Level In Greece Research Articles

Temporal variations and change in forest fire danger in Europe for 1960–2012

Abstract. Understanding how fire weather danger indices changed in the past and how such changes affected forest fire activity is important in a changing climate. We used the Canadian Fire Weather Index (FWI), calculated from two reanalysis data sets, ERA-40 and ERA Interim, to examine the temporal variation of forest fire danger in Europe in 1960–2012. Additionally, we used national forest fire statistics from Greece, Spain and Finland to examine the relationship between fire danger and fires. There is no obvious trend in fire danger for the time period covered by ERA-40 (1960–1999), whereas for the period 1980–2012 covered by ERA Interim, the mean FWI shows an increasing trend for southern and eastern Europe which is significant at the 99% confidence level. The cross correlations calculated at the national level in Greece, Spain and Finland between total area burned and mean FWI of the current season is of the order of 0.6, demonstrating the extent to which the current fire-season weather can explain forest fires. To summarize, fire risk is multifaceted, and while climate is a major determinant, other factors can contribute to it, either positively or negatively.

Fire occurrence zones: kernel density estimation of historical wildfire ignitions at the national level, Greece

The focus of our study was to create a Main Map of fire occurrence zones from historical wildland fire ignition observations at national level in Greece using a Kernel Density estimation procedure. Kernel density estimation, a non parametric statistical method for estimating probability densities, has been widely used for home range estimation in wildlife ecology. It has the advantage of directly producing density estimates that are not influenced by grid size and localization effects. Furthermore, it produces densities of any shape and analyzes any data distributed multi-modally or non-normally. Under this perspective, kernel density surfaces have been created to construct fire occurrence zones. Their observed distribution was statistically significantly different than the expected one that arises under complete spatial randomness. A smoothing effect is certainly observed when increasing the bandwidth size of the kernel density interpolation. Excluding the kernel size of 1000 meters, then the results do not prove any influence of kernel size or control points on the kernel density surfaces.

Vaccination against human papillomavirus among 865 female students from the health professions in central Greece: a questionnaire-based cross-sectional study.

BackgroundThere are still sparse data on vaccination coverage against human papillomavirus (HPV) among students in the health professions. The aim of this study was to investigate HPV vaccination coverage in female students from the health professions in Greece.MethodsA self-administered, anonymous questionnaire was distributed to second-year and third-year female students pursuing degrees in medicine, nursing, and paramedical health disciplines in central Greece.ResultsOverall vaccination coverage was 44.3%. The major reason for lack of vaccination was fear about safety of the vaccine. Participants who had received information about safety of the vaccine from the mass media and paramedical students had lower vaccination coverage in comparison with students who had received information about vaccine safety from alternative sources.ConclusionFurther quantitative and qualitative research is needed to design educational activities targeting female students in the health professions in order to create a positive domino effect and improve HPV vaccination coverage levels in Greece.

MATERNAL, DIETARY AND ENVIRONMENTAL PREDICTORS OF BULKY DNA ADDUCTS IN CORD BLOOD: A EUROPEAN MOTHER–CHILD STUDY (NEWGENERIS).

Background: Bulky DNA adducts in cord blood reflect prenatal effective dose of exposure to genotoxic compounds such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, provide a reliable biomarker of genotoxic damage and possibly cancer risk. Little is known on sources of exposures resulting in these adducts particularly in neonates. Aims: We examined maternal, dietary and environmental predictors of bulky DNA adduct levels in neonates to better understand our previous finding of an association between higher adduct levels and lower birth weight. Methods: Pregnant women from Greece, Spain, England, Denmark and Norway were recruited in 2006-2010. Adducts were measured by the 32P-postlabelling technique in cord white blood cells (n=511). Maternal diet and other personal characteristics were assessed via questionnaires. Land-use regression models were used to estimate individual exposure to air pollution. Results: Adduct levels tended to be higher in neonates born to women who smoked as compared with those of non-smokers (10.0 (n=81) vs. 7.6 (n=424) adducts per 108 nucleotide, p=0.10). Spanish and Greek neonates had higher adduct levels than the Northern Europeans (12.7 (n=237) vs. 7.0 (n=373) adducts per 108 nucleotides, p<0.001). Neonates born during June-August had the highest adduct levels. Higher maternal pre-pregnancy body-mass index, births during June-August, and high maternal intake of cured and smoked meat was associated with higher adduct levels (p<0.05). A protective effect of maternal intake of fruits rich in vitamin C was also found (p=0.03). Ambient air pollution (PM2.5) at the home address during pregnancy was not associated with adduct levels in Greece and England. Estimation of air pollution is ongoing in the other countries and a complete analysis will be presented. Conclusions: These findings suggest that prenatal exposures from maternal lifestyle and so far unknown country-specific factors influence the bulky DNA adduct formation in neonates. Acknowledgement: NewGeneris and ESCAPE (EU FOOD-CT-2005-016320 and 211250).

