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The energy consumption of buildings is a significant contributor to overall energy consumption in developed countries. Therefore, there is great demand for intelligent buildings in which energy consumption is optimized. Online control is a crucial aspect of such optimization. The implementation of modern algorithms that take advantage of developments in information technology, artificial intelligence, machine learning, sensors, and the Internet of Things (IoT) is used in this context. In this paper, an architecture for testing central heating control algorithms as well as the control algorithms of the heating system of the building is presented. In particular, evaluation metrics, the method for seamless integration, and the mechanism for real-time performance monitoring and control are put forward. The proposed tools have been successfully tested in a residential building, and the conducted tests confirmed the efficiency of the proposed solution.

Photoreceptor membranes have a unique lipid composition. They contain a high level of polyunsaturated fatty acids including the most unsaturated fatty acid in nature, docosahexaenoic acid (22:6), and are enriched in phosphatidylethanolamines. The phospholipid composition and cholesterol content of the subcellular components of photoreceptor outer segments enables to divide photoreceptor membranes into three types: plasma membranes, young disc membranes, and old disc membranes. A high degree of lipid unsaturation, extended exposure to intensive irradiation, and high respiratory demands make these membranes sensitive to oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation. Moreover, all-trans retinal (AtRAL), which is a photoreactive product of visual pigment bleaching, accumulates transiently inside these membranes, where its concentration may reach a phototoxic level. An elevated concentration of AtRAL leads to accelerated formation and accumulation of bisretinoid condensation products such as A2E or AtRAL dimers. However, a possible structural impact of these retinoids on the photoreceptor-membrane properties has not yet been studied. In this work we focused just on this aspect. The changes induced by retinoids, although noticeable, seem not to be significant enough to be physiologically relevant. This is, however, an positive conclusion because it can be assumed that accumulation of AtRAL in photoreceptor membranes will not affect the transduction of visual signals and will not disturb the interaction of proteins engaged in this process.

Tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA), a hydrophilic bile acid containing taurine conjugated with the ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), has been known and used from ancient times as a therapeutic compound in traditional Chinese medicine. TUDCA has recently been gaining significant interest as a neuroprotective agent, also exploited in the visual disorders. Among several mechanisms of TUDCA’s protective action, its antioxidant activity and stabilizing effect on mitochondrial and plasma membranes are considered. In this work we investigated antioxidant activity of TUDCA and its impact on structural properties of model membranes of different composition using electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy and the spin labeling technique. Localization of TUDCA molecules in a pure POPC bilayer has been studied using a molecular dynamics simulation (MD). The obtained results indicate that TUDCA is not an efficient singlet oxygen (1O2 (1Δg)) quencher, and the determined rate constant of its interaction with 1O2 (1Δg) is only 1.9 × 105 M−1s−1. However, in lipid oxidation process induced by a Fenton reaction, TUDCA reveals substantial antioxidant activity significantly decreasing the rate of oxygen consumption in the system studied. In addition, TUDCA induces slight, but noticeable changes in the polarity and fluidity of the investigated model membranes. The results of performed MD simulation correspond very well with the experimental results.

The aim of the article is to present a mathematical definition of the object model, that is known in computer science as TreeList and to show application of this model for design evolutionary algorithm, that purpose is to generate structures based on this object. The first chapter introduces the reader to the problem of presenting data using the TreeList object. The second chapter describes the problem of testing data structures based on TreeList. The third one shows a mathematical model of the object TreeList and the parameters, used in determining the utility of structures created through this model and in evolutionary strategy, that generates these structures for testing purposes. The last chapter provides a brief summary and plans for future research related to the algorithm presented in the article.

Wstęp: Ostre uszkodzenie nerek (OUN) jest częstym powikłaniem zabiegów kardiochirurgicznych z wykorzystaniem krążenia pozaustrojowego. Wczesne rozpoznanie OUN wpływa na rokowanie, poszukuje się więc nowych biomarkerów wyprzedzających wzrost stężenia kreatyniny. Wykazano, że podwyższone stężenie lipokaliny neutrofilowej (NGAL) jest wczesnym markerem prognostycznym OUN. Celem naszego badania było określenie zmian stężenia NGAL w surowicy i w moczu u dzieci operowanych w krążeniu pozaustrojowym z powodu skomplikowanych wad wrodzonych układu krążenia. Materiał i metody: Badanie prospektywne przeprowadzono u 48 dzieci (17 dziewcząt i 31 chłopców) operowanych w krążeniu pozaustrojowym z powodu wrodzonych wad serca. Średni wiek wynosił 25±38 miesięcy. Stężenie NGAL w moczu i surowicy (metodą immunoenzymatyczną) i stężenie kreatyniny oznaczano przed i seryjnie po zabiegu. Według kryteriów ostrego uszkodzenia nerek (wzrost stężenia kreatyniny o 50% do wartości wyjściowej w czasie 72 godzin od zabiegu) grupę badaną podzielono na dwie podgrupy: dzieci z OUN – 26 i bez OUN – 22. Wyniki: W całej grupie badanej mediana stężenia NGAL przed zabiegiem wynosiła 26 ng/ml i wzrastała w 2. (60 ng/ml) i 4. godzinie (65 ng/ml), wyprzedzając wzrost stężenia kreatyniny, który następował w 12. godzinie po zabiegu. Stężenie NGAL w surowicy nie różniło się istotnie w obu grupach. Z kolei stężenie NGAL w moczu wzrastało, ale także różniło się istotnie pomiędzy grupami w 2. (mediana 62 vs 27 ng/ml; p=0,01) i 4. (mediana 28 vs 13 ng/ml; p=0,056) godzinie po zabiegu, z tendencją do utrzymywania się zmian także w 12. godzinie po nim (mediana 10 vs 6 ng/ml). Wnioski: Badanie potwierdziło, że po zabiegach kardiochirurgicznych u dzieci w krążeniu pozaustrojowym obserwuje się narastanie stężenia NGAL w surowicy i w moczu. Oba te wskaźniki mogą być wykorzystane jako wczesny wskaźnik ostrego uszkodzenia nerek.