Διερεύνηση του Βαθμού Ετοιμότητας των Εργαζομένων της WIND στην Αθήνα στη Διαχείριση Φυσικών Καταστροφών

Η Ελλάδα παρουσιάζει έντονη σεισμικότητα λόγω του γεωτεκτονικού καθεστώτος της, ενώ συχνά πλήττεται και από άλλα φυσικά καταστροφικά φαινόμενα. Για τη μείωση του κινδύνου καταστροφών σε εθνικό επίπεδο, θεωρείται επιτακτική η ανάγκη για αυστηρή εφαρμογή του θεσμικού πλαισίου και των κανονισμών, καθώς και η λήψη των απαραίτητων ενεργειών για την απόκτηση κουλτούρας πρόληψης και ετοιμότητας ώστε να βελτιωθεί το επίπεδο ετοιμότητας του κρατικού μηχανισμού και του πληθυσμού σε ότι αφορά στην αποτελεσματική αντιμετώπιση φυσικών καταστροφών και στον μετριασμό των επιπτώσεών τους στον άνθρωπο και στο περιβάλλον. Με την παρούσα εργασία γίνεται μια προσπάθεια αποτύπωσης των ενεργειών πρόληψης και ετοιμότητας που λαμβάνει η εταιρεία τηλεπικοινωνιών WIND Ελλάς σχετικά με την υγεία και ασφάλεια των εργαζομένων, καθώς και των πρακτικών που εφαρμόζει για την μείωση του κινδύνου φυσικών καταστροφών. Επίσης γίνεται διερεύνηση με τη χρήση ερωτηματολογίου του βαθμού ετοιμότητας των εργαζομένων της WIND στο κτήριο της Λ. Αθηνών στη διαχείριση φυσικών καταστροφών. Από τη στατιστική επεξεργασία των ερωτηματολογίων αφενός προέκυψαν στοιχεία που αφορούν στην ετοιμότητα των εργαζομένων της εν λόγω εταιρίας τηλεπικοινωνιών για την αντιμετώπιση καταστροφικών συμβάντων, και αφετέρου δόθηκε η δυνατότητα να γίνουν σχετικές προτάσεις. Οι προτάσεις αυτές αναφέρονται σε θέματα ευαισθητοποίησης των εργαζομένων σε θέματα φυσικών καταστροφών, βελτίωσης των γνώσεων και της ετοιμότητας τους και υιοθέτησης καλών πρακτικών με βάση τις ανάγκες και τις απαιτήσεις λειτουργίας της συγκεκριμένης εταιρείας που προσπαθεί να βελτιώνεται συνεχώς στον τομέα της υγείας, της ασφάλειας και της επιχειρησιακής συνέχειας.Greece has high seismicity due to geotectonic status quo, but is often affected by other natural disasters too. To reduce disaster risk at national level, there is an urgent need for strict implementation of the legal framework and regulations, as well as taking the necessary actions to obtain preventive and preparedness culture in order to improve the level of preparedness of the agencies and the population regarding the effective response to natural disasters and the mitigation of their impact on humans and the environment. This survey aims to detect the prevention and preparedness actions that implemented by the telecommunication company WIND Hellas regarding the health and safety of employees as well as the current practices of the company concerning the natural disasters management. In this framework a questionnaire will be used in order to identify the level of preparedness of WIND employees in the building of Athinon Avenue concerning the disaster management. From the statistical analysis of the questionnaire, collected data lead to reliable conclusions regarding the level of the readiness of employees of the above mentioned telecommunications company to deal with catastrophic events, also it is possible to make relevant proposals. These proposals concern the awareness of employees to natural disasters, improve their knowledge and readiness and adopt good practices based on the needs and operational requirements of that company in its effort to improve continuously in the health and safety sector as well as in the field of business continuity

Placental Pathology and Blood Pressure's Level in Women with Hypertensive Disorders in Pregnancy

