Region Of Macedonia Research Articles

Selection of 80 newly isolated autochthonous yeast strains from the Tikveš region of Macedonia and their impact on the quality of red wines produced from Vranec and Cabernet Sauvignon grape varieties

The main objectives of this study were to (i) isolate newly autochthonous yeast strains from the Tikveš region of Macedonia and (ii) test their impact on the quality of red wines from Vranec and Cabernet Sauvignon grape varieties. The newly isolated yeast strains were obtained by spontaneous fermentation of grape must from Vranec and Cabernet Sauvignon varieties collected from ten different micro-regions in Macedonia. The grapevines from both varieties grown in “Barovo” micro-region were the richest sources of yeast strains. In addition, the molecular identification and typing of strains were also carried out. The monomeric anthocyanins, polyphenolic content and other oenochemical characteristics of the wines were also compared with the wines from commercial yeast strain “SiHa”. The Vranec wine from yeast strain F-8 and Cabernet Sauvignon wine from yeast strain F-20 had significantly (p<0.05) higher concentrations of monomeric anthocyanins and total phenolic compounds than other wines.

Population Estimation in an Urban Area with Remote Sensing and Geographical Information Systems

Population estimation with questionnaires and demographic models is time consuming and usually accompanied by high costs. Geoinformation tools constitute key tools towards the solution of this problem, and, therefore, studies have started to emerge in the early 70s. In this paper a brief reference to the methods of population estimation, which are based totally or in combination with statistical analysis methods on products of Remote Sensing and their processing with GIS is cited. Afterwards, the capability of stereoscopic satellite images of high spatial resolution for the determining of the height of buildings and the performance of their plans, which are essential data for the estimation of the population of each building is highlighted. The study area is the municipality of Thessaloniki (Northern Greece, Region of Central Macedonia), and the estimation accuracy of the population reaches 97.06%.

Foreign Language Learning for the Visually Impaired in the Region of Central Macedonia, Greece: Problems and Suggestions

This article presents in brief the causes of visual impairment in modern times and sets the theoretical framework along with giving some practical tips of the teaching methods the teacher of foreign languages should follow in order to maximize the performance of the visually impaired students in the language classroom. Moreover, it presents a mini research held by the author in the area of Central Macedonia, Greece in order to trace the conditions which visually impaired students are faced with while learning English and other foreign languages in Greece and the problems that they are confronted with. Furthermore, through the elaboration of the questionnaires used in the research, some useful conclusions are drawn and some suggestions are presented about the improvement of the teaching of foreign languages to the blind and the measures the state should take.

Physicochemical characterization and quality of cold-pressed peanut oil obtained from organically produced peanuts from Macedonian “Virginia” variety

The physicochemical characterization and quality of cold pressed peanut edible oil from the “Virginia” variety, organically produced from the region of Macedonia, were examined in this work for the first time. The fatty acid composition of the oil showed almost equal levels of oleic and linoleic acids with an abundance of 34.19±0.01 and 36.13±0.01%, respectively. The most dominant saturated fatty acid was palmitic acid with a level of 10.06±0.00%. The level of tocopherols and other vitamin-E-related compounds was in strong agreement with the antioxidant activity of the oils measured by the DPPH assay. Almost equal amounts of α and γ tocopherols indicated an antioxidant potential of 288.63±59.78 mg·L−1 α-tocopherol. Phytosterols, as minor compounds present in the oils, can be additional antioxidants responsible for the health benefits of this oil in human nutrition. The four major pytosterols were β-sitosterol (1812.21±22.17 mg·kg−1 oil), champesterol (320.55±17.07 mg·kg−1 oil), Δ5-avenasterol (236.16±14.18 mg·kg−1) and stigmasterol (133.12±12.51 mg·kg−1 oil). Induction time, Peroxide number, FFA and specific extinction (K232 and K270, values 1.82 and 0.22) gave us an indication of the oxidative stability of cold pressed peanut oil.

