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• The paper engages with the devastating consequences that the belated neoliberal reformation of the Greek welfare state – initiated after the 2009 economic crisis – had on income inequality and poverty. • It is argued that these reformations rely on the manner with which Greece has developed its relations within the global – mostly European – capitalist division of labor as a peripheral economy. Greece's economic affairs are approached as intimately conditioned by a multifaceted institutional structure of dependencies that outstrips its ability to exercise economic policy for its own interest. • Essentially built upon premises of a core-periphery dependency paradigm, the paper takes the view that since the onset of the 2008 global crisis, the EU anti-labor agenda is extended to country-members – such as Greece – which were long regarded as being poorly integrated or "lagged behind". The large-scale reformation of the Greek welfare state is exemplified and a novel interpretation of estimating the country's poverty level with attention paid to the ineffectiveness of the implemented reforms, is offered. • New estimation methods show the failure of neoliberal welfare policy in assisting even the most vulnerable members of the population, a process known as "targeting". This last part is further supported by genuine evidence drawn from several waves of microdata surveys (see Section 6) illustrating the uneven relation between Greece and the EU. • Three different measures of poverty and efficiency are presented based on original analyses of the official datasets, showing the extent of the overall income loss and the widening gap between Greece and the EU. The paper holds a critical view on EU austerity policies, with particular emphasis given to Greece. It is maintained that the main causes for the implementation of neoliberal reforms should be examined in the manner with which the Greek economy has developed in relation with the European capitalist division of labor as a peripheral economy. Greece is approached as intimately conditioned by a multifaceted institutional structure of dependencies that outstrips the country's ability to exercise economic policy for its own social interests. Essentially built upon the premises of a core-periphery dependency paradigm, the periodic post-war reconfigurations of the EU architectural design offered enough room to the formation of a stricter policy framework along these lines. By developing a set of differentiated indices on European poverty, the devastating consequences of the belated neoliberal reformation of the country's welfare state are highlighted. All calculations are based on microdata sets of EUSILC surveys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper investigates the effect of a (semi-) deposit run during a debt crisis on crime rates. The study focuses on Greece's protracted debt crisis (2009–2018) and analyzes the response of crime to deposit outflows. It shows that deposit outflows corresponded to a significant increase in property crimes (thefts and burglaries), but not other types of offenses. The study provides useful policy insights for regulatory authorities tasked with monitoring and decreasing the criminogenic effects of financial destabilization [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Designing self-sufficient renewable energy systems is becoming a key issue in the energy sector due to modern energy goals. Due to the variability of renewable energy sources, very often it is necessary to adopt hybrid configurations of renewable energy systems and advanced energy storage to achieve self-sufficiency. However, the adoption of complex and novel systems, including technologies as photovoltaic, wind turbines, biomass gasifiers, hydrogen energy storage, must to be founded on a comprehensive analysis of the system operation under different conditions and its energy and economic performance in the investigated case study. Therefore, the aim of the present paper is carry out a comprehensive feasibility analysis of a novel hybrid renewable energy system achieving a high self-sufficiency level. The system integrates a wind turbine and photovoltaic panels to match the energy load of a tourist resort in Agkistro, Greece. Energy exceeding the load is directed to the energy storage system based on the battery and hydrogen tank. As backup energy source, a wood gasifier is used. The investigation is performed by means of a numerical model developed in TRNSYS software allowing one to simulate dynamically the system and to assess its energy and economic performance. The goal achieved during the simulation of the system was to ensure at least 97% of energy demand from renewable sources. Moreover, a parametric analysis of the storage system is presented. It is found that payback period of the installation varies in the range between 11 and 15 years, for systems configurations allowing to satisfy 90–98% of the users energy yearly demand from renewables. The achieved results allows one to evaluate the feasibility of the proposed system from both an energy and economic point of view. • Island energy systems in Greece. • Hybrid energy system with both battery and hydrogen energy storage. • 97% reduction of energy produced from fossil fuels with 30% of energy curtailed. • Parametric study concerning sizes of the energy storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The degree of preservation and the extractability of organic molecules in both archaeological and paleontological skeletal material has been the objective of many studies during the last decades and have shown extremely promising and interesting results (Schweitzer et al., 1997, 2007; Poulakakis et al., 2002; Schmidt-Schultz & Schultz, 2004; Dotsika et al., 2011). Studies on such molecules via various protocols of extraction as well as isotopic and spectroscopic analyses (Stathopoulou et al., 2008; Dotsika et al., 2011; Kontopoulos et al., 2019) have led to important information concerning evolutionary, environmental and diagenetic issues. Collagen is one of the most abundant proteins in skeletal material and its preservation in fossil material may indicate the preservation of other extremely important biomolecules such as DNA (Turner-Walker et al., 2008). This paper aims to present results concerning the evaluation of organic preservation as well as the extraction and quantification of collagen in samples from the Quaternary locations of Tilos and Dispilio (Greece) and Aghia Napa (Cyprus). Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR and NIR) was applied to all samples, prior to extraction in means of collagen prescreening and following extraction (where successful), to study the exact composition of the extracts and examine the correlation between collagen preservation and the samples' diagenetic profile (Stathopoulou et al., 2008; Kuczumow et al., 2010; Cleland et al., 2015; Stathopoulou et al., 2019). The extraction of collagen was attempted via modifications of the Longin (1971) method and specifically those of Maspero et al. (2011), Semal and Orban (1995) and Ambrose (1990). According to our results, only the Ambrose method led to successful collagen extraction and specifically only in the Dispilio samples. The collagen yield values for this material varied significantly (0,3–6,1% w/w) and seemed to strongly correlate to the different contexts found within the archaeological site. The IR analysis of the extracted Dispilio collagen indicated the presence of impurities such as carbonates and subsequently raised questions relating to the efficacy of the extraction method. Issues concerning geochemical and diagenetic parameters within the strata of the waterlogged site of Dispilio that could be connected to the different collagen yield as well as the methodological problems that emerged during the attempted extraction in all samples are discussed as well as the applicability of these methods on samples with reduced organic content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the framework of the NWO project "What went into the melting pot? Land-use, agriculture, and craft production as indicators for the contributions of Greek migrants and local inhabitants to the so-called Greek colonization in Italy (ca. 850–550 BC)", science-based methods are employed to analyze and compare the organization of subsistence strategies in the Greek motherland and in the indigenous and colonial milieus of Italy (Crielaard et al. 2020). As a part of the subproject 'Flora & Fauna', which focuses on farming practices, subsistence strategies and surplus production, Iron Age material from the settlement of Krania in the Pieria region of Greece was analyzed. The site was excavated in 2001 and revealed occupation phases from the 3rd millennium BC to the Hellenistic period. The amount of ceramics recovered demonstrates the importance of trade with the rest of Greece, in particular Corinth, providing evidence for long-standing contacts and networks. Two pit structures contained a high concentration of material, notably charcoal and ceramics dating to the 9th-8th centuries BC. This material constitutes an interesting case study in itself but also as a regional comparandum with other Greek assemblages. This paper discusses how anthracological analysis can contribute to our understanding of human-environment interactions, anthropogenic practices and environmental management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Manufacturing productivity in CEE has converged driven by large investments and the catch–up effect. • The Visegrad group converged by investing hugely, mainly in advanced industries. • Other, CEE countries have converged largely due to catch–up effect. • Lately, improving institutions have been an important driver of convergence in CEE. • Low investment and deteriorating institutions hindered convergence in the southern EU countries. This paper shows that CEE countries converge in manufacturing productivity to more developed EU countries, while southern EU countries have failed to converge. Large investments in CEE manufacturing sectors, particularly in the Visegrad group, and the related catch–up effect are the main convergence drivers. We also found that the relative importance of growth drivers varies across the CEE countries and over the time, revealing some regularity and explaining the recent slowdown in convergence pace. In contrast, low manufacturing investments in Portugal, Greece, and Spain, and weak institutions in Italy and Greece caused their lagging behind in productivity growth. The findings stem from robustly estimated growth regressions for a panel of EU countries over the period 1995–2019. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past decades, the penetration of renewable energy sources is growing at a significant pace on a global scale. In parallel, the utilization of renewables could possibly act as the basis for the transition to a Circular Economy, which aims to reduce the use of finite resources. Compared to other European countries, Greece has achieved a significant share of renewables in its' energy mix and in parallel promotes various policies aiming to accomplish zero-carbon emissions by 2050. An important element of this procedure is the broader acceptance of renewables by the public. This paper investigates this concept by capturing citizens' view on renewable energy sources along with the overall concept of Circular Economy in Greece. By implementing a questionnaire analysis, empirical findings capture the intention of citizens to further develop and invest on renewable energy. Besides, our analysis identifies that as education level increases, the willingness to pay more for renewables and their acceptance from the public increases, as well. Finally, empirical findings indicate that Greek citizens are aware of the concept and the benefits arising from Circular Economy, yet additional efforts need to be addressed for the growth of this concept in Greece. • The study captures citizens' view on RES and Circular Economy in Greece. • Participants are aware and sensitive on environmental and climate change issues. • Participants accepted the existence of RES and are willing to pay additional cost. • As the level of education increased, willingness to pay for RES also increased. • Additional efforts need to be addressed for the growth of Circular Economy in Greece. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• ICT approaches for delivering cultural heritage content to visually impaired. • Haptic accessible interactive replicas through IoT, 3D digitisation and printing. • Offers implementation details of systems based on the smart-exhibit concept. • Experimental systems performance evaluation by visually impaired. • Results that such systems can support visually impaired to interpret cultural heritage content. Haptic contact is usually prohibited when exploring cultural heritage content. This inevitably results in an incomplete experience for the visually impaired as tactile exploration is the dominant substitute of sight. In this paper, we focus on Information and Communication Technologies utilisation to enable cultural heritage content to become more accessible to visually impaired both physically as well as intellectually and thus help foster social inclusion. We have developed three prototype systems that are based on the smart exhibit concept. This involves features that are common in Internet of Things devices such as single board computers, microcontrollers, RFIDs and proximity sensors. We combine these features in a cost-effective manner to produce haptic accessible replicas through 3D digitisation and printing that are further enriched with on-demand modular narrations. More specifically, we present aptos.Exhibit : a multi-user smart exhibition system, aptos.Map : a stand-alone interactive tactile map and aptos.myExhibit : a 3D printed miniatures and narration-based system to enable cultural reserve exploration at users' own space and time. We describe in detail the functionality of each prototype and discuss on their implementation properties. The cultural content presented through the three prototypes derived from previous 3D digitisation projects of religious monuments located in Northern Greece. Evaluation sessions were organised with 25 visually impaired users who experienced all three systems and provided feedback. The participants opinions and suggestions were collected by using questionnaires and interviews. We present in detail the reported feedback related to the prototypes general assessment, usability, robustness and the overall offered experience of accessing the encapsulated cultural and historical content. We drive our conclusions from their responses in relation to content, interaction and experience. We further discuss on our findings related to enabling visually impaired to interactively access cultural content by fusing technologies such as Internet of Things, 3D digitisation, printing and on-demand narration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we exploration a Petrov type-N vacuum solution to Einstein's field equations, while incorporating a negative cosmological constant (Λ < 0) within the framework of modified gravity theories. This solution intriguingly accommodates closed time-like curves at a particular moment in time, effectively violates the causality condition, thus acts as a time-machine model. A key observation is that the determinant of the Ricci tensor R μ ν for this particular Einstein space metric differs from zero. This noteworthy finding suggests to the existence of an anti-curvature tensor defined A μ ν = R μ ν − 1 and hence, an anti-curvature scalar A = g μ ν A μ ν , which is introduced with the Lagrangian of the system, thereby giving rise to as Ricci-inverse gravity theory. We consider class-I models of Ricci-inverse gravity, where the function f = f (R , A) = (R + κ A) with κ is the coupling constant. We demonstrate that this Einstein space metric serves as a vacuum solution with a negative modified cosmological constant within the framework of Ricci-inverse gravity. Consequently, the violation of causality persists within this new gravity theory as well. Moreover, we solve the modified field equations by considering matter content other than vacuum and demonstrate that the energy-density and isotropic pressure satisfies the equation ρ = − p = 3 κ Λ . • Einstein space solution is analysed in GR. • Modified gravity of f(R, A) is studied in this solution background. • Obtained solutions of the modified field equations. • Cosmological constant gets modification by coupling parameter in vacuum as matter energy content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disruptive events are the ones that have historically transformed our world. COVID-19 has forced governments and companies to seek transformation in particular in the field of digital. Space has been an enabler for a number of sectorial policies e.g. agriculture, defence, maritime. Digital transformation requires connectivity providing "anything", "anytime", "anywhere". Space as an enabler for digital transformation has become a centerpiece for socioeconomic sustainability and growth. Mega constellations provide telecom services globally and will directly compete with the terrestrial telecom operators, in the next years while the telecom operators should concentrate on the investment of 5G infrastructure. The most promising mega constellation is the one planned by Starlink, which will consist of more than 40,000 satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), with service coverage of the whole surface of Earth. It is to be highlighted that there is no European project of this scale. The strong point of the Starlink mega constellation is the complete vertical integration: satellite design, manufacturing, launching, control, operation and telecom service provision by a single group of companies. The economies of scale which would be achieved could lower the retail prices of the telecom service to levels which will not be viable for the terrestrial telecom operators. Thus a strong dependency of European telecommunications with the non-European mega constellation like Starlink is expected. The European Union is to develop the next flagship programme in the field of connectivity, following the announcement of Commissioner Breton on 15 July. The Commissioner stated that "... we already need to look beyond 5G. I am talking about starting to prepare for 6G of course, but not only. The next paradigm shift is about linking connectivity with space to provide high-speed connectivity everywhere in Europe". This has been confirmed by the 22 March Action Plan placing it as the next European flagship after Galileo and Copernicus. It will build on Govsatcom, European Quantum Communications Infrastructures. Small countries like Greece have been taking a step by step approach in ensuring the digital transformation of the country. These steps have been at the level of policy, governance, programmatic and financial instruments. The much higher data rates available would change the transmission of data to and from locations. An opportunity arises for new architectures where satellites can provide internet connectivity blend with terrestrial wireless or wired networks. The service to the user will be seamless and unaware of switching between the different infrastructures. This paper will provide an overview how Europe and small member states have been preparing its space related activities in combination with non-space activities for the digital transformation of the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2022 energy crisis augmented the European ambition for RES capacity expansion. However, beyond the issue of "how many" renewables, the research question that remains, is which capacity mixes achieve the emissions reduction, renewable integration, and energy autarky targets in a cost-effective way. This paper tries to answer this inquiry supported by two energy models and one decision support model. The analysis focuses on Greece, as an example country which opted for lignite phase out, turning to temporary heavy reliance on natural gas for power generation. The results indicate that even though from the energy and environmental targets' perspective, more wind turbines in the RES capacity mix yield better results, when incorporating the economic point of view, balanced wind and solar mixes enable the achievement of targets in a cost-effective way. The most cost-efficient mixes consist of 50–55% wind and 45–50% solar capacity, with cost per additional percentage of RES share in the generation mix, equal to 40 million €. Nevertheless, in order to materialize them in a timely manner, and limit the short-term dependency on imported gas, permitting simplification, tenders