Athens Metropolitan Research Articles

Health education: Effects on classroom climate and physical activity

Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between classroom psychological climate and the physical and sedentary behaviour of primary school students after the implementation of an innovative education programme regarding nutrition and physical activity. Design: Randomised controlled trial. Setting: Study participants were 729 students, aged 8–10 years, in the third and fourth grade of 30 public primary schools in the Athens Metropolitan Area. Methods: Students were randomly assigned to three study groups: an Intensive Intervention Group (IIG) that underwent an intensive nutrition and physical activity education programme delivered by specialised personnel and teachers, an Intervention Group (IG) that underwent a less intensive programme delivered by their regular teacher and a Control Group (CG) that received no instruction. Classroom Psychological Climate (CPC) was measured in all groups, and the data regarding physical activity and sedentary lifestyle habits, such as the time spent viewing TV or video games (screen time), were recorded. Results: Friction declined and satisfaction increased significantly after the intervention in the IG compared with the CG. There was no significant difference in physical activity and screen time between the groups. Daily screen time was positively associated with increased friction, which is a measure of conflicts between students in the school environment. Conclusion: A school nutrition and physical activity education programme was shown to decrease friction by decreasing daily screen time and increasing outdoor activities. These findings also suggest that teachers alone may be more effective in delivering optional health education programmes than specialised personnel and instructors.

Urban flood hazard assessment in the basin of Athens Metropolitan city, Greece

Flood events have often occurred in the metropolitan urban area of Athens, capital of Greece, causing loss of property and in many cases human lives. In this study a flood hazard assessment model for urban areas is examined. The Kifisos and Ilisos Rivers flowing through the plain of Athens was the case study of the present work. The quantitative analysis of the Kifisos and Ilisos Rivers drainage networks was performed to identify flash-flood prone areas. The major factors affecting urban floods were estimated. The slope angle, elevation, distance from open channel streams, distance from totally covered streams, hydro-lithology and land cover of the study area were used. to evaluate these factors the analytical hierarchical process method was applied in a geographical information system. A sensitivity analysis was made to assess the effect of the various factors on the flood hazard map. Three scenarios were developed to examine the effect of uncertainty of the factors’ values to the flood hazard assessment results, leading to the corresponding urban flood hazard assessment maps. The produced map showed that the areas of very high flood hazard are located mostly along the lower reaches of Kifisos and Ilisos Rivers, particularly to the southern and to the western part of the study area. These areas are characterized by lowland morphology, gentle slope, totally covered streams, expansion of impermeable formation and intense urbanization. The uncertainty analysis shows no significant differences on the spatial distribution of the hazard zones. The produced urban flood hazard map proves a satisfactory agreement between the flood hazard zones and the spatial distribution of flood phenomena that have affected the study area in the past 117 years. Furthermore, the comparison between the flood-prone areas that were derived from the geomorphological analysis of the drainage networks and the high flood-hazard zones of the final map indicated reliable results and a high accuracy of the proposed methodology.

Hand mills from the vicinity of the Athenian Acropolis. The findings from Athens Metropolitan Railway excavation

