Large deviation principles for nongradient weakly asymmetric stochastic lattice gases

We consider a lattice gas on the discrete d-dimensional torus $(\mathbb{Z}/N\mathbb{Z})^d$ with a generic translation invariant, finite range interaction satisfying a uniform strong mixing condition. The lattice gas performs a Kawasaki dynamics in the presence of a weak external field E/N. We show that, under diffusive rescaling, the hydrodynamic behavior of the lattice gas is described by a nonlinear driven diffusion equation. We then prove the associated dynamical large deviation principle. Under suitable assumptions on the external field (e.g., E constant), we finally analyze the variational problem defining the quasi-potential and characterize the optimal exit trajectory. From these results we deduce the asymptotic behavior of the stationary measures of the stochastic lattice gas, which are not explicitly known. In particular, when the external field E is constant, we prove a stationary large deviation principle for the empirical density and show that the rate function does not depend on E.Comment: Published in at http://dx.doi.org/10.1214/11-AAP805 the Annals of Applied Probability (http://www.imstat.org/aap/) by the Institute of Mathematical Statistics (http://www.imstat.org

Large deviations of the empirical flow for continuous time Markov chains

We consider a continuous time Markov chain on a countable state space and prove a joint large deviation principle for the empirical measure and the empirical flow, which accounts for the total number of jumps between pairs of states. We give a direct proof using tilting and an indirect one by contraction from the empirical process.Comment: Minor revision, to appear on Annales de l'Institut Henri Poincare (B) Probability and Statistic

Flows, currents, and cycles for Markov chains: Large deviation asymptotics

We consider a continuous time Markov chain on a countable state space. We prove a joint large deviation principle (LDP) of the empirical measure and current in the limit of large time interval. The proof is based on results on the joint large deviations of the empirical measure and flow obtained in Bertini et al. (in press). By improving such results we also show, under additional assumptions, that the LDP holds with the strong L1 topology on the space of currents. We deduce a general version of the Gallavotti–Cohen (GC) symmetry for the current field and show that it implies the so-called fluctuation theorem for the GC functional. We also analyze the large deviation properties of generalized empirical currents associated to a fundamental basis in the cycle space, which, as we show, are given by the first class homological coefficients in the graph underlying the Markov chain. Finally, we discuss in detail some examples

Bounds on current fluctuations in periodically driven systems

Small nonequilibrium systems in contact with a heat bath can be analyzed with the framework of stochastic thermodynamics. In such systems, fluctuations, which are not negligible, follow universal relations such as the fluctuation theorem. More recently, it has been found that, for nonequilibrium stationary states, the full spectrum of fluctuations of any thermodynamic current is bounded by the average rate of entropy production and the average current. However, this bound does not apply to periodically driven systems, such as heat engines driven by periodic variation of the temperature and artificial molecular pumps driven by an external protocol. We obtain a universal bound on current fluctuations for periodically driven systems. This bound is a generalization of the known bound for stationary states. In general, the average rate that bounds fluctuations in periodically driven systems is different from the rate of entropy production. We also obtain a local bound on fluctuations that leads to a trade-off relation between speed and precision in periodically driven systems, which constitutes a generalization to periodically driven systems of the so called thermodynamic uncertainty relation. From a technical perspective, our results are obtained with the use of a recently developed theory for 2.5 large deviations for Markov jump processes with time-periodic transition rates.Comment: 23 pages, 3 figure

Effects of economic crisis on fertility: a comparison between South Korea and Italy

Over the past decades, economic downturns have affected fertility dynamics in several countries in Asia and in Europe. The main purpose of this study is to perform a comparative analysis between South Korea and Italy on the effects of the economic crises, started respectively in 1997 and 2007, on the levels and patterns of fertility. A “tight family system” but very low fertility levels characterize both the se two countries . The data sets used come from the 2006 Korean National Fertility, Family Health and Welfare Survey and from the 2012 Italian Multipurpose Survey on Aspects of Everyday Life. Our sample focuses on women aged 20-49 urrently married at the time of the survey. We summarize the distinctive patterns in the socioeconomic characteristics of the bserved groups of women in Italy and South Korea. We also apply regression analyses to assess the changing effect of economic status on fertility. Our findings confirm that the recession affected fertility significantly both in South Korea and in Italy. Changes in eproductive behavior have been most evident among women characterized by a high level of fertility and among those who received unior high school education or lower. As the level of wife’s education rises, the number of children ever born after the crisis tends to ncrease