for large-scale projects and incentives for small-scale projects are needed to facilitate accelerated RES deployment. • A modelling framework allowing exploratory RES capacity expansion is presented. • Renewable energy sources and storage capacity mixes are explored. • Balanced wind and solar mixes achieve energy targets economically efficiently. • RES deployment pathways to 2030 based on different perspectives are analyzed. • Further policy action is needed to enable accelerated RES deployment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Greek DRLs were revised for 7 adult CT exams and established for 5 additional ones. • Revised DRLs exhibited lower reduction compared to other national studies. • Incorporation of advanced technologies showcased potential for further optimisation. • The study underscores the importance of ongoing optimisation efforts. The escalating use of Computed Tomography (CT) imaging necessitates establishment and periodic revision of Diagnostic Reference Levels (DRLs) to ensure patient protection optimization. This paper presents the outcomes of a national survey conducted from 2019 to 2022, focusing on revising DRLs for adult CT examinations. Dosimetric data from 127 scanners in 120 medical facilities, representing 25% of the country's CT scanners, were collected, emphasizing geographic distribution and technology representation. Τhe parameters used for DRLs were the CTDI vol and the DLP of a typical acquisition of the region of interest (scan DLP). In addition to the 7 CT examination for which the DRL values were revised, establishment of DRLs for neck, cervical spine, pelvic bones-hips, coronary artery calcium (Ca) score and cardiac computed tomography angiography (CCTA) examinations was performed. Revised DRLs exhibited a 15 % average decrease in CTDI vol and a 7 % average decrease in scan DLP from the initial DRLs. This reduction of dosimetric values is relatively low compared to other national studies. The findings revealed wide variations in dosimetric values and scan lengths among scanners, emphasizing the need for standardization and optimization. Incorporation of advanced technologies like Iterative Reconstruction (IR) showcased potential for further dose reduction, yet challenges in uniform implementation persist. The study underscores the importance of ongoing optimisation efforts, particularly in the context of increased CT utilization and evolving technology. The revised DRLs have been officially adopted in Greece, emphasizing the commitment to safe and effective CT practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Assessment of MBT plants in Spain, Greece and Cyprus. • Optimal solution should be built upon a thorough sorting and recyclables recovery line. • Main revenues are contributed by the corrugated cardboard, the HDPE, and metals. • The high calorific value non-recycled materials should be used as alternative fuel. • Plants that mix the organic fraction with other organics achieve better quality compost. Mechanical Biological Treatment (MBT; called "dirty" Materials Recovery Facilities in the U.S.) is a waste management method, developed mostly in Europe, which combines sorting of recyclable materials (metals, paper, plastics, glass) with composting/digestion of green/ food wastes and, in some cases production of a fuel material. In 2018–19, the authors visited six MBT facilities in Europe that use different approaches for the recovery of materials and energy from mixed MSW. These plants were studied with respect to feedstock composition, operating conditions, capital expenditure, financial viability and environmental impacts. The compost product of most facilities examined did not comply with agricultural standards and, therefore, it was classified as compost-like output (CLO) and used as daily cover in landfills. The best composting practice used source separated organic materials (yard and other green wastes) and yielded a marketable compost. MBT plants that did not include the recovery of fuel materials had lower landfill diversion rates and, also, lower capital and operating costs. It was concluded that an MBT plant must include a very efficient sorting and recyclables recovery line and charge a sufficient gate fee. Also, in addition to the recycled products, there should be a stream to recover fuel materials sent to a power plant or cement plant, thus increasing revenue, and landfill diversion, and maximizing greenhouse gas (GHG) savings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This "white paper" is a concise perspective of the potential of machine learning in the process systems engineering (PSE) domain, based on a session during FIPSE 5, held in Crete, Greece, June 27–29, 2022. The session included two invited talks and three short contributed presentations followed by extensive discussions. This paper does not intend to provide a comprehensive review on the subject or a detailed exposition of the discussions; instead its aim is to distill the main points of the discussions and talks, and in doing so, highlight open problems and directions for future research. The general conclusion from the session was that machine learning can have a transformational impact on the PSE domain enabling new discoveries and innovations, but research is needed to develop domain-specific techniques for problems in molecular/material design, data analytics, optimization, and control. • A concise perspective is provided on the potential of machine learning in the process systems engineering (PSE) domain. • Machine learning was thought to have a transformational potential enabling new discoveries and innovations. • The need to further develop domain-specific techniques was pointed out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This virtual special issue of ENERGY features 35 top-notch selected extended papers, which were showcased at the CORFU 2022 9th International Conference on Sustainable Solid Waste Management (https://corfu2022.uest.gr) in Corfu Island, Greece from June 15th to 18th, 2022. This special issue of Energy focuses on the cutting-edge research on waste-to-energy (WtE) in the circular economy, greenhouse gas reduction, and sustainable waste management systems that generate energy. This editorial paper provides a brief overview of the key methodologies, discoveries, and future horizons within the 35 selected papers. The contributions in this special issue are divided into five categories: 1) biofuels and biopower; 2) municipal waste management; 3) emerging resource utilization techniques; 4) current research of waste-to-energy for circular economy; and 5) advancements in waste-to-energy technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Iliad, by the Greek poet Homer, is a precious mine of examples of war traumatology. In the specific case of spear wounds in the chest, the death of the Trojan warrior Alcathous is particularly interesting from the point of view of the history of medicine and the evolution of cardiology and knowledge of the heart at the time of ancient Greece. In particular this paper aims to evidence and reconstruct the main anatomical and physiological knowledge of the heart at that time. Indeed, a historical-linguistic analysis of the Greek text prompts some reflections and thoughts on the heartbeat in pathological conditions and on the function of the heart as a hematopoietic organ. Furthermore, Homer's account is a critical text that highlights the relevance of the use of the senses in the ancient description of nosological pictures and it allows us an interesting and suggestive approach to reconstruction from the historical and historiographical point of view. • History of Medicine, Cardiology, Anatomy and the evolution of the knowledge of the heart during ancient Greek. • The Iliad, by the Greek poet Homer. • Historical evolution of the main anatomical and physiological knowledge of the heart. • Historical-linguistic analysis of the Greek text. • Reflections on the heartbeat in pathological conditions. • Function of the heart as a hematopoietic organ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• National focus on individual freedom vs. paternalistic values defines the status of traffic safety in different countries. • The present study examines the role of such values in road safety culture in Norway, Israel and Greece. • Norway has the highest road safety level in Europe, Israel performs better than the EU average, while Greece is below. • Greek drivers value freedom to take risk in traffic higher than drivers from Norway and Israel. • They also report higher levels of risky driving and are more often involved in accidents. National focus on individual freedom versus paternalistic values is a fundamental theme, which defines the status of traffic safety in different countries. The present study examines the role of such values in road safety culture based on survey data from car and bus drivers from three countries with distinctly different road safety records: Norway (N = 596), Israel (N = 129) and Greece (N = 386). While Norway has the highest road safety level in Europe, and Israel also performs better than the EU average, the road safety level in Greece was far below the EU average. As these positions reflect differences in policies and national regulations in drivers' freedom to take risk, we hypothesize a higher focus on individual freedom to take risk and lower focus on paternalism among the Greek drivers. Results indicate, in accordance with our hypothesis, that the Greek drivers value freedom to take risk in traffic higher than drivers from Norway and Israel. Greek drivers also expect higher levels of risk taking from other drivers in their country, they report higher levels of risky driving themselves, and are more often involved in accidents. Thus, it seems that values have an important role in Road Safety Culture (RSC), legitimizing and motivating risky driving, which are related to accidents. We found, however, contrary to our hypotheses, that the Greek drivers also had the most paternalistic attitudes among the drivers in the three countries. In the present paper, we try to solve this Greek paradox. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper focuses on the determination of optimum layouts for linear arrays of heaving Wave Energy Converters (WECs) in front of a vertical wall. Optimum layouts maximize the annual averaged absorbed energy at a given marine site and satisfy spatial constraints. For achieving this goal, we developed an efficient optimization numerical framework, where a genetic algorithm solver is appropriately coupled with a frequency-domain hydrodynamic model, while, furthermore, a numerical wave model is utilized to determine the local wave climate conditions at the site of interest. The context is applied for an array of five semi-immersed, oblate spheroidal heaving WECs deployed at five near-shore sites of mild wave environments in the Aegean Sea, Greece. For each site, different optimization cases are solved, facilitating the investigation of different aspects of the examined problem. The largest annual energy absorption ability is observed for optimum layouts, characterized by the placement of the array close to the wall and the formation of clusters of closely-positioned WECs near the wall edges. Compared to arrays employed at sites in south-eastern Aegean, optimally-arranged arrays at central Aegean locations showed reduced energy absorption ability due to milder local wave conditions and/or the existence of quite limited water depths. • Optimum layouts for heaving WECs linear arrays in front of a wall are determined. • Evaluation includes maximizing annual energy and satisfying spatial constraints. • Optimum layouts are realized by placing the WECs close to the wall. • Optimum layouts with WECs clusters near the wall edges show the largest energy absorption. • Maximized energy depends strongly upon site's local wave and depth conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides some new insights into the dual function of expressive speech acts discussed in pragmatic theory as either expressions of genuine emotions or conventionalised acts of courtesy. Drawing on the framework of interpersonal pragmatics, it analyses signs displayed on the doors of closed businesses in Athens and London during the first lockdown of the Covid-19 pandemic. These closure signs are characterised by a heavy use of relational features, including four expressive speech acts, namely greetings, apologies, thanks and wishes, which form the focus of the analysis. The relational work performed by these speech acts reflects the social changes brought about by the pandemic as well as the business owners' attempts to retain their customers. The expressive speech acts featured on the signs are evaluated against the norms set out by the genre of closure signs. The comparative angle of the study, on the other hand, links the discussion to norms related to the display of emotions and to the use of conventionalised formulae in the two countries under study, thus revealing culture-specific perspectives on the dual function of expressive speech acts. • Covid-19 signage displayed during the first lockdown contains numerous expressive speech acts performing relational work. • The functions of greetings, apologies, thanks and wishes on these signs are compared to their use on standard closure signs. • Expressive speech acts are more frequent and more effusive on signs found in the UK than on signs found in Greece. • The use of expressive speech acts as either expressions of emotions or formulaic acts of courtesy is culture-specific. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides some new insights into the dual function of expressive speech acts discussed in pragmatic theory as either expressions of genuine emotions or conventionalised acts of courtesy. Drawing on the framework of interpersonal pragmatics, it analyses signs displayed on the doors of closed businesses in Athens and London during the first lockdown of the Covid-19 pandemic. These closure signs are characterised by a heavy use of relational features, including four expressive speech acts, namely greetings, apologies, thanks and wishes, which form the focus of the analysis. The relational work performed by these speech acts reflects the social changes brought about by the pandemic as well as the business owners' attempts to retain their customers. The expressive speech acts featured on the signs are evaluated against the norms set out by the genre of closure signs. The comparative angle of the study, on the other hand, links the discussion to norms related to the display of emotions and to the use of conventionalised formulae in the two countries under study, thus revealing culture-specific perspectives on the dual function of expressive speech acts. • Covid-19 signage displayed during the first lockdown contains numerous expressive speech acts performing relational work. • The functions of greetings, apologies, thanks and wishes on these signs are compared to their use on standard closure signs. • Expressive speech acts are more frequent and more effusive on signs found in the UK than on signs found in Greece. • The use of expressive speech acts as either expressions of emotions or formulaic acts of courtesy is culture-specific. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent interest in modern climate change has stimulated extensive scientific study into past societal responses to climate variability. However, examining climate change and society as a historical narrative drawing upon politics, economics, and settlement patterns does not provide a direct link between climate and society. Given that most inhabitants of the premodern world engaged in agriculture and/or pastoralism, examining chronological correlations between climate and foodways, not as a historical narrative but as a longterm socioenvironmental process, has the potential to identify direct societal adaptations to a changing environment. From South Greece there is evidence for drier conditions at the end of the Late Bronze Age. Is the disappearance of writing, art, and many known settlements at the end of the Bronze Age an example of collapse in the face of inability to adapt to climate change? This is a difficult question to answer given the coarse resolution of many of our archaeological and climatic datasets. Settlement faunal records suggest that food production systems became increasingly homogenous in Late Bronze Age Greece, potentially due to an elite control over various production systems that promoted intensification of certain products. However, in the first millennium B.C.E., animal husbandry, specifically, and food production systems, more broadly, became more heterogenous, and a proportional increase in goats in areas with less rainfall was likely an adaptive response to the drier climate. This paper examines the adaptive relationship between foodways and climate and argues for a process driven approach when explaining social responses to ancient climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human-environmental interaction studies typically focus on large-scale landscape modifications of vegetation or soils and rarely address smaller-scale human alterations to site settings. This approach is based on a broad concept of environment as "set" having spatially dispersed and regionally defined attributes, as opposed to something that is mutable at the scale of individual groups of humans living at a specific location. This paper examines how two prehistoric groups, the Final Neolithic to Early Bronze Age 2 occupants on the island of Kos, Greece and the Late Formative Period occupants in the Upper Basin, northern Arizona, selected and modified habitation locations involving exposed bedrock. Although chronologically separated by thousands of years and occupying different continents, these two groups share similarities in population size, socio-political complexity, and environmental challenges. In facing these challenges, both groups apply practical, but different, approaches that utilized one of the most prevalent globally available resources -- limestone bedrock. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The impact of COVID-19 on speed, speeding and harsh braking is evaluated. • SARIMA time-series modelling is used for quantifying the pandemic effect. • Naturalistic driving data captured from a novel smartphone applications are used. • Speeds and harsh brakings were found to have the highest increase. Introduction: COVID-19 has disrupted daily life and societal flow globally since December 2019; it introduced measures such as lockdown and suspension of all non-essential movements. As a result, driving activity was also significantly affected. Still, to-date, a quantitative assessment of the effect of COVID-19 on driving behavior during the lockdown is yet to be provided. This gap forms the motivation for this paper, which aims at comparing observed values concerning three indicators (average speed, speeding, and harsh braking), with forecasts based on their corresponding observations before the lockdown in Greece. Method: Time series of the three indicators were extracted using a specially developed smartphone application and transmitted to a back-end platform between 01/01/2020 and 09/05/2020, a time period containing normal operations, COVID-19 spreading, and the full lockdown period in Greece. Based on the collected data, XGBoost was employed to identify the most influential COVID-19 indicators, and Seasonal AutoRegressive Integrated Moving Average (SARIMA) models were developed for obtaining forecasts on driving behavior. Results: Results revealed the intensity of the impact of COVID-19 on driving, especially on average speed, speeding, and harsh braking per 100 km. More specifically, speeds were found to increase by 2.27 km/h on average compared to the forecasted evolution, while harsh braking/100 km increased to almost 1.51 on average. On the bright side, road crashes in Greece were reduced by 49% during the months of COVID-19 compared to the non-COVID-19 period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In gravity surveys, many unwanted effects are produced by geological or non-geological sources. These calculable effects have to be removed through the data reduction procedure. Common corrections in gravity measurements are those for the instrument drift, the tide, the Free Air, the Bouguer and the terrain effect. However, when we deal with gravity campaigns carried out in cities, we also have to take into consideration the so-called Building Correction. This concerns the correction of the gravitational effect caused by the existence of buildings and anthropogenic constructions (stadiums, bridges etc.) close to a gravity measurement. This process can become quite demanding sometimes. Because