Publications by Type: Conference Paper

The Gulf of Corinth (Central Greece) is among the most active tectonic rifts worldwide. This is evidenced by the high level of seismicity, the intense E-W trending normal faulting and the high extension rate in a N-S direction. Destructive earthquakes, such as the Heliki event in 373 BC, have occurred since the antiquity. Intense seismicity has also occurred during the instrumental era, with the most recent strong event being the Ms=6.2 1995 Aigion earthquake. In this work, we present the RASMON and CORSSA accelerometric arrays installed across the Gulf of Corinth by the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA) and collaborative institutes in the frame of EU and national projects. Accelerometers were first installed in 1991 and through continuous upgrades and maintenance remain in operation to date, having recorded several thousands of high-quality acceleration time-series of local and regional earthquakes. Nowadays, the accelerometric network comprises eleven (11) three-component instruments (RASMON) and a 15-component vertical array (CORSSA) operating in trigger mode. Six stations located on the southern shore of the Gulf are online via a MOXA serial-to-TCP/IP converter. Recently, NKUA has undertaken an upgrade task of the arrays in the frame of the HELPOS project, the national analog to the EU-wide EPOS project. Upgrade includes conversion of the serial Etna/K2 Kinemetrics instruments into SeedLink servers using Raspberry PIs. Therefore, via Earthworm software, tunneling to NKUA and NTP timing will be plausible. To this aim, tests are currently implemented yielding promising perspective.

We demonstrate that a non-reciprocal, time-variant fiber cavity can operate above the "fundamental" time-bandwidth limit (TBL) of reciprocal structures by more than two orders of magnitude. © 2018 The Author(s).

In this paper we attempt to classify drainage sub-basins according to their erosion risk. We have adopted a multi-step procedure to face this problem. The input variables were introduced into a GIS platform. These variables are the vulnerability of the surface rocks to erosion, slope gradient, vegetation cover and land use and drainage basin characteristics. We then constructed a fuzzy inference mechanism to pre-process the input variables. Next we used neural-network technology to process the input variables. The above system was trained to ‘learn’and classify the input data. The output of this procedure was a classification of the sub-drainage basins related to their risk of erosion. This neuro-fuzzy system was applied to the island of Lefkas (Greece).

This research applies the fuzzy set theory via Geographical Information Systems (GIS) - based analysis to investigate slope erosion by water. The main steps of thisprocedure are the definition of the input variables (rocks’ susceptibility to erosion, slope angle, slope morphology), the development of a fuzzy inference system based on theoretical and empirical knowledge, transforming the input to output variables(erosion – deposition) and the visualization of the output variables (spatial distribution of the erosion-deposition processes). The method was applied at the Corinth drainage basin, located in the north-eastern part of Peloponnese (Greece),where a series of catastrophic erosional events have recently occurred.

The Hubble Catalog of Variables (HCV) project aims to identify the variable sources in the Hubble Source Catalog (HSC), which includes about 92 million objects with over 300 million measurements detected by the WFPC2, ACS and WFC3 cameras on board of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), by using an automated pipeline containing a set of detection and validation algorithms. All the HSC sources with more than a predefined number of measurements in a single filter/instrument combination are pre-processed to correct systematic effects and to remove bad measurements. The corrected data are used to compute a number of variability indexes to determine the variability status of each source. The final variable source catalog will contain variable stars, active galactic nuclei (AGNs), supernovae (SNs) or even new types of variables, reaching an unprecedented depth (V≤27 mag). At the end of the project, the first release of the HCV will be available at the Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes (MAST) and the ESA Hubble Science Archives. The HCV pipeline will be deployed at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) so that an updated HCV may be generated following future releases of the HSC.

On July 20, 2017 22:31 UTC, a strong Mw = 6.6 earthquake occurred at shallow depth between Kos (Greece) and Bodrum (Turkey).We derive a co-seismic fault model from joint inversion of geodetic data (GNSS and InSAR).We assume that the earthquake can be modelled by the slip on a rectangular fault buried in an elastic and homogenous half-space. The GNSS observations constrain well most of the model parameters but do not permit to discriminate between south- and north-dipping planes. The interferograms, produced from C-band ESA Sentinel 1 syntheticaperture radar data, give a clear preference to the north-dipping plane. The orientation of the GNSS vectors and the absence of InSAR fringes onshore Kos constrain the fault’s length. We also mapped surface motion away from thesatellite along the Turkish coast (from Bodrum towards east) which reached about 20 cm onshore islet Karaada. The best-fit model was obtained with a 37 deg. north-dipping normal fault, in agreement with the published moment tensor solutions. The slip vector is dominantly normal in a ESE-WNW direction with a component of left-lateral motion (5 deg.). The surface projection of the seismic fault outcrops in the Gökova ridge area, a well-developed bathymetric feature inside the western Gulf of Gökova (SE Aegean Sea). The seismic fault plane extends 14 km along strike by12.5 km wide. Our geodetic model is in agreement with relocated seismicity distribution (about 1160 events) from regional networks, which indicates an aftershock occurrence towards both ends of the rupture.

This research deals with the flood risk in the island of Naxos (Cyclades, Greece). In the stream called Peritsi or Paratrexos, the geomorphology, geology, the land uses and the relief of its drainage basin were studied in detail. These results allowed the estimation of flood risk in the area of Naxos, as well as the security measures that need to be applied. The main aim is the investigation between the relation of rainfall and the outflow with the use of hydrographs. Thus an evaluation of the flood risk of this basin has been studied. In order to produce results of high accuracy the basin was divided into 13 smaller sub-basins which were interpreted separately. For the optimum application of method Clark, there were two tools used: a) water level recorder, b) Meteorological station. Based on the processes mentioned above, individual hydrographs were produced for each of the 13 sub-basins. Once again, the main goal of this project is to compare the rain and outflow parameters in order to identify the areas of the highest risk. Additionally, a flood map has been developed which visualizes the risk scale in a color coded image.

Ten years after the occurrence of the Andravida earthquake (2008) several aspects were investigated, including its connection to neighboring spatiotemporal clusters in the following years. On 8 June 2008 at 12:25 GMT a large earthquake (Mw=6.4) occurred NE of Andravida (Greece) in an area characterized by relatively low seismicity. Nevertheless, it is worth noting that this major event was successfully predicted by a previous study, taking into account decelerating accelerating seismicity. Data recorded by the Unified Hellenic Seismological Network (HUSN)were analyzed to study the aftershock sequence and local velocity structure. The modeling of teleseismic P, SV and SH waves provided well-constrained focal mechanism solutions of the mainshock and its major aftershocks with magnitude M > 3.4. The constrained fault plane solutions represent dextral strike slip type faulting. The spatial distribution of the aftershocks, as well as the calculation of the slip distribution and Local Earthquake Tomography (LET), provided evidence that the rupture plane is the one with NE-SW direction. Surface breaks were observed inseveral sites but in most cases their direction was perpendicular to the rupture plane and can be characterized as secondary effects. The source process was characterized by unilateral rupture propagation towards the city of Patras, to the NE, where a seismic sequence was initiated after the Mw=3.9 event of the 27th December 2012 along the ENE-WSW Agia Triada normal fault.

PROMOTING A GENDER NEUTRAL-INCLUSIVE MILITARY SOCIETY THROUGH COED SPORTS...... Abstract This study examines women’s inclusion in the Armed Forces in Greece, a traditionally male-dominated social space. It discusses women’s participation in all three sectors of the Armed Forces— administrative and institutional posts—as opposed to their past engagement in secondary, subordinate or unofficial roles, i.e. war nurses and volunteers. Despite women’s entry—in the last three decades—research indicates they experience gender discrimination in many areas of the male-centric and hierarchal structures of the Armed Forces. This pilot study shows that participation in sport activities with men reduces social discrimination related to gender. It explores how coed sports (joint sport participation) in the education programs of the Hellenic Armed Forces contributes to changing gender stereotypes and promoting "gender neutrality" (Kamberidou 2012), namely "a gender-neutral inclusive" military society (Kamberidou & Patsantaras 2005), consequently reducing gender discrimination and encouraging respect for diversity. The findings also show that the coed sport programs and activities promote women’s acceptance by their male colleagues, including trust, team effectiveness, team spirit, collaboration, empathy, problem-solving skills, and self-esteem.  Key words: Gender Neutrality, Women, Sport, Armed Forces ΠΡΟΩΘΩΝΤΑΣ ΤΗΝ ΕΜΦΥΛΗ ΟΥΔΕΤΕΡΟΤΗΤΑ ΣΤΙΣ ΕΝΟΠΛΕΣ ΔΥΝΑΜΕΙΣ ΔΙΑ ΤΗΣ ΚΟΙΝΗΣ ΣΥΜΜΕΤΟΧΗΣ ΑΝΔΡΩΝ ΚΑΙ ΓΥΝΑΙΚΩΝ ΣΕ ΑΘΛΗΤΙΚΕΣ ΔΡΑΣΤΗΡΙΟΤΗΤΕΣ ......ΠΕΡΙΛΗΨΗΟι δυνατότητες πρόσβασης των γυναικών στις Ένοπλες Δυνάμεις στην ελληνική επικράτεια, υπό την έννοια ανάληψης διοικητικής ή άλλης μορφής θεσμικής ευθύνης,  είναι ένα φαινόμενο των τριών τελευταίων δεκαετιών. Ο χώρος των Ενόπλων Δυνάμεων παραδοσιακά χαρακτηρίζονταν ως ένας ανδροκεντρικός χώρος, με τον οποίο οι γυναίκες σχετίζονταν μόνο επικουρικά, αναλαμβάνοντας βοηθητικούς ρόλους, κυρίως σε περιόδους πολεμικών συρράξεων. Σήμερα όμως  πολλές γυναίκες στελεχώνουν και τους τρεις κλάδους των Ενόπλων Δυνάμεων: Στρατό Ξηράς, Πολεμική Αεροπορία και Πολεμικό ναυτικό. Ωστόσο σε έρευνες επισημαίνεται ότι πολλές φορές οι γυναίκες δεν απολαμβάνουν ισόνομη μεταχείριση και  υφίστανται ποικίλες διακρίσεις  σε αυτές τις κοινωνικές περιοχές. Ερευνητικά δεδομένα επίσης υποστηρίζουν, ότι η συμμετοχή ανδρών και γυναικών σε κοινές αθλητικές δραστηριότητες, λειτουργεί καταλυτικά στην άμβλυνση αρνητικών παραδοσιακών στερεοτύπων που συνδέονται γενικά με την δραστηριοποίηση της γυναίκας σε χώρους που παραδοσιακά θεωρούνταν ανδροκεντρικοί. Η μελέτη αυτή είναι μια πιλοτική μελέτη περίπτωσης,  η οποία λαμβάνοντας υπ’ όψιν τη σχετική με τα ζητήματα αυτά βιβλιογραφία, διερευνά κατά πόσον η κοινή συμμετοχή σε αθλητικές δραστηριότητες που συντελούνται στα προγράμματα εκπαίδευσης των Ενόπλων Δυνάμεων, μπορεί να συντελέσει στην προώθηση αντιλήψεων και στάσεων οι οποίες μπορούν να προάγουν και να ενεργοποιήσουν μια έμφυλη ουδετερότητα (Kamberidou, 2011, Καμπερίδου 2012). Τα αποτελέσματα δείχνουν ότι η συμμετοχή των γυναικών σε κοινά αθλητικά προγράμματα των Ενόπλων Δυνάμεων, προάγει την αυτό-εκτίμηση τους, την αποδοχή τους από τους άνδρες συναδέλφους, αλλά και την ομαδική αποτελεσματικότητα και την παγίωση κλίματος εμπιστοσύνης μεταξύ των φύλων.         

Ο ψηφιακός εγγραμματισμός λειτουργεί ως εξαιρετικό μέσον για την ισόνομη μεταχείριση και πλήρη ενσωμάτωση κοινωνικά αποκλεισμένων ομάδων στην κοινωνία της πληροφορίας. Προβαίνοντας σε μια ανάλυση των πρόσφατων ερευνών και συζητήσεων για το ψηφιακό χάσμα, τις απαιτούμενες σήμερα ψηφιακές δεξιότητες και τη μελλοντική ζήτηση, αυτή η μελέτη επικεντρώνεται στην έμφυλη διάσταση. Ερευνητικά δεδομένα επιβεβαιώνουν ότι δεκαετίες προτάσεων και παρεμβάσεων—ερευνητικών, πολιτικών, κοινωνικών, νομοθετικών—δεν αύξησαν τη γυναικεία συμμετοχή στους κλάδους των STEM (επιστήμη, τεχνολογία,  μηχανική, μαθηματικά) και τις Τεχνολογίες της Πληροφορίας και Επικοινωνίας (ΤΠΕ). Οι γυναίκες αποτελούν αόρατη μειονότητα σε αυτούς τους τομείς, παρά τις ενέργειες του κινήματος για την κοινωνική ενσωμάτωση/ένταξη των γυναικών και κοριτσιών στις ΤΠΕ και την ευρεία αναγνώριση της σημαντικότητας των ψηφιακών δεξιοτήτων που απαιτούνται σήμερα στους χώρους εργασίας της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης. Τα αποτελέσματα εμπειρικών ερευνών αναδεικνύουν τη ζωτική σημασία αναμόρφωσης της εκπαίδευσης STEM ώστε να συμπεριλάβει την έμφυλη διάσταση, δεδομένου ότι οι κοινωνικές προκαταλήψεις ξεκινούν από μικρή ηλικία. Επισημαίνεται, επίσης και η  αναγκαιότητα να καθορισθούν και να καταγραφούν από τους βιομηχανικούς θεσμούς οι πραγματικές ανάγκες, οι συγκεκριμένες απαιτήσεις και οι ψηφιακές δεξιότητες που απαιτούνται σήμερα. Η μελέτη αυτή ολοκληρώνεται με μια συνοπτική αναφορά στις  πολύτιμες συμβουλές διακεκριμένων γυναικών στην κοινωνία της πληροφορίας και των ΤΠΕ: Nancy Pascall, Όλγα Σταυροπούλου, Rosalie Zobel, και Elizabeth Pollitzer.   Λέξεις κλειδιά: ψηφιακό χάσμα, φύλο, έμφυλη υποτίμηση (gender devaluation), ψηφιακές δεξιότητες, ψηφιακός εγγραμματισμός μαθητών/τριών, πληροφορικός γραμματισμός (information literacy)----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------cite as:Καμπερίδου, Ειρήνη (2018). Ψηφιακές δεξιότητες και ψηφιακός αποκλεισμός: Γεφυρώνοντας το έμφυλο ψηφιακό χάσμα (Digital skills and digital exclusion: Bridging the gender digital divide), σελ. 202-210 Βιβλίο Πρακτικών του 6ου Συνεδρίου της ΕΚΕ | ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ ΚΟΙΝΩΝΙΟΛΟΓΙΚΗ ΕΤΑΙΡΕΙΑ, Επιμέλεια: Απόστολος Γ. Παπαδόπουλος, Αθήνα (Συνέδριο “H Κοινωνιολογία και ο Δημόσιος Ρόλος της στην Εποχή της Μεταμόρφωσης του Κόσμου”, 29-31.3.2018), Χαροκόπειο Πανεπιστήμιο, Σχολή Περιβάλλοντος, Γεωγραφίας & Εφαρμοσμένων Οικονομικών. © Ελληνική Κοινωνιολογική Εταιρεία, 2018 ISBN: 9789609596046:

Mankind has an inherent desire to explore the planets, which is closely connected with the nature and curios- ity of human beings. Unfortunately, the actual explo- ration is a privilege of only a few people, at least in the near future. The presented project, entitled "Planets In Your Hand" (PIYH) gives everyone the chance to see, touch and feel the differences of each planetary sur- face in our Solar System and learn about the world we all live in. The PIYH project consists of a portable ex- hibition of planetary surface models in square frames. It is carefully designed and addressed to both young and elder people, families, students, educational insti- tutions and especially to visually impaired individuals, giving them a unique opportunity to meet and get fa- miliar with planetary science.

There is a wide range of alternative approaches to study erosion processes. In this paper the construction of a model based in the interaction of Geographical Information System (GIS) and Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) is described. Theneural model uses supervised competitive learning process. The whole procedure starts with the digitization of collected data and the definition of the input variables, such as slope form and gradient, susceptibility to erosion and protective cover. The input variables are transformed into the erosion risk output variable using the neural model. The last stage concerns the development of an erosion risk zones map.

SXP 15.3 (RX J0052.1-7319) is a Be X-ray binary pulsar located in the Small Magellanic Cloud. The source was classified as a transient X-ray binary candidate based on ROSAT observations in the 1990's, and pulsations at 15.3 s were subsequently discovered from an outburst in 1996 from the ROSAT data. The source has never been studied in an outburst or a bright state ever since. Following reports of an outburst in November 2017, we triggered a Target of Opportunity observation of SXP 15.3 with AstroSat. We report here the first broadband spectral and timing studies of the source, when the source was accreting near the Eddington limit of 10^38 erg/s. We discuss the energy dependence of the pulse profiles and the broadband spectrum in context of accretion onto magnetized neutron stars accreting near its Eddington limit.

Η Φυσική αγωγή (ΦΑ), ως μάθημα στην Πρωτοβάθμια και Δευτεροβάθμια Εκπαίδευση χαρακτηρίζεται από την ιδιαιτερότητά της , καθώς περιλαμβάνει την οργανωμένη και συστηματική κινητική δραστηριότητα των μαθητών/μαθητριών μέσα από βιωματικές και διαθεματικές προσεγγίσεις. Όπως επισημαίνεται από ένα σημαντικό αριθμό  ερευνητικών δεδομένων μέσα από το  παιχνίδι και τις αθλοπαιδιές καλλιεργούνται κοινωνικές δεξιότητες και σημαντικές κοινωνικές αξίες— όπως η δικαιοσύνη, το ομαδικό πνεύμα, η αλληλεγγύη, ο σεβασμός προς τον αντίπαλο και τους κανόνες—  που είναι απαραίτητες για μια ποιοτική κοινωνική συνύπαρξη. Η παρούσα μελέτη αποτελεί μέρος μιας εν εξελίξει ποιοτικής  έρευνας και εδράζεται σε μια ενδελεχή ανασκόπηση της σχετικής με αυτό το ζήτημα βιβλιογραφίας στο πλαίσιο της οποίας διαπιστώνεται, αφ’ ενός η σημαντικότητα της ΦΑ για την προετοιμασία σωματικά, ψυχικά και κοινωνικά ενεργών πολιτών και αφ’ ετέρου διαπιστώνεται ότι οι υλικοτεχνικές υποδομές και  ο χρόνος που διατίθεται στο σχολικό πρόγραμμα για το μάθημα της ΦΑ λειτουργούν αναντίστοιχα για την πραγμάτωση των πολύπλευρων  σκοπών που καλείται αυτή να εκπληρώσει. Συμπερασματικά και με βάση τα μέχρι τώρα ερευνητικά δεδομένα, προτείνεται η αναδιαμόρφωση του σχολικού προγράμματος σχετικά με το μάθημα της ΦΑ προκειμένου να μπορούν να εφαρμοστούν επιπλέον καινοτόμα προγράμματα και να επιτευχθεί ο απώτερος σκοπός της δια βίου άσκησης.                        

GR: Η Συριακή κρίση έχει  λάβει σηµαντικές διαστάσεις και έχει απασχολήσει εκτεταµένα τόσο την κοινή γνώµη όσο και την επιστηµονική κοινότητα. Όπως και σε αντίστοιχες περιπτώσεις συγκρούσεων, είναι δύσκολο να βρεθούν δεδοµένα που να περιγράφουν τις χωρο-χρονικές διαστάσεις της κρίσης. Κατά συνέπεια, γίνεται προσπάθεια να µελετηθεί η Συριακή κρίση µε βάση δορυφορικές εικόνες που είναι διαθέσιµες ως ανοικτά δεδοµένα για την εν λόγω περίοδο. Συγκεκριµένα, χρησιµοποιούνται δορυφορικές εικόνες νύκτας που καταγράφουν µε αρκετή ακρίβεια τις κοινωνικό-οικονοµικές επιπτώσεις στον χώρο. Από την ανάλυση των δορυφορικών εικόνων προκύπτουν οι επιπτώσεις της κρίσης διαχρονικά και χωρικά µε αρκετά συγκεκριµένο τρόπο. Κάτι που δύσκολα µπορεί να επιτευχθεί βάσει οποιασδήποτε άλλης πηγής πληροφοριών για τη συγκεκριµένη ή για παρόµοιες  πολεµικές συρράξεις.  ΕΝ: The Syrian crisis has gained significant attention both in the scientific community and in the general public. As in similar conflict cases, data that capture the spatio-temporal dimensions of the crisis are hard to find. Consequently, we attempt to study the Syrian conflict using satellite images, available as open domain data, for the relevant time period. In specific, night-light images that record sufficiently accurately the socioeconomic impacts, with a distinctive geographic dimension, are used. The impacts of the crisis are relieved in time and space quite specifically, based on the analysis of the imagery. This result is hard to be achieved based on any other information source in this particular or other similar war zones.

The occultation of the 14th mag star UCAC4 345-180315 by Pluto on the evening of the 19th of July, 2016 could be observed from large parts of Europe, middle east and northern Africa as well. A campaign had been organized with for many observers and observatories throughout Europe and other countries. Professional as well as amateur observatories and observers shared in a PRO-AM cooperation to achieve the highest possible degree of coverage. The scientific goal was the ongoing monitoring of Pluto's atmosphere, waiting for a possible shrinking of its pressure due to the increasing distance of Pluto from the sun.

