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The determination of time for grape harvest is probably the most important decision for wine making producers, because grapes are not climacteric fruits and if they are harvested before fully ripe their quality is compromised. This is because sugar content, aroma and color compounds increase only before harvest for non-climacteric fruits. The current practice for determining berry ripeness includes measurements of berry samples for total soluble solids (TSS) and pH, but this procedure is time consuming and laborious. On the other hand, with the development of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and modern ultralight cameras the grower can now obtain data rapidly and also spatial information for crop's physiological status at farm scale. Berry samples were collected from grapevines (cv. Malagousia) and their reflectance spectra were used to estimate TSS and pH by Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) and Support Vector Machine (SVM). The highest classification accuracy was achieved using the SVM model. Moreover, berries taken by grapevines with low Carotenoid Reflectance Index 2 (CRI2) had higher TSS, pH and terpenes, and gave wine with higher alcohol by volume. The importance for constructing a model for predicting TSS in berries is obvious, because this can aid in the prediction of wine quality. The current work is a preliminary compilation of methodologies for making a monitoring tool of berry ripeness, using statistical techniques, remote sensing and crop physiological data.

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Parents of autistic children experience high levels of parental stress and low quality of life related to the demanding child caring burden they experience. Parent education and training programs are acknowledged to improve parental well-being and reduce parenting stress. In the framework of the Erasmus+ Integrative Autism Parents Training Project (IPAT), we developed the IPAT Training Module based on parents' expressed needs, in order to improve parental quality of life (QoL) and decrease their perceived stress. Sixty-two parents from four countries participated in the IPAT Module Training activity. We used WHOQOL-BREF and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10 version) for QoL and stress, respectively, before and after training and a study-specific questionnaire to assess participants' satisfaction. Parents' QoL improved significantly in the environment domain and specific items, while stress levels remained unmodified. Training appeared more advantageous for parents with lower initial QoL and those whose child had been enrolled in a special education program for an extended duration. Parents were quite satisfied, in particular those with lower initial social relationships QoL. Larger studies including a control group are necessary to support preliminary evidence provided by this study, identify additional effect moderators, and disentangle the contribution of different components of the training.

Chelmos-Vouraikos National Park is a floristic diversity and endemism hotspot in Greece and one of the main areas where Greek endemic taxa, preliminary assessed as critically endangered and threatened under the IUCN Criteria A and B, are mainly concentrated. The climate and land-cover change impacts on rare and endemic species distributions is more prominent in regional biodiversity hotspots. The main aims of the current study were: (a) to investigate how climate and land-cover change may alter the distribution of four single mountain endemics and three very rare Peloponnesian endemic taxa of the National Park via a species distribution modelling approach, and (b) to estimate the current and future extinction risk of the aforementioned taxa based on the IUCN Criteria A and B, in order to investigate the need for designing an effective plant micro-reserve network and to support decision making on spatial planning efforts and conservation research for a sustainable, integrated management. Most of the taxa analyzed are expected to continue to be considered as critically endangered based on both Criteria A and B under all land-cover/land-use scenarios, GCM/RCP and time-period combinations, while two, namely Alchemilla aroanica and Silene conglomeratica, are projected to become extinct in most future climate change scenarios. When land-cover/land-use data were included in the analyses, these negative effects were less pronounced. However, Silene conglomeratica , the rarest mountain endemic found in the study area, is still expected to face substantial range decline. Our results highlight the urgent need for the establishment of micro-reserves for these taxa., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Sideritis clandestina (Bory & Chaub.) Hayek subsp. peloponnesiaca (Boiss. & Heldr.) Baden (SCP) is endemic to the mountains of the Northern Peloponnese (Greece). This and other Sideritis taxa, collectively known as mountain tea, are widely ingested as beverages for refreshment or medicinal purposes. We describe a methodology for the characterization of SCP. Four iridoid glycosides (monomelittoside, melittoside, ajugoside, and 7-O-acetyl-8-epiloganic acid), two phenolic acid glycosides (vanillic and salicylic acid glycosides), and three caffeoyl ester glycosides (chlorogenic acid, verbascoside, and isoverbascoside) were isolated from SCP for the first time. We used ultrasound-assisted extraction of 3 g of plant material to produce petroleum ether and aqueous extracts, which we then analyzed using GC/MS and LC/MS. This was applied to eight samples from four different taxa. In total, 70 volatile and 27 polar metabolites were determined. The S. clandestina samples had a lower phenolic content and weaker antioxidant properties than S. raeseri and S. scardica . However, S. clandestina ssp. clandestina seemed to be the most aromatic taxon, with almost double the number of volatiles as the others. Τhis study could contribute to authentication and chemotaxonomic studies of Sideritis taxa.

