Ethical Aspects of Euthanasia. Introduction to the Debate

The subject of the study is the ethical aspects of euthanasia. The framework of the article does not allow for a comprehensive and complex analysis of the issue presented in the title. In view of the above, the purpose of the article has been limited to two aspects. The first one is the clarification of terminology and an attempt to draw out the classification of euthanasia. The second one is showing the arguments that supporters and antagonists take in the ongoing debate on the subject of euthanasia. In the author’s opinion, the subject that strictly corresponds to the subject matter in the study remains the legal regulations of individual countries regarding euthanasia. This issue has been highlighted at the end of the article and may constitute a contribution to the discussion.The subject of the study is the ethical aspects of euthanasia. The framework of the article does not allow for a comprehensive and complex analysis of the issue presented in the title. In view of the above, the purpose of the article has been limited to two aspects. The first one is the clarification of terminology and an attempt to draw out the classification of euthanasia. The second one is showing the arguments that supporters and antagonists take in the ongoing debate on the subject of euthanasia. In the author’s opinion, the subject that strictly corresponds to the subject matter in the study remains the legal regulations of individual countries regarding euthanasia. This issue has been highlighted at the end of the article and may constitute a contribution to the discussion

Homo Consumens versus Homo Patiens (The Dilemmas of Postmodern Reality)

The contemporary „homo consumens” does not want to accept that his ontic status is still best defined by the words „homo patiens”. Today’s attempts to eliminate suffering through constantly stimulated consumption may be considered as an act of the „degradation” of humans and humanity who by rejecting the truth about their nature as suffering creatures, paradoxically also lose the meaning of their life. If one denies suffering, then – at the same time – one closes oneself before life. For the escape from suffering is anything but the escape from life, at least the one that is experienced in a conscious and sensible way.The contemporary „homo consumens” does not want to accept that his ontic status is still best defined by the words „homo patiens”. Today’s attempts to eliminate suffering through constantly stimulated consumption may be considered as an act of the „degradation” of humans and humanity who by rejecting the truth about their nature as suffering creatures, paradoxically also lose the meaning of their life. If one denies suffering, then – at the same time – one closes oneself before life. For the escape from suffering is anything but the escape from life, at least the one that is experienced in a conscious and sensible way

Electrophoretically mediated microanalysis technique as a tool for the rapid screening of novel acetylcholinesterase inhibitors

An electrophoretically mediated microanalysis technique was developed for the rapid screening of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors. Activity of four original compounds, N-benzylpiperidine, carbamoyloxyphenyl derivatives and reference inhibitor ñ tacrine was determined and compared with the data obtained from Ellmanís assay. Percentage of enzyme inhibition detected at inhibitor concentration of 3.33Σ10-4 M was between 0 and 78% and was the highest for tacrine. The comparison of data obtained from the EMMA assay and Ellmanís test proved inhibitory activity of novel compounds

Structure Modeling of the Norepinephrine Transporter

The norepinephrine transporter (NET) is one of the monoamine transporters. Its X-ray crystal structure has not been obtained yet. Inhibitors of human NET (hNET) play a major role in the treatment of many central and peripheral nervous system diseases. In this study, we focused on the spatial structure of a NET constructed by homology modeling on Drosophila melanogaster dopamine transporter templates. We further examined molecular construction of primary binding pocket (S1) together with secondary binding site (S2) and extracellular loop 4 (EL4). The next stage involved docking of transporter inhibitors: Reboxetine, duloxetine, desipramine, and other commonly used drugs. The procedure revealed the molecular orientation of residues and disclosed ones that are the most important for ligand binding: Phenylalanine F72, aspartic acid D75, tyrosine Y152, and phenylalanine F317. Aspartic acid D75 plays a key role in recognition of the basic amino group present in monoamine transporter inhibitors and substrates. The study also presents a comparison of hNET models with other related proteins, which could provide new insights into their interaction with therapeutics and aid future development of novel bioactive compounds

Transcriptome profiling of a spirodiclofen susceptible and resistant strain of the European red mite Panonychus ulmi using strand-specific RNA-seq

Background: The European red mite, Panonychus ulmi, is among the most important mite pests in fruit orchards, where it is controlled primarily by acaricide application. However, the species rapidly develops pesticide resistance, and the elucidation of resistance mechanisms for P. ulmi has not kept pace with insects or with the closely related spider mite Tetranychus urticae. The main reason for this lack of knowledge has been the absence of genomic resources needed to investigate the molecular biology of resistance mechanisms. Results: Here, we provide a comprehensive strand-specific RNA-seq based transcriptome resource for P. ulmi derived from strains susceptible and resistant to the widely used acaricide spirodiclofen. From a de novo assembly of the P. ulmi transcriptome, we manually annotated detoxification enzyme families, target-sites of commonly used acaricides, and horizontally transferred genes implicated in plant-mite interactions and pesticide resistance. In a comparative analysis that incorporated sequences available for Panonychus citri, T. urticae, and insects, we identified radiations for detoxification gene families following the divergence of Panonychus and Tetranychus genera. Finally, we used the replicated RNA-seq data from the spirodiclofen susceptible and resistant strains to describe gene expression changes associated with resistance. A cytochrome P450 monooxygenase, as well as multiple carboxylcholinesterases, were differentially expressed between the susceptible and resistant strains, and provide a molecular entry point for understanding resistance to spirodiclofen, widely used to control P. ulmi populations. Conclusions: The new genomic resources and data that we present in this study for P. ulmi will substantially facilitate molecular studies of underlying mechanisms involved in acaricide resistance

Research on User Experience during Interactions with Mobile Applications for Diabetics

The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of the appearance and structure of the application interface on task completion speed and user experience. Two data collection methods were used in the study: eye tracking and the System Usability Scale (SUS) questionnaire. Eye tracking provided information on eye movement and fixation while using the application, while the SUS questionnaire helped evaluate the overall usability level and user satisfaction. Three applications were examined (mySugr, Diabetes diary control from Google Play, and one proprietary application implemented for the purposes of the study. It was found that the proprietary SugarCare application characterized by a simple, modern, and readable interface achieved the highest results in terms of task completion times and SUS questionnaire scores. The mySugr application, which also has a clear and simple interface, took the second place. The Diabetes diary control application performed the worst, as it had a complex and less user-friendly interface. On the basis of the obtained results, mobile applications for diabetics with a clear interface proved to accelerate the task completion process and have a positive impact on user experience. These conclusions stem from the analyses of the metrics used indicating the benefits resulting from accessibility of simple and intuitive application interfaces in terms of efficacy and user satisfaction