Source apportionment of ultrafine particles in urban Europe.

There is a body of evidence that ultrafine particles (UFP, those with diameters ≤ 100 nm) might have significant impacts on health. Accordingly, identifying sources of UFP is essential to develop abatement policies. This study focuses on urban Europe, and aims at identifying sources and quantifying their contributions to particle number size distribution (PNSD) using receptor modelling (Positive Matrix Factorization, PMF), and evaluating long-term trends of these source contributions using the non-parametric Theil-Sen's method.

Impact of peri-urban forest fires on air quality and aerosol optical and chemical properties: The case of the August 2021 wildfires in Athens, Greece.

Wildfires occurring near urban areas are known to have exceedingly detrimental impacts on the environment, air quality, economy and human health. In this framework, this study examines the effects of peri-urban forest fires on atmospheric chemical composition, and aerosol physical-optical properties in Athens, Greece, during August 2021. Satellite imagery and air mass trajectories showed advection of intense smoke plumes over Athens from three forest fires persisting for 10 days in the greater Athens area and in Central Greece (Euboea).

Spatiotemporal Gradients of PAH Concentrations in Greek Cities and Associated Exposure Impacts.

To study the spatiotemporal variability of particle-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and assess their carcinogenic potential in six contrasting urban environments in Greece, a total of 305 filter samples were collected and analyzed. Sampling sites included a variety of urban background, traffic (Athens, Ioannina and Heraklion), rural (Xanthi) and near-port locations (Piraeus and Volos). When considering the sum of 16 U.

Beyond the Finish Line: Examining the Role of Children in Marathon Races-A Narrative Review.

Compared with other sports, running is popular sport for children throughout the world. Over the last few decades, marathon running has become increasingly popular even in the age group below 18 years. While the majority of youth athletes fall within the 16-18 age range, it is noteworthy that there are also participants younger than 12 years engaging in marathon races.

Inter-annual trends of ultrafine particles in urban Europe.

Ultrafine particles (UFP, those with diameters ≤ 100 nm), have been reported to potentially penetrate deeply into the respiratory system, translocate through the alveoli, and affect various organs, potentially correlating with increased mortality. The aim of this study is to assess long-term trends (5-11 years) in mostly urban UFP concentrations based on measurements of particle number size distributions (PNSD). Additionally, concentrations of other pollutants and meteorological variables were evaluated to support the interpretations.

Source apportionment of fine and ultrafine particle number concentrations in a major city of the Eastern Mediterranean.

Ultrafine particles (UFP) are recognized as an emerging pollutant able to induce serious health effects. However, quantitative information regarding the contributions of UFP sources is generally limited. This study evaluates statistical (k-means clustering) and receptor models (Positive Matrix Factorization - PMF) using particle number size distributions (PNSD), along with chemical speciation data, measured at an urban background supersite in Athens, Greece, aiming to characterize their sources.

Cooking as an organic aerosol source leading to urban air quality degradation.

Air quality degradation events in the urban environment are often attributed to anthropogenic aerosol sources related to combustion of liquid or solid fuels in various activities. The effects of massive cooking emissions during Greek nationwide traditional festivities were investigated by a combined characterization of particulate matter (PM) levels and organic aerosol (OA) sources. Focus was centered on periods around two major festivities, namely "Fat Thursday" and Easter Sunday along six different years.

Technology Innovation and Guardrails in Elite Sport: The Future is Now.

A growing number of companies are developing or using wearable sensor technologies that can monitor, analyse and transmit data from humans in real time that can be used by the sporting, biomedical and media industries. To explore this phenomenon, we describe and review two high-profile sporting events where innovations in wearable technologies were trialled: the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic Games (Tokyo 2020, Japan) and the 2022 adidas Road to Records (Germany). These two major sporting events were the first time academic and industry partners came together to implement real-time wearable solutions during major competition, to protect the health of athletes competing in hot and humid environments, as well as to better understand how these metrics can be used moving forwards.

Neurobiomarker and body temperature responses to recreational marathon running.