Background Smoking presents a strong association between emotional intelligence and increased anxiety and depression. Empathy is a form of perception where people feel the emotional states of others as their own. The act of smoking expresses indifference to social norms and the health of nonsmokers, which speaks to smokers' psychology. We conducted this study to identify the impact of smoking in psychology, empathy, and smoking behavior and examine the effect of smokers' psychological characteristics and empathy toward smoking in enclosed public spaces and in front of nonsmokers. Methodology A primary, quantitative, synchronous, correlational, and nonexperimental research was accomplished using validated, reliable questionnaires. We used random sampling to acquire the study population consisting of 453 employees of public dining areas, owners of public dining areas, and medical and nonmedical students at the University of Larissa, Greece. Data were collected via self-completed questionnaires on participant demographic information and smoking habits. We used SPSS Statistics for Windows, version 24.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY) to analyze the data with significance set at 5%. We also used independent samples t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, Spearman's coefficient, chi-square test, and factorial analysis of variance with significance set at 5%. Results We found high levels of empathy in smokers with low psychosomatic symptoms. Smoking significantly affected levels of empathy (p<.001), annoyance when they are in a place where smoking is prohibited, someone else smoking (p<.001), recommendations of someone who smokes in a nonsmoking area to quit (p<.001), and hostility (p<.001). There was a statistically significant effect of double interaction sample category and smoking on empathy (p<.001). Smoking more than 15 cigarettes affected the levels of agreement in the perception that nonsmokers around them are bothered when they smoke (p=.004) and anxiety (p=.002). Perceptions about the annoyance of nonsmokers were negatively correlated with interpersonal sensitivity (p=.003), depression (p<.001), anxiety (p=.003), hostility (p<.001), paranoid ideation (p=.005), psychoticism (p=.001), and Global Severity Index (p=.006). Annoyance, when smoking is prohibited, was positively correlated with empathy (p=.001) while negatively correlated with somatization (p=.012) and hostility (p=.013). Smoking in prohibited places was related to somatization (p=.032), hostility (p<.001), and paranoid ideation (p=.001). Conclusions The purpose of this study was to examine the empathy and psychopathological characteristics of smokers in Greece. Smokers presented high levels of hostility and those who smoke more than 15 cigarettes per day indicated higher levels of anxiety than those who smoke less or not at all. Lower levels of empathy appeared in smokers, regardless of occupation. Smokers presented lower levels of annoyance when they are in a place where smoking is prohibited and someone else smokes. Participants with higher somatization, hostility, and lower empathy are less bothered when they are in a place where smoking is prohibited and someone else smokes. These findings could assist the development of communication materials aimed at smokers to help them understand that others nearby do not enjoy their smoking practices, especially in an enclosed area. These findings could also facilitate feasible antismoking laws with an overall goal to reduce smoking in a population., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2022, Iatrou et al.)

