Sites In Greece Research Articles

Using E‐S‐QUAL to measure internet service quality of e‐commerce web sites in Greece

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the applicability of the electronic service quality measurement instrument E‐S‐QUAL and its factor structure in the context of e‐commerce in Greece. Also, to investigates the effects of E‐S‐QUAL factors on customer perceived overall quality, value and loyalty.Design/methodology/approachField research was conducted by using a structured questionnaire, utilizing the E‐S‐QUAL model and replicating the work of the model's developers. Principal component analysis, reliability tests and multiple regression analyses were performed to both confirm the scale factor structure and answer the research questions.FindingsThe analysis of the research data confirmed the four factor structure of E‐S‐QUAL in the context of e‐commerce in Greece and produced similar results to those of the initial research. Efficiency was proved to be the highest ranked dimension since it has a significant positive effect on all three dependent variables, namely perceived overall quality, value and loyalty. Privacy has a positive significant effect on both perceived overall quality and value. Fulfillment was found to have a significant positive effect only on perceived overall quality, while service availability affects positively only perceived value.Originality/valueThe present study contributes to the examination of E‐S‐QUAL's applicability in different settings and to the verification of its factor structure. Moreover, the study provides useful insight into the effect of electronic service quality on customer perceived value and loyalty.

Financial Analysis of Solar Water Heating Systems during the Depression: Case Study of Greece

The use of solar thermal collectors is an economic alternative for water heating. In Greece more than 4 million m2 of collector area has been installed; however, the financial and economic crisis has dealt the solar thermal market a heavy blow. The aim of the paper is twofold: firstly, to present the new legislations and combined efforts taken by the government in order to give the solar thermal market a boost; secondly, to evaluate the effect of these efforts and calculate the new financial data from the citizens. For the promotion of solar water heaters, new legislations and concerted efforts are taken by the government. The effect of the new incentive program on the payback time of a typical glazed solar hot water system in Greece was investigated in this work. Long-term meteorological data from 47 stations are analyzed in order to evaluate the potential of solar water heater application at each site in Greece. The RETScreen software was used to predict the financial viability and the green house gas emissions reductions. The economical indicators showed that Tymbakion was the best site and Ioannina the worst. From the environmental point of view, it was found that on an average an approximate quantity of 1.47 ton of green house gases can be avoided entering into the local atmosphere each year.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ee.23.1.1222

Intensity of the Earth’s magnetic field in Greece during the last five millennia: New data from Greek pottery

New archaeointensity results have been obtained from the study of four ceramic collections coming from four different archaeological sites in Greece. The ages of the ceramic fragments, based on archaeological constrains and radiocarbon analysis, range from 2200 BC to 565 AD. Low-field magnetic susceptibility versus temperature reveals a good thermal stability for most of the samples. However, for some samples the thermomagnetic curves are not reversible indicating mineralogical changes during heating. Isothermal remanent magnetisation (IRM) acquisition curves and thermal demagnetisation of three orthogonal IRM components have also been performed. The rock magnetic results identify magnetite and/ or Ti-magnetite as the main magnetic carriers in the studied samples. Classical Thellier experiments with regular partial thermoremanent magnetisation (pTRM) checks have been conducted on 125 specimens belonging to 34 independent ceramic fragments. Only 61 archaeointensity determinations (at specimen level) that correspond to linear NRM–TRM plots were used for the calculation of the site mean archaeointensities. The effect of the anisotropy of the thermoremanent magnetisation (TRM) and cooling rate upon TRM intensity acquisition have been investigated in all specimens. The maximum difference between the TRM anisotropy corrected and uncorrected intensities is around 30% at specimen level confirming that the TRM effect can be very important in ceramic samples. Cooling rate correction factors determined per specimen are up to 10% with only one exception that reaches 35%. Despite the moderate success rate of archaeointensity determination (around 50%) reliable mean site intensities have been obtained, with in situ intensities ranging from 53.6±4.1 to 69.3±3.9μT, corresponding to virtual axial dipole moments from 9.2±0.7 to 11.9±0.7×1022Am2. The new data are reasonably consistent with other available data for the studied region as well as with the SV reference curves for Greece and the South Balkan Peninsula, and the regional and global geomagnetic field models. Combined with previously published data from the area, they confirm that important changes of the Earth’s magnetic field intensity occurred in Greece during the last five millennia. For some periods, the available archaeointensity data for the Balkan area show a large dispersion, even for data corresponding to high quality intensity standards, whereas for other periods their limited number prevents an accurate description of geomagnetic field intensity changes. This evidences the need of new reliable and well dated archaeointensity data in order to obtain a robust description of geomagnetic field intensity changes during the last five millennia in this area.