Decision support systems in solid waste management: A case study at the national and local level in Greece

Decision support systems (DSS) are used to aid at solid waste management, a tedious problem with many technical, economic and social constraints. The main DSS available are briefly presented and the development of a novel system, ReFlows, is described. The novelty of the developed DSS consists of the detailed analysis of the collection subsystem and in particular the source separation and collection programs for recyclables materials. ReFlows utilises mathematical equations for material and financial flows, organised in several subroutines, to simulate the various sub-systems of an integrated solid waste management system and may be applied to any geographical scale, from the local to the national. The model, currently developed in MATLAB, is applied on recycling scenarios based on the degree of expansion of the different source collection schemes currently operating in Greece. Results are presented at a national (Greece) and a local level (Municipality of Athens). The main outcome of the study is that full expansion of the existing schemes may not fulfil the recovery goals for packaging waste in Greece. Improved collection schemes are required, based on more pilot programs in order to investigate the optimum recycling strategy.

Ambient Noise Levels in Greece as Recorded at the Hellenic Unified Seismic Network

Abstract We investigate the characteristics of ambient noise across Greece as recorded at the Hellenic Unified Seismic Network (HUSN). Power spectral densities (PSDs) and their corresponding probability density functions (PDFs) have been estimated for 110 broadband seismic stations using the continuous waveform data for a four‐year period from 2007 to 2010. Using PDFs we monitor and show network performance in terms of overall station quality and the level of noise at each site. At high frequencies (>7 Hz), the main source of noise is cultural with strong diurnal variations. Stations with constantly increased noise levels across this band indicate poor vault construction or poor site selection and provide an indication to the network operators for possible structural improvements or even station relocations. The microseismic noise levels show a clear seasonal variation at all stations. Specifically, for the double‐frequency (DF; period range 4–8 s) band, the average noise level differs between stations on the mainland and those located on the islands, reaching a value as high as 10 dB. Furthermore, the DF noise peak is observed at all of the HUSN stations, and it is correlated well with local sea wave height measurements at buoys deployed in the Aegean and the Ionian seas. This indicates that the HUSN seismic network also monitors local sea–weather conditions within a range of a few hundred kilometers. The longer period single‐frequency (SF) band is affected by sea–weather conditions at much longer distances in the North Atlantic. Finally, we calculate the HUSN mode noise model (HMLNM) that represents the highest probability ambient noise level in Greece. This model is a realistic noise threshold for future seismic station installations. Online Material: Table of seismic sensor description, and tables, figures, and movie describing microseismic noise measurements.

Public investment and regional growth and convergence: Evidence from Greece

AbstractThis paper estimates the impact of public investment on regional economic growth and convergence at the NUTS 3 level in Greece. Using a new database of public expenditure per region for the period 1978–2007, it proposes a model which captures not just the impact of public investment in Greek prefectures, but also the spillover effects related to the existence of externalities from neighbouring regions. The results point to a positive long‐run impact of public investment per capita on regional economic growth – but not on convergence – which also generates considerable spillover effects. However, the returns vary according to different types of public investment, with education and infrastructure spillovers having the highest impact. In general, public investment externalities seem to be more relevant for regional growth than direct public investment in each region. Finally, the impact of different types of public investment in Greece is mediated by politics and political factors, but the effect of politics disappears once we control for political‐period‐specific spatial‐invariant variables.ResumenEste artículo estima el impacto de la inversión pública en el crecimiento económico regional y la convergencia a nivel NUTS 3 en Grecia. Haciendo uso de una nueva base de datos de gasto público por región para el periodo 1978–2007, se propone un modelo que identifica no solamente el impacto de la inversión pública en las prefecturas griegas, sino también los efectos de spillover relacionados con la existencia de externalidades procedentes de regiones vecinas. Los resultados apuntan a un impacto positivo a largo plazo de la inversión pública per cápita en el crecimiento económico regional – pero no en la convergencia – el cual genera unos efectos de spillover considerables. Sin embargo, los retornos varían de acuerdo con los diferentes tipos de inversión pública, siendo la educación y los spillovers de infraestructura los de mayor impacto. En general, las externalidades de inversión pública parecen tener una mayor relevancia para el crecimiento regional que la inversión pública directa en cada región. Para terminar, el impacto de los diferentes tipos de inversión pública en Grecia se ve influido por sus políticas y otros factores políticos, pero el efecto de las políticas desaparece una vez que se controlan las variables espacialmente‐invariantes de tipo político ligadas a un periodo específico.

