Height-diameter models for King Boris fir(Abies borisii regis Mattf.) and Scots pine(Pinus sylvestris L.) in Olympus and Pieria Mountains, Greece

In forest science and practice, the total tree height is one of the basic morphometric attributes at the tree level and it has been closely linked with important stand attributes. In the current research, sixteen nonlinear functions for height prediction were tested in terms of their fitting ability against samples of Abies borisii regis and Pinus sylvestris trees from mountainous forests in central Greece. The fitting procedure was based on generalized nonlinear weighted regression. At the final stage, a five-quantile nonlinear height-diameter model was developed for both species through a quantile regression approach, to estimate the entire conditional distribution of tree height, enabling the evaluation of the diameter impact at various quantiles and providing a comprehensive understanding of the proposed relationship across the distribution. The results clearly showed that employing the diameter as the sole independent variable, the 3-parameter Hossfeld function and the 2-parameter N?slund function managed to explain approximately 84.0% and 81.7% of the total height variance in the case of King Boris fir and Scots pine species, respectively. Furthermore, the models exhibited low levels of error in both cases(2.310m for the fir and 3.004m for the pine), yielding unbiased predictions for both fir(-0.002m) and pine(-0.004m). Notably, all the required assumptions for homogeneity and normality of the associated residuals were achieved through the weighting procedure, while the quantile regression approach provided additional insights into the height-diameter allometry of the specific species. The proposed models can turn into valuable tools for operational forest management planning, particularly for wood production and conservation of mountainous forest ecosystems.

Creation of Zero CO₂Emissions Residential Buildings due to Operating and Embodied Energy Use on the Island of Crete, Greece

The possibility of creating zero CO2 emissions residential buildings due to life cycle energy use in the island of Crete, Greece has been examined. In a typical residential building located in Crete, Greece, its annual operating energy has been appraised at 170 KWh/m2 and its embodied energy at 30 KWh/m2. Various locally available renewable energies including solar energy, solid biomass and low enthalpy geothermal energy with heat pumps have been considered for generating the required heat and offsetting the grid electricity used. Their technologies are mature, reliable and cost-effective. Offset of the annual grid electricity use in the building with solar-PV electricity is allowed according to the net metering regulation. For zero carbon emissions due to embodied energy of the building, generation of additional solar electricity injected into the grid is required. A mathematical model has been developed for sizing the required solar-PV system installed in the building in order to offset the grid electricity use. For a residential building in Crete, Greece with a covered area of 100 m2, the power of the additional solar-PV system has been estimated at 1.6 KWp and its cost at 2400 €. In the current work, it is indicated that the creation of a zero CO2 emissions residential building due to life cycle energy use in Crete, Greece does not have major difficulties and it could be achieved relatively easily.

Comparison of Spatial Interpolation Methods of Precipitation Data in Central Macedonia, Greece

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the spatial interpolation of rainfall variability with deterministic and geostatic inspections in the Prefecture of Kilkis (Greece). The precipitation data where recorded from 12 meteorological stations in the Prefecture of Kilkis for 36 hydrological years (1973-2008). The cumulative monthly values of rainfall were studied on an annual and seasonal basis as well as during the arid-dry season. In the deterministic tests, the I.D.W. and R.B.F. checks were inspected, while in the geostatic tests, Ordinary Kriging and Universal Kriging respectively. The selection of the optimum method was made based on the least Root Mean Square Error (R.M.S.E.), as well as on the Mean Error (M.E.), as assessed by the cross validation analysis. The geostatical Kriging also considered the impact of isotropy and anisotropy across all time periods of data collection. Moreover, for Universal Kriging, the study explored spherical, exponential and Gaussian models in various combinations. Geostatistical techniques consistently demonstrated greater reliability than deterministic techniques across all time periods of data collection. Specifically, during the annual period, anisotropy was the prevailing characteristic in geostatistical techniques. Moreover, the results for the irrigation and seasonal periods were generally comparable, with few exceptions where isotropic methods yielded lower (R.M.S.E.) in some seasonal observations.

