Walory przyrodnicze pasa autostrady A-4 na terenie Parku Krajobrazowego Góra Świętej Anny w województwie opolskim

Construction of the A-4 Motorway section in the Opole Region begun in Summer 1997. Very soon vigorous resistance of ecological NGOs was encountered. The bone of contention was the section of motorway that passes through the Góra Świętej Anny Landscape Park and verges the natural reserve of strict protection Ligota Dolna where rare species of thermophilic plants are sheltered. Between 2011 and 2013 a detailed mycological, geobotanical, floristic and fauna research took place within the right-of-way of the A-4 Motorway section crossing the Góra Świętej Anny Landscape Park in the Opole Region. The survey revealed several rare and protected species of fungi, plants and animals along the road, including the greatest in Poland population of Austrian flax Linum austriacum. The area also harbors the only site of xerothermic grass of Festuco-Brometea class with so many rare and putrefying plant species inside a motorway’s right-of-way in Poland. Given the occurrence of many interesting species of plants and animals in the motorway surrounding it seems justified to establish a system of ecological monitoring, which could provide a range of valuable findings regarding the impact of motorway traffic on surrounding flora and fauna. This knowledge would be very useful for all those involved in construction of next motorways in Poland as well as for a wide circle of interested researchers.Do budowy opolskiego odcinka autostrady A-4 przystąpiono latem 1997 r. Niedługo po rozpoczęciu budowy zaczęły się ostre protesty organizacji ekologicznych. Kością niezgody stał się jej odcinek przecinający Park Krajobrazowy Góra Świętej Anny, bezpośrednio sąsiadujący również ze ścisłym rezerwatem przyrody Ligota Dolna, chroniącym rzadką roślinność ciepłolubną. W latach 2011-2013 na terenie pasa drogowego autostrady A4 przechodzącego przez teren Parku Krajobrazowego Góra Świętej Anny w województwie opolskim przeprowadzono szczegółowe badania mikologiczne, geobotaniczne, florystyczne i faunistyczne. Na tym odcinku autostrady stwierdzono występowanie licznych rzadkich i chronionych gatunków grzybów, roślin oraz zwierząt, w tym najliczniejszą w Polsce populację lnu austriackiego Linum austriacum. Jest to również jedyne stanowisko muraw kserotermicznych z klasy Festuco-Brometea, z tak licznym występowaniem rzadkich i ginących gatunków roślin w pasie autostrady w Polsce. Ze względu na pojawianie się na trasie autostrady wielu interesujących gatunków roślin i zwierząt, wydaje się celowe utworzenie monitoringu przyrodniczego, który mógłby dostarczyć wielu cennych informacji dotyczących wpływu autostradowego ruchu samochodowego na okoliczną florę i faunę. Z wiedzy tej mogliby korzystać nie tylko budowniczowie kolejnych autostrad w Polsce, ale również szerokie grono zainteresowanych naukowców

Prospective study on the prognostic value of repeated carotid intima-media thickness assessment in patients with coronary and extra coronary steno-occlusive arterial disease

It is debatable whether the rate of change in carotid intima‑media thickness (CIMT) may be used as a risk indicator of major adverse cerebral and coronary events (MACCEs) in patients with either coronary (CAD) and peripheral artery disease (PAD). This prospective study aimed to evaluate the association between CIMT changes and the incidence of MACCEs, in patients with symptomatic CAD and PAD. The study comprised 466 patients admitted with steno‑occlusive disease, in whom revascularization was performed for an index lesion. Group 1 included 305 subjects with CAD, and group 2, 161 patients with PAD. CIMT was measured at baseline and at a median of 21 and 41 months afterwards. The incidence of MACCE, cardiovascular death (CVD), myocardial infarction (MI), and ischemic stroke was recorded prospectively during 5 years. CIMT increased with a mean (SD) progression rate of 0.027 (0.16) mm/y in group 1 and 0.026 (0.17) mm/y in group 2 (P = 0.89). CIMT regression was recorded in 112 patients (36.7%) and 61 patients (37.9%) in groups 1 and 2, respectively, at baseline (P = 0.80), and 82 patients (26.9%) and 42 patients (26.1%) in groups 1 and 2, respectively, in follow‑up (P = 0.85). Maintained CIMT regression was independently associated with a reduced risk of MACCEs (hazard ratio [HR], 0.25, 95% CI, 0.15-0.42), MI (HR, 0.32; 95% CI, 0.20-0.51), ischemic stroke (HR, 0.29; 95% CI, 0.18-0.45), and CVD (HR, 0.24; 95% CI, 0.15-0.40), while the CIMT progression rate of 0.056 mm/y was associated with an increased risk of MACCEs (sensitivity, 53.2%; specificity, 72.2%; area under the receiver operating curve, 0.65). Maintained CIMT regression is associated with 68% to 75% reduction in the risk of a cardiovascular event. However, a long‑term maintained CIMT regression is achieved in one‑fourth of patients with either CAD or PAD