Two well-developed quaternary sand dune fields have been identified on the western and eastern side of Akrotiri promontory (Lemesos, Cyprus, Mediterranean Sea). The fields extend immediately from the low level of their source beaches onto higher ground (> 38m amsl).  Geomorphic observation supported by OSL dating of multimineral sand horizons demonstrate several phases of sand accumulation in the western field in contrast to the smaller eastern system, where the evidence direct to a relatively recent dune emplacement. The effects of climatic change, relative sea-level change and anthropogenic influence in dune evolution, have been evaluated in both sites in combination with documented evidence of human induced destabilization of the western sand dune field during the 1970s and 1980s. Both fields share similar topographic settings and situated in close proximity but they do not share an entirely similar evolution history. The observations and the data suggest the combination of local and regional control of the development of the sand dunes and the geochronological analysis with luminescence methodology support the ability of the method to reconstruct the evolution of sand dunes fields in the south eastern Mediterranean area.

Sea level indicators, such as tidal notches and beachrocks, may provide valuable information for the relative sea level (RSL) changes of an area. Although beachrocks have received various arguments regarding their accuracy as sea level indicators, they have often been used to assess Holocene shoreline changes and crustally induced RSL changes. The study area, Okinawa, belongs to the Ryukyu Islands, Japan (Pacific Ocean), forming the emerged part of an active island arc, where the Philippine Sea plate is subducting beneath the Asian continent. Various studies have noted evidence of emergence. Beachrocks have also been studied, however, detailed examinations of their spatial extend and cement characteristics has not been accomplished. In this context, the aim of this research is to discuss the RSL evolution in Okinawa through the re-evaluation of reported sea level indicators, along with additional observations on beachrocks and notches. Fieldwork was accomplished in the coastal zone of Okinawa, through detailed spatial mapping and sampling of beachrock occurrences. Coastal transects were accomplished in order to measure the width and depth/elevation of beachrock slabs. In order to perform petrographic analysis, stained thin sections were studied using transmitted light microscope where selected samples were studied under SEM.

We present a detailed analysis of the X-ray point source population of M81. By identifying HST counterparts to Chandra sources, taking into account the chance coincidence probability, we classify a large fraction of the X-ray point source population with unique counterparts: high-mass X-ray binaries and low-mass X-ray binaries in globular clusters. We then compare the shapes of the uncontaminated X-ray luminosity functions and the X-ray properties of sources of different classes to models and other existing work. We also calculate scaling relations with the star formation rate and stellar mass between the different classes of sources in global and sub-galactic scales. One initial, primary result is that the more massive and dense globular clusters are more likely to be associated with X-ray binaries.

Akrotiri peninsula is located 5km W of the city of Lemesos and is the southernmost part of the island of Cyprus. Akrotiri peninsula consists of Quaternary sediments which are unconformably deposited on Miocene Pachna formation (chalks and marls). The Quaternary sediments include marine and associated aeolian deposits, alluvial fans and lagoonal and deltaic sediments.  Quaternary marine deposits occur as raised marine terraces with arenitic composition and they are located between elevations of 2-3m and 16-18m amsl. Quaternary alluvial fans were formed by material from the Kouris River, the largest river in Cyprus, and contributed to the formation of a western tombolo, resulting in a bay in antiquity. Local tectonics and eustatic changes resulted in the creation of Holocene geomorphological features, predominately, a salt lake, with an average water table of about 2 m below MSL, which is surrounded by uplifted marine terraces and lagoonal sediments. Based on geomorphologic mapping of the Quaternary landforms and associated deposits, and the morphosedimentary analysis of the geomorphological features, a chronostratigraphic framework for the Holocene evolution of the area has been generated. Textual references of Akrotiri peninsula first appear in Roman time by geographer Strabo who is describing it as a peninsula – like place. In Venetian and Ottoman maps is depicted the evolution of the area, the formation of the eastern tombolo and the usage of the closed lake as a fishery. Also, the diversion of Kouris River by Saint John’s knights west of the village of Kolossi, assisted the production of Sugar Cane and influenced the topography of the area.

Fires of 2007 have consumed large areas of Black pine and endemic fir forests in Greece. The current research aims at examining the role of geomorphology and lithology that govern the soil properties upon the post-fire vegetation recovery at the landscape level. A case study from Taygetos Mt, a large part of which was burned in 2007, is presented. Based on the interpretation of a high spatial and spectral resolution satellite image (WorldView-3, 4/2015), GIS thematic layers have been created showing unburned and regenerated patches over various lithological types. A network of sites was selected for field sampling representing various combinations of the above. Data on recovery of the main tree species as well as on total vegetation cover were collected. Results prove the relationship between regeneration ability and plant species traits as well as the existence of unburned patches near the burned ones. Black pine had regenerated from seeds dispersed from cones that have remained intact on unburned or scorched trees, close enough to the burned patches, while Greek fir presented remarkably low regeneration, lacking of any response mechanism. Plant species recovery seems to be controlled by the geology as it was found weaker in plots overlying carbonate, permeable, not easily erodible formations as compared to that observed over clastic, impermeable, erodible formations of schists, even for the same species. In conclusion, post-fire vegetation recovery at the landscape level seems to be a complex process controlled not only from species biology but also from the landscape features.

Apart from direct consequences, forest fires induce water related effects related to geomorphological and hydrological processes, triggering floods and mass movement phenomena. This work focuses on the forest fire of 2007 in Peloponnese, Greece that to date corresponds to the largest fire in the country’s record. It examines the occurrence of flood and mass movement phenomena, before and after this fire and analyses different influencing factors to investigate the degree to which the 2007 fire and/or other parameters have affected their frequency. Observational evidence collected during the period 1989-2016 show that the 2007 fire has contributed to an increase of average flood and mass movement events frequency by approximately 3.3 and 5.6 times respectively. Fire affected areas record a substantial increase in the occurrence of both phenomena, presenting a noticeably stronger increase compared to neighbouring areas that have not been affected. Examination of the monthly occurrence of events showed an increase even in months of the year were rainfall intensity presented decreasing trends. Although no major land use changes has been identified and chlorophyll is shown to recover 2 years after the fire incident, differences on the type of vegetation as tall forest has been substituted with lower vegetation are considered significant drivers for the observed increase in flood and mass movement frequency in the fire affected areas.

We study the frequency content of an extra carrier oscillation along characteristic periodic B-DNA polymers made of N monomers. We employ two variants of the Tight-Binding approach, a wire model and an extended ladder model including diagonal hoppings. In the former, the site is a monomer, i.e., a base pair, while, in the latter, the site is a base. Initially, we focus on the Fourier Spectra of the probabilities to find the extra carrier at each monomer, having placed it at time zero at a specific monomer. Using the Fourier amplitude of each component of the frequency spectrum, we define the weighted mean frequency (WMF) for each site, a measure of its frequency content. To obtain a measure of the overall frequency content of carrier oscillations in the polymer, we define the total weighted mean frequency (TWMF), averaging the WMFs of all sites weighting over the probabilities of finding the extra carrier at each site. The frequency content is generally in the THz domain. Finally, we also give an example of an aperiodic sequence, the (A, T) Cantor dust.

This work focuses on the beachrocks of Paros and Naxos Islands, in central Cyclades, Aegean Sea, Greece, in an attempt to study their geochemistry and interpret their palaeoenvironmental significance. Beachrocks are coastal sedimentary formations, consisting of beach sediments that are relatively quickly cemented through the precipitation of CaCO3. However, debate still exists concerning their depositional environment, and therefore, their use as indicators for sea-level changes.In this study we focus on the beachrocks of Paros and Naxos islands, which are found at various depths. For the aim of the present study, representative bulk samples from both islands were analyzed for their mineralogical (XRD and SEM) and chemical (XRF) composition. The cement agent and the fine sand/clay fraction of the samples mainly consist of authigenic magnesian calcite, which commonly precipitates in shallow marine environments, especially in high concentration of Ca2+(>4 mol% CaCO3 or 1.2 wt.%). Furthermore, a series of clastic silicate and alumino-silicate minerals are detected. The predominant coarse fragments hosted within the cement material are quartz, plagioclase and K-feldspar.The texture of the beachrock samples varies from almost homogeneous sandstone to a mixture of lithologies, such as massive gravel, sandstone and claystone. Most of the grains are flattened and only rarely angular pieces of siliceous rocks occur, hosted in the fine-grained Mg-calcite cement. This grain size and shape is indicative of the genetic environment of beachrocks, implying the maturity level of cementation from early stage to modern situation.The beachrock samples derived from various depositional periods and depths, from the front and end slabs. The beachrocks were also correlated with stratigraphical material from boreholes and archaeological remains from the study area in an attempt to understand the coastal changes during the late Holocene in Central Cyclades.

Combining geological and geomorphological data together with geodetic SAR interferometry (InSAR) measurements an attempt has been made to investigate the vertical deformation of the Itea-Amfissa basin at the northern part of the Corinth rift. The north–south trending basin has been developed normally to the east – west trending Corinth Rift and on the hanging wall of the Itea-Amfissa detachment. In the stratigraphy of the Itea–Amfissa supra-detachment basin, two sequences can be distinguished; the lower marine polymict conglomerate of Early–Middle Miocene age and the upper terrestrial monomict carbonate breccia of Late Miocene age. The unconformity between them has been uplifted to the north of the basin up to the elevation of 1100m and subsided below sea level at its southern part. Remnants of low-relief surfaces are retained on top of the upper terrestrial sequence, that permit to reconstruct the paleo-landscape of the basin and to measure the spatial distribution of its vertical deformation after compensating the erosional isostatic adjustment. The exact delineation of the paleo-landscape, involved detailed mapping as well as quantitative analysis of geomorphological features caused by river incision, based on measurements of several tectonic geomorphology indices. Geodetic InSAR estimates of vertical ground displacements, combining almost 10 years of ascending and descending ENVISAT data, were also utilized both for refinement of delineated surfaces as well as for validation of geology-based deformation trends. Interferometric results were constrained to the geologic time frame, considering the well-defined long-term deformation trend of a doline, proven to be sinking over the last 6000 years. It is shown that over the last 10 years the largest uplift rates are observed within the Itea-Amfissa basin, while the coastline regions follow a more complex spatial deformation pattern of successive submergences and uplifts. The synthesis of geological and geomorphological data indicates that the Itea-Amfissa extensional basin from its development in the Middle-Late Miocene and throughout Plio-Quaternary, has been tilted towards south, while contemporary geodetic measurements from InSAR confirm that the basin is still uplifting with regard to its surrounding mountains and coastal areas.  

This research was conducted to determine the geomorphological and sedimentological characteristics of the shallow sea bottom (water depth <25 m) of Chania Bay. A detailed bathymetric survey was held from the coastline to the isobath of 25 m. Also was held an overview scanning of the sea bottom by the Side Scan Sonar to record the landforms and the structures of it. Sampling was carried out both to surface sediments and to rocky bottom, in order to study the grain size and the mineralogical composition of loose deposits, and the petrographic features of the hard substrates.The study area is the Chania Bay, which is located in the western and northern part of Crete Island and extents from the area of Kato Stalos, to the east, to the village of Kolimbari, in the west.For the integrated approach and interpretation of the results of this work, we study the effect of topography, geology and hydrology of the basin to the coastal system of Chania Bay. In addition, we investigate the wind and wave status in the region which forms the morphodynamics characteristics of the coastal zone.The ultimate purpose of this work is to link the gained knowledge with the European Union Guidelines on Integrated Coastal Zone Management and the Marine Strategy as well as the implementation of the rules on Maritime Spatial Planning. Based on this integrated maritime policy, the EU aims at the economic and social development of areas related to the marine environment in the context of its friendly use. But especially through marine spatial planning and in combination with increased knowledge of the marine environment, we are able to secure financial investment and improve the way we manage the marine and terrestrial space, while preserving the ecosystem of the area in sustainable conditions

The Hubble Catalog of Variables (HCV) is a 3 year ESA funded project that aims to develop a set of algorithms to identify variables among the sources included in the Hubble Source Catalog (HSC) and produce the HCV. We will process all HSC sources with more than a predefined number of measurements in a single filter/instrument combination and compute a range of lightcurve features to determine the variability status of each source. At the end of the project, the first release of the Hubble Catalog of Variables will be made available at the Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes (MAST) and the ESA Science Archives. The variability detection pipeline will be implemented at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) so that updated versions of the HCV may be created following the future releases of the HSC.

We aim to construct an exceptionally deep (V ≲ 27) catalog of variable objects in selected Galactic and extragalactic fields visited multiple times by the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). While HST observations of some of these fields were searched for specific types of variables before (most notably, the extragalactic Cepheids), we attempt a systematic study of the population of variable objects of all types at the magnitude range not easily accessible with ground-based telescopes. The variability timescales that can be probed range from hours to years depending on how often a particular field has been visited. For source extraction and cross-matching of sources between visits we rely on the Hubble Source Catalog which includes 107 objects detected with WFPC2, ACS, and WFC3 HST instruments. The lightcurves extracted from the HSC are corrected for systematic effects by applying local zero-point corrections and are screened for bad measurements. For each lightcurve we compute variability indices sensitive to a broad range of variability types. The indices characterize the overall lightcurve scatter and smoothness. Candidate variables are selected as having variability index values significantly higher than expected for objects of similar brightness in the given set of observations. The Hubble Catalog of Variables will be released in 2018.

The Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) hosts a large number of high-mass X-ray binaries, and in particular of Be/X-ray Binaries (BeXRBs; neutron stars orbiting OBe-type stars), offering a unique laboratory to address the effect of metalicity. One key property of their optical companion is Hα in emission, which makes them bright sources when observed through a narrow-band Hα filter. We performed a survey of the SMC Bar and Wing regions using wide-field cameras (WFI@MPG/ESO and MOSAIC@CTIO/Blanco) in order to identify the counterparts of the sources detected in our XMM-Newton survey of the same area. We obtained broad-band R and narrow-band Hα photometry, and identified ~10000 Hα emission sources down to a sensitivity limit of 18.7 mag (equivalent to ~B8 type Main Sequence stars). We find the fraction of OBe/OB stars to be 13% down to this limit, and by investigating this fraction as a function of the brightness of the stars we deduce that Hα excess peaks at the O9-B2 spectral range. Using the most up-to-date numbers of SMC BeXRBs we find their fraction over their parent population to be ~0.002 - 0.025 BeXRBs/OBe, a direct measurement of their formation rate.

Objectives: we present seismic and geodetic data analysis of the shallow, normal-faulting earthquake sequence offshore Lesvos (Aegean Sea, Greece) that was initiated by the June 12, 2017 M6.3 earthquake.Methods and Results: We use seismological data (relocated events and Moment Tensor solutions from NOA and KOERI catalogues) to identify the ESE-WNW striking seismic fault and to refine its geometry and kinematics using inversion techniques. Despite the large magnitude of the mainshock (M6.3), the surface deformation is not visible with InSAR because of the offshore occurrence of theearthquake. However, cm-size co-seismic horizontal offsets were recorded by the continuous GPS stations (of two private networks) operating at both Lesvos and Chios islands. In Sentinel co-seismic interferograms (C-band) we see no co-seismic displacements within ±0.3-0.5 fringe (±10mm). There are two local InSAR displacement patterns close to Plomari, possibly attributed to slope instabilities, which require further investigation. Lack of signal coherence was detected in the area of village Vrissa, that was heavily damaged by the earthquake.Conclusions: The spatial distribution of relocated events shows the activation of one fault with a total length of about 20 km, at depths 5-15 km. The fault-dip direction is not retrievable from GPS/InSAR but a south-dip is inferred from the aftershocks distribution and sea-bottom geomorphology. The absence of visible InSAR signal is consistent with the slip-model predictions, based on the GPS models.

Mt Taygetos (2407m), located at southern Peloponnese (Greece) suffered a large fire during the summer of 2007. The fire burned approximately 45% of the area covered by the endemic Greek fir (Abies cephalonica) and Black Pine (Pinus nigra) forest ecosystems. The aim of the current study is to examine the potential differences on post-fire vegetation recovery imposed by the lithology as well as the geomorphology of the given area over sites of the same climatic and landscape conditions (elevation, aspect, slope etc.). The main lithologies consist of carbonate, permeable, not easily erodible formations (limestones and marbles) and clastic, impermeable (schists, slate and flysch) erodible ones. A time-series of high spatial resolution satellite images were interpreted, analyzed and compared in order to detect changes in vegetation coverage which could prioritize areas of interest for fieldwork campaigns. The remote sensing datasets were acquired before (Ikonos-2), a few months after (Quickbird-2) and some years after (Worldview-3) the 2007 fire. High resolution Digital Elevation Model was used for the ortho-rectification and co-registration of the remote sensing data, but also for the extraction of the mountainous landscape characteristics. The multi-temporal image dataset was analyzed through GEographic-Object Based Image Analysis (GEOBIA). Objects corresponding to different vegetation types through time were identified through spectral and textural features. The classification results were combined with basic layers such as lithological outcrops, pre-fire vegetation, landscape morphology etc., supplementing a spatial geodatabase used for classifying burnt areas with varying post-fire plant community recovery. We validated the results of the classification during fieldwork and found that at a local scale, where the landscape features are quite similar, the bedrock type proves to be an important factor for vegetation recovery, as it clearly defines the soil generation along with its properties. Plant species recovery seems to be controlled by the local lithology as it was found weaker in plots overlying limestones and marbles, comparing to that observed over schists, even for the same species. In conclusion, post-fire vegetation recovery seems to be a complex process controlled not only from species biology, but also from the geological features.

In this paper, we discuss the development and preliminary evaluation of a new educational tool, intended for noviceand advanced vocal students. The software, written in Max / MSP, aims to assist singing practice by providingusers with a visual substitute to their subjective auditory feedback. Under the guidance of their professional vocalinstructor, students can store in the software spectral representations of accurately produced sounds, creatingpersonalized Reference Sound Banks (RSBs). When students practice on their own, the software can be put intopractice, assisting them to match their current Voice Spectrum Harmonic Content to the stored RSBs one note at atime. Results of a preliminary evaluation showed that, when using this software, students achieve a larger numberof accurately produced sounds in a smaller amount of time.

During the last six years, our working group elaborated intense work on seismic risk assessment in several Greek cities, targeting site-specific models and allowing for tailor-made management actions in case of a crisis. In this paper we will present the main framework and the outcome of the applied methodologies on several case studies, indicating pros and cons, and highlighting future perspectives. Our approach includes: (a) Probabilistic and deterministic seismic hazard assessment based on comprehensiveTo this, new data concerning the location, geometry, and the seismic potential of faults, together with free-field ambient noise recordings have been collected through numerous field surveys; (b) Vulnerability assessment of elements at risk informed by newly created observed damage databases and in-situ observations; (c) Development of physical risk models including structural damage, and economic loss for several ground motion excitations scenarios. Future improvements that fall in with, and/or are beyond the current state-of-the-art, include: (a) and vulnerability assessment; (b) Socioeconomic impact analyses towards the mitigation of risk, enhancement of preparedness and resilience of the social and economic fabric, and (c) Applications for near real-time damage assessment by implementation of state-of-the-art opensourcesoftware (e.g. RASOR; OpenQuake

The aim of this study is to spatially assess fire severity and to explore the relationship between the Normalized Vegetation Index (NDVI) derived from WorldView- 2 imagery and the field-based fire severity index “Composite Burn Index” (CBI) on a recent large fire that occurred on the island of Chios, Greece, in 2016. The statistical analysis indicated a relatively strong linear relationship between the NDVI and the CBI (R2 = 0.71). Predictive local thresholds of NDVI values have been determined for accurate thematic classification and mapping of fire severity classes. The overall classification accuracy based on NDVI from WorldView-2 was relatively high (71%), pointing to the potential of using such data for mapping forest fires in the Mediterranean as well as for assessing their severity. The application of the classification thresholds calculated in this study over other forest fire events on similar ecosystem types, could support the rapid assessment of fire severity and hence could enable the decisions needed for proper post-fire management.

The popularity of recommendation systems has made them a substantial component of many applications and projects. This work proposes a framework for package recommendations that try to meet users' preferences as much as possible through the satisfaction of several criteria. This is achieved by modeling the relation between the items and the categories these items belong to aiming to recommend to each user the top-k packages which cover their preferred categories and the restriction of a maximum package cost. Our contribution includes an optimal and a greedy solution. The novelty of the optimal solution is that it combines the collaborative filtering predictions with a graph based model to produce recommendations. The problem is expressed through a minimum cost flow network and is solved by integer linear programming. The greedy solution performs with a low computational complexity and provides recommendations which are close to the optimal solution. We have evaluated and compared our framework with a baseline method by using two popular recommendation datasets and we have obtained promising results on a set of widely accepted evaluation metrics.

Although there is rich evidence for human occupation of Paros’ coastline, there is a lack of data regarding the evolution of the island’s coastal palaeoenvironments. Paros Island is part of the Cyclades Islands complex, in the central Aegean Sea. It is the third largest island of the Cyclades. The Island is of great geoarchaeological significance, with the earliest evidence of occupation dating back around the 5th millennium BC, while the nearby island of Saliagos has yielded a Neolithic settlement. The studied site, Livadia, is located in the northwestern part of Paros Island, near the modern capital, Paroikia.For the purposes of this work, a multiproxy analysis was undertaken, which included sedimentological and biostratigraphic analyses of Late Holocene coastal deposits from lagoonal environment, aiming to reconstruct the evolution of coastal landscapes in Paroikia Bay (Paros Island, Greece). In order provide insights into the coastal evolution and the RSL changes of this sector of the Aegean, the dated samples of this study were compared with already published archaeological data, geomorphological sea level indicators and with the RSL curve derived from the glacio-hydro-isostatic model for the region.

Metamaterials provide functionalities that are not present in naturally occurring materials, including negative refraction, super-lenses or hyper-lens, cloaking, and ultraslow and stopped light [1-5]. Usually, both the electric permittivity and the magnetic permeability need to be controlled to realize metamaterials. © 2017 IEEE.

