Έρευνα θεματικής συσχέτισης δεδομένων χρήσης βιβλιακού υλικού και πρόσβασης σε αυτό (δανεισμών και διαδανεισμών) και δεδομένων τοπικής συλλογής. Συμπεράσματα σχετικά με την ανάπτυξη της συλλογής.

Collection evaluation, particularly which of printed material, is only one aspect of library evaluation which regards both collection development and general assessment of library performance. Among several qualitative and quantitative methods we find the use factors approach based on information about library holdings, use of material and access to it, namely circulation data and interlibrary loan requests. These factors enable to determine parts of the collection which are heavily used or parts that are disproportionately developed compared to their use by patrons. This case study aims at displaying subject distribution of filled ILL requests and the use of local collection of monographs (circulation data) compared to holdings data. We then look at how these distribution correlates with acquisitions and their subject distribution. Conclusions refer to the current use of local collection and to recommendations for rational collection development decisions. The research is based on holdings data, printed monographs usage data, access statistics (circulation and ILL data) and acquisitions data for the year 2007. Subject analysis is based on Dewey Classification groups. Subject analysis of material usage by patrons, based on data coming from diverse departments, helps those departments to identify parts of the collection with weaknesses and make informed collection development decisions. The case study is among the fist attempts of the Panteion University Library to evaluate its collection with the use of a combination of use factors and information from different departments. It proposes a set of factors that have been proved to offer to a synthetic evaluation of collection development process

Interactive voice response interventions targeting behaviour change: a systematic literature review with meta-analysis and meta-regression.

OBJECTIVE: A number of promising automated behaviour change interventions have been developed using advanced phone technology. This paper reviewed the effectiveness of interactive voice response (IVR)-based interventions designed to promote changes in specific health behaviours. METHODS: A systematic literature review of papers published between January 1990 and September 2017 in MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, PsycINFO, SCOPUS and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) was conducted. From the total of 2546 papers identified, 15 randomised control trials (RCTs) met the eligibility criteria and were included in a random effects meta-analysis. Meta-regression analysis was used to explore whether behaviour change techniques (BCTs) that were used in the interventions were associated with intervention effectiveness. RESULTS: Meta-analysis of 15 RCTs showed that IVR-based interventions had small but significant effects on promoting medication adherence (OR=1.527, 95% CI 1.207 to 1.932, k=9, p=0.000) and physical activity (Hedges' g=0.254, 95% CI 0.068 to 0.439, k=3, p=0.007). No effects were found for alcohol (Hedges' g=-0.077, 95% CI -0.162 to 0.007, k=4, p=0.073) or diet (Hedges' g=0.130, 95% CI -0.088 to 0.347, k=2, p=0.242). In the medication adherence studies, multivariable meta-regression including six BCTs explained 100% of the observed variance in effect size, but only the BCT 'information about health consequences' was significantly associated with effect size (β=0.690, SE=0.199, 95% CI 0.29 to 1.08, p=0.000). CONCLUSION: IVR-based interventions appear promising in changing specific health behaviours, such as medication adherence and physical activity. However, more studies are needed to elucidate further the combination of active components of IVR interventions that make them effective and test their feasibility and effectiveness using robust designs and objective outcome measures.This study was part of the first author’s dissertation in public health at University of Cambridge, funded by the Medical Research Council, UK

Molecular modelling and experimental studies of the interactions between biomolecules and nanostructured inorganic materials

