Corfu Research Articles

Traces of Holocene extreme wave events in the Alykes coastal plain, Corfu Island

Traces of Holocene extreme wave events in the Alykes coastal plain, Corfu Island

Evaluating the Efficacy of Prucalopride, a 5-HT4 Agonist, in Managing Antipsychotic-Induced Constipation: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial Conducted at Chronic Psychiatric Rehabilitation Facilities on Corfu Island

Introduction Achieving successful stabilization in patients with mental disorders often requires the administration of multiple antipsychotic medications, with the increasing prevalence of clozapine in cases resistant to other treatments. Constipation emerges as a particularly troublesome side effect, gradually progressing into a chronic state of gastrointestinal dysfunction, often accompanied by recurrent episodes of paralytic ileus of varying severity. Prucalopride, a 5-HT4 agonist, selectively targets receptors within the intestinal system.This interaction induces muscular contractions and promotes chloride secretion. Literature suggest its potential efficacy in managing constipation induced by clozapine. In light of these observations, we designed and will conduct a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of prucalopride in alleviating constipation in patients who had shown limited responsiveness to conventional laxatives or other conservative treatmentsObjectivesThe primary objective of this article is to present the methodology of a randomized control trial assessing the efficacy of prucalopride in the treatment of constipation among patients with mental disordersMethodsThe study will enroll 60 adult patients with mental disorders who will require more than two antipsychotic medications, including clozapine, for stabilization, and who will be experiencing constipation as a side effectTo ensure the validity of the study, the following additional inclusion criteria will be applied: -Patients will have no severe acute medical conditions-Patients will have no history of malignancy-Patients will have no severe respiratory or cardiac diseases-Patients will have negative results from an endoscopic evaluation of the large bowel, ruling out conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, ischemic colitis, inflammatory bowel disease, or malignant neoplastic diseaseFollowing the screening process, the patients will be randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups:Prucalopride Group: Patients in this group will receive prucalopride for the treatment of refractory constipationConservative Treatment Group: Patients in this group will continue with conservative treatments.The treatment’s success will be determined based on specific endpoints:-Normalization of bowel movements, characterized by having more than five bowel movements per week- Resolution of symptoms related to gastrointestinal dysfunction, including pain, bloating, defecation difficulties, and paralytic ileus ResultsFollowing the conclusion of the study, data from both groups will be meticulously collected and subjected to rigorous statistical analysis to identify differences in treatment outcomes between these two therapeutic approachsConclusionsThe detailed findings will be presented in a forthcoming articleDisclosure of InterestNone Declared

The Knowledge and Application of Sedimentary Conditions of Shallow Marine and Tidal Waters of Ionian Islands, Greece: Implications for Therapeutic Use

This study delves into the sedimentation mechanisms governing mud deposits in shallow marine and tidal environments, with a particular focus on elucidating the versatile therapeutic applications of these muds. This research provides valuable insights for optimizing the selection of mud as a cosmetic resource that can positively influence human health and well-being by utilizing a comprehensive analysis involving CaCO3, TOC, grain size, and statistical parameters across six outcrops situated on the Kefalonia and Corfu islands. The research reveals that the CaCO3 content of mud deposits on both islands is comparable. Despite the average value (26.71%) significantly exceeding the recommended value (10%) for optimal plasticity, no discernible impact on the mechanical behavior and plasticity of the clay was observed, rendering it a neutral quality criterion. Notably, the TOC content is higher on Corfu Island, suggesting its potential superiority for mud therapy. However, all samples exhibit a TOC content (<0.77%) considerably below the threshold required (2–5%) for material maturation in mud therapy. Consequently, an enrichment of samples with organic matter is imperative. The application of statistical parameters, analyzed through graphical methods, facilitated the creation of various bivariate diagrams, offering insights into the prevailing environmental conditions during deposition. Linear and multigroup discriminant analyses categorize two sediment types: a unimodal type, characterized by mud grain-size dominance, deposited in a shallow water environment, and a bi-modal type, featuring mud and sand content, deposited in a tidal-affected environment. This classification underscores the potential of shallow marine muds (Kefalonia Island) for therapeutic use, given their optimal grain size. In contrast, the tidal mud (Corfu Island), while also suitable for mud therapy, necessitates processing as a cosmetic product to minimize sand content, as coarser fractions may induce skin irritations or injuries.