In this paper we discuss the preliminary results of the Transient Electromagnetic Method (TEM) that was applied in the area of Karla Lake, located in the East Thessaly basin. A grid of 71 TEM soundings was planned and executed in order to investigate the subsurface lithological and hydrogeological conditions of the area. The geological regime of the area is comprised of the alpine basement (marbles, gneisses and schists), ophiolites, transgression formations and finally a package of post-alpine deposits with respectful thickness. Resistivity maps for certain depths of investigation along with a pseudo-3D representation were produced, based on the processed TEM data. The vertical distribution of the resistivity values revealed important information about the lithological succession of the area and the hydrogeological status of the post-alpine sediments covering the basin. Moreover, the limits of the former Karla Lake were delineated and the alpine bedrock was also adumbrated under the thick Tertiary and Quaternary deposits. Finally, taking into account older piezometric maps of 2009 and our geophysical results, we managed to indicate the decline of the groundwater level since then, in the central part of the study area and the broader area of Kileler settlement.

This study investigates fluid-driven seismicity in the Western Greece area. The region is characterized by the subduction of the Nubia (Africa) plate beneath the Aegean (Eurasia) plate (convergence rate of 40 mm/yr.) and is offset by the right-lateral active Cephalonia transform fault. The Ionian sedimentary basin is composed of thick Jurassic-Eocene carbonate and clastic sedimentary sequences underlain by Triassic evaporites that are thought to intrude through cataclastic zones generating diapiric structures. Due to the active tectonic and the abundance of fluids seeping in this region (with emphasis onshoreWestern Peloponnese) seismicity is often expressed as seismic swarms.To better constrain and investigate the evolution of (possible) fluid-driven seismic sequences we deployed from September 2016 to April 2017 a seismic network spanning 200 km from North to South and about 150 km from east to west. The network is composed of 14 temporary installations, while 9 permanent seismological stations are also considered in our analyses. We present results of accurate earthquake locations using a 1D velocity model developed using VELEST, highlighting regions where seismic activity is focused, and fault plane solutions derived from moment tensor inversion and first motion polarities. During the deployment we recorded several regional earthquakes (i.e. larger than M4.0) that allowed us to verify the effects of incoming seismic energy in this region.

X-ray surveys are believed to be the most efficient way to detect AGN. Recently though, optical variability studies are claimed to probe even fainter AGN. We are presenting results from an HST study aimed to identify Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) through optical variability selection in the CDFS.. This work is part of the 'Hubble Catalogue of Variables'project of ESA that aims to identify variable sources in the Hubble Source Catalogue.' In particular, we used Hubble Space Telescope (HST) z-band images taken over 5 epochs and performed aperture photometry to derive the lightcurves of the sources. Two statistical methods (standard deviation & interquartile range) resulting in a final sample of 175 variable AGN candidates, having removed the artifacts by visual inspection and known stars and supernovae. The fact that the majority of the sources are extended and variable indicates AGN activity. We compare the efficiency of the method by comparing with the 7Ms Chandra detections. Our work shows that the optical variability probes AGN at comparable redshifts but at deeper optical magnitudes. Our candidate AGN (non detected in X-rays) have luminosities of L_x<6×10^{40} erg/sec at z∼0.7 suggesting that these are associated with low luminosity Seyferts and LINERS.

Recent global changes seem to have affected fire regimes by inducing more severe larger fires in the thermomediterranean vegetation zone but also more frequent incidents in territories of higher altitudes. Cephalonia island hosts Mt Ainos, one of the most important National Parks of Greece, focal geographical area of the non-fire adapted endemic fir Abies cephalonica. The island has suffered several fires in the past. The aim of this work is to introduce a framework for assessing spatial fire risk and exposure of biodiversity hot spot areas, using Cephalonia as a pilot case study. Fuel parameters in representative vegetation types were measured across the island for models development as well as for collecting training and validation points for satellite data classification. The Minimum Travel Time algorithm, as it is embedded in FlamMap spatial fire simulation software, was applied in order to assess critical fire behavior parameters and exposure of the island’s biodiversity hotspots under three different meteorological and fuel moisture scenarios simulating predicted climate changes. In addition, the risk of change in the island's ecological value due to biodiversity loss was studied under the same scenarios. According to the analysis, loss of all biodiversity values was found under the severe meteorological and fuel moisture scenario and was estimated to be higher in the endemic fir forests. The outputs of this study may be used as an application of quantitative and probabilistic risk assessment for biodiversity conservation planning, prioritization and management of high value natural and cultural resources.

Nearby galaxies are well suited for investigating X-ray source populations in environments different to our own Galaxy. Sources in these galaxies have well determined distances and are less absorbed than sources in the Galactic plane. The Large and the Small Magellanic Clouds (MC) are the nearest gas-rich star-forming galaxies and their gravitational interactions are believed to have tidally triggered recent bursts of star formation. Here, we will focus on the X-ray spectral and temporal properties of three Be/X-ray binary pulsars located in the MC that have been observed in the recent years with XMM-Newton during super-Eddington outbursts. Phase-resolved spectral analysis has revealed the presence of a non-pulsating soft component. By analysing multiple observations, corresponding to different luminosity levels, we argue that this component could not originate from the surface of a traditional thin disk, but most probably this emission is a result of reprocessed emission from material located near the NS magnetospheric radius. Interestingly, we find that the temperature of this component does not change much with the luminosity of the system, in contrast to its size that increases with increasing luminosity. We argue that this indicates the formation and expansion of an envelope around the magnetosphere of the NS.

In light of recent discoveries of pulsating ULXs and recently introduced models placing neutron stars as the central engines of ULXs, we revisit the spectra of seventeen ULXs, in search of indications that favor this hypothesis. To this end we examined the spectra from XMM-Newton observations of all seventeen sources in our sample. For six sources, these were complimented with spectra from public NuSTAR observations. We demonstrate that the notable ({>}6 keV) spectral curvature observed in most ULXs, is most likely due to thermal emission, with T{>} 1keV. More importantly, we find that a double thermal model (comprised of a 'cool' and 'hot' thermal component) - often associated with emission from neutron star X-ray binaries - describes all ULX spectra in our list. We propose that the dual thermal spectrum is the result of accretion onto highly magnetized NSs, as predicted in recent theoretical models (Mushtukov et al. 2017). We further argue that this finding offers an additional and compelling argument in favor of neutron stars as prime candidates for powering ULXs, as has been recently suggested (King & Lasota 2016; King et al. 2017). In my talk I will discuss the implications of our interpretation along with its merits and shortcomings.

The presence of a supermassive binary black hole (BBH) central engine in OJ287 is revealed by impact flares which arise from the secondary impacting the accretion disk of the primary. These flares have been observed since 1913 from the study of old photographic plates and from recent observational campaigns, 9 events in total. In addition, the secondary induces flares by affecting the accretion rate of the primary. The records for the latter events start in 1900, and they have been observed for each of the 10 cycles since then. Because of orbital precession, the impact flares times do not follow any simple rule. However, since the BBH - accretion disk impact model was proposed in 1995, the optical flux behavior of OJ287 has become highly predictable. The latest predictions were given for the late 2015 - early 2017 season. These have now been verified. The impact flare started on 2015 November 25, during the Centenary of Einstein’s General Relativity, followed by induced accretion flares which peaked on 2016 March and 2016 October. The nine impact flares specify the two parameters of the standard accretion disk and the 6 parameters of the BBH orbit uniquely. The main remaining uncertainty has to do with the exact way the gravitational wave (GW) emission affects the orbit. The impact flare observations demand that the GW emission is a combination of the instantaneous and hereditary effects appearing at the Post Newtonian orders 2.5PN, 3.5PN and 4PN, and all of them have to be incorporated while modeling the dynamics of the central engine BBH in OJ287. Previously, only the standard 2.5PN “Newtonian” GW terms have been used. We develop a simplified way of incorporating the higher order General Relativistic effects and obtain revised estimates for various BBH parameters. The improved BBH dynamics makes specific predictions for the occurrences of the expected impact flares in future and thereby provide additional strong field tests of General Relativity.

The XMM-Newton survey of M31 revealed extended diffuse emission in the northern disk of M31, which is well correlated with the star-forming ring of the galaxy. The stellar population of this part of M31 has been extensively studied in the optical in the Panchromatic Hubble Andromeda Treasury (PHAT) survey. We have observed the northern disk of M31 in areas within the PHAT footprint in deep XMM-Newton pointings. We have thus obtained a map of the X-ray emission of the hot interstellar medium (ISM) in a spiral galaxy like our own on arcmin scales and a complete list of X-ray sources down to the confusion limit of a few 10^{34} erg/s, with variability and spectral information for most of the sources. We will present the first results of the study of the X-ray source population and that of the hot ISM.

Εισαγωγή:. Στηv Πετοσφαίριση η αγωνιστική απόδοση εξαρτάται από την επίδοση των αθλητών στις τεχνικές δεξιότητες του παιχνιδιού (Marcelino, Mesquita, & Alfonso, 2008) και η αθλητική επιτυχία μπορεί να ποσοτικοποιηθεί με βάση την αγωνιστική απόδοση (Lobietti, Michele, & Merni, 2006). Με τη χρήση δεδομένων από μία αγωνιστική περίοδο, βρέθηκε υψηλή συσχέτιση μεταξύ της αγωνιστικής επιτυχίας (σύνολο πόντων σε πρωτάθλημα), με το άθροισμα των δεικτών αποτελεσματικότητας σερβίς και επίθεσης (Drikos, Kountouris, Laios, & Laios, 2009). Η παρούσα μελέτη εξετάζει την αγωνιστική επιτυχία (τελική κατάταξη στην 1η τετράδα της κανονικής περιόδου) σε σχέση με την αγωνιστική απόδοση, στη διάρκεια 11 συνεχών αγωνιστικών περιόδων του πρωταθλήματος Πετοσφαίρισης Ανδρών Ελλάδος. Μέθοδος:. Τα δεδομένα προήλθαν από την καταγραφή της αγωνιστικής απόδοσης των ομάδων (Ν=131), που συμμετείχαν στις κανονικές αγωνιστικές περιόδους (2005- 6 έως 2015-16) των πρωταθλημάτων Α1 κατηγορίας Ανδρών, σε τέσσερις βασικές τεχνικές δεξιότητες του παιχνιδιού (επίθεση, σερβίς, υποδοχή σερβίς και μπλοκ). Η αξιολόγηση της εκτέλεσης των τεχνικών δεξιοτήτων πραγματοποιήθηκε με τακτική κλίμακα 6 επιπέδων. Η αξιοπιστία μεταξύ των βαθμολογητών ελέγχθηκε με σταθμισμένο δείκτη Κ Cohen και ήταν Adjusted Κ= .85, πολύ καλή (Altman, 1991). Η στατιστική επεξεργασία των δεδομένων έγινε μέσω πολυμεταβλητής ανάλυσης διακύμανσης και διακριτής ανάλυσης, για τον προσδιορισμό των διαφορών ανάμεσα στις ομάδες των θέσεων 1-4, 5-8 και 9-12 και των δεξιοτήτων που κατατάσσουν με επιτυχία τις παρατηρήσεις. Αποτελέσματα:. Υπήρξε στατιστικά σημαντική διαφορά των μέσων όρων στις ομάδες 1-4 σε σχέση με τις υπόλοιπες, σε όλες τις τεχνικές δεξιότητες, εκτός από την υποδοχή σερβίς και στις ομάδες 5-8 με τις αντίστοιχες 9-12 στην επίθεση μετά από υποδοχή σερβίς και στo μπλοκ. Οι μεταβλητές με συντελεστή συσχέτισης >|.3| με τη διαχωριστική συνάρτηση, ήταν οι δείκτες αποτελεσματικότητας σερβίς (-.42), επίθεσης μετά από υποδοχή σερβίς (.90), επίθεσης μετά από άμυνα (.60) Η διαχωριστική συνάρτηση κατέταξε με επιτυχία για το σύνολο του δείγματος το 72% των παρατηρήσεων Για τις θέσεις 1-4 η επιτυχημένη κατάταξη ήταν 87,5%, ενώ για τα γκρουπ 5-8 και 9-12 ήταν 65% αντίστοιχα.Συμπεράσματα: Οι ομάδες των θέσεων 1-4 αποδίδουν καλύτερα σε όλες τις δεξιότητες που κατακτούν πόντο. Η αγωνιστική επιτυχία μπορεί να ερμηνευθεί με τη χρήση των δεικτών αποτελεσματικότητας, λόγω της καλής προσαρμογής του μοντέλου.

Ἡ κατάστασις σήμερα πιέζει γιὰ τὴ δημιουργίαν-πλησίον τῆς ἰσχυρᾶς καὶ εὐημερούσης οἰκονομικῶς Ἀρμενίας-καὶ ἑνὸς ἀνεξαρτήτου πλέον Κουρδιστάν. Τὸ νέο αὐτὸ κράτος λειτουργῶντας ὡς «buffer state/état tampon» μεταξὺ Ἀράβων, Ἰρανῶν, Σύρων καὶ Ἰρακινῶν καὶ ἐν συνδυασμῷ πρὸς μιὰ ἀπαραιτήτως ἰσχυρὰν Ἀρμενία καὶ τὸ ἤδη ἰσχυρὸ καὶ σταθερὸ ὡς πρὸς τὶς διεθνεῖς του σχέσεις Ἰσραήλ, μποροῦν νὰ ἐγγυηθοῦν τὸ ἀπαραίτητο καθεστὼς ἀσφαλείας στὴν Κεντρικὴ Ἀσία. Ἡ Ρωσσία τοῦ Ποῦτιν, ἡ ἀμερικὴ τῶν Ὀμπάμα καὶ Τρὰμπ ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ Ἰσραὴλ τοῦ Νετανιάχου ἐπιθυμοῦν διακαῶς μιὰν ἀνάλογη λύση. Ἡ  καθεμία πλευρὰ γιὰ τοὺς δικούς της γεωστρατηγικοὺς λόγους. Ἡ Ρωσσία γιὰ νὰ ἀπομακρύνει τὸν ἰσλαμιστικὸν κίνδυνο ἀπὸ τὰ ἐδάφη τοῦ «ἐγγὺς ἐξωτερικοῦ»της στὴν Κεντρικὴ Ἀσία. Οἱ ΗΠΑ γιὰ νὰ ἀποκτήσουν ἕνα φερέγγυο σύμμαχο καὶ προβολέα ἰσχύος στὴν Μέση Ἀνατολή, στὸν Ἀραβοπερσικὸ Κόλπο καὶ τὸ κέντρο τοῦ ∆ρόμου τοῦ Μεταξιοῦ. Τὸ Ἰσραὴλ γιὰ νὰ ἀποκτήσει χερσαῖο στρατηγικὸ βάθος σὲ ἕνα ἐπισφαλὲς ἰρανο-ἀραβικὸ ἰσλαμιστικὸ περιβάλλον. Ἡ ἐγκατάλειψις τῆς εἰρήνης στὰ χέρια μιᾶς παντουρκιστικῆς τουρκικῆς πολιτικῆς, ἀπὸ πλευρᾶς ∆ύσεως, θὰ σημάνει τὴν ἔναρξη μιᾶς σειρᾶς ἁλυσιδωτῶν ἐκρήξεων μεταξὺ τῶν ἀλλοϋποβλεπομένων δρώντων στὴν περιοχή, ὅπως τὸ Ἰράν, τὸ Πακιστάν, ἡ Ρωσσία, ἡ Σ. Ἀραβία, ἡ Αἴγυπτος καὶ τὸ ἀπολύτως ἀσταθὲς Ἀφγανιστάν. Τὰ ἀποτελέσματα θὰ εἶναι δεινὰ γιὰ τὴν εἰρήνη καὶ τὸν δυτικὸ πολιτικὸ πολιτισμὸ εἰς τὴν γεωπολιτικὴν αὐτὴν ζώνη. Καὶ αὐτὸ διότι ὁ προϊὼν ἰσλαμιστικὸς χαρακτὴρ τῆς Ἀγκύρας ὁ ὁποῖος ἔχει ἐνταχθεῖ στὸ εὐρύτερο ριζοσπατικὸ ἰσλαμιστικὸ ὄχημα τῆς «διεθνοῦς» τῶν Ἀδελφῶν Μουσουλμάνων9, σίγουρα θὰ προωθήσει τὴν ἐξαγωγὴ τῆς «ἰσλαμικῆς ἐπαναστάσεως» καὶ τῶν ἱεροπολεμικῶν ἀντιλήψεων καὶ στὴν ζώνη τῶν Βαλκανίων. Στὴν φάση ὅμως αὐτὴν ἡ Τουρκία δὲν θὰ κατωρθώσει νὰ πείσει οὔτε κἂν τὸν ἑαυτόν της εἰς ὅ,τι ἀφορᾷ τὶς δημοκρατικές της πεποιθήσεις, καὶ ὁ Χάρτης τῆς Εὐρυτέρας Μέσης Ἀνατολῆς ἀναδιατάσσεται ἔχοντας αὐτὸ ὡς δεδομένο. Ἴσως τώρα ἦλθε ἡ ὥρα νὰ ἀντιληφθοῦν οἱ «μαθητευόμενοι μάγοι» τῶν διεθνῶν μητροπολιτικῶν ἐπιτελείων τὰ μέχρι σήμερα λάθη τους. Ἐλπίζομε ὅμως νὰ μὴ εἶναι εἶναι ἀργὰ καὶ γι' αὐτούς, ἀλλὰ κυρίως γιὰ ὁλόκληρη τὴν ἀνθρωπότητα. Ὁ συστηματικὸς διωγμὸς τῶν χριστιανικῶν πληθυσμῶν στὴν Μέση Ἀνατολὴ ἀπὸ τὶς ριζοσπαστικὲς ἰσλαμιστικὲς τάσεις καὶ ὀργανώσεις, οἱ ὁποῖες ἐξετράφησαν καὶ ἐξωπλίσθησαν ἀπὸ τὴν ∆ύση καὶ τοὺς συμμάχους τους στὴν Μέση Ἀνατολὴ ἐπιδεικνύουν τὴν κατεύθυνση πρὸς τὴν κεντρικὴ Ἀσία τῶν ἰσλαμιστικῶν βλέψεών τους. Ἀνάχωμα σὲ αὐτὲς τὶς βλέψεις στὸν Καύκασο καὶ τὴν περιοχὴ τῆς Κασπίας καὶ τοῦ Εὐξείνου Πόντου ἀποτελεῖ ἡ Ἀρμενία. Ἂν ἡ Ἀρμενία ὑποχωρήσει, τὰ Βαλκάνια εἶναι μιὰ χαμένη ὑπόθεσις γιὰ τὴν ∆ύση καὶ ἕνα νέο Ἐμιρᾶτο γιὰ τὸ ριζοσπαστικὸ Ἰσλὰμ τοῦ ΙSIS καὶ τῶν παρακλαδιῶν τῆς ἀλ Κάϊντα καὶ τῶν Ἀδελφῶν Μουσουλμάνων.

The study "3,000 Years of East Mediterranean Sea Levels" investigates whether trends observed during this period in Israel from archaeological indications can be corroborated and strengthened by comparing them with relative sea levels observed in Greece. The process is comprised of three questions: 1) What types of archaeological sea-level indicators in Greece and Israel have the highest level of reliability for dating and sea-level evaluation? 2) What are the overall trends of sea-level change in Greece and Israel during the last 3,000 years, and what degree of error do these curves have? 3) What if any regional trends can be identified from the combined Greek and Israeli data? To answer the above questions, three objectives are pursued: 1) Identify archaeological RSL indicators of the last 3,000 years in Israel and Greece, including already published indicators with adequate measurements, those published but in need of new measurements, and unpublished potential indicators. 2) Assess the reliability of indicators using a consistent scoring system, correction for isostatic and tectonic effects, more precise measurements from indicators, and by exploring new methods to determine the chronology of rock carved indicators in Israel. 3) Using the assembled data, create a sea-level reconstruction for Greece, and combine the data with existing reconstructions from Israel for an analysis of matching trends. The study began with research of published sources and was supplemented by field activity. Surveys in Greece including Crete to assess both published and potential indicators occurred. Ruins from Chersonisos and Matala in Crete were examined and new measurements were taken from the latter. Fieldwork was also performed in Israel, including measurements from Caesarea for functional elevations on water channels at the promontory palace pool, at Achziv's fishpond, and around Tel Dor. The survey collected nearly 140 indicators from Israel and about 120 from Greece (excluding those outside the project's chronological scope). Of the Israeli indicators, some 120 were deemed reliable enough for reconstructions, whereas in Greece only 40 were, and not all of these from tectonically stable areas. The higher reliability of the Israeli dataset may stem from a smaller coastline and more focused sea-level research over the past few decades. In Greece, many measurements were taken by archaeologists in the 20th century before precise surveying methods were available, and published without sufficient metadata. Since then some of the sites have also become inaccessible to sea-level researchers. Analysis of indicators revealed gaps and disparities between the two regional datasets. Israel has a very strong set of many indicators from the Roman Period (~2000BP) to present, but fewer from 3000-2000BP. Greek indicators are strongly clustered in the Classical and Hellenistic Periods (2500-2000BP) with fewer before or after. These disparities make it difficult to effectively compare sea level between regions, but results suggest some correspondence of the curves. Analysis supports the work of previous Israeli researchers and suggests a relatively stable sea level there for the last 2000 years, with possible fluctuations not exceeding half a meter above or below current sea level at ~1500BP and ~750BP respectively. Both regions indicate a sea level rise between 2500-2000BP, but more data from Israel is needed to confirm this, while data from 3000-2500BP in Israel and Greece alike is scarce. In addition to the overall regional RSL comparisons, the current study also identifies the need for ongoing research and data collection: Continuing the search for sea-level indicators in Israel from 3000-2000BP, and in Greece from 3000-2500BP and from 2000BP to present, particularly in areas of reported tectonic stability like the Cyclades.