Objective. The aim of this study was to investigate the extent of placental lesions associated with blood pressure (BP) levels in pregnancies complicated by hypertension. Methods. 55 singleton pregnancies complicated by mild hypertension were recruited and compared to 55 pregnancies complicated by severe hypertension. The histological assessment was carried out with regard to the following aspects: vessels number/field of vision, infarction, villous fibrinoid necrosis, villous hypermaturity, avascular villi, calcifications, lymphohistiocytic villitis, and thickened vessels. Statistical analysis was performed by SPSS. Results. All placental lesions were observed more often in the severe hypertension group. Vessels number was significantly decreased, and infarction and villous fibrinoid necrosis were significantly increased in the placentas of the severe hypertension group compared to the mild hypertension group (P < 0.001). Conclusion. This study supports that the extent of placental lesions in hypertensive pregnancies is correlated with hypertension level and so highlights blood pressure level as a mirror of placental function

Clinical Study Placental Pathology and Blood Pressure&apos;s Level in Women with Hypertensive Disorders in Pregnancy

Objective. The aim of this study was to investigate the extent of placental lesions associated with blood pressure (BP) levels in pregnancies complicated by hypertension. Methods. 55 singleton pregnancies complicated by mild hypertension were recruited and compared to 55 pregnancies complicated by severe hypertension. The histological assessment was carried out with regard to the following aspects: vessels number/field of vision, infarction, villous fibrinoid necrosis, villous hypermaturity, avascular villi, calcifications, lymphohistiocytic villitis, and thickened vessels. Statistical analysis was performed by SPSS. Results. All placental lesions were observed more often in the severe hypertension group. Vessels number was significantly decreased, and infarction and villous fibrinoid necrosis were significantly increased in the placentas of the severe hypertension group compared to the mild hypertension group (P &lt; 0.001). Conclusion. This study supports that the extent of placental lesions in hypertensive pregnancies is correlated with hypertension level and so highlights blood pressure level as a mirror of placental function

Investigations on the Use of Dried Food Residues as a Potential Dietary Ingredient for Cats

The potential use of food residues for pet food could significantly contribute to food waste reduction. In the present study, the effects of the inclusion of dried food residues (DFR) (0, 5, 10 and 15%) in a complete diet were evaluated in seven healthy adult cats. At the end of each three-week feeding period, feces were collected. The analysis of the fecal microbiota by 16S rDNA sequencing demonstrated a marked increase of the bacterial alpha-diversity with increasing dietary inclusion levels of DFR. In addition, an increase in the relative abundance of Coriobacteriales, Collinsella and Lachnoclostridum, as well as of propionate and n-valerate in the feces of the cats, was detected. The dietary inclusion of DFR decreased the apparent crude protein digestibility and tended to decrease the apparent crude fat digestibility. Overall, the DFR seemed to be highly fermentable in the intestine of cats, which markedly affected the diversity of the fecal microbiota. As this effect might be critical for a balanced gut microbiota, but also along with the observed depressing effects of DFR on the apparent crude protein and crude fat digestibility, lower inclusion levels are recommended if used as a potential ingredient for cat food in the future

Height and body-mass index trajectories of school-aged children and adolescents from 1985 to 2019 in 200 countries and territories: a pooled analysis of 2181 population-based studies with 65 million participants