Durres During The First Norman Attack 1081-1085

Following the Norman conquest of Byzantine Italy and Saracen Sicily, Robert Guiscard took the initiative to conquer the Byzantine Empire in 1081. Robert Guiscard set out from Italy for the island of Corfu, which he soon conquered. After landing, he received military reinforcements from Italy, and attacks began on the city of Durres, the main port on the Adriatic. The city was well protected on a long, narrow peninsula running parallel to the coast but separated by swamps. Guiscard brought his army to the peninsula and set up camp outside the city walls, but the Norman fleet sailing towards Durres was struck by a storm and lost several ships, despite the losses after the Norman siege, he invaded Durres.
 Durres turned into the main theater of the Norman-Byzantine war, and the conquest of Durres by the Normans brought fear, not only to the Ottoman Empire, but also to Europe's largest trading power, Venice. By controlling the Strait of Otranto, the Normans would control almost the entire Eastern Mediterranean. The geographical position of Durres and its connection with the old road Egnatia, which leads to Constantinople, make Durres the key to the conquest of the Byzantine Empire.

Agia: An Open-Air Middle Paleolithic Site in Northwestern Greece

The pause in scientific research in the prehistory of Corfu and adjacent areas in Epirus between the years 1969-1990 prompted exploratory field research to locate and record open-air Paleolithic sites threatened by destruction due to residential, commercial, and industrial development. Of the sites discovered and put on record, this paper focuses on Agia (or Ayia), a hitherto unknown Middle Paleolithic site, and examines its position as a probable “kill and butchering” site in the Kokkytos river area. The typological analysis of the lithic assemblage shows an advanced Middle Paleolithic industry of Mousterian and, predominantly, Levalloiso-Mousterian types of Levalloisian tradition with elements of Eastern Mousterian affinities. The paper discusses the diffusion of technology in the coastal areas of Epirus and the island of Corfu and notes the gradual decrease of pure Mousterian technology in favor of Levalloiso-Mousterian as one moves westwards. The paper points to specific candidate sites in the vicinity of Agia and recommends further research.

Virtual Reconstruction of Lost Cultural Heritage – The Case of the Historical Church of Pammegist Taxiarch Archangel Michael in Medieval City of Corfu. A holistic Interdisciplinary approach, in Challenging Times enhancing Sustainable Urban Development

The present work is about the application of digital record of Lost Cultural Heritage monument in Corfu island - the case of the Church of Pammegistos Taxiarch Michael situated in the heart of the oldest medieval district of ‘Campiello’ in the Old Town of Corfu, built at the 14th century. Today the building has been demolished and a homonymous square has been created in its place. The "Taxiarch square" is a free space formed randomly, violently and as a remnant after the bombings of the 2nd World War. Considering an essential step in understanding and conserving the values of the memory of the glorious past, creating a as close as possible digital record of the most important monument in the area for the future, providing a means to communicating the knowledge and value of the tangible monument to the society. Our effort aims to efficiently open new orisons to the locals, in upgrading the living standard, while through culture and dialogue we might provide the necessary transformative dimension that ensures the sustainability of development processes. In our Challenging Times the data coming to light from in-situ research, the archives, bibliography etc., applied to the following modelling features the role of 3D virtual reconstruction of the important monument of cultural heritage in Corfu Old Town – a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Greece acquires even greater importance, supporting archaeological and architecture research and art history, used as well as a vehicle for the cultural and evocative involvement of the people.

Seismic anisotropy and shear-wave splitting: Achievements and perspectives: foreword

This special issue of Annals of Geophysics “Seismic anisotropy and shear-wave splitting: Achievements and perspectives” originates from a session (S10) of the 37th General assembly of the European Seismological commission ESC 2021 Conference which was planned to take place on 21 September 2021, in Corfu Greece, but due to the Covid19 pandemic was Virtual. The main theme of the session and of this special issue was the crucial role of seismic anisotropy in investigating the Earth’s interior from the upper crust to the inner core. Shear-wave splitting, one of the most effective ways to study seismic anisotropy, can identify the properties and the geodynamics of the upper mantle, and identify the presence of fluid-saturated microcracks, oriented according to the stress regime, in the upper crust. Azimuthal anisotropy and radial anisotropy can be assessed from earthquake or ambient noise recordings to detect the seismic layered features and to rebuild the 3D seismic structure

Understanding the Impact of Waste Management on a Destination′s Image: A Stakeholders′ Perspective

The present manuscript describes a case study on the viewpoints of tourism stakeholders on the effect of waste management on a destination′s image. In particular, the study aims to analyze the problems that arose during the summer of 2018 in the touristic image of Corfu because of the waste management on the island. The qualitative method approach through interviews was used to collect the primary data of the survey; online sources were used to collect data to review similar cases. All the stakeholders agree that waste management during the summer of 2018 negatively affected the image of Corfu as a touristic destination. Moreover, based on the interviews′ findings, there is a lack of political will, infrastructure, and information provision from the local authorities on the island of Corfu. Interviews also indicated that an integrated solution to the problem of waste management on the island is the implementation of source separation in households and tourism-related firms with the support of the local authorities. The contribution of this paper is towards identifying the effect that waste management has on the image of a tourist destination. It is the first of its kind conducted in Greece and among the few reported in the literature focusing on the viewpoints of service providers.

