The consolations of ambiguity : an essay on the novels of Anthony Burgess

Morris investigates the existential crises that heroes face in the novels of Anthony Burgess. When forced to confront an unsympathetic reality, these heroes use introspection as a means of internal metamorphosis, not only to confront their external struggle, but also to test of their character.The consolations of ambiguity -- Soldier-sinner, spy-saint -- Malaise in Malaya -- State and statement -- The bitter fruits of freedom -- Inderby, outerby, enderby.Digitized at the University of Missouri--Columbia MU Libraries Digitization Lab in 2012. Digitized at 600 dpi with Zeutschel, OS 15000 scanner. Access copy, available in MOspace, is 400 dpi, grayscale

Optimizing astrophotonic spatial reformatters using simulated on-sky performance

One of the most useful techniques in astronomical instrumentation is image slicing. It enables a spectrograph to have a more compact angular slit, whilst retaining throughput and increasing resolving power. Astrophotonic components like the photonic lanterns and photonic reformatters can be used to replace bulk optics used so far. This study investigates the performance of such devices using end-to-end simulations to approximate realistic on-sky conditions. It investigates existing components, tries to optimize their performance and aims to understand better how best to design instruments to maximize their performance. This work complements the recent work in the field and provides an estimation for the performance of the new components.Comment: Conference proceedings in SPIE 2018 Austin Texa

Simulation to Support Local Search in Trajectory Optimization Planning

NASA and the international community are investing in the development of a commercial transportation infrastructure that includes the increased use of rotorcraft, specifically helicopters and civil tilt rotors. However, there is significant concern over the impact of noise on the communities surrounding the transportation facilities. One way to address the rotorcraft noise problem is by exploiting powerful search techniques coming from artificial intelligence coupled with simulation and field tests to design low-noise flight profiles which can be tested in simulation or through field tests. This paper investigates the use of simulation based on predictive physical models to facilitate the search for low-noise trajectories using a class of automated search algorithms called local search. A novel feature of this approach is the ability to incorporate constraints directly into the problem formulation that addresses passenger safety and comfort

Constraint-based Temporal Reasoning with Preferences

Often we need to work in scenarios where events happen over time and preferences are associated to event distances and durations. Soft temporal constraints allow one to describe in a natural way problems arising in such scenarios. In general, solving soft temporal problems require exponential time in the worst case, but there are interesting subclasses of problems which are polynomially solvable. In this paper we identify one of such subclasses giving tractability results. Moreover, we describe two solvers for this class of soft temporal problems, and we show some experimental results. The random generator used to build the problems on which tests are performed is also described. We also compare the two solvers highlighting the tradeoff between performance and robustness. Sometimes, however, temporal local preferences are difficult to set, and it may be easier instead to associate preferences to some complete solutions of the problem. To model everything in a uniform way via local preferences only, and also to take advantage of the existing constraint solvers which exploit only local preferences, we show that machine learning techniques can be useful in this respect. In particular, we present a learning module based on a gradient descent technique which induces local temporal preferences from global ones. We also show the behavior of the learning module on randomly-generated examples

Inter-comparison Of Reflectivity Measurements Between GPM DPR And NEXRAD Radars

This study demonstrates the potential use of the NASA\u27s Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Dual-frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) to examine ground radar (GR) miscalibration and other uncertainty sources (e.g., partial beam blockage). We acquired the GPM Ground Validation System Validation Network reflectivity matchups between the DPR and three GRs (two in Iowa and one in South Dakota) for 2014–2017. We then refined the matching parameters (e.g., time separation) to reduce uncertainty in the matchup samples by analyzing the sensitivity of the matchup statistical properties to changes in these parameters. To reconcile the same observables (i.e., reflectivity) with different observational properties among the space- and ground-based radars, we developed a statistically integrated framework using inter-comparisons of them all with a Monte Carlo simulation. This method verifies the absolute calibration bias estimated from the refined DPR–GR matchups using relative calibration biases between GRs. We found that taking samples with a narrow temporal gap, estimated by actual measurement time of the DPR and GRs, can significantly reduce sample variability. Through inter-comparisons among the DPR and GRs, we observed that reflectivity differences among GRs in a similar environment (e.g., climatology and geography) are likely to be affected primarily by the calibration mismatch. In this case, the inter-comparison results demonstrated good agreement, and we inferred that the differences can be mitigated by calibration bias correction against the DPR. On the other hand, when the disagreement level of the inter-comparison results is significant, the authors found that other factors, such as partial beam blockage even in relatively plain regions, are more dominant than the calibration bias. In fact, the partial beam blockage effects can manifest themselves as a seasonal pattern in the GR inter-comparison results