Who are the Victims of the Crisis? The Social Impact of the Crisis on Youth Unemployed University Graduates from Greece and Spain in a European Comparative Analysis

The current financial and economic crisis, which has largely afflicted Southern European countries, could be seen as a complex system of economic failures which have caused considerable effects in social, political and cultural level. The central dynamics of this crisis, focusing on the economic and political governance have influenced societal and individual functioning of marginalised populations in Greece and Spain, such as youth. This review examines the social impact of the crisis on young unemployed graduates with tertiary education, analysing their views and experiences about the current economic and political upheavals caused in Greece and Spain. This recession, which is comparable with Great Depression on its extent and duration, has created considerable social problems including increase in joblessness, poverty, and future uncertainty of the young populations. The increasing unemployment levels in Greece and Spain have direct implications in psychological well-being, and adverse effects for the integration of young people in the society by triggering the danger of social and economic exclusion. The limited job opportunities together with the elimination of the social safety nets accelerate the phenomena of immigration of high-skilled young graduates, inhibiting the development of their national economies. This paper tries to test the empirical validity of the problems occurred due to the high levels of unemployment on high-skilled youth populations of the two countries, considering the available protective factors. A further examination includes the recent European governance issues alongside with political decisions in national level, which have shaped public opinion and formed the views of youth unemployed populations in Southern Europe regarding the causality of the crisis. These political processes have been conceptualised in this research, providing an understanding of the social and cultural values which have defined such actions.

The Use of Greek Literature Through Action-Research in Teaching 'Principles of Economic Theory' in Secondary Education Level in Greece: A Case Study

Purpose: The current project evaluates an interdisciplinary approach to teaching economic theory through literature, in the context of Greek secondary education (Senior High School). The research uses the timeless modern Greek novel The Price and Money from Konstantinos Theotokis, in teaching the lesson “Principles of Economic Theory” in the 3rd year of senior high school. The main research aim is to investigate the extent to which literature can contribute to the improvement of teaching and student learning. Methodology: The basic method that is applied is the case study approach. Moreover, a range of research techniques, such as the questionnaire, observation alongside action research were employed in order to triangulate the research data.Findings: The teaching approach proved to be an unprecedented experience for students that aided the arousal of their interest and participation, instigating learning motives. The actual teaching method also contributed to a more effective examination of economic phenomena allowing the students to interpret economic concepts through literature and to relate them to the societal forces and the economic interests that define them.

Complexity in tourism policies: A Cognitive Mapping Approach

The paper discusses a study of policies for sustainable tourism developed at all four policy making levels in Greece using a complex systems approach. Complexity was examined between policy issues i.e. the elements constituting policy considerations. The mental models of policy makers were elicited, built and analyzed by applying appropriately developed cognitive mapping methods to reveal key policy considerations, valued outcomes and perceptions of complexity. Individual map analysis and comparisons of policy making at each level revealed greater structural differences than similarities. These findings indicate a complex domain with various ramifications perceived in different ways by individual policy makers. Despite structural differences, policies at all levels in Greece contained a clear focus on the economic sustainability of tourism, reflecting a rather parochial perspective on sustainable tourism.

