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To study (i) the prevalence of mild and moderate-to-severe depressive symptoms in the entire spectrum of cognitive ageing in Greece and (ii) the relationship between these symptoms and demographic and clinical data. The study was based on the randomly selected cohort of the Hellenic Longitudinal Investigation of Aging and Diet (HELIAD). Depressive symptoms were assessed with the 15‐item version of the Geriatric Depression Scale. Participants also received a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment, while the clinical diagnoses of dementia and mild cognitive impairment were established according to international diagnostic criteria. Statistical analyses relied on comparison tests and a logistic (proportional odds) ordinal regression model. Depressive symptoms were detected in 19.5% of the 1936 study participants, while 11.3% of both people with MCI and dementia had moderate-to-severe depressive symptoms. The regression model revealed that older adults with more severe depressive symptoms were more likely female, cognitively impaired, less educated, were treated with psychotropic medication and lived in Attica versus Thessaly. Since depressive symptoms were detected in almost one in five older adults, healthcare professionals in Greece should safeguard the timely detection and effective treatment of such symptoms and the post-diagnostic care of older adults with depression. Depressive symptoms are present in approximately 20% of older adults. More than 10% of older individuals with dementia or mild cognitive impairment report moderate-to-severe depressive symptoms. Female sex, lower education, lower cognitive performance, living in urban areas and treatment with psychotropic medication pertain to more severe depressive symptoms in ageing. Timely detection and effective treatment of depressive symptoms are crucial in the clinical practice of the care of older adults. Further research is needed in order to elucidate the complex relationship between depressive symptoms and cognitive impairment in ageing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whey-derived peptides have been associated with different biological properties, but most peptides are usually further hydrolyzed during the digestive process. In the present study, the antioxidant capacity of 48 samples of sweet whey (SW) derived from cheeses obtained from small-scale cheese plants made with bovine, ovine, caprine or a mixture of ovine/caprine milk was assessed using both cell-free and cell-based assays. SW digestates (SW-Ds) and a fraction (<3 kDa; SW-D-P3) thereof were obtained after in vitro digestion and subsequent ultrafiltration. Antioxidant properties using four different assays were evaluated before and after digestion. Our data showed higher values (p < 0.05) for ORAC, ABTS, FRAP and P-FRAP after in vitro digestion (SW-Ds and SW-D-P3) when compared with the corresponding values before digestion. In the non-digested SW, ORAC values were higher (p < 0.05) for the bovine SW compared with all the other samples. In contrast, the ABTS assay indicated a higher antioxidant activity for the ovine SW both before digestion and for SW-D-P3 compared with the bovine SW. The fraction SW-D-P3 of the ovine SW, using HT29 cells and H2O2 as an oxidizing agent, increased (p < 0.05) the cellular antioxidant activity. Furthermore, the same fraction of the ovine/caprine mixed SW increased, through the NF-κB pathway, the expression of SOD1 and CAT, genes implicated in the oxidative response in macrophage-like THP-1 cells. These findings indicate that SW, and particularly bovine and ovine SW, could be a candidate source for physical antioxidants in human and animal nutrition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Even though research on predicting the academic achievement of IT students is not scarce, the inclusion of trait emotional intelligence and multiple intelligences as predictive factors is somewhat novel. The research examined associations between identified profiles of trait emotional intelligence and multiple intelligences, and academic success in the sample of 288 IT students, 208 from Serbia and 80 from Greece. The results show that trait emotional intelligence and multiple intelligences profile both proved to be important predictors of academic success. Another predictor of IT students' academic success was related to their prior schooling success. The results indicate that fostering a student-centered learning model through tertiary education, with special emphasis on students' personal dispositions and traits, could be crucial for their academic success, especially in the multidisciplinary field of information technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 2010, the West Nile virus (WNV) has been established in Greece. We describe the epidemiology of diagnosed human WNV infections in Greece with a focus on the 2022 season. During the transmission period, clinicians were sending samples from suspected cases for testing. Active laboratory-based surveillance was performed with immediate notification of diagnosed cases. We collected clinical information and interviewed patients on a timely basis to identify their place of exposure. Besides serological and molecular diagnostic methods, next-generation sequencing was also performed. In 2022, 286 cases of WNV infection were diagnosed, including 278 symptomatic cases and 184 (64%) cases with neuroinvasive disease (WNND); 33 patients died. This was the third most intense season concerning the number of WNND cases, following 2018 and 2010. Most (96%) cases were recorded in two regions, in northern and central Greece. The virus strain was a variant of previous years, clustering into the Central European subclade of WNV lineage 2. The 2022 WNV season was quite intense in Greece. The prompt diagnosis and investigation of cases are considered pivotal for the timely response, while the availability of whole genome sequences enables studies on the molecular epidemiology of the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Even though communities in low-resource areas across the globe are aging, older adult mental and cognitive health services remain mainly embedded in tertiary- or secondary hospital settings, and thus not easily accessible by older adults living in such communities. Here, the iterative development of INTegRated InterveNtion of pSychogerIatric Care (INTRINSIC) services addressing the mental and cognitive healthcare needs of older adults residing in low-resource areas of Greece is depicted. Methods: INTRINSIC was developed and piloted in three iterative phases: (i) INTRINSIC initial version conceptualization; (ii) A 5-year field testing in Andros island; and (iii) Extending the services. The INTRINSIC initial version relied on a digital platform enabling videoconferencing, a flexible battery of diagnostic tools, pharmacological treatment and psychosocial support and the active involvement of local communities in service shaping. Results: Ιn 61% of the 119 participants of the pilot study, new diagnoses of mental and/or neurocognitive disorders were established. INTRINSIC resulted in a significant reduction in the distance travelled and time spent to visit mental and cognitive healthcare services. Participation was prematurely terminated due to dissatisfaction, lack of interest or insight in 13 cases (11%). Based on feedback and gained experiences, a new digital platform, facilitating e-training of healthcare professionals and public awareness raising, and a risk factor surveillance system were created, while INTRINSIC services were extended to incorporate a standardized sensory assessment and the modified problem adaptation therapy. Conclusion: The INTRINSIC model may be a pragmatic strategy to improve access of older adults with mental and cognitive disorders living in low-resource areas to healthcare services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we present the analysis of VLF/LF sub-ionospheric propagation data to study anomalies possibly related to very recent strong (M > 5.5) earthquakes (EQs) that occurred in the southeastern Mediterranean in September–October 2021 and January 2022. We used the signal of one transmitter located at Negev in Israel (29.7 kHz) as received by three VLF/LF receivers (two of them using identical SW and HW) installed, at a close distance to each other, in Athens (Greece). This study employed multiple methods and techniques to analyze the reception amplitude data to identify any possible EQ-related anomalies. More specifically, first, we used both statistical and criticality analysis methods such as the "nighttime fluctuation method" (NFM), the "terminator time method" (TTM), and the "natural time" (NT) analysis method. These methods have satisfactorily been applied in the past in a series of other studies leading to interesting results. Moreover, we additionally used two more analysis techniques focusing on the signal's amplitude characteristics. The first is the wavelet analysis of the nighttime part of the signal's amplitude. It is based on the Morlet wavelet function, aiming to unveil the possible existence of atmospheric gravity waves (AGWs) before EQ. The second is named "long wavelength propagation capability" (LWPC), which simulates the amplitude of the signal and is based on the reflection parameters of ionosphere and by searching for