A new one-pot synthesis of quinoline-2-carboxylates under heterogeneous conditions

Quinoline-2-carboxylates are an important subclass of quinoline derivatives largely present in a variety of biologically active molecules, as well as useful ligands in metal-catalyzed reactions. Herein, we present a new one-pot protocol for synthesizing this class of derivatives starting from beta-nitroacrylates and 2-aminobenzaldehydes. In order to optimize the protocol, we investigated several reaction conditions, obtaining the best results using the 2-tert-butylimino-2-diethylamino- 1,3-dimethylperhydro-1,3,2-diazaphosphorine (BEMP) as solid base, in acetonitrile. Finally, we demonstrated the generality of our approach over several substrates which led to synthesize a plethora of functionalized quinolines-2-carboxylate derivatives in good overall yields

Virtual museum enriched by GIS data to share science and culture. Church of Saint Stephen in Umm Ar-Rasas (Jordan)

[EN] Umm ar-Rasas is a Jordan archaeological site, located 30 km southeast of the city of Madaba, in the northern part of Wadi Mujib. It preserves findings dating back the period from the end of 3rd to the 9th century AD and, since 2004, it belongs to the world heritage list of UNESCO. In 2015 a multidisciplinary work was undertaken over the archaeological site, mainly focusing on the Church of Saint Stephen, with the main purpose of enhancing the knowledge and documenting the conservation state of the polychrome mosaic floor, which covers the entire surface of the hall and presbytery. A huge amount of data has been collected, coming from archaeological and historical investigations, geophysics and geodetic inspections and geomatics surveying, which produced also a true orthophoto of the mosaic floor. Data has been organized in a geo-database, facilitating the exchange of information between different actors. Moreover, the management of data within a dedicated Geographic Information System (GIS), has allowed in-depth analysis for understanding the evolution of the iconographic repertoire that, over the centuries, has undergone several disfigurements due to the iconoclastic age. The knowledge of the mosaic has also been vital for the implementation of multimedia applications and for the creation of virtual experiences, in which the information can be conveyed and visualized directly on the virtual reconstruction of the whole archaeological site. The innovation of the proposed work, is therefore in the management of a data flow that can be exploited by different actors through different platforms: experts, thanks to the use of GIS, and visitors with the use of multimedia applications (such as Augmented Reality (AR) or highresolution web visualization) for dissemination purposes, in order to preserve this priceless mankind heritage.Highlights:Definition of a complete pipeline ranging from data acquisition to visualization in multi-channel multimedia applications.Management of heterogeneous data in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and their exploitation in Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR/VR).GIS applied to the archaeological domain for expert and non-expert users.[ES] Umm er-Rasas es un sitio arqueológico de Jordania, ubicado a 30 km al sureste de la ciudad de Madaba, en la parte norte de Wadi Mujib. Conserva hallazgos que datan del período comprendido entre finales del siglo III y IX d.C. y, desde 2004, pertenece a la lista del patrimonio mundial de la UNESCO. En 2015, se realizó un trabajo multidisciplinar en el sitio arqueológico, que se centró principalmente en la Iglesia de San Esteban, con el propósito principal de mejorar el conocimiento y la documentación del estado de conservación del suelo con el mosaico policromado que cubre toda la superficie de la sala y el presbiterio. Se ha recopilado una gran cantidad de datos provenientes de investigaciones arqueológicas e históricas, inspecciones geofísicas y geodésicas y levantamientos geomáticos, que produjeron también una ortofoto verdadera del suelo con el mosaico. Los datos se han organizado en una geodatabase, facilitando el intercambio de información entre diferentes actores. Además, la gestión de los datos en un Sistema de Información Geográfica (SIG) dedicado, ha