Radiometric dates of uplifted marine fauna in Greece: Implications for the interpretation of recent earthquake and tectonic histories using lithophagid dates

In AD 365 a great ( M w > 8) earthquake lifted up western Crete, exposing a shoreline encrusted by marine organisms, and up to 10 m of marine substrate beneath it. Radiocarbon ages determined for corals and bryozoans exposed between the paleo-shoreline and present sea level are consistent, within measurement error, with each other and with the date of the earthquake. But radiocarbon ages determined for the boring bivalve Lithophaga lithophaga found on the same substrate are at least 350 years, and up to 2000 years, older than the date of the earthquake that lifted them above sea level. These observations reveal two important effects that limit the use of radiocarbon lithophagid ages in tectonic and paleoseismological studies. The first is that the exceptional preservation potential of lithophagids allows them to remain intact and in situ long after natural death, while the substrate continues to be colonised until eventual uplift. The second, which we confirm with radiocarbon analysis of museum specimens of known age, is the incorporation of old ( 14C-free) carbon into lithophagid shells from the limestone host rock into which the lithophagids bored. The two effects are both significant in Crete and central Greece, and can cause the radiocarbon lithophagid ages to be up to 2000 years older than the uplift event which exposed them. Understanding these effects is important because lithophagids are far more abundantly preserved, and used to date uplift, than most other marine organisms. This study shows that they can rarely be used to distinguish uplift events, or date them to better than 1000 years, or even to distinguish whether observed uplift occurred in a single or in multiple events. After taking account of these uncertainties, the ages of the lithophagids are, however, consistent with the hypothesis that the highest prominent marine notches and exposed lithophagid holes within a few metres of sea level in Greece formed when sea level became relatively stable ~ 6000 years ago, following rapid rise after the last glacial maximum.

Disclosure Factors of Executive Managers Remuneration: A Probit Model

Problem statement: The study contributes to the literature that argues that the convergence trend of corporate governance systems is either nominal or hasn’t the impact that the advocates of this theory hypothesize. Approach: The objective of the study was to test this hypothesis the key issue of remuneration had been chosen to illustrate that the differences of corporate governance systems still exist and they have a substantial impact on business environment. Disclosure or not of information regarding these issues preoccupies regulating, legislative authorities as well as capital market participants. The study, using a probit regression analysis, examined whether these differences are observable in Greece. Greece is a country with the typical characteristics of a Continental Europe corporate governance system. The results were compared with the reported characteristics of Anglo-Saxon countries. The study analyzed data over a period of 6 years (2001-2006). The 60 firms largest, in terms of capitalization and free float, were used. Results: The major factors that affect the remuneration disclosure were the adoption of mergers and acquisitions as the method to expand firm’s size, the investments risks that the firm is willing to take, stock market capitalization, board of directors size, capital to sales ratio, number of independent board of directors member dismissals and the quality of corporate governance. These differences were significantly different than the ones reported for Anglo-Saxon countries. Conclusion: The study had proven that remuneration disclosure levels in Greece are defined by a different set of factors than the ones in a typical Anglo-Saxon country. Policy and regulation makers should take into account these differences and not adopt isomorphic approaches to different problems and situations.

Spatial inequalities in income and post-graduate educational attainment in Greece

Please click here to download the map associated with this article. This paper looks at the spatial inequalities of income and post-graduate educational attainment for Local Authorities in Greece. It also introduces a composite variable that is defined as the average of the standardized values of mean household income and high level of educational attainment (post-graduate degree holders). The explanatory analysis of these variables contributes to the literature of applied spatial analysis of socio-economic indicators at the local authority level in Greece. The latter has so far attracted little attention in the literature even though it is important for informed policy making decisions related to the local economic development in Greece. Another aim for creating the suggested composite variable, is for it to be used as an indicator for explaining spatial phenomena such as internal migration. Maps, and the corresponding exploratory analysis of the composite variable and its components, are shown in different sections of the main map. It is apparent that the Local Authorities in Greece, especially the affluent suburbs of the two metropolitan areas located within the prefectures of Attiki and Thessaloniki, exhibit the highest values of the composite variable. There is a strong North/South, Urban/Rural and Attica/Rest-of-the-country divide. However, smaller peripheral cities and some rural areas seem to perform relatively well compared with the country's average not fully following this divide, an unexpected finding.

