Ambiguity in Knowledge Organization: Four Proposed Types

Classification and categorization order by creating or seeking certainty. Yet inevitably we encounter things that defy ready placement, which we may label other or miscellaneous, or force into another category. The literature of knowledge organization recognizes the consequences of classification and misrepresentation, but has not systematically outlined what circumstances or conditions render a thing ambiguous to those who would seek to describe it. This paper proposes four major sources or type of ambiguity in classification. While examples of these types may be found in many disciplines and settings, they have in common similar requirements for accurate or improved representation. Multiplicity is a source of ambiguity when a resource or object requires more terms to describe than the system allows. Emergence is ambiguity that arises when phenomena, from medical observation to literary genre, is at an early stage of description and thus unstable. Privacy-related ambiguity is that which stems from a gap of understanding or trust between those classifying and what is being classified, particularly in human communities. Conditional ambiguity arises when something requires narrative due to conditional contexts such as temporality or geography. This term also describes things that have dichotomous or fragmentary identities that are not easily represented by most systems. These types of ambiguity may arise in formal and informal organization systems. While observing these types of ambiguity may not offer immediate or feasible solutions, it may allow us to discuss their unique challenges and to better understand their manifestations across disciplines

Controllability and Design of Unmanned Multirotor Aircraft Robust to Rotor Failure

A new design method for multi-rotor aircraft with distributed electric propulsion is presented to ensure a property of robustness against rotor failure from the control perspective. Based on the concept of null controllability, a quality measure is derived to evaluate and quantify the performance of a given design with the consideration of rotor failure. An optimization problem whose cost function is based on the quality measure is formulated and its optimal solution identifies a set of optimal design parameters that maximizes an aircraft’s ability to control its attitude and hence its position. The effectiveness of the proposed design procedure is validated through the results of experimentation with the Autonomous Flying Ambulance model being developed at Caltech’s Center for Autonomous Systems and Technologies

Analyse of Tapa, Turu 12a block of flats (60 flats) in context of energy efficiency and made investments + thermal inspection and Energy Label

Käesoleva töö uurimisvaldkonnaks on energiatõhusus. Uuritavaks objektiks oli Turu 12a, Tapa linn, Lääne-Virumaa suurpaneelidest korterelamu (60 krt.), ehitatud aastal 1970. Töö eesmärgiks oli analüüsida, konkreetse uurimisobjekti põhjal, rekonstrueerimise tähtsust vastavalt soojusenergia hinnatõusule ajas ja investeeringu tasuvusaegasid. Töö käigus viidi läbi termografeerimine, mõõdeti ja analüüsiti rekonstrueeritud raudbetoonist suurpaneelidest korterelamu välispiirete soojajuhtivusi. Kontrolliti energiatõhusust vastavalt Eesti Vabariigi Valitsuse 20. detsembri 2007. aasta määrusele nr 258 „Energiatõhususe miinimumnõuded” ning arvutati reaalsele energiatarbele vastav energiamärgis. Uuringus selgus, et puitkarkasside vahel olevate 50mm mineraalvillaplaatidega (kokku 100mm) + tuuletõkke-süsteemiga suurendati paneelelamu (seeria I϶-464; Tallinna Elamuehituse Kombinaat) soojapidavust ligi 30%. Seega on selline soojustuslahendus taoliste suurpaneelelamute puhul igati õigustatud. Töös leiti, et otsus, lisada kaugküttele käibemaks kõigepealt 5%, siis 18% ning lõpuks 20% oli Eesti Vabariigi ebamajanduslik otsus, mis on tänaseks tuhanded korteriühistud pannud keerulisse, ja pea väljapääsmatusse olukorda, kus kütteenergia hind lõpptarbijale on kriitiliselt kõrge ja sellega võitlemiseks materiaalsed vahendid puuduvad.This Master’s Thesis research area is the energy efficiency of buildings. The object investigated was a block of flats (60 flats) made of reinforced concrete panels, biult in 1970. The Object located in Turu 12a, Tapa city, West-Viru County. The objective of the work was to analyse the importance of reconstruction based on specific object of study with respect to the increase of price of heat in time and payback period of investments. In gear of work thermography was conducted, thermal conductivity of external borders of the reconstructed block of flats made of large panels were measured and analysed. Energy efficiency was controlled according to regulation by Estonian Government No 258 (20.12.1007) „Minimal requirements of energy efficiency“ and Energy Label corresponding to actual power consumption was calculated . The study showed that insulation of the block of flats (series I϶-464; built by Tallinna Elamuehituse Kombinaat) was increased almost 30% with 100mm mineral wool slabs between the wooden frame + wind barrier system. Therefore this kind of insulation system is justified for block of flats made of large panels and from that periood of time. The study also showed that the decision made by Estonian Government for adding to district heating first VAT 5%, then 18% and finally 20% was uneconomic. It has put thousand of co-operative housing associations in hard and almost a hopeless situation where the price of heating energy is critically high for end-users and financial resources for fighting this situation are lacking