Mountain Ainos is the highest mountain of the Ionian Islands with a maximum elevation of 1628 m. Its National Park is characterized by rich flora including endemic species such as Greek fir. In order to exploit fully its touristic potential, it is necessary to examine the mountain climate. However in situ measurements of climatic parameters in mountain areas pose difficulties as far as to access areas of interest. The current study addresses one specific object: Estimating the air temperature at different altitudes of the southeastern side of Mt. Ainos, having air temperature data at the exact same altitudes of the northwestern side which is more easily accessible. We performed linear regression analysis to estimate the mean, maximum and minimum daily air temperature of the southeastern sites from data measured at the northwestern one. The results are considered satisfactory in air temperature estimation at all examined altitudes. More accurate estimations were provided in the case of the mean air temperature at the altitude of 1580 m. Also, linear models indicated noticeable estimations of the minimum temperatures at 1300 and 1580 m.

The objective of the study is to assess the human thermal comfort at a University Campus in the metropolitan area of Athens. The equipment setup consists of all the necessary sensors for human thermal comfort estimation along with a high resolution GPS, mounted on a cargo bicycle. The experiment was carried out for midday and night on July 29, 2015. Besides, long term 5 min measurements from a meteorological station, established on the roof of a building within the University Campus, were also used to quantify the mean thermal environment. The densely carried out bicycle measurements every 5 s was the input data utilized by the ENVI-met model; a three-dimensional microclimate model designed to simulate the surface-plant-air interactions in urban environment. The in situ measurements along with the model's output results reveal the thermal comfort regime of the selected area and the ability of the model to estimate accurately the micrometeorological conditions.

Only a few red dwarf flaring stars in the solar neighbourhood have undergone exceptional events called superflares. They have been detected with high-energy satellites (Swift) and have been proven to be powerful events (both in intensity and energy) and potentially hazardous for any extraterrestial life. The physics of these events can be understood as an extrapolation of the (much) weaker activity already occurring in the most powerful solar flares occurring in the Sun. Nevertheless, the origin (why?) of these superflares occur is currently unknown. A recent study presents the optical and X-ray long-term evolution of the emission by the super-flare from the red-dwarf star DG CVn undertaken in 2 014. In that paper we comment on the context of these observations and on the properties that can be derived through the analysis of them.

Climate change is expected to affect the hydrological cycle, altering seawater level and groundwater recharge to coastal aquifers with various other associated impacts on natural ecosystems and human activities. As the sustainable use of groundwater resources is a great challenge for many countries in the world, groundwater modeling has become a very useful and well established tool for studying groundwater management problems. This study investigates the impacts of climate change on the groundwater of the deltaic plain of River Pinios (Central Greece). Geophysical data processing indicates that the phreatic aquifer extends mainly in the central and northern parts of the region. A one-layer transient groundwater flow and contaminant mass transport model of the aquifer system is calibrated and validated. Impacts of climate change were evaluated by incorporating the estimated recharge input and sea level change of different future scenarios within the simulation models. The most noticeable and consistent result of the climate change impact simulations is a prominent sea water intrusion in the coastal aquifer mainly as a result of sea level change which underlines the need for a more effective planning of environmental measures.

{This study shed light on the long term air temperature changes in the troposphere over the Mediterranean. For this purpose, we utilized the radiosonde datasets for the barometric levels at 850, 700, 500, 300, 200, 150, and 100 hPa from seventeen meteorological stations within the Mediterranean, for the period 1965-2015. Besides, the gridded reanalysis products of upper air temperature for the respective barometric pressure levels from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF, ERA-Interim) and the National Center for Environmental Prediction-National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEPNCAR) were used and compared to stations' datasets. We analyzed the trends and variability of upper air temperature on seasonal and annual basis. The impact of atmospheric circulation, by means of specific climatic indices such as Mediterranean Oscillation Index (MOI), North Sea Caspian Pattern Index (NCPI) and North Atlantic Oscillation Index (NAOI), was also examined. The results of our analysis indicate the anthropogenic forcing to climate variability, especially in lower/middle troposphere against upper troposphere over the Mediterranean.}

{In the present study, the dynamical downscaling technique was applied in the Advanced Weather Research and Forecasting numerical model WRF-ARW, to investigate and validate the performance of different physics parameterizations. The WRF model, was forced by ERA-INTERIM reanalysis data, for a short period of one year (January 2002-December 2002), over the area of the MED-CORDEX domain of 20 km horizontal resolution, downscaled to the domain of Greece with grid spacing of 5 km. Simulations with the Yonsei University (YSU) and Mellor-Yamada- Janjic (MYJ) schemes for boundary layer parameterizations were chosen, along with the corresponding surface layer schemes, as well as, cumulus physics schemes of Kain-Fitsch and Grell-Devenyi. The results of the model simulations have been compared with all available station measurements from the European Climate Assessment and Dataset (ECA&D) for the daily precipitation and 2-m air temperature, through the computation of statistical metrics. The study led to a more reliable choice of physics configurations schemes for the WRF model, in order to simulate future climate model experiments to assess the impact of climate change over the domain of interest.}

Corinth Canal is an important technical construction with a significant role in marine and land transportation for Greece. Whilst the main highway of the Corinth bridge is well monitored there is no similar monitoring scheme for landslide failures of the canal walls. This work presents an in-house developed real-time early warning landslide triggering system using wireless sensor network (WSN) nodes. Specifically, for the detection of different types of landslide processes (drift, slide and fall) a set of corresponding MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) sensors (accelerometer, inclinometer, magnetometer) will be used. These sensors along with radio transmission unit and microprocessor comprise a WSN node. The option for in-situ processing (i.e transmitting only alerts) is possible in order to decrease the communication costs. In conjunction with the proposed WSN system, high accuracy geodetic techniques are used with terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) measurements. TLS is augmenting the point-based system to a spatial -based monitoring system. The paper describes the use of WSN node as triggering device in order to alert the users to begin TLS measurements. A description of the network topology is given along with the implementation of the system in selected control points on the canal walls. Real results are shown and the performance of the system is discussed.

{The main objective of this work is the assessment of the annual number of hospital admissions for respiratory disease (HARD) due to the exposure to inhalable particulate matter (PM10), within the greater Athens area (GAA), Greece. Towards this aim, the time series of the particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter less than 10 mu m (PM10) recorded in six monitoring stations located in the GAA, for a 13-year period 2001-2013, is used. In this study AirQ2.2.3 software developed by the WHO, was used to evaluate adverse health effects by PM10 in the GAA during the examined period. The results show that, the mean annual HARD cases per 100,000 inhabitants ranged between 20 (suburban location) and 40 (city centre location). Approximately 70 % of the annual HARD cases are due to city centre residents. In all examined locations, a declining trend in the annual number of HARD cases is appeared. Moreover, a strong relation between the annual number of HARD cases and the annual number of days exceeding the European Union daily PM10 threshold value was found.}

A number of software applications for the practice of the singing voice have been introduced the last decades, but all of them are limited to equal tempered scales. In this work, we present the design and development of FONASKEIN, a novel modular interactive software application for the practice of singing voice in real time and with visual feedback for both equal and non-equal tempered scales. Details of the Graphical User Interface of FONASKEIN are given, along with its architecture. The evaluation results of FONASKEIN in a pilot experiment with eight participants and with four songs in various musical scales showed its positive effect in practice of the singing voice in all cases.

The littoral region of Alexandria, east of Silsileh (the eastern promontory of the Eastern Harbor) to Montazah promontory was investigated combining archaeological and geomorphological evidence in order to better understand the subsidence of the coastal zone. The coastal zone is rich in archaeological and geomorphological features able to provide insights into the evolution of the coastline and the relative sea level changes. Our study has revealed a continuous subsidence of the coastal zone, owed to various contributing processes, while further research is required to decipher the coastal evolution of this littoral.

{The goal of this study is to quantify the impact of airborne coarse particles between 2.5 and 80 mu m (PM2.5-PM80) on hospital admissions for respiratory diseases, acquired from the two main hospitals in Heraklion, Crete Island. The atmospheric coarse particles were collected in Heraklion city from November 18, 2011 to May 31, 2013, using the Sigma-2 passive sampler technique. Further, the Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), was utilized to identify the qualitative structure of PMs. On one hand, we applied Generalized Addictive Models (GAMS) in order to assess the impact of coarse particles on respiratory diseases. The findings of the analysis revealed that the highest estimates were 7.3 % (Cl: 1.00-1.01) and 7.1 % (Cl: 1.00-1.01) increases in weekly respiratory admissions associated with an increase of 10 mu g m(-3) with respect to coarse particles between 10 and 20 mu m, for men and women, respectively. On the other hand, using SEM technique, the PMs were identified by means of their chemical composition. It is worth noting the presence of Rutile (a mineral composed primarily by Titanium Dioxide), which was found in our samples with possible origin from Saharan desert, causing adverse respiratory problems.}

Fires of 2007 have consumed large areas of Black pine and Greek fir forests in Peloponnese, Euboea and Attica. Most studies that followed, focused on the natural regeneration potential or the need for reforestation. The current research aims at examining the role of geomorphology and lithology that govern the soil properties upon the post-fire vegetation recovery at the landscape level. A case study from Taygetos Mt, a large part of which was burned in 2007, is presented. Based on the interpretation of a high spatial and spectral resolution satellite image (WorldView-3, 4/2015), several GIS thematic layers have been created showing unburned and regenerated patches over various lithological types. A network of sites was selected for field sampling representing various combinations of the above. Data on vegetation cover and recovery of the main tree species were collected. Results prove the interrelationship between regeneration and species traits as well as the existence of unburned patches near the burned ones. Recovery seems to be controlled by the geology of the plots as it was found weaker in plots overlying carbonate, permeable, not easily erodible formations as compared to that observed over clastic, impermeable, erodible formations of schists, even for the same species. In conclusion, post-fire vegetation recovery at the landscape level seems to be a complex process controlled not only from species biology but also from the landscape features and its fire history.

Within this study we introducea framework for assessing spatial fire risk and exposure to three important habitat types in Cephalonia island, Greece.Existing maps were used for plot allocation in orderto measure several fuel parameters in representative natural fuel complexes for site-specific fuel models development, as well as for collecting training and validation points for satellite data classification. The spatial extent of the fuel types and the canopy cover were delineated using a Landsat 8 OLI image acquired on 23-7-2015and the Support Vector Machines-(SVMs) machine learning algorithm. Subsequently, The Minimum Travel Time (MTT) algorithm, as it is embedded in FlamMap spatial fire simulation software, was applied in order to assess critical fire behavior parameters and exposure of Cephalonia's habitats under three different meteorological and fuel moisture scenarios. The outputs of this study may be used as an application of quantitative and probabilistic risk assessment for habitats conservation planning, prioritization and management of high value natural and cultural resources.

This work deals with the effects of the 17.11.2015 earthquake with Mw6.4 occurred onshore at the SW part of Lefkada Island. The earthquake produced a large co-seismic horizontal displacement u=40 cm towards a SSW direction (N210), recorded at a near-field, permanent GPS station of NOA (PONT). Extensive geo-environmental and limited structural impacts were caused. Seismic effects have been extensively investigated during several in-situ surveys conducted by our research group and a thorough damage databank was constructed. Comparisonwith damage due to the previous strong event with Mw=6.2 occurred on 14.8.2003, showed that the effects of the current quake were significantly lower.Geo-environmental effects were observed throughout the western flanks of the mountain massif of the mainland, related with slope failures, rock falls, rock mass slides, leading thus to significant damage of several vital infrastructures. The building stock of the island comprising both modern and traditional buildings exhibited notable seismic performance during this earthquake. Structural damage was concentrated in the epicentral area where macroseismic intensity was assessed VIII, based on registered damage and vulnerability. The analysis of 3D strong ground motion recordings at two permanent accelerometric stations on the island and of the GNSS 1 Hz three-component data at PONT indicate directional dynamic effects, parallel with the T- principal axis of the event’s stress field and the regional slope dip that may likely have triggered extensive landslides. Moreover, the ground motion pattern indicates a rupture complexity involving two discrete sources. Besides the exceptional behavior of the buildings across the island, the spectral content of the strong ground motion has been found to be discrete from the elastic response of the low-rise traditional constructions, thus favoring amenablestructural damage distribution.The damage databank compiled in this work has been employed into a holistic building-by-building GIS scheme applying a vector base-map of the buildings footprints in the epicentral area available by the analysis of optical satellite imagery, undertaken within the framework of the RASOR project (http://www.rasor-project.eu). Thereafter, the poly-thematic outcome of the present study may be considered a valuable tool for the scientific community toward studying the seismic risk of Lefkada.

{The COnsortium for Small-scale MOdeling (COSMO) was formed in October 1998, and its general goal is to develop, improve and maintain a non-hydrostatic limited-area atmospheric model, while the Hellenic National Meteorological Service joined the consortium in 1999. The COSMO model has been designed both for operational numerical weather prediction (NWP) as well as various scientific applications on the meso-beta and meso-c scale. Two tornado case studies were selected to investigate the ability of COSMO model to depict the characteristics of severe convective weather, which favored the development of the associated storms. The first tornado occurred, close to Ag. Ilias village, 8 km northwestern from Aitoliko city over western Greece on February 7, 2013, while the second tornado developed close to Palio Katramio village, 8 km southern from Xanthi city over northern Greece on November 25, 2015. Although both tornadoes had a short lifetime, they caused significant impacts. The COSMO. GR atmospheric model was initialized with analysis boundary conditions obtained from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF). The resulting numerical products with spatial resolution of 0.020 degrees (similar to 2 km) over the geographical domain of Greece depicted very well the severe convective conditions close to tornadoes formation.}

{Towards the evaluation of the thermodynamic characteristics of a high impact tornadic event in Skala Lakonia, southern Peloponnese, in September 21, 2015, Weather Research and Forecasting (AR-WRF) mesoscale model was used. For the particular model setup used in this study, different configurations were pre-tested based on different spatial resolution and parameterization schemes. The current study downscales ECMWF reanalysis initial and boundary conditions to 300 m spatial resolution to assess the convective available potential energy (CAPE), the reflectivity perceived by radar (dBZ) and the energy helicity index (EHI). The validation was conducted using in situ and remote sensing observations of the surrounding area. The results illustrate deep convective activity with CAPE values indicating a strong instability in the region of interest. Furthermore, the model seems to capture well the southwesterly-northeasterly front propagation of the convective initiation of the storm, as well as the troughs that affected the south part of Peloponnese, assessing the pre-frontal nature of the particular tornadic event. Finally, the EHI values demonstrate the tornadic activity in the region of Skala Lakonia, as the model appears to simulate accurately the low pressure system along the east coast of the Lakonia Gulf.}

{A hurricane-like cyclone with an `eye', eyewall convection and strong winds affected central Mediterranean basin on 7-8 November 2014. The maximum observed sustained wind speed was 22 m/s (tropical storm strength) at Lampedusa. Significant damages were reported from this island and the coastal regions of eastern Sicily. Thus, it is essential to study medicanes and calibrate the numerical weather prediction models in order to simulate them adequately. Operational ECMWF analyses are used together with the non-hydrostatic Weather Research and Forecasting numerical model with the Advanced Research dynamic solver (WRF-ARW ver 3.7.1). The aims of this study are to simulate the system and investigate the sensitivity of the model on the microphysical scheme, the number of vertical levels and the global input dataset. The main characteristics of the medicane are represented in good agreement with observations and analyses, but, no single setup is able to provide the best reproduction of all its features.}

OJ287 goes through large optical flares twice each 12 years. The times of these flares have been predicted successfully now 5 times using a black hole binary model. In this model a secondary black hole goes around a primary black hole, impacting the accretion disk of the latter twice per orbital period, creating a thermal flare. Together with 6 flares from the historical data base, the set of flare timings determines uniquely the 7 parameters of the model: the two masses, the primary spin, the major axis, eccentricity and the phase of the orbit, plus a time delay parameter that gives the extent of time between accretion disk impacts and the related optical flares. Based on observations by the OJ287-15/16 Collaboration, OJ287 went into the phase of rapid flux rise on November 25, on the centenary of Einstein’s General Relativity, and peaked on December 5. At that time OJ287 was the brightest in over 30 years in optical wavelengths. The flare was of low polarization, and did not extend beyond the optical/UV region of the spectrum. On top of the main flare there were a number of small flares; their excess brightness correlates well with the simultaneous X-ray data. With these properties the main flare qualifies as the marker of the orbit of the secondary going around the primary black hole. Since the orbit solution is strongly over-determined, its parameters are known very accurately, at better than one percent level for the masses and the spin. The next flare is predicted to peak on July 28, 2019.Detailed monitoring of this event should allow us to test, for the first time, the celebrated black hole no-hair theorem for a massive black hole at the 10% level. The present data is consistent with the theorem only at a 30% level. The main difficulty in observing OJ287 from Earth at our predicted epoch is its closeness to the sun. Therefore, it is desirable to monitor OJ287 from a space-based telescope not in the vicinity of Earth. Unfortunately, this unique opportunity for testing the above celebrated theorem of General Relativity using OJ287 will not be available again until after several orbital cycles.The full list of participants in the OJ287-15/16 Collaboration is found in ApJL 819, L37, 2016.

On July 17, 2015 a forest fire that broke out in the southern part of Epidavros Limira peninsula (Laconia, southeastern Peloponnese), expanded rapidly due to strong winds blowing in the area and raged out of control for two days, inducing substantial damage to agriculture, livestock farming, buildings and infrastructure and causing one fatality. Innovative GIS-based methods were developed and implemented for the first time in a fire-affected area in Greece for mapping the post-fire erosion, flood and landslide hazards and risks. Geomorphological, geological, tectonic, hydrological, meteorological and land-use data along with a WorldView-2 satellite image and post-fire field observations were evaluated and used. A newly developed method was applied for assessing the erosion hazard. Analytic Hierarchy Process and Weighted Linear Combination methods were used for assessing the post-fire landslide susceptibility. The HEC-RAS model was used for hydraulic simulation and assessment of flood risk under post-fire conditions. Post-fire erosion, flood and landslide hazard and risk maps were constructed for the affected area delineating locations with very low, low, moderate, high or very high hazard and risk of erosion, flood and landslide respectively. The developed methodology is a useful post-fire hazard and risk assessment tool and can be applied by state authorities to assess the geo-environmental impact of fire disasters in areas with similar environmental conditions.

The last 3,000 years of relative sea level (RSL) in Israel are derived primarily from archaeological indicators with additional bio-construction indicators (Dendropoma petraeum reefs at the edge of the abrasion platform along the Israeli coast). The current study examines whether sea-level fluctuations (above and mainly below present-day MSL) observed along the coast of Israel can also be observed in other East Mediterranean areas like Greece so that better evaluations can be made of local and regional driving mechanisms. There are three objectives for achieving this goal: 1) Identify new and already published archaeological and biological RSL indicators from this period in Israel and Greece; 2) Assess the reliability of both existing and new indicators using consistent standards to determine which types most accurately indicate ancient RSL and with what degree of uncertainty; 3) Correct the data for isostatic and tectonic effects. The survey collected nearly 140 archaeological indicators from Israel and about 120 from Greece. Of the Israeli indicators, some 120 were deemed reliable enough for reconstructions, whereas in Greece only 40 were, and not all of these from tectonically stable areas. The Israeli data includes 31 dates obtained from Dendropoma reefs in Israel. The higher reliability of the Israeli dataset may stem from a smaller coastline and more focused SL research over the past few decades. In Greece, many measurements were taken before precise surveying methods were available, and published without sufficient metadata. The two regional datasets reveal chronological gaps and disparities: Israel has a strong set of many indicators from the Roman Period (2000BP) to present, but fewer from 3000-2000BP, while Greek indicators are strongly clustered in the Classical to Hellenistic Periods (2500-2000BP). On-going research is focusing now also on the last Millennial Greek sea levels (mainly the ‘Venetian’ period). Results however suggest some correspondence and support previous Israeli conclusions suggesting somewhat lower levels around 2500BP and in the first half of the last Millennium: The Crusader period in Israel (11th to 13th century AD) and the Venetian period in Greece (12th to 15th century AD). Near-present, stable levels are indicated during most other periods, despite indications of slightly higher sea levels in the late Roman/Byzantine period.

We present results from the latest outburst of the Be/X-ray binary system SMC X-2, which in late 2015 entered it's first X-ray outburst since 2000. SMC X-2 was first discovered in 1977 by the SAS-3 satellite, and hosts a 2.37s period pulsar. Regular, almost daily, Swift observations of SMC X-2 were performed during the entirety of the latest outburst, from first detection by MAXI to it’s rapid turn off and return back to quiescence. These observations have allowed us to measure with the flux, spectral and temporal properties of SMC X-2. Timing analysis of observation by the Swift X-ray telescope allowed us to track the evolution of the pulsar spin period, and in addition modeling of the orbital parameters of the system by measuring changes in the pulsar spin period due to Doppler effects. In addition we report on an observation of SMC X-2 taken with NuSTAR, which allowed both to better measure the continuum fit above 10 keV, and to perform a sensitive measure of the pulse profile and period of the source.