Drug Susceptibility Pattern from Tuberculosis Patients in Region of Macedonia Greece

Tuberculosis (TB) remains one of the world’s deadliest diseases. Increasing rates of drug-resistant tuberculosis in Eastern Europe, Asia and sub-Saharan Africa now threaten to undermine the gains made by worldwide tuberculosis control efforts. The region of Macedonia in North Greece is an entrance gate of thousands of immigrants, moving mainly from East European countries with high tuberculosis prevalence to Greece and the whole Europe. Our study determines the drug susceptibility pattern of new TB cases in the region of Macedonia, Greece. A total of 63 M. tuberculosis strains were isolated by cultivation between January 2012 and December 2014 in Macedonia, North Greece. After microscopic examination with Ziehl-Neelsen staining, clinical samples were simultaneously tested by two methods: conventional culture method on the Lowenstein-Jensen (L-J) slants for 8 weeks (at 370°C) and molecular method Genotype MTBDR plus (Hain-Lifescience). According to the study results, 2 out of 63 strains (3.2%) were resistant to both isoniazid (INH) and rifampicin (RMP). Additionally, 3 strains (4.8%) were INH mono-resistant. Statistical analysis demonstrated that there was no statistically significant difference in presence of resistance according to patients’ gender or origin (Greeks or immigrants). It is clear that the implementation of an efficient nationwide system for the surveillance, diagnosis and treatment of TB is essential. The best strategy in order to control, and prevent TB includes, first of, all a rapid diagnosis and initiation of treatment, something which is the most important for public health.

The Slavic Liturgy of the Byzantine Rite and the Corpus of Slavic Liturgical Books at the End of the 9th and the Beginning of the 10th Centuries

Recent scholarship on the historical development of the Slavic liturgy in its early stage has shown that one of the important prerequisites for its practical implementation was the establishment, under the guidance of a bishop, of a church organization which was entitled to use Church Slavonic as a liturgical language. Research has also demonstrated that the methodological approach linking the history of the Slavic liturgical texts with the development of the Slavic ecclesiastical structures administered by bishops offers valuable insights. The first Slavic corpus of liturgical books of Byzantine rites (the so-called Corpus of Clement, CC) came into being in the Slavic ethnic eparchy and then in the Slavic territorial dioceses which were to be integrated into the church organization of the First Bulgarian Empire. The core part of the CC, to which the complex of original Slavic hymnographic writings belongs, was created in the years between 893 and 916 in the Slavic ethnic eparchy of St. Clement of Ohrid in the western part of the First Bulgarian Empire (in the region of southern Albania, northwestern Greece, and southwestern Macedonia). The supplementary part of the CC, which contains the complex of the word-by-word translations of hymnographic writings, originated in the mid-10th century in Slavic territorial dioceses located at that time in the western part of the First Bulgarian Empire. This two-stage formation of the CC was due to the two-stage development of the Slavic church organizations, and it was thus neither linguistic nor literary in nature. Having special features characteristic of the western Byzantine liturgy, the CC differed from both its preceding and subsequent corpora of Slavic liturgical books in its liturgical, textological, and linguistic character. Every subsequent corpus of Slavic liturgical texts, however, built upon the preceding one, and this ensured the continuity of the Slavic liturgical and, consequently, linguistic tradition as a whole.

Evangelia Stefani, Nikos Merousis and Anastasia Dimoula. A century of research in prehistoric Macedonia 1912-2012

This volume is the fruitful outcome of an international conference dedicated to a century of prehistoric research in Macedonia. The conference was held within a wider framework of commemorations on the occasion of the centenary since the liberation of Thessaloniki from the Ottoman rule. The conference was organised by the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki, its director Polyxeni Adam-Veleni and a large team of the Museum’s archaeologists as well as Archaeology Professors from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. The volume, edited by Evangelia Stefani, Nikos Merousis and Anastasia Dimoula, presents a rich overview of prehistoric investigations conducted within the geographical area corresponding to the region of Macedonia in northern Greece. It comprises in total sixty papers written mostly in Greek (12 amongst them are written in English), with English abstracts, occasionally of substantial extent.