The description of a new species of Anarthrotarsus Šilhavý from Greece and a discussion about the genus (Arachnida: Opiliones: Trogulidae)

Anarthrotarsus trichasi sp. nov., a second species of the genus Anarthrotarsus Šilhavý, 1967 is described based on fresh material from the northeastern part of the island of Crete, Greece. The male holotype of the type species of the genus Anarthrotarsus was discovered on the island of Corfu, Ionian Islands, Greece, but no other conspecific specimens were found there ever since. This also holds true for the population from Crete, from where a female paratype was collected. Genital morphology of male specimens from both populations markedly differs, and that of the holotype from Corfu is even unique among Trogulidae. Though the tarsal formula (1-1-1-1 in the four walking legs) is identical in both populations, penis morphology, the main generic character of Anarthrotarsus, clearly separates them. A close relationship of A. trichasi sp. nov. with species of the genus Calathocratus Simon, 1879 is supposed but awaits molecular genetic affirmation.

Sharing on the Way to the Holy Land: The Shrine of Our Lady of Cassiope on the Island of Corfu

ABSTRACT This article examines the history of a small Greek church on the island of Corfu and attempts to explain how it grew into an important pilgrimage shrine for Latin pilgrims travelling to Jerusalem. It also reviews the legends, miracle stories and devotional practices that developed around the site and discusses these within the context of the pilgrims’ experience during their voyage to the Holy Land. The article argues that in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries the visit to the church of Cassiope marked the first contact between western pilgrims and the Greek rite and the first instance of shared worship during their pilgrimage.

Exploring reality television and social media as mediating factors between destination identity and destination image

AbstractContinuing trends towards location‐based reality television programmes and growth in social media usage have contributed to boundaries between various destination image formation sources becoming increasingly blurred. Through analysing comments made on online news reports and social media posts about a reality television programme set in the popular resort of Kavos on the Greek Island of Corfu, the study explores various elements of these programmes to offer original insights into destination image formation in this new media environment, thus furthering understanding that has previously been lacking in the literature about relationships between destination identity, online and social media, and destination images.

Environmental effects on zooplankton dynamics of a shallow Mediterranean coastal lagoon (October 2020–March 2021)

Antinioti is a shallow Mediterranean coastal lagoon located on the island of Corfu in West Greece. For several years, the lagoon has been exploited for fish stocks by the local community. Therefore, the lagoon presents regional economic importance. However, studies on the physical, chemical, and biological properties of the lagoon are limited. Our study evaluates the effect of physical and chemical parameters on the zooplankton dynamics of Antinioti lagoon and establishes a reference for the level of biodiversity in terms of zooplankton. This initial biodiversity record will be useful in the case of a natural disaster (i.e. earthquake, tsunami, etc.) for the effective management, protection, and conservation of the lagoon. The lagoon was sampled between October 2020 and March 2021 to evaluate the correlation between physical and chemical parameters and zooplankton. Temperature and Salinity showed a significant positive correlation and BOD5 a significant negative correlation to zooplankton. The shallow lagoon’s zooplankton community and sustainability are therefore considered to be influenced by the seawater–freshwater fluctuations that are caused by atmospheric forcing (rainfall), tides, and river runoff.

ПРИКАЗ ВЕЛИКОГ РАТА У КЊИЗИ ЖИВОТ ЧОВЕКА НА БАЛКАНУ СТАНИСЛАВА КРАКОВА

The paper analyzes the review of the Great War (1914-1918) in the memoir book The Life of a Man in the Balkans, by the writer Stanislav Krakov (1895-1968), which he wrote most probably between 1936 and 1968, and was published from a manuscript legacy three decades later after his death, in 1997. Krakov directly participated as a participant at the front in three wars, the First and Second Balkan Wars and the Great War, during which he was severely wounded three times and awarded several times for heroism. The subject of our special analysis is a review of events from the First World War. This refers primarily to the mobilization and war operations in 1914, and then to the withdrawal of the serbian army at the end of 1915 and the beginning of 1916 through Montenegro and Albania, all the way to the Greek island of Corfu. Krakov presented the most complete picture of the war operations in the records from the Salonica Front (1916-1918), as well as in the review of the war operations for the liberation of the entire country until the end of 1918. It is one of the most exciting books of Serbian documentary-artistic prose written in the 20th century, in which the features of autobiographical-memoir and novel prose intersect in a creative way.