We analyzed a large number of focal mechanisms and relocated earthquake hypocenters to investigate the geodynamics of western Greece, the most seismically active part of the Aegean plate-boundary zone. This region was seismically activated multiple times during the last decade, providing a large amount of enhanced quality new information that was obtained by the Hellenic Unified Seismological Network (HUSN). Relocated seismicity appears concentrated above 25 km depth, exhibiting spatial continuity along the convergence boundary andbeing clustered elsewhere. Earthquakes are confined within the accreted sediments escarpment of the down-going African plate against the un-deformed Pindos hinterland. The data arrangement shows that Pindos constitutes a seismic boundary along which large stress heterogeneities occur. Surprisingly, in Cephalonia no seismicity related with the offshore Cephalonia Transform Fault (CTF) is observed. Onshore, N-S crustal extension dominates, while in central and south Peloponnesus the stress field appears rotated by 90°. Shearing-stress obliquity by 30° is indicated along the major strike-slip faults, consistent with clockwise crustal rotation. Within the lower crust, the stress field appears constrained by plate kinematics and the distributed deformation, which guide the geodynamics of the area.Seismic velocity anomalies have been resolved by regional body-wave traveltime tomography applying an iterative tomographic inversion scheme using phase data from more than 5,000 seismic events recorded by the Hellenic Unified Seismological Network (HUSN), analyzed by the Seismological Laboratory of the Universityof Athens. Preliminary 3D tomographic models indicate the presence of gross structures related with Pindus hinterland, the Tethys subduction beneath the Aegean, and shear zones related with the CTF and the Andravida fault. A predominant NE-SW oriented low velocity zone in central Peloponnesus is related with the rotation of the extensional stress field and dextral strike-slip faulting.

A fully automatic remote telescope and dome control system has been installed at the University of Athens Observatory (UOAO) in August 2012. It was constructed in the Laboratory of Astronomy and Applied Optics of the department and incorporated the already existing automation for observations and data gathering techniques. The system proved to be reliable and functions faultlessly up to date, enabling the astronomers to observe remotely from any place, using the network. The observing nights have been increased significantly after the first year of remote operation, reaching the number of 280 observing nights per year (77% annual usage), half of which are characterized as photometric nights of highest quality. This utility favours long-term monitoring projects of blazars and long periodic variables in general.

{The objective of this study is the analysis of heavy precipitation events occurred in Attica region during the period 2007-2013, along with the determination of their characteristics depending on the season and their corresponding impact. These events were selected according to two criteria; the lightning occurrence-information that was acquired from the Hellenic National Meteorological Service Precision Lightning Sensors Network (HNMS-PLN)-and the high rainfall intensity, provided by the Hydrological Observatory of Athens (HOA) rainfall network. On the one hand, the composite means and anomalies of the respective synoptic conditions, which were based on the reanalysis data sets acquired from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction-National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP-NCAR), along with the frontal activity over Greece, have been analyzed. On the other hand, special attention has been given to the configuration of specific instability indices, during the examined rainfall events. The aforementioned study is an effort to shed light to the rainfall events' features, with respect to their seasonal incidence and their relation to phenomena such as floods and hail.}

A catalogue of relocated earthquake hypocenters and focal mechanisms was constructed and evaluated in order to examine the tectonics of the western Hellenic Arc. The major part of the analysed dataset includes seismic activity that was recorded during the last decade. This is due to the occurrence of several moderate to strong earthquakes in the area and to the integration of the Hellenic Unified Seismological Network (HUSN), which provided adequate coverage with high quality waveform records that were analyzed by the Seismological Laboratory ofthe University of Athens. Additionally, phase data available by local networks were employed. The concept of double differences was applied to achieve improved relative hypocentral locations. Relocated seismicity appears concentrated at depths above 25 km, exhibiting spatial continuity along the convergence boundary and being clustered elsewhere. Earthquakes are confined within the accreted sediments escarpment of the down-going African plate against the un-deformed Pindos hinterland.Stress tensor inversion of ~2000 relocated focal mechanisms reveals predominantly strike-slip faulting in NNE-SSW to NE-SW direction and normal faulting in E-W or N-S directions. The heterogeneity of the stress field appears to be unusually high, particularly in the region of the northernmost tip of the Hellenic subduction and in thevicinity of the Cephalonia-Lefkada transform fault zone, an area of high seismic risk that was activated recently, with the generation of two strong earthquakes of Mw=6.1 and 5.9 at the western part of the Cephalonia Island in January-February 2014 and an Mw=6.4 event that occurred onshore SW Lefkada Island in November 2015. The stress field distribution implies that Pindos constitutes a seismic boundary along which large heterogeneities occur. Onshore western Greece, N-S crustal extension dominates, while in central and south Peloponnesus the stress field appears rotated by 90°. Shearing-stress obliquity by 30° is indicated along the major strike-slip faults. At larger depths, within the lower crust, the stress field becomes more homogeneous, consistent with well-known large scale kinematics of the Aegean region.

Основание НАТО 4 апреля 1949 года драматическим образом ознаменовало окончательный распад альянса трех великих держав - США, Великобритании и СССР, созданного во время Второй мировой войны. Вместе с тем, это стало началом новой, послевоенной биполярной системе баланса сил, главным проявлением которой стала Холодная война. Это тотальное политическое противостояние между двумя сверхдержавами и их сателлитами, распространившееся на большую часть нашей планеты, началось на послевоенных руинах Старого Света, где столкнулись исторически противоположные геополитические устремления обеих сторон - противостояние, усиленное ростом числа откровенных мистификаций, скрытые мотивов и стереотипов, а также конфликтом национальных интересов. В фундаменте этого противостояния лежат принципы и ценности, с 1945 года взятые Уставом ООН в качестве основы для создания послевоенной международной системы. Главные пункты этого Устава объявляют применение насилия в международных отношениях как способ разрешения международных споров нелегитимным (статьи 2.3 и 2.4), обязывают уважать внутренние дела государства (статья 2.7), а также определяют право государств на индивидуальную или коллективную самооборону (как «соПейме зе!^-сЫепсе») - это определяется в статье 21 Устава ООН (а также, позже, в статье 5 Устава НАТО, и в соответствующих статьях Варшавского договора). Задуманное, как это часто бывает, с благими намерениями, в конце концов все это превратилось в гигантский ком неуверенности, страха и взаимного недоверия, а порой и открытой ненависти с обеих сторон. Первым последствием стало разделение Германии, что придало последующему разделению Европы «официальный». Это стало знаковым событием, обнажившим конфликт интересов между Западом и СССР - блокада Берлина советскими войсками (19481949), после чего было создано НАТО.

On April 23, 2014, the Swift satellite responded to a hard X-ray transient detected by its Burst Alert Telescope, which turned out to be a stellar flare from a nearby, young M dwarf binary DG~CVn. Observations at X-ray, UV and optical wavelengths of the main impulsive flare and subsequent smaller events reveal a complex pattern of flare events extending over about three weeks. We find that the X-ray spectrum of the primary outburst can be adequately described by either a single very high temperature plasma or a nonthermal thick-target bremmstrahlung model. By evaluating accompanying data of this event and analysis of a second brightening, we argue that the thermal interpretation is more likely on energetic grounds. The primary outburst lasted a few hours and produced the highest temperature thermal plasmas ever seen spectroscopically over the 0.3-100 keV range in a stellar flare, at TX of 300 MK. The X-ray luminosity of the main flare exceeded the bolometric luminosity of the brighter component (LX >1.6Lbol) for ~360 seconds. The first event was followed by a comparably energetic event almost a day later, whose coverage at X-ray and optical wavelengths enables inferences about it and the first event. In particular we find evidence for stellar radius-sized coronal loops filled with dense (ne>1012 cm-3) coronal plasma. The radiated energy in X-rays and white light reveal these first two events to be some of the most energetic X-ray and white light flares from an M dwarf. These structures require large coronal magnetic field strengths (a few kG for the first event, hundreds of Gauss for the second) to confine the plasma, and we thus predict an extremely high photospheric magnetic field strength of several kiloGauss.

{Several epidemiological studies have shown an association between particulate air pollution and adverse health effects. The consensus among the scientific community is that suspended particulate matter is one of the most harmful pollutants, particularly the inhalable particulate matter with aerodynamic diameters less than 10 mu m (PM10) causing respiratory health effects and heart diseases. The effects of aerosols on human health are determined by both their size and their chemical composition. Average daily concentrations exceeding the EU daily threshold concentration appear, among other cases, during Sahara dust episodes, a natural phenomenon that degrades the air quality in the urban area of Volos. The city of Volos is a coastal city of medium size in the eastern seaboard of Central Greece. The main objective of this work is the study of the temporal evolution and the assessment of weekend effect in particulate matter concentration levels in the centre of the city of Volos. PM10 data obtained by a fully automated station that was established by the Hellenic Ministry of Environment and Energy, for a 5-year period (2010-2014) are analyzed in order to study the day-of-week variations during the cold and warm period of the year. As these variations are mostly expected to be due to the human working cycle, a strong weekly cycle would be indicative of the dominance of anthropogenic particles.}

The Magellanic Clouds (MCs) offer an ideal laboratory for the study of the SNR population in star-forming galaxies, since they are relatively nearby and free of large absorption. Both the LMC and SMC have been targeted by large XMM-Newton surveys, which, combined with archival observations, provide the best dataset to systematically study the X-ray emission of their numerous SNRs (∼ 60 in the LMC, ∼ 20 in the SMC). In this talk, I will highlight the results from this homogeneous analysis, which allows for the first time meaningful comparisons of temperature, chemical composition, and luminosity of SNRs in the MCs. The SNRs can be used as probes of their host galaxies: We measured chemical abundances in the hot phase of the LMC, and constrained the ratio of core-collapse to type Ia SN rates. The X-ray luminosity function of SNRs in the MCs are compared to those in other Local Group galaxies with different metallicities and star formation properties. Finally, we present a new population of evolved type Ia SNRs that was discovered recently in the MCs via their iron-rich X-ray emission.

Τὸ μεσανατολικὸ γεωπολιτικὸ σύστημα, ἀναδιαρθροῦται μὲ ταχυτάτους ρυθμοὺς καὶ οἱ ἐσωτερικοὶ πυλῶνες ἰσχύος τῶν ἑκάστοτε ὑποσυστημάτων του διαμορφώνουν ἕνα πολύπλοκο δίκτυον ἀνακατανομῆς ἰσχύος ἐπηρεαζόμενομενο μὲ πρωτοφανεῖς τρόπους ἀπὸ τοὺς Πόλους Ἰσχύος τοῦ Ὑπερσυστήματος, ὅπως οἱ ΗΠΑ, ἡ Ρωσσία, ἡ Κίνα, καὶ συγκεκριμένα κράτη-μέλη τῆς Εὐρωπαϊκῆς Ἑνώσεως. Στὸ πλαίσιο αὐτὸ ἄκρως ἐνδιαφέρουσα εἶναι ἡ πλήρης ἀποτυχία τῆς ∆ημοκρατικῆς administration τῆς Οὐάσιγκτων, νὰ δημιουργήσει μίαν «ἰσλαμοδημοκρατικὴ» Τουρκία ἡ ὁποία, μὲ ἐργαλεῖον προβολῆς ἰσχύος τὴν Ὀργάνωση τῶν Ἀδελφῶν Μουσουλμάνων τῆς Αἰγύπτου, θὰ ἐλειτουργοῦσε ὡς ἰσλαμικοῦ τύπου «δημοκρατικὸ» πρότυπον διακυβερνήσεως γιὰ ὅλες τὶς ἰσλαμικοῦ πολιτισμικοῦ ὑποβάθρου χῶρες τῆς Εὐρυτέρας Μέσης Ἀνατολῆς, ἀποτελοῦσα καὶ γεωστρατηγικὸν ἀνάχωμα στὶς Μεσογειακὲς βλέψεις τῆς Ρωσσίας. Η παρούσα ομιλία αναφέρεται στη γεωπολιτικὴ ἀνάγνωση τοῦ γεωπολιτικού συστήματος τῆς ΝΑ Μεσογείου καὶ στον ἐρντογανικὸ ἀναθεωρητισμὸ.

We present results from the application of Kopal's method for eclipsing binaries to the analysis of the transit light curve of exoplanet HD 209458, using very accurate photometric observations made with the Hubble Space Telescope. The fitting of the model parameters to the data was achieved by use of the Simulated Annealing algorithm. Furthermore, we utilized a transformation of the limb darkening coefficients that negates the need to specify limits for their values (uninformative sampling), yet still yield physically plausible results.

Nowadays, Early Warning Systems (EWSs) are of great importance for urban seismic risk and emergency management. In this work, we describe the development and combination of a series of approaches for constructing a database of earthquake spatial effects towards creating a EWS for the Lefkada old town, situated in one of the most seismically active areas of the Mediterranean region. The geospatial information presented regards the earthquake damage probability at the target site and it is derived from seismic scenarios developed by combining seismic sources, vulnerability of buildings and site effects.Vulnerability was assessed empirically for individual buildings through a field survey.Site effects were determined using dense ambient noise HVSR measurements atselected points in Lefkada old town and available data from geotechnical boreholes.1D viscoelastic soil models were determined for each point by inverting the HVSRcurves using a Monte Carlo approach. Peak ground acceleration was assessed at each point using the point-source stochastic simulation scheme, by applying the siteamplification deduced from the 1D viscoelastic models. Seismic risk scenarios weredeveloped assuming two seismic sources (a) the earthquake on August 14th 2003 with M6.2 at a distance of 13 km from Lefkada old town and (b) a future nearest maximum credible earthquake with M7 at the same distance.The discrete damage probability was resolved by formulating a beta distribution of an average damage grade related to the vulnerability and the simulated PGA through empirical equations. The obtained models are found to be comparable with co-seismic observations during the 2003 earthquake and hence they are likely appropriate for preparing future emergency plans for the target site. An adaptable Arc-GIS automated procedure to map earthquake damage scenarios is currently being developed by implementing the above mentioned methods.

The new research initiative APAPES (http://apapes.physics.uoc.gr/) has already established a new experimental station with a beam line dedicated for atomic collisions physics research, at the 5 MV TANDEM accelerator of the National Research Centre "Demokritos" in Athens, Greece. A complete zero-degree Auger projectile spectroscopy (ZAPS) apparatus has been put together to perform high resolution studies of electrons emitted in ion-atom collisions. A single stage hemispherical spectrometer with a 2-dimensional Position Sensitive Detector (PSD) combined with a doubly-differentially pumped gas target will be used to perform a systematic isoelectronic investigation of K-Auger spectra emitted from collisions of preexcited and ground state He-like ions with gas targets using novel techniques. Our intention is to provide a more thorough understanding of cascade feeding of the 1s2s2p 4 P metastable states produced by electron capture in collisions of He-like ions with gas targets and further elucidate their role in the non-statistical production of excited three-electron 1s2s2p states by electron capture, recently a field of conflicting interpretations awaiting further resolution. At the moment, the apparatus is being completed and the spectrometer will soon be fully operational. Here we present the project progress and the recent high resolution spectrum obtained in collisions of 12 MeV C 4+ on a Neon gas target.

Abstract The operation of a phosphate fertilizer industry in Drapetsona, near Piraeus port (Greece), resulted in the deposition of 10 million tons of phosphogypsum (PG) into an old limestone quarry, in the period 1979-1989. The whole deposit has been recently remediated using geomembranes and thick soil cover with vegetation. The purpose of the present study was to characterize representative samples of that phosphogypsum, using diffraction (powder-XRD), microscopic (SEM-EDS), analytical (ICP-MS), and spectroscopic techniques (High-resolution γ-ray spectrometry and XRF). The material contains crystalline gypsum (CaSO4.2H2O) and Ca-Si-Al-S-F (chukhrovite-type/meniaylovite) phases. The natural radioactivity is mainly due to the $^{238}$U series and particularly $^{226}$Ra (average: 462 Bq/kg), which is relatively low compared to PG from the rest of the world. Furthermore, leaching experiments using local (Attica) rainwater, together with ICP-MS, were performed to assess the potential release of elements in the environment.

Contact binaries are the most frequently observed type of eclipsing star system. They are small, cool, low-mass binaries belonging to a relatively old stellar population. They follow certain empirical relationships that closely connect a number of physical parameters with each other, largely because of constraints coming from the Roche geometry. As a result, contact binaries provide an excellent test of stellar evolution, specifically for stellar merger scenarios. Observing campaigns by many authors have led to the cataloging of thousands of contact binaries and enabled statistical studies of many of their properties. A large number of contact binaries have been found to exhibit extraordinary behavior, requiring follow-up observations to study their peculiarities in detail. For example, a doubly-eclipsing quadruple system consisting of a contact binary and a detached binary is a highly constrained system offering an excellent laboratory to test evolutionary theories for binaries. A new observing project was initiated at the University of Athens in 2012 in order to investigate the possible lower limit for the orbital period of binary systems before coalescence, prior to merging.

In the course of a photometric campaign undertaken at the University of Athens Observatory, the target 1SWASP J093010.78+533859.5 was observed and found to be a doubly-eclipsing quadruple system. This system was known as a contact binary since 2013, with an orbital period of 0.2277 days, and a detached binary lies along the same direction. Hipparcos astrometric observations confirm this finding, showing two stars with a common proper motion and an angular separation of only 1.7 arcsec. This favors the scenario of a true quadruple system, making 1SWASP J093010.78+533859.5 one of the very rare doubly-eclipsing quadruple systems known to date.

In the scope of the France-Greek program PLATON n° 30409XH “EMerChanCy”, this work focuses on the beachrocks of Paros and Naxos Islands, in central Cyclades, Aegean Sea, Greece, in an attempt to study their geochemistry and interpret their palaeoenvironmental significance. Beachrocks are coastal sedimentary formations, consisting of beach sediments that are relatively quickly cemented through the precipitation of CaCO3. However, debate still exists concerning their depositional environment, and therefore, their use as indicators for sea-level changes. For the aim of the present study, representative bulk samples from both islands were analyzed for their mineralogical (XRD) and chemical compositition (SEM). Chemical analyses were performed by XRF . The cement agent and the fine sand/clay fraction of the samples mainly consist of authigenic magnesian calcite, which commonly precipitates in shallow marine environments, especially in high concentration of Ca2+(>4 mol% CaCO3 or 1.2 wt.%). Furthermore, a series of clastic silicate and alumino-silicate minerals are detected. The predominant coarse fragments hosted within cement material are quartz, albite and K-feldspar. The texture of the beachrock samples varies from almost homogeneous sandstone to a mixture of lithologies, such as massive gravel, sandstone and claystone. Most of the grains are flattened and only rarely angular pieces of siliceous rocks occur, hosted in the fine-grained Mg-calcite cement. This grain size and shape is indicative of the genetic environment of beachrocks, implying the maturity level of cementation from early stage to modern situation. The beachrock samples derived from various depositional periods and depths, from the front and end slabs. The beachrocks were also correlated with stratigraphical material from boreholes and archaeological remains from the study area in an attempt to understand the coastal changes during the late Holocene in Central Cyclades.

Σήμερα πολλές χώρες και ιδιαίτερα η Ελλάδα πλήττονται από μια επώδυνη οικονομική κρίση. Για την υπέρβαση της κρίσης αυτής αναζητούνται κατά κύριο λόγο, εμπνευσμένοι ηγέτες οι οποίοι μεταξύ άλλων, θα άρουν και τα αδιέξοδα στα οποία έχει εγκλωβιστεί η οικονομική επιχειρηματικότητα. Οι αλλαγές που συντελούνται με επιταχυνόμενους ρυθμούς στο οικονομueικό πεδίο προκαλούν πέραν των άλλων και έναν μετασχηματισμό των χαρακτηριστικών τα οποία συνέθεταν μια εμπνευσμένη ηγεσία. Έννοιες όπως επιτυχία, καινοτομία, ηθικές πρακτικές, βιωσιμότητα και επιχειρείν επαναπροσδιορίζονται νοηματικά, γεγονός που με τη σειρά του προκαλεί την ανάγκη επανεξέτασης των τρόπων προσέγγισης και επίλυσης σύγχρονων επιχειρηματικών ζητημάτων-προβλημάτων. Σύμφωνα με τα σχετικά βιβλιογραφικά-ερευνητικά δεδομένα εμπνευσμένοι επιχειρηματίες-ηγέτες του μέλλοντος θα είναι εκείνοι που μεταξύ άλλων έχουν αναπτύξει, σε έναν υψηλό βαθμό, συναισθηματική/κοινωνική νοημοσύνη. Αυτή η εργασία εξετάζει ερευνητικά στοιχεία που  καταδεικνύουν ότι γυναίκες επιχειρηματίες χαρακτηρίζονται από την ικανότητα που έχουν να χτίζουν συναίνεση, να αναλαμβάνουν τον ρόλο του διαμεσολαβητή-ειρηνοποιού, να προσαρμόζονται ευκολότερα, να ακούν, να μοιράζονται, να δημιουργούν κίνητρα συνεργασίας και να εμπνέουν. Εμφανίζουν δηλαδή ένα υψηλό επίπεδο συναισθηματικής/κοινωνικής νοημοσύνης. Σε αυτή την προοπτική, επικεντρώνοντας το ενδιαφέρον μας στην γυναικεία επιχειρηματικότητα, τίθενται κάποια θεμελιώδη ερωτηματικά, όπως ποια είναι τα απαραίτητα στοιχεία τα οποία μπορούν να οδηγήσουν στην επαγγελματική επιτυχία. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Kamberidou, I. (2015). “Inspired Leaders–Empowering Leadership Skills: Women, Entrepreneurship and Sports”, pp. 28-30. Tips4skills conference, High Heels consortium, 19/2/2015, Athens, Greece [original in Greek]. In Tips4skills conference book, with support of the European Commission and the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Union (pp. 28–30). High Heels consortium, EU project: http://www.highheelsproject.eu [Α.2.  in Apella]

Le projet d’universitarisation des études françaises en Grèce est conçu dès la fin du XIXe siècle. Il s’inscrit dans le cadre des stratégies étatiques mises en œuvre par la Grèce et la France en vue de promouvoir leurs intérêts culturels, économiques et politiques respectifs. À Thessalonique, il se concrétise par des initiatives visant, entre les deux guerres, à faire fonctionner une chaire de langue et littérature françaises au sein de la nouvelle université créée en 1925. Or, la période comprise entre la publication de la loi constitutive et la Seconde Guerre mondiale est surtout jalonnée de projets délaissés, de régressions et d’accélérations qui laissent percevoir la multiplicité des enjeux impliqués. Cependant, au cours de la décennie qui suit le conflit et sous l’effet du processus de recomposition des zones d’influence des grandes puissances, émerge en Grèce, en matière de disciplinarisation académique des littératures étrangères, un nouveau paysage universitaire composé de structures issues de conventions culturelles bilatérales : dans ce contexte, est née, en 1954, après de longues négociations menées entre les gouvernements hellénique et français, la section salonicienne d’études françaises, formule de préparation professionnelle qui, intégrée dans l’Institut de langues et littératures étrangères, devait durer jusqu’à la fin des années 1970. The project of the universitarization of French Studies in Greece has been conceived and designed since the late nineteenth century. It is part of state strategies implemented by Greece and France to promote their respective cultural, economic and political interests. In Thessaloniki, it materializes through initiatives launched during the interbellum and aiming at the creation of a Chair of French Language and Literature in the new university. However, the period between the publication in 1925 of the law establishing this University and the Second World War is mostly dotted with abandoned projects, regressions and accelerations that allow us to perceive the multiplicity and complexity of issues involved. Nevertheless, during the decade following the conflict and under the effect of the processes of recomposing the influence zones of the Great Powers, a new landscape for both Greek Schools of Humanities emerges, characterized mainly by the academic disciplinarization of Foreign Languages. It is formulated by structures stemming from bilateral cultural conventions. In this context and after lengthy negotiations between the French and the Greek government, a French Studies Department is integrated in the Institute of Foreign Languages and Literatures of Thessaloniki in 1954. This new academic formula for initial teacher professional preparation was to last until the late 1970s.