Χειρόμυλοι από την περιοχή της αθηναϊκής Ακρόπολης. Τα ευρήματα από τις ανασκαφές του αθηναϊκού ΜΕΤΡΟ. Το παρόν άρθρο αποτελεί προκαταρκτική παρουσίαση των χειρομύλων για την άλεση των δημητριακών που εντοπίστηκαν κατά την ανασκαφική έρευνα στο οικόπεδο Μακρυγιάννη, στους πρόποδες της Αθηναϊκής Ακρόπολης, την οποία διενήργησε η πρώην Α΄ Εφορεία Προϊστορικών και Κλασικών Αρχαιοτήτων πριν από την κατασκευή του Σταθμού του ΜΕΤΡΟ «Ακρόπολις». Η έρευνα επικεντρώνεται στους χειρόμυλους παλινδρομικής κίνησης, τους χειρόμυλους «ολυνθιακού τύπου» και στους περιστροφικούς χειρόμυλους, οι οποίοι ήρθαν στο φως κατά την ανασκαφή, όχι κατά χώραν, αλλά είτε ανασύρθηκαν από επιχώσεις διαφόρων χρονικών περιόδων, κυρίως αρχαίων φρεάτων και δεξαμενών, είτε είχαν εντοιχισθεί σε τοιχοποιίες ή θεμελιώσεις διαφόρων κτιρίων. Αυτοί οι χειρόμυλοι ήταν κατασκευασμένοι από ηφαιστειακά πετρώματα άγνωστης προέλευσης, δεδομένου ότι δεν έχουν διενεργηθεί έως σήμερα πετρολογικές αναλύσεις. Οι μυλόλιθοι παλινδρομικής κίνησης «σαμαρωτού τύπου» και οι μυλόλιθοι «ολυνθιακού τύπου» αποτελούν την πλειονότητα των αντικειμένων που μελετήθηκαν και χρονολογούνται σε γενικές γραμμές από την προϊστορική εποχή έως τη ρωμαϊκή περίοδο, ενώ οι περιστροφικοί χειρόμυλοι είναι σπάνιοι. Επιχειρείται η χρονολόγηση των αθηναϊκών χειρομύλων της ανασκαφής με βάση τη σύγκρισή τους με ήδη δημοσιευμένα παράλληλα από άλλες περιοχές, τη χρονολόγηση της στρωματογραφίας της ανασκαφής και τα καλά χρονολογημένα συνευρήματά τους. Τέλος, σκιαγραφείται μία πτυχή της καθημερινής ζωής των κατοίκων της περιοχής, που κατά μερικούς ερευνητές ταυτίζεται με το Αθηναϊκό Δήμο του Κολλυτού.

Modeling the Impact of Traffic Information Acquisition From Mobile Devices During the Primary Tour of the Day

In this study the impact of real-time travel information acquired through mobile devices on traveler behavior is investigated. The study takes into consideration individuals’ attitudes toward the use of smart mobile devices. The effect of traffic information acquisition in activity rescheduling is also considered. A case study was developed for the Athens Metropolitan Area, Greece, in 2009. A survey was conducted that included both revealed and stated preference data, as well as attitudes and perceptions of individual decision makers. This article focuses on the modeling and analysis of the stated preferences experiment conducted. An integrated error component latent variable model was estimated, predicting the probability of travelers’ switching behavior as a function of travel information and traffic information seekers through mobile devices. The analysis of the results indicates that traffic information seekers through mobile devices are more likely to switch travel behavior, while traffic information appears to affect the rescheduling of individuals' activities that in many cases is also accompanied by mode or route switching.

Contribution of Natural Sources to PM Emissions over the Metropolitan Areas of Athens and Thessaloniki

The objective of this study is to examine the seasonal and inter-annual variation of particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM2.5–10) primary and secondary emissions from natural sources and their contributions to total PM emissions over the Athens and Thessaloniki metropolitan areas (Greece; AMA and TMA respectively), during the period 2000–2010. Therefore spatiotemporally disaggregated emission inventories for PM2.5, PM2.5–10 and BVOCs (Biogenic Volatile Organic Compounds), precursor to PM, from natural sources (vegetation, sea surface and wind erosion of soil) were created and compared to anthropogenic emissions in the areas. The results showed that the contribution of natural sources to PM10 emissions was significant (~79% for AMA; ~46% for TMA). Sea surface was the most abundant source of PM2.5–10 emissions in both areas whereas windblown dust accounted for a relatively small fraction of total natural PM10 emissions in AMA and TMA (~8%; ~12.5%). In addition, BVOCs emissions accounted for approximately 0.3% and 1.6% of total primary and secondary PM10 emitted from the AMA and TMA, respectively. It was found that the relative contribution of natural sources to total PM10 emissions has increased in both areas (0.9% in AMA and 27.6% in TMA) from the beginning to the end of the studied period. There was no significant seasonal variation observed in the natural PM10 emissions or to their contribution to total PM10 emissions while BVOCs emissions were increased during the warm period due to the enhanced solar radiation and temperature. The period averaged share of primary PM10 and gaseous precursors to secondary aerosol formation from natural sources to total equivalent PM10 mass in the areas was approximately 32% in AMA and 12% in TMA.