Background Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a potentially life-threatening disease with both physical and psychological impacts. The psychological distress in the early phase of the disease has not been previously studied in the literature.  Methods The study sample included patients with PE with or without deep vein thrombosis. All subjects included in the study prospectively completed the Symptom Checklist-90-R (SCL-90-R) questionnaire, the Heartland Forgiveness Scale (HFS), and the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS) during their hospitalization for PE. Results Forty-four PE patients were included in the study (59.1% males). The mean age was 62.27±15.03 years. The majority (77.3%) had at least one comorbidity with 9.1% previously diagnosed with depression. The Total Global Severity Index (GSI) score for SCL-90-R was 82.42±49.70 while 36.4% of subjects had a high "Obsessive-compulsive" score, 22.7% had a high "Depression" score, and 22.7% presented a high "Hostility" score. The total HFS score was 45.54±40.42 with 54.5% of patients classified as "usually forgiving." The mean SCS score was 2.05±0.65 with 59.1% of patients presenting moderate self-compassion while 18.2% had low self-compassion. The total SCS score was correlated with the total GSI score (p=0.005, r=-0.576) and total HFS score (p=0.005, r=0.675). The SCS Self-kindness score correlated with interpersonal sensitivity (p=0.024, r=-0.479), depression (p=0.008, r=-0.551), and GSI score (p=0.049, r=-0.425). Self-judgement correlated with paranoid ideation (p=0.044, r=-0.467), hostility (p=0.007, r=-0.597), and GSI (p=0.027, r=-0.505). Isolation correlated with interpersonal sensitivity (p=0.026, r=-0.509), anxiety (p=0.014, r=-0.553), hostility (p=0.032, r=-0.494), paranoid ideation (p=0.026, r=-0.509), and GSI (p=0.015, r=-0.548). The total SCS score correlated with anxiety (p=0.041, r=-0.438). SCS Self-kindness score correlated significantly with total HFS score (p=0.002, r=0.613), forgiveness of self (p=0.011, r=0.528), forgiveness of others (p=0.008, r=0.550), and forgiveness of situations (p=0.004. r=0.587). Common humanity was significantly correlated with total HFS score (p=0.023, r=0.481), forgiveness of others (p=0.033, r=0.456), and forgiveness of situations (p=0.016, r=0.507). Mindfulness was positively correlated with HFS total score (p=0.009, r=0.544), forgiveness of self (p=0.049, r=0.424), forgiveness of others (p=0.012, r=0.525), and forgiveness of situations (p=0.013, r=0.520). Conclusions We report for the first time that patients acutely hospitalized for PE present symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression, and hostility and exhibit moderate self-compassion. The marginal majority of PE patients are "usually forgiving" during the acute phase of the disease. Self-compassion is positively associated with forgiveness and negatively associated with psychiatric symptoms. Further studies are warranted in order to assess longitudinal differences in psychometric scores and the possible result of targeted mental health interventions at PE-specific clinical outcomes., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2021, Malli et al.)

Salvia pomifera subsp. calycina (Sm.) Hayek (Lamiaceae), is an Eastern Mediterranean element, which is used in traditional medicine and cuisine in the same manner as S. fruticosa Mill. and S. officinalis L.. The essential oil (EO) and the extracts of S. pomifera possess bioactive compounds with anti-proliferative, anticholinesterase, antioxidant, antiviral and antifungal properties. In this study, the chemical (EO), genetic (DNA microsatellites, SSRs) and morphological diversity of forty-nine individuals of Salvia pomifera subsp. calycina, originating from five natural populations of the Peloponnese (Greece) were determined, in order to explore the potential for successful breeding and to reveal tools and biomarkers for identification and authentication. Chemical and genetic analyses revealed high levels of variation both within and among populations, while morphological analysis mainly within populations. Essential oil yield ranged from 1.79 to 5.79 ml 100 g -1 dry wt, among individuals while β-thujone ranged from 6.04 to 64.75%. Consistency was found in the EO yield and composition of specific individuals, when sampled during the same period, for three consecutive years, while the analysis during spring and summer months showed differentiation that still retained individual's discrimination. Genetic analysis using SSRs showed that the observed population heterozygosity (H o ) ranged from 0.48 to 0.67, while high number of private alleles were revealed in all populations. Considerable genetic differentiation was observed among the three Salvia taxa (S. pomifera subsp. calycina, S. fruticosa, S. officinalis) (Fst values ranged from 0.27 to 0.48) and lower among S. pomifera subsp. calycina populations (Fst values ranged from 0.06 to 0.13). The great variation that was revealed in all measured traits, in combination with the demonstrated, genetically based, consistency of their EO yield and composition, advocates to a successful breeding, whereas SSR genotyping presents a strong identification and authentication tool., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The massive decline in biodiversity due to anthropogenic threats has led to the emergence of conservation as one of the central goals in modern biology. Conservation strategies are urgently needed for addressing the ongoing loss of plant diversity. The Mediterranean basin, and especially the Mediterranean islands, host numerous rare and threatened plants in need of urgent conservation actions. In this study, we assess the current conservation status of Micromeria browiczii , a local endemic to Zakynthos Island (Ionian Islands, Greece), and estimate its future risk of extinction by compiling and assessing scientific information on geographical distribution, population dynamics and reproductive biology. The population size and the geographical distribution of the species were monitored for five years. The current population of the species consists of 15 subpopulations. Considerable annual fluctuation of population size was detected. The species is assessed as Endangered according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature threat categories. According to population viability analysis results, its extinction risk was estimated to be 5.6% over the next 50 years, when six of the fifteen subpopulations (40%) might become extinct. The investigation of certain aspects of the species' biology yielded important data necessary to identify critical aspects for its survival and to propose conservation measures.

