The Amplifier - v. 8, no. 12

In this issue...Mines Baseball, seat belts, Anaconda, student luncheon, Memorial Day, Silver Bow Ballroom, Hennessy Department Store, President Kennedy

FAME, A Polyglot Library for Metamodeling at Runtime

Tomorrow's eternal software system will co-evolve with their context: their metamodels must adapt at runtime to ever-changing external requirements. In this paper we present FAME, a polyglot library that keeps metamodels accessible and adaptable at runtime. Special care is taken to establish causal connection between fame-classes and host-classes. As some host-languages offer limited reflection features only, not all implementations feature the same degree of causal connection. We present and discuss three scenarios: 1) full causal connection, 2) no causal connection, and 3) emulated causal connection. Of which, both Scenario 1 and 3 are suitable to deploy fully metamodel-driven applications.

Whole-body vibration exposure study in U.S. railroad locomotives--an ergonomic risk assessment

Whole-body vibration exposure of locomotive engineers and the vibration attenuation of seats in 22 U.S. locomotives (built between 1959 and 2000) was studied during normal revenue service and following international measurement guidelines. Triaxial vibration measurements (duration mean 155 min, range 84-383 min) on the seat and on the floor were compared. In addition to the basic vibration evaluation (aw rms), the vector sum (av), the maximum transient vibration value (MTVV/aw), the vibration dose value (VDV/(aw T1/4)), and the vibration seat effective transmissibility factor (SEAT) were calculated. The power spectral densities are also reported. The mean basic vibration level (aw rms) was for the fore-aft axis x = 0.18 m/sec2, the lateral axis y = 0.28 m/sec2, and the vertical axis z = 0.32 m/sec2. The mean vector sum was 0.59 m/sec2 (range 0.27 to 1.44). The crest factors were generally at or above 9 in the horizontal and vertical axis. The mean MTVV/aw was 5.3 (x), 5.1 (y), and 4.8 (z), and the VDV/(aw T1/4) values ranged from 1.32 to 2.3 (x-axis), 1.33 to 1.7 (y-axis), and 1.38 to 1.86 (z-axis), generally indicating high levels of shocks. The mean seat transmissibility factor (SEAT) was 1.4 (x) and 1.2 (y) and 1 (z), demonstrating a general ineffectiveness of any of the seat suspension systems. In conclusion, these data indicate that locomotive rides are characterized by relatively high shock content (acceleration peaks) of the vibration signal in all directions. Locomotive vertical and lateral vibrations are similar, which appears to be characteristic for rail vehicles compared with many road/off-road vehicles. Tested locomotive cab seats currently in use (new or old) appear inadequate to reduce potentially harmful vibration and shocks transmitted to the seated operator, and older seats particularly lack basic ergonomic features regarding adjustability and postural support.

Social Work, Mobility and Membership

Social work is more involved in the collective life of its clientele than are other human service activities, because it is directly concerned with the bonds and conflicts between individuals, and the co-operative and competitive aspects of groups and communities. Hence it relies on being sited in organisations relevant to service users' lives, and on being able to influence these collectivities. This article argues that the 'organisational landscape' is being transformed, as commercial enterprises (more mobile and adaptable than either state or non-government organisations) take over important aspects of collective provision. The implications of this transformation for practice are analysed, by reference to examples from the United Kingdom in particular.

Dynamic merge of discrete goods flow – Impact on throughput and efficiency

Continuous conveyors with a dynamic merge were developed with adaptable control equipment to differentiate these merges from competing Stop-and-Go merges. With a dynamic merge, the partial flows are manipulated by influencing speeds so that transport units need not stop for the merge. This leads to a more uniform flow of materials, which is qualitatively observable and verifiable in long-term measurements. And although this type of merge is visually mesmerizing, does it lead to advantages from the view of material flow technology? Our study with real data indicates that a dynamic merge shows a 24% increase in performance, but only for symmetric or nearly symmetric flows. This performance advantage decreases as the flows become less symmetric, approaching the throughput of traditional Stop-and-Go merges. And with a cost premium for a continuous merge of approximately 10% due to the additional technical components (belt conveyor, adjustable drive engines, software, etc.), this restricts their economical use.