Female educational leadership in the UK and Greece

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to concentrate on investigating the role of gender on educational leadership in the context of two differing cultures. The focus will be on exploring whether gender appears to impact on the leadership roles in education by examining the extent of female participation in leadership across educational levels in Greece and the UK, highlighting differences and similarities between them.Design/methodology/approachThis paper examines secondary data on a number of issues, like the proportion of women in lower and higher ranking teaching posts across education sectors. Such data are retrieved from official national and international statistics, such as UNESCO, Eurostat, the Office of National Statistics UK and the Higher Education Statistics Agency, UK, as well as previous academic studies.FindingsThe results of the analysis reveal that in both countries, fewer women than men reach top rank positions in education, particularly in secondary and higher education.Research limitations/implicationsThe investigation will rely on the use of secondary data collected from a number of diverse national and international sources as well as from existing literature. The choice of secondary data is judged to bae appropriate on the basis of this paper and its research aim. Examination of women's presence across educational sectors in the two selected countries required obtaining information about actual and not representative, overall numbers or percentages of women in educational posts. Such information can only be positively retrieved by national or international, official statistics, while even these, the investigation revealed, can show variations between them.Practical implicationsThe paper should raise awareness to women's under‐representation in leadership positions in education, especially at the secondary and the tertiary education levels.Originality/valueLeadership has been acknowledged as a decisive component in education namely due to the improvements it brings in many areas. The complexity and diversity surrounding leadership has turned attention to the effect of a number of factors on the practice of leadership educational context, such as gender and culture. Therefore, the present paper concentrates on an exploration of the effect of gender in leadership in education. Also, the cross‐cultural investigation between Greece and the UK, allows for constructive comparisons to take place where appropriate.

Searching for West Nile virus (WNV) in Greece

West Nile virus (WNV), a mosquito-borne flavivirus, has increasingly become a concern in both America and Europe due to its complex and unpredictable lifecycle. Transfusion-associated transmission of the WNV has been well documented during the last few years. This study aimed to detect the presence of WNV in: (i) cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) specimens derived from aseptic meningitis cases in Greece and (ii) Greek blood donations. A total of 115 CSF specimens from patients suffering from aseptic meningitis and 9590 blood samples were collected from seven Greek hospitals during the periods June to October 2006 and 2007 and tested for investigational purposes. Both blood and CSF samples were tested for the presence of WNV RNA by using the PROCLEIX WNV assay. None of 115 CSF and 9590 blood donor samples was found positive according to our testing algorithms. Despite the presence of WNV in Balkan countries, WNV has not reached significant levels in Greece.

Disclosure Factors of Executive Managers Remuneration: A Probit Model

Executive managers’ remuneration has been an issue of debate for the last 30 years. Practitioners and academics are arguing for the mechanisms, mix, level, time horizon and goal. Disclosure or not of information regarding these issues preoccupies regulating, legislative authorities as well as capital market participants. The issue of remuneration is considered to be closely connected with financial performance (positively), firm size (positively), the organizational structure (negatively) and corporate governance mechanisms (negatively). Furthermore, a connection of ownership structure and executives’ remuneration has been well established (theoretically and empirically) in the literature (agency theory). The paper, using a Probit regression analysis, examines whether these relationships are valid in Greece. Greece hasn’t the characteristics of an Anglo-Saxon country. Overall the study has shown that remuneration levels in Greece are defined by a different set of factors than the ones that are prominent in an Anglo-Saxon country. The major factors that affect the disclosure of information about the remuneration levels are the adoption of mergers and acquisitions as the method to expand firm’s size, the investments risks that the firm is willing to take, stock market capitalization, board of directors size, capital to sales ratio, number of independent member of the board of directors dismissals, and the quality of corporate governance. These factors indicate that Greek firms are disclosing information about the remuneration levels when the investment effort and the quality level of corporate governance are high.

Executive board members’ remuneration: A longitudinal study

Remuneration is considered to be closely connected with financial performance (positively), firm size (positively), the organizational structure (negatively) and corporate governance mechanisms (negatively). Furthermore, a connection of ownership structure and executives’ remuneration has been well established (theoretically and empirically) in the literature (agency theory). The paper examines if these relationships are valid in Greece. Greece hasn’t the characteristics of an Anglo-Saxon country. Overall the study has shown that remuneration levels in Greece are defined by a different set of factors than the ones that are prominent in an Aglo-Saxon country. Notably, fundamental financial measures of performance are more widely used. The age of firms and corporate governance quality have a catalytic impact on remuneration levels.