increases or decreases of the electron density profile of the ionospheric D layer concerning the shifts of the minima of terminator times (TTs) in the diurnal variation of the signal. Finally, in this work, we summarize our findings and discuss possible "pre-", "co-", and "post-" seismic effects as observed from all the work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Being the heart of every human settlement, the road network constitutes a significant component of the built environment that serves the accessibility and mobility needs and supports economic activities. Despite its positive role, the road network, in some cases, due to increased geometric and functional characteristics, can act as a barrier to the movement of vulnerable road users, thus fragmenting the urban space and creating the phenomenon of the "barrier effect". The barrier effect is considered detrimental to the mobility of vulnerable users, causing delays or even cancellation of trips, increasing collision risk, limiting access to services, posing negative impacts on public health, and loosening social ties. In this context, the current paper focuses on a settlement in Greece (Dispilio) developed along two national roads and comprehensively evaluates the barrier effect. More specifically, the presented methodological approach attempts to investigate the actual and the perceived dimension of this phenomenon by applying well-established metrics and landscape indicators, such as the effective mesh size, and conducting a questionnaire survey, respectively. The overall research results highlighted interesting findings regarding the intensity of the barrier effect in the examined area and outlined some critical interventions that could be implemented in similar cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic seems to have mental health implications for both people with neurocognitive disorder and their caregivers.Objective: The study aimed to shed light on relations between caregiver mental reaction to the pandemic and caregiver distress related to neuropsychiatric symptoms, memory impairment progression, and functional impairment of people with neurocognitive disorder during the period of confinement in Greece.Methods: The study included caregivers of patients with mild (N = 13) and major (N = 54) neurocognitive disorder. The caregiver-based telephone interview was based on items of the neuropsychiatric inventory questionnaire, the AD8 Dementia Screening Instrument, and the Bristol Activities of Daily Living Scale. Regarding the mental impact of the COVID-19 crisis on caregivers, four single questions referring to their worries in the last seven days were posed, in addition to the scales Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-Item (GAD-7) and the 22-item Impact of Event Scale-revised (IES-R). A stepwise linear regression model was employed for studying the relationship between caregiver distress and demographic and clinical data and caregiver mental reaction to COVID-19 pandemic outbreak.Results: Caregiver distress severity during the confinement period was influenced not only by memory deficits (p = 0.009) and neuropsychiatric symptoms (p < 0.001) of patients, but also by caregiver hyperarousal (p = 0.003) and avoidance symptoms (p = 0.033) and worries directly linked to the COVID-19 crisis (p = 0.022).Conclusion: These observations provide further evidence for the urgent need for support of caregivers of patients with neurocognitive disorder during the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maritime transportation constitutes a dynamic Greek economic sector. Greece accounted for 25% of the Maritime Passenger Traffic (MPT) in the European Union in 2007. However, due to the economic recession since 2009, maritime passenger transportation has been facing increasing fuel prices along with declining demand. In this paper, we develop transfer function models, including macroeconomic indicators, for forecasting the coastal and the Adriatic MPT in Greek ports. The majority of the MPT models include the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as an explanatory variable, reflecting the financial impact on maritime flows. Although the employment and the economic crisis dummy are also used as explanatory variables, the unemployment and the oil price do not affect MPT. The coastal traffic models are generally more consistent when the seasonality trend is eliminated, while the international traffic models perform better when the inherent seasonality is considered. This first effort contributes toward filling the gap of MPT forecasting models for supporting policy-making on maritime transportation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Up to 90% of people with dementia in long term care (LTC) have hearing and/or vision impairment. Hearing/vision difficulties are frequently under‐recognised or incompletely managed. The impacts of hearing/vision impairment include more rapid cognitive decline, behavioural disturbances, reduced quality of life, and greater care burden. This research investigated LTC staff knowledge, attitudes and practice regarding hearing/vision care needs for residents with dementia. Methods: A survey of staff in LTC facilities in England, South Korea, India, Greece, Indonesia and Australia. Respondents used a five‐point scale to indicate agreement or YES/NO response to questions regarding sensory‐cognitive care knowledge (what is known); attitudes (what is thought); practice (what is done). Results: Respondents reported high awareness of hearing/vision care needs, although awareness of how to identify hearing/vison difficulties or refer for assessment was low. Most felt that residents were not able to use hearing/vision devices effectively due to poor fit, being poorly tolerated or lost or broken devices. A substantial minority of respondents reported low confidence in supporting use of assistive hearing/vision devices, with lack of training the main reason. Most staff did not undertake routine checking of hearing/vision devices, and it was rare for facilities to have designated staff responsible for sensory needs. Variation among countries was not significant after accounting for staff experience and having received dementia training. Conclusions: There is a need to improve sensory support for people with dementia in LTC facilities internationally. Practice guidelines and training to enhance sensory‐cognitive knowledge, attitudes and practice in professional care teams is called for. Key points: A survey of long term care (LTC) staff in six countries care revealed similar limitations in capacity to support residents with hearing/vision needsBetter capacity to support hearing/vision needs of people with dementia was associated with longer experience working in LTC and having received training in dementia awarenessPractice guidelines, training and fostering a long‐term professional work force could optimise support for hearing/vision needs for people living in LTC [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dairy goat farming is an important sector of the agricultural industry in Greece, with an annual total milk production exceeding 450 000 l and accounting for over 25% of all goat milk produced in the European Union; this milk is used mainly for cheese production. Despite the importance of goat milk for the agricultural sector in Greece, no systematic countrywide investigations in the bulk-tank milk of goats in Greece have been reported. Objectives were to investigate somatic cell counts (SCC) and total bacterial counts (TBC) in raw bulk-tank milk of goat herds in Greece, study factors influencing SCC and TBC therein and evaluate their possible associations with milk content. Throughout Greece, 119 dairy goat herds were visited for milk sampling for somatic cell counting, microbiological examination and composition measurement. Geometric mean SCC and TBC were 0.838 × 106 cells ml−1 and 581 × 103 cfu ml−1, respectively. Multivariable analyses revealed annual frequency of check-ups of milking system and total milk quantity per goat (among 53 variables) to be significant for increased SCC; no factor emerged (among 58 variables) to be significant for increased TBC. Negative correlation of SCC with total protein was found; mean total protein content in the bulk-tank milk in herds with SCC >0.75 × 106 cells ml−1 was 5.1% lower and in herds with SCC >1.5 × 106 cells ml−1, it was 7.8% lower. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The area of the south‐western Balkans hosts a remarkably high species richness and has been considered a biodiversity hotspot. The significance of the Balkan Peninsula as a biodiversity refugium during the Quaternary climatic fluctuations has been repeatedly pointed out in literature, yet the area remains quite understudied in terms of phylogeography. Contributing to the biogeography and phylogeography of the Balkan area, we herein present the phylogeographic relationships within the lizards of the genus Algyroides, focusing on the two species that occur in the Balkans (namely, A. nigropunctatus and A. moreoticus), including representatives of Dinarolacerta and Lacerta lizards as outgroups. We combined phylogenetic, phylogeographic and species distribution modelling analyses, using both mitochondrial and nuclear DNA data, in order to uncover the phylogeographic history of the genus and evaluate the validity of the extant taxonomy. Our results reveal three major clades within Algyroides in southern Balkans; one corresponds to A. moreoticus, having sister group relationships with the genus Dinarolacerta, and the other two to A. nigropunctatus, each corresponding to one of the morphological subspecies, which seem to be monophyletic, allopatric and reproductively isolated. These results expose an unprecedented phylogeographic pattern in the area of western Greece where the two major clades of A. nigropunctatus meet, and can contribute to a taxonomic re‐evaluation of the species. Moreover, questions are raised on the validity of Dinarolacerta as a genus due to it clustering within the genus Algyroides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: COVID-19 pandemic is a challenge that the world had never encountered in the last 100 years. In order to mitigate its negative effects, governments worldwide took action by prohibiting at first certain activities and in some cases by a countrywide lockdown. Greece was among the countries that were struck by the pandemic. Governmental authorities took action in limiting the spread of the pandemic through a series of countermeasures, which built up to a countrywide lockdown that lasted 42 days. Methodology: This research aims at identifying the effect of certain socioeconomic factors on the travel behaviour of Greek citizens and at investigating whether any social groups were comparatively less privileged or suffered more from the lockdown. To this end, a dynamic online questionnaire survey on mobility characteristics was designed and distributed to Greek citizens during the lockdown period, which resulted in 1,259 valid responses. Collected data were analysed through descriptive and inferential statistical tests, in order to identify mobility patterns and correlations with certain socioeconomic characteristics. Additionally, a Generalised Linear Model (GLM) was developed in order to examine the potential influence of socioeconomic characteristics to trip frequency before and during the lockdown period. Results: Outcomes indicate a decisive decrease in trip frequencies due to the lockdown. Furthermore, the model's results indicate significant correlations between gender, income and trip frequencies during the lockdown, something that is not evident in the pre-pandemic era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the SARS-CoV-2 virus is transmitted mainly through the respiratory tract, possible transmission by transfusion from asymptomatic carriers should be explored. As yet there are no reports of transfusion transmission of COVID-19. Haemovigilance findings within a three-month surveillance period during the new coronavirus pandemic are presented. Due to great demand and shortage, blood sessions in outpatient facilities were organized during the high prevalence period of COVID-19, alongside a national plan to monitor the evolving public health situation by random molecular screening of high-risk groups of the population. Haemovigilance protocols were implemented as well as surveillance for any COVID-19 case reported post-transfusion. A 14-day quarantine and follow-up molecular and antibody testing of any COVID-19 positive case was obligatory. Post-donation, post-transfusion information and molecular testing of swab samples collected from three asymptomatic donors at risk for COVID-19, revealed the case of an immunosupressed patient who had been transfused with whole blood derived platelets from a donor subsequently diagnosed with COVID-19. The recipient exhibited no symptoms of the disease. Molecular and antibody testing results were negative. Haemovigilance provided information supporting the absence of transfusion transmission of COVID-19, thus strengthening the hypothesis that, even if it cannot yet be definitively ruled out, COVID-19 is not transmitted through blood transfusion. As of early June 2020, a perfect test does not exist, therefore haemovigilance along with the implementation of strict proactive measures is crucial to identify eluding asymptomatic individuals and ensure blood safety during the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Early action in Greece restricted COVID-19 to Europe's second lowest rate of cases and deaths. However, the pandemic significantly reduced blood supply. We present counter-measures implemented in Greece, analyse data retrieved from blood services in the period from 1st February to 14th May 2020, and examine the pandemic's impact on blood supply and demand. Materials and Methods Sixteen blood services provided their aggregate blood collection, broken down by whole blood or platelet apheresis, and by location (inside or outside the hospital), every two weeks during the study period. Aggregate donor demographics were recorded where available. Total collection was compared by period and location. Results Total blood collection declined by 36% during the study, especially (65%) on the premises of the blood services. However, outpatient blood sessions organized under the 'All Together We Can' programme had an important impact, and supply and demand were balanced by the end of the study. Conclusion The strategy of blood sessions and blood drives in outpatient facilities, rather than the in-hospital environment, was successful in securing a balance between blood collection and demand. Significant shortages in supply were reported, as expected during pandemics; however, the blood inventory was managed efficiently and a demand-based blood collection and allocation plan was developed to achieve adequate blood supply. Stringent transfusion criteria and surveillance for emergency usage of blood components were used to help in this. An active surveillance system for emergency procurement and use of blood components was also designed to optimize the blood supply chain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate possible correlations between stigma and burnout of nurses and non‐graduate professional caregivers of elderly with dementia in nursing homes. Background: Research on dementia stigma in health care professionals as well as its relationship with their well‐being is seriously lacking. Methods: This cross‐sectional study involved a convenience sample of 171 nurses and other professional caregivers in 16 Greek elderly care units who responded to Maslah Burnout Inventory (ΜΒΙ) as well as the Family Stigma in Alzheimer's Disease Scale (FS‐ADS). In order to find adjusted associations between independent variables and the stigma and burnout of professional caregivers, multiple linear regression analysis was used. Results: Cognitive, emotional and behavioural attributions of the three dimensions of stigma were found to be independent predictive factors of burnout's dimensions which indicate that stigma nurses deposit on patients, contributes towards their burnout. Conclusion: Educational preparation of geriatric nurses should provide them with the option of seeing dementia as a normal stage of life since reducing stigma can contribute towards preventing and managing professional burnout. Implications for Nursing Management: In order to reduce burnout, nurse managers should design lifelong learning programs on the basis of changing the stigmatizing negative cognitive and emotional attitudes of professionals towards dementia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Healthcare services are increasingly confronted with challenges related to old age mental disorders. The survey aimed to provide an overview of existing psychogeriatric services in Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, and North Macedonia. Methods. After identification of psychogeriatric units across the four countries, their head physicians were asked to provide data on their clinical, teaching, and research activity, as well as staff composition. Moreover, the attitudes of head physicians to current needs and future service development were explored. Results. A total of 15 psychogeriatric units were identified (3 in Bulgaria, 8 in Greece, and 4 in North Macedonia). Results show wide variation regarding the location, team size and composition, service availability, numbers of patients attending, and inpatient treatment length. Most head physicians underscored the urgent need for breakthroughs in the graduate and postgraduate education in psychogeriatrics of medical and nonmedical professionals, as well as in the interconnection of their units with community primary healthcare services and long-term care facilities for seniors via telemedicine. They would welcome the development of national standards for psychogeriatric units, potentially embodying clear pointers for action. A number of head physicians advocated the development of nationwide old age mental health registries. Conclusions. Regional disparities in resources and services for seniors' mental health services were unveiled. These data may enrich the dialogue on optimizing psychogeriatric services through planning future cross-border collaborations mainly based on telemedicine services, especially in the era of the novel coronavirus pandemic, and training/education in psychogeriatrics of mental health professionals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We aimed to describe the epidemiology of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and related subthreshold symptoms in the general population of Greece and to assess the comorbidity, use of health