Hydrodynamic Simulation of the Pagasitikos Gulf, Greece

Semi-enclosed sea basins have difficulty in recharging their waters due to limited communication with larger water bodies, with understandable consequences for their environmental status. This paper aims at the computational simulation of the hydrodynamic characteristics of the waters of the Pagasitikos Gulf (Greece), which has limited communication and water exchange with the Aegean Sea and is subject to intense environmental pressures The Estuary, Lake & Coastal Ocean 3d hydrodynamic Model (ELCOM 2.2) combined with its later version Aquatic Ecosystem Model-3d (AEM3D) were used for the simulation. The simulation included the topography of the area, the bay’s bottom geometry, atmospheric loadings, tides, the influence of the Coriolis force and boundary conditions. The hydrodynamic behaviour of the bay, water circulation, velocities at the surface and in depth, water recharge and residence time throughout the bay, density variation and other factors were examined to determine the impact of all these on the aquatic ecosystem.

Environmental Impact Assessment of Onshore Wind Farms in the Region of Central Greece Using a Modified RIAM Method

Wind energy is one of the most basic forms of renewable energy,which shows an increasing rate of development worldwide and also at the European level.However,this rapid deployment of wind farms makes the need for an impact assessment of this type of projects on the natural and man-made environment imperative.The present paper aims to identify and assess the environmental impacts of wind farm projects in the Region of Central Greece.A modified Rapid Impact Assessment Matrix(RIAM)method is used for this purpose.The methodology includes the identification of the existing onshore wind farm projects in the study area,the appropriate modifications of the RIAM method to respond to the characteristics of the projects and the study area,the qualitative assessment of their potential impacts during construction and operational phases and the computation of the Environmental Performance Grade(EPG)of projects based on the pro-posed modified RIAM method.The results reveal that although there are some slight negative impacts on the natural environment of the study area,the examined wind farms contribute positively both to the atmosphere and to the socio-economic environment of the study.This study extends the potential for using RIAM as a tool in environmental impact assessment studies of renewable energy projects.

Hydrochemical Assessment of Groundwater and Dominant Water-Rock Interactions in Ooeides Aquifer System, North Greece

This paper deals with the assessment of main controls on groundwater chemistry in the aquifer system of Ooeides, Orestiada Region, NE Greece, contributing to the assessment of groundwater and surface water interaction, as well as water-rock interactions in the study area. Statistical analysis and relevant hydrochemical plots were employed in the analysis of groundwater samples from the study area during sampling campaigns for the years 2018, 2019 and 2020. The process included the collection and analysis of hydrochemical, hydrological and hydrogeological information and data regarding the aquifer system of the study area. Based on the statistical processing and the spatial analysis of the relevant results of the research, interesting and useful information emerged regarding: i) the recharge procedure of the aquifer from surface water of rivers and streams in the study area;ii) the relationship of groundwater composition with the type of rock through which water flows;iii) the impact on groundwater quality from anthropogenic activities (cultivation activities, municipal waste). From the elaboration of all the above, interesting findings and suggestions came out, which are considered useful for the optimal management of the hydrogeological regime of the study area.

Economic Evaluation of Mobile Mental Health Units in Greece: The Case of Cyclades Islands

Background: In Greece, the provision of mental health services is limited to people residing in rural and remote areas. The operation of Mobile Mental Health Units (MMHUs) has been introduced in the Cyclades islands. It is an innovative policy intervention that has been shown to be effective and efficient internationally. Objective: The aim was to evaluate the operation of MMHUs in the Cyclades islands based on real-world evidence (RWE), from a societal perspective. Methods: A cost-effectiveness analysis was performed where outcomes and costs were elaborated and classified based on two comparators, 1) with MMHUs’ operation and 2) without MMHUs’ operation. Clinical primary outcomes were based on RWE data and were elaborated for the Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) values calculation, for a 12 months’ time horizon. Data descriptive statistics were performed with SPSS Statistics 22.0. Direct medical, non-medical and indirect costs were incorporated. Unit costs and monetary values were extracted from published data. Sensitivity analysis was undertaken to test the robustness of the results. Results: The operation of MMHUs in the Cyclades islands led to an incremental cost of €12,250.78 per DALY averted. A substantial higher increase is observed in the direct non-medical costs of the non-MMHUs’ operation where patients had to pay approximately €2,602 per capita annually for their transportation and accommodation due to hospitalization and outpatient care. Informal care expenses are 3 fold increasing in the non-MMHUs’ operation arm. Both direct non-medical and informal care costs correspond to high out of pocket payments totally covered by the patients. The sensitivity analyses demonstrated that the decision does not change when we varied the unit costs by ±10%. Conclusions: The operation of MMHUs appears to be a cost-effective option for treating patients with mental disorders in remote areas and islands in Greece. MMHUs appear to overcome the existing NHS structural inefficiencies by minimizing public expenditures and patients’ income losses by preventing and improving their mental health status.