Remains of past sea levels, such as tidal notches, benches, beachrocks, etc. may provide valuable information for the investigation of relative sea level changes of eustatic and/or tectonic origin. Tidal notches are usually formed in limestone cliffs in the mid-littoral zone, are well known as precise sea-level indicators and they can attest to the modality of sea level change (rapid or slow) allowing to identify palaeoseismic events. In this framework, this work focuses on the eastern coasts of the Attica Peninsula (eastern Greece) in order to trace the palaeoshorelines of the Upper Holocene through the use of tidal notches and discuss their implication for the interpretation of the recent tectonic history in the area. A submarine geomorphological investigation took place in the coasts of eastern Attica, aiming to identify palaeoshorelines. Former sea-level positions were deduced from emerged and submerged tidal notches. An attempt was made to date past sea level positions, based on 14C datings from sedimentological data of drillings in nearby locations for the submerged tidal notches while one uplifted shoreline was dated with 14C based on a shell collected at a nearby location. Eight fossil shorelines were deduced in the study area; two emerged ones at about +24±6 and +40±6 cm, and six submerged ones at about -22±6 (modern), -40±6, -60±6, -80±6, -130±6 and -460±6 cm. It is worth mentioning that a rather different tectonic behavior may be distinguished between the south (AT1-AT5) and the north (AT10-AT28) part of the study area.

Tidal notches are a well-known sea-level indicator, marking clearly former shorelines, which have often been used to deduce Quaternary tectonic trends and sea-level changes, mainly in uplifting areas. If raised notches have often been used to estimate past changes in sea level and tectonic movements, submerged notches, which are more difficult to observe, have been studied mainly occasionally by a few authors. Nevertheless, Holocene tectonics may include more than a single episode and it may be useful to extend underwater observations below the first submerged notch. In this context, this work focuses in the Aegean region, an area characterized by extensional tectonics, where subsidence prevails, related to the subduction of the Mediterranean floor below the Hellenic arc, where Quaternary uplift trends tend to prevail. In some islands of Cyclades and Sporades, there is evidence of the occurrence of repeated rapid subsidences during the Late Holocene. In this paper, the shape of tidal notches that may well be preserved underwater is recalled in order to reconstruct sequences of coseismic subsidences and other relative sea-level changes that occurred during at least the last few millennia. A re-analysis of already published measurements of submerged tidal notches in several islands reveals that subsidence trends in many areas of the Aegean are not continuous and gradual, but the result of repeated coseismic vertical subsidences of some decimetres at each time. The estimated average return times are of the order of approximately some centuries to one millennium. Although the results cannot be used for short-term predictions of earthquakes, they may provide useful indications about the long-term tectonic trends that are active in the Aegean region.

We introduce a new method to localize lightwaves. We show how the interaction of a gain medium with a planar deep-UV plasmonic heterostructure, at its zero-vg point, strongly localizes light. A quantum-coherent drive provides a means to control the localization and dramatically improve the dynamics. © OSA 2015.

We introduce a new method to localize lightwaves. We show how the interaction of a gain medium with a planar deep-UV plasmonic heterostructure, at its zero-vg point, strongly localizes light. A quantum-coherent drive provides a means to control the localization and dramatically improve the dynamics. © 2015 OSA.

Relativistic jets in active galactic nuclei (AGN) are among the most powerful astrophysical objects discovered to date. Indeed, jetted AGN studies have been considered a prominent science case for SKA, and were included in several different chapters of the previous SKA Science Book (Carilli & Rawlings 2004). Most of the fundamental questions about the physics of relativistic jets still remain unanswered, and await high-sensitivity radio instruments such as SKA to solve them. These questions will be addressed specially through analysis of the massive data sets arising from the deep, all-sky surveys (both total and polarimetric flux) from SKA1. Wide-field very-long-baseline-interferometric survey observations involving SKA1 will serve as a unique tool for distinguishing between extragalactic relativistic jets and star forming galaxies via brightness temperature measurements. Subsequent SKA1 studies of relativistic jets at different resolutions will allow for unprecedented cosmological studies of AGN jets up to the epoch of re-ionization, enabling detailed characterization of the jet composition, magnetic field, particle populations, and plasma properties on all scales. SKA will enable us to study the dependence of jet power and star formation on other properties of the AGN system. SKA1 will enable such studies for large samples of jets, while VLBI observations involving SKA1 will provide the sensitivity for pc-scale imaging, and SKA2 (with its extraordinary sensitivity and dynamic range) will allow us for the first time to resolve and model the weakest radio structures in the most powerful radio-loud AGN.

Relativistic jets in active galactic nuclei (AGN) are among the most powerful astrophysical objects discovered to date. Indeed, jetted AGN studies have been considered a prominent science case for SKA, and were included in several different chapters of the previous SKA Science Book (Carilli & Rawlings 2004). Most of the fundamental questions about the physics of relativistic jets still remain unanswered, and await high-sensitivity radio instruments such as SKA to solve them. These questions will be addressed specially through analysis of the massive data sets arising from the deep, all-sky surveys (both total and polarimetric flux) from SKA1. Wide-field very-long-baseline-interferometric survey observations involving SKA1 will serve as a unique tool for distinguishing between extragalactic relativistic jets and star forming galaxies via brightness temperature measurements. Subsequent SKA1 studies of relativistic jets at different resolutions will allow for unprecedented cosmological studies of AGN jets up to the epoch of re-ionization, enabling detailed characterization of the jet composition, magnetic field, particle populations, and plasma properties on all scales. SKA will enable us to study the dependence of jet power and star formation on other properties of the AGN system. SKA1 will enable such studies for large samples of jets, while VLBI observations involving SKA1 will provide the sensitivity for pc-scale imaging, and SKA2 (with its extraordinary sensitivity and dynamic range) will allow us for the first time to resolve and model the weakest radio structures in the most powerful radio-loud AGN.

The present paper presents measurements of water flow and suspended particulate material of Pinios River (Thessaly) during the hydrological year 2013/2014. The measurements were carried out in two positions before Pinios enters the agricultural deltaic plain and one inside the delta. Furthermore, an effort is made to estimate the water contribution to Pinios by the springs of Tempi valley and the quantity of water being diverted to the old river bed for irrigation purposes. These measurements were compared to corresponding data from the hydrological year 2012/13 and the significant differences that arose can be attributed to decreased rainfall and probably to the operation of a gate valve in Girtoni, that was initiated in the dry period of 2014.

Relativistic jets can be modeled as magnetohydrodynamic flows. We analyze the related equations and discuss the involved acceleration mechanisms, their relation to the collimation, to the jet confinement by its environment, and to possible rarefaction waves triggered by pressure imbalances.

We call monomer a B-DNA base-pair and study electron or hole oscillations in monomers, dimers and trimers. We employ two Tight Binding (TB) approaches: (I) at the base-pair level, using the on-site energies of the base-pairs and the hopping parameters between successive base-pairs and (II) at the single-base level, using the on-site energies of the bases and the hopping parameters between neighboring bases. With (II), for monomers, we predict oscillations with frequency f ≈ 50-550 THz. With (I), for dimers, we predict oscillations with f ≈ 0.25-100THz, for trimers made of identical monomers f ≈ 0.5-33 THz. In other cases, the oscillations may be not strictly periodic, but Fourier analysis shows similar frequency content. For dimers, we compare approaches (I) and (II). Finally, we present calculations with (III) RealTime Time-Dependent Density Functional Theory (RT-TDDFT) for the adenine-thymine (A-T) and the guanine-cytosine (G-C) base-pairs. It seems that a non conventional source or receiver of electromagnetic radiation with f from fractions to THz to just below PHz could be envisaged. 

• ISSN: 15599450
• ISBN: 978-193414230-1

Different types of sea level indicators, (e.g. geomorphological, biological and archaeological) have been used in the Eastern Mediterranean in order to assess Late Quaternary coastal evolution and relative sea level (RSL) changes. Among them, beachrocks have often been used to assess Holocene shoreline evolution and tectonically induced RSL changes in the Aegean sea. Open debate about the cementation environment and the accuracy of beachrocks as sea level indicators is still present in literature: However, in several recent studies beachrocks have been proven useful in the absence of other sea level indicators or when coupled with other available sea level indicators. In particular, the combined analysis of erosional (e.g. tidal notches) and depositional sea level indicators has great significance given the fact that erosional indicators, although more precise for RSL studies, rarely preserve dateable materials, which are more frequent in depositional landforms. In this context, we carried out a detailed mapping of beachrocks in Paros and Naxos islands (Cyclades, Central Aegean Sea). In most sites, multiple generations of beachrocks were identified, at depths varying between the present mean sea level and -6.3 m. Beachrock slabs were also sampled and thin sections were carried out for petrographic and microstratigraphic analyses, aiming to characterize the constituents, the presence of bioclasts as well as the type of the cements. In order to provide an age estimate for sea level changes in the study area during the late Holocene, beachrock samples were dated using the Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) method. The study focused on both quartz and feldspar. The first OSL age estimates are presented in this study. In the last 15 years, a number of geomorphological and geoarchaeological investigations were carried out to assess the relative sea level changes in this area. Therefore, we correlated beachrocks with previously published data such as submerged tidal notches, cores on coastal lagoons and submerged archaeological remains. Here we present the results of this multiproxy study. Our results allowed both to identify the Holocene palaeoshorelines and to place a chronological framework to the sea level changes in the broad area of central Cyclades.

Προσκεκλημένη ομιλήτρια (της HEPIS, του ECWT και του Δήμου Πεύκης-Λυκόβρυσης): «Στη χώρα μας, και όχι μόνο, παρατηρείτε τεχνοφοβία ή ψηφιακός αναλφαβητισμός που σχετίζετε ειδικά με το φύλο, υπογράμμισε στην εισήγησή της στο συνέδριο ACTIVE WOMEN η Ειρήνη Καμπερίδου, Επίκουρη Καθηγήτρια Κοινωνιολογίας του Πανεπιστημίου Αθηνών και  μέλος της Εκτελεστικής Επιτροπής του European Centre for Women and Technology (ECWT). Αναφέρθηκε και στην έρευνα της Δρ. Όλγας Παντούλη, η οποία στο νέο βιβλίο της με τίτλο «Αφηγήσεις ζωής Ελληνίδων επιστημόνων: η εξέλιξη στους τομείς της Φυσικής, των Μαθηματικών, της Μηχανικής και της Τεχνολογίας», επισημαίνει ότι οι περισσότεροι φοιτητές/τριες που επισκέπτονται τις ακαδημαϊκές βιβλιοθήκες μας αποφεύγουν ή δυσκολεύονται να χειριστούν τον υπολογιστή για αναζήτηση βιβλιογραφίας, κ.ά.   Από την άλλη πλευρά, η κυρία Καμπερίδου τόνισε ότι "τα ερευνητικά δεδομένα δείχνουν ότι οι γυναίκες βρίσκονται ένα βήμα μπροστά από τους άντρες όσον αφορά κάποιες δεξιότητες, όπως η επικοινωνιακή-κοινωνική  νοημοσύνη: ξέρουν να ακούν, να μοιράζονται και να δέχονται την κριτική, έχουν ανοιχτό μυαλό και ομαδικό πνεύμα, δεν είναι αυταρχικές, χτίζουν συναίνεση, αναλαμβάνουν τον ρόλο του διαμεσολαβητή-ειρηνοποιού και δημιουργούν κίνητρα συνεργασίας. Η σημερινή οικονομία απαιτεί αυτές τις αποκαλούμενες ‘θηλυκές δεξιότητες’, τις οποίες υιοθετούν όλο και περισσότεροι άνδρες επιχειρηματίες και στελέχη σήμερα, δεδομένου ότι εταιρείες που απασχολούν γυναίκες εμφανίζουν κατά μέσο όρο περισσότερα κέρδη και βιωσιμότητα."  Ωστόσο,  όπως υπογράμμισε στην εισήγησή της η κυρία Καμπερίδου, μολονότι έρευνες τεκμηριώνουν ότι η συλλογική νοημοσύνη μιας ομάδας αυξάνεται όταν συμμετέχουν γυναίκες, «δεν μπορούμε να τα κάνουμε όλα! Δεν υπάρχει η superwoman όπως δεν υπάρχει ο  superman!», τονίζει ότι το multi-tasking, δηλαδή η ταυτόχρονη εκτέλεση πολλών εργασιών/υποχρεώσεων, στο οποίο συνήθως επιδίδεται το γυναικείο φύλο οδηγεί στην αποτυχία. Καταλήγοντας, παρουσίασε συμβουλές (tips) από πετυχημένες και καταξιωμένες γυναίκες επιχειρηματίες και στελέχη  της χώρας μας.» (Η Τεχνολογία στην Υπηρεσία των Γυναικών, 13 Οκτωβρίου 2015: Business News / Τεχνολογία  http://www.businessnews.gr/article/21615/i-tehnologia-stin-ypiresia-ton-gynaikon   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Καμπερίδου, Ειρήνη (2015). «Γυναίκα και Τεχνολογία: η Ελληνική πραγματικότητα». Εισήγηση  στο συνέδριο "Active Women":  Η Τεχνολογία στην Υπηρεσία των Γυναικών,   Δημαρχείο Λυκόβρυσης-Πεύκης,  28/9/2015.  Διοργάνωση: Δίκτυο Επαγγελματιών Πληροφορικής (HePIS) με τη στήριξη του Δήμου Λυκόβρυσης-Πεύκης και του  ECWT – European Centre for Women and Technology (http://www.ecwt.eu) https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.895337420552195.1073741905.100002278359788&type=1&l=e35f9250fa   Kamberidou, Irene (2015).  “Women and Technology in Greek society”. Presentation at the conference  “Active Women”: Technology in the Service of Women, at the Municipality of Lykovirtssi-Pefki, Greece, Sept. 28, 2015. Organized by the Hellenic Professionals Informatics Society (HePIS) with the support of the ECWT and the Municipality of Lykovrisi-Pefki. [presentation in Greek] https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.895337420552195.1073741905.100002278359788&type=1&l=e35f9250fa  

Αυτή η εργασία προβαίνει σε ένα προβληματισμό ο οποίος έχει να κάνει με τη σχέση του αθλητισμού και το «επιχερείν», και ειδικά την ενδυνάμωση ηγετικών δεξιοτήτων  μέσω του  Αθλητισμού. Θα αναζητήσουμε απάντηση στο ερώτημα αν ο αθλητισμός προάγει στοιχεία που είναι σημαντικά για το «επιχειρείν», δηλαδή για την επιχειρηματικότητα και την επαγγελματική επιτυχία μετά το πέρας της αθλητικής καριέρας.  Πράγματι, υπάρχουν  πολλά παραδείγματα για το πώς ο αθλητισμός συμβάλλει στην ανάπτυξη ηγετικών δεξιοτήτων και στη βελτίωση της εταιρικής επίδοσης.  Το γεγονός αυτό  αναδεικνύεται και σε πρόσφατες έρευνες και συνεντεύξεις με πρώην αθλητές και αθλήτριες που ακολούθησαν άλλη καριέρα μετά το πέρας της αθλητικής τους σταδιοδρομίας.  Ερευνητικά στοιχεία τεκμηριώνουν ότι ένας αθλητικός προσανατολισμός , ή ένα ιστορικό αθλητικής εμπειρίας μπορεί να αποτελέσει χρήσιμο εργαλείο, όσον αφορά στην επιχειρηματικότητα και ειδικά όσον αφορά στην καλλιέργεια και ανάπτυξη ηγετικών δεξιοτήτων.  Ερευνητικά στοιχεία αναδυκνείουν ότι οι  δεξιότητες που κάνουν τους ανθρώπους πετυχημένους  ηγέτες (leaders) συνδέονται άμεσα με τον ομαδικό αθλητισμό και με τον υψηλό ανταγωνισμό: αυτοπεποίθηση,  δημιουργικότητα, να οραματίζεσαι το στόχο σου, αποφασιστικότητα, επιμονή,  αφοσίωση, επικοινωνία, διαίσθηση,  οργανωτικές ικανότητες, κ.ά.  Αναλυτικότερα, πως ο αθλητισμός συμβάλλει στην ανάπτυξη της επιχειρηματικών και ηγετικών δεξιοτήτων ¨ τη γυναικεία συμμετοχή ¨ Τι σημαίνει επιχειρηματικότητα (entrepreneurship) σήμερα; ¨ Αθλητική ή Ολυμπιακή επιχειρηματικότητα (Olympic or sport entrepreneur /sport entrepreneurship) ¨ «Επιχειρώντας αλλιώς»: κοινωνική επιχειρηματικότητα (social entrepreneurs- social entrepreneurship-social enterprises) ¨ Γυναικεία Επιχειρηματικότητα. Επισυνάπτεται διαφάνεια: ΕΝΔΥΝΑΜΩΣΗ ΗΓΕΤΙΚΩΝ ΔΕΞΙΟΤΗΤΩΝ ΚΑΙ ΑΘΛΗΤΙΣΜΟΣ . ---------------------------------------------------------------------------When citing/ για παραπομπή:   Καμπερίδου, Ειρήνη (2015). «Η Γυναικεία Αθλητική και Κοινωνική Επιχειρηματικότητα στην Εποχή της Κρίσης: Ενδυνάμωση Ηγετικών Δεξιοτήτων & Αθλητισμός». Εισήγηση στην Ημερίδα ΑΘΛΗΤΙΣΜΟΣ ΚΑΙ ΚΟΙΝΩΝΙΑ, του Τομέα Θεωρητικών Επιστημών της Σχολής Επιστήμης, Φυσικής Αγωγής και Αθλητισμού (Σ.Ε.Φ.Α.Α.), ΤΕΦΑΑ του Πανεπιστημίου Αθηνών (ΕΚΠΑ), 14/03/2015, Δάφνη  ***Kamberidou, I. (2015). “Women’s sport and social entrepreneurship in times of crisis: empowering leadership skills & Sport”. Presentation at the Sport & Society Workshop, March 14, 2015, organized by the Theoretical and Social Sciences Department of the School of Physical Education and Sport Science, University of Athens (UOA) [in Greek]. sport_and_social_entrepreneurs_1.3.2015.pdf

Εισαγωγή: Η Πετοσφαίριση είναι ένα άθλημα το οποίο απαιτεί συνεχείς επαναλαμβανόμενες προσπάθειες υψηλής έντασης (Kuslinger et al, 1987) ενώ παράλληλα περιλαμβάνει πολλές κινητικές δεξιότητες. Σύμφωνα με τους Ziv & Lidor (2010) η σημαντικότερη παράμετρος στην Πετοσφαίριση είναι το κατακόρυφο άλμα. Σε αντίθεση οι Gabbett et al (2007) απέδειξαν ότι οι τεχνικές επιδεξιότητες συνεισφέρουν περισσότερο καθώς μπορούν να προβλέπουν καλύτερα την επιλογή ή όχι εφήβων ταλαντούχων παικτών. Σκοπός της παρούσας μελέτης ήταν να προσδιοριστούν οι μεταβλητές που σχετίζονται περισσότερομε την επιλογή νεαρών πετοσφαιριστών για την Εθνική ομάδα Παμπαίδων (14-15ετών).Μέθοδος: Το δείγμα αποτέλεσαν αθλητές της κατηγορίας Παμπαίδων (n=43) οι οποίοι υποβλήθηκαν σε σωματομετρήσεις (σωματικό ύψος και βάρος, ύψος με το χέρι στην ανάταση, σωματικό λίπος) και κινητικά τεστ (κατακόρυφο άλμα (CMJ), άλμα μπλοκ, άλμα επίθεσης, τεστ ευκινησίας 505, δρόμος ταχύτητας 10m). Τέσσερις έμπειροι προπονητές βαθμολόγησαν τον κάθε παίκτη με κλίμακα 0-100κατά τη διάρκεια αγώνων διαχωρίζοντας τους αθλητές σε επιλεγόμενους και μη. Πραγματοποιήθηκε διακριτική ανάλυση για να εκτιμήσει ποιές αξιολογούμενες μεταβλητές μπορούν να προβλέψουν την εκτίμηση των προπονητών. Αποτελέσματα: Από την ανάλυση προέκυψε μια διακριτική συνάρτηση που διαχώρισε σημαντικά τις ομάδες (λ=0.69; Χ2=15.12; p=0.001; η2=0.12). Το κατακόρυφο άλμα (CMJ) ήταν η μόνη σημαντική παράμετρος που φόρτισε τη συνάρτηση (r=0.85). Η ακρίβεια της διακριτικής εξίσωσης ήταν υψηλή καθώς το ποσοστό σωστού διαχωρισμού με την προσέγγιση της διασταυρούμενης επικύρωσης ήταν 72.1%. Συζήτηση: Τα αποτελέσματα της μελέτης δείχνουν ότι το κατακόρυφο άλμα μπορεί να διαχωρίσει με επιτυχία νεαρούς Πετοσφαιριστές ηλικίας 14-15 ετών σε επιλεγόμενους ή μη για το επίπεδο Εθνικής ομάδας Παμπαίδων και ίσως αποτελεί τη σημαντικότερη παράμετρο αξιολόγησης στην εύρεση νέων ταλέντων στην Πετοσφαίριση.