Objectives: To assess how biomarkers indicating central nervous system insult (neurobiomarkers) vary in peripheral blood with exertional-heat stress from prolonged endurance exercise.

Design: Observational study of changes in neuron specific enolase (NSE), S100 calcium-binding protein B (S100β), Glial Fibrillary Acid Protein (GFAP) and Ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase isozyme L1 (UCHL1) at Brighton Marathon 2022.

Methods: In 38 marathoners with in-race core temperature (Tc) monitoring, exposure (High, Intermediate or Low) was classified by cumulative hyperthermia - calculated as area under curve of Time × Tc > 38 °C - and also by running duration (finishing time).

A direct method to quantify methanol-soluble organic carbon for brown carbon absorption studies.

The current research provides a newly developed method to quantify methanol-soluble organic carbon (MeS_OC) in aerosol samples. This analytical procedure allows an accurate separation of MeS-OC component, which is critical for the calculation of mass absorption efficiency (MAE) of ambient Brown Carbon (BrC) and consequently its climate relevant potential. The method includes extraction, filtering and condensation stages, leading to the preparation of a highly concentrated product in which MeS-OC can be precisely quantified by a Sunset Carbon Analyzer in a single analysis step.

Brown carbon absorption and radiative effects under intense residential wood burning conditions in Southeastern Europe: New insights into the abundance and absorptivity of methanol-soluble organic aerosols.

Biomass burning is a major source of Brown Carbon (BrC), strongly contributing to radiative forcing. In urban areas of the climate-sensitive Southeastern European region, where strong emissions from residential wood burning (RWB) are reported, radiative impacts of carbonaceous aerosols remain largely unknown. This study examines the absorption properties of water- and methanol-soluble organic carbon (WSOC, MeS_OC) in a city (Ioannina, Greece) heavily impacted by RWB.

Maternal risk factors vary between subpopulations of children with autism spectrum disorder.

Previous work identified three subgroups of children with ASD based upon co-occurring conditions (COCs) diagnosed during the first 5 years of life. This work examines prenatal risk factors, given by maternal medical claims, for each of the three subgroups: children with a High-Prevalence of COCs, children with mainly developmental delay and seizures (DD/Seizure COCs), and children with a Low-Prevalence of COCs. While some risk factors are shared by all three subgroups, the majority of the factors identified for each subgroup were unique; infections, anti-inflammatory and other complex medications were associated with the High-Prevalence COCs group; immune deregulatory conditions such as asthma and joint disorders were associated with the DD/Seizure COCs group; and overall pregnancy complications were associated with the Low-Prevalence COCs group.

Serial vs. Integrated Outdoor Combined Training Programs for Health Promotion in Middle-Aged Males.

The purpose of this study was to examine and compare the training and detraining effects of outdoor serial and integrated combined exercise programs on health, functional capacity, and physical fitness indices. Fifty-one untrained overweight/obese males (47 ± 4 years) were divided into a serial combined (SCG), an integrated combined (ICG), or a control (CG) group. The SCG and ICG implemented a 3-month training (3 sessions/week) consisting of walking and body weight exercises.

Pregnant Mothers' Medical Claims and Associated Risk of Their Children being Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

A retrospective analysis of administrative claims containing a diverse mixture of ages, ethnicities, and geographical regions across the United States was conducted in order to identify medical events that occur during pregnancy and are associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The dataset used in this study is comprised of 123,824 pregnancies of which 1265 resulted in the child being diagnosed with ASD during the first five years of life. Logistic regression analysis revealed significant relationships between several maternal medical claims, made during her pregnancy and segmented by trimester, and the child's diagnosis of ASD.

Apportionment of black and brown carbon spectral absorption sources in the urban environment of Athens, Greece, during winter.