Description and Assessment of a Small Renewable Energy Community in the Island of Crete, Greece

A description and assessment of a small renewable energy community located in Crete, Greece is presented. The community included private residential and agricultural activities without any involvement of the public sector. Small-scale decentralized energy systems were used. Solar energy and solid biomass which are locally available covered most of the heat and electricity requirements in the community. Renewable energy technologies used include solar thermal energy, solar-PV and solid biomass burning utilizing olive tree wood and olive kernel wood. These technologies are mature, reliable, well proven in Crete and cost-effective. Existing energy systems were generating 857,877 kWh per year covering 94.46% of the current energy requirements in the community, significantly reducing its emissions at 278,494 kg CO2 per year. The addition of a new solar-PV system with nominal power of 33.6 kWp could cover all the remaining electricity needs in the community, transforming it to a zero-CO2 emission community due to energy use. The total installation cost of the existing renewable energy systems in the community was estimated at 0.16€ per total kWh of thermal and electric energy generated annually and at 0.50€ per ton of CO2 emissions saved annually. Results indicated that the creation of the above-mentioned small local energy community is economically viable, environmental friendly and socially accepted. Therefore it could be replicated in other territories with similar availability of renewable energies, increasing their energy autonomy and sustainability.

Possibility of Zeroing CO₂Emissions Due to Energy Use in Gavdos Island, Greece

The possibility of transforming Gavdos Island located south of Crete, Greece to a 100% renewable energies island has been investigated. Gavdos Island has few inhabitants but it hosts a large number of tourists during the summer. Due to the small size of the island the use of vehicles is limited. It has abundant local energy resources, mainly solar and wind energy, which are currently underutilized. Electricity is locally generated with diesel oil and its electric grid is not interconnected with the grid of Crete. Energy demand in the island has been estimated as well as the availability of various renewable energy resources. The most reliable and cost effective of them, including solar thermal, solar and wind power, solid biomass burning and high efficiency heat pumps have been indicated for achieving a 100% renewable island. Electric vehicles must also replace conventional vehicles in order to zero carbon emissions in transport. Since the power grid in the island is isolated, electricity storage is required and it could be obtained either with electric batteries or with a small hydro-pump storage system. The nominal power of the required solar-PV system for covering all the electricity needs in Gavdos island has been estimated at 848 KWp and the required electricity storage capacity was at 19.2 MWh.

Mineralogy and Geochemistry of the Pliocene Iron-Rich Laterite in the Vatera Area,Lesvos Island, Greece and Its Genesis

A nickel laterite deposit occurs in the Vatera area of Lesvos Island, Greece, and is transgressively developed on serpentinized basic rock (norite). The overlying sedimentary rocks include marls and marly limestones with sandstone intercalations and belong to the Pliocene sediments. The following lateritic zones are defined from the bottom to top layers: a) bedrock (norite); b) serpentinized zone; c) goethitic zone. The bedrock consists of the following primary minerals: basic plagioclase, orthopyroxenes and clinopyroxenes. The serpentinized zone includes clinochrysotile, lizardite, antigorite clinoenstatite, calcite and dolomite while in the goethic zone there are goethite, quartz, pyrite, chromite, dolomite. Al\-2O\-3, Fe\-2O\-3, CaO, Na\-2O, K\-2O, Ba, Sr, Ni, C and S are enriched in the goethitic zone. Nickel enrichment is related to the formation of nickeliferons minerals substituting for Mg or/and Fe in the goethite and pyrite. Enrichment of Ni in the matrix may be due to the presence of amorphous Ni\|silicates (pimelite). There is a significant change (decrease) in the concentration of Ni from the top to bottom parts of the laterite formation, indicating that there was no tendency to migrate downwards (immature laterite). A second support of the immaturity of the Vatera laterite is the incomplete oxidation of ferrous iron to form ferric iron hydroxides.\; Under tropical/subtropical conditions, which dominated from the end of Miocene to the Pliocene the norite rocks of the Vatera area altered in response to reaction with acid solutions enriched in CO\-2. Due to hydrolysis and oxidation of pyroxenes, Mg\+\{2+\}, H\-4SiO\-4 and Ni\+\{2+\}were removed in the continental acid solutions.

