Sustaining a Visual/Verbal Sketchbook Journal to Promote Creativity and the Emergence of the Visual Voice of the Artist

This arts-based study will discuss using a sketchbook journal to enhance creativity and promote the cultivation of the artist’s visual voice. The paper attempts to define creativity, as well as the usefulness of the sketchbook as a creative tool. The results of this study will demonstrate how the effectiveness of the sketchbook journal in the development of the artist can also transcend to usefulness when considering the sketchbook as a curriculum tool in elementary art education

An LED-based Flasher System for VERITAS

We describe a flasher system designed for use in monitoring the gains of the photomultiplier tubes used in the VERITAS gamma-ray telescopes. This system uses blue light-emitting diodes (LEDs) so it can be operated at much higher rates than a traditional laser-based system. Calibration information can be obtained with better statistical precision with reduced loss of observing time. The LEDs are also much less expensive than a laser. The design features of the new system are presented, along with measurements made with a prototype mounted on one of the VERITAS telescopes.Comment: Accepted for publication in Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research

Tagging single muons and other long-flying relativistic charged particles by ultra-fast timing in air Cherenkov telescopes

Atmospheric air Cherenkov telescopes are successfully used for ground-based, very high-energy (VHE) gamma ray astronomy. Triggers from the so-called single muon and other long-flying relativistic charged particle events are an unwanted background for the Cherenkov telescope. Because of low rate at TeV energies the muon background is unimportant. It is much more intense for telescopes with high photon sensitivity and low energy threshold. Below a few hundred GeV energy, the so-called muon background becomes so intense, that it can deteriorate the sensitivity of telescopes (the so-called muon-wall problem). From general considerations it can be anticipated that the signature of these particles should be a light pulse with a narrow time structure. In fact, simulations show that the pulses from muons have a very narrow time profile that is well below the time resolutions of nearly all currently operating telescopes. In this report we elaborate on the time profile of Cherenkov light from the so-called single muons and show that a telescope with ultra-fast time response can open a new dimension allowing one to tag and to reject those events.Comment: Accepted by Astroparticle Physic

The Amalgamated Society of Engineers, 1880-1914 : a study of trade union government, politics, and industrial policy

