Systems Of Different Levels Research Articles

Energy Consumption Variation due to Different Thermal Comfort Categorization Introduced by European Standard EN 15251 for New Building Design and Major Rehabilitations.

European CEN Standard EN 15251 (2007) requires indoor thermal comfort conditions to be assessed and to fall within a category system for different levels of expectation and building purpose. The COMMONCENSE project has prepared and provided information about the energy implications of the Standard and in particular whether the Standard is encouraging high–energy buildings in the case of new buildings and major rehabilitations. Qualitative and quantitative information about the energy implications of the Standard are given, using a range of different cooling and heating techniques and building forms. More specifically, the required energy consumption of twenty eight buildings of different types (offices, hospitals, schools, residences) in Europe was calculated, assuming that the buildings belong to each of the three thermal comfort categories I, II, III as described in the Standard. From these calculations, it was determined if the thermal comfort categories of the Standard express real satisfaction with the environment and, at the same time, if low energy buildings could easily comply with the Standard. The calculated energy consumption for each type of building was compared against the existing national benchmarks. In general, by changing the thermal comfort category from I to II or to III as defined in EN 15251, a passage of the building from a higher to a lower energy category is noticed, according to each the existing national benchmarks and legislation. Finally, new forms for future standards which are more in keeping with the aspirations of the European Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) are suggested. The new standard should be framed in order to encourage low energy buildings since buildings must be comfortable and energy efficient at the same time.

QoS Analysis of Real-Time Distributed Systems Based on Hybrid Analysis of Probabilistic Model Checking Technique and Simulation

For the Internet, system developers often have to estimate the QoS by simulation techniques or mathematical analysis. Probabilistic model checking can evaluate performance, dependability and stability of information processing systems with random behaviors. We apply a hybrid analysis approach onto real-time distributed systems. In the hybrid analysis approach, we perform stepwise analysis using probabilistic models of target systems in different abstract levels. First, we create a probabilistic model with detailed behavior of the system (called detailed model), and apply simulation on the detailed model. Next, based on the simulation results, we create a probabilistic model in an abstract level (called simplified model). Then, we verify qualitative properties using the probabilistic model checking techniques. This prevents from state-explosion. We evaluate the validity of our approach by comparing to simulation results of NS-2 using a case study of a video data streaming system. The experiments show that the result of the proposed approach is very close to that of NS-2 simulation. The result encourages the approach is useful for the performance analysis on various domain.

Effect of low-level α-radiation on bioluminescent assay systems of various complexity

This study addresses the effects of low-level alpha-radiation on bioluminescent assay systems of different levels of organization: in vivo and in vitro. Three bioluminescent assay systems are used: intact bacteria, lyophilized bacteria, and bioluminescent system of coupled enzyme reactions. Solutions of 241Am(NO3)3 are used as a source of alpha-radiation. It has been shown that activation processes predominate in all the three bioluminescent assay systems subjected to short-term exposure (20-55 h) and inhibition processes in the systems subjected to longer-term exposure to radiation. It has been found that these effects are caused by the radiation component of 241Am3+ impact. The intensity of the 241Am3+ effect on the bioluminescent assay systems has been shown to depend on the 241Am3+ concentration, level of organization and integrity of the bioluminescent assay system. The bioluminescent assay systems in vivo have been found to be highly sensitive to 241Am3+ (up to 10(-17) M).