permitido un análisis profundo que facilita la comprensión de la evolución del repertorio iconográfico que, a lo largo de los siglos, ha sufrido varias desfiguraciones debido a la era iconoclasta. El conocimiento del mosaico también ha sido vital en la implementación de aplicaciones multimedia y en la creación de experiencias virtuales, en las que la información se puede transmitir y visualizar directamente en la reconstrucción virtual de todo el sitio arqueológico. La innovación del trabajo propuesto está, por lo tanto, en la gestión del flujo de datos que puede ser explotado por diferentes actores a través de diferentes plataformas: expertos, gracias al uso del SIG, y visitantes con el uso de las aplicaciones multimedia (como son la Realidad Aumentada (AR) o la visualización web de alta resolución) para fines de divulgación, con el fin de preservar este patrimonio incalculable de la humanidad.Malinverni, ES.; Pierdiccaa, R.; Di Stefano, F.; Gabrielli, R.; Albiero, A. (2019). Museo virtual enriquecido con datos GIS para compartir ciencia y cultura. La Iglesia de San Esteban en Umm er-Rasas (Jordania). Virtual Archaeology Review. 10(21):31-39. https://doi.org/10.4995/var.2019.11919SWORD31391021Anichini, F., Bini, D., Bini, M., Dubbini, N., Fabiani, F., Gattiglia, G., ... Steffè, S. (2012). MAPPAproject: Methodologies applied to archaeological potential predictivity. MapPapers, 1en-I, 23-43.Anichini, F., Fabiani, F., Gattiglia, G., & Gualandi, M. L. (2012). A database for archaeological data recording and analysis. MapPapers, 1en-II, 21-38.Baik, A., Yaagoubi, R., & Boehm, J. (2015). Integration of Jeddah historical BIM and 3D GIS for documentation and restoration of historical monument. International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, XL-5/W7, 29-34. https://doi.org/10.5194/isprsarchives-XL-5-W7-29-2015Barrile, V., Fotia, A., Bilotta, G., & De Carlo, D. (2019). Integration of geomatics methodologies and creation of a cultural heritage app using augmented reality. Virtual Archaeology Review, 10(20), 40-51. https://doi.org/10.4995/var.2019.10361Blanco-Pons, S., Carrión-Ruiz, B., Lerma, J. L., & Villaverde, V. (2019). Design and implementation of an augmented reality application for rock art visualization in Cova dels Cavalls (Spain). Journal of Cultural Heritage. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.culher.2019.03.014Bruno, F., Bruno, S., De Sensi, G., Luchi, M. L., Mancuso, S., & Muzzupappa, M. (2010). From 3D reconstruction to virtual reality: A complete methodology for digital archaeological exhibition. Journal of Cultural Heritage, 11(1), 42-49. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.culher.2009.02.006Colosi, F., Fangi, G., Gabrielli, R., Orazi, R., Angelini, A., & Bozzi, C. A. (2009). Planning the Archaeological Park of Chan Chan (Peru) by means of satellite images, GIS and photogrammetry. Journal of Cultural Heritage, 10 (SUPPL. 1), 27-34. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.culher.2009.08.002d'Annibale, E., Tassetti, A. N., & Malinverni, E. S. (2014). Finalizing a low-cost photogrammetric workflow: from panoramic photos to Heritage 3D documentation and visualization. International Journal of Heritage in the Digital Era, 3(1), 33-49. https://doi.org/10.1260/2047-4970.3.1.33Dilek, A. P. S. E., Doğan, M., & Kozbe, G. (2019). The Influences of the Interactive Systems on Museum Visitors' Experience: A Comparative Study from Turkey. Journal of Tourism Intelligence and Smartness, 2(1), 27-38. Retrieved from http://dergipark.org.tr/jtis/issue/44975/559246Felicetti, A., Albiero, A., Gabrielli, R., Pierdicca, R., Paolanti, M., Zingaretti, P.,& Malinverni, E. S. (2018). Automatic Mosaic Digitalization: a Deep Learning approach to tessera segmentation. In METROARCHEO, IEEE International Conference on Metrology for Archaeology and Cultural Heritage. Cassino.Gabrielli, R., Portarena, D., & Franceschinis, M. (2017). Tecniche di documentazione dei tappeti musivi del sito archeologico di Umm Al-Rasas-Kastron Mefaa (Giordania). Archeologia e Calcolatori, 28(1), 201-218.Gabrielli, R., & Greco, G. (2018). Umm Ar-Rasas: The Application of Integrated Methodologies for the Valorization of a Unesco Site. Global Journal of Archaeology & Anthropology, 6(3), 555688. https://doi.org/10.19080/GJAA.2018.06.555688Han, D.