Design, Simulation und Erprobung einer aktiven Sitzaufhängung für Nutzfahrzeuge

Nutzfahrzeuge müssen oft durch sehr unebenes Gelände gefahren werden. In diesem Fall wird der Fahrer starken Vibrationen ausgesetzt, die von der Fahrzeugkarosserie durch die Sitzaufhängung auf ihn wirken. Um diese Schwingungen zu verringern, werden die Sitzaufhängungen in der Regel mit Feder-Dämpfer-Systemen ausgerüstet. Jedoch erreichen die passiven Systeme vor allem bei niederfrequenten Schwingungen ihre physikalischen Grenzen. Eine wesentliche Verbesserung des Sitzkomforts kann unter solchen Anregungsbedingungen nur mit einer aktiven Sitzaufhängung erreicht werden. In diesem Beitrag wird ein neuartiges aktives System für die Sitzaufhängung auf Basis von elektrorheologischen Flüssigkeiten vorgestellt. Außerdem werden die theoretischen Grundlagen für die Modellierung der beschriebenen aktiven Sitzaufhängung dargestellt. Anschließend werden die Simulationsergebnisse mit den Messergebnissen unter realen Betriebsbedingungen verglichen. Die Repräsentation der Ergebnisse mit Hilfe der im Bereich der Sitztechnik weit verbreiteten SEAT-Werten (Seat Effective Amplitude Transmissibility) zeigt das Potenzial des entwickelten Systems zur aktiven Reduktion der Schwingungsbelastung des Fahrers und ermöglicht seine objektive Bewertung.

Iowa State Daily (December 7, 2011)

ContentsExpo displays talentsLow student turnout plagues runoff electionSeasonal disorder hits hard in winterSzopinski wins seat on Ames City CouncilCyclones seek revenge in Cy-Hawk seriesIowa State gets big win against Prairie View A&MNo justification for ignorance

Report on 2010-2013 Excavations at Horvat Kur, Galilee

Four seasons of excavations at Horvat Kur in the Galilee (250570/754485) have exposed the remains of a broadhouse synagogue from the Byzantine period. The building was entered through a portico on the west or a doorway on the south. The fill beneath the portico included the discarded remains of a once colored mosaic as well as more than 1000 coins. A low bench of basalt stones (some of which were plastered) runs along the interior walls, interrupted only by a stone bemah in the center of the southern wall. The synagogue is thus oriented toward Jerusalem. Near the bemah, an ornamented limestone seat was found in situ atop the bench. The building underwent several changes and repairs in the course of its lifespan. On either side of the bemah, north-south rows of columns rested on stylobate. A basalt stone table was found in re-use in the eastern stylobate. Nicknamed “the Horvat Kur stone,” this monolith features geometric figures on three sides and figurative representations on one side. Its original function is as yet subject of research. A narrow test-trench into the sediment of a cistern located outside the northern wall of the synagogue has produced nearly thirty intact vessels of the early Byzantine period, mostly cooking pots and water jars. In addition a dense sequence of pollen samples has been taken. Preliminary interpretation of these finds indicates that the Horvat Kur synagogue illustrates Byzantine synagogue construction, decoration, and use in the setting of a Galilean village of modest economic circumstances.

Anmerkungen zu den (spät)persischen Samaria-Bullen aus dem Wadi ed-Dalije. Hellenisches, Persisches und Lokaltraditionen im Grenzgebiet der Provinz Jehud

The present article deals exemplarily with the remarkable iconographic attestations connected with the Wadi ed-Daliye (WD) findings. The discussed bullae were attached to papyri which provide a clear dating of the hoard between 375-335 BCE. Considering style and convention the preserved motives are to be classified as Persian, Greek or Greco-Persian. A major goal of the following presentation is the contextualization of the very material; this is achieved by taking into account local parallels as well as relevant attestations of the dominant / “imperial” cultures of Persia and Greece. The correlation of motives with the (often more complex, more detailed or more contoured) examples stemming from the “source-cultures” follows a clear agenda: It is methodologically based on the approach that was employed by Silvia Schroer and Othmar Keel throughout the project „Die Ikonographie Palästinas/Israels und der Alte Orient (IPIAO). Eine Religionsgeschichte in Bildern” (2005, 23ff). The WD-findings demand a careful analysis since the influencing cultures behind the imagery are deeply rooted in the field of Greek mythology and iconography. Special attention has to be drawn to the bullae, as far as excavated, from a huge Punic temple archive of Carthago (Berges 1997 and 2002) as well as those from the archive of the satrap seat in Daskyleion in the Northwest of Asia Minor (Kaptan 2002), which are chronologically close (end 5th and 4th century BCE) to the WD-finds. Not each and every single motive and artifact of the WD-corpus comprising more than 120 items can be dealt with in detail throughout the following pages. We refer to the editio princeps by Leith (1990, 1997) respectively to the concerning chapter in Keel’s Corpus volume II (Keel 2010, 340-379). The article gives a brief history of research (2.), some basic remarks on the development of style (3.) and a selection of detail-studies (4.). A crosscheck with other relevant corpora of stamp-seals (5.) as well as a compressed synthesis (6.) are contributions in order to characterize and classify the unique iconographic assemblage. There are rather few references to the late Persian coins from Samaria (Meshorer/Qedar 1999), which have been impressed about contemporaneous with the WD-bullae (372-333 BCE), as there is an article by Patrick Wyssmann in this volume about that specific corpus. Through the perspective of the late Persian iconography, Samaria appears as a dazzling metropolis at the crossroads of Greek and Persian culture, which is far away from a strict and revolutionary religious orthodoxy

