A Low-Cost Monitoring Platform and Visual Interface to Analyse Thermal Comfort in Smart Building Applications Using a Citizen–Scientist Strategy

Smart building issues are critical for current energy and comfort managing aspects in built environments. Nevertheless, the diffusion of smart monitoring solutions via user-friendly graphical interfaces is still an ongoing issue subject to the need to diffuse a smart building culture and a low-cost series of solutions. This paper proposes a new low-cost IoT sensor network, exploiting Raspberry Pi and Arduino platforms, for collecting real-time data and evaluating specific thermal comfort indicators (PMV and PPD). The overall architecture was accordingly designed, including the hardware setup, the back-end and the Android user interface. Eventually, three distinct prototyping platforms were deployed for initial testing of the general system, and we analysed the obtained results for different building typologies and seasonal periods, based on collected data and users’ preferences. This work is part of a large educational and citizen science activity.

Dynamic targeting enables domain-general inhibitory control over action and thought by the prefrontal cortex

Over the last two decades, inhibitory control has featured prominently in accounts of how humans and other organisms regulate their behaviour and thought. Previous work on how the brain stops actions and thoughts, however, has emphasised distinct prefrontal regions supporting these functions, suggesting domain-specific mechanisms. Here we show that stopping actions and thoughts recruits common regions in the right dorsolateral and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex to suppress diverse content, via dynamic targeting. Within each region, classifiers trained to distinguish action-stopping from action-execution also identify when people are suppressing their thoughts (and vice versa). Effective connectivity analysis reveals that both prefrontal regions contribute to action and thought stopping by targeting the motor cortex or the hippocampus, depending on the goal, to suppress their task-specific activity. These findings support the existence of a domain-general system that underlies inhibitory control and establish Dynamic Targeting as a mechanism enabling this ability.

Electrophysiological Signatures of Numerosity Encoding in a Delayed Match-to-Sample Task

The number of elements in a small set of items is appraised in a fast and exact manner, a phenomenon called subitizing. In contrast, humans provide imprecise responses when comparing larger numerosities, with decreasing precision as the number of elements increases. Estimation is thought to rely on a dedicated system for the approximate representation of numerosity. While previous behavioral and neuroimaging studies associate subitizing to a domain-general system related to object tracking and identification, the nature of small numerosity processing is still debated. We investigated the neural processing of numerosity across subitizing and estimation ranges by examining electrophysiological activity during the memory retention period in a delayed numerical match-to-sample task. We also assessed potential differences in the neural signature of numerical magnitude in a fully non-symbolic or cross-format comparison. In line with behavioral performance, we observed modulation of parietal-occipital neural activity as a function of numerosity that differed in two ranges, with distinctive neural signatures of small numerosities showing clear similarities with those observed in visuospatial working memory tasks. We also found differences in neural activity related to numerical information in anticipation of single vs. cross-format comparison, suggesting a top-down modulation of numerical processing. Finally, behavioral results revealed enhanced performance in the mixed-format conditions and a significant correlation between task performance and symbolic mathematical skills. Overall, we provide evidence for distinct mechanisms related to small and large numerosity and differences in numerical encoding based on task demands.

PRINCIPLE OF (NON) CUMULATION, THAT IS, ABOUT THE CONFLUENCE OF THE RIGHT TO A RETIREMENT PENSION FROM THE GENERAL AND MILITARY SYSTEMS