Ein Beitrag zur Springspinnenfauna (Araneae: Salticidae) der griechischen Insel Korfu mit vier Erstnachweisen für die Insel und Anmerkungen zur Gattung Salticus

During a survey of the jumping spider fauna of the Greek island of Corfu, 30 species in 18 genera were recorded. Four species, Heliophanus equester L. Koch, 1867, Neaetha absheronicaLogunov & Guseinov, 2002, Pellenes floriiSchäfer, 2020 and Talavera aequipes (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1871) were recorded on the island for the first time. In addition, the previously unknown female of Salticus unicolor (Simon, 1868) is described and three new synonymies are proposed within the genus Salticus: Salticus mandibularis (Simon, 1868) = S. unciger (Simon, 1868) syn. nov., Salticus olivaceus (L. Koch, 1867) = S. propinquusLucas, 1846syn. conf. and Salticus quaggaMiller, 1971 = S. unicolorsyn. nov.. Moreover, a number of taxonomic problems regarding the genus Pellenes are briefly discussed.

Alien and invasive terrestrial vertebrate species on Corfu, Ionian Islands, Greece

The Ionian Island of Corfu is rich in both species and habitats, but is also under pressure from heavy tourism, substantial water abstraction, and increased development, all of which have caused both loss and fragmentation of habitats. In addition, invasive alien species (IAS) constitute a global problem and may cause substantial problems for indigenous wildlife, especially on islands. To be able to successfully control IAS it is important to identify them, report their status, and raise awareness as early as possible. Here we present the status of ten alien species reported from Corfu, four of which are considered as invasive, the coypu (Myocastor coypus), the raccoon (Procyon lotor), the Siberian chipmunk (Tamias sibiricus), and the American pond slider (Trachemys scripta). Measures required as outlined by the EU Working Group on Invasive Alien Species are briefly discussed.

Explicit teaching of problem categorization using concept mapping, and an exploratory study of its effect on student achievement and on conceptual understanding – the case of chemical equilibrium problems

Abstract A crucial step in problem solving is the retrieval of already learned schemata from long-term memory, a process which may be facilitated by categorization of the problem. The way knowledge is organized affects its availability, and, at the same time, it constitutes the important difference between experts and novices. The present study employed concept maps in a novel way, as a categorization tool for chemical equilibrium problems. The objective was to determine whether providing specific practice in problem categorization improves student achievement in problem solving and in conceptual understanding. Two groups of eleventh-grade students from two special private seminars in Corfu island, Greece, were used: the treatment group (N = 19) and the control group (N = 21). Results showed that the categorization helped students to improve their achievement, but the improvement was not always statistically significant. Students at lower (Piagetian) developmental level (in our sample, students at the transitional stage) had a larger improvement, which was statistically significant with a high effect size. Finally, Nakhleh’s categorization scheme, distinguishing algorithmic versus conceptual subproblems in the solution process, was studied. Dependency of problem solving on an organized knowledge base and the significance of concept mapping on student achievement were the conclusion.

Far from home: Genetic variability of Knipowitschia sp. from Italy revealed unexpected species in coastal lagoons of the Tyrrhenian coast

Coastal lagoons are resilient and productive ecosystems that support high biological and habitat diversity, but are increasingly affected by several threats due to human exploitation. Many resident species of these environments show a restricted geographical range and a strict association with specific habitats, thus they could represent ecological indicators of these ecosystems. Data on the genetic variability distribution in populations of these species are crucial to identify the presence of different evolutionary units across their geographical distribution ranges and to plan actions for their management and conservation. In this context, the assessment of the genetic variability and structure of Italian specimens of the Adriatic dwarf goby Knipowitschia panizzae, a brackish species endemic in the Adriatic Sea, and included among the species of Community interest in Annex II of Habitats Directive, was carried out. To this purpose, goby samples were collected both from Italian sites where the species is native (Adriatic) and non-native (Tyrrhenian), probably introduced due to the practice of stocking lakes and coastal lagoons with juvenile of euryhaline species to sustain local fisheries. Results show the presence of high values of haplotype diversity, and no shared haplotypes between fish from sites where the species is native or introduced. Moreover, in Tyrrhenian Italian lagoons we identified an allochthonous species of Knipowitschia, previously undetected in Italy: the Corfu dwarf goby K. goerneri. This species was originally described as endemic to the Korission Lagoon catchment on Corfu Island, but recently found also in Butrinti lagoon in Albania. The presence of this species, that almost totally replaced Adriatic dwarf goby in the Tyrrhenian lagoons under study, can be ascribed to the stockings of wild fry of commercially important species originating from Balkan countries.