services and impact on quality of life of these syndromes in the general population. Methods: This was a secondary analysis of the 2009–2010 general population Greek psychiatric morbidity survey (4902 participants living in private households, response rate 54%). Psychiatric disorders were assessed with the revised Clinical Interview Schedule (CIS-R). Quality of life was assessed with the EuroQoL EQ-5D. Results: 1.69% of the participants (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.33%–2.05%) met criteria for current OCD while 2.79% met criteria for subthreshold obsessive-compulsive symptoms (95%CI: 2.33%–3.26%). In the adjusted analysis few sociodemographic associations remained statistically significant. Although the full-blown syndrome was more severe in terms of comorbidity and quality of life our results showed that even subthreshold obsessive-compulsive symptoms were associated with significant comorbidity and reductions in quality of life. Use of mental health services was small. Conclusions: OCD is an under-treated public health problem that needs more attention in Greece and elsewhere. Provision of specialised mental health services should be a priority for publicly funded national health systems. OCD is common in the general population of Greece with few sociodemographic associations apart from subjective financial difficulties. The comorbidity pattern of the full-blown syndrome versus the subthreshold obsessive-compulsive symptoms is similar and differs in magnitude in the expected way. Quality of life in OCD is greatly reduced especially when there is chronicity and/or comorbidity with depression. Use of services is limited but comorbidity with depression may increase the chances of consultation with a mental health professional. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study was to determine changes in reactive oxygen species (ROS), serum antioxidant capacity (SAC) and oxidative stress index (OSi; ROS/SAC) from dry off to 30 days postpartum in dairy cows. Furthermore, the relationship between indices of oxidative status (ROS, SAC, OSi) and indices related to metabolic disorders (blood free fatty acids, FFA and β-hydroxybutyrate, BHB) and α-tocopherol (α-Τ) was determined. Blood samples were collected from 131 dairy cows belonging to four commercial farms, located in Italy and Greece. Blood samples were collected at dry-off, calving and 30 days postpartum. Results indicated that ROS and OSi were low at dry-off and 30 days postpartum and high at calving. The serum antioxidant capacity followed exactly the opposite trend. There was a negative correlation of ROS (rho: −0.282; p ≤.01) and OSi (rho: −0.267; p ≤.05) with α-Τ at all three sampling points, whereas no correlation was found between SAC and α-Τ. Reactive oxygen species were positively correlated with BHB at all three sampling points and with FFA levels only at dry-off. A negative correlation of SAC with FFA was found at dry-off and 30 days postpartum. The oxidative stress index was positively correlated with FFA and BHB at dry-off, with FFA at calving and with BHB at 30 days postpartum. Thus, associations between parameters related to oxidative status and those related to energy balance were found, mainly at dry-off and postpartum. Oxidative stress markers determined at dry off could be useful in preventing metabolic disorders. Dairy cows around calving often incur metabolic disorders. Associations between oxidative and metabolic markers were found mainly at dry-off and postpartum. Oxidative markers could be used as a tool for metabolic disorders prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective:The aim of this study was to examine the epidemiology, comorbidity and use of health services of obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) and subclinical obsessive–compulsive symptoms in late adolescence. Methods:A total of 2427 adolescents attending senior high schools in Greece were selected for a detailed psychiatric interview using the revised clinical interview schedule (CIS-R). Use of alcohol, nicotine and cannabis, and several socio-demographic and socio-economic variables were also assessed. Results:The prevalence of OCD was 1.39% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.05–1.84) while that of subclinical obsessive–compulsive symptoms was 2.77% (2.22–3.45). There was a female preponderance for subclinical symptoms. Financial difficulties of the family was the only socio-demographic variable that was significantly associated with OCD but not with subclinical symptoms. The pattern of comorbidity was similar for both conditions but milder in the subclinical form. About one in three reported use of general health services and one in ten use of psychiatric services. Conclusions:OCD and subclinical obsessive–compulsive symptoms were relatively common. Comorbidity with other psychiatric disorders and use of substances was considerable even in subclinical status, but use of specialised health services was small. Clinical and research implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: West Nile virus (WNV) infection, commonly asymptomatic, may cause mild West Nile fever (WNF) or potentially fatal neuroinvasive disease (WNND). An outbreak of 262 cases of the new Lineage 2 strain in Greece in 2010 continued with high mortality (17%) in WNND. The objective was to investigate ABO, D, and Lewis blood groups, as well as HLA Class I and Class II alleles, in relation to WNV Lineage 2 disease morbidity.Study Design and Methods: A cohort of 132 Greek WNV cases in 2010 to 2013 (65% male; mean age 64 years; 41% WNF, 59% WNND) was compared to 51,339 healthy WNV-negative blood donors and 246 healthy subjects.Results: Blood group A was more common in WNV cases (51%) than blood donors (39%) and group O less common (32% vs. 42%). D negativity within group A was higher in WNV than in blood donors (18% vs. 10%, p = 0.044). The frequency of secretors (Lewis(a-b+)) was 60% in WNV and 68% in donors (p = 0.16). HLA alleles C*08, DRB1*O4:O5, and DQB1*O2 occurred significantly less frequently in WNV than controls (p < 0.05 unadjusted for multiple testing) and DRB1*10:O1 more frequently (p = 0.039).Conclusion: This first study of symptomatic WNV Lineage 2 suggests A/D negativity as a new risk factor associated with WNV infection and level of morbidity. Further studies are required of the possibility that HLA C*08, DRB1*O4:O5, and DQB1*O2 are protective alleles and DRB1*10:O1 a "susceptible" allele to WNV infection and the role of secretor status in relation to WNV infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rey’s Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) is a widely used neuropsychological test to assess episodic memory. In the present study we sought to establish normative and discriminative validity data for the RAVLT in the elderly population using previously adapted learning lists for the Greek adult population. We administered the test to 258 cognitively healthy elderly participants, aged 60–89 years, and two patient groups (192 with amnestic mild cognitive impairment, aMCI, and 65 with Alzheimer’s disease, AD). From the statistical analyses, we found that age and education contributed significantly to most trials of the RAVLT, whereas the influence of gender was not significant. Younger elderly participants with higher education outperformed the older elderly with lower education levels. Moreover, both clinical groups performed significantly worse on most RAVLT trials and composite measures than matched cognitively healthy controls. Furthermore, the AD group performed more poorly than the aMCI group on most RAVLT variables. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to examine the utility of the RAVLT trials to discriminate cognitively healthy controls from aMCI and AD patients. Area under the curve (AUC), an index of effect size, showed that most of the RAVLT measures (individual and composite) included in this study adequately differentiated between the performance of healthy elders and aMCI/AD patients. We also provide cutoff scores in discriminating cognitively healthy controls from aMCI and AD patients, based on the sensitivity and specificity of the prescribed scores. Moreover, we present age- and education-specific normative data for individual and composite scores for the Greek adapted RAVLT in elderly subjects aged between 60 and 89 years for use in clinical and research settings. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The objective of the paper is to identify the change of the compliant (or non-compliant) behavior of car drivers due to the existence of a countdown signal timer, installed at urban intersections. For that reason, on field observations were taken place at two intersections located in a mid-sized city of northern Greece. A countdown signal timer was installed at the first intersection whereas no such installation existed for the second one. The two intersections are located close to each other and therefore comparative assessment on the safety improvement due to the presence of the installation was deemed possible. In total, 5098 observations were recorder in 10 days within 60 hours, for three different periods of the day (morning, afternoon and evening). The observations were mainly focused on compliance behavior of each driver in the sample, for two specific events: a) prior to the onset of the green phase (early vehicle move) and b) green phase termination (driver speeds up to cross intersection). Among other important outcomes, the analysis revealed that CST devices tend to make drivers more aggressive as they are waiting for the onset of the green phase. The percentage of the violations of the early start for the signal with the CST device was observed to 24% whereas the respective percentage for the signal without the CST installation was less than 1%. On the other hand, the analysis indicated that CST devices make drivers to be more compliant with the signal indications when the green phase is going to be terminated; it was found that CST devices can reduce drivers’ decision to cross the interchange by a percentage of 15%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The study presents the evaluation of the efficiency of crossing countdown timers (PCCST) for pedestrians at signalized pedestrian crossings. It is based on observations of the behaviour of pedestrians and motorists at an intersection, located in a major city in Greece. A series of surveys and pedestrian interviews were conducted to evaluate the behaviour of pedestrians and motorists. Data statistical analysis indicated that the countdown signals are able to provide pedestrians with valuable information that enhances the safety level as far as crossing of the intersection is concerned. The pedestrian interviews revealed that most of them properly interpreted the meaning of the “green man” signal and the countdown clock. Finally, it is considered desirable by the pedestrians to install pedestrian countdown signals in other signalized pedestrian crossings as well. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper presents an evaluation, from the users’ point of view, of an advanced Bus Passenger Real Time Information System, installed at the city of Thessaloniki, Greece. In addition to the methodological approach and the findings presented, the paper explores the greater framework of evaluation procedures in which these analyses should be embedded. In total, 300 questionnaires were returned; the survey aimed to define the basic components of users’ acceptance of the new system as well as socioeconomic issues related with the estimation of the payback period of the project. The survey findings are combined with several research results from recent resembled surveys conducted in the city in previous years. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

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Radio advertisements use playful imitation as a discourse tactic that creates positive feelings toward the advertised product. A specific discourse imitates another discourse on the basis of two opposing strategies: captation and subversion. In captation, the investor discourse borrows the cultural capital of the source discourse, a practice corresponding to pastiche, while in subversion, imitation allows for the subversion of the cultural capital of the source discourse, a practice linked to parody. Analysis of 347 advertisements transmitted by private radio stations in Thessaloniki and Athens between the years 2004 and 2007 shows that radio ads imitate not only various genres or texts (as usually argued in the literature), but also features of the linguistic system and its varieties. Moreover, it is shown that pastiche and parody have informative or playful purpose, thus formulating a continuum of four versions of imitation, ranging from informative pastiche to playful parody. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the development of a business excellence model which is applicable to the hotel sectors in Greece for assisting organizations to improve their services along with their competitiveness. It mentions that the proposed model consists of two major groups of criteria including the enablers criteria which prescribe the organization's approaches and the other includes the results criteria which reflect the outcomes that the organization achieves by deploying the specific approaches. It also describes linear programming modeling for the estimation of the weights of criteria of the proposed model by specialized questionnaire which ranks the criteria and sub-criteria from the most important to the least important one by the general managers of various hotels.

Objective: Mechanically ventilated patients in the intensive care unit cannot cooperate to perform the Valsalva maneuver during echocardiography for detection of patent foramen ovale. We evaluated the effectiveness of the end-inspiratory occlusion maneuver to enhance detection of patent foramen ovale in this patient population.Design: Prospective interventional study.Setting: The 40-bed intensive care unit of a university hospital.Patients and Participants: Twenty five sedated and mechanically ventilated intensive care unit patients referred by their attending physician for bedside transesophageal echocardiography and agitated saline contrast study for detection of patent foramen ovale.Intervention: Agitated saline contrast study with end-inspiratory occlusion maneuver.Measurements and Results: All patients underwent a complete transesophageal echocardiographic study without any complications. Reduction in right atrial cross-sectional area (from 15.80 +/- 6.08 cm2 to 12.40 +/- 4.63 cm2; p < 0.001) and interatrial septum deviation during the maneuver were recorded in all patients. Microbubbles imaged in the left atrium within three cardiac cycles after injection of agitated saline diagnosed patent foramen ovale in three patients. When end-inspiratory occlusion maneuver was added, patent foramen ovale was diagnosed in seven patients (McNemar chi2 = 9.33, p = 0.0023).Conclusions: The end-inspiratory occlusion maneuver enhances the sensitivity of transesophageal echocardiography with agitated saline contrast study for diagnosing intermittent patent foramen ovale in critically ill mechanically ventilated patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The paper presents a field investigation into the death of ewes around the peri-parturient (lambing) period. The problem is financially important because, in such cases, the capital (i.e., the ewes) is lost along with the increased expenses incurred by farmers during gestation. The problem was found to occur sporadically. Most cases of death occurred before lambing. Pregnancy toxaemia, an important metabolic disease, was the clinical problem most often associated with peri-parturient death. Factors found to be significantly associated with occurrence of the problem included the average lambing rate, the season of the year during which the lambing period took place, and the number of animals in the flock. Objectives of the study were (a) to investigate the incidence risk of peri-parturient mortality in dairy flocks in Greece, (b) to study when such mortality occurs in relation to lambing, (c) to identify clinical problems associated with the deaths, and (d) to evaluate potentially associated factors. The deaths of ewes during the peri-parturient period (10 days before to 7 days after lambing) were monitored in 60 flocks over two years. In the ewes that died, detailed post-mortems were performed. The incidence risk of peri-parturient deaths was 0.7%. The daily incidence rate of deaths before, at, and after lambing was 0.05, 0.04, and 0.03%, respectively. Clinical problems most frequently associated with peri-parturient deaths were pregnancy toxaemia, ruminal acidosis and post-partum genital problems. For the occurrence of peri-parturient deaths in flocks, the average lambing rate in the flocks was the only significant factor. Regarding deaths before or after lambing, the season during which lambing took place and the number of animals in the flock, respectively, were found to be significant. Most ewes (54.5%) that died at lambing (dystocia) were primigravidae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a comprehensive analysis of pre-seismic anomalies as computed from the ground and space-based techniques during the recent Samos earthquake in Greece on 30 October 2020, with a magnitude M = 6.9. We proceed with a multi-parametric approach where pre-seismic irregularities are investigated in the stratosphere, ionosphere, and magnetosphere. We use the convenient methods of acoustics and electromagnetic channels of the Lithosphere–Atmosphere–Ionosphere-Coupling (LAIC) mechanism by investigating the Atmospheric Gravity Wave (AGW), magnetic field, electron density, Total Electron Content (TEC), and the energetic particle precipitation in the inner radiation belt. We incorporate two ground-based IGS GPS stations DYNG (Greece) and IZMI (Turkey) for computing the TEC and observed a significant enhancement in daily TEC variation around one week before the earthquake. For the space-based observation, we use multiple parameters as recorded from Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites. For the AGW, we use the SABER/TIMED satellite data and compute the potential energy of stratospheric AGW by using the atmospheric temperature profile. It is found that the maximum potential energy of such AGW is observed around six days before the earthquake. Similar AGW is also observed by the method of wavelet analysis in the fluctuation in TEC values. We observe significant energetic particle precipitation in the inner radiation belt over the earthquake epicenter due to the conventional concept of an ionospheric-magnetospheric