Στὴν παροῦσα Εἰσήγηση ἀναφερόμεθα καὶ ἐμβαθύνομε σὲ ὡρισμένες πτυχὲς τοῦ ζητήματος τῆς ἐπιλύσεως τοῦ Κυπριακοῦ ἀναφορικῶς πρὸς τὰ Πλάσματα ∆ικαίου τὰ χρησιμοποιούμενα ἀπὸ φορεῖς τῆς διεθνοῦς, λεγομένης, κοινότητος πρὸς ἐπίλυσιν τοῦ Κυπριακοῦ μέσῳ τῆς λεγομένης ∆∆Ο, ὅπως καὶ τὰ ∆ιεθνῆ ἐγκλήματα ποὺ τὰ ἀνωτέρω πλάσματα δικαίου συγκαλύπτουν καὶ νομιμοποιοῦν, μὲ ἀποτέλεσμα νὰ δημιουργοῦν προϋποθέσεις γιὰ χαοτικὴ διχοτόμηση στὴν καταργηθησομένη "μετεξελιχθεῖσα" Κυπριακὴ ∆ημοκρατία. 1) Ὑποστηρίζομε ὅτι βασικοὶ πυλῶνες τῶν διαφόρων σχεδίων καὶ προτάσεων ἐπιλύσεως τοῦ Κυπριακοῦ, οἱ ὁποῖοι διαχρονικῶς ἀποτελοῦν τὴν βάση τῶν διαπραγματεύσεων, συνιστοῦν δικαϊκὰ πλάσματα. Θὰ παρουσιασθεῖ τί μπορεῖ νὰ ὑποδηλώνει ἡ ἀνάγκη χρήσεως τόσων πλασμάτων δικαίου, καὶ μάλιστα ἐπὶ θεμελιωδῶν ρυθμίσεων ἐπιλύσεως τοῦ Κυπριακοῦ, καὶ πῶς μπορεῖ τὸ γεγονὸς αὐτὸ νὰ ἐπηρεάσει τὴν λειτουργικότητα τοῦ προτεινομένου ὑποδείγματος ἱδρύσεως καὶ διακυβερνήσεως. 2) Παραλλήλως, ἐξετάζεται τὸ ζήτημα τῆς ἐκ τῶν ὑστέρων νομιμοποιήσεως παρανόμων καταστάσεων καὶ πῶς ἡ διαχείρισις καὶ ἐπίλυσις τοῦ Κυπριακοῦ μπορεῖ νὰ λειτουργήσει δικαιοπαραγωγικῶς. 3) Ἐπὶ πλέον, ἀναλύεται τὸ ζήτημα τῆς συνεχίσεως ἢ διαδοχῆς τῆς Κυπριακῆς ∆ημοκρατίας, καὶ ἐξετάζεται τὶ μπορεῖ νὰ συνεπάγεται γιὰ τὴν νομικὴ ἀντιμετώπιση τῶν τελεσθέντων ἀπὸ τὴν τουρκικὴ πλευρὰ διεθνῶν ἐγκλημάτων στὴν Κύπρο.

The legislative framework in Greece regarding environmental flows is based mostly on hydromorphological criteria with little respect to the biotic elements of the rivers ecosystem. Nevertheless, the European Framework Directive (2000/60) outlines the importance of several groups of aquatic organisms that can be used as indices and provide valuable information about the water needs of the riverine ecosystem. Towards this direction, a habitat modelling approach was applied in this study to simulate and assess the alterations of the Weighted Usable Area (WUA) using existing habitat suitability criteria (HSC) for brown trout (adults and juvenile). Brown trout was selected because it is the most recreationally and economically important species in the study areas. Habitat models are designed for a wide variety of planning applications where habitat ecology is an important consideration in the decision process. Habitat Suitability Index curves used in this study describe the instream suitability of the habitat variables most closely related to stream hydraulics and channel structure (e.g., velocity, depth) for two life stages of the brown trout (adults and juvenile). The Brown Trout data are used provisionally to the complete absence of any local HSI development. For this preliminary application, depth and velocity values were converted into their corresponding habitat suitability index values using a GIS software. Among the HSC examined here, there were those that were cited by Boove (1978) and Raleigh et al (1986) and their development is based on literature sources or professional opinion. The demonstration applied here clearly identifies some of the utility in using HSC to potentially identify critical low-flow periods, where additional flow reductions may adversely affect water use, recreation, and aquatic species. The proposed method should be complemented with the ecological information of native fish species, and tested for transferability in other regions of Greece.

A geophysical research was carried out to investigate the lithostarigraphic substratum characteristics of the dune field of the central Kyparissiakos Gulf (W. Peloponnese, Greece), which is characterised by the presence of four dune lines. For this purpose, the geophysical techniques of Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) and Vertical Electrical Soundings (VES) were applied, along with detailed morphological mapping and the collection of geological and geomorphological information. The processing of the geophysical data that were collected from two ERT soundings, perpendicular to the general direction of the dune lines, and seven geoelectrical soundings revealed four geoelectrical layers with the two surficial resistive layers adumbrating the extent and thickness of the four sand dune ridges and the associated slags. The third layer, corresponding to the underlying geoelectrical formation of 50–75 Ohm.m, is interpreted as a layer of transgressive Holocene deposits saturated with fresh water, while the deepest geoelectrically identified layer seems to correspond to the “Neda” formation, which consists of marls, sandy marls and conglomerates. It is concluded that the combined application of the aforementioned techniques has the potential to provide valuable data for the investigation of complex coastal depositional environments.

In this contribution we present some preliminary findings on the chemical quality of groundwaters of the deltaic plain of R. Pinios (Thessaly), as part of the implementation of the project THALISDAPHNE. Samples were obtained from 13 groundwater drillings on a seasonal basis during the hydrological year 2012 - 2013 and analyzed for major ions, nutrients, dissolved organic carbon and trace metals. Temperature, pH, conductivity and salinity were measured in situ. In order to evaluate the groundwater quality, we compare the data obtained against the Hellenic legislation threshold values and FAO guidelines for irrigation waters. Conductivity ranged from 230 to 9180 μS/cm. Exceedance of the 700 μS/cm threshold (Type I water FAO) in 71% of the samples suggests slight to moderate restrictions in irrigation. In two drillings (No 10, 13) maximum permissible limits of conductivity, sodium and chloride concentrations were exceeded particularly in summer and autumn. Some exceedances of guidelines were also identified for nitrates and ammonium. Concentrations of dissolved trace metals, were generally below the limits, with the exception of Zn, however some concern has been raised in terms of increased levels of total dissolved Cr in drilling No. 15 (8.3 - 37.9 μg/L). On the basis of our results degradation of groundwater quality was identified together with seasonal salinization; these two factors corroborate to the need for sustainable groundwater use especially in months with increased demands for water supplies.

The changes of regulations affect the development of all sports. In volleyball one of the key changes in the 1998 regulations was that players were allowed to pass the float serve with upper head pass technique. The outcome of this change was the use of this as main technique by numerous players mostly in float serve. At the last congress of the FIVB proposed repealing regulation, ' as in volleyball on sand, but was not accepted. Reception serve is part of the syndrome 1 Volleyball and important to the success of attack, but also for the game success, while the speed of the attack in Volleyball Men is a predictor for the final result of the game.The purpose of this research is to highlight the differences in the effectiveness of the attack syndrome1 Volleyball depending on the type of pass to the float serve or jump from the ground. The data comes from recording the technical skill of the pass after float serve (N >15.500) of 176 games performance teams (88 races for 2 groups) of the season 2012‐13 A1 National Men category . The technical skills are assessed (dropping to 5‐level ordinal scale) the type of pass used (with U.h or L.h) , the zone in which the passer is located (in nominal scale six levels) , the zone of which the attack took place (in nominal range 5 levels) ,and the efficiency of theattack (on regular 3‐level scale) . The interatomic control of reliability was tested with the log Cohen K coefficient and weighted Coehn K.For the statistical processing of data applied logistic regression by the method of maximum probabilities. Results showed that all the passes with L.h technique were more than the total passes with UH technique and efficacy of attack after the L.h is better, than the effectiveness of the attack after the UH pass technique.

During the implementation of fieldwork for the “Ecoflow” Cooperation project, in Acheloos River, Trikala Prefecture, Central Greece, 10 unstructured sediment samples were extracted from 3 sites along the river banks for measurements and analysis. The samples were taken from the areas of Drosochori (DR 1, DR 2 & DR 3), Aspropotamos (ASP 1 & ASP 3) and Mesochora (KOR 1, KOR 2, MES 1, MES 2, & MES 4). For granulometric analysis of the samples, the Folk &Ward method (2222) was used. As it was resulted, all samples are classified as gravelly sands to sandy gravels, poorly to very poorly sorted, very coarse to very fine skewed and platykurtic to mesokurtic. The ΧRD mineralogical analysis showed that in all the samples quartz is the major component. Calcite or dolomite [one sample] content is ranging between major through medium values. The presence of the magnesian calcite, which was found in two samples, is most likely attributed to biological sources (i.e. epiphytes, shells, etc), as commonly occur white colonies of small coral-like assemblages stack on the permanently wet pebbles observed close to the river banks. Sodium feldspars predominantly albite] are present in half of the samples as medium component and as trace component in the other half. By contrast, potassium feldspars [mainly orthoclase] are always present in minor/trace amounts. The presence of clay minerals, when considered as a group, is that of a medium or minor component. As the clay minerals content increases, the water has more suspended particles, so the river's turbidity during stormy events is strongly influenced. The higher content of clay minerals in the samples of Mesochora (downstream) indicates a different source of sediment from that of the other samples. By comparing the mineralogical analysis results with river water chemical analysis results from the same sampling sites, it becomes evident that the analyzed sediments do not provide the river waters with ions, as can be deduced from the low content of alkalies and alkaline earth metals. Sulphates and chlorides were detected in trace amounts in the water samples, whereas no sulphate minerals or halides there were detected in the sediments analysed. It is therefore concluded that there is not any buried evsaporite source in the vicinity of the sampling areas. In addition, the significantly low content of nitrates, nitrites and ammonia demonstrate the nonexistent contamination from biogenic factors. Another factor that plays a crucial role in the ecological status of the river is the availability of sediment for the development and maintenance of suitable habitats for the icthyofauna. The composition and structure of sediments affect their transportation and deposition behaviour which impacts the substrate of the river habitats. To assess this aspect in the study area, habitat suitability curves for specific fish species have been used that describe the best substrate for the necessary river habitats to support the breeding and reproduction of the particular fish species. The representation of the sample sediments in the substrate types required has been estimated by combining the results from habitat mapping, suitability curves and the sediment analyses. The results indicated that the type of material available in the particular river segments is appropriate for the maintenance and development of the habitat types that are required for a good ecological status.

A geophysical survey was carried out in the archaeological site of Kyparissia (Megalopolis, Greece) applying the Very Low Frequency technique, as preliminary combined with highly detailed Electrical Resistivity Tomography. Settlements of the ancient city of Trapezous (limestone slabs 0.5m height × 0.5m width) have already been uncovered from the local Ephorate of Prehistorical and Classical Antiquities, revealing a regularly planned town of the classical period. The geophysical research was performed at the non-excavated area of the plain, vicinal to the already exposed remaining, where, according to the expected geometry, the buried walls and drainage channel should be continued to. Fifteen parallel sections with distance 5m and spacing interval 1m were carried out. The processing with the application of Fraser and Karous-Hjelt filters led to the construction of respective maps, indicating some resistive lineation which could be a result of the buried settlements. Moreover, two detailed ERT sections were carried out with spacing 0.20 and 0.25m and total length 200m. The processing using the robust inversion, which is indicated for such environments, adumbrates quite clearly a sharp resistive target that could be the limestone slabs of the ancient walls or drainage channels, confirming the expected lineated geometry of the town.

In the present paper we aim to examine MusicTechnology through the lens of the ethical issuestypically raised in the field of Philosophy of Technologyregarding technological practices other than musiccomposition, performance, reproduction and distribution.With this analysis we will try not only to highlightseveral ethical facts about the practice of developing andusing digital tools for music but also to stress on the factthat Music Technology can be a platform for vigorousphilosophical meditation.

A geophysical survey was performed at selected locations of Mt. Oiti and Mt. Kallidromon characterized by the hosting of priority habits of Mediterranean temporary ponds and the threatened plant species of Veronica oetaea, in order to understand the geoenvironment and contribute to the conservation of biodiversity. Primarily, the formation of these seasonal ponds, where Veronica oetaea occurs, seems to depend exclusively on the local hydrogeological regime. Thus, we investigated the subsurface structure of “Livadies” and “Nevropolis” ponds with the application of Electrical Resistivity Tomography for high accuracy information and Vertical Electrical Sounding for deeper data acquisition. Four ERT sections and 15 geoelectrical soundings in total were carried out. The combined results of their processing revealed differences at the geological structure beneath the ponds locations. At “Livadies” pond (Mt. Oiti), two geoelectrical layers were distinguished both corresponding to a folded flysch succession, contributing to the formation of this pond. On the contrary, at “Nevropolis” pond two geoelectrical layers were identified and interpreted as a surficial soil deposit stratum covering the geomorphological karst structure of a polje, created on the underlying limestones. The combined geophysical research offered significant data for the formation and the hydrogeological status of the priority habitats.

This study aims at defining the groundwater flow regime and the principal hydro-geochemical processes controlling groundwater quality in the deltaic plain of River Pinios (ThessalyGreece) and investigating whether seawater intrusion and pollution are influencing groundwater quality. Groundwater level monitoring from October 2012 to September 2013 shows that groundwater flow is seawards and that the water table of the phreatic aquifer is mainly declining during the summer period when it is over-pumping and natural recharge limited. Major ions analysed in 49 groundwater samples reveal that groundwater is mainly affected by four factors: (i) dissolution of calcite and dolomite; (ii) weathering of silicate minerals; (iii) seawater intrusion; and (iv) contaminant enrichment (e.g., NH4) mainly caused by point sources of pollution. High enrichment of Na and Cl near the coast gives an indication of seawater intrusion into the aquifer as also supported from the Na–Cl signature on the Piper diagram and the Revelle coefficient. The dissolution of calcite and dolomite results in Ca–HCO3 and Mg–HCO3 groundwater types, whereas natural geochemical processes are considered responsible for the aquifer's enrichment in minor elements (e.g., Fe, Mn). Based on the simulation results performed using PHREEQC model, groundwater is mainly supersaturated with respect to calcite and dolomite minerals, supporting a long residence time hypothesis. The relation between seasonal water level fluctuation and hydrochemistry shows that both are mainly controlled by the aquifer's recharge process.

The aim of this study is to describe and assess changes in physical attributes of mesohabitat types in response to different flows in a Greek mountainous river. Hydraulic simulations were applied using two one-dimensional hydraulic models, MIKE 11 and HEC-RAS. The differences between the two models were analyzed by comparing their outputs against in situ measurements. A 200 m reach in Acheloos river was chosen as study site (Mesochora upstream) mainly because it is located in relatively undisturbed conditions (near reference conditions according to the Water Framework Directive) but also because there is intense interest for the construction of small hydroelectric plants in this area and in other mountainous rivers. For the calibration process cross-sectional transects were established perpendicular to the river flow. Transects were typically placed in areas representative of the various habitat types, proportionally determined by a habitat mapping process at a larger stream segment. Each transect was permanently marked with metal rods to allow repeated measurements in time. A 2D topographic survey was conducted and field data (water level and velocity) were collected at the transects. Also, a gauging station was installed downstream of the reach in order to provide water level data in an hourly step. Hydraulic models were applied and calibrated over a range of flows and river stages using past measurements. For selecting the control transects a thorough analysis of various parameters, such as habitat representativity, streambed slope and substrate types, was applied. In this way the habitat changes were described based on various flow scenarios over time. In a later step the results from the hydraulic models will be combined with fish habitat simulation curves (HSCs) focusing on the integration of mesohabitat and microhabitat types in the environmental flow assessment scheme.

Saudi Aramco is the oil industry of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with several activities related to the environment. In order to optimize daily operations and minimize environmental risks a forecasting system has been employed and setup in operations. The objectives of the system include prevention and mitigation of environmental problems, as well as early warning of local conditions associated with extreme weather events. The management and operations part is related to early warning of weather and dust storms that affect operations of various facilities, whereas the environmental part is mainly focused on air quality and desert dust levels in the atmosphere.

A significant earthquake sequence was initiated on 26 January 2014 at the western part of the Kefallinia Island. The study area is located in the Ionian Sea (W. Greece) at the northwestern end of the Hellenic Arc – Trench, in a region dominated by the Kefallinia - Lefkada transform fault, which exhibits dextral strike–slip motion at a rate of 2–3 cm year−1During the historical period, until 1900, 13 earthquakes with magnitude Μ≥6.0, have been reported in the Kefallinia region. The strongest event, of magnitude 7.4 and intensity X at Lixouri, occurred on 4 February 1867 (Papazachos and Papazachou, 2003; Stucchi et al., 2012). Major destructions were reported at the villages of the Paliki peninsula, while in Lixouri only two houses did not collapse. Ground ruptures were observed, as well as a tsunami of small height. Rock falls and liquefactions also occurred. In the Paliki peninsula 2612 houses collapsed, while only 4 in Argostoli, the capital and major town of the Kefallinia Island. Since 1900, 11 earthquakes with magnitude Μs≥6.0 occurred (Makropoulos et al., 2012) in the region. Five of them took place in 1953, four of which during August. The largest event had a magnitude equal to 7.3 and maximum intensity X+ in Argostoli. This earthquake was preceded by two strong events (Ms=6.1 and 6.8). The Ionian islands of Kefallinia, Zakynthos and Ithaca suffered very severe damages. Among the 33300 houses, 27659 collapsed. The highest intensities (IX-X) were observed, among other locations, at Argostoli, Lixouri and Valsamata. Thirty years later, on 17 January 1983, an event with magnitude Ms=7.0 occurred approximately 30 km SW of Lixouri, causing moderate damage. The most recent moderate event (Mw=5.6) occurred on 25 March 2007, 5 km NE of Mirtos Bay. (Kahle et al., 1996; Cocard et al., 1999). This region is situated between the Hellenic subduction zone to the south and the Apulia - Eurasian collision zone to the north. Focal mechanisms reveal right-lateral strike-slip motion (Anderson and Jackson, 1987; Jackson and McKenzie, 1988), coherent with geodetic data, according to which the slip motion has a NNE–SSW direction (Cocard et al., 1999; Jenny et al., 2004).On Sunday 26 January 2014 (13:55 GMT) a strong shallow earthquake of magnitude Mw=6.1 occurred in the study area. The epicenter is located about 2 km NE of Lixouri. It is worth noting that no significant earthquake sequence was recorded at the Paliki Penisula during the last decades. The main shock and the aftershock sequence were recorded by seismographs of the Hellenic Unified Seismological Network (HUSN), which involves the Seismological Laboratories of the Athens and  Patras Universities, the Department of Geophysics of the Thessaloniki University and the Geodynamic Institute of the National Observatory of Athens (GI-NOA).Ground motion of the 26-1-2014 mainshock (Mw=6.1) was recorded by three permanent accelerographs located in Argostoli, Lixouri and Vassilikiades (ITSAK-EPPO, GI-NOA) with the response spectra in Lixouri indicating high horizontal acceleration. Moreover, the vertical component exhibited high spectral acceleration at a lower period when compared to the horizontal ones. Similar pattern is observed for the next strong event, which occurred on February 3, 2014 (Mw=5.9). A temporary accelerograph installed complementary to the permanent stations by GI-NOA in Chavriata, south of Lixouri, recorded an effective acceleration of 1g for the latter event, surprisingly exceeding the Greek Seismic Code provisions (0.36 g), being the highest recorded in Greece.The aftershock sequence was intense, while five hours after the mainshock, an aftershock of magnitude Μw=5.2 occurred. This sequence continued for a week with more than 30 events having magnitude greater than 4.0, till the occurrence of a strong earthquake of magnitude Μw=5.9. Its epicenter was located at the northwestern part of the Paliki peninsula. The earthquake sequence consists of more than 2000 events, the focal depths of which range mainly between 4 and 18 km. The aftershocks spatial distribution indicates that the activated seismogenic area is about 30 km length, in a NNE direction, located onshore in Paliki peninsula. At least three clusters can be distinguished. It is bounded to the south by the Vardiani islet and to the north by Myrto’s bay.The source parameters determination of the two strongest events were determined using body-wave modeling and teleseismic recordings. Synthetic waves are calculated by the trial-and-error method to determine the focal mechanism, the focal depth, and the seismic moment for a single trapezoidal source time function (Papadimitriou et al., 2006). Focal mechanisms of the strongest aftershocks have also been determined using the moment tensor inversion method developed by the Seismological Laboratory of the University of Athens (Papadimitriou et al., 2012). The data used are digital waveforms, recorded in regional distances by stations of HUSN. The observed seismograms were band-pass filtered between 0.02 Hz to 0.08 Hz. Following, Green Functions were calculated using the method proposed by Bouchon (1981). The inversion method revealed strike-slip focal mechanisms, in agreement with the fault plane solutions of the two main shocks. The results point out a dextral strike-slip rupture, oriented in a NNE-SSW direction. Taking into account both the aftershock spatial distribution and the focal mechanisms, it is concluded that the activated area does not coincide with the regional catalogue seismicity that is attributed to the Kefallinia - Lefkada transform fault, located offshore. Hence, activation of a sub-parallel major fault can be considered, compatible with the active tectonics of the region, which is crucial for its seismic hazard.