of that, in this paper we discuss a calculation method for the Building Correction of the gravity measurements. Two types of data are crucial in that procedure. The first one is the mean building density and the other one is the volume of the existing buildings, which is related to the spatial distribution and the buildings height. The mean building density has been calculated in this paper, based on percentage contribution of the building materials (concrete, bricks etc.) of the whole building volume. The calculated mean building density was equal to 0.44 g/cm3. A Building Height Map has been produced, based on the Digital Elevation Model and the Digital Surface Model. Taking into account the building volume and their density, a simulation of the terrain correction procedure has been carried out, for the Building Correction calculation. The calculated Building Correction values range from almost zero (in the suburbs) to 0.25 mGal. A comparison for the Residual Anomaly values (affected by the Building Correction) has also been made. Differences up to 0.19 mGal revealed are considered to be quite significant for the credibility of the final data. Highlights • Building Correction: Calculation and application on gravity measurements. • Calculation of Building density. • Building Height Map (Building coverage & volume) • The importance of Building Correction for urban gravity survey. • Residual Anomaly differences before and after the application of the Building Correction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this paper an integrated methodological approach is presented for the evaluation of the implementation of the Best Available Techniques (BAT) in facilities operated under Integrated Prevention Pollution and Control (IPPC) Directive, based on the development and application of a set of sub-indices. An aggregated form of sub-indices that could be used as a composite IPPC facility index is proposed. A sector specific index can be derived from facilities composite indices. This approach uses environmental performance data from European Polluting Emissions Register (EPER) reports, environmental permits and BAT Reference Documents, and gives a coherent and interesting picture of the degree of BAT implementation and an indication of IPPC obligations fulfilment. A specific application is demonstrated concerning the paper manufacturing sector in Greece. It is concluded for this sector that there is a measurable discrepancy from the BAT fulfilment obligations and that the most problematic sub-indices are the “Releases to Water” and “Releases to Air”. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A bottom-up methodological framework was developed and applied for the period 1985–2002, to selected manufacturing sub-sectors in Greece namely, food, beverages and tobacco, iron and steel, non-ferrous metals, non-metallic minerals and paper. Disaggregate physical data were aggregated according to their specific energy consumption (SEC) values and physical energy efficiency indicators were estimated. The Logarithmic Mean Divisia index method was also used and the effects of the production, structure and energy efficiency to changes in sub-sectoral manufacturing energy use were further assessed. Primary physical energy efficiency improved by 28% for the iron and steel and by 9% for the non-metallic minerals industries, compared to the base year 1990. For the food, beverages and tobacco and the paper sub-sectors, primary efficiency deteriorated by 20% and by 15%, respectively; finally electricity efficiency deteriorated by 7% for the non-ferrous metals. Sub-sectoral energy use is mainly driven by production output and energy efficiency changes. Sensitivity analysis showed that alternative SEC values do not influence the results whereas the selected base year is more critical for this analysis. Significant efficiency improvements refer to “heavy” industry; “light” industry needs further attention by energy policy to modernize its production plants and improve its efficiency. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The exploitation of RES and their combination with desalination may be the solution to water scarcity and volatility of the electricity grids in remote offshore areas around the world. This research work investigates an HRES of a 12 MW wind park, a 1.8 MW photovoltaic park and a 1000 m3/d desalination plant in Karpathos, Greece. Concerning the wind and solar power, 30% and 20% respectively is integrated to the grid and the remaining is obtainable for desalination and water pumping, which is used as energy storage. The surplus energy returns to the grid, reducing the deficit. The project's lifespan is 40 years, rendering the stochastic time series necessary and the paper culminates in the economic sustainability investigation of this HRES. Several results can be obtained, as follows: i) the HRES′ reliability is high, since the system is able to cover the entire drinking water needs of the island, 89.75% of irrigation and 50.63% of energy needs. ii) The wind and solar potential of Karpathos has a decisive role, possessing the 3.02% of the total produced energy. iii) The IRR of various selling prices of desalinated water and energy ranges from 10% to 17%, rendering the investment viable and even profitable. • The HRES meets the island's entire drinking water needs, 90% irrigation and 51% of its energy needs. • The PSH produces 36% of the energy, increasing the HRES′ efficiency by exploiting the energy excess. • The ARMA (1,1) stochastic model is implied to include the uncertainty of rainfall and temperature. • The Negra et al. method is implied to simulate the variability of wind speed, for the project's lifespan. • The cost-benefit analysis shows that the HRES is viable economically, with IRR ranging from 10 to 17%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the planet moves further into the human-induced Anthropocene there is an urgent need to reconsider the values, practices, and politics leading to widespread ecological degradation. The prioritisation of economic growth by the most dominant political institutions encourages limitless expansion while minimizing awareness of the ecological vulnerability of the planet. Commoning presents an alternative political structure based on transformative practices of collective care or caring with. In this paper, we investigate how communities in Skouries of Halkidiki, Greece, are responding to the imposition of large-scale mining through three different commons initiatives. The women's collective, the chamomile commons, and the ten-day festival. These commons provide insights into how instances of caring with performed by human and nonhuman others are the foundations of local place-based politics. We argue that already existing examples of commoning and caring with can make visible a more fitting politics for the Anthropocene that can benefit decision-making at national and international levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the present study is to investigate the mechanical properties, mainly wave velocity, strength, deformability and degradation characteristics of carbonate fault rocks in the laboratory. The investigated materials present a complex behavior, mainly controlled by their tectonic disturbance, which has not been thoroughly studied due to practical limitations in sampling preparation and execution of laboratory tests. A novel procedure to prepare samples from the studied rocks was successfully performed. Two (2) intact, parent rock types (i.e., intact limestone, intact limestone-dolomite breccia) and five (5) fault rock types (i.e., two types of limestone fault breccias, two types of fractured marly limestones and one type of tectono-diagenetic dolomite breccia) were retrieved from five locations in Lefkada Island, Greece. The mechanical properties of the intact, parent rocks were determined to define the degree of strength reduction due to the tectonic disturbance of the fault rocks. The mechanical properties of the fault rocks significantly vary, a fact that is attributed to their structural and textural properties. These properties were quantified using a novel image processing technique and two (2) discrete algorithms. The durability characteristics of the studied rocks were also assessed through freeze-thaw and slake durability tests. The specimens with a higher tectonic disturbance yielded increased degradation characteristics, in repeated freeze-thaw and slaking cycles proving that the behavior of the material can drastically change over time due to weathering and erosion processes.. The findings of this paper suggest that the behavior of fault rocks cannot be approximated by the existing rock mechanics principles and therefore, a more focused methodology to derive their mechanical properties is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wind power serves as a clean and sustainable form of energy. However, its generation is fraught with variability and uncertainty, owing to the stochastic and dynamic characteristics of wind. Accurate forecasting of wind power is indispensable for the efficient planning, operation, and grid integration of wind energy systems. In this paper, we introduce a novel forecasting method termed Temporal Collaborative Attention (TCOAT). This data-driven approach is designed to capture both temporal and spatial dependencies in wind power generation data, as well as discern long-term and short-term patterns. Utilizing attention mechanisms, TCOAT dynamically adjusts the weights of each input variable and time step based on their contextual relevance for forecasting. Furthermore, the method employs collaborative attention units to assimilate directional and global information from the input data. It also explicitly models the interactions and correlations among different variables or time steps through the use of self-attention and cross-attention mechanisms. To integrate long-term and short-term information effectively, TCOAT incorporates a temporal fusion layer that employs concatenation and mapping operations, along with hierarchical feature extraction and aggregation. We validate the efficacy of TCOAT through extensive experiments on a real-world wind power generation dataset from Greece and compare its performance against twenty-two state-of-the-art methods. Experimental results demonstrate that TCOAT outperforms existing methods in terms of both accuracy and robustness