Saharan dust levels in Greece and received inhalation doses

Abstract. The desert of Sahara is one of the major sources of mineral dust on Earth, producing around 2×108 tons/yr. Under certain weather conditions, dust particles from Saharan desert get transported over the Mediterranean Sea and most of Europe. The limiting values set by the directive EC/30/1999 of European Union can easily be exceeded by the transport of desert dust particles in the south European Region and especially in urban areas, where there is also significant contribution from anthropogenic sources. In this study, the effects of dust transport on air quality in several Greek urban areas are quantified. PM10 concentration values from stationary monitoring stations are compared to dust concentrations for the 4-year period 2003–2006. The dust concentration values in the Greek areas were estimated by the SKIRON modelling system coupled with embedded algorithms describing the dust cycle. The mean annual dust contribution to daily-averaged PM10 concentration values was found to be around or even greater than 10% in the urban areas throughout the years examined. Natural dust transport may contribute by more than 20% to the annual number of exceedances – PM10 values greater than EU limits – depending on the specific monitoring location. In a second stage of the study, the inhaled lung dose received by the residents in various Greek locations is calculated. The particle deposition efficiency of mineral dust at the different parts of the human respiratory tract is determined by applying a lung dosimetry numerical model, which incorporates inhalation dynamics and aerosol physical processes. The inhalation dose from mineral dust particles was greater in the upper respiratory system (extrathoracic region) and less significant in the lungs, especially in the sensitive alveolar region. However, in cases of dust episodes, the amounts of mineral dust deposited along the human lung are comparable to those received during exposure in heavily polluted urban or smoking areas.

Modelling health expenditure at the household level in Greece

Health expenditure data are known to be afflicted by restricted range, zero values, skewness and kurtosis. Several methods for modelling such data have been suggested in the literature to cope with these problems. This paper compares the performance of several alternative estimators, including two-part models and generalised linear models. The dependent variable is household expenditure on health care in Greece, a country where out-of-pocket health expenditure is higher than anywhere else in the European Union, whether as a proportion of GDP, as a share of all health spending, or in per capita terms. To facilitate comparison of model performance, household health expenditure is examined in two different specifications: expenditure on all health care (where zero values are rare) and expenditure on hospital services alone (where zero values are common). In the case of expenditure on all health care, three of the estimators performed almost equally well in terms of three alternative model performance indicators: a modified two-part model with non-linear least squares in the second part, a constant-variance generalised linear model and a variance-proportional-to-mean generalised linear model. In the case of expenditure on hospital services, the constant-variance generalised linear model out-performed the rest. The findings suggest that no estimator is best under all circumstances, while most alternative estimators are likely to produce relatively similar results. The paper concludes by discussing implications for further research.

Contribution of forest fire emissions to atmospheric pollution in Greece

Forest fires are a major contributor of atmospheric gaseous and particulate pollutants. With respect to forest fires, Greece faces one of Europe’s most severe problems during summer. To create a forest fire emissions inventory, a database which holds data for forest fires in Greece during the period 1997–2003 was established in this study and a methodology for the quantification of both gaseous and particulate matter emissions from forest fires was developed. The contribution of forest fire pollutant emissions to the total anthropogenic and natural emissions in Greece has been estimated in detail for a specific period during July 2000 when widespread forest fires occurred in the Greek mainland. The mesoscale air quality modeling system UAM-AERO was used to quantify the contribution of forest fire emissions to the air pollution levels in Greece, and it was calculated that the forest fire emissions were the largest contributors to the air pollution problem in regions tens of kilometers away from the fire source during this period. The wildfire emissions were calculated to cause an increase in the average PM10 concentration, organic aerosol mass, and gaseous concentration of several pollutants, among them CO, NOx, and NH3. An average contribution of 50% to the PM10 concentration over the region around the burnt area and downwind of the fire source (approximately 500 km) is calculated with a maximum of 80%, whereas, for CO, the average contribution was 50% during this period. The theoretical calculations were compared with in situ observations of smoke aerosols captured by a backscatter lidar system over the Greater Athens Basin as well as with surface observations of NO2 and O3 and the calculated concentrations were in better agreement with observations when forest fire emissions were included in the model calculations.