Psychophysiological Mechanisms of Choice in High School Students and University Students Specializing in Humanities

Elucidation of behavioral reactions of high school and university students in stochastic and deterministic environments is an important problem. Rapidly changeable and unstable social and information environment makes it urgent to raise the problem of decision-making in all areas of human activity [18]. According to the theory of functional systems suggested by P. K. Anokhin, a behavioral act is considered as an aggregate of many physiological processes selected at the stage of decision-making [1-3]. According to V. B. Shvyrkov [25], a behavioral act should be regarded as a component of a functional system, because interaction of external information with internal processes is mediated by the entire operating complex of the functional system. Although it is beyond doubt that the closed circuit of a functional system is cyclic, principles of central mechanisms are a subject of discussion [23]. In the physiological sense the process of decisionmaking is based on selection of certain executive mechanisms and physiological integration of results of afferent synthesis [2]. A decrease in the degree of freedom of the central nervous system neurons and a decrease in their possible involvement in the functional aggregates are neurophysiological characteristics of the stage of decision-making. Excessive degrees of freedom are easily sorted out by the frontal lobes of the brain. A. R. Luriya considered the frontal lobes of the brain as the main nervous substrate of decision-making in goaloriented spontaneous activity [13]. Psychophysiological aspects of this problem are based on mechanisms of decision-making at different levels of sensorimotor and mental activities [7]. According to the physiological concept suggested by Anokhin, psychophysiological mechanisms of choice can be studied from individual manifestation of different forms of behavioral activity under different experimental settings [18]. Studies of behavior under uncertain conditions are of particular interest [17, 22]. Environmental uncertainty implies the absence of objective and subjective determinancy [10]. According to [5, 21], the main behavioral reaction under uncertain conditions is individual prognosis of the probability of future events. According to A. S. Batuev [4], the process of decision-making includes formation of a dynamic constellation of spatially separated brain structures involved in a behavioral act. Adaptive behavior in a variable environment is based on probabilistic prognosis implemented in associative brain systems. For example, thalamofrontal structures are involved in probabilistic prognosis and goal-oriented behavior. According to the contemporary viewpoint, the rates of decision-making and central information processing are determined by nervous system mobility [24]. Decision-making as an object of psychophysiological research can be studied experimentally, providing thereby the opportunity for testing functional systems of different levels of hierarchy and functional systems involved in various psychophysiological processes. There are objective and subjective factors of learning activity. The psychophysiological state of high school and university students depends on these factors [9, 20], Analytical capacity is an important component of successful learning [8, 9]. It should be noted that agerelated psychophysiological mechanisms of making choice remain virtually obscure [9]. The goal of this work was to elucidate age-related dynamics of certain psychophysiological mechanisms of choice in high school students and university students specializing in humanities.

Validation of a digital video tracking system for recording pig locomotor behaviour

We are introducing a system for automatically tracking pig locomotor behaviour. Transposing methods for the video-based tracking of rodent behaviour engenders several problems. We have therefore improved existing methods, based on image-subtraction, to offer increased flexibility and accuracy in tracking large-sized animals in situations with a constantly changing background. The improved tracking algorithms introduce a reference frame, which does not include the animal and is automatically updated, and implementation of an automatic threshold detection algorithm. This makes the system more robust to the tracking environment, which could even be of the same colour as the animal, and allows the tracking environment to change during recording. We validated the system by estimating the repeatability, accuracy, and basic noise level, and tested the system in different levels of animal activity evoked by administration of apomorphine (APO) to minipigs in an open field test. Seven pigs each received the vehicle and three doses of APO (0.05, 0.1, and 0.3 mg/kg i.m.), and the locomotor behaviour of each session was recorded for 60-min. The calculated coefficient of repeatability was 0.6%, indicating high repeatability and the basic noise level of the tracking system was estimated to be 2%. Administration of the two lowest doses of APO was accompanied by increased locomotor activity of the pigs. Thus, this digital video-based tracking system for automatically tracking the spontaneous locomotor behaviour of pigs is highly reliable and accurate, and was able to detect well-known effects of APO in pig locomotor activity.

