A LONGITUDINAL ANALYSIS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY LEVELS AND PREDICTORS IN GREEK OLDER ADULTS: THE SURVEY ON HEALTH, AGEING AND RETIREMENT IN EUROPE

Studies have indicated that participation in physical activity (PA) enhances health and reduces mortality rates. The current study investigated longitudinal PA levels in Greek older individuals, analyzing data of the Survey on Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). In addition, predictors of the PA levels in 2020 were examined including the PA measures in 2017 and various variables. The SHARE is a cross-national database of non-institutionalized older population from 28 European countries. The current study analyzed the Greek sample of SHARE’s waves 7 and 8. In particular, 1767 individuals, 748 men and 1.019 women (69.40 ± 9.56 years) filled in the PA questions in both studies. To identify differences over time and PA predictors, Wilcoxon tests and Multinomial regression analyses were conducted respectively, due to the categorical form of the PA variables. Significant decreases were found between the vigorous PA measures in 2017 and 2020 (z = -2.80, p < 0.05), as well as between the moderate PA assessments in 2017 and 2020 (z = -4.88, p < 0.01). Young age, low alcohol consumption, few chronic diseases and activities’ limitations, low depression, as well as positive feelings and satisfaction with life and high levels of longitudinal PA, life expectancy and participation in sport and social clubs were significant predictors of high PA levels. Therefore, to enhance PA levels, interventions promoting active and healthy aging, positive feelings, life satisfaction and social activities should be adopted.  Article visualizations

Practices of care in the recovery assemblage: an empirical study of drug services in Liverpool and Athens

Practices of care in the recovery assemblage: an empirical study of drug services in Liverpool and Athens Author: Eleni Theodoropoulou This thesis empirically explores the practices of care emerging in two drug recovery services: Genie in the Gutter (Liverpool) and 18 ano (Athens). Thinking with the Deleuzo-Guattarian assemblage, I follow the flows of the service-users’ desires, from their initial encounter with substances to the transformations enabled through their encounter with the recovery assemblage. Throughout this complex and non-linear narrative, the focus is not on the consumption of substances, nor on abstention, but on the body’s desire to increase its power of acting, and accordingly on the encounters and connections that enhance or block the flow of this desire. Following this line of thought, I argue that it is not the lack of the substance that holds the recovery assemblage together, but the production of connections that enhance a body’s power of acting. Therefore, recovery becomes a practice of collective care, entangled with a body’s capacity to affect and be affected. The oral (interviews) and visual (photovoice) methods deployed are connection-building devices, specifically producing, enhancing and accounting for the connection built between the two fieldsites, between the researcher and the services, and the researcher and the service-users. The data produced drive the unpacking of the human and nonhuman encounters that constitute the recovery assemblage in all its complexity. Overall, the aim of this thesis is to methodologically and empirically demonstrate that policy can be practised otherwise. The outcome of the analysis of the lived experiences of the service-users is a call for the dismissal of policy as an intervention coming from outside, and its reconstitution as a practice, emerging organically through the affective relations produced inside the recovery assemblage. I argue that the practices of care unfolded in this account are policy in practice. Furthermore, by closely attending to the affective relationships produced in the recovery assemblage, we can enhance our understanding of drug using realities, of the desires invested in drug use and recovery, and of the ways in which societies fail those whose desires clash with established systems of thought. Finally, this thesis contributes to the sociology of health and illness by expanding the body of work that mobilises Deleuze to empirically challenge wellbeing as a stable state and individual matter

The Green Management of Paper of the Third Age in the Region of Attica. Case Study: The Municipalities of Egaleo and Chaidari

The purpose of this thesis is to examine the determinant factors of recycling and in particular of paper recycling. The research focuses on paper recycling behavior on the part of the elderly in the Region of Attica. Primary research was based on the use of layered data. The survey data was collected through the distribution of questionnaires to senior citizens in the municipalities of Egaleo and Chaidari. The questionnaire was distributed by hand in the region’s O.C.C. (Open Care Centers) for the Elderly Staff Members during the period from November 2017 until February 2018 (11/2017-02/2018). The final sample of the survey amounted to 375 participants. Multiple logistic regressions generate useful conclusions, such as whether participants recycle paper or not appear to be linked to the educational level of the elderly. In addition, through the logistic regressions, it appears that intention to recycle affects significantly the behaviour towards, recycling, and the perceived behavioural control as well. Furthermore, including social and demographic data, it appears that the educational level, monthly family income and residential status are factors that affect whether the participants are recycling paper or not

CRITERION, CONSTRUCT AND FACTORIAL VALIDITY OF THE GREEK VERSION OF THE INTERNATIONAL PHYSICAL ACTIVITY QUESTIONNAIRE-SHORT FORM (IPAQ-SF)