in wind power forecasting. Moreover, we conduct a generality study on an additional real-world dataset from a different climate condition and wind power characteristics. The results show that TCOAT can achieve comparable or better performance than the state-of-the-art methods, confirming the generalization ability of TCOAT. • Novel deep learning model for wind power forecasting • Temporal collaborative attention and fusion for wind data • Superior performance on real-world wind power dataset • Attention maps for interpretability and end-to-end training [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Balkan Peninsula lies on a key geographical location between Africa and Eurasia. The southern part of the Balkan Peninsula, referred to as the Aegean region, was a passageway for faunal migrations throughout the Pleistocene. Recent advances in the Lower Palaeolithic archaeology of Greece and in the research of the submerged landscapes of the Aegean region prompt a reconsideration of the biogeographical role of this area in Middle Pleistocene hominin settlement and expansion. In this paper, we articulate and elaborate on a working hypothesis, namely that the Aegean region was not a barrier during the Middle Pleistocene but instead it offered attractive lands for occupation and viable pathways for dispersal. Several methodological challenges emerge associated with the dynamic nature of the Aegean context. We propose an interdisciplinary approach to address the challenges. Using available archaeological and palaeogeographical evidence within a GIS-based framework, we seek to explore the 'hominin factor' in relation to the changing Aegean landscapes and geographical affordances. Shifting away from the 'terrestrial Eurocentric' point of view in the discussion of the patterns of early colonisation of Europe and the dispersal routes followed by hominins, we propose a revised understanding of early European settlement and its eastern gateways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European Union targets for 27% renewable energy share by 2030. At the same time, all new buildings should be nearly zero energy buildings from 2020 onwards. A major obstacle to these objectives is a combination of current economic stagnation and limited investors' confidence, which leads to low investment proportion. Despite many renewable energy technologies are already at a competitive level, the implementation rate in buildings is still low. In this paper, we focus on advances in efficient mechanisms to overcome non-technical barriers to the increase of renewable energy applications in buildings, such as Energy Performance Contracting (EPC). Tertiary sector holds a huge untapped potential for such applications, especially in Southern Europe. The Trust-EPC-South European initiative, implemented in six southern EU countries with a mix of beginner and intermediate energy service markets, aims at encouraging the financing of sustainable energy solutions in the tertiary sector, by creating a framework for standardization, assessment and benchmarking, thus improving trust and confidence in the financing parties. This paper presents three case studies in Greece, a Mediterranean family resort hotel, a resort and spa hotel and an office building. The installation of renewable energy measures, including photovoltaic systems, solar thermal systems and heat pumps, was examined and their EPC potential was rated, by using the described standardization and benchmarking methodology. Their economic savings range from 3 to 23% on yearly energy costs, at a discounted payback of 3–6 years, depending on the measure. A sensitivity analysis shows the impact of the variation of technical and economic parameters on the EPC projects feasibility. The standardization practice applied is expected to support the project actors in securing appropriate financing and eventually proceed with the renewable energy installations through the EPC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present research investigates the contribution of environmental innovation to firms' competitive advantage through the case of medium and large-sized firms operating in Greece. Due to the growing trend of environmental innovation in Greece and a consequent increase in the research interest, this paper fills the existing gap in the relevant literature as there is not enough evidence concerning Greek firms' environmental innovation practices. To meet the research goal, a questionnaire was distributed to 892 medium and large-sized firms operating in Greece; 225 questionnaires were finally responded. The data is based on firms' self-assessment concerning environmental innovation and competitive advantage and are analyzed using both descriptive and inductive statistics, including principal components analysis and multiple linear regression. The research results show that the examined firms implement environmental innovation practices at a moderate level. The most common practices of environmental innovation are the implementation of ISO 14001 management systems and the toxic substances usage reduction. The percentage of ISO 14001 implementation is increased compared to the previous years. Furthermore, the regression analysis revealed that the components concerning environmental process innovation and environmental product innovation have a positive impact on the examined firms' competitive capability. The relationship between open innovation and environmental innovation and the contribution of open innovation dynamics are discussed as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Iliad is an epic poem chronicling the journey of Achilles in the Trojan War. The poem is one of the earliest sources of written literature in the Western canon. It is not a medical text, but the many and varied descriptions of injuries and their consequences mean that it is an important source for examining the earliest notions of anatomy and knowledge of the pathologies that result from trauma. Head injuries feature prominently in the text and represent written accounts of neurotrauma from nearly 3000 years ago. Previous work on the poem has suggested an awareness of neurological concepts such as nystagmus, syncope, and pupillary dilatation after trauma. In this paper, we identify and categorize all of the head injuries detailed in the text and examine these to identify concepts of functional neuroanatomy that are revealed by the descriptions. We identify and discuss 2 detailed descriptions of head injury, suggesting an awareness of decerebrate posturing after brainstem injury and cerebrospinal fluid leakage following a basal skull fracture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the impact of democratisation on tax structure in an agrarian economy where goods can be produced at home for self-consumption. We first develop a model of optimal taxation with heterogeneous agents where the good produced in the market is subject to a consumption tax, whereas the homogeneous good produced at home is burdened by a direct tax (such as land tithes). Contrary to conventional theory, our model suggests that extension of the voting franchise to poorer segments of the population exerts a negative impact on the share of direct to indirect taxes. Using unique national and regional tax data for the Kingdom of Greece - a typical agrarian economy where universal male suffrage was established in 1864 - we provide consistent empirical evidence. Greek governments adjusted tax policy in order to meet the preferences of the newly enfranchised electorate that constituted mostly peasants and farmers. This group was harmed substantially by direct taxes on land but was able to avoid indirect taxes through self-consumption. We also analyse a sample of 12 European countries over the same period and provide evidence for a similar change in the tax structure when the agricultural sector dominates the economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Solid waste represents globally a critical "renewable" energy source. • Incineration is a key "competitor" to landfill, especially in the developing world. • Waste to energy represents an important instrument for sustainable development. • Externalities are crucial towards social acceptance of any waste management option. • Incineration's externalities assessed to be negligible compared to other pressures. There is much debate around promoting waste to energy incineration facilities in many communities globally, mainly because of social opposition against potential negative health effects of the operation of these installations close to urban areas. In this paper, a novel decision support approach is developed and its applicability is demonstrated for the greater Thessaloniki area, Greece. In this area, the incineration facilities are hotly debated, mainly due to the "Not In My Back Yard" syndrome related with health considerations. The exclusive method of treatment is landfilling. Health impacts and corresponding externalities attributed to the operation of an incineration facility are reliably estimated. Three potential alternative sites and three scenarios of emission rates are considered, depending on the abatement technology used. The estimated externalities are compared to the corresponding ones attributed to other pressures in the area. The "Years of Life Lost (YOLL)" indicator attributed to the operation of the facility is 2.8 YOLL in the worst-case scenario. This corresponds to a minimal added implication in comparison with the 11,044 YOLL estimated for the area due to the other environmental pressures (road traffic, space heating, industrial activity). The externalities ratio (externalities due to incineration facility/total externalities) for the region is approximately 0.03%. Thus, the impact of this operation on human health is negligible -and preferable to landfilling- even in the case that maximum emission rates are considered. Efforts should be targeted towards enhancing public awareness and militating the widely acknowledged "Not In My Back Yard" syndrome by local communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Detection in a cultural heritage context and a challenging environment is addressed. • A new dataset for markerless detection of ancient rock carvings is presented. • Two methods for detection are employed and compared visually and numerically. • Non-linear embeddings validate the usefulness of a proposed distance