Professional soldiers have their own social security system, separate from the general social insurance system, which provides social protection in the event of long service, total incapacity to serve and the death of the breadwinner (pension benefits). At the same time, a professional soldier can accumulate and receive two pensions from different systems, ie universal and reserve. However, the principle of accumulation of benefits based on the applicable provision is dedicated to a narrow group of entitled persons. The principle of non-cumulation is considered to be the basic and dominant one. It is an expression of the principle of risk solidarity in force in social insurance law and is not inconsistent with the constitutional principle of equality expressed in Art. 32 of the Polish Constitution. In the event of the overlapping of the right to several benefits specified in the Act, the pension authority is obliged to pay only one (higher) benefit, even if this right results from various acts, and the possibility of combining benefits must be clearly indicated in the provisions of law. Separation of the insurance and supply system allows each of these systems to fulfill separate obligations towards professional soldiers, not related to the general system. Maintaining the principle that for the same period of retirement pension insurance, two retirement benefits cannot be awarded simultaneously (Article 5 (2a) (2a) of the Pension Act). The exception to the principle of non-accumulation (ie the principle of collecting one benefit) in the case of a professional soldier remaining in service before January 2, 1999 is not determined by the date of admission to service, but the lack of the possibility to calculate the military pension taking into account the “civil” retirement age. The convergence of the right to benefits (from the general and military pension) with the parallel occurrence of these events is contrary to the constitutional principle of social justice. It is not socially just to deprive an insured person who has met the statutory requirements of the right to benefits solely on the basis of social solidarity. In such situations, a significant part of the retiree’s professional life is not reflected in the amount of received retirement benefits.

Sparse polynomial equations and other enumerative problems whose Galois groups are wreath products

We introduce a new technique to prove connectivity of subsets of covering spaces (so called inductive connectivity), and apply it to Galois theory of problems of enumerative geometry. As a model example, consider the problem of permuting the roots of a complex polynomial $$f(x) = c_0 + c_1 x^{d_1} + \cdots + c_k x^{d_k}$$ f ( x ) = c 0 + c 1 x d 1 + ⋯ + c k x d k by varying its coefficients. If the GCD of the exponents is d, then the polynomial admits the change of variable $$y=x^d$$ y = x d , and its roots split into necklaces of length d. At best we can expect to permute these necklaces, i.e. the Galois group of f equals the wreath product of the symmetric group over $$d_k/d$$ d k / d elements and $${\mathbb {Z}}/d{\mathbb {Z}}$$ Z / d Z . We study the multidimensional generalization of this equality: the Galois group of a general system of polynomial equations equals the expected wreath product for a large class of systems, but in general this expected equality fails, making the problem of describing such Galois groups unexpectedly rich.

National idea as a consolidating principle of university education

The object of research is national education of students in the university environment. Investigated problem. As a result of a critical analysis of the works of Ukrainian scholars, the issue under investigation has been solved. The status of contemporary higher education in Ukraine, and the processes that can negatively affect it have been analyzed. The state holistic strategy of national education for young people, enshrined in the legislative documents of various ministries and departments has been investigated. The views of western scholars on the discussed problem have been regarded, as a result, the implementation of a new term has been identified. Main scientific results. The fundamental goals and basic tasks of a national idea implementation in the general system of Ukrainian education have been determined. The complex perspectives of an up-to-date teachers’ training which can be regarded controversial in terms of new challenges in Ukrainian society have been outlined. Much attention has been paid to the issues national identity, national values and patriotism of students through the prism of global values and tolerant relationship. The idea of close cooperation necessity between ministries and educational institutions aimed at establishing peaceful and friendly relations between residents of different regions of Ukraine has been expressed. The idea of national consolidation on the basis of common cultural and historical past, national values and interests has been defined as the principal factor in the university students’ education. Scope of practical application. The results of the research can be used in both cognitive and educational values.