West Nile Virus Circulation in Mosquitoes in Greece (2010-2013).

Background of the Study. Following a large West Nile virus (WNV) epidemic in Northern Greece in 2010, an active mosquito surveillance system was implemented, for a 3-year period (2011, 2012, and 2013). Description of the Study Site and Methodology. Using mainly CO2 mosquito traps, mosquito collections were performed. Samples were pooled by date of collection, location, and species and examined for the presence of WNV. Results. Positive pools were detected in different areas of the country. In 2010, MIR and MLE values of 1.92 (95% CI: 0.00–4.57) and 2.30 (95% CI: 0.38–7.49) were calculated for the Serres Regional Unit in Central Macedonia Region. In 2011, the highest MIR value of 3.71(95% CI: 1.52–5.91) was recorded in the Regions of Central Greece and Thessaly. In 2012, MIR and MLE values for the whole country were 2.03 (95% CI: 1.73–2.33) and 2.15 (95% CI: 1.86–2.48), respectively, for Cx. pipiens. In 2013, in the Regional Unit of Attica, the one outbreak epicenter, MIR and MLE values for Cx. pipiens were 10.75 (95% CI: 7.52–13.99) and 15.76 (95% CI: 11.66–20.65), respectively. Significance of Results/Conclusions. The contribution of a mosquito-based surveillance system targeting WNV transmission is highlighted through the obtained data, as in most regions positive mosquito pools were detected prior to the date of symptom onset of human cases. Dissemination of the results on time to Public Health Authorities resulted in planning and application of public health interventions in local level.

Implementation of a sustainable energy action plan for municipality of Ptolemaida

The first step in the implementation of a SEAP is the collaboration of a BEI, as it will provide knowledge of the nature of the entities emitting CO2 on the municipality's territory, and will thus help select the appropriate actions. In this paper, the basic methodology is presented, step by step, in order to develop a BEI for the municipality of Ptolemaida in Western Macedonia Region, Greece. According to the results, the final energy consumption of Ptolemaida City amounts to 407,994.00 MWh. Through the use of appropriate selected emission factors the carbon footprint of Ptolemaida was deducted. According to the BEI of Ptolemaida during the year 2010 were emitted 172,518 tn CO2 or 5, 37 tn CO2/capita.

Economic appraisal of the public control and prevention strategy against the 2010 West Nile Virus outbreak in Central Macedonia, Greece

ObjectivesThe aim of the present paper is to evaluate the economic efficiency of the public control and prevention strategies to tackle the 2010 West Nile Virus (WNV) outbreak in the Region of Central Macedonia, Greece. Efficiency is examined on the basis of the public prevention costs incurred and their potential in justifying the costs arising from health and nuisance impacts in the succeeding years. Study designEconomic appraisal of public health management interventions. MethodsPrevention and control cost categories including control programmes, contingency planning and blood safety testing, are analyzed based on market prices. A separate cost of illness approach is conducted for the estimation of medical costs and productivity losses from 2010 to 2013 and for the calculation of averted health impacts. The averted mosquito nuisance costs to households are estimated on the basis of a contingent valuation study. Based on these findings, a limited cost-benefit analysis is employed in order to evaluate the economic efficiency of these strategies in 2010–2013. ResultsResults indicate that cost of illness and prevention costs fell significantly in the years following the 2010 outbreak, also as a result of the epidemic coming under control. According to the contingent valuation survey, the annual average willingness to pay to eliminate the mosquito problem in the study area ranged between 22 and 27 € per household. Cost-benefit analysis indicates that the aggregate benefit of implementing the previous 3-year strategy creates a net socio-economic benefit in 2013. However the spread of the WNV epidemic and the overall socio-economic consequences, had the various costs not been employed, remain unpredictable and extremely difficult to calculate. ConclusionsThe application of a post epidemic strategy appears to be of utmost importance for public health safety. An updated well designed survey is needed for a more precise definition of the optimum prevention policies and levels and for the establishment of the various cost/benefit parameters.

Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis of Biomass from Agro-industrial Processes in the Central Macedonia Region, Greece

This work aims to identify the potential biomass resources produced in the area of the Central Macedonia Region, in Northern Greece, in order to contribute to the efforts to achieve national targets for renewable energy sources. Specific objectives included the evaluation of the biomass amounts in each regional unit, the measurement of their characteristics and properties, and the investigation of their utilization potential. According to this survey, a total of 1.33 million tonnes of fresh biomass residues are produced in the Greek Central Macedonia Region. The utilization potential of available biomass resources may be evaluated according to the quality characteristics of the various types of biomass based on the results of laboratory tests and classified in the following ranking in descending order: peach and olive stone, cotton residues, almond shell, olive cake, pressed grape skins, peach pulp and peach and potato peels. The residues from oil production and cotton mill residues are of high importance. Agricultural residues remaining in the farming areas, such as olive and peach branches, represent another challenging biomass source. Furthermore, according to the survey for each regional unit, there is a significant number of biomass types that could be utilized, after appropriate management. An efficient management plan should be based on the use of biomass resources with a regular production regime over the year, such as manure or potato residues, combined with or supported by the sequential use of various other residues produced through the year, on a temporary basis. Thus the presence of different types of biomass resources in the specific area, with seasonal variability, could justify the continuous availability of raw materials all year round.

Dental Caries Experience among 12 Year Old School Children from Macedonia and India

The aim of the present study was to compare the dental caries status of the 12 year old children of the eastern region of Macedonia and Budgam district of Jammu and Kashmir state of India.

Naselbinska imena v Tikveški regiji

V prispevku je s semantičnega in besedotvornega vidika analiziranih in &#x0D; klasificiranih 140 naselbinskih imen Tikveške regije, večjega območja v srednjem Povardarju. Klasifikacija ojkonimov je narejena po tisti, ki jo je v svoji doktorski disertaciji z naslovom Toponomastikata na Ohridsko‑prespanskiot bazen (Toponomastika Ohridsko‑prespanskega bazena) predstavil Poljak Włodzimierz Pianka. Analiza je pokazala, da se v ojkonimih Tikveške regije ohranjajo geografski apelativi, fitonimi, zoonimi in osebna imena. Poseben tip ojkonimov predstavljajo tisti, ki so enaki stanovniškim imenom in patronimikom. Z besedotvornega vidika &#x0D; so ojkonimi s tega območja pretežno nastali s toponimizacijo apelativov ali pa s sufiksalno substantivizacijo. Precejšen del ojkonimov je eliptičnih, manjše število je zloženk in večbesednih imen. Glede izvora je najvišji odstotek ojkonimov slovanskega izvora, manjši pa turškega, grškega ali romanskega.

Epidemiology of superficial mycoses in Northern Greece: a 4-year study.

Superficial mycoses are defined as the fungal infections of skin, hair or nails that are caused by dermatophytes, yeasts and non-dermatophytic moulds. Dermatophytes are the most frequently isolated fungi from specimens of patients with superficial mycoses. Studying the possible alteration of the epidemiology of superficial mycoses in Northern Greece during the last two to three decades. Data concerning the superficial mycoses from patients coming mainly from the region of Macedonia, Northern Greece, between January 2010 and January 2014 were recorded and analysed. They included specimens from 438 patients (146 M/292 F), within an age range of 2-85 years old. 503 samples were collected from skin (81, 16.1%), hair (18, 3.6%) and nails (fingernails 84, 16.7%, toenails 320, 63.6%) lesions. Of a total of 222 positive cultures, 50 were considered as yielding clinically non-significant isolates (saprophytes). Among the rest (172), dermatophytes were the most prevalent isolates (102, 59.3%), followed by yeasts (51, 29.7%) and non-dermatophytic moulds (19, 11%). Trichophyton rubrum (55, 53.9%), Trichophyton mentagrophytes (18, 17.6%) and Microsporum canis (23, 22.5%) were the most common isolates among dermatophytes (total = 102). Candida parapsilosis (26, 51%), and Candida albicans (10, 19.6%) among yeasts (total = 51) whereas Fusarium (6, 31.6%) and Acremonium species (3, 15.8%) among the non-dermatophytic moulds (total=19). Compared to previous studies from Northern Greece, the epidemiology of superficial mycoses in the specific geographic region seems not to have been altered the last two to three decades.

