29 research outputs found
Self Organization of Interacting Polya Urns
We introduce a simple model which shows non-trivial self organized critical
properties. The model describes a system of interacting units, modelled by
Polya urns, subject to perturbations and which occasionally break down. Three
equivalent formulations - stochastic, quenched and deterministic - are shown to
reproduce the same dynamics. Among the novel features of the model are a
non-homogeneous stationary state, the presence of a non-stationary critical
phase and non-trivial exponents even in mean field. We discuss simple
interpretations in term of biological evolution and earthquake dynamics and we
report on extensive numerical simulations in dimensions as well as in
the random neighbors limit.Comment: 4 pages 1 figur
Metallurgy, Ballistics and Epistemic Instruments: The Nova scientia of Nicolò Tartaglia – A New Edition
In 1537, Nicolò Tartaglia (1500–1557), a mathematician from Brescia, published "Nova scientia." It was this work that led to the foundation of the modern science of ballistics. Tartaglia’s intention was to create a purely mathematical science based on axioms, which was fundamental to the entire subject of mechanics, starting with a limited number of principles and arriving at a series of propositions through a rigid procedure of deduction. Nevertheless, as Tartaglia himself states, his motive was fundamentally practical and connected to the activities of the sixteenth-century bombardier. A new edition of Nicolò Tartaglia’s "Nova scientia," based on the 1558 print run of the second enlarged edition (1550), shows how the emergence of theoretical ballistics was a consequence of the technological innovations that took place in the frame of the practice of iron casting at the turn from the fifteenth to the sixteenth century
The Necessity of Linked Data alias Thinking Big in Computational History
In this paper we will demonstrate the urgent necessity of a linked data policy that includes a normative framework and implementation technique for research projects in computa- tional history and, more generally, in computational humanities. Rather than discussing the subject on an abstract level, we will instead apply examples from own experiences linking data located in different repositories. We will primarily focus on the repository of the long-term research project «Repertorium academicum germanicum» (RAG)1.
To begin, we will explain our motivation to build connections between different datasets, followed by a discussion of our methodology in navigating other repositories. In the conclu- sion, we will offer suggestions concerning future research and policy in computational history
Prompt me a Dataset: An investigation of text-image prompting for historical image dataset creation using foundation models
In this paper, we present a pipeline for image extraction from historical
documents using foundation models, and evaluate text-image prompts and their
effectiveness on humanities datasets of varying levels of complexity. The
motivation for this approach stems from the high interest of historians in
visual elements printed alongside historical texts on the one hand, and from
the relative lack of well-annotated datasets within the humanities when
compared to other domains. We propose a sequential approach that relies on
GroundDINO and Meta's Segment-Anything-Model (SAM) to retrieve a significant
portion of visual data from historical documents that can then be used for
downstream development tasks and dataset creation, as well as evaluate the
effect of different linguistic prompts on the resulting detections.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figures, Accepted in ICIAP2023, AI4DH worksho
Insightful analysis of historical sources at scales beyond human capabilities using unsupervised Machine Learning and XAI
Historical materials are abundant. Yet, piecing together how human knowledge
has evolved and spread both diachronically and synchronically remains a
challenge that can so far only be very selectively addressed. The vast volume
of materials precludes comprehensive studies, given the restricted number of
human specialists. However, as large amounts of historical materials are now
available in digital form there is a promising opportunity for AI-assisted
historical analysis. In this work, we take a pivotal step towards analyzing
vast historical corpora by employing innovative machine learning (ML)
techniques, enabling in-depth historical insights on a grand scale. Our study
centers on the evolution of knowledge within the `Sacrobosco Collection' -- a
digitized collection of 359 early modern printed editions of textbooks on
astronomy used at European universities between 1472 and 1650 -- roughly 76,000
pages, many of which contain astronomic, computational tables. An ML based
analysis of these tables helps to unveil important facets of the
spatio-temporal evolution of knowledge and innovation in the field of
mathematical astronomy in the period, as taught at European universities
Analyse gedruckter Initialen aus der FrĂĽhen Neuzeit mit neuronalen Netzen
The aim of this project is to find initials of the same style across different books and different printers by extracting the style representations using artificial neural networks. This makes it possible to understand and trace the dissemination, transmission and imitation of woodcuts for printing from the late Middle Ages to the early modern period. In this way, connections between printers and missing information about them can be identified
IgE-mediated Anisakis allergy in children
Anisakids are nematodes responsible for different clinical patterns in humans. The well-known human-infecting Anisakis species include members of the Anisakis simplex (AS) complex. Humans usually contract anisakiasis through ingestion of raw or undercooked seafood containing Anisakis larvae. Once Anisakis has been ingested, patients may develop disease driven directly by Anisakis larvae and/or by allergic reaction due to this nematode. The capability of inducing allergic reactions depends on the expression of specific antigens by nematodes and host factors. This study aims to resume actual knowledge about AS and Anisakiasis with regard to epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis, and treatment. Particular attention is paid to Anisakis allergens and their cross-reactivity on available diagnostic methods, and defining a diagnostic pathway for Anisakis allergy. Because only a few data are available in the literature about pediatric population, we focus on this group of patients specifically
Per il 450° anniversario della nascita di Galileo Galilei. Iniziativa di divulgazione interdisciplinare
Conferenze storico scientifiche su Galileo Galilei, Conferenze-concerto sul ruolo della musica nella formazione e nella scienza di Galileo Galilei, Mostra libraria di testi galileiani, Ricostruzione di esperimenti e strumenti di Galileo Galilei (vedi il programma nel file allegato)