This study examines the spectral properties and source characteristics of absorbing aerosols (BC: Black Carbon; BrC: Brown Carbon, based on aethalometer measurements) in the urban background of Athens during December 2016-February 2017. Using common assumptions regarding the spectral dependence of absorption due to BC (AAE = 1) and biomass burning (AAE = 2), and calculating an optimal AAE value for the dataset (1.18), the total spectral absorption was decomposed into five components, corresponding to absorption of BC and BrC from fossil-fuel (ff) combustion and biomass burning (bb), and to secondary BrC estimated using the BC-tracer minimum R-squared (MRS) method.

Anti-doping and other sport integrity challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has had an unprecedent impact on the world of sport and society at large. Many of the challenges with respect to integrity previously facing competitive sport have been accentuated further during the pandemic. Threats to the integrity of sporting competition include traditional doping, issues of technological fairness, and integration of transgender and intersex athletes in elite sport.

The Effects of Exercise During a 10-Week Basic Military Training Program on the Physical Fitness and the Body Composition of the Greek Naval Cadets.

Introduction: The period of basic military training (BMT) is a sudden change in the individual habits of the trainees and is characterized by significant improvements in body composition such as the percentage of body fat (%BF) and lean body mass (BM). Research has shown that physical activity during the period of BMT lasting 7-10 weeks has positive effects on the physical condition and BM of cadets. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of training combining cardiovascular conditioning, circuit strength training, swimming, team sports, and obstacle course on physical fitness and body composition during a 10-week BMT period over 4 years in the Hellenic Naval Academy (HNA).

Epidemiological Data, Serovar Distribution and Antimicrobial Resistance Patterns of Salmonella Species in Children, Greece 2011-2017: A Retrospective Study.

Objective: This study aimed to describe Salmonella epidemiology and antimicrobial resistance in Greek children over the period of 2011-2017.

Materials And Methods: A 7-year retrospective study (2011-2017) was performed, based on data recorded by the National Reference Centre for Salmonella, among children aged ≤14 years. Epidemiological data, serovar distribution and antimicrobial resistance patterns were recorded.

Determination of total and lung-deposited particle surface area concentrations, in central Athens, Greece.

Numerous health studies have linked the exposure to particulate matter with adverse health effects, while there is an increasing scientific interest in the particle metrics of surface area (SA) and lung-deposited SA (LDSA) concentration. In the present study, two integrated SA estimation methods, both based on widely used instrumentation, were applied at an urban traffic environment in Athens for a 6-month period. The first estimation method used the size distribution by number to estimate SA (average SA 669.

Human health risk assessment for toxic elements in the extreme ambient dust conditions observed in Sistan, Iran.

This study evaluates the bioaccessibility and health risks related to heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Co, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn and metalloid As) in airborne dust samples (TSP and PM) in Zabol, Iran during the summer dust period, when peak concentration levels of PM are typically observed. High bioaccessibilities of carcinogenic metals in PM (i.e.

MODELING INTER-KINGDOM REGULATION OF INFLAMMATORY SIGNALING IN HUMAN INTESTINAL EPITHELIAL CELLS.

The human gastrointestinal (GI) tract is colonized by a highly diverse and complex microbial community (i.e., microbiota).

Towards a Multivariate Biomarker-Based Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder: Review and Discussion of Recent Advancements.

An ever-evolving understanding of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) pathophysiology necessitates that diagnostic standards also evolve from being observation-based to include quantifiable clinical measurements. The multisystem nature of ASD motivates the use of multivariate methods of statistical analysis over common univariate approaches for discovering clinical biomarkers relevant to this goal. In addition to characterization of important behavioral patterns for improving current diagnostic instruments, multivariate analyses to date have allowed for thorough investigation of neuroimaging-based, genetic, and metabolic abnormalities in individuals with ASD.

Long-term exposure to ozone and children's respiratory health: Results from the RESPOZE study.

Background: Although there is evidence on the effects of short-term ozone (O) exposures on children's respiratory health, few studies have reported results on the effects of long-term exposures. We report the effects of long-term exposure to O on respiratory health outcomes in 10-11-year old children.

Methods: We conducted a panel study in a sample of the general population of school children in two cities with high average O concentrations, Athens and Thessaloniki, Greece.