Asperula naufraga is a rare and threatened obligate chasmophyte, endemic to Zakynthos island (Ionian islands, Greece). In this study, we provide a combined approach (including monitoring of demographic and reproductive parameters and study of genetic diversity) to assess the current conservation status of the species and to estimate its future extinction risk. The five subpopulations of A. naufraga were monitored for five years (2014-2018). Population size markedly fluctuated between 68-130 mature individuals during the monitoring period. The extent of occurrence (EOO) was estimated at 28.7 km2 and the area of occupancy (AOO) was 8 km2. Stage-structure recordings were similar for all subpopulations, characterized by high proportions of adult and senescent individuals, following a common pattern, which has been observed in other cliff-dwelling plants. Preliminary genetic analysis with SSRs markers revealed low heterozygosity within subpopulations and significant departure from H-W equilibrium, which combined with small population size suggest increased threat of genetic diversity loss. Our results indicate that the species should be placed in the Critically Endangered (CR) IUCN threat category, while according to Population Viability Analysis results its extinction risk increases to 47.8% in the next 50 years. The small population size combined with large fluctuations in its size, low recruitment and low genetic diversity, indicate the need of undertaking effective in situ and ex situ conservation measures., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Hypericum perforatum has plenty of uses in traditional medicine and is the source of top-selling herbal drugs and food supplements. The secondary metabolite chemistry for most of the nearly 500 Hypericum taxa is still unknown, even though they are used interchangeably. In the present study, we characterized four Hypericum populations from Achaia, Greece, belonging to H. perforatum ssp. veronense, H. perfoliatum, H. triquetrifolium, and an uninvestigated taxon, H. empetrifolium ssp. empetrifolium, in terms of their essential oils and polar bioactives in methanolic extracts via GC-MS, LC-HRMS, LC-DAD-MS, and HPLC-DAD. We also performed sequence analysis of nrITS to explore the genetic profile of these taxa and to examine whether their genotype is correlated to the metabolome. Sixty-three non-volatile compounds, phloroglucinols in their majority, and over one hundred (113) volatiles, mostly sesqui- and mono- terpenes, were detected. The concentration of the major polar constituents varied greatly among samples. In particular, phloroglucinols' diversity and abundance in H. empetrifolium ssp. empetrifolium was remarkable. The PCA and Biplot analysis revealed the contribution of each compound to the total chemodiversity and also revealed certain compounds that contribute to the discrimination of the samples. Sequence analysis of nrITS revealed different genetic profiles and markers which can be used for the identification of the four Hypericum taxa. The Mantel test showed a relatively strong correlation between the genetic profile and the volatile compounds and low with the main polar metabolites., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In this research, a model for the estimation of antioxidant content in cherry fruits from multispectral imagery acquired from drones was developed, based on machine learning methods. For two consecutive cultivation years, the trees were sampled on different dates and then analysed for their fruits' radical scavenging activity (DPPH) and Folin-Ciocalteu (FCR) reducing capacity. Multispectral images from unmanned aerial vehicles were acquired on the same dates with fruit sampling. Soil samples were collected throughout the study fields at the end of the season. Topographic, hydrographic and weather data also were included in modelling. First-year data were used for model-fitting, whereas second-year data for testing. Spatial autocorrelation tests indicated unbiased sampling and, moreover, allowed restriction of modelling input parameters to a smaller group. The optimum model employs 24 input variables resulting in a 6.74 root mean square error. Provided that soil profiles and other ancillary data are known in advance of the cultivation season, capturing drone images in critical growth phases, together with contemporary weather data, can support site- and time-specific harvesting. It could also support site-specific treatments (precision farming) for improving fruit quality in the long-term, with analogous marketing perspectives.