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Cataloging the world : Paul Otlet and the birth of the information age
\"In 1934, a Belgian entrepreneur named Paul Otlet sketched out plans for a worldwide network of computers--or \"electric telescopes,\" as he called them -- that would allow people anywhere in the world to search and browse through millions of books, newspapers, photographs, films and sound recordings, all linked together in what he termed a réseau mondial: a \"worldwide web.\" Today, Otlet and his visionary proto-Internet have been all but forgotten, thanks to a series of historical misfortunes -- not least of which involved the Nazis marching into Brussels and destroying most of his life's work. In the years since Otlet's death, however, the world has witnessed the emergence of a global network that has proved him right about the possibilities -- and the perils -- of networked information. In The Web that Wasn't, Alex Wright brings to light the forgotten genius of Paul Otlet, an introverted librarian who harbored a bookworm's dream to organize all the world's information. Recognizing the limitations of traditional libraries and archives, Otlet began to imagine a radically new way of organizing information, and undertook his life's great work: a universal bibliography of all the world's published knowledge that ultimately totaled more than 12 millionindividual entries. That effort eventually evolved into the Mundaneum, a vast \"city of knowledge\" that opened its doors to the public in 1921 to widespread attention. Like many ambitious dreams, however, Otlet's eventually faltered, a victim to technological constraints and political upheaval in Europe on the eve of World War II.\"-- Provided by publisher.
Book
Informatica
Informatica -the updated
edition of Alex Wright's previously published Glut-continues the
journey through the history of the information age to show how
information systems emerge . Today's \"information
explosion\" may seem like a modern phenomenon, but we are not the
first generation-or even the first species-to wrestle with the
problem of information overload. Long before the advent of
computers, human beings were collecting, storing, and organizing
information: from Ice Age taxonomies to Sumerian archives, Greek
libraries to Christian monasteries.
Wright weaves a narrative that connects such seemingly far-flung
topics as insect colonies, Stone Age jewelry, medieval monasteries,
Renaissance encyclopedias, early computer networks, and the World
Wide Web. He suggests that the future of the information age may
lie deep in our cultural past.
We stand at a precipice struggling to cope with a tsunami of
data. Wright provides some much-needed historical perspective. We
can understand the predicament of information overload not just as
the result of technological change but as the latest chapter in an
ancient story that we are only beginning to understand.
eBook
الكتاب الكبير للديناصورات الكبيرة
هذا الكتاب مخصص للأطفال يستهدف الطفولة المبكرة وتعمل علي اسثمار الطفل في بناء المهارات المختلفة المرتبطة بالخيال والابتكار وقوة الشخصية والبحث عن حلول إبداعية ويستمد الطفل الكثير من العلم والمعرفة والمعلومات من المنهج السلوكي التربوي رائع يعلم الطفل كيف يستخلص من مشكلاته وكيف يبني شخصيته بشكل مميز ويعطي المربي حلولا لحل مشكلات أبنه تعنيه عن تجاوز الأزمة وإنهائها.
Book
The algebraic hull of the Kontsevich—Zorich cocycle
We compute the algebraic hull of the Kontsevich-Zorich cocycle over any GL2
+(ℝ) invariant subvariety of the Hodge bundle, and derive from this finiteness
results on such subvarieties.
Journal Article
Self-Sensing with Hollow Cylindrical Transducers for Histotripsy-Enhanced Aspiration Mechanical Thrombectomy Applications
Intravascular aspiration thrombectomy catheters are widely used to treat stroke, pulmonary embolism, and deep venous thrombosis. However, their performance is frequently compromised by clot material becoming lodged within the catheter tip. To address this, we develop a novel ultrasound-enhanced aspiration catheter approach that generates cavitation within the tip to mechanically degrade clots, with a view to facilitate extraction. The design employs hollow cylindrical transducers that produce inwardly propagating cylindrical waves to generate sufficiently high pressures to perform histotripsy. This study investigates the feasibility of self-sensing cavitation detection by analyzing voltage signals across the transducer during treatment. Experiments were conducted for two transmit pulse lengths at varying driving voltages with water or clot in the lumen. Cavitation clouds within the lumen were assessed using 40 MHz ultrasound imaging. Changes in the signal envelope during the pulse body and ringdown phases occurred above the cavitation threshold, the latter being associated with more rapid wave damping in the presence of bubble clouds within the lumen. In the frequency domain, voltage-dependent cavitation signals—subharmonics, ultra-harmonics, and broadband—emerged alongside transmit pulses. This work demonstrates a highly sensitive, sensor-free method for detecting cavitation within the lumen, enabling feedback control to further improve histotripsy-assisted aspiration.