Comparative application of dispersion curve inversion strategies. Case study of noise arrays in the Euroseistest site, Greece

ABSTRACTCurrently, the use of ambient noise arrays has become fairly routine for site characterization applications. Conventionally, the first step in the analysis of ambient noise arrays is the computation of the dispersion curve, defined as the Rayleigh wave phase velocity dependence on frequency. The second more complex step is the inversion of the dispersion curve to obtain a shear‐wave velocity profile. In many engineering applications, where only the time‐averaged shear‐wave velocity, termed Vs30, is needed, a relationship between the Rayleigh phase wave velocity at a given wavelength, VR(λ), and Vs30 is commonly developed for the specific area of study. We compare the results from two recently proposed inversion strategies, the first one is based on the misfit criteria, the second on the Akaike criteria, which we apply to experimental data acquired from the Euroseistest site in Greece. We also show that the two inversion strategies have their limits: for the first strategy, using misfit criteria and constraints, the restriction of describing the dispersion curve within the frequency band defined from the fundamental frequency to ten times this frequency is sometimes difficult to fulfil. On the other hand, the second strategy, using the Akaike criteria, is time‐consuming and requires large data storage. Finally, we conclude that the VR(λ=37m)‐Vs30 relationship is promising but should be confirmed with more data analysis.

Complete genome sequence of Mycobacterium sp. strain (Spyr1) and reclassification to Mycobacterium gilvum Spyr1

Mycobacterium sp.Spyr1 is a newly isolated strain that occurs in a creosote contaminated site in Greece. It was isolated by an enrichment method using pyrene as sole carbon and energy source and is capable of degrading a wide range of PAH substrates including pyrene, fluoranthene, fluorene, anthracene and acenapthene. Here we describe the genomic features of this organism, together with the complete sequence and annotation. The genome consists of a 5,547,747 bp chromosome and two plasmids, a larger and a smaller one with sizes of 211,864 and 23,681 bp, respectively. In total, 5,588 genes were predicted and annotated.

Ecological Evaluation Index continuous formula (EEI-c) application: a step forward for functional groups, the formula and reference condition values

The Ecological Evaluation Index continuous formula (EEI-c) was designed to estimate the habitat- based ecological status of rocky coastal and sedimentary transitional waters using shallow benthic macrophyte communities as bioindicators. This study aimed to remedy the weaknesses of the currently used EEI methodology in: (1) ecological status groups (ESG), (2) the formula, and (3) reference condition values. A cluster analysis of twelve species traits was used to delineate ESGs. Two main clusters (ESG I, late-successional; ESG II, opportunistic) were identified that were hierarchically divided into three and two sub-clusters, respectively: ESG I comprised thick perennial (IA), thick plastic (IB) and shade-adapted plastic (IC) coastal water species, and angiosperm plastic (IA), thick plastic (IB) and shade-adapted plastic (IC) transitional water species. ESG II comprised fleshy opportunistic (IIB) and filamentous sheet-like opportunistic (IIA) species both in coastal and transitional waters. To avoid discrete jumps at the boundaries between predefined ecological categories, a hyperbolic model that approximates the index values and expresses the ecosystem status in continuous numbers was developed. Seventy-four quantitative and destructive samples of the upper infralittoralCystoseira crinita and coastal lagoonRuppia cirrhosa communities from tentative pristine to less impacted sites in Greece verified 10 as an ‘ideal’ EEI-c reference condition value.

Camera-Variant Calibration and Sensor Modeling for Practical Photogrammetry in Archeological Sites

With the appearance of low-cost and high-resolution consumer-grade digital cameras, a practical three-dimensional (3D) measurement system using a consumer-grade digital camera is greatly anticipated in various fields. In these circumstances, the authors have been concentrating on developing a practical 3D measurement system that includes photogrammetric software called the Image Based Integrated Measurement (IBIM) system. The IBIM system device consists of full/half-mirrors, a consumer-grade digital camera, and a laser distance meter. The most remarkable advantage of the system is its ability to calculate exterior orientation parameters, interior orientation parameters, and pseudo ground control points (GCPs) without using scale bars or the GCPs in the object field. The system has the ability to calibrate multiple cameras of different resolutions using a camera-variant parameter set. However, there remains one issue that needs to be resolved before this system can be effectively used, namely, improvement of the system which does not depend on the IBIM system device. With this motive, a practical photogrammetry method using a consumer-grade digital cameras and a hand-held laser distance meter is proposed. To test our proposed method, the bundle of distances from the center camera position to the feature points in the object field were measured individually at archaeological sites in Greece. In order to evaluate the possibility and practicability of the proposed photogrammetry method, this paper describes and evaluates the camera calibration techniques using images from multiple cameras of different resolutions and a bundle of distances.