What about people in cycle network planning? applying participative multicriteria GIS analysis in the case of the Athens metropolitan cycle network

The bicycle is gaining ground as an inexpensive, fast, healthy, and enjoyable mode of transport, but the development of cycle infrastructures appears to be a necessary prerequisite for supporting further growth in cycling rates. Thus far, few studies have developed comprehensive methodologies for the prioritisation of cycling infrastructure investments, and the role of end users has been underestimated in this process. The unique relationship that cyclists develop with the bicycle itself, their co-cyclists, bicycle facilities, and the urban environment as a result of sensory, kinaesthetic, symbolic, or even political reasons can assist in designing cycle facilities that are more efficient and closer to fulfilling the needs and desires of users. We propose a comprehensive four-step methodology for cycle network planning, which both accounts for the city structure and the zones in which higher cycling demand is possible and uses participative multicriteria GIS processes to incorporate cyclists’ views with regard to choosing the cycle network segments. Our case study is Athens, Greece, where cycling facilities are few and heavily fragmented, although cycling demand has recently grown. This methodology may be useful for cities attempting to introduce and prioritise cycling infrastructures because it focuses on determining where cyclists would prefer to cycle to make such investments more successful in attracting users.

Between suburbanisation and re-urbanisation: revisiting the urban life cycle in a Mediterranean compact city

The redistribution of population over larger regions progressively further away from the dense core seems to be the new feature of the (originally compact) Mediterranean cities. With the aim of better understanding the nature of the urban transition taking place in these cities, we studied the phenomenon of population redistribution in Athens Metropolitan Area (AMA) in light of the city’s Urban Life Cycle (ULC). The research was carried out for a time frame of 60 years (1951–2011) using spatial analysis, correlation and multivariate statistics. Results reveal a phase of compact urban expansion occurring in the AMA until 1991, reflected in suburbanisation processes in the immediate proximity of the urban agglomeration. In the following period, the analysis showed signs of a period of transition difficult to interpret within the approach adopted by the ULC theory. A number of municipalities of the urban area experienced positive rates of population growth after decades of decline, while municipalities of the agglomeration and ring remain relatively stable. Altogether, these results can be interpreted as signs of a potential future re-urbanisation. The analysis performed provides insights on the debate over the future of Mediterranean cities, while demonstrating the advantages of adopting a multi-scale assessment methodology for identifying urban transitions.

Economic Recession and Emergence of an HIV-1 Outbreak among Drug Injectors in Athens Metropolitan Area: A Longitudinal Study

BackgroundDuring 2011, a dramatic increase (1600%) of reported HIV-1 infections among injecting drug users (IDUs) was noted in Athens, Greece. We herein assess the potential causal pathways associated with this outbreak.MethodsOur study employed high resolution HIV-1 phylogenetic and phylogeographic analyses. We examined also longitudinal data of ecological variables such as the annual growth of gross domestic product (GDP) of Greece in association with HIV-1 and HCV sentinel prevalence in IDUs, unemployment and homelessness rates and HIV transmission networks in Athens IDUs before and during economic recession (2008–2012).ResultsIDU isolates sampled in 2011 and 2012 suggested transmission networks in 94.6% and 92.7% of the cases in striking contrast with the sporadic networking (5%) during 1998–2009. The geographic origin of most HIV-1 isolates was consistent with the recently documented migratory waves in Greece. The decline in GDP was inversely correlated with annual prevalence rates of HIV and HCV and with unemployment and homelessness rates in IDUs (all p<0.001). The slope of anti-HCV prevalence in the sentinel populations of IDUs and in “new” drug injectors was found 120 and 1.9-fold (p = 0.007, p = 0.08 respectively) higher in 2008–2012 (economic recession) compared with 2002–2006. The median (25th, 75th) size of transmission networks were 34 (12, 58) and 2 (2, 2) (p = 0.057) in 2008–2012 and 1998–2007, respectively. The coverage of harm reduction services was low throughout the study period.ConclusionsScaling-up harm reduction services and addressing social and structural factors related to the current economic crisis should be urgently considered in environments where HIV-1 outbreaks may occur.

Operationalizing sustainability in urban coastal systems: A system dynamics analysis

We propose a system dynamics approach for Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD) in urban coastal systems. A systematic analysis based on theoretical considerations, policy analysis and experts' knowledge is followed in order to define the concept of ESD. The principles underlying ESD feed the development of a System Dynamics Model (SDM) that connects the pollutant loads produced by urban systems' socioeconomic activities with the ecological condition of the coastal ecosystem that it is delineated in operational terms through key biological elements defined by the EU Water Framework Directive. The receiving waters of the Athens Metropolitan area, which bears the elements of typical high population density Mediterranean coastal city but which currently has also new dynamics induced by the ongoing financial crisis, are used as an experimental system for testing a system dynamics approach to apply the concept of ESD. Systems' thinking is employed to represent the complex relationships among the components of the system. Interconnections and dependencies that determine the potentials for achieving ESD are revealed. The proposed system dynamics analysis can facilitate decision makers to define paths of development that comply with the principles of ESD.