Possibilities of Creating Net Zero Carbon Emissions Prisons in the Island of Crete, Greece

An increase in energy efficiency and a reduction of carbon emissions in buildings are prerequisites for mitigating climate change. Public buildings should be energy-refurbished for minimizing their energy use, complying with EU legislation and directives. The creation of net zero carbon emissions prisons in Crete, Greece with reference to the agricultural prison of Agia has been examined. The prison’s capacity is 178 offenders and the annual energy consumption has been estimated at 4000 KWh/prisoner. The use of a solar thermal system for hot water production and a solar-PV system for electricity generation has been proposed for generating the energy required in the prison. Two scenarios have been examined. In the first, the two solar energy systems would generate all the required energy in the prison, while in the second, the two solar energy systems would generate 50% of the annual required energy in the prison, and the rest would be produced by fossil fuels. A tree plantation, either with olive trees or with Eucalyptus trees, would be created for offsetting the carbon emissions due to fossil fuels used in the prison. The surface of the flat plate solar collectors in the solar thermal system has been estimated at 113.9 M2 to 227.8 M2 while its cost is at 34,170€ to 68,340€. The nominal power of the solar-PV system has been estimated at 151.9 KWp to 303.8 KWp while its cost is at 182,280€ to 364,560€. The area of the tree plantation sequestrating 50% of the current CO2 emissions due to fossil fuels use in the prison has been estimated at 14.74 ha for olive trees and at 5.9 ha for Eucalyptus trees. The results indicated that the energy refurbishment in Agia’s agricultural prison in Crete, Greece, in order to zero its annual net carbon emissions, is feasible.

Factors affecting breastfeeding duration in Greece:What is important?

AIM:To investigate factors associated with breastfeeding duration(BD) in a sample of mothers living in Greece.METHODS:Four hundred and twenty-eight mothers(438 infants) were initially recruited in a tertiary University Hospital.Monthly telephone interviews(1665in total) using a structured questionnaire(one for each infant) were conducted until the sixth postpartum month.Cox regression analysis was used to assess factors influencing any BD.RESULTS:Any breastfeeding rates in the first,third,and sixth month of the infant's life reached 87.5%,57.0%and 38.75%,respectively.In the multivariate analysis,maternal smoking in the lactation period[hazard-ratio(HR) = 4.20]and psychological status(HR = 1.72),and the introduction of a pacifier(HR =2.08),were inversely associated,while higher maternal education(HR_(university/college vs primary/high school) = 0.53,HR_(master's vs primary/high school) = 0.20),and being an immigrant(HR = 0.35) were positively associated with BD.CONCLUSION:Public health interventions should focus on campaigns against smoking during lactation,target women of lower educational status,and endorse the delayed introduction of pacifiers.

Protection of Maternity in Greece and the E.U.——A Comparison Analysis

Pregnancy and motherhood are two situations which impose on the special regulation of the working conditions in order to secure the protection of the physical and psychological health of woman. Furthermore, the disproportion between woman＇s and man＇s work and the mentality that labour and the raising of child is a burden that only woman has to bear, needs to be eliminated. This burden is softened by the protection provided to pregnant women by the state. This way, a great effort is made to promote the equality in working relations between men and women. This kind of protection is realized through the National Health and Social Care by giving economical provisions and through legislative regulations in order to harmonize work and parental role. In this study, regulations and services along with their health care personnel, referring to motherhood＇s protection in Greece, are presented and related data concerning other EU countries are given. Until now, the existing system of maternity of the ＂Social State＂ has not reached yet the desired goal.