The current study investigated the validity of the Greek version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-short form (IPAQ-SF, seven days recall period, Craig et al., 2003). Specifically, criterion and construct validity were examined in a sample of 120 adults (M ± SD = 30.52 ± 14.87 years). In addition, factorial validity and internal consistency were examined in a second sample of 726 physically active adults (M ± SD = 38.80 ± 13.64 years). Further, associations were examined among the IPAQ-SF, exercise self-efficacy, body mass index and various socio-demographic variables. The statistical analyses indicated: (a) acceptable validity coefficients and factorial validity of the IPAQ, (b) acceptable internal consistency, (c) higher physical activity values in men compared to women and in athletes compared to non-athletes, (d) positive correlations between physical activity levels, exercise self-efficacy and past physical activity and (e) negative correlations among physical activity, age, number of children and body mass index. The Greek version of the IPAQ-SF was valid and therefore, could be useful for assessing physical activity.  Article visualizations

he association of total and abdominal obesity with Health-Related Quality of Life in a sample of Greek healthy adults

Background: in the Greek population, the association between obesity and Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) has not been examined so far. Thus, the purpose of the present study is to explore obesity-related predictors of HRQoL in a sample of Greek healthy adults. Methods: a cross-sectional design was used. The sample consisted of three hundred twenty seven healthy men (N=105) and women (N=222), between the ages of 30 and 50 years (mean age=39.57 ± 6.68) who lived in Athens. Body mass index (BMI), waist to hip ratio (WHR), and body fat (BF) were assessed. HRQoL was evaluated using the short-form 36 (SF-36) health survey, which consists of eight subscales and two health factors (physical and psychological health). Socio-demographic variables and health-related behaviours were assessed by questionnaires. Separate hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to examine the associations between BMI, WHR, BF and SF-36 health survey subscales and factors. Results: socio-demographic and health-related variables were moderately associated with the HRQoL subscales and factors. Furthermore, after controlling the socio-demographic variables and health-related behaviours, (a) BMI negatively predicted the physical functioning, physical role, bodily pain, and social functioning subscales, as well as the physical health factor and (b) WHR and BF negatively predicted the physical functioning subscale. However, the obesity indexes did not predict other psychological health subscales. Conclusions: the results indicated negative associations of BMI, WHR, BF with physical functioning and health in a sample of Greek healthy adults. Such data relating total and abdominal obesity to HRQoL, as assessed by BMI, WHR, and BF, have not been reported until now in the literature. One limitation of this study was that the sample size was relatively small and the results could not be generalized to the entire Greek population

Οι έφηβοι φωτογραφίζουν και μιλούν για την ψυχική ευεξία τους: η μέθοδος photovoice

Η παρούσα εργασία θέτει ως στόχο τη διερεύνηση και κατανόηση του τρόπου με τον οποίο οι έφηβοι βιώνουν, αντιλαμβάνονται και νοηματοδοτούν την ψυχική ευεξία στην καθημερινή τους ζωή, καθώς και τους παράγοντες που επιδρούν σε αυτήν, θετικά ή αρνητικά. Για τους σκοπούς αυτούς, επιλέχθηκε ως καταλληλότερη η ποιοτική προσέγγιση στην έρευνα. Ειδικότερα, αξιοποιήθηκε η μέθοδος photovoice, που περιλαμβάνει τη λήψη φωτογραφιών από τους συμμετέχοντες/ουσες και τη διενέργεια ομάδων εστίασης. Οι συμμετέχοντες ήταν 25 μαθήτριες και μαθητές Γυμνασίου και Λυκείου, από σχολεία της περιφέρειας Αττικής, ηλικίας 14-16 ετών. Τα δεδομένα που συλλέχθηκαν, αναλύθηκαν με τη μέθοδο της θεματικής ανάλυσης. Τα ευρήματα που παράχθηκαν δείχνουν ότι για τους εφήβους η ψυχική ευεξία είναι μία σύνθετη έννοια, που αποτελείται από πολλά και διαφορετικά στοιχεία: αγαπημένα και σημαντικά πρόσωπα (κυρίως φίλοι και οικογένεια), θετικά προσωπικά χαρακτηριστικά, ωραίες στιγμές μέσα από δραστηριότητες, όμορφες εικόνες και βιώματα στη φύση ή στην πόλη, αγαπημένα κατοικίδια ζώα, σημαντικές αξίες και στόχους. Ο ρόλος του σχολείου φάνηκε να είναι θετικός όταν εμπεριέχει στοιχεία όπως η ύπαρξη φίλων και η παρουσία υποστηρικτικών εκπαιδευτικών. Επιπρόσθετα, οι έφηβοι μίλησαν και για όσα τους δυσκολεύουν, τους προκαλούν δυσάρεστα συναισθήματα ή τους προβληματίζουν. Τα συμπεράσματα που προέκυψαν, μπορούν να αξιοποιηθούν για την προαγωγή και ενίσχυση της ψυχικής ευεξίας των εφήβων σε πολλούς τομείς της ζωής τους.The present thesis attempts to research and understand how adolescents experience, apprehend and make meaning of wellbeing in their daily lives, as well as the factors that impact on their wellbeing, positively or negatively. For these purposes, the qualitative research approach was chosen as the most appropriate one. More specifically, the method of photovoice was applied, which includes the taking of photographs by the participants and the conduct of focus groups. The participants of the present research were 25 secondary school students (female and male, ages 14-16 years old) from schools in Attiki district. The collected data were analyzed via the method of thematic analysis. According to the produced findings, the adolescents participated in this research, believe that wellbeing is a complex concept that consists of various and different elements: beloved and important persons (mostly friends and family), positive personal characteristics, pleasant moments of various activities, beautiful pictures and experiences in natural or urban landscapes, favorite pets, important values and aspirations. The role of school appeared to be positive when it includes elements such as the existence of friends and supportive teachers. Also, the participants spoke about negative factors, that cause them unpleasant feelings and concern. The conclusions drawn from this research, can be used in order to promote and enhance the wellbeing of adolescents in various aspects of their lives