From Streets and Squares to Radical Political Emancipation? Resistance Lessons from Athens during the Crisis

The current crisis with imposed austerity measures hit Greece in 2009. People in large cities such as Athens were the first victims. Resistance took various forms including mobilizations and fights in the streets and squares of Athens. Although to some extent spontaneous in the beginning, these mobilizations were not without political preparation (at least for some participants) and this partially explains both their intensity and stability and the violent police reaction. Resistance and anti-austerity mobilizations were outcomes of non-politicized people coming together with various more organized political forces, such as unions, non-unionized temporary workers, anti-racist and anti-global movements, members of the European Social Forum-Greek section, small leftist and anarchist groups, plus larger political parties of the left such as SYRIZA, which succeeded in forming a wider radical alliance. In this alliance the role of radical social movements, including urban movements, has been decisive. During the past 10 to 15 years dozens of urban grass-roots movements emerged in the Athens metropolitan region. Partly as a response to projects related to the 2004 Olympic Games, and partly in response to chronic socio-spatial inequalities and injustices in various neighborhoods, these movements were radical in nature, multi-class in social base and quite militant in terms of tactics. And since 2009, the crisis acted as catalyst, and radical social movements made the crucial link between sectoral/local struggles and those arising from wider socio-spatial contradictions and injustices aiming at political change. The paper critically evaluates these events, putting them in theoretical and comparative perspective, trying to understand the limits and the lessons-so-far from such an experience and asks whether they point to a wider radical political emancipation.

Estimating Spatial Differentials in Life Expectancy in Greece at Local Authority Level

ABSTRACTThe aims of this paper are to estimate, for the first time for Greece, life expectancy at birth by gender at local authority level and to explore spatial patterns. The data used in the analysis come from the vital registration system of Greece and the 2001 population census. For areas with male/female population 5,000 or more, representing 97% of the total, abridged life tables are constructed by employing the Chiang methodology. For local areas of less than 5,000, estimates of expectation of life at birth are obtained by employing regression models. Standard errors of life expectancy are estimated using the Chiang approximation as well as the Scherbov–Ediev reference tables. The results are presented in thematic as well as cluster maps; the latter are based on local Moran's I spatial autocorrelation statistics. Local populations are ranked by level of deprivation in three groups, low, medium, and high, and differences in mean life expectancies are assessed. The findings indicate that across localities, life expectancy ranges from 70.7 to 79.6 for men (8.9‐year difference) and from 76.1 to 82.5 for women (6.4‐year difference). More deprived areas exhibit lower life expectancy but greater sex difference. Comparatively high life expectancy is found in Crete, the Aegean and Ionian Islands, the Peloponnese, Central‐Western Greece and in Athens and Thessaloniki metropolitan areas; conditions are unfavourable in North‐Eastern Greece (particularly Thrace). Life expectancy standard errors, based on the two aforementioned procedures, are close, but Chiang approximation tends to underestimate to some extend standard errors particularly for populations 5,000–10,000. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Plant biomonitoring: impact of urban environment on seasonal dynamics of storage substances and chlorophylls of Oleander

In the present study seasonal changes of chlorophyll content and storage substances related to the metabolic response of the widespread, evergreen plant oleander (Nerium oleander) to air pollution were investigated. Mature leaves of oleander shrubs, grown at five sites of differing levels of air pollution in the center and the suburbs of the Athens Metropolitan area, were examined during the course of a year. Soluble sugars, starch and total lipid content of the leaves showed a peak at the end of the cold season, while a decline was detected during the main growth period. Leaf chlorophyll content was increased during spring. It seems likely that the level of air pollution in Athens did not affect the concentration and the seasonal pattern of storage substances at the leaf level. Elevated chlorophyll content was estimated in the polluted with oxides of nitrogen sites. In contrast, leaf chlorophyll content declined in sites with ozone pollution.

