Polish version of the Intermittent Claudication Questionnaire

Introduction. The assessment of health-related quality of life includes the assessment of physical condition and motor skills, mental condition, social and economic situation, and somatic experiences. The specific ques-tionnaires used in patients with intermittent claudication include i.a. Peripheral Artery Questionnaire, Vascular Quality of Life Questionnaire, PAD Quality of Life Questionnaire, and Walking Impairment Questionnaire, which is the only one of the aforementioned questionnaires that is available in Polish. The Intermittent Claudication Questionnaire (ICQ) available in English is a specific instrument for assessing the quality of life of patients with intermittent claudication. This paper attempts at evaluating the reliability of the Polish version of ICQ. Material and methods. The process of validation of the Polish version of the questionnaire involved translating the questionnaire and evaluating the newly translated tool in order to compare the results on international level for the possibility of its practical use for assessment of health-related quality of life in patients with intermittent claudication in Poland. In order to evaluate the reliability and coherence of the questionnaire, the methods of internal consistency in Cronbach’s a, as well as the intraclass correlation coefficient were applied for specific questions and for the final result of the questionnaire. Results. The Cronbach’s a as the questionnaire’s reliability index was 0.915. Intraclass correlation calculated for the total score of the questionnaire’s answers was 0.97. Conclusions. The Polish version of the Intermittent Claudication Questionnaire is a repeatable and reliable research tool for assessing the health-related quality of life in patients with intermittent claudication

Structure and physical properties of GexAsySe1−x−y glasses with the same mean coordination number of 2.5

We have prepared and analyzed five different compositions of GexAsySe1−x−yglasses that have the same mean coordination number (MCN) of 2.5 in order to understand whether MCN or chemical composition has the dominant effect on the physical properties of the glass. Density measurements showed a maximum for the chemically stoichiometric Ge12.5As25Se62.5 sample and suggested that some rearrangement of the atoms was occurring as one atom substituted for another. The measurements of Tg, however, showed that the glasses had almost same glass transition temperature and suggested that the glassnetwork connectivity did not change much with composition. Although Raman scattering and x-ray photoelectron spectra of the glasses indicate that the percentage of the different structural units changes with the composition, there was no evidence of the existence of structural units that could change the overall connectivity of the glassnetwork. Therefore, we concluded that glasses with same MCN but different composition have similar glassnetwork connectivity, and that chemical composition has only a secondary effect on the physical properties of the glasses.This research was partly supported by the Australian Research Council through its Centres of Excellence and Discovery DP110102753 programs

Properties of GexAsySe1-x-y glasses for all-optical signal processing

We present a systematic study of GexAsySe1-x-y bulk chalcogenide glasses to determine the best composition for fabricating alloptical devices. The dependence of physical parameters such as the bandgap, glass transition temperature and third order optical nonlinearity (n2) on composition has been studied and a relation between the bond-structure and elevated linear loss levels in high Germanium glasses has been identified. It is found that glasses with 11<x<13 % are most suitable for all-optical devices

Optical properties and structural correlations of GeAsSe Chalcogenide Glasses

GexAsySe100-x-y (33 ≤ x ≤ 39 and 12 ≤ y ≤ 16) glasses were prepared, and their structure and optical properties were studied by Raman and UV-Vis-IR spectroscopic techniques. Ge-tetrahedrons [GeSe4] dominated in the structural units, and 'defect'

Australian dust storm associated with extensive Aspergillus sydowii fungal "Bloom" in coastal waters

A massive central Australian dust storm in September 2009 was associated with abundant fungal spores (150,000/m(3)) and hyphae in coastal waters between Brisbane (27 degrees S) and Sydney (34 degrees S). These spores were successfully germinated from formalinpreserved samples, and using molecular sequencing of three different genes (the large subunit rRNA gene [LSU], internal transcribed spacer [ITS], and beta-tubulin gene), they were conclusively identified as Aspergillus sydowii, an organism circumstantially associated with gorgonian coral fan disease in the Caribbean. Surprisingly, no human health or marine ecosystem impacts were associated with this Australian dust storm event. Australian fungal cultures were nontoxic to fish gills and caused a minor reduction in the motility of Alexandrium or Chattonella algal cultures but had their greatest impacts on Symbiodinium dinoflagellate coral symbiont motility, with hyphae being more detrimental than spores. While we have not yet seen any soft coral disease outbreaks on the Australian Great Barrier Reef similar to those observed in the Caribbean and while this particular fungal population was non-or weakly pathogenic, our observations raise the possibility of future marine ecosystem pathogen impacts from similar dust storms harboring more pathogenic strains

Development of bone marrow lesions is associated with adverse effects on knee cartilage while resolution is associated with improvement - a potential target for prevention of knee osteoarthritis: a longitudinal study