Ore Microscopy and Microanalysis of the Nickeliferous Iron Ores from Komnina Vermion Area (N.W. Greece)

Nickel laterites are considerable sources of nickel. To be successfully exploited it is important to know the mineralogical and microstructural characteristics of the ore. Besides, the identification of the mineralogical components as well as the fabric description, can lead to the interpretation of the mechanism of deposit genesis. The aim of the present study is the microscopic and microanalytical investigation of the Fe-Ni ores from Komnina Vermion area (N.W. Greece). The mineralogical composition of the ore is mainly hematite, quartz, chromite and chlorite, while in minor quantities goethite, nickeliferous chlorite, serpentine, talc and calcite are also present. The ore structure is allotriomorphic inequigranular and the texture is oolitic-pisolitic. According to microscopic examination the deposit can be registered as a secondary pseudo-autochthonous.

Mixing Characteristics under Tide, Meteorological and Oceanographic Conditions in the Euboean Gulf Greece

The mixing characteristics in the marine environment of the Euboean Gulf are studied. The Estuarine and Lake CΟmputer Model three-dimensional hydrodynamic model has been used, to simulate numerically the effects of the strong tide conditions, the atmospheric forcing, and the oceanographic conditions. Water age was calculated in all computational cells and its renewal was examined with the “pure” water of the open sea both on the surface layers, where the effect of tide and wind was pronounced, as well as on the deeper layers and bottom. It was investigated if in surface layers the tide and the wind restore the water of the study area, thus preventing its renewal. In the remote area, the mixing and dilution of the pollutants contained in the treated municipal waste of five installed diffusers in this complex hydrodynamic field, generated by the aforementioned loads, is simulated. It was found that even a slight stratification density has the effect of restricting the vertical mixing and entrapment of dirt in the deeper layers. The combined impact of municipal waste effluents on selected areas of high economic, tourist and environmental value in the Euboean Gulf was assessed. It was found out, that the Diffuser 2 has a great effect in all the five selected areas, because it has greater waste water discharge and because of the tide, who produce a velocity field and transfer the pollutants in longer distances. It was also investigated indicatively in an important area, whether the presence of tide contributes to better mixing and dispersing of pollutants and to better water quality or, on the contrary, as it restores remote pollutants that were released earlier.

Hepatitis B markers and vaccination-induced protection rate among Albanian pregnant women in Greece

Hepatitis B has long been a serious public health problem both in Greece and in Albania.In the February 2009 issue of World Journal of Gastroenterology,Resuli et al presented the interesting epidemiological data concerning hepatitis B virus infection in Albania.The results of this study were discussed and several data from our similar research were provided.

Forests of Greece, Their Multiple Functions and Uses, Sustainable Management and Biodiversity Conservation in the Face of Climate Change

This is a review paper based on national and international literature, national inventories and empirical approach. A general overview of the forests, forest management and forest biodiversity of Greece are briefly summarized. The distribution of the main forest species and their ecosystems in the Geographic regions of Greece is presented in a tabular form. Their multiple functions and uses, their management type/regime, their risks and threats, protection and conservation measures are also synoptically described. Furthermore, adaptive forest management and silviculture as well as management of genetic diversity in order to face climate change are also analysed. Research priority areas on biodiversity and challenges for biodiversity research and related policy in Greece have been summarized. The new Rural Development Program (2014-2020), which is currently in the final phase of implementation, will take into consideration the forest itself and forest-related European and National legal obligations. Finally, major conclusions and research priority areas on future management and conservation of forests are highlighted.

Assessment of porous aquifer hydrogeological parameters using automated groundwater level measurements in Greece

In this paper,the hydrogeological parameters of a confined aquifer,such as transmissivity(T),storativity(S)and radius of influence(R),have been assessed using real groundwater level measurements recorded by a monitoring network,consisting of automated municipal water supply boreholes at Nea Moudania aquifer,Chalkidiki,Greece.Particularly,the paper focused on the correlation between the drawdown and the constant flow rate during pumping time.So the Cooper-Jacob and the recovery test method were applied in order to delineate if turbulent head losses occur,as well as the impact of incorrect measurements of the radial distance(r)in the accuracy of estimating S values.The results show that a)the occurrence of a linear correlation between s and Q indicates a negligible turbulent head loss in the pumping wells and thus a reasonable flow rate usage,b)the validity of storativity values could be compromised if the r value is not accurately measured,and c)recovery test method can be used as an indicator of residual drawdown(s’)caused by previous pumping cycles,when the straight line intersecting the logarithmic t/t’axis has a value greater than 1.

