Problemy etyczne i moralne w zawodzie ratownika medycznego

Nierecenzowany artykuł poglądowySłużby medyczne, w tym ratownicy mają obowiązek udzielania pomocy osobom w stanie nagłego zagrożenia życia. Niestety nie zawsze udaje się ocalić drugiego człowieka, pomimo podjętych działań. Ratownik medyczny często musi podejmować trudne decyzje, zgodne z przepisami prawnymi oraz własnym sumieniem. W tym zawodzie każda podejmowana decyzja ma niezwykle istotne znaczenie, gdyż dotyczy ona ludzkiego życia. Oprócz posiadania odpowiednich umiejętności praktycznych, ratownik medyczny musi charakteryzować się skutecznością radzenia sobie w ciężkich sytuacjach. Powinien zawsze z szacunkiem odnosić się do godności i wolności osoby ludzkiej. W pracy przedstawiono etyczne problemy pojawiające się w zawodzie ratownika. Szczególną uwagę poświęcono sprawie zaprzestania oraz niepodjęcia resuscytacji w sytuacjach szczególnych zarówno u osób dorosłych jak i dzieci

Growth of companies and growth potential on the example of business services for firms sector on newconnect market

The article is related to the growth of young companies operating in the business services for firms sector, that are listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange alternative market – NewConnect. The growth opportunity models are introduced to explain the growth process of these companies together with other controlling factors such as profitability, size of the company and its earnings. As the result of the research it is found that growth potential is negatively correlated with assets and equity growth in short term, but it affects positively earnings per share growth in a longer, three-year period. It can therefore be concluded that in the sector taken into consideration, investors’ decisions reflected in the growth potential measures may be translated into company’s value growth only in a longer term

A novel thermal detection method based on molecularly imprinted nanoparticles as recognition elements.

Molecularly Imprinted Polymers (MIPs) are synthetic receptors that are able to selectively bind their target molecule and, for this reason, they are currently employed as recognition elements in sensors. In this work, MIP nanoparticles (nanoMIPs) are produced by solid-phase synthesis for a range of templates with different sizes, including a small molecule (biotin), two peptides (one derived from the epithelial growth factor receptor and vancomycin) and a protein (trypsin). NanoMIPs are then dipcoated on the surface of thermocouples that measure the temperature inside a liquid flow cell. Binding of the template to the MIP layer on the sensitive area of the thermocouple tip blocks the heat-flow from the sensor to the liquid, thereby lowering the overall temperature measured by the thermocouple. This is subsequently correlated to the concentration of the template, enabling measurement of target molecules in the low nanomolar regime. The significant improvement in the limit of detection (a magnitude of three orders compared to previously used MIP microparticles) can be attributed to their high affinity, enhanced conductivity and increased surface-to-volume ratio. It is the first time that these nanosized recognition elements are used in combination with thermal detection, and it is the first report on MIP-based thermal sensors for determining protein levels. The developed thermal sensors have a high selectivity, fast measurement time (<5 min), and data analysis is straightforward, which makes it possible to monitor biomolecules in real-time. The set of biomolecules discussed in this manuscript show that it is possible to cover a range of template molecules regardless of their size, demonstrating the general applicability of the biosensor platform. In addition, with its high commercial potential and biocompatibility of the MIP receptor layer, this is an important step towards sensing assays for diagnostic applications that can be used in vivo

Molecularly imprinted polymer nanoparticles enable rapid, reliable, and robust point-of-care thermal detection of SARS-CoV-2

Rapid antigen tests are currently used for population screening of COVID-19. However, they lack sensitivity and utilize antibodies as receptors, which can only function in narrow temperature and pH ranges. Consequently, molecularly imprinted polymer nanoparticles (nanoMIPs) are synthetized with a fast (2 h) and scalable process using merely a tiny SARS-CoV-2 fragment (∼10 amino acids). The nanoMIPs rival the affinity of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies under standard testing conditions and surpass them at elevated temperatures or in acidic media. Therefore, nanoMIP sensors possess clear advantages over antibody-based assays as they can function in various challenging media. A thermal assay is developed with nanoMIPs electrografted onto screen-printed electrodes to accurately quantify SARS-CoV-2 antigens. Heat transfer-based measurements demonstrate superior detection limits compared to commercial rapid antigen tests and most antigen tests from the literature for both the alpha (∼9.9 fg mL-1) and delta (∼6.1 fg mL-1) variants of the spike protein. A prototype assay is developed, which can rapidly (∼15 min) validate clinical patient samples with excellent sensitivity and specificity. The straightforward epitope imprinting method and high robustness of nanoMIPs produce a SARS-CoV-2 sensor with significant commercial potential for population screening, in addition to the possibility of measurements in diagnostically challenging environments

Thermal detection of cardiac biomarkers H-FABP and ST2 using a molecularly imprinted nanoparticle-based multiplex sensor platform