In 1880 the Amalgamated Society of Engineers (ASE) consisted of largely autonomous local trade societies seeking unilaterally to regulate the terns and conditions under which engineering craftsmen were employed. The Executive Council (which spent most of its time administering the system of centralised benefits) consisted of part-time members drawn from, and elected by, the London members. In 1892 the first full-time Executive Council was elected as part of a general reform of the Society's government; the reforms did not change the A. S. E. 's craft character rather they were designed to improve the execution of traditional policies. As the climax of a long campaign for the eight-hour day the Executive Council called a strike of its London members in 1897. The ensuing dispute, which the Employers extended to all districts, lasted thirty weeks, and was ended on the terms laid down by the recently formed Engineering Employers' Federation (EEF). Under the terms of settlement the A. S. E. accepted a procedure for avoiding disputes and Management's right to prerogative over matters Which previously it had claimed unilateral control. The Society disaffiliated from the T. U. C. because of the Parliamentary Committee's failure to tobilize trade union support for the engineers eight-hour struggle. Affiliation was made to the General Federation of Trade Unions (GFTU) in the false hope that this Federation would augment the A. S. E. 'a industrial strength. It is convenient to discuss the A. S. E. 's reaction to the 1897-98 defeat and its consequences under headings which indicate the main themes. Technical change From the mid-1880's something approaching a revolution occurred in machine technology based upon improved high speed steels. The establishment of the EEF and the sustained attack upon craft methods of production can be largely explained by the employers' determination to fully exploit the new technology. Government Constitutional authority within the A. S. E. was divided between the Executive Council, a lay Delegate Meeting, and a lay Final Appeal Court. There was no policy making body. The Society was governed according to the rule book which was unaffected by the terms under which the 1697-98 dispute was settled. Consequently it was difficult for the Executive Council to develop collective bargaining and to restrain district committees, from acting in breach of the agreement, but within the rules of the Society. Both the Delegate Meeting and the Final Appeal Court tended to defend local as against central decision making authority. The Executive Council's action in 1903, withdrawing benefit from members of the Clyde striking against a wages reduction, led to a serious weakening in their authority. Three Executive Councilmen were defeated when seeking re-election, the Final Appeal Court partially over-ruled the Executive's benefit decision, and the 1904 Delegate Meeting limited the Council's right to intervene in district matters. In 1912 after a complicated dispute the Delegate Meeting dismissed the Executive Council from office. This assertion of authority by a rank and file body was not overtly influenced by syndicalist ow industrial unionist ideas. Industrial Policy The Executive Ceuneil intermittently and uncertainly tried to develep collective bargaining to replace lest unilateral regulation while powerful district committees attempted to retain their previous methods of operation. In 1902 the Executive concluded the Carlisle agreement for controlling the introduction of the premium bonus. This proved to be an unpopular agreement and probably discredited collective bargaining. The Executive elected in 1913, to replace the one dismissed by the 1912 Delegate Meeting, after a ballot vote of members, ended the Carlisle Agreement and the general agreement with the EEF. Eventually the York memorandum was approved by the members, which although it incorporated provisions which speeded up the procedure for avoiding disputes, continued those aspects which to many ASE members, were the humiliating terms under which the Society had been defeated. After 1898 with the Society formally precluded from negotiations on management matters an informal system of work place, industrial relations began to develop based upon district committees and the widespread appointment of shop stewards. Polities During these years the A. S. E. became involved in politics for the first time. All ballets on political questions were very small. The A. S. E. affiliated to the Labour Party but neither the Independent Labour Party (ILP) nor the Social Democratic Federation (SDF) were active within the Society. George Barnes (General Secretary 1896-1908) was an influential supporter of the Socialist trade union alliance upon which the Labour Party was established. In 1914 the A. S. E. members voted against raising a political levy under the 1913 trade union act. From the turn of the century most officials and active members supported the Labour Party and it was sometimes argued that the Society's problems (which were industrial) could be solved by political action. How, was never clear. The developing sympathy among A. S. E. members for a view of trade union democracy which favoured control exercised through district or workshop organisation casts some light on the development of the shop stewards movement during the War

Design guidelines for pregnant occupant safety

During pregnancy a woman’s body undergoes a considerable change in size and shape, and this can impact upon her safety during car travel. The two main issues are proper seat belt use and positioning, and steering wheel clearance. A comprehensive analysis of the questionnaire responses by pregnant women and anthropometric measurements demonstrates that the difficulties experienced can be explained by the physical changes and interactions throughout the body during gestation. Analysis of the anthropometry of pregnant women highlights that many pregnant users could easily be excluded from designs inadvertently if the design is based on males or non-pregnant females. Thus incorporation of pregnant women’s anthropometry into automotive design could reduce the exclusion rates and alleviate problems. This paper presents guidelines for the automotive industry generated from experiences and anthropometry of pregnant women, with the aim of improving safety for pregnant car occupants

Designing for safety during pregnancy through a system for automotive engineers

Pregnant women in the UK are legally required to wear seatbelts both as drivers and passengers. This paper considers fitting the seat belt correctly around the pregnant woman’s altered body and explores the ways of providing data to automotive engineers. The paper presents the difficulties experienced during pregnancy resulting from women’s altered shape and size. Accommodation of pregnant occupant anthropometry is key to improving seat belt use and positioning.An anthropometry website is presented with the aim of enhancing pregnant women’s quality of life through an improved seat belt design. The website has been designed to suit the needs of automotive designers and engineers to encourage them to consider pregnant occupant protectio

Measurements for pregnant drivers' comfort and safety

Pregnant women experience many different problems and difficulties with comfort and safety during car travel, which can be alleviated by accommodating pregnant women's anthropometry. There has been a dearth of information about pregnant anthropometry and subsequently women's needs have been neglected. This paper addresses the problem by presenting a detailed analysis of the anthropometric changes occurring throughout the body. The measurements have been selected for use in the vehicle design process, in order to best meet the needs of the automotive industry. The paper investigates the size and shape changes in pregnant women to calculate the possible exclusion rates for designs based on male and non-pregnant female data in order to help improving pregnant drivers' safety and comfort. The paper points out the importance of changes not only in the abdomen but also the chest and hip regions