In this study the interactions of biomacromolecules with different inorganic nanostructured materials were investigated using experimental and theoretical approaches. A deeper understanding on the fundamental steps involved for such interactions is very important for the fields of nanotechnology, medicine and biotechnology. In nanotechnology biomolecules like DNA have often been considered as templates for the scaffolding of nanoparticles. TEM observations of DNA molecules with Au55 cluster indicated the formation of equidistant gold nanowires. Interestingly the nanowires were composed of such dimensions that indicated that the Au55 cluster initially used was reduced to the size of a cluster with 13 gold atoms. In order to understand the formation of gold nanowires, various molecular modelling techniques were employed. Based on molecular mechanics simulations, it was found that Au55 cluster energetically prefers to interact with the major groove of B-DNA whereas Au13 prefers to associate with the major grooves of A-DNA. It is not clear how the reduction of Au55 to Au13 occurs however it is assumed that it is influenced by the dramatic alterations occurring in the groove geometry during B-DNA to A-DNA transition. The formation of gold nanowires is determined by the equidistant decoration of Au13 clusters around the major grooves of A-DNA. Molecular dynamics simulations indicated that the aggregation of such DNA-gold complexes leads to the formation of nanowires which are separated from each other almost 0.5 nm. The ability of Au55 to interact with the major grooves of B-DNA led to further investigations on the potential of this gold cluster as an anticancer drug. Gold-based compounds have not been studied as extensively as other metal-based drugs like platinum derivatives which have been employed as chemotherapeutic agents for many years in medical oncology. A variety of human cancer and healthy cell lines have been employed for investigating sensitivity towards Au55 and cisplatin. In vitro cytotoxicity assays performed by a colourimetric-based method (MTT) have indicated that generally Au55 is more toxic and efficient than cisplatin. Especially the cisplatin resistant metastatic melanoma cell lines exhibited the highest sensitivity towards Au55. Apoptotic or necrotic death influenced by Au55 was investigated by performing a fluorometric assay which measures the induction of the apoptotic proteins caspases 3 and 7. The effect of Au55 was different among the five cell lines investigated. In the case of the osteosarcoma cell line U-2OS induction of caspases 3 and 7 in the presence either of Au55 or cisplatin was observed indicating apoptosis being triggered. In the other four different cell lines the induction of caspases either in the presence of Au55 or cisplatin was similar to the controls. This indicates that these cells could be dying either by necrosis, or apoptosis is induced through a caspase-independent pathway. Further information on the cellular localisation and possible target has been investigated by measuring the distribution of radioactive gold cluster in various cellular fractions of the BLM cell line. It has been found that slightly higher amount of Au55 was located in the chromosomal DNA rather than in the cytoplasmic fraction. The Au55 was strongly bound to the chromosomal DNA with a very small fraction of it being present in the nuclear proteins. This has indicated that DNA is one of the main cellular targets however it is not certain whether such an interaction is directly related to the cytotoxic effect of Au55. The gold cluster could possibly damage the chromosomal DNA in the presence of H2O2 as indicated by the conversion of supercoiled plasmid DNA into open-circular form by agarose gel electrophoresis. Molecular docking simulations have shown the energetic preference of this agent for AATT sequences which is different to the GG and AG preference of cisplatin. Finally protein-gold cluster interactions could also play an important role on the cytotoxic effect of Au55. In vitro cytotoxicity assays in the presence of albumin have shown an increase in the IC50 values indicating a sequestering effect of albumin protein. Molecular docking simulations suggest the interaction of Au55 with specific cystein residues of human albumin. Nanostructured inorganic materials have been considered very important in the field of biotechnology with major applications aiming towards the immobilisation or purification of biomolecules such as proteins and amino acids. In this study the interactions of three different amino acids with a zeolite structure have been investigated using molecular modelling. MD simulations have been performed in the presence of water molecules with Phe, Lys and Glu being placed around the structure of zeolite beta. The simulations have indicated that amino acids energetically prefer to interact with the surface of the zeolite-beta rather being placed inside the pores or in the bulk. MD simulations clearly indicate the preference of Phe to adsorb through the formation of hydrogen bonds with the O atoms of the zeolite structure. The amino acids Lys and Glu have indicated a lower preference as the formation of fewer hydrogen bonds with the zeolite surface has been exhibited. This is in aggreement with experimental studies reported in the literature. Nevertheless MD simulations have not been able to distinguish any differences on the adsorption behavior of Glu and Lys

The recipe for Happiness: A critical review - introduction to a new theoretical model and a new psychometric tool for the measurement of Eudemonia