Use of Machine Learning for energy efficiency in present and future mobile networks

© 2019 IEEE. Personal use of this material is permitted. Permission from IEEE must be obtained for all other uses, in any current or future media, including reprinting/republishing this material for advertising or promotional purposes, creating new collective works, for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or reuse of any copyrighted component of this work in other works.Given the current evolution trends in mobile cellular networks, which is approaching us towards the future 5G paradigm, novel techniques for network management are in the agenda. Machine Learning techniques are useful for extracting knowledge out of raw data; knowledge that can be applied to improving the experience in the operation of such systems. This paper proposes the use of Machine Learning applied to energy efficiency, which is set to be one major challenge in future network deployments. By studying the cell-level traces collected in a real network, we can study traffic patterns and derive predictive models for different cell load metrics with the aid of different machine learning techniques. Such models are applied into a simulation environment designed to test different algorithms which, according to cell load predictions, dynamically switch on and off base stations with the aim of providing energy savings in a mobile cellular network.Postprint (author's final draft

Σχεδιασμός και οργάνωση παρεμβάσεων μετά την κρίση σε σχολικό περιβάλλον

Η παρούσα εργασία ασχολείται με τον σχεδιασμό και την οργάνωση παρεμβάσεων μετά από την κρίση σε σχολικό περιβάλλον. Αρχικά, περιγράφεται τι είναι κρίση και στη συνέχεια, παρουσιάζονται αναλυτικά τα είδη και τα στάδιά της. Συγκεκριμένα, προβάλλεται η σχολική κρίση και οι επιπτώσεις που μπορεί να προκαλέσει τόσο στους μαθητές όσο και στο διδακτικό- διοικητικό προσωπικό μιας σχολικής μονάδας. Φυσικά, ο βαθμός επίδρασης μιας κρίσης στην ψυχική υγεία ενός ατόμου επηρεάζεται από τους ψυχολογικούς μηχανισμούς αντιμετώπισης που διαθέτει. Ακολούθως, σχολιάζεται και αξιολογείται ο τρόπος σύνθεσης και λειτουργίας μιας σχολικής ομάδας διαχείρισης κρίσεων. Τελειώνοντας, παρατίθενται οι πρώτες ενέργειες που γίνονται στο σχολείο μετά την κρίση για την ανακούφιση των θυμάτων της. Απαριθμούνται οι βασικές αρχές πρώτων βοηθειών ψυχικής υγείας ενώ, παράλληλα, τονίζεται ο ρόλος του σχολείου και του εκπαιδευτικού σχετικά με την παρέμβαση μετά την κρίση στο σχολείο.This paper deals with the design and organization of assistance after the crisis in the school environment. Initially, it describes what a crisis is and then the types and stages are presented in detail. Specifically, it displays the school crisis and the effects that it can cause to both the pupils and the educational- administrative staff of a school unit. Of course, the degree of impact of a crisis on the mental health of an individual is affected by psychological coping mechanisms available. Then discussed and evaluated are the composition and operation of a school crisis management team. Finally, the first steps are made out to the school after the crisis for the relief of the victims. Listed are the basic mental health first aid principles while at the same time emphasizing the role of the school and the teacher on intervention after the crisis at school

5G infrastructures supporting end-user and operational services:The 5G-XHaul architectural perspective

We propose an optical-wireless 5G infrastructure offering converged fronthauling/backhauling functions to support both operational and end-user cloud services. A layered architectural structure required to efficiently support these services is shown. The data plane performance of the proposed infrastructure is evaluated in terms of energy consumption and service delay through a novel modelling framework. Our modelling results show that the proposed architecture can offer significant energy savings but there is a clear trade-off between overall energy consumption and service delay.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Deliverable D2.1 - Ecosystem analysis and 6G-SANDBOX facility design

This document provides a comprehensive overview of the core aspects of the 6G-SANDBOX project. It outlines the project's vision, objectives, and the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and Key Value Indicators (KVIs) targeted for achievement. The functional and non-functional requirements of the 6G-SANDBOX Facility are extensively presented, based on a proposed reference blueprint. A detailed description of the updated reference architecture of the facility is provided, considering the requirements outlined. The document explores the experimentation framework, including the lifecycle of experiments and the methodology for validating KPIs and KVIs. It presents the key technologies and use case enablers towards 6G that will be offered within the trial networks. Each of the platforms constituting the 6G-SANDBOX Facility is described, along with the necessary enhancements to align them with the project's vision in terms of hardware, software updates, and functional improvements