From history to haecceity: spatial reframings of the past in post-heritage cinema

This article investigates the transformation of history into haecceities that allow us to grasp history through a nonlinear, cinematic sensation of pure past. Here, cinema merges classical knowledge of historical facts with the lived reality of the unrecorded past. Experiments with spatial reframings of the past in The Lady and the Duke, The King's Daughters, The White Ribbon and Coco Before Chanel are discussed to create nonlinear sensations of duration that link with Deleuze and Guattari's notions of affect and haecceity, which transform history into cinematic sets of speed, movement, and texture. Furthermore, the article analyses how the traditionally linear narrative of history is transposed into the abstract sensation of time through haecceity as pure past, where time and space come together to put the sensory quality of memory to the fore. Shifting the perspective from the linear account of history to the multilinear effects of affect and haecceity this analysis challenges the cultural hegemony of representation that favours a homogeneous image of thought. Focussing on the material and performative quality of the film image, the article analyses the spatiotemporal relations that create an analytical perception through the senses

The computerization of archaeology: survey on AI techniques

This paper analyses the application of artificial intelligence techniques to various areas of archaeology and more specifically: a) The use of software tools as a creative stimulus for the organization of exhibitions; the use of humanoid robots and holographic displays as guides that interact and involve museum visitors; b) The analysis of methods for the classification of fragments found in archaeological excavations and for the reconstruction of ceramics, with the recomposition of the parts of text missing from historical documents and epigraphs; c) The cataloguing and study of human remains to understand the social and historical context of belonging with the demonstration of the effectiveness of the AI techniques used; d) The detection of particularly difficult terrestrial archaeological sites with the analysis of the architectures of the Artificial Neural Networks most suitable for solving the problems presented by the site; the design of a study for the exploration of marine archaeological sites, located at depths that cannot be reached by man, through the construction of a freely explorable 3D version

KSNet-Approach to Knowledge Fusion from Distributed Sources

The rapidity of the decision making process is an important factor in different branches of the human life (business, healthcare, industry, military applications etc.). Since responsible persons make decisions using available knowledge, it is important for knowledge management systems to deliver necessary and timely information. Knowledge logistics is a new direction in the knowledge management addressing this. Technology of knowledge fusion, based on the synergistic use of knowledge from multiple distributed sources, is a basis for these activities. The paper presents an overview of a Knowledge Source Network configuration approach (KSNet-approach) to knowledge fusion, multi-agent architecture and research prototype of the KSNet knowledge fusion system based on this approach

Development of three-dimensional finite element software for curved plate girder and tub girder bridges during construction

Because of its ability to be easily shaped, steel is an attractive material for curved girders. Plate girder and tub girder bridges, for example, are often the preferred solution for direct connectors in highway networks. This flexibility in fabrication, however, presents challenges for structural engineers because of the difficulties associated with accounting for combined bending and torsion with curved geometry. The potential presence of skewed supports is a further source of complexity. In fact, no commercial structural engineering program currently addresses the evaluation of plate girder and tub girder bridges while modeling them to the full extent of their three-dimensional configuration. Most engineers, for example, use a two-dimensional bridge representation, which is often accurate for typical design of a complete bridge but may also be unconservative in many cases. The few programs that allow a full three-dimensional representation require extensive knowledge of finite element theory as well as significant time to model any complex structure. This dissertation presents the assumptions, methodology and calculations involved in the programming of a new structural engineering program designed to assess the behavior and stability or curved plate girder and tub girder bridges during erection or deck placement. It then illustrates the capabilities of the program for various structural systems subjected to a variety of loads, from self-weight to wind and temperature loads. In addition to a linear elastic analysis, multiple types of analysis are offered to the engineer: a geometrically nonlinear analysis provides a more accurate behavior for flexible systems, a linearized buckling analysis yields an upper bound evaluation of the stability of the structure, while a modal dynamic analysis estimates the free vibration modes of that structure.Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineerin

QoS-Aware Middleware for Web Services Composition

The paradigmatic shift from a Web of manual interactions to a Web of programmatic interactions driven by Web services is creating unprecedented opportunities for the formation of online Business-to-Business (B2B) collaborations. In particular, the creation of value-added services by composition of existing ones is gaining a significant momentum. Since many available Web services provide overlapping or identical functionality, albeit with different Quality of Service (QoS), a choice needs to be made to determine which services are to participate in a given composite service. This paper presents a middleware platform which addresses the issue of selecting Web services for the purpose of their composition in a way that maximizes user satisfaction expressed as utility functions over QoS attributes, while satisfying the constraints set by the user and by the structure of the composite service. Two selection approaches are described and compared: one based on local (task-level) selection of services and the other based on global allocation of tasks to services using integer programming

Pathway to the Square Kilometre Array - The German White Paper -

The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) is the most ambitious radio telescope ever planned. With a collecting area of about a square kilometre, the SKA will be far superior in sensitivity and observing speed to all current radio facilities. The scientific capability promised by the SKA and its technological challenges provide an ideal base for interdisciplinary research, technology transfer, and collaboration between universities, research centres and industry. The SKA in the radio regime and the European Extreme Large Telescope (E-ELT) in the optical band are on the roadmap of the European Strategy Forum for Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) and have been recognised as the essential facilities for European research in astronomy. This "White Paper" outlines the German science and R&D interests in the SKA project and will provide the basis for future funding applications to secure German involvement in the Square Kilometre Array.Comment: Editors: H. R. Kl\"ockner, M. Kramer, H. Falcke, D.J. Schwarz, A. Eckart, G. Kauffmann, A. Zensus; 150 pages (low resolution- and colour-scale images), published in July 2012, language English (including a foreword and an executive summary in German), the original file is available via the MPIfR homepag