Okavango's water use raise broader questions about ownership of common resources, and equity of access to those resources. Most southern African countries depend on primary natural resources to sustain economies and their people. The environmental issues are remarkably similar in countries within the region, and the economic, social and political fortunes of the individual countries are intertwined. Furthermore, the ways in which resources are being managed are similar and thus cause for common concern. In general, the ability of countries in the region to achieve sustainable development depends not on national policies but also on the commitment of neighbours to practice sound environmental management. This is because activities in one country can easily cause impacts on a neighbour and possibly result in "downstream" opportunity costs. This case study of the Okavango River Basin, a river facing prospective developments from riparian states Angola, Botswana and Namibia, attempts to find sustainable solutions to solving international resource conflict. In addition to outlining the possible future threats to the Okavango River, this study proclaims a number of recommendations in the way of declaring alternatives to Namibia's plans to extract water from the Okavango River. One such recommendation is the encouragement of Water Demand Management as an alternative to water transfer by Namibia. This management strategy is aimed at optimising the use of available water rather than developing new or extended supplies and as a result it has a vital role to play since it contributes to sustainable development rather than over exploitation of limited natural resources. The majority of large rivers in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) are shared by three or more countries, and as the region's water resources come under growing development pressure, the importance of establishing effective national and regional methods and institutions for sustainably managing these resources will increase greatly. From economic, ecological and human welfare perspectives, the Okav,ango River Basin is arguably one of the most important transboundary natural resources (TBNR) in the region. Owing to the basin's remoteness and history of conflict, the Okavango was spared much of the destructive developments that rivers in the region have suffered. As a result, the relatively pristine Okavango ecosystem continues to provide significant benefits to the region much as it has done for centuries. As we approach the new millennium, however, it is clear that the health of the Okavango River Basin is threatened as riparian states increasingly turn to the Okavango to support their growing populations and economies

Art Making as a Means of Self-care for the Art Teacher

ABSTRACT This thesis sought to research the if maintaining a studio art practice that facilitated the creation of a series of artworks could serve as a means of providing self-care and a contributor to the wellbeing for the secondary art teacher

Effects of coral-dwelling damselfishes' abundances and diversity on host coral dynamics