Dental Caries Experience among 12 Year Old School Children from Macedonia and India

The aim of the present study was to compare the dental caries status of the 12 year old children of the eastern region of Macedonia and Budgam district of Jammu and Kashmir state of India.

Support of Local Entrepreneurship During Periods of Crisis: A Case Study for Serres-Greece on NSRF Programmes

Abstract The role of Small and Medium Enterprises (SME's) to regional development is crucial. Taking as a granted that National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF) focuses on regional disparities reduction, the main scope of this paper is to examine the influence of the NSRF programs on Regional Unity of Serres taking under consideration the existence of great intraregional disparities in region of Central Macedonia. Recently, peripheral disparities undoubtedly deteriorate Greek recession, something that is underlined at the relevant literature. According to Joseph Stiglitz “with inequality at its highest level since before the Depression, a robust recovery will be difficult in the short term” Also, Paul Krugman adds “countries doing a lot of redistribution have, if anything, weathered the crisis better than those that do less” As enterprises confront huge sustainability problems, their investments are deteriorated. Greek state, under the framework of NSRF 2007-2013, announced on spring 2013 the program “Support of SME's which are activated in Manufacturing - Tourism - Commerce & Services” (the program will de completed until the end of 2015). The NSRF provide subsidizes using general geographical-economic (mainly income) criteria (at regional level NUTS2) without examining the NUTS3 level. It is common knowledge that Greek banks nowadays do not support firms sufficiently. Thus, many of the eligible (under the umbrella of the examining program) investments may not be completed. Hellenic Fund for Entrepreneurship and Development (ETEAN), the associated institution, does not provide the necessary funds to all the entrepreneurs. During the last 4 years the 20% of local enterprises have been closed. It is obvious that crisis badly affected local entrepreneurship. According to Serres Chamber of Commerce and Industry the number of enterprises at Regional Unity of Serres have been reduced from 14.103 (January 2010) to 10.715 (January 2015). All the above mentioned are analyzed in our theoretical part. Our empirical research was conducted in February 2014. The survey consists of two parts. At the first part, a comparative analysis between the region of Central Macedonia and the Borough of Serres takes place. At the second part, all the local eligible enterprises, that will receive subsidizes from ESPA were participated in this research (total 123 ones). The used methodology is the calculation of the main descriptive statistical measures (the average, the standard deviation and the coefficient of variation) and the statistical moment of distribution (the coefficient correlation). According to our main findings, the contribution of NSRF programs as they are regulated by the developmental national laws to the survival and development of local enterprises has been significant, although the legislator disregarded the fact that borough of Serres is poorer than the core region Thessaloniki. The intraregional disparities (which have been indicated both in the theoretical and in the empirical part) should be taken under consideration when a low is reconsidered. Finally it should point out that the general results of our empirical research are relying to the relevant used literature.

SWOT analysis for sustainable forest policy and management: a Greek case study

A survey was carried out during a workshop of the Greek National Forest Governance Council to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats for sustainable forest management assessment in Greece. The National Forest Governance Council was established within the frame of the INFORM project financed through LIFE. Its main role is to support the development process of a knowledge base for development of national forest policy on sustainable forest management assessment and monitoring. This paper presents the important internal and external factors for sustainable forest management assessment identified in the four groups: strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, for the forests of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace region, in Northern Greece. It also discusses the strategies for this area resulting in a good fit between the internal and external factors. SWOT provides a basic frame within which an analysis of the strategic forest planning environment towards sustainable forest management assessment can be performed.