Interpretation Medical Devices

Progress in science and technology has given rise to the development of a broad range of medical devices for prophylaxis, diagnosis, and treatment of various diseases and organization of public health service. This is mainly due to active use of computers in medical research, biomedical engineering, and public health service [4, 12]. Both functional and consumer properties of modern medical devices are determined by the efficiency of software and algorithmic support [18, 51]. Devices and systems for functional diagnosis constitute an important class of medical devices. This is primarily due to their mass-scale use. In addition, this class of medical devices for a variety of causes was found to be an appropriate model for testing new ideas in biomedical engineering. A broad spectrum of interpretation electrocardiographic devices have been developed in recent years. Such devices are available from Hewlett-Packard (USA), Siemens (Germany), Schiller AG (Switzerland), Marquette (USA), and some other manufacturers. Some spirographs (e.g., Jaeger, Germany) also provide the function of interpretation. Usually, these devices are equipped with integral problem-oriented expert systems of different levels of complexity. The input information for these systems is obtained from analysis of instrumentally measured physiological signals. The main problems solved by the integral computer of the interpretation device include signal presentation quality control, analysis of signal elements, and interpretation in medical terms [10, 11, 22, 25, 37]. Software quality assessment in case of fundamentally nonlinear signal processing algorithms, sophisticated vocabulary of medical diagnostic conclusions, physiological variability of input signal, and inaccuracy of medical knowledge is a serious problem of development of interpretation medical devices [7, 31]. Thus, extensive use of computers in medical devices requires active development of the following directions: − algorithmic software; − quality control of devices based on sophisticated software.

Unraveling peroxynitrite formation in biological systems

Peroxynitrite promotes oxidative damage and is implicated in the pathophysiology of various diseases that involve accelerated rates of nitric oxide and superoxide formation. The unambiguous detection of peroxynitrite in biological systems is, however, difficult due to the combination of a short biological half-life, limited diffusion, multiple target molecule reactions, and participation of alternative oxidation/nitration pathways. In this review, we provide the conceptual framework and a comprehensive analysis of the current experimental strategies that can serve to unequivocally define the existence and quantitation of peroxynitrite in biological systems of different levels of organization and complexity.

An approach to the creation of formal models of the influence of environmental impact on the development of biological systems

An approach to the construction of formal models of biological systems is proposed. The approach takes into account the response of the systems being simulated to the environmental influence. Biological systems of different levels of organization are discussed. Some specific examples of application of the approach proposed for experimental investigations are given.

Inventory Control: A Simulation and Decision Support System

The creation of inventories occurs in logistic chains of goods flow. This results from both technological conditions and from the rationali sation requirements of organisational activities. In logistic chains within single companies, there are inventory systems of different levels. This article presents an example of a two-level system of inventory control in construction company logistics. In order to investigate and analyse this system, a simulation model was employed. The results obtained from the simula tion were used to select input parameters which radically influence the functioning of the sys tem. Selected parameters were used to build a criterion function. Total inventory costs are presented as a regression function. The analyti cal form of a cost function arrived at in this way allows the examination of tendencies in forming logistic costs in relation to controlling changes in variables. Here we propose employ ing simulators of inventory systems in decision support systems (DSS) for the logistics of a company's physical supply of products, in-process materials and raw materials.

The theory of functional systems: General postulates and principles of dynamic organization

Dedicated to the Centenary of the outstanding Russian physiologist P.K. Anokhin, this article postulates the main principles of the general theory of functional systems. The system-formation role of useful adaptive results forming the functional systems of different levels is underlined. The peculiarities of mechanisms of self-regulation of functional systems, their isomorphism, holographic characteristics and selective inclusion into the functional systems of different organs and tissues are revealed. It is shown that interaction between numerous functional systems that form the whole organism is built on the principles of hierarchy, multiparametric interaction, sequential interaction, systemogenesis, and system quantization of life processes. The interrelation of reflex and functional systems is also considered.

Further Reform and Improve the Financial System

The financial system of "eat at separate kitchens" is a form of financial management at different levels. From a long-term point of view, however, it is not the perfect financial system for different levels of government even though we must continue practicing it for the near future. State revenue should be collected mainly through taxation rather than the current practice of equally through taxation and profit turned over to the state. Eventually, revenues should be classified by levels of government. This should become the direction of reform of China's financial system.