Interspecific interactions, particularly positive interactions, between organisms and their physical environment are important forces in shaping ecological diversity and ecosystem structure. In coral reef ecosystems, the associations between habitat-forming corals and coral reef fishes have critical implications for the structure and function of coral reef ecosystems. Coral-dwelling damselfishes rely on branching corals for shelter and confer benefits to their host corals that promote enhanced performance, growth, and colony health. However, there is variability (in strength and symmetry) in both fish-derived and coral responses to abiotic factors and partner ecology. Global environmental change is likely to considerably disrupt fish-coral interactions on reefs through reef degradation, coastal sedimentation, and severe widespread bleaching events. Prior to collapse, however, fish-coral interactions have the potential to act as stabilizing forces on reefs, promoting coexistence, and enhancing the coral holobiont during accelerated environmental change. Thus, the overall focus of this thesis was to understand the relationship between coral-dwelling damselfishes and their small branching coral colony hosts. Specifically, I investigated the prevalence of these fish-coral associations across space, the variations in the intensity of damselfish-coral interactions over time and evaluated the influence of these coral-dwelling damselfishes on the health of their host corals under two types of environmental stress. In Chapter 2, I addressed one of the critical first steps to understanding the magnitude by which coral-dwelling damselfishes impact coral health by establishing the abundance and prevalence of select, fish-coral interaction pairs across different coral colonies, habitats, and seascapes. Through a series of underwater surveys at locations spanning > 1700 km of the Great Barrier Reef, I aimed to: (a) determine if suitable coral habitat governs patterns in damselfishes' distributions and abundances, and (b) quantify variations in damselfish species-specific biomass among coral colonies species. The abundance of fish-coral associations varied with respect to exposure level and habitat with an overall average prevalence of ~30% occupancy, with biomass hotspots confined to sheltered lagoon sand patch and reef slope habitats. Further analysis of colony microstructure traits revealed that isolation from adjacent colonies, branch spacing patterns, and colony orientation governed fine-scale usage. The research presented in Chapter 2 illustrates that coral occupancy (coral-dwelling or sole habitat use) varies significantly by damselfish species, and subsequent fish-derived services are confined to specific reef habitats. While coral-dwelling damselfishes are intimately associated with branching corals, interspecific behavioural variation can alter the nature and strength of these interactions with corals, thereby altering the dynamics of small-scale coral association networks and benefits conferred to host corals. Chapter 3 used in-situ observations to explore interspecific differences in diurnal and nocturnal behaviour among five coral-dwelling damselfish species. Resident damselfishes displayed marked differences in colony interaction and usage, with Dasycllus species exhibiting frequent and sustained interactions with host corals. Pomacentrus species displayed weaker associations and behaviours consistent with commensalistic interactions. Host coral bleaching status altered damselfishes' interactions with colonies, forecasting shifting interchanges between fishes and corals under future stress conditions. Quantifying these focal fishes' behaviours through small-scale observations is relevant to interspecific interactions and coral holobiont persistence, as environmental stressors alter the prevalence of coral-damselfish interactions and the intensity of associated mutualistic services. Global environmental change, particularly in the forms of amplified sedimentation and elevated sea-surface temperatures, could pose to significantly alter how these fish-coral interactions function in isolation and as components of the entire coral holobiont. Many species interactions, mutualistic ones in particular, arise from the ability of species to modify local conditions and diminish stress for their own benefit as well as for their partners, thereby conferring resilience. In Chapters 4 and 5, I evaluated the influence of coral-dwelling fishes (Dascyllus aruanus and Pomacentrus moluccensis, selected due to their abundance and behaviours exhibited in Chapters 2 and 3) on the health of their host corals (Pocillopora damicornis) under two types of environmental stress. When exposing the fish-coral system to daily manipulated severe sedimentation stress in Chapter 4, damselfishes were able to significantly reduce sediment accumulation and sediment-induced partial mortality on coral hosts, 2-10-fold more, compared with fish-vacant colonies. Colonies with Dascyllus aruanus exhibited up to two-fold higher chlorophyll and protein concentrations under sediment conditions compared with other treatments, reinforcing the positive nature and benefits connected with a frequent and sustained (strong) interaction with host colonies. Further linking these results to the behaviour of the damselfish species (Chapter 3), diurnal and nocturnal position of D. aruanus and P. moluccensis in aquaria, helped explain the species-specific services rendered. In Chapter 4, I demonstrated that fish mutualisms may be critical for maintaining coral health and resilience under chronic and severe sediment stress and indicated that some mutualistic or facilitative interactions may become more important for species persistence as stress levels increase. Many studies have independently investigated the effects of increased sea-surface temperatures on fishes and coral bleaching, but little is known about the impacts of coral-dwelling damselfishes on the health of their coral hosts, during and after a thermal-bleaching event. With many services that damselfishes provide to their host colonies, especially those that mimic natural mechanisms mitigating external stress, in Chapter 5, I hypothesized that colonies with symbiont damselfishes would bleach less and recover more quickly during thermal bleaching events, compared to vacant corals, due to key services of enhanced water flow and nutrients. During a natural thermal anomaly, it is evident that P. damicornis with damselfish that are subjected to temperature stress have higher Symbiodinium (+25%), chlorophyll (+30%), and tissue proteins (+57%). These results were reflected in a manipulated thermal bleaching experiment in aquaria, where corals with damselfish subjected to temperature stress again had significantly more Symbiodinium (five-fold), chlorophyll (nine-fold), and tissue biomass (three-fold) compared with vacant colonies during the recovery period. Tissue component differences translated into considerably higher photosynthetic rates in P. damicornis colonies with fish, compared with non-damselfish colonies. However, from the in-situ results from the 2016 bleaching event, it is evident that this fish influence on colony susceptibility/resilience and recovery operates only under moderate level stressors, as severe bleaching events overwhelm the coral holobiont, rendering fish-services insufficient to maintain coral health. This thesis reveals the importance of resident fishes as a fundamental aspect of the dynamic interface between corals and the abiotic environment. Although limited spatially across reef seascapes, and heavily dependent upon the species-specific behaviour of fish partners, these findings suggest that certain coral-dwelling damselfishes have the ability to mediate the impacts of environmental change with regards to coral colony stress susceptibility and survival

Best Practices of Actively Engaged Volunteers Within a Megachurch

In the realm of churches, recruiting, engaging, and retaining volunteers is essential for churches to thrive. This applied dissertation was designed to identify best practices for recruiting, engaging, and retaining volunteers within a megachurch. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used to identify those factors that draw people to volunteer, keep them volunteering, and lead to their work satisfaction while they volunteer in a megachurch. The effect of demographics on volunteer satisfaction and engagement were also identified. The final product of this study was a set of best practices for any church to use to improve its volunteer program. The 2-phased, sequential, explanatory, mixed-methods study was conducted at a large megachurch in the suburb of a large mid-Atlantic city in the United States. Quantitative data were collected over a 30-day period online using the Volunteer Satisfaction Index survey (N = 123) during Phase 1 of the study. A focus group (N = 5) was conducted on a single day and used to collect qualitative data during Phase 2 of the study. The same population of 900 members of the megachurch was used for each phase of the study. Analyses of the combined data revealed the success of volunteer programs is contingent upon several key factors; chief among them is the foundation of relationship. Based on these findings, the researcher recommended 7 specific best practices for churches to implement: The organizational leader–volunteer relationship matters, the paid staff–volunteer relationship matters, the volunteer–volunteer relationship matters, volunteer performance expectations matter, recognition matters, effective communication matters, and feeling empowered matters