Evaluation of the Soil Quality on the Reclaimed Lignite Mine Land in West Macedonia, Greece

The West Macedonia Lignite Centre (WMLC) is a complex of surface mines that produces annually 45 Mt of lignite and excavates more than 280 Mm3 of earthy materials. After 60 years of operation, WMLC occupies 16,000ha. Up to now, 4,000ha of mine spoils have been reclaimed; sloped surfaces have been reforested and horizontal surfaces are rented as farmland. Based on the environmental permits that are in force, WMLC conducts systematically soil sampling and lab analyses for determining quality characteristics of reclaimed soils that concern both soil fertility and contamination control.According to the results of lab analyses carried out so far, reclaimed soils are characterized by an alkaline pH and normal electrical conductivity values. Their particle size distribution classifies them from moderately coarse to fine soils. A large number of samples exhibit high CaCO3 content, while organic matter content is high in samples collected from reclaimed mine spoils where lignite seams of low calorific value have been dumped. Cation exchange capacity is high, mainly due to high concentrations of iron in assimilable form.Regarding the concentrations of nutrients, these exhibit a wide variation depending on the element and sampling depth. Sufficient concentrations of the exchangeable cations K+, Ca2+ and Mg2+ have been determined in the majority of the soil samples. Phosphorus concentrations are below the generally accepted availability level of 20mg/kg.Heavy metals concentrations are below the screening values determined by the Dutch Soil Pollution Act with the exception of Nickel, which often exhibits concentrations higher than the intervention value of 210mg/kg. Chromium concentrations are also high but do not exceed the intervention value of 380mg/kg. Iron is the only metal that exhibits systematically higher concentrations in soil samples collected from the reclaimed mine spoils than in soil samples collected from areas of West Macedonia region that have not been disturbed by lignite mining operations.

Holocene sedimentary records of the Katarraktes cave system (northern Greece): a stratigraphical and environmental magnetism approach

The Katarraktes cave system is located in northern Greece and is a complex of a rockshelter and a cave formed on the south river bank of Krousovitis River canyon (Serres, Macedonia region). The archaeological site area is well known as one of the most important archaeological sites in SE Europe since it hosts numerous archaeological findings dating back to the Early Bronze Age. Detailed stratigraphic analysis of three archaeological sections was performed in order to define the depositional conditions of the cave entrance facies sediments. Mineral magnetic properties were performed to enhance the paleoenvironmental interpretations and to detect sediment origins. Magnetic susceptibility (klf) obtained in high and low frequency as well as remanence parameters, such as saturation isothermal remanent magnetization (SIRM) and S-ratio, were measured in samples collected2from the archaeological sections. Results indicate a significant variability in the magnetic signal stored in the sedimentary record of Kataraktes cave system distinguishing between natural and anthropogenic sequences. The combination of the stratigraphic and magnetic results along with the archaeological data reveals that flood events of Krousovitis River and sediment accumulation from slackwater in the rockshelter area occurred around 3000 yr BC and were possibly the key factor for the abandonment of the prehistoric settlement.

Assessment of vulnerable freshwater ecosystems and various aquatic effluents by means of ecotoxicological assays

A battery of ecotoxicological assays of different trophic chain levels has been performed for water and sediment samples of two Greek vulnerable freshwater ecosystems (Karla Lake in Thessaly Region and Koronia Lake in Central Macedonia Region, respectively). These lakes, despite remediation programs, are still characterized by varied water quality. Furthermore, the quality of aquatic reservoirs aimed for human consumption as well as this of treated and untreated wastewater samples was also assessed through these bioassays. The outcome of the present research shows that condition of the studied lake ecosystems is still poor and intervention is needed for rectification of their continuous decline. Samples from treated municipal wastewater from the same regions were of medium to satisfactory quality, as measured by ecotoxicological assays. Despite causative relationships between burdened physicochemical parameters and increased toxicity, this toxicity could not always be attributed to these parameters. Results of bioassays in combination with standard physicochemical measurements of water samples may aid the integrated assessment of environmental risk arising from presence or release of these water samples in the ecosystem.