Simulating the fate of mechanically eroded masses in the Thermaikos Gulf

Benthic trawlers, through the scraping of the upper layers of the seabed sediment, are responsible for major alterations to the distribution of suspended matter in coastal areas. A major trawling site in Greece is that of the Gulf of Thermaikos, located in the NW Aegean Sea (Eastern Mediterranean). In an attempt to assess, for the first time, the quantities of the mobilized sedimentary masses and the properties of their motion in the aquatic domain of the Gulf of Thermaikos, a mathematical model has been formulated. The modeling approach includes the determination of the mechanical erosion rate, the production of turbulence due to the flow through the mesh of the net and the physical processes that control the propagation of the generated sedimentary plume in the marine environment. In the absence of information regarding the haul paths in the gulf, their determination was made stochastically, based on the existing legislative restrictions and trawlers' fishing practices. The trawling-activated masses thereby defined for the duration of the trawling period in the gulf were very high, indeed several times greater than the related contribution from the major rivers of the area, emphasizing the significance of the activity to the sedimentary input of the local marine environment. The total annual erosion by trawls in the gulf was calculated at 3.38×10 6 t/yr. Τhe mean mechanical erosion rate per trawled surface (parameter free from the bias raised by the stochastic simulation of the trawl trajectories) was estimated at 430 g/m 2, values directly comparable to ones defined for similar coastal areas. Results from a simulation of the 2001–02 trawling period were well correlated with in-situ measurements for the same period, while the investigation of the matter's suspension level and times revealed that the matter exhibits low residence times in the water column and at the same time moves in the vicinity of the bed, contributing to the formation and distribution of benthic nepheloid layers in the gulf.

An algorithm for fast 3D inversion of surface electrical resistivity tomography data: application on imaging buried antiquities

In this work a new algorithm for the fast and efficient 3D inversion of conventional 2D surface electrical resistivity tomography lines is presented. The proposed approach lies on the assumption that for every surface measurement there is a large number of 3D parameters with very small absolute Jacobian matrix values, which can be excluded in advance from the Jacobian matrix calculation, as they do not contribute significant information in the inversion procedure. A sensitivity analysis for both homogeneous and inhomogeneous earth models showed that each measurement has a specific region of influence, which can be limited to parameters in a critical rectangular prism volume. Application of the proposed algorithm accelerated almost three times the Jacobian (sensitivity) matrix calculation for the data sets tested in this work. Moreover, application of the least squares regression iterative inversion technique, resulted in a new 3D resistivity inversion algorithm more than 2.7 times faster and with computer memory requirements less than half compared to the original algorithm. The efficiency and accuracy of the algorithm was verified using synthetic models representing typical archaeological structures, as well as field data collected from two archaeological sites in Greece, employing different electrode configurations. The applicability of the presented approach is demonstrated for archaeological investigations and the basic idea of the proposed algorithm can be easily extended for the inversion of other geophysical data.

Spatial dimensions increase the effect of cultural drift

The transition from hunter-gathering to agriculture (Neolithic) spread gradually across Europe from the Southeast. A reduction in cultural diversity of crop farming practices has been previously observed by comparing pre-LBK Neolithic sites in Greece and the Balkans (dated about 8500 yr BP) to LBK Neolithic sites in Central Europe (dated about 7000 yr BP). The decrease in crop diversity is statistically significant even when considering only the species less likely to have been subject to smaller productivity due to climatic factors (reductions in growing season, temperature, daylight, etc.). This reduction in cultural diversity has not been explained previously. In this paper we show that spatial drift, which occurred on the front of the advancing wave of pioneer settlements, can explain the observed loss of diversity during the LBK range expansion. Our results suggest that spatial dimensions can have a relevant effect also in other case studies in which cultural drift is important.

An Open-Label, Multicenter Observational Study for Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease Treated with Memantine in the Clinical Practice

Background/Aims: In this post-marketing observational study, the safety and effectiveness of memantine were evaluated in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Methods: In a 6-month, observational, open-label study at 202 specialist sites in Greece, the effectiveness of memantine was evaluated using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) scale at baseline, and after 3 and 6 months. Discontinuation rates and adverse drug reactions (ADRs) were also recorded to evaluate the safety profile of memantine. Results: 2,570 patients participated in the study. Three and 6 months after baseline, MMSE and IADL scores were significantly improved compared to baseline. At the end of the study, 67% of the patients had improved their MMSE score; 7.1% of the patients reported ≧1 ADRs, and treatment was discontinued due to ADR in 0.7%. Conclusion: Memantine was well tolerated and had a positive effect on the patient’s cognitive and functional ability in real-life clinical practice, in agreement with randomized, controlled trials.

