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Introduction The Ohkuma questionnaire is a validated screening tool originally used to detect dysphagia among patients hospitalized in Japanese nursing facilities. Objective The purpose of this study is to evaluate the reliability and validity of the adapted Greek version of the Ohkuma questionnaire. Methods Following the steps for cross-cultural adaptation, we delivered the validated Ohkuma questionnaire to 70 patients (53 men, 17 women) who were either suffering from dysphagia or not. All of them completed the questionnaire a second time within a month. For all of them, we performed a bedside and VFSS study of dysphagia and asked participants to undergo a second VFSS screening, with the exception of nine individuals. Statistical analysis included measurement of internal consistency with Cronbach's α coefficient, reliability with Cohen's Kappa, Pearson's correlation coefficient and construct validity with categorical components, and One-Way Anova test. Results According to Cronbach's α coefficient (0.976) for total score, there was high internal consistency for the Ohkuma Dysphagia questionnaire. Test-retest reliability (Cohen's Kappa) ranged from 0.586 to 1.00, exhibiting acceptable stability. We also estimated the Pearson's correlation coefficient for the test-retest total score, which reached high levels (0.952; p = 0.000). The One-Way Anova test in the two measurement times showed statistically significant correlation in both measurements (p = 0.02 and p = 0.016). Conclusion The adapted Greek version of the questionnaire is valid and reliable and can be used for the screening of dysphagia in the Greek-speaking patients.

One-dimensional injection tests were conducted on sand columns with a height of 134 cm for the penetrability evaluation of microfine cement grouts. Three ordinary cement types were pulverized to obtain microfine cements having nominal maximum grain sizes of 20 and 10 μm, and these cements were used in the present investigation. Suspensions with water to cement (W/C) ratios of 1, 2, and 3, by weight, were injected into 13 clean sands with d15 ranging from 0.17 to 2.25 mm and Cu ranging from 1.19 to 6.67. Pulverization of the ordinary cements to produce microfine cements extends the range of groutable sands to “medium-to-fine”. Cement fineness; suspension W/C ratio and apparent viscosity; and sand grain size, gradation, and relative density are very important parameters, as they substantially affect both grout penetration and maximum injection pressure. The penetration length of cement grouts was correlated to parameters pertinent to the suspension, sand, and injection process by performing fuzzy and ordinary linear regression analyses of the injection test results. The resultant fuzzy regression models provided successful penetration length predictions for the majority of the cases analyzed, while the best ordinary regression model exhibited a correlation coefficient not higher than 0.363.

Waste from electric and electronic equipment (WEEE) is the fastest growing waste stream in the European Union. WEEE may cause environmental problems due to its hazardous materials contents. On the other hand, recycling of WEEE is an important issue, not only from the point of waste treatment, but also from the aspect of recovering valuable materials. This paper presents data on WEEE generation and the status of WEEE recycling in Greece, in its current early stage. It also presents the attitudes and behaviour of Greek consumers regarding WEEE management practices. A field survey based on a closed-type questionnaire was conducted. The survey took place in the city of Athens in the first months of 2005. The main results of the study indicate that WEEE generation in Greece will continue to grow and that people are willing to get involved provided that the needed infrastructure is established.