INTRODUCTION: To examine the relationship between development or resolution of bone marrow lesions (BMLs) and knee cartilage properties in a 2 year prospective study of asymptomatic middle-aged adults. METHODS: 271 adults recruited from the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study, underwent a magnetic resonance imaging scan (MRI) of their dominant knee at baseline and again approximately 2 years later. Cartilage volume, cartilage defects and BMLs were determined at both time points. RESULTS: Among 234 subjects free of BMLs at baseline, 33 developed BMLs over 2 years. The incidence of BMLs was associated with progression of tibiofemoral cartilage defects (OR 2.63 (95% CI 0.93, 7.44), P = 0.07 for medial compartment; OR 3.13 (95% CI 1.01, 9.68), P = 0.048 for lateral compartment). Among 37 subjects with BMLs at baseline, 17 resolved. Resolution of BMLs was associated with reduced annual loss of medial tibial cartilage volume (regression coefficient -35.9 (95%CI -65, -6.82), P = 0.02) and a trend for reduced progression of medial tibiofemoral cartilage defects (OR 0.2 (95% CI 0.04, 1.09), P = 0.06). CONCLUSIONS: In this cohort study of asymptomatic middle-aged adults the development of new BMLs was associated with progressive knee cartilage pathology while resolution of BMLs prevalent at baseline was associated with reduced progression of cartilage pathology. Further work examining the relationship between changes and BML and cartilage may provide another important target for the prevention of knee osteoarthritis

Advanced EFL learners' beliefs about language learning and teaching: a comparison between grammar, pronunciation, and vocabulary

This paper reports on the results of a study exploring learners’ beliefs on the learning and teaching of English grammar, pronunciation and vocabulary at tertiary level. While the importance of learners’ beliefs on the acquisition process is generally recognized, few studies have focussed on and compared learners’ views on different components of the language system. A questionnaire containing semantic scale and Likert scale items probing learners’ views on grammar, pronunciation and vocabulary was designed and completed by 117 native speakers of Dutch in Flanders, who were studying English at university. The analysis of the responses revealed that (i) vocabulary was considered to be different from grammar and pronunciation, both in the extent to which an incorrect use could lead to communication breakdown and with respect to the learners’ language learning strategies, (ii) learners believed in the feasibility of achieving a native-like proficiency in all three components, and (iii) in-class grammar, pronunciation and vocabulary exercises were considered to be useful, even at tertiary level. The results are discussed in light of pedagogical approaches to language teaching

Dietary fatty acid intake affects the risk of developing bone marrow lesions in healthy middle-aged adults without clinical knee osteoarthritis: a prospective cohort study

INTRODUCTION: Fatty acids have been implicated in osteoarthritis (OA), yet the mechanism by which fatty acids affect knee structure and consequently the risk of knee OA has not been fully elucidated. Higher intakes of fatty acids have been shown to be associated with the risk of bone marrow lesions (BMLs) in a healthy population. The aim of this study was to examine the association between fatty acid consumption and the incidence of BMLs in healthy middle-aged adults without clinical knee OA. METHODS: Two hundred ninety-seven middle-aged adults without clinical knee OA underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of their dominant knee at baseline. BMLs were assessed. Of the 251 participants with no BMLs in their knee at baseline, 230 underwent MRI of the same knee approximately 2 years later. Intakes of fatty acids were estimated from a food frequency questionnaire. RESULTS: Increased consumption of saturated fatty acids was associated with an increased incidence of BMLs over 2 years after adjusting for energy intake, age, gender, and body mass index (odds ratio of 2.56 for each standard deviation increase in dietary intake, 95% confidence interval 1.03 to 6.37, P = 0.04). Intake of monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fatty acids was not significantly associated with the incidence of BMLs. CONCLUSIONS: Increased fatty acid consumption may increase the risk of developing BMLs. As subchondral bone is important in maintaining joint integrity and the development of OA, this study suggests that dietary modification of fatty acid intake may be one strategy in the prevention of knee OA which warrants further investigation

Period Concatenation Underlies Interactions between Gamma and Beta Rhythms in Neocortex

The neocortex generates rhythmic electrical activity over a frequency range covering many decades. Specific cognitive and motor states are associated with oscillations in discrete frequency bands within this range, but it is not known whether interactions and transitions between distinct frequencies are of functional importance. When coexpressed rhythms have frequencies that differ by a factor of two or more interactions can be seen in terms of phase synchronization. Larger frequency differences can result in interactions in the form of nesting of faster frequencies within slower ones by a process of amplitude modulation. It is not known how coexpressed rhythms, whose frequencies differ by less than a factor of two may interact. Here we show that two frequencies (gamma – 40 Hz and beta2 – 25 Hz), coexpressed in superficial and deep cortical laminae with low temporal interaction, can combine to generate a third frequency (beta1 – 15 Hz) showing strong temporal interaction. The process occurs via period concatenation, with basic rhythm-generating microcircuits underlying gamma and beta2 rhythms forming the building blocks of the beta1 rhythm by a process of addition. The mean ratio of adjacent frequency components was a constant – approximately the golden mean – which served to both minimize temporal interactions, and permit multiple transitions, between frequencies. The resulting temporal landscape may provide a framework for multiplexing – parallel information processing on multiple temporal scales

The Dynamics of Health and Return Migration

In the final article in a six-part PLoS Medicine; series on Migration & Health, Anita Davies and colleagues from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) discuss the specific health risks and policy needs associated with return migratio