Summary Background Comparable global data on health and nutrition of school-aged children and adolescents are scarce. We aimed to estimate age trajectories and time trends in mean height and mean body-mass index (BMI), which measures weight gain beyond what is expected from height gain, for school-aged children and adolescents. Methods For this pooled analysis, we used a database of cardiometabolic risk factors collated by the Non-Communicable Disease Risk Factor Collaboration. We applied a Bayesian hierarchical model to estimate trends from 1985 to 2019 in mean height and mean BMI in 1-year age groups for ages 5–19 years. The model allowed for non-linear changes over time in mean height and mean BMI and for non-linear changes with age of children and adolescents, including periods of rapid growth during adolescence. Findings We pooled data from 2181 population-based studies, with measurements of height and weight in 65 million participants in 200 countries and territories. In 2019, we estimated a difference of 20 cm or higher in mean height of 19-year-old adolescents between countries with the tallest populations (the Netherlands, Montenegro, Estonia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina for boys; and the Netherlands, Montenegro, Denmark, and Iceland for girls) and those with the shortest populations (Timor-Leste, Laos, Solomon Islands, and Papua New Guinea for boys; and Guatemala, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Timor-Leste for girls). In the same year, the difference between the highest mean BMI (in Pacific island countries, Kuwait, Bahrain, The Bahamas, Chile, the USA, and New Zealand for both boys and girls and in South Africa for girls) and lowest mean BMI (in India, Bangladesh, Timor-Leste, Ethiopia, and Chad for boys and girls; and in Japan and Romania for girls) was approximately 9–10 kg/m2. In some countries, children aged 5 years started with healthier height or BMI than the global median and, in some cases, as healthy as the best performing countries, but they became progressively less healthy compared with their comparators as they grew older by not growing as tall (eg, boys in Austria and Barbados, and girls in Belgium and Puerto Rico) or gaining too much weight for their height (eg, girls and boys in Kuwait, Bahrain, Fiji, Jamaica, and Mexico; and girls in South Africa and New Zealand). In other countries, growing children overtook the height of their comparators (eg, Latvia, Czech Republic, Morocco, and Iran) or curbed their weight gain (eg, Italy, France, and Croatia) in late childhood and adolescence. When changes in both height and BMI were considered, girls in South Korea, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and some central Asian countries (eg, Armenia and Azerbaijan), and boys in central and western Europe (eg, Portugal, Denmark, Poland, and Montenegro) had the healthiest changes in anthropometric status over the past 3·5 decades because, compared with children and adolescents in other countries, they had a much larger gain in height than they did in BMI. The unhealthiest changes—gaining too little height, too much weight for their height compared with children in other countries, or both—occurred in many countries in sub-Saharan Africa, New Zealand, and the USA for boys and girls; in Malaysia and some Pacific island nations for boys; and in Mexico for girls. Interpretation The height and BMI trajectories over age and time of school-aged children and adolescents are highly variable across countries, which indicates heterogeneous nutritional quality and lifelong health advantages and risks

Rising rural body-mass index is the main driver of the global obesity epidemic in adults

Body-mass index (BMI) has increased steadily in most countries in parallel with a rise in the proportion of the population who live in cities(.)(1,2) This has led to a widely reported view that urbanization is one of the most important drivers of the global rise in obesity(3-6). Here we use 2,009 population-based studies, with measurements of height and weight in more than 112 million adults, to report national, regional and global trends in mean BMI segregated by place of residence (a rural or urban area) from 1985 to 2017. We show that, contrary to the dominant paradigm, more than 55% of the global rise in mean BMI from 1985 to 2017-and more than 80% in some low- and middle-income regions-was due to increases in BMI in rural areas. This large contribution stems from the fact that, with the exception of women in sub-Saharan Africa, BMI is increasing at the same rate or faster in rural areas than in cities in low- and middle-income regions. These trends have in turn resulted in a closing-and in some countries reversal-of the gap in BMI between urban and rural areas in low- and middle-income countries, especially for women. In high-income and industrialized countries, we noted a persistently higher rural BMI, especially for women. There is an urgent need for an integrated approach to rural nutrition that enhances financial and physical access to healthy foods, to avoid replacing the rural undernutrition disadvantage in poor countries with a more general malnutrition disadvantage that entails excessive consumption of low-quality calories.Peer reviewe

Heterogeneous contributions of change in population distribution of body mass index to change in obesity and underweight NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC)