Environmental Management Approaches and Water Resources in the stessed region of Thriassion, Greece

The present attempt has a two prong-emphasis. On the one hand it demarcates the physical, structural, social and economic parameters and the eliciting environmental problems in Thriassion Plain, the main industrial area of metropolitan Athens, Greece. On the other hand it attempts to delineate a framework of total unit management in terms of actions that may make possible the solution of long term pollution problems focusing on the whole spectrum of potential policy alternatives. Such an approach could contribute in presenting some options, for water resources management in particular and in general for natural resources management efforts, that may outline an environmental management framework necessary for a continuous, comprehensive and future oriented development of the area.

Anthropogenic disturbance of coastal habitats promotes the spread of the introduced scleractinian coral Oculina patagonica in the Mediterranean Sea

The extensive human-mediated modifications of shallow coastal habitats drastically alter selection regimes and may assist alien invasions. The preferential presence of a non-indigenous scleractinian coral (Oculina patagonica) on anthropogenic hard substrata was investigated in a highly disturbed coastal area, along the eastern Saronikos Gulf (Aegean Sea, Eastern Mediterranean). Although the species occurred on both natural and anthropogenic substrata at similar frequencies, its abundance was substantially higher on the latter. The species was present all along the shallow (0.5–5 m) infralittoral zone of the studied coastline, and its percent cover even exceeded 50 % at a site of anthropogenic hard substratum. The occupancy of the species declined with distance from a highly disturbed industrialized/urbanized area (Athens metropolitan coastal front and the port of Piraeus). Space availability as a result of habitat modification appears to have been an important factor enhancing the coral’s abundance in this area. The ongoing degradation of the coastal zone, as a combined effect of coastal pollution, proliferation of artificial substrata and overgrazing seems to be paving the way to this new invasion in the Aegean Sea.

Identification of the Influence of African Dust on PM10 Concentrations at the Athens Air Quality Monitoring Network during the Period 2001-2010

The objective of this work was to identify Sahara dust intrusions and quantify their contribution to annual and daily PM10 concentrations over the Athens Metropolitan Area (AMA) during the period 2001–2010. Additionally, extreme PM10 values attributed to large forest fires and volcanic emissions or the synergy of the above with African dust intrusions have been identified. It was found that the concentrations of PM10 during the period studied exceeded the European Union’s Air Quality Standard (EU AQS) value at most of the traffic urban (TU) stations. Most of the extreme values were attributed to dust events or large forest fires. The contribution from African dust to PM10 concentrations on days with events and exceedances of the EU AQS was approximately 50% at TU stations and 72% at the background suburban stations (BS). Most of the African dust events contributed about 5 μg/m3 to 34 μg/m3 to the daily PM10 concentrations, whereas the average contribution to annual PM10 concentrations was approximately 8.6 ± 1.8 μg/m3 i.e., 22.2 ± 7.5%. During the decade, no clear interannual relationship was observed between the African dust contribution and the frequency and intensity of events. The more frequent and severe episodes occurred during spring, while less frequent and less severe episodes occurred during summer. After the extraction of the African dust load the annual and daily AQS was exceeded in 2010 at only one TU station. The average annual contribution of African dust to the exceedances was approximately 36% at TU stations and 58% at BS stations.

Trends of NOx, NO2 and O3 concentrations at three different types of air quality monitoring stations in Athens, Greece

This work presents a systematic analysis and evaluation of the historic and current levels of atmospheric pollution in the Athens metropolitan region, regarding nitrogen oxides (NOx = NO + NO2), ozone (O3) and the NO2/NOx and NO/NO2 concentration ratios. Hourly, daily, monthly, seasonal and annual pollutant variations are examined and compared, using the results of concentration time series from three different stations of the national network for air pollution monitoring, one urban-traffic, one urban-background and one suburban-background. Concentration data are also related to meteorological parameters. The results show that the traffic affected station of Patission Street presents the higher NOx values and the lower concentrations of O3, while it is the station with the highest number of NO2 limit exceedances. The monitoring data suggest, inter alia, that there is a change in the behaviour of the suburban-background station of Liossia at about year 2000, indicating that the exact location of this station may need to be reconsidered. Comparison of NOx concentrations in Athens with concentrations in urban areas of other countries reveal that the Patission urban-traffic station records very high NOx concentrations, while remarkably high is the ratio of NO2 concentrations recorded at the urban-traffic vs. the urban-background station in Athens, indicating the overarching role of vehicles and traffic congestion on NO2 formation. The NO2/NOx ratio in the urban-traffic station appears to be almost constant with time, while it has been increasing in other urban areas, such as London and Seoul, suggesting an increased effect of primary NO2 in these areas. Diesel passenger cars were only recently allowed in Athens and, therefore, NO2 trends should be carefully monitored since a possible increase in primary NO2 may affect compliance with NO2 air quality standards.