Low prevalence of collateral cerebral circulation in the circle of Willis in patients with severe carotid artery stenosis and recent ischemic stroke

Introduction: The circle of Willis is thought to play a key role in development of collateral flow in patients with internal carotid artery stenosis (ICAS). Aim: To assess flow in the circle of Willis in patients with recent ischemic stroke (IS). Material and methods: The study included 371 patients, 102 symptomatic with severe ICAS and recent IS (within the last 3 months) (group I) and 269 asymptomatic with severe ICAS (group II). Flow in the middle (MCA), anterior (ACA) and posterior (PCA) cerebral arteries and pattern of the cross-flow through anterior (ACoA) and posterior (PCoA) communicating arteries were assessed with transcranial color-coded Doppler ultrasonography (TCCD). Results: The ACoA or PCoA was less prevalent in group I than in group II (54% vs. 78%, p < 0.001 and 20% vs. 42%, p < 0.001, respectively), resulting in lower peak-systolic velocity (PSV) in the MCA in group I vs. group II (p = 0.015). Any collateral pathway was present in 67% of patients in group I, compared to 86% in group II (p < 0.001). Both PSV and end-diastolic (EDV) flow velocity in the ACA were lower in patients with recent IS, compared to asymptomatic subjects (71 ±24 cm/s vs. 86 ±34 cm/s, p < 0.001 and 32 ±12 cm/s vs. 37 ±17 cm/s, p = 0.038, respectively). Presence of ACoA or PCoA and higher PSV in the MCA and ACA were associated with significant risk reduction of IS (RR = 0.28 (95% CI = 0.16–0.49, p < 0.001), RR = 0.28 (95% CI = 0.15–0.52, p < 0.001), RR = 0.97 (95% CI = 0.96–0.99, p < 0.001), RR = 0.99 (95% CI = 0.98–0.99, p < 0.032), respectively). However, ROC curves failed to show reliable MCA or ACA PSV cut-offs for IS risk assessment. Conclusions: The ACoA and PCoA seem to play a key role in the evaluation of IS risk in subjects with severe ICAS

Accuracy of prediction methods for sound insulation of homogeneous single baffles

The article presents a comparative analysis of determined spectral responses of the airborne sound insulation of single homogeneous baffles using computational and experimental methods. Calculations using theoretical models, such as mass law, the Sharp and Davy models, SoundFlow software and laboratory tests concerned nine plates made of plastic, steel, aluminium and rubber, which are homogeneous materials. These materials are used in the construction of walls in vibroacoustic protection, such as acoustic barriers, machine operating field shields and sound insulating enclosures. Apart from analysing the spectral responses of the sound insulation of the plates, the weighted single-number sound reduction indices Rw, calculated by using prediction methods and laboratory measurements, were compared. Research has shown computational errors of about 6-7 dB for mass law and the Sharp model and about 3 dB for the Davy and Davy-Sharp models and SoundFlow software

Fungal Root Endophyte Colonization of Fern and Lycophyte Species from the Celaque National Park in Honduras

Volume: 100Start Page: 126End Page: 13

Noise Properties of Graphene-Polymer Thick-Film Resistors

Graphene is a very promising material for potential applications in many fields. Since manufacturing technologies of graphene are still at the developing stage, low-frequency noise measurements as a tool for evaluating their quality is proposed. In this work, noise properties of polymer thick-film resistors with graphene nano-platelets as a functional phase are reported. The measurements were carried out in room temperature. 1/f noise caused by resistance fluctuations has been found to be the main component in the specimens. The parameter values describing noise intensity of the polymer thick-film specimens have been calculated and compared with the values obtained for other thick-film resistors and layers used in microelectronics. The studied polymer thick-film specimens exhibit rather poor noise properties, especially for the layers with a low content of the functional phase