Αυτή η συστηματική επισκόπηση επικεντρώνεται α) στην μέχρι σήμερα επιστημονική γνώση σχετικά με την Ευτυχία και β) στην διαδικασία δημιουργίας ενός νέου πρωτότυπου ψυχομετρικού εργαλείου για τη μέτρηση της. Για τον σκοπό   αυτό προτείνεται ένα νέο μοντέλο για την επιδίωξη και την αύξηση της Ευτυχίας υπό τον τίτλο «Μοντέλο Ψυχολογικής Ισορροπίας» (ΜΨΙ). Το Μοντέλο Ψυχολογικής Ισορροπίας (ΜΨΙ) στοχεύει στο να εξερευνήσει τους βασικούς παράγοντες Ευτυχίας και να συμβάλει σε μια πιο συνθετική προσέγγιση της έννοιας. Σύμφωνα με αυτό το μοντέλο η Ευτυχία ορίζεται ως το ψυχολογικό αποτέλεσμα αέναης ανάπτυξης σε τέσσερις τομείς. Συγκεκριμένα, αν το άτομο βιώνει α) υψηλά επίπεδα αυταξίας – αυτοαποδοχής, β) θετικές σχέσεις με την οικογένεια του και γ) τους φίλους του και δ) βρίσκεται σε διαδικασία επιδίωξης υψηλών στόχων για το μέλλον, τότε θα είναι σε θέση να κατακτήσει υψηλά επίπεδα ευτυχίας. Ο κύριος στόχος αυτού του νέου μοντέλου είναι να βασίσει την ευτυχία στην αξιολόγηση αντικειμενικά μετρήσιμων παραγόντων και προσωπικών χαρακτηριστικών, σε αντιδιαστολή με την απλή υποκειμενική αντίληψη – αυτοαναφορά που έχει κυριαρχήσει μέχρι σήμερα για την μέτρηση της. Με αυτόν τον τρόπο μπορούμε να οδηγηθούμε στην ανάπτυξη ενός νέου αντικειμενικού τρόπου μέτρησης του βαθμού ευτυχίας συνδυάζοντας τις επιμέρους μετρήσεις των διαστάσεων του Μοντέλου Ψυχολογικής Ισορροπίας (ΜΨΙ). Απώτερος στόχος μας είναι η προσέγγιση της ευτυχίας με έναν νέο πιο ολιστικό και κατανοητό τρόπο.This critical review refers (a) to all scientific knowledge to date on the subject of Happiness and (b) to the creation of a new prototype psychometric tool, for its measurement. A new model for the development and increase of happiness levels, the Psychological Equilibrium Model (PEM), is proposed. The Psychological Equilibrium Model (PEM) aims to examine the factors of Happiness and contribute to a more comprehensive approach of the concept. According to the Psychological Equilibrium Model (PEM), Happiness is defined as the psychological result of growth in four areas. In particular, if a person experiences (a) high levels of self-acceptance, (b) positive relationships with family and (c) friends, and (d) is able to set goals and plans for the future, he or she will experience higher levels of Happiness. The main objective of this new model is to measure the objective factors and personal characteristics that make it easier for people to achieve and maintain optimal happiness. This may lead to the creation of a new psychometric tool for the objective measurement of happiness based on the Psychological Equilibrium Model. The purpose of the article is to help define the notion of Happiness in a new more comprehensive and holistic way

Life-course social participation and physical activity in midlife: longitudinal associations in the 1970 British Cohort Study (BCS70)

A hypothesized benefit of social participation is that it encourages people to be more physically active. However, limited evidence exists on the association between social participation over the life-course and physical activity in midlife. We sought to apply a life-course framework to examine the association of social participation and device measured physical activity in midlife in the UK. We used the 1970 British Birth Cohort Study (BCS70), which includes all people born in Britain during a single week in 1970. Social participation was assessed at ages 16, 30, 34 and 42. Physical activity was measured by accelerometery at age 46, as mean daily step count and time spent in moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA). The associations of social participation and physical activity were tested using two different life-course models: the sensitive period model and the accumulation model. Individuals with medium and high participation compared to no social participation over their life-course had higher mean daily step count and MVPA in midlife, supporting the accumulation model. In the sensitive period model, only those that actively participated at age 42 had higher mean daily steps and MVPA compared to those who did not participate. Our study provides empirical evidence on the importance of sustaining social participation at all ages over the life-course rather than at a particular timepoint of someone’s life. If our findings reflect causal effects, interventions to promote social participation throughout the life-course could be an avenue to promote physical activity in middle life

Life-course social participation and physical activity in midlife: longitudinal associations in the 1970 British Cohort Study (BCS70)

A hypothesized benefit of social participation is that it encourages people to be more physically active. However, limited evidence exists on the association between social participation over the life-course and physical activity in midlife. We sought to apply a life-course framework to examine the association of social participation and device measured physical activity in midlife in the UK. We used the 1970 British Birth Cohort Study (BCS70), which includes all people born in Britain during a single week in 1970. Social participation was assessed at ages 16, 30, 34 and 42. Physical activity was measured by accelerometery at age 46, as mean daily step count and time spent in moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA). The associations of social participation and physical activity were tested using two different life-course models: the sensitive period model and the accumulation model. Individuals with medium and high participation compared to no social participation over their life-course had higher mean daily step count and MVPA in midlife, supporting the accumulation model. In the sensitive period model, only those that actively participated at age 42 had higher mean daily steps and MVPA compared to those who did not participate. Our study provides empirical evidence on the importance of sustaining social participation at all ages over the life-course rather than at a particular timepoint of someone’s life. If our findings reflect causal effects, interventions to promote social participation throughout the life-course could be an avenue to promote physical activity in middle life

Synergy-driven performance enhancement of vision-based 3D hand pose reconstruction

In this work we propose, for the first time, to improve the performance of a Hand Pose Reconstruction (HPR) technique from RGBD camera data, which is affected by self-occlusions, leveraging upon postural synergy information, i.e., a priori information on how human most commonly use and shape their hands in everyday life tasks. More specifically, in our approach, we ignore joint angle values estimated with low confidence through a vision-based HPR technique and fuse synergistic information with such incomplete measures. Preliminary experiments are reported showing the effectiveness of the proposed integration