Community responses of intertidal foraminifera to pH variations: a culture experiment with propagules

Calcifying organisms such as benthic foraminifera are susceptible to changes in ocean pH and alkalinity. Responses to these changes include variations in mortality, calcification rates or assemblage composition, which have been observed in field and experimental studies. Here we applied a growth experiment with benthic foraminiferal propagules under different pH conditions to gather insights into the effect of pH on the composition of grown assemblages. A homogeneous propagule assemblage from a local mudflat in Corfu Island (Greece) was exposed to a range of pH conditions (6.5, 7.2, 7.8 and 8.5) for 5 weeks. In a second experiment, the assemblages were first exposed to low and subsequently to high conditions for a total of 8 weeks. After termination of the experiments, we recorded high survivability and growth throughout the treatments. Analysis of the assemblage composition of the first experiments revealed a shift from porcelaneous dominated taxa in the higher pH treatments to an assemblage with higher numbers of agglutinated taxa in the lower pH treatments. Soft-shelled monothalamous species were common throughout. The second experiment revealed assemblages that were significantly dominated by porcelaneous taxa with monothalamous taxa being almost absent. The results of this study are congruent with other observations on changing assemblage compositions with changing pH from both laboratory and field studies. The fast response of the assemblages through activation of potentially dormant propagules adds insights into the mechanisms behind seasonal composition changes in naturally variable environments such as river estuaries. They also shed new light on possible effects of continuous decreases in ocean pH on shallow-water foraminiferal assemblages in future.

Slavica Popović Filipović, The Great Women in the Great War

This research project was an undertaking involving reviewing extensive archived materials, original documents, correspondence, hand-written texts, and photographs in various archives in different parts of the world, as well as in private family storage. The work in front of us is dedicated to some exceptional women who command exalted positions, women who sacrificed their personal lives by sharing wartime suffering with the Serbian people and armies during the traumatic war years: the typhoid epidemics, the exodus through the Albanian mountain ranges, the exile on the island of Corfu, Corsica, North Africa, on the Russian Front, and in Dobruja. Thus, this book is a remarkable evidence of the dedicated affection and strenuous work of over 2000 women doctors, medical sisters, and nurses who served in the hospitals of the Serbian Red Cross Society, the Scottish Women’s Hospitals, the hospitals of the Serbian Relief Fund (SRF) and other voluntary and humanitarian organizations, in Serbia itself, and in the exile — both during the Great War and afterwards.

Investigation of the Information-Seeking Behavior of Hospitalized Patients at the General Hospital of Corfu

ABSTRACT The purpose of this article is to investigate the information-seeking behavior of hospitalized patients in a peripheral hospital in Greece, based on Wilson’s theoretical model. After a thorough literature review, we report on the results of a cross-sectoral sur\\vey that was conducted based on Wilson’s macro-model of information-seeking behavior. The survey exploits the feedback we obtained from 150 hospitalized patients in the General Hospital of Corfu island in Greece. For the feedback collection, we relied on a structured questionnaire that was distributed to patients and correlates information-seeking behavior of hospitalized patients’ clinical data and eHealth Literacy. According to our findings, the most commonly recorded factors that pertain to information needs of hospitalized patients relate to treatment information, procedural information as well as information about the patients’ rights and support. The main information sources to which patients turn for receiving information are digital scientific sources, health professionals, other patients, insurance funds, family members and friends and the media. Concerning the most frequent obstacles associated with the information-seeking process, these account primarily to individual, interpersonal and environmental factors. Finally, the research came to a conclusion with the adaptation of Wilson’s theoretical model to hospitalized patients by confirming the original-initial model. The findings of our survey reveal the necessity to equip hospital units with adequate staff and to develop programs that offer updated information services to the hospitalized population. Moreover, our survey suggests that the availability of advanced health-related information services can empower the general population toward establishing e-Health literacy skills as well as toward increasing their level of satisfaction from the quality of the health services offered. In this direction, a clinical librarian program would empower hospitals worldwide to make their patients literate about health-related information.