Source code readability improvement using heuristic-based dynamic error reporting during editing

University of Technology, Sydney. Faculty of Engineering.This research considers whether dynamically reporting poor identifier-naming practices at the time when the source code is written can improve readability and hence maintainability. Poor identifier-naming practices have little effect on the production phase of the software lifecycle. However, poor identifier-naming practices can have a substantial impact during the maintenance phase of the software life cycle, particularly for the maintenance of large (i.e., 1M SLOC) computer programs. Of the nineteen identifier-naming style guidelines employed to support the research and used to identity poor identifier-naming practices, thirteen were found to be useful in improving source code readability. A questionnaire was employed to ascertain whether expert programmers accepted these guidelines; a textbook survey was used to identify the potential to transmit poor identifier-naming practices; a survey of contemporary source code was used to ascertain current identifier-naming practices; and a survey of dated source code was used to ascertain how identifier-naming practices have changed over an extended period of time. In addition, a controlled experiment was used to evaluate the effects of poor identifier-naming during a maintenance exercise and to evaluate the generation of poor identifier-naming during a production activity. A novice programmer case study and a programming team case study were executed to identify the longer term effects of dynamically reporting poor identifier-naming practices. The benefit of dynamically reporting poor identifier-naming practices was most pronounced for novice programmers with the percentage of meaningful identifier names increasing from 12% to 28%. The results for expert programmers were less pronounced with the percentage of meaningful identifier names correspondingly increasing from 53% to 60%. The identifier-naming style guidelines that proved to be the most useful to programmers required that identifier names should be composed of from two to four Natural language words or project accepted acronyms; should not be composed only of abstract words; should not contain plural words; and should conform to the project naming conventions

Increasing solar panel efficiency in a sustainable manner

Solar panel output is determined by a number of factors: obviously there is the type of panel that determines the conversion efficiency, but also the amount of light falling into the panel is of importance, among other conditions of operation. The output of a panel would e.g. drop when the amount of light falling onto it is reduced, or even when only a part of the panel is covered. Another reason for reduced output lies in the fact that the conversion efficiency drops by about 0.38 % per °C increase in panel temperature. Considering that a panel would be able to produce most of its output on a sunny day, the reduction in efficiency due to heating up is of significant importance. To achieve an optimised output, it is therefore important for the panel to remain clean, but also keep it as cool as possible. Therefore, this paper looks at a method of running water on top of a solar panel in order to clean it and cool it down. To reduce the energy consumption of moving the water from the bottom of the panel back to the top, it exploits the kinetic energy of the water that runs down the panel to pump the water back to the top. Measurements indicate that this approach leads to an average increase in output of about 12 %

Similar Inflammatory Responses following Sprint Interval Training Performed in Hypoxia and Normoxia

Sprint interval training (SIT) is an efficient intervention capable of improving aerobic capacity and exercise performance. This experiment aimed to determine differences in training adaptations and the inflammatory responses following 2 weeks of SIT (30 s maximal work, 4 min recovery; 4–7 repetitions) performed in normoxia or hypoxia. Forty-two untrained participants [(mean ± SD), age 21 ±1 years, body mass 72.1 ±11.4 kg, and height 173 ±10 cm] were equally and randomly assigned to one of three groups; control (CONT; no training, n = 14), normoxic (NORM; SIT in FiO2: 0.21, n = 14), and normobaric hypoxic (HYP; SIT in FiO2: 0.15, n = 14). Participants completed a V ˙ O 2peak V˙O2peak test, a time to exhaustion (TTE) trial (power = 80% V ˙ O 2peak V˙O2peak) and had hematological [hemoglobin (Hb), haematocrit (Hct)] and inflammatory markers [interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα)] measured in a resting state, pre and post SIT. V ˙ O 2peak V˙O2peak (mL.kg−1.min−1) improved in HYP (+11.9%) and NORM (+9.8%), but not CON (+0.9%). Similarly TTE improved in HYP (+32.2%) and NORM (+33.0%), but not CON (+3.4%) whilst the power at the anaerobic threshold (AT; W.kg−1) also improved in HYP (+13.3%) and NORM (+8.0%), but not CON (–0.3%). AT (mL.kg−1.min−1) improved in HYP (+9.5%), but not NORM (+5%) or CON (–0.3%). No between group change occurred in 30 s sprint performance or Hb and Hct. IL-6 increased in HYP (+17.4%) and NORM (+20.1%), but not CON (+1.2%), respectively. TNF-α increased in HYP (+10.8%) NORM (+12.9%) and CON (+3.4%). SIT in HYP and NORM increased V ˙ O 2peak V˙O2peak, power at AT and TTE performance in untrained individuals, improvements in AT occurred only when SIT was performed in HYP. Increases in IL-6 and TNFα reflect a training induced inflammatory response to SIT; hypoxic conditions do not exacerbate this