measure. In this paper, we discuss the problem of object detection in a cultural heritage application context. In particular, the objects to be detected are ancient rock carvings, discovered at the archaeological site of Vathy, Astypalaia in Greece. Without the help of a marker or a human expert, the rock carvings are extremely difficult for a visitor of the site to discern from their surroundings. We explore the possibility of using a computational method that could replace the human expert and detect the rock carvings of interest without the aid of a specific marker. We present a dataset of images that is comprised of annotated photographs of the rock carvings, taken in situ and under differing poses and lighting parameters. Two methods for detection are applied; the first method makes use of a supervised, deep learning-based model, while the other relies on feature point-based matching to an annotated template, in the context of which we propose a simple image matching distance. We show that each method is applicable under different conditions, and evaluate their effectiveness with numerical trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We examine the predictors of social control in Pay-As-You-Throw violations. • The perceived deviance of the behavior increases the likelihood of social control. • The observer's level of "public participation" has a similar effect. • These predictors' impacts are independent of each other. • They also impact on social control over and above any demographic characteristics. In this paper we examine the relative importance of an individual's subjective evaluations and social capital on his/her decision to exercise social control (i.e. confront the offender) on the hypothetical instance of witnessing a PAYT (Pay-As-You-Throw) scheme violation. Our data (N = 299) originates from an online questionnaire filled in by residents of Greece in early summer 2016. Through logistic regression modeling, we find that the subjective evaluation of the offence and social capital components have independent and complementary effects on the decision to exercise social control, over and above the demographic characteristics of the respondent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Late Neolithic/Early Eneolithic Vinča culture is marked by permanent, long-living settlements, increased production of different craft goods and early metallurgical activities. Economic activities were rich and diverse, and included not only strictly subsistence related ones, but also production of luxurious, prestige, "special" objects, such as figurines, personal ornaments, and many more. Furthermore, some studies also suggest that we may note the beginning of craft specialisation in the widest sense within the Vinča culture. On a regional scale, differences in economic activities may be observed among different settlements and also in presence/absence of some artefact types. This may reflect a certain level of functional differentiation and possibly specialisation between different settlements, as noted, for example, among the Neolithic communities in Greece. In this paper, we will focus on the analyses of everyday lithic and osseous tools, in order to examine the differences in everyday activities, raw material management and craft production among different settlements. Through comparative analysis, we will examine the possible presence of a functional differentiation between different Vinča culture settlements and its extent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is disagreement on the specific mechanism through which the economic recession increased suicides in Greece. Unemployment is considered by many authors to be the determining factor but the data are inconclusive and often negative, especially concerning the temporal relationship between onset of increase in unemployment and increase in suicides AIMS: The aim of this paper was to clarify the specific role of unemployment as well as of other socioeconomic variables on specific age-by-gender groups concerning the increase in suicides.Methods: Data of the Hellenic Statistical Authority ELSTAT (www.Statistics: gr) were analyzed with Linear Regression Analysis and Bonferroni correction for multiple testing RESULTS: Unemployment correlates with suicide rates only in males aged 20-24, 50-54 and 60-64 years (p < 0.001). Unemployment could held responsible for an additional 148 male deaths during the period 2009-2015, which accounts for 5.3% of the total (29 additional deaths per year). The changes in all the socioeconomic conditions could held responsible for 317 cases of suicide or 9.4% of total CONCLUSIONS: The results of the current study suggest that there was a 33% increase in deaths by suicide in Greece during the early years of recession (2009-2015); one third could be directly attributed to unemployment, one third to other consequences of recession while another third is of unknown origin. The effect of unemployment is specifically restricted to males at the beginning of their working career (20-24 years old) and to middle aged (45-49 and 55-59 years old). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current paper reflects on the challenges faced by European islands with regards to electricity supply, focusing on an island area of major interest, i.e. the Aegean Sea region. In this context, the main problems related to the use of imported oil and the associated high electricity production costs are discussed, together with the prospects of increased exploitation of Renewable Energy Sources (RES). For the latter accomplishment, the main elements of an integrated energy solution are presented, comprising mature RES technologies and more novel aspects, corresponding to energy storage, Demand Side Management and intelligent Energy Management on the basis of advanced forecasting techniques. Moreover, insight and preliminary operational evidence are provided with regards to the application of such an integrated solution on the island of Tilos, in Greece, where the development and test-operation of a pilot smart microgrid and Hybrid Power Station were recently completed, in the context of the TILOS Horizon 2020 Program. • A short review of the electricity production status in Aegean islands is undertaken. • Challenges and prospects of RES in the Aegean islands' region are discussed. • We present novel elements that can support increased RES shares for Aegean islands. • We focus on the development and pilot operation of Tilos island smart microgrid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar heating and cooling (SHC) systems can be relevant in the achievement of energy and climate European goals. The benefits of these technologies should be evaluated taking into account their life-cycle energy and environmental impacts, calculated by applying the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). The development of a complete LCA can be difficult and time-consuming particularly for non-experts in LCA, discouraging them in developing the life-cycle assessments. To overcome this issue, the paper presents "ELISA - Environmental Lifecycle Impacts of Solar Air-conditioning systems", a user-friendly simplified tool for estimating the life-cycle energy and environmental benefits/impacts of solar technologies for heating and cooling in different geographic contexts and comparing them to conventional systems. The tool was applied to analyse three systems (thermal SHC, conventional and PV assisted system) in Greece and to identify the one characterized by the best life-cycle performances. The results revealed that the impacts of PV assisted system are about 60% lower than those of the others, highlighting the advantage of using renewable electricity for building air-conditioning in locations with high solar radiation availability. ELISA can be used by researchers, designers and decision-makers to introduce the life-cycle thinking in the early design phase of heating and cooling systems. • ELISA is a tool for developing a simplified LCA of solar heating and cooling technologies. • ELISA calculates the impacts of heating and cooling systems in a specific geographic context. • Three systems installed in Athens (Greece) are examined by combining ELISA with a simulation tool. • The PV assisted system is the best one in terms of life-cycle energy and environmental performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Precarious work can significantly affect occupational safety and health and increase the rate of occupational accidents. • Correlation between occupational accidents, GDP and precarious work. • Organizational and social factors contribute to the increase of occupational accidents in precarious employment. • Lack of training, ineffective safety management systems, psychosocial factors and loose community properties that weakens collective bargaining are the main factors. During the last few years new forms of employment have been developed. Part-time employment and employment in rotating periods are on a rise especially in cases of economic slowdown and high unemployment rates, as part of the what is called precarious work. For the case of Greece, that was recently hit by resection and a number fiscal consolidation programs, the number of occupational accidents increased despite high unemployment rates. This paper attempts to investigate the effects that those new flexible employment forms may have on occupational safety and health for cases that when they are forced and violently introduced into the labour market. Analysis of data revealed that the rate of occupational accidents for the case of Greece did not follow the respective reduction of GDP but instead increased according to the significant increase of part-time and work in rotating periods contracts. Both organizational and social factors, such as lack of training, ineffective safety management systems, psychosocial factors and loose community properties that weakens collective bargaining could contribute to that. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PHPS is a mature energy storage technology, leading to more efficient energy management and further integration of Renewable Energy Sources (RES). This paper investigates the implementation of such a system at Kastraki, Greece, combined with a second upstream reservoir with a total capacity of 10 hm3 and evaluates its efficiency. The position and the geometric characteristics of the second reservoir are determined with ArcGIS. When excess of energy exists, water is pumped from Kastraki reservoir and stored in the upper one. Otherwise, the stored water is used for energy production. The simulation is performed for 40 years with a monthly time step. Furthermore, another simulation for a typical day in July is conducted, when water and energy needs are increased. The system is evaluated in terms of covering the water supply and energy needs, as well as in terms of efficient energy management. Several results can be obtained, as follows: i) the reliability of the PHPS system for the coverage of monthly water supply and irrigation needs is 82.84 %. ii) The coverage of water supply needs for a typical day in July is 99.99 %. iii) The average monthly coverage of energy needs amounts to 83.86 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A new energy balance model of outdoor swimming pools assesses their heating demand. • The proposed model was validated using the experimental outdoor data set. • Lowing the operating water temperature by 1 °C cuts energy consumption by about 11 % • Anti-evaporative cover usage reduces energy demand, with up to 30% savings. • Local wind conditions play a key role in outdoor pool energy consumption. In the Mediterranean region, outdoor swimming pools, despite having lower energy consumption compared to indoor pools, are nonetheless highly energy-intensive structures, offering significant opportunities for energy efficiency improvements. Although there are numerous studies in the literature, few of these works have been dedicated to estimating the energy consumption of outdoor pools while considering typical local meteorological conditions and their occupancy rates. This paper presents a novel energy balance model for outdoor pools that incorporates the latest correlations for calculating evaporation due to forced convection and sky temperature, a new phenomenological model for assessing the enhancement of evaporation as a function of occupancy rate, and an approach that takes into account atmospheric stability conditions in defining wind-related heat losses. The model successfully predicts the annual energy consumption data for outdoor Olympic swimming pools in Greece with a mean absolute percentage error of less than 12 %. Simulations of an outdoor swimming pool operating with water at 26.5 °C and in which the cover is not used present indicate a specific thermal energy consumption of about 2300 kWh/m2. A decrease in water temperature by 1 °C and the use of a cover result in approximately 11 % and 30 % reduction in consumption, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Snail mucus had medical applications for wound healing as early as ancient Greece and the late Han Dynasty (China). A literature search found 165 modern research papers discussing the extraction methods, chemical compositions, pharmacological activities, and applications of snail mucus. Thus, this review summarized the research progress on the extraction, structure, pharmacological activities, and applications of polysaccharides and proteins isolated from snail mucus. The extraction methods of snail mucus include natural secretion and stimulation with blunt force, spray, electricity, un-shelling, ultrasonic-assisted, and ozone-assisted. As a natural product, snail mucus mainly comprises two polysaccharides (glycosaminoglycan, dextran), seven glycoproteins (mucin, lectin), various antibacterial peptides, allantoin, glycolic acid, etc. It has pharmacological activities that encourage cell migration and proliferation, and promote angiogenesis and have antibacterial, anti-oxidative and anticancer properties. The mechanism of snail mucus' chemicals performing antibacterial and wound-healing was proposed. Snail mucus is a promising bioactive product with multiple medical applications and has great potential in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries. Therefore, this review provides a valuable reference for researching and developing snail mucus. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PHPS is a mature energy storage technology, leading to more efficient energy management and further integration of Renewable Energy Sources (RES). This paper investigates the implementation of such a system at Kastraki, Greece, combined with a second upstream reservoir with a total capacity of 10 hm3 and evaluates its efficiency. The position and the geometric characteristics of the second reservoir are determined with ArcGIS. When excess of energy exists, water is pumped from Kastraki reservoir and stored in the upper one. Otherwise, the stored water is used for energy production. The simulation is performed for 40 years with a monthly time step. Furthermore, another simulation for a typical day in July is conducted, when water and energy needs are increased. The system is evaluated in terms of covering the water supply and energy needs, as well as in terms of efficient energy management. Several results can be obtained, as follows: i) the reliability of the PHPS system for the coverage of monthly water supply and irrigation needs is 82.84 %. ii) The coverage of water supply needs for a typical day in July is 99.99 %. iii) The average monthly coverage of energy needs amounts to 83.86 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wind energy presents a high growth potential in the EU as an emission reduction strategy and to achieve the climate neutrality goal by 2050. Wind farms suitability analysis is one of the primary goals in the spatial planning of wind energy developments. This research paper introduces a hybrid spatial multicriteria GIS-based framework that combines Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), PROMETHEE II and Machine Learning algorithms to determine and predict the most efficient onshore wind farm locations by generating suitability index mappings. The methodology allows to overcome PROMETHEE II limitations in raster driven suitability analysis, utilizing machine learning regression methods as the k Nearest Neighbor and Support Vector Machines to predict a graduating mapping of suitability index for wind farm locations in northeastern Greece. The best configured models presented a RMSE of 0.0344 and 0.0154 respectively, indicating a quite high predictive performance. Suitability results indicate that 56.10 % of the feasible locations in the Thrace area present a positive outranking character for the kNN model and 56.79 % for the SVR model. The proposed framework, enriched by PROMETHEE II capabilities, assists energy and spatial planners in identifying suitable sites for wind farm siting and enables rational decision making that enhances efficient wind energy investments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We provide the first detailed Relative Mean Sea-Level curve for the Northern Aegean. • We detected for the first time in this coastal area the Neolithic drowned landscapes. • Palaeogeographic reconstruction shows coastal progradation due to anthropic forcing. • Historical events appear to dominate the fate of the city over environmental factors. • We detected the impact of a tsunami in 544 AD in this part of the Thracian coast. This paper presents an integrated Geoarchaeological approach to Holocene landscape change and socio-environmental interaction around ancient Abdera, a Greek colony in Aegean Thrace. A combination of remote sensing, geomorphological mapping, sedimentary coring, and radiocarbon dating was used to build the first detailed Holocene sea-level curve in the Northern Aegean, and to reconstruct the palaeogeographic evolution around Abdera from the Neolithic onwards. The discussion of these results, alongside the available archaeo-historical data, sheds new light on the role of historical and environmental factors in the rise and eventual decline of Abdera, thereby challenging previous narratives. This study is the first to detect evidence of the Neolithic landscapes in this coastal area being submerged by marine transgression c. 5000 cal. BC. A lagoonal landscape developed from the Neolithic until Greek colonists settled in the area c. 654 BC. The results presented here suggest that the relocation of the city in the 4th century BC was not caused by the silting up of the bay but was due to historical events. The coastal progradation only became significant after 300 cal. BC and accelerated in the following centuries. Based on the data acquired, it is hypothesized that this was due to anthropogenic forcing of the sedimentary systems both at local and regional levels, caused by the development of the productive activities of the colony. The evidence presented here demonstrates that while Abdera retained good access to the sea, its decline in the 4th c. AD was certainly due to the gradual shift of the economic axis inland. By 400 cal. AD the coastline was very close to its current position. The results of this study also add to the catalogue of known tsunamis in the Northern Aegean, by providing new evidence of a tsunami on this section of the Thracian coast in 544 AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with the repeated infrastructural breakdowns in Greek refugee camps. It introduces the concept of "infrastructural clashes" to highlight the apparent clash between, on the one hand, high-tech control systems and, on the other, the failures and scarcity of basic infrastructures in camps - such as electricity, running water and food. It argues that infrastructural clashes are not side-effects but, rather, constitutive components of modes of governing by debilitating refugees. The article starts by developing the concept of infrastructural clashes, grounding it in the literature on camp geographies and migration infrastructures. It moves on by exploring the nexus between infrastructural clashes and politics of induced scarcity in Greece, illustrating how this depletes refugees and extracts value from their vitality. It contends that they enhance carcerality beyond detention. The last section engages with refugees' mobilisations against induced scarcity: their claims foreground that infrastructural clashes enhance protracted dependency. The depletion strengthened through infrastructural clashes shows that refugees are not only obstructed in their mobility but also in their attempt to re-build their lives and to engage in autonomous social reproduction activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]