Locational planning for emergency management and response: an artificial intelligence approach

The effi ciency of emergency service systems is measured in terms of their ability to deploy units and personnel in a timely and effective manner upon an event’s occurrence. When dealing with public sector institutions, this refl ects the signifi cance for state or local offi cials to determine the optimal locations for emergency stations and vehicles. The typical methodology to deal with such a task is through the application of the appropriate location-allocation model. In such a case, however, the spatial distribution of demand although stochastic in nature and layout, when aggregated at the appropriate level, appears to be spatially structured or semistructured. Aiming to exploit the above incentive, a different approach will be examined in this paper. The spatial tracing and location analysis of emergency incidents is achieved through the utilisation of an Artifi cial Neural Network (ANN). More specifi cally, the ANN provides the basis for a spatiotemporal clustering of demand, defi nition of the relevant centres, formulation of possible future states of the system and fi nally, defi nition of locational strategies for the improvement of the provided services. The proposed methodological approach is applied to Athens Metropolitan Area and the adopted dataset constitutes of the incidents that were reported and confronted by the city’s Fire Department during the year 2008.

Prevalence of osteoporosis-osteopenia at lumbar spine and femur in an urban female population. An epidemiological study in the Athens Metropolitan area, Greece

The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of osteoporosis and osteopenia in a female urban population. Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry measurements were done at the lumbar spine (6920 females) and at the femur (3222 females) Bone mineral density (BMD) and corresponding T-scores were analysed using multivariate regression models. In females, the prevalence rate of osteoporosis was 15.3% at the lumbar spine and of osteopenia 36.5%. In females osteoporosis rate at the femur was 17.7% for the neck, 30.65% for the ward’s triangle and 1.86% for the tronchater, whereas the osteopenic rates were 53.3%, 44.7% and 32.09% respectively. A polynominal cubic model performed for age showed the steepest decline at the age of 55 years for the spine BMD (-0.973% change, 95% CI -1.031/-0.915) and at the age of 64 years for the femur BMD (-0.726% change, 95% CI - 0.793/-0.658). Actually sensitive interventions for prevention of osteoporosis in urban population need serious concern.

Assessing PM10source reduction in urban agglomerations for air quality compliance

The objective of this work was to study PM(10) and PM(2.5) concentration data available from monitoring stations in two large urban agglomerations in Greece and to estimate the emissions reduction required for compliance with the EU Air Quality Standards (AQS) for particulate matter. The cities studied are namely the Athens and Thessaloniki Metropolitan Areas (AMA and TMA, respectively). PM(10) concentrations during the period 2001-2010 have been evaluated for 15 air quality monitoring stations in the two urban areas. It was found that the concentrations of PM(10) during the period studied constantly exceeded the threshold values at the traffic and industrial stations in TMA and most of the traffic sites in AMA. Most of the occurrences of non-attainment to the daily AQSs were observed during the winter period at all stations (more pronounced for TMA stations). The reduction in current emission source strength to meet the air quality goal was calculated by the rollback equation using PM(10) day-averaged concentrations over the selected period at each station. Among the lognormal and Weibull distributions, the lognormal distribution was found to best fit the frequency distributions of PM(10) concentrations at the selected stations. The results showed that the minimum reduction required in order to meet the AQS in the AMA ranges from approximately 20 to 38% and up to 11% for traffic and background stations, respectively. Reductions in the range of 31% for traffic and 44% for industrial areas in TMA are also required. The same methodology was applied to PM(2.5) concentrations in the AMA and showed that emission reductions up to 31% are necessary in order to meet the 2020 EU AQS. Finally, continuous concentration data of organic (OC) and elementary carbon (EC) in PM(2.5) were used to study the possibility of achieving specific emission attenuation objectives in AMA.

Purchasing And Supply Chain Management Practices In Greek Small And Medium Sized Business Enterprises (SMES)

This paper presents information concerning the purchasing and supply management practices of Greek small and medium sized business enterprises (SMEs). Findings from site visits to SMEs located in the metropolitan Athens area are presented. The results from this study are compared and contrasted with the existing academic and practitioner literature. Unique aspects of Greek SME organizations are identified and discussed.