coupling mechanism by using an NOAA satellite. We first eliminate the particle count rate (CR) due to possible geomagnetic storms and South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA) by the proper choice of magnetic field B values. After the removal of the statistical background CRs, we observe a significant enhancement of CR four and ten days before the mainshock. We use Swarm satellite outcomes to check the magnetic field and electron density profile over a region of earthquake preparation. We observe a significant enhancement in electron density one day before the earthquake. The parameters studied here show an overall pre-seismic anomaly from a duration of ten days to one day before the earthquake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a paucity of information regarding staphylococcal populations on teatcups of milking parlours in sheep and goat farms. The objectives were to describe the populations of staphylococci on teatcups in milking parlours in sheep or goat farms in two field investigations throughout Greece and to potentially associate the findings with the use of anti-staphylococcal mastitis vaccinations in the farms visited during the two investigations. In a cross-sectional (255 sheep and 66 goat farms across Greece) and a longitudinal (12 sheep farms, four samplings, throughout lactation) study, swab samples were collected from 1418 teatcups (upper and lower part) for staphylococcal recovery, identification and assessment of biofilm-formation. A total of 328 contaminated teatcups (23.1%) were found in 105 sheep (41.2%) and 35 goat (53.0%) farms. Staphylococci were more frequently recovered from the upper than the lower part of teatcups: 269 versus 139 teatcups, respectively. After identification, 253 staphylococcal isolates were found: Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus equorum, Staphylococcus lentus, and Staphylococcus capitis predominated. Of these isolates, 87.4% were biofilm-forming. The proportion of contaminated teatcups was smaller in farms where vaccination against anti-staphylococcal mastitis in general or vaccination specifically against mastitis caused specifically by biofilm-forming staphylococcal strains was applied, 19.7% or 10.9%, respectively, versus 25.5% in farms without vaccination. In the longitudinal study, contaminated teatcups were identified in 28 (58.3%) sampling occasions, with staphylococci being recovered more frequently from their upper part. The same species as in the cross-sectional study predominated. Of these isolates, 61.9% were biofilm-forming. In farms where vaccination against mastitis caused specifically by biofilm-forming staphylococcal strains was applied, the proportion of contaminated teatcups was smaller: 20.4% versus 48.3% in farms without vaccination. There were no differences in proportions of contaminated teatcups between sampling occasions. In conclusion, the great majority of staphylococci recovered from teatcups of milking parlours in sheep and goat farms included biofilm-forming isolates. Reduced staphylococcal isolation was noted in farms where anti-staphylococcal vaccination was performed; this was possibly the effect of reduced excretion of staphylococci in the milk of vaccinated animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives were to investigate somatic cell counts (SCC) and total bacterial counts (TBC) in the raw bulk-tank milk of sheep flocks in Greece, to study factors potentially influencing increased SCC and TBC in the bulk-tank milk of sheep and to evaluate possible associations of SCC and TBC with milk content. Throughout Greece, 325 dairy sheep flocks were visited for collection of milk sampling for somatic cell counting, microbiological examination and composition measurement. Geometric mean SCC were 0.488 × 106 cells mL−1; geometric mean TBC were 398 × 103 cfu mL−1; 228 staphylococcal isolates were recovered form 206 flocks (63.4%). Multivariable analyses revealed annual incidence risk of clinical mastitis, age of the farmer and month into lactation period (among 53 variables) to be significant for SCC > 1.0 × 106 cells mL−1 and month into lactation period at sampling and availability of mechanical ventilators (among 58 variables) to be significant for TBC > 1500 × 103 cfu mL−1. Negative correlation of SCC with fat, total protein and lactose and positive correlation of SCC with added water were found. With SCC > 1.0 × 106 cells mL−1, significant reduction of protein content (2%) was observed, whilst in flocks with SCC > 1.5 × 106 cells mL−1, significantly lower annual milk production per ewe (42.9%) was recorded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Backround: Elderly are frequently afflicted by more than one pathological condition and are more vulnerable to dementia and depression, diseases that are of chronic nature and require repeated monitoring. Such patients face the greatest difficulties to gain access to mental health care services. In the context of an integrated care project, the 1st Department of Psychiatry developed a tele-psychogeriatric service, consisting of a tele-psychogeriatric unit (T-psyGU) and a mobile tele-psychogeriatric unit (MT-psyGU) for home care services. The aim of this program was the delivery of diagnostic, therapeutic and educational approaches to demented or depressed patients and their families, that live in remote and underserved areas, through the implementation of new technology in the geriatric mental health care delivery system and to connect health care services provided by different sources. Methods: - Setting: rural and urban underserved areas (Andros Island) - Staffing: social workers and GP supervised by geriatric psychiatrists based at Eginition Hospital - Intervention: standard protocols to screen, identify and treat depression, dementia and BPSD - Technology: iPad and android technology able to transmit and receive patient's image and data of psychometric testing. The resulting application is a standalone tool that contains all the pre-existing tests which are useful for the health care professionals visiting a remote patient. Access to Wi-Fi network allows the synchronization of each patient's data into a central system, accessible to accredited personnel. - Health care services connected: Health care Center, Home care, Social Services, Mobile Psychiatric Unit, Local GP's - Outcome measures: number of new cases, use of psychotropic drugs, visits to hospitals, suicide prevention, number of health care services connected, follow up visits. - Funding: 2012-2013 Stavros Niarhos Foundation (SNf). From 2013-2015 Andros island Charities. Results: During 2012-2015, 198 patients with depression and/or dementia were monitored with more of 889 videoconference appointments. 7 patient admissions were arranged. Compared to previous usual care, the intervention resulted in better recognition of psychiatric symptoms, better use of psychotropic drugs and less use of antipsychotics or sedative- hypnotics, better follow up, fewer visits to tertiary care were recorded and faster resolution of suicidal ideation. Caregivers showed improvement in distress and they expressed their satisfaction about the new service. There were an improvement in connecting Health care services mostly with social services, tertiary health care services and Health center. Conclusions: The successful application of this integrated collaborative service through communication technology in geriatric mental health care offers the opportunity to mental health specialists to reach elderly people in remote areas and to connect different health care services. It seems that, Andros could be a working paradigm of an evolving integrated psychogeriatric care service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For critically ill patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) who require intensive care unit (ICU) admission, extremely high mortality rates (even 97%) have been reported. We hypothesized that overburdened hospital resources by the extent of the pandemic rather than the disease per se might play an important role on unfavorable prognosis. We sought to determine the outcome of such patients admitted to the general ICUs of a hospital with sufficient resources. We performed a prospective observational study of adult patients with COVID-19 consecutively admitted to COVID—designated ICUs at Evangelismos Hospital, Athens, Greece. Among 50 patients, ICU and hospital mortality was 32% (16/50). Median PaO2/FiO2 was 121 mmHg (interquartile range (IQR), 86–171 mmHg) and most patients had moderate or severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Hospital resources may be an important aspect of mortality rates, since severely ill COVID-19 patients with moderate and severe ARDS may have understandable mortality, provided that they are admitted to general ICUs without limitations on hospital resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The objective of this work was to develop, use and present a detailed questionnaire for the evaluation of health management in dairy small ruminants. The questionnaire includes 442 questions, which cover seven sections (general, infrastructure, animals, production characteristics, health management, nutrition, human resources). The average duration of the interview for completion of the questionnaire was 64 min. The questionnaire can be used for research work in the field, to record details