Novel food-safe spin-lattice relaxation time calibration samples for use in magnetic resonance sensor development

Magnetic Resonance (MR) sensors are an area of increasing interest for the measurement and monitoring of material properties. There are two relaxation times associated with samples that can be measured with MR sensors: The spin-lattice and spin-spin relaxations. When developing new sensors, it is desirable to have a series of standards by which instruments can be assessed. The standard calibration materials available typically comprise different concentrations of Nickel Sulphate, which is carcinogenic and toxic. In this work, we report the use of solutions containing full fat milk powder as a safe and inexpensive material that shortens the longitudinal relaxation time of water over a wide range of values. We demonstrate that concentrations in distilled water from 5% W/V to 64% W/V give T1 values from 1.7 s down to 469 ms respectively in a 1.5T clinical MRI, while within an MR sensor, these times were from 1.6 s down to 431 ms. In addition, both systems have the same exponential coefficient (-0.022*concentration) that demonstrates the effectiveness of the NMR sensor in comparison to the clinical MRI

High resolution study of the spatial distributions of abyssal fishes by autonomous underwater vehicle

On abyssal plains, demersal fish are believed to play an important role in transferring energy across the seafloor and between the pelagic and benthic realms. However, little is known about their spatial distributions, making it difficult to quantify their ecological significance. To address this, we employed an autonomous underwater vehicle to conduct an exceptionally large photographic survey of fish distributions on the Porcupine Abyssal Plain (NE Atlantic, 4850?m water depth) encompassing two spatial scales (1–10?km2) on and adjacent to a small abyssal hill (240?m elevation). The spatial distributions of the total fish fauna and that of the two dominant morphotypes (Coryphaenoides sp. 1 and C. profundicolus) appeared to be random, a result contrary to common expectation but consistent with previous predictions for these fishes. We estimated total fish density on the abyssal plain to be 723 individuals km?2 (95% CI: 601–844). This estimate is higher, and likely more precise, than prior estimates from trawl catch and baited camera techniques (152 and 188 individuals km?2 respectively). We detected no significant difference in fish density between abyssal hill and plain, nor did we detect any evidence for the existence of fish aggregations at any spatial scale assessed

Building Writing Identities: Integrating Explicit Strategies with Authentic Writing Experiences to Engage At-Promise Writers

The message of what constitutes good writing instruction, though promulgated for decades, has not always nor consistently trickled down to P–12 schools, where writing instruction is often focused on preparing students for success on standardized tests and where prescriptive and formulaic approaches to teaching writing are prevalent. Part of the reason for this might be that teachers are not always familiar enough with authentic writing experiences that adequately engage all learners. As scholars in the fields of literacy and special education, respectively, the authors combine their collective expertise to address this concern. They offer skills-based tools and strategies that can be integrated into authentic writing experiences to promote critical thinking and creativity, build students’ writing identities, and help at-promise learners gain and maintain writing momentum. A balanced approach that harmonizes different orientations and paradigms lends credibility to this piece as an example of what educators joining together to form a coalition for student support can look like. This article is positioned to bridge the divide between seemingly dichotomous perspectives. Through the strategies and ideas the authors share, teachers will be better equipped to give at-promise writers reasons to believe in themselves and their writerly capabilities

Measuring Strategic Uncertainty in Coordination Games

Lecture on the first SFB/TR 15 meeting, Gummersbach, July, 18 - 20, 2004This paper explores predictability of behavior in coordination games with multiple equilibria. In a laboratory experiment we measure subjects' certainty equivalents for three coordination games and one lottery. Attitudes towards strategic uncertainty in coordination games are related to risk aversion, experience seeking, gender and age. From the distribution of certainty equivalents among participating students we estimate probabilities for successful coordination in a wide range of coordination games. For many games success of coordination is predictable with a reasonable error rate. The best response of a risk neutral player is close to the global-game solution. Comparing choices in coordination games with revealed risk aversion, we estimate subjective probabilities for successful coordination. In games with a low coordination requirement, most subjects underestimate the probability of success. In games with a high coordination requirement, most subjects overestimate this probability. Data indicate that subjects have probabilistic beliefs about success or failure of coordination rather than beliefs about individual behavior of other players