Search results for: Chrysovalantou Antonopoulou

Authors: Christos Chatzissavvidis, Christina Topali, Chrysovalantou Antonopoulou, Vasileios Takavakoglou, Efstratios Psarianos, Eleanna Pana, Dimitrios Karpouzos, Pantazis Georgiou

Abstract:

Olive (Olea europaea L.) culture in the Mediterranean basin faces significant challenges due to climate change, soil degradation, and the decline in biodiversity as a result of using agrochemicals. The effects of climate change are particularly severe because of the intense competition among plants for natural resources such as land, water, and available nutrients. Climate change, manifested through extreme weather events, drought periods, and high temperatures, directly affects the biological cycle of olive trees. As a result, critical processes such as bud differentiation, flowering, fruit set, and alternate bearing are adversely impacted. Consequently, in combination with other factors, the phenomenon of fruitlessness is increasingly observed in olive orchards of several regions. Addressing these challenges necessitates innovative and sustainable agricultural practices, among which biostimulants have emerged as a promising solution. Biostimulants, comprising natural substances or microorganisms, enhance plant growth, resilience, and productivity. Moreover, they promote root development, increase soil water retention, and boost microbial activity, thereby improving nutrient availability for plants. Acting as signal messengers such as phytohormones, biostimulants strengthen plants’ tolerance to abiotic stresses. Furthermore, their application has been shown to improve the qualitative characteristics of olive oil, making them an appealing alternative for sustainable farming practices. This study investigates the effect of biostimulant formulations on the vegetative growth, flowering and fruit set of olive (cv. Kolovi) trees, on the island of Lesvos, Greece. Six categories of biostimulants (algae extracts, amino acids, humic acids, glycinebetaine, microorganisms, and plant growth regulators) were applied foliarly once in two olive orchards, one with pruned and the other with unpruned trees. The preliminary results of the first application period in May 2024 revealed that treatments with humic acids and algae extracts significantly improved vegetative growth in both orchards. Humic acid-treated trees presented the highest new shoot length, while algae extract-treated trees exhibited the greatest number of new leaves in the pruned orchard. Regarding reproductive development, the application of glycine-betaine led to the highest fruit setting in the unpruned orchard, while amino acid and microorganism treatments gave consistently the highest numbers of flowers in both orchards, compared to other treatments. All biostimulants treatments presented consistently highest values in all tested parameters, as compared to control, highlighting the positive impact of these products on olive tree performance. These initial research findings underscore the potential use of biostimulants, particularly humic acids, algae extracts, and glycine-betaine, as sustainable alternatives to conventional farming practices. Their ability to enhance vegetative growth, flowering, and fruit set offers a promising pathway to improving olive tree resilience and productivity amidst ongoing environmental challenges. This research is implemented by the Operational Group OLIVEUP (Μ16SΥΝ2-00066), and co-funded by European Union and Greece under the RDP 2014-2020

Keywords: climate change, plant physiology, resilience, stress, sustainable practices

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Authors: Koutsopoulou Ioanna, Gkintoni Evgenia, Halkiopoulos Constantinos, Antonopoulou Hera

Abstract:

Recent advances in Internet Computer Technology (ICT) and the ever-increasing use of technological equipment amongst adolescents and young adults along with unattended access to the internet and social media and uncontrolled use of smart phones and PCs have caused social problems like sexting to emerge. The main purpose of the present article is first to present an analytic theoretical framework of sexting as a recent social phenomenon based on studies that have been conducted the last decade or so; and second to investigate Greek students’ and also social network users, sexting perceptions and to record how often social media users exchange sexual messages and to retrace demographic variables predictors. Data from 1,000 students were collected and analyzed and all statistical analysis was done by the software package WEKA. The results indicate among others, that the use of data mining methods is an important tool to draw conclusions that could affect decision and policy making especially in the field and related social topics of educational psychology. To sum up, sexting lurks many risks for adolescents and young adults students in Greece and needs to be better addressed in relevance to the stakeholders as well as society in general. Furthermore, policy makers, legislation makers and authorities will have to take action to protect minors. Prevention strategies based on Greek cultural specificities are being proposed. This social problem has raised concerns in recent years and will most likely escalate concerns in global communities in the future.