Driving and dementia: a clinical decision pathway

OBJECTIVE This study aimed to develop a pathway to bring together current UK legislation, good clinical practice and appropriate management strategies that could be applied across a range of healthcare settings. METHODS The pathway was constructed by a multidisciplinary clinical team based in a busy Memory Assessment Service. A process of successive iteration was used to develop the pathway, with input and refinement provided via survey and small group meetings with individuals from a wide range of regional clinical networks and diverse clinical backgrounds as well as discussion with mobility centres and Forum of Mobility Centres, UK. RESULTS We present a succinct clinical pathway for patients with dementia, which provides a decision-making framework for how health professionals across a range of disciplines deal with patients with dementia who drive. CONCLUSIONS By integrating the latest guidance from diverse roles within older people's health services and key experts in the field, the resulting pathway reflects up-to-date policy and encompasses differing perspectives and good practice. It is potentially a generalisable pathway that can be easily adaptable for use internationally, by replacing UK legislation for local regulations. A limitation of this pathway is that it does not address the concern of mild cognitive impairment and how this condition relates to driving safety. © 2014 The Authors. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Development of a novel marker vaccine platform for protection against Bluetongue Virus (BTV)

Bluetongue virus (BTV) is an economically important member of the genus Orbivirus and closely related to African horse sickness virus (AHSV) and Epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV). Currently, 26 different serotypes of BTV are known. The virus is transmitted by blood-feeding Culicoides midges and causes disease (bluetongue [BT]) in ruminants. In 2006/2007, BTV serotype 8 (BTV-8) caused widespread outbreaks of BT amongst livestock in Europe, which were eventually controlled employing a conventionally inactivated BTV vaccine. However, this vaccine did not allow the discrimination of infected from vaccinated animals (DIVA) by the commonly used VP7 cELISA. RNA replicon vectors based on propagation-incompetent recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) represent a novel vaccine platform that combines the efficacy of live attenuated vaccines with the safety of inactivated vaccines. Our goal was to generate an RNA replicon vaccine for BTV-8, which is safe, efficacious, adaptable to emerging orbivirus infections , and compliant with the DIVA principle. The VP2, VP5, VP3 and VP7 genes encoding the BTV-8 capsid proteins, as well as the non-structural proteins NS1 and NS3 were inserted into a VSV vector genome lacking the essential VSV glycoprotein (G) gene. Infectious virus replicon particles (VRP) were produced on a transgenic helper cell line providing the VSV G protein in trans. Expression of antigens in vitro was analysed by immunofluorescence using monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies. In a pilot study, sheep were immunized with two different VRP-based vaccine candidates, one comprising the BTV-8 antigens VP2, VP5, VP3, VP7, NS1, and NS3, the other one containing antigens VP3, VP7, NS1, and NS3. Control animals received VRPs containing an irrelevant antigen. Virus neutralizing antibodies and protection after BTV-8 challenge were evaluated and compared to animals immunized with the conventionally inactivated vaccine. Full protection was induced only when the two antigens VP2 and VP5 were included in the vaccine. To further evaluate if VP2 alone, a combination of VP2 and VP5 or VP5 alone were necessary for complete protection, we performed a second animal trial. Interestingly, VP2 as well as the combination of VP2 and VP5 but not VP5 alone conferred full protection in terms of neutralizing antibodies, and protection from clinical signs and viremia after BTV-8 challenge. These results show that the VSV replicon system represents a safe, efficacious and DIVA-compliant vaccine against BTV as well as a possible platform for protection against other Orbiviruses, such as AHSV and EHDV.

The Kinneret Regional Project Excavations of a Byzantine Synagogue at Horvat Kur, Galilee, 2010-2013: A Preliminary Report

The article presents the preliminary results from four seasons of excavations at Horvat Kur in the Galilee. The excavations conducted by the Kinneret Regional Project have exposed the remains of a broad-house synagogue from the Byzantine period. The most important finds include an elevated platform (i. e., a bemah) that supported a chest holding Torah scrolls, an ornamented limestone seat that was probably used by the leader of the congregation, and a basalt stone table that features geometric figures on three sides and figurative representations on one side. The Horvat Kur synagogue represents a valuable example of the diversity of Galilean synagogues that were built or renovated between the 5th and the 7th centuries C.E.