Disambiguating ambiguity Or, Looking beyond uncertainty as the source of ambiguity in description systems

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Washington, 2023Representation both signals presence and advocates for resources; how we approach this work is informed by the context in which it takes place. In cultural heritage institutions (CHIs), items are represented through catalog records, which are shaped by a variety of infrastructures from standards to software. These structured descriptions, which inventory and facilitate access to items while marking their role as members of a collection, must signal the unique identity of each item, disambiguating each from similar others. In knowledge organization, and classification theory particularly, disambiguation is treated primarily as a process of moving from uncertainty to certainty. By mapping the terrain in which these surrogates are made and inviting practitioners in the field to share challenges encountered in their work, this dissertation asks what it means for something to be ambiguous in structured description. Examples of friction and ambiguity from the field extend beyond experiences of temporary uncertainty. Working through technical and ethical issues, often with inadequate resources to attend to challenging cases, practitioners explore a variety of interventions for addressing the limitations of description systems. This dissertation contributes a framework for investigating the frictions of representation in CHIs and beyond. Doing so may help us to imagine alternative approaches to this work and to advocate for a variety of resources that can support items, collections, institutions, and the practitioners on whose labor this work relies

Experience of Adversity and Engagement in Prosocial Behavior

Though adverse life events are most often studied in their relation to negative outcomes, experiencing adversity has also been related to a number of positive outcomes such as post traumatic growth, resilience, and altruistic and prosocial behavior. The current study examined the relationship between prior adverse life experience and engagement in several types of prosocial behavior, and explored the related concepts of empathy, trust, reasons for emergency helping, and steps to emergency helping. The primary goal of the study was to investigate the previously unexplored relationship between prior experience of adverse life events and subsequent engagement in emergency helping (bystander intervention). The study used a mixed quasi-experimental and survey design with a diverse sample of undergraduate students (N = 161). Using a modified “lady in distress” paradigm for emergency helping, the findings demonstrated that recent experience of adversity is positively related to subsequent engagement in emergency helping behavior. Prior findings from a nationally representative sample of the positive relationship between experiencing adversity and engaging in prosocial behavior were confirmed with regard to organizational but not interpersonal helping in the current sample. Empathy was found to be negatively related to emergency helping, and positively related to organizational helping, while trust was found to be positively related to interpersonal helping only. In examining the relationship between the emotional impact of adverse experience and engagement in helping behavior, the findings demonstrated that emotional impact was related to organizational helping only and that this relationship was positive. There were differences in relevant outcomes related to types of adversity experienced as well as primary reasons selected for engaging in emergency helping. Additional findings showed there is complexity in personal perceptions of steps to helping. These findings confirm and expand on the relationship between adversity and prosocial behavior, and suggest there are multiple and varied pathways from adversity to prosocial engagement

Anastasia liikumine ja tema õpetuse järgijad eesti kogukonna näitel

Anastasia liikumise puhul on tegemist uue vaimsuse õpetusega, mis sai alguse 90-ndate keskpaiku Venemaalt, kirjaniku Vladimir Megre koostatud raamatusarja „Venemaa helisevad seedrid“ põhjal, mis jutustavad müstilisest Siberi teadjanaisest Anastasiast. Anastasiat nimetatakse raamatus vedrussiks ehk üheks viimaseks iidsete slaavi algallikate inimeste seas. Õpetuse järgi ei ole vedrusside rahvas välja surnud, vaid hoopis magab. Inimene on Jumala loomingu tipp, suutes mõjutada oma alateadvuse kaudu kõike nii Maa peal kui ka kosmoses toimuvat. Need anded on uinumisseisundi tõttu kadunud, kuid tuleb endas üles äratada. Raamatutes on hoiak, et teadlased lõhuvad ja hävitavad maailma. Inimesest kui kunagisest ülimast olendist sai praegune mõistuseta olend, mis on tehnokraatliku ühiskonna tagajärg. Õpetuse põhisõnum innustab elama armastavat ja looduslähedast elu naturaalses keskkonnas ehk põliskodus