Keywords: educational ethics, sexting, Greek sexters, sex education, data mining

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Authors: Halkiopoulos Constantinos, Gkintoni Evgenia, Koutsopoulou Ioanna, Antonopoulou Hera

Abstract:

E-sports and e-gaming have emerged in recent years since the increase in internet use have become universal and e-gamers are the new reality in our homes. The excessive involvement of young adults with e-sports has already been revealed and the adverse consequences have been reported in researches in the past few years, but the issue has not been fully studied yet. The present research is conducted in Greece and studies the psychological profile of video game players and provides information on personality traits, habits and emotional status that affect online gamers’ behaviors in order to help professionals and policy makers address the problem. Three standardized self-report questionnaires were administered to participants who were young male and female adults aged from 19-26 years old. The Profile of Mood States (POMS) scale was used to evaluate people’s perceptions of their everyday life mood; the personality features that can trace back to people’s habits and anticipated reactions were measured by Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ), and the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (TEIQue) was used to measure which cognitive (gamers’ beliefs) and emotional parameters (gamers’ emotional abilities) mainly affected/ predicted gamers’ behaviors and leisure time activities?/ gaming behaviors. Data mining techniques were used to analyze the data, which resulted in machine learning algorithms that were included in the software package R. The research findings attempt to designate the effect of personality traits, emotional status and emotional intelligence influence and correlation with e-sports, gamers’ behaviors and help policy makers and stakeholders take action, shape social policy and prevent the adverse consequences on young adults. The need for further research, prevention and treatment strategies is also addressed.

Keywords: e-sports, e-gamers, personality traits, POMS, emotional intelligence, data mining, R

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Authors: Halkiopoulos Constantinos, Koutsopoulou Ioanna, Gkintoni Evgenia, Antonopoulou Hera

Abstract:

Immunization appears to be an essential part of health care service in times of pandemics such as covid-19 and aims not only to protect the health of the population but also the health and sustainability of the economies of the countries affected. It is reported that more than 3.44 billion doses have been administered so far, which accounts for 45 doses for 100 people. Vaccination programs in various countries have been promoted and accepted by people differently and therefore they proceeded in different ways and speed; most countries directing them towards people with vulnerable chronic or recent health statuses. Large scale restriction measures or lockdown, personal protection measures such as masks and gloves and a decrease in leisure and sports activities were also implemented around the world as part of the protection health strategies against the covid-19 pandemic. This research aims to present an analysis based on variations on people’s attitudes towards vaccination based on demographic, social and epidemiological characteristics, and health status on the one hand and perception of health, health satisfaction, pain, and quality of life on the other hand. 1500 Greek e-consumers participated in the research, mainly through social media who took part in an online-based survey voluntarily. The questionnaires included demographic, social and medical characteristics of the participants, and questions asking people’s willingness to be vaccinated and their opinion on whether there should be a vaccine against covid-19. Other stressor factors were also reported in the questionnaires and participants’ loss of someone close due to covid-19, or staying at home quarantine due to being infected from covid-19. WHOQUOL-BREF and GLOBAL PSYCHOTRAUMA SCREEN- GPS were used with kind permission from WHO and from the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies in this study. Attitudes towards vaccination varied significantly related to aging, level of education, health status and consumer behavior. Health professionals’ attitudes also varied in relation to age, level of education, profession, health status and consumer needs. Vaccines have been the most common technological aid of human civilization so far in the fight against viruses. The results of this study can be used for health managers and digital marketers of pharmaceutical companies and also other staff involved in vaccination programs and for designing health policy immunization strategies during pandemics in order to achieve positive attitudes towards vaccination and larger populations being vaccinated in shorter periods of time after the break out of pandemic. Health staff needs to be trained, aided and supervised to go through with vaccination programs and to be protected through vaccination programs themselves. Feedback in each country’s vaccination program, short backs, deficiencies and delays should be addressed and worked out.

Keywords: consumer behavior, cognitive models, vaccination policy, pandemic, Covid-19, Greece

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