Models for intensive care training. A European perspective.

The diversity of European culture is reflected in its healthcare training programs. In intensive care medicine (ICM), the differences in national training programs were so marked that it was unlikely that they could produce specialists of equivalent skills. The Competency-Based Training in Intensive Care Medicine in Europe (CoBaTrICE) program was established in 2003 as a Europe-based worldwide collaboration of national training organizations to create core competencies for ICM using consensus methodologies to establish common ground. The group's professional and research ethos created a social identity that facilitated change. The program was easily adaptable to different training structures and incorporated the voice of patients and relatives. The CoBaTrICE program has now been adopted by 15 European countries, with another 12 countries planning to adopt the training program, and is currently available in nine languages, including English. ICM is now recognized as a primary specialty in Spain, Switzerland, and the UK. There are still wide variations in structures and processes of training in ICM across Europe, although there has been agreement on a set of common program standards. The combination of a common "product specification" for an intensivist, combined with persisting variation in the educational context in which competencies are delivered, provides a rich source of research inquiry. Pedagogic research in ICM could usefully focus on the interplay between educational interventions, healthcare systems and delivery, and patient outcomes, such as including whether competency-based program are associated with lower error rates, whether communication skills training is associated with greater patient and family satisfaction, how multisource feedback might best be used to improve reflective learning and teamworking, or whether increasing the proportion of specialists trained in acute care in the hospital at weekends results in better patient outcomes.

Comprehensive measures of sound exposures in cinemas using smart phones

OBJECTIVES Sensorineural hearing loss from sound overexposure has a considerable prevalence. Identification of sound hazards is crucial, as prevention, due to a lack of definitive therapies, is the sole alternative to hearing aids. One subjectively loud, yet little studied, potential sound hazard is movie theaters. This study uses smart phones to evaluate their applicability as a widely available, validated sound pressure level (SPL) meter. Therefore, this study measures sound levels in movie theaters to determine whether sound levels exceed safe occupational noise exposure limits and whether sound levels in movie theaters differ as a function of movie, movie theater, presentation time, and seat location within the theater. DESIGN Six smart phones with an SPL meter software application were calibrated with a precision SPL meter and validated as an SPL meter. Additionally, three different smart phone generations were measured in comparison to an integrating SPL meter. Two different movies, an action movie and a children's movie, were measured six times each in 10 different venues (n = 117). To maximize representativeness, movies were selected focusing on large release productions with probable high attendance. Movie theaters were selected in the San Francisco, CA, area based on whether they screened both chosen movies and to represent the largest variety of theater proprietors. Measurements were analyzed in regard to differences between theaters, location within the theater, movie, as well as presentation time and day as indirect indicator of film attendance. RESULTS The smart phone measurements demonstrated high accuracy and reliability. Overall, sound levels in movie theaters do not exceed safe exposure limits by occupational standards. Sound levels vary significantly across theaters and demonstrated statistically significant higher sound levels and exposures in the action movie compared to the children's movie. Sound levels decrease with distance from the screen. However, no influence on time of day or day of the week as indirect indicator of film attendance could be found. CONCLUSIONS Calibrated smart phones with an appropriate software application as used in this study can be utilized as a validated SPL meter. Because of the wide availability, smart phones in combination with the software application can provide high quantity recreational sound exposure measurements, which can facilitate the identification of potential noise hazards. Sound levels in movie theaters decrease with distance to the screen, but do not exceed safe occupational noise exposure limits. Additionally, there are significant differences in sound levels across movie theaters and movies, but not in presentation time.

Non-illness-related factors contributing to traffic safety in older drivers: a litterature review

Background/Study Context: Older drivers are at increased risk of becoming involved in car crashes. Contrary to well-studied illness-related factors contributing to crash risk, the non-illness-related factors that can influence safety of older drivers are underresearched. METHODS: Here, the authors review the literature on non-illness-related factors influencing driving in people over age 60. We identified six safety-relevant factors: road infrastructure, vehicle characteristics, traffic-related knowledge, accuracy of self-awareness, personality traits, and self-restricted driving. RESULTS: The literature suggests that vehicle preference, the quality of traffic-related knowledge, the location and time of traffic exposure, and personality traits should all be taken into account when assessing fitness-to-drive in older drivers. Studies indicate that self-rating of driving skills does not reliably predict fitness-to-drive. CONCLUSIONS: Most factors discussed are adaptable or accessible to training and collectively may have the potential to increase traffic safety for older drivers and other road users.