A feasibility study for the provision of electronic healthcare tools and services in areas of Greece, Cyprus and Italy.

BackgroundThrough this paper, we present the initial steps for the creation of an integrated platform for the provision of a series of eHealth tools and services to both citizens and travelers in isolated areas of thesoutheast Mediterranean, and on board ships travelling across it. The platform was created through an INTERREG IIIB ARCHIMED project called INTERMED.MethodsThe support of primary healthcare, home care and the continuous education of physicians are the three major issues that the proposed platform is trying to facilitate. The proposed system is based on state-of-the-art telemedicine systems and is able to provide the following healthcare services: i) Telecollaboration and teleconsultation services between remotely located healthcare providers, ii) telemedicine services in emergencies, iii) home telecare services for "at risk" citizens such as the elderly and patients with chronic diseases, and iv) eLearning services for the continuous training through seminars of both healthcare personnel (physicians, nurses etc) and persons supporting "at risk" citizens.These systems support data transmission over simple phone lines, internet connections, integrated services digital network/digital subscriber lines, satellite links, mobile networks (GPRS/3G), and wireless local area networks. The data corresponds, among others, to voice, vital biosignals, still medical images, video, and data used by eLearning applications. The proposed platform comprises several systems, each supporting different services. These were integrated using a common data storage and exchange scheme in order to achieve system interoperability in terms of software, language and national characteristics.ResultsThe platform has been installed and evaluated in different rural and urban sites in Greece, Cyprus and Italy. The evaluation was mainly related to technical issues and user satisfaction. The selected sites are, among others, rural health centers, ambulances, homes of "at-risk" citizens, and a ferry.ConclusionsThe results proved the functionality and utilization of the platform in various rural places in Greece, Cyprus and Italy. However, further actions are needed to enable the local healthcare systems and the different population groups to be familiarized with, and use in their everyday lives, mature technological solutions for the provision of healthcare services.

Analysing e-government service quality in Greece

Motivated by the growing interest in e-government, our research aims to discover the quality priorities of e-government users and analyses the attitude of Greek citizens towards e-government sites in Greece. We propose a research model which posits four dimensions influential to e-government site quality - efficiency, trust, reliability, citizen support. Data was collected and analysed to gather information concerning the way Greek users interact with e-government. We found that all four dimensions significantly influence citizens' evaluation and intention to reuse. E-government users perceived different importance of quality factors in using different types of e-government sites.

Tracing the Difference: A Geoarchaeological Approach to the Formation of a Neolithic Tell/Extended Site in Greece~!2009-11-16~!2010-02-02~!2010-07-20~!

Tracing the Difference: A Geoarchaeological Approach to the Formation of a Neolithic Tell/Extended Site in Greece~!2009-11-16~!2010-02-02~!2010-07-20~!

Cross-amplified microsatellites in the European cherry fly,Rhagoletis cerasi: medium polymorphic–highly informative markers

The European cherry fruit fly, Rhagoletis cerasi (Diptera: Tephritidae), is a major pest of cherries in Europe and parts of Asia. Despite its big economic significance, there is a lack of studies on the genetic structure of its natural populations. Knowledge about an insect pest on molecular, genetic and population levels facilitates the development of environmentally friendly control methods. In this study, we present the development of 13 microsatellite markers for R. cerasi, through cross-species amplification. These markers have been used for the genotyping of 130 individuals from five different sampling sites in Greece. Our results indicate that (i) cross-species amplification is a versatile and rapid tool for developing microsatellite markers in Rhagoletis spp., (ii) the microsatellite markers presented here constitute an important tool for population studies on this pest, and (iii) there is clear structuring of natural European cherry fly populations.