Collision dynamics as a tool to investigate the interactions of radicals with liquid surfaces

This thesis presents new results which are aimed at furthering the understanding of collision dynamics at gas-liquid interfaces. These experiments included the use of open shell radicals such as OH and both ground sate O(3P) and excited state O(1D) oxygen. The liquids used included an un-reactive standard per fluoropolyether, Krytox 1506 but were mostly focussed on the potentially reactive saturated and unsaturated counterparts squalane and squalene. The products of scattering from these liquid surfaces were detected by laser induced fluorescence (LIF). The radicals were all used as a “chemical probe” of the liquid surface. Using information on the translational and internal energy distributions of the scattered species the structure and reactivity of each liquid surface could be investigated. Important findings included the first measurements of the reaction of O(1D) with a liquid hydrocarbon surface. The data collected were analysed to provide the first comparisons of O(1D) scattering from a liquid with previous gas phase measurements. Relevant mechanisms identified for these comparable gas-phase reactions were assigned as far as possible to the new results. For the first time, the interactions of rotationally excited OH radicals with liquid surfaces were investigated. Liquid surfaces of atmospheric relevance were studied. This work was compared to that completed previously using a rotationally near-thermal source of OH radicals. Important scattering mechanisms were identified and assigned to the results collected. A possible loss mechanism for OH radicals interacting with unsaturated species was identified. The first comparison of the interfacial reaction of O(3P), with squalane and its unsaturated counterpart, squalene was conducted. Scattering mechanisms were identified and characterised where possible. Differences in scattering dynamics were observed with the unsaturated liquid surface, which were attributed to differences in the chemical nature of the bonds present in the liquid. Where possible, all results were related to reactions which occur in the atmosphere

Decline of a rare moth at its last known English site : causes and lessons for conservation

The conditions required by rare species are often only approximately known. Monitoring such species over time can help refine management of their protected areas. We report population trends of a rare moth, the Dark Bordered Beauty Epione vespertaria (Linnaeus, 1767) (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) at its last known English site on a protected lowland heath, and those of its host-plant, Salix repens (L.) (Malpighiales: Salicaceae). Between 2007 and 2014, adult moth density reduced by an average of 30-35% annually over the monitored area, and its range over the monitored area contracted in concert. By comparing data from before this decline (2005) with data taken in 2013, we show that the density of host-plants over the monitored area reduced three-fold overall, and ten-fold in the areas of highest host-plant density. In addition, plants were significantly smaller in 2013. In 2005, moth larvae tended to be found on plants that were significantly larger than average at the time. By 2013, far fewer plants were of an equivalent size. This suggests that the rapid decline of the moth population coincides with, and is likely driven by, changes in the hostplant population. Why the host-plant population has changed remains less certain, but fire, frost damage and grazing damage have probably contributed. It is likely that a reduction in grazing pressure in parts of the site would aid host-plant recovery, although grazing remains an important site management activity. Our work confirms the value of constant monitoring of rare or priority insect species, of the risks posed to species with few populations even when their populations are large, of the potential conflict between bespoke management for species and generic management of habitats, and hence the value of refining our knowledge of rare species' requirements so that their needs can be incorporated into the management of protected areas

Note on the lift slope, and some other properties, of delta and swept-back wings

In studying anct comparing various theories for the determination of the distribution of loading on wings, Garner has given values for the lift slope of several families of swept-back and delta wings deduced from several different lifting-surface theories. In Fig. 8 of Ref. 1, Garner has plotted these lift slopes as functions of the aspect ratio A, for different values of the angle of sweep. It occurred to the writer to try plotting the ratio of the lift slope to that for elliptic loading instead of the lift slope itself, and when this was done it was noticed that the above ratio was very nearly independent of aspect ratio A, and gave a unique curve for all the available results when plotted against sweepback angle, A. The curve is shown in Fig. 2 and it will be seen that none of the points is more than 3 per cent from the mean curve and most are much closer than this. The cases given by Garner cover an aspect-ratio range from 2 to 8 and a sweep range from 20 to 70 deg, as will be seen from Fig. 1, reproduced from his report. The value of the twodimensional lift slope used in deducing that for elliptic loading at any given aspect ratio was, of course, 2pi, since comparison is with potential calculations on wings of zero thickness. In using the mean curve to predict a lift slope for practical purposes it might be more logical to use the most probable value of the two-dimensional lift slope for the case in question rather than the value for an ideal fluid and zero aerofoil thickness