КОНЦЕПТУАЛЬНІ ПОЛОЖЕННЯ СТВОРЕННЯ МОНІТОРИНГУ СИСТЕМ ЕКОНОМІЧНОЇ БЕЗПЕКИ ПІДПРИЄМНИЦТВА

The process of forming of certain economic strength security provides the proof functioning of business, its integration in control system by a region and state. Therefore, there is a permanent necessity for realization the monitoring of economic security of enterprise as a key element of steady development of national economy. A research aim is sent to forming of conceptual positions in realization of monitoring the systems of economic security of business. modern normatively-legal and legislative aspects became Methodological basis of research became modern normatively-legal and legislative aspects of strengthening of economic security and eliminate of existent threats in the process of realization the monitoring of economic security of different business structures. In the conducted researches used methods of dialectics, methods and principles of scientific cognition, instruments of economic analysis for the sake of forming the conceptual positions in relation to creation of monitoring the systems of economic security of business. The basic hypothesis of research became supposition about possibility of creation the universal conceptual bases of realization the monitoring of economic security of businessmen with the aim of providing of stable development of business activity in the different spheres of national economy. Exposition of basic material. In the article are investigated the basic requirements of creation the monitoring of the systems of economic security, that is pulled out on the modern stage of business development to marked the aim, tasks, principles, functions, and stages of realization the monitoring. It is brought indicators over of economic security and its threshold values on the different levels of management business activity, to underline, that for each separate business structure the indexes of economic security can be certain depending on the type of business. Originality and practical meaningfulness of research are confirmed by the offered conceptual bases to creation and realization of monitoring the systems of economic security of businessmen, which takes into attention the specific of activity the separate businessman, and allows to be integrated in the general system of the state economic security. Conclusions and prospects of further researches. It is well-proven that conceptual positions are offered the monitoring of the systems of economic security of business allow to recognize and identify threats, forecast its consequences, determine the methods of localization and give information for the management of business structure activity, to accept operative decisions on the removal of threats, to correct strategic aims of businessmen development, taking into attention the state of economic security of external and internal environment of functioning. Further researches will be sent to convergence of purposeful cooperations in the process of realization the monitoring in the system of economic security of enterprise

Constructing a model for the dynamic evaluation of vulnerability in software based on public sources

One of the key processes in software development and information security management is the evaluation of vulnerability risks. Analysis and evaluation of vulnerabilities are considered a resource-intensive process that requires high qualifications and a lot of technical information. The main opportunities and drawbacks of existing systems for evaluation of vulnerability risks in software, which include the lack of consideration of the impact of trends and the degree of popularity of vulnerability on the final evaluation, were analyzed. During the study, the following information was analyzed in the structured form: the vector of the general system of vulnerability evaluation, the threat type, the attack vector, the existence of the original code with patches, exploitation programs, and trends. The obtained result made it possible to determine the main independent characteristics, the existence of a correlation between the parameters, the order, and schemes of the relationships between the basic magnitudes that affect the final value of evaluation of vulnerability impact on a system. A dataset with formalized characteristics, as well as expert evaluation for further construction of a mathematical model, was generated. Analysis of various approaches and methods for machine learning for construction of a target model of dynamic risk evaluation was carried out: neuro-fuzzy logic, regression analysis algorithms, neuro-network modeling. A mathematical model of dynamic evaluation of vulnerability risk in software, based on the dynamics of spreading information about a vulnerability in open sources and a multidimensional model with an accuracy of 88.9 %, was developed. Using the obtained model makes it possible to reduce the analysis time from several hours to several minutes and to make a more effective decision regarding the establishment of the order of patch prioritization, to unify the actions of experts, to reduce the cost of managing information security risks

Applications in remote sensing and environmental analysis

The present study aims to describe the morphologic and geographic structuring and report a relief morphometric analysis in a cutout of the environmental planning. To do so, geoprocessing techniques were widely used and supported by systemic theory. The main objective is to process relief data in Geographic Information System (GIS) and contribute to the database of characteristics from different local geomorphometric variables. Thus, the theorical basis of the research suggests the use of General System Theory based on their concepts to understand the morphologic structure of the relief at different levels, also the condition of the relief shapes and their classification. This case study occurs methodologically, defining the relief category as an environmental component of direct and vital interaction with other resources and dynamic components, considering mainly the whole environmental system. In this study, the environmental system is the Sucuriú River watershed. Therefore, to get the environmental analysis of the relief, the methodology consists of pre-processing and processing of digital land modeling data based on Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) records. Those can obtain different characteristics by using the methodology of geomorphometric variables extraction, which are the set of variables subject to land measuring. The results should cartographically reveal the dynamics and structural morphology of the relief, observing important parameters of relief configuration and concluding with the presentation and correlation of the relief shapes dynamics in all the considered environmental system.