in the farms into the study. In accord with the needs of a particular study, the questionnaire can be extended, by adding therein more specific questions or omitting some deemed to be less important. Moreover, the questionnaire can also be used for routine monitoring purposes, as a useful means to record and maintain details of farms during clinical work. The objective of this work was to develop, use and present a detailed questionnaire for the evaluation of health management in dairy small ruminants; it includes 442 questions organised in seven sections: general, infrastructure, animals, production characteristics, health management, nutrition, human resources. Consistency of replies was evaluated in 27 farmers, interviewed twice. Inconsistent replies were given by all farmers to 30 different questions (Cronbach's coefficient alpha: 0.987). Then, interviews were performed in 444 farms around Greece. Mean duration of an interview was 63.6 min. Clarifications were requested by 273 farmers to 22 different questions (maximum per farmer: 8). The experience of the investigator, the primary language of farmers and asking clarifications by the farmers affected the duration of the interview. The questionnaire can be used for research work in the field, to record details in the farms under study. In accord with the needs of a particular study, it can be modified, by adding more specific questions or omitting others deemed of less importance. Moreover, it can also be used for routine monitoring purposes, as a useful means to record and maintain details of farms during clinical work. To the best of our knowledge, the questionnaire is the most extensive and detailed one available internationally for dairy small ruminants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A self-sustained, zero-CO 2 emission RES-H 2 Hybrid Energy System (HES) was developed at Lavrion Technological & Cultural Park (Attica, Greece) to cover electric power, heating/cooling loads (tri-generation) of an office building located in its premises. The primary energy is harvested from RES and directly applied to cover contingent loads, whereas the excess energy is converted to hydrogen to be used as energy storage system and thus as a green fuel to cover the building heating needs through direct combustion or to produce combined heating and electricity by means of fuel cells. In this study, the performance of the functional RES-H 2 HES is evaluated as well as its impact by applying the methodology of Life Cycle Assessment. HES resulted in the reduction of Global Warming Potential, Acidification Potential and Photochemical Oxidant Formation by 40%, 42% and 35%, respectively, compared to the exclusive use of Greek energy grid mix for electricity. • Life Cycle Assessment of a hybrid RES-H 2 Hybrid Energy System developed in Greece. • Hybrid Energy System reduced GWP by 40%, compared to the use of GR-energy grid mix. • AP is decreased on Hybrid Energy System by 42%, compared to the GR-energy grid mix. • POF of Hybrid Energy System was 35% less compared to the use of GR-energy grid mix. • Environmental impact of PVs was 5 times higher, compared to WTs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. The aim of the current study was to examine the prevalence and associations of hazardous alcohol use with sociodemographic variables and its comorbidity with depression and other common mental disorders in a sample of Greek adolescents between 16 and 18 year old. Methods. We recruited 2431 adolescents attending 25 senior high schools in Greece. We assessed depressive and anxiety disorders using the computerized version of a fully-structured psychiatric interview (the revised Clinical Interview Schedule / CIS-R). Alcohol use was assessed using questions taken from a previous WHO school survey. Results. Approximately one-third of adolescents (overall: 30.7%, boys: 39.2%, girls: 21.9%, p<0.001) consumed alcohol on a weekly basis. The experience of excessive consumption, leading to drunkenness at least two or more times in their lifetime, was reported by 15.39% of the adolescents (19.42% for the boys and 11.24% for the girls, p<0.001). Frequent alcohol consumption and drunkenness were strongly associated with the presence of depression, all other anxiety disorders except panic disorder, current smoking, and lifetime cannabis use, lower school performance, bad or fair relationship with parents, and increased health services use. Conclusion. Alcohol use is highly prevalent among Greek adolescents. Special attention for the development of more focused preventive strategies should be paid to adolescents suffering from depression or other common mental disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a lineage 2 West Nile virus (WNV) that was detected in Culex pipiens mosquitoes collected at two locations where WNV had been reported during a major WNV outbreak in Greece in 2010. It describes how a mutation in the strain has been linked to increased virulence in WNV lineage 1 strains. An action plan to protect blood safety was initiated shortly after confirmation of WNV infections in people in Greece, which reduced the risk for virus transmission for blood recipients.

The article presents the answers on questions related the to delayed hemolytic transfusions reactions (DHTRs), of the group from the Hellenic Coordinating Haemovigilance Center of Greece. The group agrees that the cause of DHTRs is an alloimmunization after the last previous transfusions. They prefer the column agglutination technology and ID-Micro Typing enzymes techniques for cell alloantibody detection. The prevalence of DHTRs in Greece in 1997-2004 was 1:23000.

Presents a letter to the editor about human T-cell lymphotropic virus-I/II full-scale screening of blood donations in Greece.

E-mental health refers to the use of telecommunication and information technology in mental health services. In Greece, ordinary telephone communications have been used to provide mental health services, such as a psychiatric crisis intervention line (METB). E-psychiatry is a relatively new approach to delivering psychiatric services through the Internet. We have developed an e-psychiatry Website, Glaucopis-net. The main objective is to provide information on a broad range of psychiatric conditions, such as dementia, depression and anxiety. Email mental health services will be offered as an alternative way of accessing help. Confidentiality issues concerning patient records and personal data will be treated in accordance with Greek legislation. Glaucopis-net will integrate new telecommunication and information services with classical mental health services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lower ionospheric perturbation during earthquake activity is well recognized by the anomalous behavior of Very Low or Low Frequency (VLF/LF) radio signal. In this study, we present the sub-ionospheric VLF signal modulation during the Samos earthquake that took place on October 30, 2020 (M = 6.9). We use the conventional terminator time method to check the seismogenic impression in the VLF signal during the local sunrise and sunset times. VLF signals from two transmitters ISR (Israel) and TBB (Turkey) are used for this analysis and those are recorded in a receiving station UWA in Greece. Both signals show a strong shift in the sunrise and sunset terminator times. The signal profiles are numerically simulated using the Long Wavelength Propagation Capability (LWPC) program by incorporating Wait's two-component ionospheric parameters (β and h ′ ). The simulation gives highly satisfactory outcomes. The outputs of LWPC are used to compute the electron density profile of the lower ionosphere. It is found that the electron density gets significantly modulated during the maximum shift in the terminator times. The electron density is found to have both increased and decreased from its normal value before the earthquake. The VLF path dependency is strongly observed in the change in the electron density profile. For ISR-UWA, nighttime reflection height has been computed using the modal conversion technique, and it is found to be similar to the LWPC outcomes. The overall condition was geomagnetically quiet, and the results have no contamination due to solar-terrestrial interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we investigate the public transport trip frequency variations, as well as the reasons that led to the shift away from public transport means, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We studied relevant data from the Moovit platform, and we compared operational and trip frequency characteristics of public transport systems before and after the outbreak of the pandemic in 87 cities worldwide. On average, waiting times at public transport stops/stations increased while trip distances decreased, apparently due to the mobility restriction and social distancing measures implemented in 2020. Most of the Moovit users who said that they abandoned public transport in 2020 were found in Italy and Greece. We developed linear regression analysis models to investigate (among the 35 variables examined in the study) the relationship between public transport abandonment rates and socioeconomic factors, quality of service characteristics, and indicators of pandemic's spread. Empirical findings show that public transport dropout rates are positively correlated with the COVID-19 death