Journal Article
Prediction of Unpaved Road Conditions Using High-Resolution Optical Satellite Imagery and Machine Learning
Rural roads play a crucial role in fostering economic and social development in Africa. Local Road Authorities (LRAs) struggle to collect road condition data using conventional means due to logistical and resource issues. Poor road conditions and restricted mobility have severe economic consequences for the transport of goods and services. Lack of maintenance can increase costs three-fold. In this work, a novel framework is proposed in which earth observations using high-resolution optical satellite imagery are applied to measure the condition of unpaved roads, providing a vital input to maintenance planning and prioritisation. A trial was conducted using this method on 83 roads in Tanzania totalling 131.7 km. The experimental results demonstrate that, by analysing variations in pixel intensity of the road surface, the condition can be estimated with an accuracy of 71.9% when compared to ground truth information. Machine Learning techniques are applied to the same network to test the performance of the system in predicting road conditions. A blended classifier approach achieves an accuracy of 88%. The proposed framework enables LRAs to define the information they receive based on their specific priorities, offering a rapid, objective, consistent and potentially cost-effective system that overcomes the current challenges faced by LRAs.
Journal Article
Mid-IR standoff measurement of ageing-related spectroscopic changes in bitumen in the 6 µm (1700 cm−1) region. Part 2: Instrument development and results
The development and experimental performance of instrumentation to measure ageing-related spectroscopic changes in bitumen is described. Oxidation of bitumen at the surface increases the number of carbonyl (C=O) bonds, and this can be measured in the 6 μm region (1700 cm
−1
) of the mid-infrared. Standoff measurements of surface reflectivity were performed using 4 discrete wavelengths, 3 for the carbonyl absorption and the fourth as a spectral reference. The standoff height of 20 cm caused problems resulting from the presence of numerous strong absorption lines of atmospheric water in the optical path, which was solved by use of wavelengths centred within available “water windows” and a pathlength-matched reference channel. The instrument was tested using bitumen samples aged artificially using UV exposure. Results illustrating the instrument’s response to bitumen age, along with tolerance to changes in height and tilt, are shown. Measurements made during preliminary field trials on outdoor asphalt are also demonstrated. Part 1 of this paper describes the scientific challenges involved in designing this instrument.
Journal Article
Mid-IR standoff measurement of ageing-related spectroscopic changes in bitumen in the 6 µm (1700 cm−1) region. Part 1: Measurement strategy and instrument design principles
A strategy is described to make in-situ measurements of a spectroscopic marker of ageing in bitumen binders used on asphalt-paved roads. Oxidation of bitumen at the surface increases the number of carbonyl (C=O) bonds, and this can be measured in the 6 μm region (1700 cm
−1
) of the mid-infrared. A measurement strategy is proposed to make standoff measurements of surface reflectivity in this region, despite the challenge presented by numerous strong absorption lines from atmospheric water vapour within the optical path. An instrument design is described to make measurements at 4 discrete laser wavelengths, namely 1593.0, 1641.4 and 1731.3 cm
−1
(around 6 µm) and at 2633.6 cm
−1
(3.8 µm), the first 3 responding to carbonyl absorption and the fourth acting as a spectral reference that is substantially unaffected by ageing. Part 2 of this paper describes the implementation of such an instrument and its experimental performance.
Journal Article
Towards ‘a balanced delegation’ or enhancing global health governance? Analysis of parties’ participation in the Conference of the Parties to WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control
IntroductionThe success of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) depends on parties’ active participation in its governance and implementation, particularly via biennial Conference of the Parties (COP) meetings. The COP’s efficacy is threatened by declining attendance and reductions in travel support for low-income and middle-income countries, and there are growing concerns about transparency and representation in country delegations amid industry efforts to shape their composition.MethodsWe examined parties’ participation in the COP based on official meeting records, and the relationship between attendance and strength of tobacco control based on national global tobacco control reports.ResultsAttendance at the COP has decreased over time, and at several meetings would have fallen below 66% (the threshold for decision-making) if it was not for high levels of participation among low-income and lower-middle-income countries. Despite their higher attendance at COP meetings, these countries represent a smaller share of meeting attendees due to the smaller size of their delegations. Additionally, there has been a decline in the proportion of delegates from ministries of health and tobacco control focal points. Nationally, COP participation is correlated with stronger tobacco control policies; attendance by low-income countries has a strong correlation with implementation of advertising bans, while attendance among high-income and lower-middle-income countries shows a moderate correlation with implementation of tobacco taxes.ConclusionsSupporting states to actively engage in the COP is crucial for ongoing FCTC implementation, strengthening national capacity for tobacco control, and protecting the legitimacy and efficacy of global health governance.
Journal Article