Local attitudes on protected areas: Evidence from three Natura 2000 wetland sites in Greece

Environmental policies aimed at the conservation of protected areas are significantly influenced by social factors revealing the importance of investigating local knowledge and perceptions during their planning and implementation. The present article aims to explore perceptions and awareness of citizens in three protected areas of Greece: The National Park of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, the Wetland of Kalloni, and Lake Tavropou. The survey explores perceptions of individuals on environmental issues and alternative management scenarios referring to management actors, funding sources, and management schemes for the conservation of biodiversity. Differences between the three research areas are also explored. According to the results of the study, citizens are in general supportive of protected areas and present relatively high levels of knowledge of environmental issues. However, environmental awareness is not accompanied by active participation for the resolution of environmental problems. By exploring differences between the three research areas, it is revealed that the provision of information significantly influences individuals’ perceptions on relevant issues. Also, a significant finding of the study is that citizens are supportive of some forms of participatory management. It is essential, to encourage public participation and deliberation in order to promote their sustainable management.

An Assessment of the Efficiency of Dust Regional Modelling to Predict Saharan Dust Transport Episodes

Aerosol levels at Mediterranean Basin are significantly affected by desert dust that is eroded in North Africa and is transported northwards. This study aims to assess the performance of the Dust REgional Atmospheric Model (BSC‐DREAM8b) in the prediction of dust outbreaks near the surface in Eastern Mediterranean. For this purpose, model PM10 predictions covering a 7‐year period and PM10 observations at five surface monitoring sites in Greece are used. A quantitative criterion is set to select the significant dust outbreaks defined as those when the predicted PM10 surface concentration exceeds 12 μg/m3. The analysis reveals that significant dust transport is usually observed for 1–3 consecutive days. Dust outbreak seasons are spring and summer, while some events are also forecasted in autumn. The seasonal variability of dust transport events is different at Finokalia, where the majority of events are observed in spring and winter. Dust contributes by 19–25% to the near surface observed PM10 levels, which can be increased to more than 50 μg/m3 during dust outbreaks, inducing violations of the air quality standards. Dust regional modeling can be regarded as a useful tool for air quality managers when assessing compliance with air quality limit values.

PW01-79 - Effect of memantine treatment in cognitive and behavioral symptoms of Alzheimer disease patients

PurposeThis study investigated the efficacy of memantine alone or in combination for the treatment of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) in a naturalistic setting, specifically for the cognitive and behavioural symptom domains.MethodsOpen-label, 6-month observational study, conducted at 110 sites in Greece. Efficacy was based on the MMSE and NPI scales at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months. Statistical analysis was made on a modified intent-to-treat dataset (ITT: at least one valid post-baseline measurement) using last observation carried forward (LOCF), and observed cases (OC, defined as patients assessed at all 3 visits).Results1,469 patients were enrolled. Their mean age was 75.7±6.5 years and the majority were women (52.7%). At baseline the average scores were 17.6 (±5.3) for the MMSE and 30.6 (±25.9) for the NPI. 285 patients (19.4%), received combination treatment (a second AD medication) during the observation period.Both cognitive and behavioral symptoms were improved at the end of the study, as measured by the MMSE and NPI scales (repeated measures analysis of variance Hotelling's test, p-value< 0.001, both ITT, LOCF and OC analyses). After 3 and 6 months, cognitive function improved for 50.3% and 55.8% of the patients (ITT, LOCF), while behavioral symptoms improved for 56.8% and 62%, respectively.Memantine was well tolerated, with 3.5% (52) of patients withdrawing from the study for any reason and 7.6% reporting adverse events.ConclusionMemantine treatment resulted in significant improvement of cognitive and behavioral symptoms in patients with AD and was well tolerated based on patient withdrawals.

Floor sequences in Neolithic Makri, Greece: micromorphology reveals cycles of renovation

Dating and examination of plaster floor sequences by micromorphology at a tell site in Greece shows when they were made and how they were composed. While numerous informal floor surfaces using recycled rubbish were put in place, as and when, by the occupants, formal floors rich in plaster seem to have been re-laid at regular intervals in reflection of a communal decision – even if the actual floors followed a recipe determined by each household. The authors rightly champion the potential of the technique as a possible indicator of social change at the household and settlement level.

Grassroots mobilisations against waste disposal sites in Greece

The government of Greece has gained notoriety for its failure to implement EU environmental directives in general, and is criticised specifically for its lack of an effective plan for the safe disposal of waste. Local mobilisations against a series of planned ‘Sanitary Waste Disposal Sites’ (HETAs) in three municipalities of Attica are examined. Should such protests be classified as NIMBY (not in my backyard)? Or do they present broader claims of justice and equity? Qualitative analysis of the protesters' on-line campaign material reveals that while these mobilisations do demonstrate some NIMBY characteristics, such campaigns should rather be perceived as ad hoc mobilisations reflective of tensions of late modernity. The public's mistrust of science and concerns about democratic deficit and accountability, as well as different perceptions of risk, are prominent.