toll figures, the cleanliness of public transport vehicles and facilities, as well as with the income inequality (GINI) index of the population, and thus reconfirm previous research findings. In addition, the waiting time at stops/stations and the number of transfers required for commute trips appeared to be the most critical public transport trip segments, which significantly determine the discontinuation of public transport use under pandemic circumstances. Our research findings indicate specific aspects of public transport services, which require tailored adjustments in order to recover ridership in the post-pandemic period. • COVID-19 effect on public transport abandonment is studied in 87 cities worldwide. • Regression analyses assessed abandonment on socioeconomic, COVID-19 and Moovit data. • High abandonment rates were found in Thessaloniki, San Francisco, and Palermo. • COVID-19 deaths, vehicle hygiene conditions, income inequality affected abandonment. • Long waiting times at stops and higher transfer rates account for higher abandonment rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the present study was to evaluate whether immunosuppression occurs in 3 different Greek dairy sheep breeds during the periparturient period. A total of 33 ewes from 3 breeds [i.e., the low-producing Boutsiko breed (n = 11), which is highly adaptable to harsh environments; the high-producing but environmentally fragile Chios breed (n = 11); and an intermediate synthetic breed (50% Boutsiko, 25% Arta, and 25% Chios, n = 11)] were used. Blood samples were collected at 18 and 2 d before parturition and at 15 d after parturition. Total cell-associated and membrane-bound urokinase plasminogen activator (U-PA) activity, free U-PA binding sites on cellular membranes, and superoxide anion (SA) production by activated phagocytes were determined. Results indicated that all immune parameters measured remained constant during the periparturient period for the Boutsiko breed. In contrast, there were reductions in total cell-associated and membrane-bound U-PA activity by both monocytes-macrophages and neutrophils and in SA production by monocytes-macrophages at d 2 before parturition for the Chios breed. In the synthetic breed, there were reductions in total cell-associated and membrane-bound U-PA activity by monocytes-macrophages and in SA production by both monocytes-macrophages and neutrophils at d 15 after parturition. Thus, mild immunosuppression during the periparturient period was observed in the 2 breeds with the highest milk production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To study (i) the prevalence of mild and moderate-to-severe depressive symptoms in the entire spectrum of cognitive ageing in Greece and (ii) the relationship between these symptoms and demographic and clinical data., Methods: The study was based on the randomly selected cohort of the Hellenic Longitudinal Investigation of Aging and Diet (HELIAD). Depressive symptoms were assessed with the 15-item version of the Geriatric Depression Scale. Participants also received a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment, while the clinical diagnoses of dementia and mild cognitive impairment were established according to international diagnostic criteria. Statistical analyses relied on comparison tests and a logistic (proportional odds) ordinal regression model., Results: Depressive symptoms were detected in 19.5% of the 1936 study participants, while 11.3% of both people with MCI and dementia had moderate-to-severe depressive symptoms. The regression model revealed that older adults with more severe depressive symptoms were more likely female, cognitively impaired, less educated, were treated with psychotropic medication and lived in Attica versus Thessaly., Conclusions: Since depressive symptoms were detected in almost one in five older adults, healthcare professionals in Greece should safeguard the timely detection and effective treatment of such symptoms and the post-diagnostic care of older adults with depression.

Background: Cognitive screening measures are widely administered in everyday clinical practice in different geriatric settings. Despite the presence of several extended-like screening tests, Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) continues to be largely used not only by neuropsychologists, neurologists, and psychiatrists but also by general practitioners and other health-related specialties., Aim: We herein provide normative data for the MMSE in a large sample of community-dwelling healthy participants aged over 50 years old stratified by age and education., Material and Methods: The sample included 925 community-dwelling healthy participants (age range: 50-91 years) of both genders (231 males/694 females) with different educational level (range: 1-16 years). Demographic-related effects were examined for the total MMSE score using hierarchical regression analysis; normative data are presented in mean ± standard deviation and percentile ranks and divided into seven overlapping age tables with different midpoints at 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, and 85 years using the overlapping cell procedure., Results: Initial analysis did not show any effect of gender but revealed significant correlation between age, education, and total MMSE. Hierarchical regression analysis revealed that education significantly accounted for 17.3% of the total variance in the MMSE with age adding a significant 7.4% to the final model (adjusted R 2  = 0.246, F = 151.872, p < 0.001; age: β = -0.286, p < 0.001; education: β = 0.332, p < 0.001). The sample was stratified according to the overlapping cell procedure with regard to age (age groups: 50-60, 55-65, 60-70, 65-75, 70-80, 75-85, 80-91); four educational levels were considered: 1-5, 6-9, 10-12, and 13-16 years., Conclusions: Current normative data for the Greek version of the MMSE are provided as a useful set of norms for clinical and research practice.

The Health Care system has a vital role in improving services and support people with dementia, but it cannot prevent fear and lack of understanding of dementia. Lack of awareness and poor understanding in communities has a major impact on the experience of people with dementia and their caregivers. "Dementia Friendly Communities" is a program of EU as part of the Act on Dementia Joint Action, in order to advance common recommendations for the development of better services for people with dementia, which will improve their quality of life. Ιt has been proposed that within a "Dementia friendly Community, people with dementia will not be marginalized and will be respected by their fellow citizens. The citizens, the public organizations and private sector enterprises cooperate in order to eliminate the obstacles which exclude dementia patients and their caregivers from participating in the life of their community". The Dementia Friendly Communities involve four fields: the environment (places), the citizens (people), the networks and the resources. Based on this model, pilot actions have been developed in Greece (Municipalities of Athens, Byron and Vrilissia), Bulgaria and UK and it is expected to provide important guidelines for the development of Dementia Friendly Communities in EU. In Greece the goal of the Join Action on Dementia was to promote the development of strong alliances within the local communities (municipalities) and the networking of organizations (State, Municipalities, NGOs, enterprises etc) with dementia patients and their caregivers and to educate more people in the municipalities in order to fight stigma and understand dementia.

Serotoninergic system is one of the most important neurotransmission systems investigated in the field of psychiatry. Extensive evidence reveals how alterations of this system, and especially of the SLC6A4 gene, may be associated with psychiatric disorders. In this study we aimed to evaluate the pleiotropic nature of SLC6A4 alterations and their association with the overall risk of brain diseases rather than disorder-specific. SLC6A4 variants, namely 5HTTLPR, STin2, rs2066713, rs25531, rs4251417, rs6354 and rs7224199 were investigated in 4 independent cohorts of subjects with specific psychiatric disorders, including Alcohol dependence disorder (ALC), Alzheimer disease (ALZ), Schizophrenia (SCZ) and Bipolar disorder (BPD). Other variables (biochemical parameters and Psychiatric scales scores) were also tested for association. SLC6A4 polymorphisms are not associated with the risk of developing major psychiatric disorders (SCZ and BPD); however some signals were detected in ALC (HTTLPR p d  = 9.25 × 10 -03 , p r  = 7.24 × 10 -03 ; rs2066713 p d  = 6.35 × 10 -08 ; rs25531 p d  = 2.95 × 10 -02 ; rs4251417 p d  = 2.46 × 10 -03 ), and ALZ (rs6354 p r  = 1.22 × 10 -02 ; rs7224199 p d  = 1.00 × 10 -08 , p r  = 2.65 × 10 -02 ) cohorts. Some associations were also observed on exploratory analyses. Our findings did not reveal any major influence on SCZ and BPD development; On the other hand, some alteration of the SLC6A4 sequence were associated with an increased risk of ALC and ALZ disorders, suggesting common pathways. The results of this study should be carefully interpreted since it suffers of some inherent limitations (e.g. cohort size, slight ethnic heterogeneity). Further analyses may provide better detail on the molecular processes behind SLC6A4 alterations.