From 1985 to 2016, the prevalence of underweight decreased, and that of obesity and severe obesity increased, in most regions, with significant variation in the magnitude of these changes across regions. We investigated how much change in mean body mass index (BMI) explains changes in the prevalence of underweight, obesity, and severe obesity in different regions using data from 2896 population-based studies with 187 million participants. Changes in the prevalence of underweight and total obesity, and to a lesser extent severe obesity, are largely driven by shifts in the distribution of BMI, with smaller contributions from changes in the shape of the distribution. In East and Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, the underweight tail of the BMI distribution was left behind as the distribution shifted. There is a need for policies that address all forms of malnutrition by making healthy foods accessible and affordable, while restricting unhealthy foods through fiscal and regulatory restrictions

Water Availability in Pumice, Coir, and Perlite Substrates Regulates Grapevine Growth and Grape Physicochemical Characteristics in Soilless Cultivation of Sugraone and Prime Cultivars (<i>Vitis vinifera</i> L.)

Table grape production in soilless cultivation under a controlled environment is a promising solution that addresses many of the challenges of grapevine cultivation, such as factors affecting the quantity and quality of table grape production, cultivation cost, pest management, soil degradation, soil-borne diseases, and adaptation to climate change. However, due to limited knowledge, investigation of many factors is required to effectively implement soilless cultivation, among which are the substrate’s physical-hydraulic properties and suitability for grape production. In this context, we investigate the impact of the properties of organic (coir dust) and mineral (perlite, pumice) substrates and their blend (perlite:coir) on grapevine growth and grape physicochemical characteristics of Sugraone (Superior Seedless) and Prime cultivars. Perlite substrate was the best in qualitative and quantitative production characteristics, whereas pumice substrate proved unsuitable for soilless vine cultivation. Coir and perlite:coir substrates, due to their increased ability to retain moisture, improved plant nutrition and grape quality but delayed ripening. For effective soilless cultivation of grapevines and table grape production, substrates must have the ability to maintain sufficient but not excessive moisture, suitable for supporting physiological processes and plant nutrition, resulting in smooth growth and production

Drought- and Salt-Tolerant Plants of the Mediterranean and Their Diverse Applications: The Case of Crete

Drought and salinity are two of the most urgent challenges faced in Mediterranean ecosystems, equally impacting natural systems, agricultural crops, and urban green. While many technical and soft approaches have been proposed to anticipate, mitigate, and remediate these impacts, a class of solutions has possibly been in front of us all along. Native Mediterranean fauna is well adapted, and when properly established still has unexploited conservation, restoration, and production diversification potential. Here, we outline the results of a long-term experiment taking place on the island of Crete, Greece that started in 1996 and involves over 70 native Mediterranean plants planted and monitored in various green spaces (private, shared, public) and a university campus under a diversity of adverse topographies (e.g., coastal, steep slopes), soils (e.g., disturbed, nutrient-deficient), and microclimatic conditions, taking various plant formations and serving various functions. After plant establishment, drought and salinity resistance were evaluated by gradually exposing plants (n = 5249) to deficit irrigation and saline environmental conditions, and plants were followed up for at least 5 years to empirically assess their ability to cope with abiotic stress. From the Mediterranean plants that were planted and tested, 52 were singled out because of their resistance and additional favorable traits. Motivated by this long-term assessment, a systematic literature review was conducted using the protocol Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) to validate empirical results, determine which were still unexplored, and bring to light additional uses. Results showed that 41 of the plants included in this research have significant medicinal properties, 26 have nutritional uses, 17 industrial uses, and 18 have evidence of cosmetology uses. Additionally, the empirical assessment gave new evidence of at least 40 new species–trait combinations. By formally documenting the characteristics of these native Mediterranean plants, this work highlights their versatile traits, and the prospect of creating new uses and value chains enables, for the first time their inclusion in planting-decision support systems and aims to increase demand and facilitate the scaling up of native greening in the context of sustainable land and water management within and beyond the Mediterranean basin