Normal Fault Slips of the March 2021 Greece Earthquake Sequence from InSAR Observations

In March 2021,a seismic sequence including three Mw>5.5 events struck northern Thessaly,Greece.Owing to the high temporal resolution of Sentinel-1 images which were sampled every 6 days and recorded the three events separately,we are able to map individually the coseismic deformation fields of the three events.Based on their respective coseismic displacements,we determined the geometry of the fault plane for each earthquake with the method of multipeak particle swarm optimization and inverted the best-fitting slip distribution by linear least squares inversion.Modelling results show that the three events occurred successively on 3,4 and 12 March 2021 were all dominated by normal-slip motions on previously unknown faults within the top 15 km of the Earth’s crust.The 3 March 2021 Mw 6.3 earthquake ruptured a northeast-dipping fault with a strike angle of 301°(clockwise from the North)and a dip angle of 46°,producing the maximum slip of about 2.2 m.The slip motion of the 4 March 2021 Mw 5.9 aftershock shows a similar fault geometry(striking 297°and dipping 42°)to the 3 March mainshock,but with a considerably smaller dip-slip component(~0.8 m).The 12 March 2021 Mw 5.6 aftershock occurred on a southwest-dipping fault(striking 100°and dipping 40°)with a normal fault slip of up to 0.5 m.Static Coulomb stress changes triggered by the earthquake sequence imply a promotion relationship between the first 3 March event and the two subsequent events.Due to the coseismic stress perturbation,more than 70%of aftershocks were distributed in areas with increased Coulomb stress and the northwest segment of the Larissa fault close to the seismic sequence was exposed to a relatively high seismic risk.

Hybrid Conflict and Encirclement： Reconfiguration of Eastern Europe by NATO, Trade Barriers, and a Chinese Solution for Greece

The Russian Federation unilaterally invaded the Republic of Ukraine＇s Crimean Peninsula, then commenced to occupy more of Eastern Ukraine on the transparent pretext of protecting Russian speakers in 2014, using masked ＂zombie＂ fighters but denied that they were uniformed Russian soldiers, violating several agreements from 1954 to 1994 and legitimate international expectations before and afterwards. Elections were held, seriatim, one alter another, contrived supposedly to reflect the wishes of ethnic Russians in cities along Ukraine＇s eastern border, results of which triggered declarations by separatists of ＂independence＂ followed by formation of ＂people＇s republics＂ as city states. What this signifies is a clash of cultural expectations： of core values, both in the hearts and minds of all parties involved, and in the methods chosen by Russian Federation and Ukrainian independence movement leaders compared with Western governments. If Russia is revoking its transfer of the Crimea to Ukraine on an assertion that such transfer 60 years back was improvident then the Western Alliance should respond by revoking the Potsdam Declaration and other agreements investing Russia with control of Krnigsberg （renamed Kaliningrad） including the Treaty of Paris, and possibly revoking commitments made improvidently at the Teheran and Yalta summit conferences, transferring what was Eastern Poland west of the Curzon Line to the Soviet Union and eventually to Ukraine. If the West will tolerate a Russian siege of Crimea, it should forthwith impose an Allied siege of Kaliningrad and occupy that oblast immediately, retuming Krnigsberg to sovereignty under Lithuanian or Polish and EU control with annexation as a NATO base. What the West with NATO must do is to fight encirclement with encirclement including military, information, economic, trade encirclement as part of what is termed ＂hybrid warfare＂. Stopping military advancement eastward into Europe is only one prong of the problem. Another is Greece, a country that has formed the foundation of the defense of Europe to its own economic detriment. Ukraine as a hot spot is the consequence of China＇s ambition to partner with Ukraine in construction of a post-Panamax deep water cargo port on the Crimean peninsula, prompting Russian Federation opposition （Chinese Billionaire, 2013）. This paper proposes that China transfer its deep water port to Greece fund it through a new East Europe Infrastructure Investment Bank （EEIIB）, achieve the same USD Trillion annual trade influx into the European Union, relieve Greece＇s agony without austerity by inaugurating a Chinese ＂Marshall Plan＂ to become the ＂Chen Yi Plan＂, relieve Greece＇s economic agony without imposing austerity by relocating China＇s planned deep water post-Panamax mega-port from Yevpatoria in Crimean Peninsula to a suitable Greek port, thereby making Greece sustainably rich much as the Marshall Plan did for post-war Germany.