© 2019 American Chemical Society. This manuscript describes the production of Molecularly Imprinted Polymer nanoparticles (nanoMIPs) for the cardiac biomarkers heart-fatty acid binding protein (H-FABP) and ST2 by solid-phase synthesis, and their use as synthetic antibodies in a multiplexed sensing platform. Analysis by Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) shows that the affinity of the nanoMIPs is similar to that of commercially available antibodies. The particles are coated onto the surface of thermo-couples and inserted into 3D-printed flow cells of different multiplexed designs. We demonstrate it is possible to selectively detect both cardiac biomarkers within the physiologically relevant range. Furthermore, the developed sensor platform is the first example of a multiplex format of this thermal analysis technique which enables simultaneous measurements of two different compounds with minimal cross selectivity. The format where three thermocouples are positioned in parallel exhibits the highest sensitivity, which is explained by modelling the heat flow distribution with-in the flow cell. This design is used in further experiments and proof-of-application of the sensor platform is provided by measuring spiked fetal bovine serum samples. Due to the high selectivity, short measurement time, and low-cost of this array format, it provides an interesting alternative to traditional immunoassays. The use of nanoMIPs enables a multi-marker strategy, which has the potential to contribute to sustainable healthcare by improving reliability of cardiac biomarker testing

Making Connections - Envisioning Springfield\u27s North End

This work explores a service learning strategy in the context of the senior Urban Design Studio taught in the Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The primary goal of this project is to stimulate a conversation in the neighborhoods of the North End, to develop green design strategies, to improve services and businesses for residents and the employees of local businesses, and to foster cultural engagement and interaction in the North End that will enhance the vibrancy, resilience, and quality of life of this urban community. Making connections - Envisioning Springfield\u27s North End proposes improved connectivity in a physical, cultural, and social sense will be key to attaining these goals and to engaging and synergizing individuals and community groups in the North End - residents, businesses, schools, churches, employers, and employees. Six sustainable learning and planning principles have emerged from this studio: 1. Input and interaction – Visioning workshops connect campus and community 2. Community-building art - Expression of place and people 3. Healthy living - Urban agriculture and education 4. Urban greenways – Abandoned railways and urban rivers and streams 5. Green infrastructure - Green streets as networks and structural framework 6. Sustainable urban form – Mixed use and pedestrian friendly neighborhood

Immobilization of molecularly imprinted polymer nanoparticles onto surfaces using different strategies: evaluating the influence of the functionalized interface on the performance of a thermal assay for the detection of the cardiac biomarker troponin i

We demonstrate that a novel functionalized interface, where molecularly imprinted polymer nanoparticles (nanoMIPs) are attached to screen-printed graphite electrodes (SPEs), can be utilized for the thermal detection of the cardiac biomarker troponin I (cTnI). The ultrasensitive detection of the unique protein cTnI can be utilized for the early diagnosis of myocardial infraction (i.e., heart attacks), resulting in considerably lower patient mortality and morbidity. Our developed platform presents an innovative route to develop accurate, low-cost, and disposable sensors for the diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases, specifically myocardial infraction. A reproducible and advantageous solid-phase approach was utilized to synthesize high-affinity nanoMIPs (average size = 71 nm) for cTnI, which served as synthetic receptors in a thermal sensing platform. To assess the performance and commercial potential of the sensor platform, various approaches were used to immobilize nanoMIPs onto thermocouples or SPEs: dip coating, drop casting, and a covalent approach relying on electrografting with an organic coupling reaction. Characterization of the nanoMIP-functionalized surfaces was performed with electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. Measurements from an in-house designed thermal setup revealed that covalent functionalization of nanoMIPs onto SPEs led to the most reproducible sensing capabilities. The proof of application was provided by measuring buffered solutions spiked with cTnI, which demonstrated that through monitoring changes in heat transfer at the solid-liquid interface, we can measure concentrations as low as 10 pg L-1, resulting in the most sensitive test of this type. Furthermore, preliminary data are presented for a prototype platform, which can detect cTnI with shorter measurement times and smaller sample volumes. The excellent sensor performance, versatility of the nanoMIPs, and reproducible and low-cost nature of the SPEs demonstrate that this sensor platform technology has a clear commercial route with high potential to contribute to sustainable healthcare

An Analysis of the Effects of School Closings and Openings on Crime in Chicago

In 2013, the Chicago Public School District closed almost 50 underutilized elementary schools and opened over 40 new schools of which over 30 were new charter schools that were mostly high schools. Two key issues continue to plague Chicago: access to high quality public schools and crime. These shocks to public schools are occurring in most major cities across the United States and it is essential for there to be more research on the effects of school changes on neighborhoods and communities. I analyze the effect of new school openings and school closures, beyond the classroom, on crime in Chicago community areas. The crime categories that I analyze are homicides, violent crime, index crime, and non-index crime and I use quarterly data on crime, changes in schools, and demographic data for Chicago from 2010-2016