A significant earthquake sequence was initiated on 26 January 2014 at the western part of the Kefallinia Island. The study area is located in the Ionian Sea (W. Greece) at the northwestern end of the Hellenic Arc – Trench, in a region dominated by the Kefallinia - Lefkada transform fault, which exhibits dextral strike–slip motion at a rate of 2–3 cm year−1During the historical period, until 1900, 13 earthquakes with magnitude Μ≥6.0, have been reported in the Kefallinia region. The strongest event, of magnitude 7.4 and intensity X at Lixouri, occurred on 4 February 1867 (Papazachos and Papazachou, 2003; Stucchi et al., 2012). Major destructions were reported at the villages of the Paliki peninsula, while in Lixouri only two houses did not collapse. Ground ruptures were observed, as well as a tsunami of small height. Rock falls and liquefactions also occurred. In the Paliki peninsula 2612 houses collapsed, while only 4 in Argostoli, the capital and major town of the Kefallinia Island. Since 1900, 11 earthquakes with magnitude Μs≥6.0 occurred (Makropoulos et al., 2012) in the region. Five of them took place in 1953, four of which during August. The largest event had a magnitude equal to 7.3 and maximum intensity X+ in Argostoli. This earthquake was preceded by two strong events (Ms=6.1 and 6.8). The Ionian islands of Kefallinia, Zakynthos and Ithaca suffered very severe damages. Among the 33300 houses, 27659 collapsed. The highest intensities (IX-X) were observed, among other locations, at Argostoli, Lixouri and Valsamata. Thirty years later, on 17 January 1983, an event with magnitude Ms=7.0 occurred approximately 30 km SW of Lixouri, causing moderate damage. The most recent moderate event (Mw=5.6) occurred on 25 March 2007, 5 km NE of Mirtos Bay. (Kahle et al., 1996; Cocard et al., 1999). This region is situated between the Hellenic subduction zone to the south and the Apulia - Eurasian collision zone to the north. Focal mechanisms reveal right-lateral strike-slip motion (Anderson and Jackson, 1987; Jackson and McKenzie, 1988), coherent with geodetic data, according to which the slip motion has a NNE–SSW direction (Cocard et al., 1999; Jenny et al., 2004). On Sunday 26 January 2014 (13:55 GMT) a strong shallow earthquake of magnitude Mw=6.1 occurred in the study area. The epicenter is located about 2 km NE of Lixouri. It is worth noting that no significant earthquake sequence was recorded at the Paliki Penisula during the last decades. The main shock and the aftershock sequence were recorded by seismographs of the Hellenic Unified Seismological Network (HUSN), which involves the Seismological Laboratories of the Athens and Patras Universities, the Department of Geophysics of the Thessaloniki University and the Geodynamic Institute of the National Observatory of Athens (GI-NOA). Ground motion of the 26-1-2014 mainshock (Mw=6.1) was recorded by three permanent accelerographs located in Argostoli, Lixouri and Vassilikiades (ITSAK-EPPO, GI-NOA) with the response spectra in Lixouri indicating high horizontal acceleration. Moreover, the vertical component exhibited high spectral acceleration at a lower period when compared to the horizontal ones. Similar pattern is observed for the next strong event, which occurred on February 3, 2014 (Mw=5.9). A temporary accelerograph installed complementary to the permanent stations by GI-NOA in Chavriata, south of Lixouri, recorded an effective acceleration of 1g for the latter event, surprisingly exceeding the Greek Seismic Code provisions (0.36 g), being the highest recorded in Greece. The aftershock sequence was intense, while five hours after the mainshock, an aftershock of magnitude Μw=5.2 occurred. This sequence continued for a week with more than 30 events having magnitude greater than 4.0, till the occurrence of a strong earthquake of magnitude Μw=5.9. Its epicenter was located at the northwestern part of the Paliki peninsula. The earthquake sequence consists of more than 2000 events, the focal depths of which range mainly between 4 and 18 km. The aftershocks spatial distribution indicates that the activated seismogenic area is about 30 km length, in a NNE direction, located onshore in Paliki peninsula. At least three clusters can be distinguished. It is bounded to the south by the Vardiani islet and to the north by Myrto’s bay. The source parameters determination of the two strongest events were determined using body-wave modeling and teleseismic recordings. Synthetic waves are calculated by the trial-and-error method to determine the focal mechanism, the focal depth, and the seismic moment for a single trapezoidal source time function (Papadimitriou et al., 2006). Focal mechanisms of the strongest aftershocks have also been determined using the moment tensor inversion method developed by the Seismological Laboratory of the University of Athens (Papadimitriou et al., 2012). The data used are digital waveforms, recorded in regional distances by stations of HUSN. The observed seismograms were band-pass filtered between 0.02 Hz to 0.08 Hz. Following, Green Functions were calculated using the method proposed by Bouchon (1981). The inversion method revealed strike-slip focal mechanisms, in agreement with the fault plane solutions of the two main shocks. The results point out a dextral strike-slip rupture, oriented in a NNE-SSW direction. Taking into account both the aftershock spatial distribution and the focal mechanisms, it is concluded that the activated area does not coincide with the regional catalogue seismicity that is attributed to the Kefallinia - Lefkada transform fault, located offshore. Hence, activation of a sub-parallel major fault can be considered, compatible with the active tectonics of the region, which is crucial for its seismic hazard.

Depuis l’année de départ de la crise, en 2008 jusqu’à ce jour, s’est révélé aux yeux des intéressés, la tendance des fonds occidentaux et des investisseurs vers la zone pacifique, où deux faits s’imposent : 1) le coût du travail moyen se situe autour de 5% et 2) le pourcentage de plus-value au niveau international est immense et du niveau 500600%, après déduction de tout coût de capital (impôts, coûts opérationnels, etc.). Ce phénomène n’a pas laissé la Russie non plus indifférente. Par ailleurs, le rythme de fonte des glaces en Arctique change la donne stratégique et offre pour le futur des perspectives de navigations pour la Russie vers le Pacifique, via le détroit de Bérin.

La direction politique turque Davoutoglou-Erdogan (dans cet ordre hiérarchique) perçoit, à long terme, la diminution de l’importance stratégique de la Turquie pour l’Occident et l’Otan. Ce phénomène est dû à la fonte des glaces dans le passage du Nord-Est (détroit de Béring) qui permettra, dans quelques années, à la Russie d’atteindre les points stratégiques de l’océan Indien en trois fois moins de temps que les Américains. Ce fait, signe des temps, réduit l’importance du rôle de la Turquie –et de la Grèce– dans l’endiguement de l’accès de la Russie aux eaux chaudes de la Méditerranée et limite donc dans une large mesure l’intérêt de cette aile sud-est de l’Otan. Ce rôle est mis en évidence par une communication consistant en un emballage idéologico-moral de l’«amitié helléno-turque», laquelle est constamment mise à mal par Ankara en mer Égée, à Chypre –pourtant État membre de l’Union européenne– dont elle occupe 38 % du territoire et de la zone économique exclusive.

On May 21st , 2013, a large series of small earthquakes initiated a cluster formation, few km to the southeast of the city of Aigion, on the southwestern coast of the Gulf of Corinth in Central Greece. Over the next ten days more than 250 shocks with M<3.4 had been reported and on May 31st a M=3.7 earthquake was strongly felt and was accompanied by more than 100 smaller shocks within a 24 hour period. On July 13th-14th another outburst was reported with the occurrence of four M=3.0-3.5 events, followed by more than 250 earthquakes for the next three days. Thereafter, the activity diminished and terminated in the beginning of August. This unexpected phenomenon alarmed the local citizens because the seismic history of the area involves the occurrence of the great earthquake of 373 B.C, which extinguished the ancient city of Heliki, as described in great detail by Aristotelis in 330 B.C. The recent seismic history of the region has indicated that the Gulf of Corinth produces significantly high strain rates and it is ranked as the 'fastest’ continental rifts in the world and the most seismically active part of the Mediterranean. After the most recent catastrophic earthquake in 1995 with Ms=6.2 to the north of Aigion city, several seismological and geophysical networks have investigated the area and these have provided valuable scientific information concerning the regional seismotectonic regime. Shortly after the initiation of the May 21st, 2013 activity in Aigion, a local network of 10 portable seismographic stations was installed in the area, by the Institute of Geodynamics of the National Observatory of Athens and the Seismological Laboratory of the National Kapodistrian University of Athens. This network has been transmitting real-time data to the Hellenic Unified Seismological Network and recorded about 1000 events significantly improving the detectability of local earthquakes and the associated seismic hazard evaluation. In this study we investigate the dynamics and spatio-temporal characteristics of the sequence.For this purpose we performed relocation of the whole sequence using catalogue and waveform data and an optimized velocity structure, which improved the initial hypocentral solutions by the order of amagnitude. A large number of focal mechanisms was computed using P-wave first motion polarities of the local recordings, implying for shallow E-W normal faulting, compatible with regional tectonics. Furthermore, we employed a scheme involving the temporal frequency-magnitude and stress field distribution aiming to interpret the causative and triggering mechanism of the activity.

Novae are the major class of supersoft X-ray sources (SSSs) in the central region of our neighbouring galaxy Andromeda (M31). From 2006 until 2012 we carried out a dedicated monitoring of the M31 central region with XMM-Newton and Chandra that was specifically designed to detect and characterise SSS states of novae. Only X-ray observations allow us to observe the hot post-nova white dwarf directly and study its physics. Here, I present new results based on an updated catalogue of 79 novae with SSS counterparts, which is by far the largest sample known in any galaxy, to date. Global trends and correlations were established between various multiwavelength nova parameters and there appear to be significant deviations from current models of Galactic novae. Furthermore, there is evidence for different X-ray parameters of sub-samples associated with the M31 bulge and disk, although the question whether both populations are inherently different is far from resolved. The sample contains several remarkable individual novae and I will discuss their peculiarities and importance. The X-ray monitoring of large, homogeneous samples of extragalactic novae is shown to be a powerful tool to study nova populations and the dependence of their observable characteristics on the underlying stellar population.

Abstract In this study, we aimed to explore the factors related to the acceptance of evolutionary theory among biology education teachers using conceptual ecology for biological evolution as a theoretical frame. This paper explores, by the use of qualitative analysis, some of the factors that constitute the conceptual ecology of evolutionary theory of Greek secondary school teachers and the relationships between the findings of quantitative and qualitative research. In this study eight interviews have been performed with teachers of different academic backgrounds (biologists, geologists, physicists, chemists) who teach biology in secondary education. These interviews were analyzed by using NVivo 8.0 qualitative analysis software. The basic actions performed were the categorization of interviews content into thematic categories (nodes) and the subsequent exploration for common patterns and relationships among categories. This qualitative analysis revealed the views and the attitudes of the teachers on the examined factors of conceptual ecology. Also explained and documented in some degree the results of the previous quantitative research in a large sample of biology teachers. The results support the initial research hypothesis that the factors related with evolution theory acceptance, their mix and their weight, differ in correspondence with local conditions and singularities and the total socio-cultural environment. This is a very strong argument in favor of the approach of conceptual ecology. Keywords: Evolution, teachers, qualitative, NVivo analysis, conceptual ecology, secondary- education.

We introduce a quantum-coherence driven many-body photonic nanostructure, in which we observe self-organized phase-transitions to a new type of non-potential light localization, resilient to dissipation, fluctuations, and nonlinear interactions. © OSA 2016.

We present new photometric observations of two eclipsing binary systems, V1241 Tau and GQ Dra. We use the following methodology: initially, the Wilson-Devinney code is applied to the light curves in order to determine the photometric elements of the systems. Then, the residuals are analysed using Fourier techniques. The results are the following. One frequency can be possibly attributed to a real light variation of V1241 Tau, while there is no evidence of pulsations in the light curve of GQ Dra.

Lefkada Island is situated off the west coast of the Greek mainland and belongs to the complexof the Ionian Islands, one of the most seismically prone areas within the SE Mediterranean region,dominated by the right lateral Cephalonia Transform Fault Zone. As it is reported from historical andinstrumental catalogues the study area has suffered numerous devastating local earthquakes withM>6.0. The most recent strong earthquake occurred on 14 August 2003, having M=6.2, at a distanceof only 10 km from the town of Lefkas where a peak ground acceleration of 0.42g was recorded, beingone of the largest observed in Greece during the last decades. Although the earthquake producedlimited damage to the building stock, it likely induced damages of geotechnical character, associatedwith extensive liquefaction mainly in the waterfront of the town. Coseismic failure observationsprovided an expansive database which tempted us and triggered a multitasking project toward lossassessment in the Lefkada Old Town (LOT), comprising traditional construction practices ofarchitectural significance and high seismic behaviour as a rule.The project employs several modules which were performed successively during the last years:(A) Macroscopic analysis of the buildings stock in LOT by conducting a comprehensive in-situinventory of the buildings; (B) Vulnerability classification of the building stock using EMS98; (C)Ground Motion Parameters (GMP) determination for regional hazard assessment; (D) Site effectsresulting from a detailed ambient noise study conducted in LOT; (E) Analysis of availablegeotechnical information and in-situ measurements of the local soil properties; (F) Employment ofdamage distributions during the recent 2003 earthquake; (G) Development of an ARC-GIS platform toinclude and allow the process of the massive data collected.In this paper we present a first attempt to synthesize the above modules in order to investigatesoil-structure interactions in LOT, assuming a linear response for both. By using various seismicsources whose characteristics are inferred by the active tectonics and the probabilistic hazardassessment of the study area, strong ground motion has been simulated both stochastically anddeterministically for hard bedrock conditions. GMPs were constrained beneath the foundations of thebuildings by convolving the simulated ground motion with the soil transfer functions deduced frommicrotremors. According to this, for each scenario a damage potential has been assigned at eachbuilding. The obtained patterns were proven to be fairly comparable with the damage distribution dueto the 2003 event, hence constituting a provocative motivation for further investigation and otherapplications.

Lefkada Island is situated off the west coast of the Greek mainland and belongs to the complex of the Ionian Islands, one of the most seismically prone areas within the SE Mediterranean region, dominated by the right lateral Cephalonia Transform Fault Zone. As it is reported from historical and instrumental catalogues the study area has suffered numerous devastating local earthquakes with M>6.0. The most recent strong earthquake occurred on 14 August 2003, having M=6.2, at a distanceof only 10 km from the town of Lefkas where a peak ground acceleration of 0.42g was recorded, being one of the largest observed in Greece during the last decades. Although the earthquake producedlimited damage to the building stock, it likely induced damages of geotechnical character, associated with extensive liquefaction mainly in the waterfront of the town. Coseismic failure observationsprovided an expansive database which tempted us and triggered a multitasking project toward loss assessment in the Lefkada Old Town (LOT), comprising traditional construction practices of architectural significance and high seismic behaviour as a rule. The project employs several modules which were performed successively during the last years: (A) Macroscopic analysis of the buildings stock in LOT by conducting a comprehensive in-situ inventory of the buildings; (B) Vulnerability classification of the building stock using EMS98; (C)Ground Motion Parameters (GMP) determination for regional hazard assessment; (D) Site effects resulting from a detailed ambient noise study conducted in LOT; (E) Analysis of available geotechnical information and in-situ measurements of the local soil properties; (F) Employment of damage distributions during the recent 2003 earthquake; (G) Development of an ARC-GIS platform to include and allow the process of the massive data collected. In this paper we present a first attempt to synthesize the above modules in order to investigatesoil-structure interactions in LOT, assuming a linear response for both. By using various seismic sources whose characteristics are inferred by the active tectonics and the probabilistic hazard assessment of the study area, strong ground motion has been simulated both stochastically anddeterministically for hard bedrock conditions. GMPs were constrained beneath the foundations of the buildings by convolving the simulated ground motion with the soil transfer functions deduced frommicrotremors. According to this, for each scenario a damage potential has been assigned at each building. The obtained patterns were proven to be fairly comparable with the damage distribution due to the 2003 event, hence constituting a provocative motivation for further  investigation and other applications.

We study the bulk acceleration in relativistic axisymmetric magnetized outflows, by solving the momentum equation along the flow, the so-called wind equation. The solutions for the bulk Lorentz factor depend on the geometry of the field/streamlines through the "bunching function" S. We investigate the general characteristics of the S function and how its choice affects the acceleration. In our study, various fast rise and slow decay examples are selected for S, with a global maximum near the fast magnetosonic critical point, as required from the regularity condition. For each case we determine the terminal Lorentz factor γ∞ and the acceleration efficiency γ∞/μ, where μ is the total energy-to-mass flux ratio (which equals the maximum possible Lorentz factor of the outflow). With proper choices of S we can achieve efficiencies greater than 50%. Last, we examine the shape of the field/streamlines with respect to the choice of the S function. The results of this work, depending on the choices of μ, can be applied to relativistic GRB or AGN jets.

The present study aims to assess the current groundwater quality and investigate its temporal evolution in the two identified aquifers (shallow and deep) located in the sedimentary sequence of Pinios River estuary. Significant land use changes mark groundwater management practices of the shallow aquifer over the past years, as traditional crops of high water requirements have been partly substituted by less water demanding crops, and groundwater abstractions have been reduced and substituted by surface water from Pinios River to cover irrigation needs over a large part of the study area. To study the effect of aforementioned land use changes, major groundwater physicochemical parameter values for the year 2013 were assessed and compared to the corresponding data for the years 1998 and 1999. The results indicate that the quality of the shallow aquifer in terms of groundwater salinization and nitrate pollution may be considered as satisfactory with higher groundwater salt content observed in the northern and southern parts of the system. The water quality characteristics of the deep aquifer are overall worse than the shallow aquifer as groundwater salt content is increasing towards the coast. The temporal comparison of the water quality characteristics demonstrates no significant changes for seawater intrusion related parameters such as Electrical Conductivity, and Na+ and Cl- concentrations, but also for pollution related parameters such as NO3 - concentrations.

Boron nitride, like graphene, can be formed as one-atom thick sheets or as nanotubes, then cut into nanoribbons with their atoms arranged in a hexagonal lattice. Two-dimensional hexagonal boron-nitride nanoribbons have been extensively investigated due to their excellent mechanical properties and high thermal conductivity. They also resist chemical change and are unaffected by high temperatures, leading researchers to believe that they could be consummate nanomaterials. The dimensions of boron-nitride nanoribbons as well as the shape of their edges, which may be armchair or zigzag, may affect the overall behavior of the nanoribbons. In the present paper, the mechanical behavior of different sized zigzag and armchair boron nitride nanoribbons is numerically investigated and predicted by using a structural mechanics approach based on the Brenner potential for boron nitride bonds. According to the proposed method, appropriate spring elements are combined in nanoscale in order to simulate the interatomic interactions appearing within boron-nitride nanostructure. The study focuses on the prediction of tensile stress-strain behavior of boron-nitride nanoribbons of different sizes and edge shapes as well as the estimation of significant corresponding material properties such as Young’s modulus, Poisson’s ratio, tensile strength stress and tensile failure strain. The numerical results, which are compared with corresponding data given in the open literature where possible, demonstrate thoroughly the important influence of size and chirality of a narrow boron nitride monolayer on its mechanical behavior.

Magnetic properties of Ga1−xMnxN are studied theoretically by employing a tight binding approach to determine exchange integrals Jij characterizing the coupling between Mn spin pairs located at distances Rij up to the 16th cation coordination sphere in zinc-blende GaN. It is shown that for a set of experimentally determined input parameters there are no itinerant carriers and the coupling between localized Mn3+ spins in GaN proceeds via superexchange that is ferromagnetic for all explored Rij values. Extensive Monte Carlo simulations serve to evaluate the magnitudes of Curie temperature TC by the cumulant crossing method. The theoretical values of TC(x) are in quantitative agreement with the experimental data that are available for Ga1−xMnxN with randomly distributed Mn3+ ions with the concentrations 0.01 ≤ x ≤ 0.1.

The extremely large speed of light is a tremendous asset but also makes it challenging to control, store or shrink beyond its wavelength. Particularly, reducing the speed of light down to zero is of fundamental scientific interest that could usher in a host of important photonic applications, some of which are hitherto fundamentally inaccessible. These include cavity-free, low-threshold nanolasers, novel solar-cell designs for efficient harvesting of light, nanoscale quantum information processing (owing to the enhanced density of states), as well as enhanced biomolecular sensing. We shall here present nanoplasmonic-based schemes where timedependent sources excite “complex-frequency†modes in uniform (plasmonic) heterostructures, enabling complete and dispersion-free stopping of light pulses, resilient to realistic levels of dissipative, radiative and surface-roughness losses. Our theoretical and computational results demonstrate extraordinary large lightdeceleration factors (of the order of 15,000,000) in integrated nanophotonic media, comparable only to those attainable with ultracold atomic vapours or with quantum coherence effects, such as coherent population oscillations, in ruby crystals. © 2014 SPIE.