Dynamic analysis of ecological security in central Yunnan province, China from 1990 to 2017

Ecological security is an important content of national and regional security research. The Central Yunnan Province (CYP) has important location factors and social and economic development status, so ecological security research in CYP is quite relevant. For the purpose of our research, we adopted the S-PRD (Ecological Insecurity-Pressure-Regulation-External Driving Force) conceptual model to establish an evaluation index system based on the four subsystems of water, land, atmosphere, and biology to evaluate the ecological security of central Yunnan from 1990 to 2017 and analyse the characteristics of dynamic evolution. We used the grey incidence matrix analysis method to conduct retrospective grey relational evaluation and retrospective grey sensitivity evaluation and analyse the influencing factors of ecological security. The study conclusions showed that the security of the water system has been fluctuating and rising, and has stabilized in the past five years. Both the land system and the biological system have shown an upward trend, but the degree of change was relatively small, and the atmospheric system was stable. The evaluation value of the ecological environment insecurity of the four cities is generally on the rise. The control measures have the greatest impact on ecological insecurity, the second important factor is an external driving force.

Common mechanisms of attractorless oscillatory regimes in radioengineering models of brain thalamocortical network

This work aims to show that long transient processes in mesascale models of thalamocortical brain network can appear in very general case, in particular for different number of elements in the ensemble (different level of detalization) and different initial phase of external driving, with these regimes surviving at small variations of number and structure of couplings. Methods. Thalamocortical brain networks are modelled using electronic circuit realized using computer SPICE eluating software. FitzHugh – Nagumo analog generator is used as a single circuit element. Results. Long quasiregular and nonregular oscillation processes with stationary amplitude were shown to occur in ensembles of 14, 28 and 56 model FitzHug – Nagumo generators. The dependency of transient process length on the external driving initial phase and particular coupling matrix structure was studied. Conclusion. The proposed electronic models of thalamocortical system were proved to reproduce the pathological regimes of brain activity in similar way despite the number of elements in the circuit, connectivity matrix and initial driving phase.

Characteristics and Problems of Smart City Development in China

The rapid expansion of urbanization both in scale and population leads to a series of serious urban diseases, which become a huge obstacle to the healthy and sustainable development of cities. To alleviate these problems and challenges, China launched a smart city construction program in the past decade and has taken the lead in smart city construction in the world. However, there is still a lack of reflection and summary on the practice of smart cities in China. Based on the definition and concept of smart city, this paper points out the internal and external driving factors of China’s smart city development, then summarizes the four major characteristics of China’s smart city construction practice, and explores the main problems existing in the process of China’s smart city construction. Through the reflection and summary, we can facilitate development of smart cities in China, provide useful reference to urban planners and smart city practitioners in other countries and regions, and promote the healthy and sustainable development of cities.

Network analysis of nanoscale energy conversion processes

Energy conversion in nanosized devices is studied in the framework of state-space models. We use a network representation of the underlying master equation to describe the dynamics by a graph. Particular segments of this network represent input and output processes that provide a way to introduce a coupling to several heat reservoirs and particle reservoirs. In addition, the network representation scheme allows one to decompose the stationary dynamics as cycles. The cycle analysis is a convenient tool for analyse models of machine operations, which are characterized by different nanoscale energy conversion processes. By introducing the cycle affinity, we are able to calculate the zero-current limit. The zero-current limit can be mapped to the zero-affinity limit in a network representation scheme. For example, for systems with competing external driving forces the open-circuit voltage can be determined by setting the cycle affinity zero. This framework is used to derive open-circuit voltage with respect to microscopic material energetics and different coupling to particle and temperature reservoirs.

A hierarchical thermodynamic imperative drives the evolution of self-replicative life systems towards increased complexity

From a basic thermodynamic point of view life structures can be viewed as dissipative open systems capable of self replication. Energy flowing from the external environment into the system allows growth of its self replicative entities with a concomitant decrease in internal entropy (complexity) and an increase of the overall entropy in the universe, thus observing the second law of thermodynamics. However, efforts to derive general thermodynamic models of life systems have been hampered by the lack of precise equations for far from equilibrium systems subjected to arbitrarily time varying external driving fields (the external energy input), as these systems operate in a non-linear response regime that is difficult to model using classical thermodynamics. Recent theoretical advances, applying time reversal symmetry and coarse grained state transitions, have provided helpful semi-quantitative insights into the thermodynamic constraints that bind the behaviour of far from equilibrium life systems. Setting some additional fundamental constraints based on empirical observations allows us to apply this theoretical framework to gain a further semi-quantitative insight on the thermodynamic boundaries and evolution of self replicative life systems. This analysis suggests that complex self replicative life systems follow a thermodynamic hierarchical organisation based on increasing accessible levels of usable energy (work), which in turn drive an exponential punctuated growth of the system's complexity, stored as internal energy and internal entropy. This growth has historically not been limited by the total energy available from the external driving field for the earth life system, but by the internal system's adaptability needed to access higher levels of usable energy. Therefore, in the absence of external perturbations, the emergence of an initial self replicative dissipative structure capable of variation that enables access to higher energy levels is sufficient to drive the system's growth perpetually towards increased complexity across time and space. Furthermore, the self-replicative system would adopt a hierarchical organisation with all permitted energy niches evolving to be optimally occupied in order to dissipate the work input from the external drive and further adapting as higher energy levels are accessed. This model is consistent with current empirical observation of life systems across both time and space and explains from a thermodynamic point of view the evolutionary patterns of complex life systems on earth. We propose that predictions from this model can be further corroborated in a variety of artificially closed systems and that they are supported by experimental observations of complex ecological systems across the thermodynamic hierarchy.

Want a healthy life: A qualitative study on motivation to cease alcoholic drink addiction

Background: The alcoholic drink level of consumption is still high, particularly among adolescents and adults. Continuous consumption of alcoholic drinks can lead to addiction, making it difficult to cope with; however, some individuals with such a situation are could cease the habit. This study aims to explore the process of individuals breaking away from alcohol dependence. Methods: The research approach used qualitative with a phenomenological design. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to obtain in-depth data from eight subjects selected according to purposive sampling criteria. The data was analyzed using a descriptive phenomenological method. Results: The study results found four main themes for quitting alcoholic beverages: the influence of the experience of becoming an addict, a strong internal desire to quit, being threatened by biological impacts, internal and external driving factors to quit. Conclusion: Based on the findings, individuals who want to quit addiction must have a strong desire, consider the biological impact on health and have internal and external driving factors.

Want a healthy life: A qualitative study on motivation to cease alcoholic drink addiction

Background: The alcoholic drink level of consumption is still high, particularly among adolescents and adults. Continuous consumption of alcoholic drinks can lead to addiction, making it difficult to cope with; however, some individuals with such a situation are could cease the habit. This study aims to explore the process of individuals breaking away from alcohol dependence. Methods: The research approach used qualitative with a phenomenological design. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to obtain in-depth data from eight subjects selected according to purposive sampling criteria. The data was analyzed using a descriptive phenomenological method. Results: The study results found four main themes for quitting alcoholic beverages: the influence of the experience of becoming an addict, a strong internal desire to quit, being threatened by biological impacts, internal and external driving factors to quit. Conclusion: Based on the findings, individuals who want to quit addiction must have a strong desire, consider the biological impact on health and have internal and external driving factors.