-I. D., Weber, J., Bastiaansen, M., Mitas, O., & Lub, X. (2019). Virtual and augmented reality technologies to enhance the visitor experience in cultural tourism. In M. C. tom Dieck & T. Jung (Eds.), Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality (pp. 113-128). Cham: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-06246-0Hunter, J., Jateff, E., & van den Hengel, A. (2019). Using digital visualization of archival sources to enhance archaeological interpretation of the 'Life History'of Ships: The case study of HMCS/HMAS Protector. In J. McCarthy, J. Benjamin, T. Winton, & W. van Duivenvoorde (Eds.), 3D Recording and Interpretation for Maritime Archaeology (vol. 31, pp. 89-101). Cham: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-03635-5_6Kyriakou, P., & Hermon, S. (2019). Can I touch this? Using natural interaction in a Museum Augmented Reality System. Digital Applications in Archaeology and Cultural Heritage, 12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.daach.2018.e00088Malinverni, E. S., Pierdicca, R., Giuliano, A., & Mariano, F. (2018). A geographical information system to support restoration activities: a methodological approach experienced upon the case study of Ascoli Satriano Fortress. Applied Geomatics, 10(4), 427-439. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12518-018-0216-4Ognibene, S. (2002). Umm al-Rasas. L'Erma di Bretschneider.Piccirillo, M. (1991). Il complesso di Santo Stefano a Umm al-Rasas Kastron Mefaa in Giordania (1986-1991). Liber Annuus Studii Biblici Franciscani, 41, 327-357.Piccirillo, M. (2008). La Palestina cristiana: I-VII secolo. EDB.Piccirillo, M., & Alliata, E. (1994). Umm al-Rasas Mayfa'ah I: gli scavi del complesso di Santo Stefano.Pierdicca, R., Frontoni, E., Malinverni, E. S., Colosi, F., & Orazi, R. (2016). Virtual reconstruction of archaeological heritage using a combination of photogrammetric techniques: Huaca Arco Iris, Chan Chan, Peru. Digital Applications in Archaeology and Cultural Heritage, 3(3), 80-90. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.daach.2016.06.002Pierdicca, R., Malinverni, E. S., Frontoni, E., Colosi, F., & Orazi, R. (2016). 3D visualization tools to explore ancient architectures in South America. Virtual Archaeology Review, 7(15), 44-53. https://doi.org/10.4995/var.2016.5904Rahaman, H., Champion, E., & Bekele, M. (2019). From photo to 3D to mixed reality: A complete workflow for cultural heritage visualisation and experience. Digital Applications in Archaeology and Cultural Heritage, 13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.daach.2019.e00102Salonia, P., & Negri, A. (2003). Cultural Heritage emergency: GIS-based tools for assessing and deciding preservation. In Proceedings of the Twenty-Third Annual ESRI International User Conference, San Diego, CA, USA (pp. 7-11).Saygi, G., & Remondino, F. (2013). Management of architectural heritage information in BIM and GIS: State-of-the-art and future perspectives. Internationa

Event-based surveillance during EXPO Milan 2015. Rationale, tools, procedures, and initial results

More than 21 million participants attended EXPO Milan from May to October 2015, making it one of the largest protracted mass gathering events in Europe. Given the expected national and international population movement and health security issues associated with this event, Italy fully implemented, for the first time, an event-based surveillance (EBS) system focusing on naturally occurring infectious diseases and the monitoring of biological agents with potential for intentional release. The system started its pilot phase in March 2015 and was fully operational between April and November 2015. In order to set the specific objectives of the EBS system, and its complementary role to indicator-based surveillance, we defined a list of priority diseases and conditions. This list was designed on the basis of the probability and possible public health impact of infectious disease transmission, existing statutory surveillance systems in place, and any surveillance enhancements during the mass gathering event. This article reports the methodology used to design the EBS system for EXPO Milan and the results of 8 months of surveillance