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Linear Fresnel reflectors are a versatile solar concentration technology, suitable for a wide range of industrial processes and thermal conditioning applications. Such collectors entail a certain footprint, generating shading on the surface where they are installed. This effect is rarely quantified but may play an indirect role on the surface below. When installed on a roof, the solar radiation heats the building less. In places where the annual heating demand is higher than the cooling demand, this constitutes an asset. However, this becomes a disadvantage when the cooling demand is higher annually than the heating demand. Essentially, the reduced solar radiation allows for the growth of plants that would not grow without the shade provided by the collector. The present paper is a quantitative analysis of such shading based on the linear Fresnel reflector of the Cyprus Institute. The work was conducted using the Tonatiuh++ ray-tracing software to determine the annual radiation blocking. A total of four years of actual meteorological measurements were applied directly to the ray-tracing model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the assembly of an updated dataset of detrital zircon geochronology and Lu–Hf isotopes for Turkey, Cyprus and Greek peninsula. This first version of the dataset documented 286 samples with detrital zircon U–Pb data and 70 samples with zircon Lu–Hf isotopes from 42 published articles. These samples are mainly distributed in seven geologic‐tectonic units in the Eastern Mediterranean Tethyan region. The compilation of dataset will be periodically accessed in the Deep‐Time Digital Earth repository, containing more updated raw data of (un)published scientific research. We believe that the construction of such a dataset is fundamental to studies of clastic strata and also to understanding of crustal evolution in the Eastern Mediterranean region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fossil organic trace of an argonaut shell from the Pakhna Formation (Serravillian, Middle Miocene) of southern Cyprus is described. The new find represents one of only a very few argonaut egg cases reported from the fossil record of the Tethyan region and is the first to be reported from the eastern Mediterranean. It is assigned to a new species of Argonauta as A. absyrtus sp. nov. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rational management of water, which is determined by the Framework Directive 2000/60/EC of the EU, is a contractual obligation of the Agricultural Sector of Cyprus, both towards the European Union and the next generations of Cypriot citizens. To make decisions about sustainable water use and improve water use, it is necessary to understand the water use of crops in different water-use areas. Especially in large water projects in Cyprus, there must be a good way to determine the water use of crops so that the correct use of crops can be ensured, thus eliminating problems such as a lack of new information about the crop area and agricultural evaporation, Demand, and water. In most projects, water is managed and supplied based on historical data, and current information is available to determine water demand and availability for large areas. This paper also adds, apart from the clear positive effect of remote sensing and new technologies in crop irrigation, to the emerging need for advisory services for the diffusion of innovation to Cypriot farmers since the estimation of crop water requirements is part of estimating the carbon footprint under the project CARBONICA (EU Funded) for carbon farming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the Bronze Age, the inhabitants of regions of Crete, mainland Greece, and Cyprus inscribed their languages using, among other scripts, a writing system called Linear A. These symbols, mainly characterized by combinations of lines, have, since their discovery, remained a mystery. Not only is the corpus very small, but it is challenging to link Minoan, the language behind Linear A, to any known language. Most decipherment attempts involve using the phonetic values of Linear B, a grammatological offspring of Linear A, to 'read' Linear A. However, this yields meaningless words. Recently, novel approaches to deciphering the script have emerged which involve a computational component. In this paper, two such approaches are combined to account for the biases involved in provisionally assigning Linear B phonetic values to Linear A and to shed more light on the possible connections of Linear A with other scripts and languages from the region. Additionally, the limitations inherent in such approaches are discussed. Firstly, a feature-based similarity measure is used to compare Linear A with the Carian Alphabet and the Cypriot Syllabary. A few Linear A symbols are matched with symbols from the Carian Alphabet and the Cypriot Syllabary. Finally, using the derived phonetic values, Linear A is compared with Ancient Egyptian, Luwian, Hittite, Proto-Celtic, and Uralic using a consonantal approach. Some possible word matches are identified from each language. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper investigates, through the prism of cultural trauma theories of Jeffrey C. Alexander and other scholars, the case of Cypriot composer Solon Michaelides (1905–1979) and his creative responses to the Turkish military invasion of the northern part of Cyprus in 1974. The resulting trauma from the shock caused by the war is engrained in the composer’s creative oeuvre, since several of his compositions, including the Hymn and Lament for Cyprus and My Kyrenia, became a part of the cultural trauma narration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Those who engage in a task of conducting elite interviews in post-conflict societies must prepare for the context-specific challenges of this environment to mitigate the potentially distorting consequences of the process and the substance. This paper discusses the issues and challenges associated with interviewing elites in post-conflict societies. Examples are drawn from the author's own experiences gained through conducting over seventy interviews while collecting data on peace processes in Cyprus and Kosovo. Particularly, the issues of sampling, gaining access, and the process of interviewing are discussed with a focus on the issues of the impact of terminology, the use of recording devices, the researcher's positionality, and the subjective qualities of data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper which comes under the theme of macro-historical perspectives and Mediterranean history I shall discuss the exchange of gifts in three sections: first between the Lusignan kings of Cyprus and the sultans of Mamluk Egypt and Syria, between the Lusignan kings and the Turkish emirs of Anatolia, and thirdly between the Venetian rulers of Cyprus, including Queen Catherine Cornaro, and the Mamluk sultans for the period postdating 1473. Many of these exchanges of gifts took place during times of war, sometimes during the prelude to hostilities and sometimes immediately after their end. In addition, exchanges of gifts between Christian and Muslim rulers occasionally took place at times of peace. The reasons why gifts were exchanged, the type of gifts exchanged when these are described, not an invariable occurrence, and the symbolism underlying these exchanges of gifts will also be analyzed where possible. Furthermore, occasions when the recipient refused to accept the gift and why it was rejected shall also be examined. Where possible, comparisons with the exchange of gifts taking place in other societies and countries of the Eastern Mediterranean will be alluded to and discussed. In terms of source materials, the Cypriot chronicles of the fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries will form the principal source but reference shall also be made to diplomatic correspondence of the period under discussion. The exchanges of gifts normally took place within a diplomatic setting, this being the arrival of embassies, and gifts were sent sometimes to the close advisers of a ruler who could influence his policy and decision-making. On certain occasions, however, the exchanges of gifts could take place outside of this diplomatic context, for example as an expression of gratitude for assistance received. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on data from ethnographic fieldwork, this study focuses on an icon known as Panagia Amirou kept at the Amirou Monastery in Cyprus. Instead of analyzing its unusual form, consisting of two icons from different times inserted one into another, this paper uses the concept of "religious heritage complex" to understand the special status of the icon, the complexity of the assemblages it has joined over time, and the relationships between religion and heritage. The Panagia Amirou icon has become the symbol of the monastery and appears to be crucial for the creation of a shared identity by giving the community the feeling of a connection to the past and continuity of monastic tradition, for as they believe, the icon and the monastery are from the same time. Particular attention is paid to the process of authenticating the icon's special status. The legend recounts not only the icon's old age but also its miraculous appearance and the healing power inherent in it from the very beginning, so it authenticates, together with processions, not only the alleged connection of the icon with the beginning of the monastery but also the status of the icon as being miracle-working. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lebanon has started with huge efforts to explore its offshore regional areas in the Mediterranean Sea such as Egypt, Cyprus, Greek, and Israel. All exerted efforts are to find oil or natural gas. This is considered as a new place to do these kinds of activities in Lebanon. Furthermore, the need for knowing and evaluating the environmental conditions and terms, and field properties has become inevitable. Therefore, the main objective of this paper is to evaluate environmental impacts and do risk assessment for the region of block IV where the first offshore and exploratory well is drilled. Drilling and environmental issue are reviewed and analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increase in renewable energy sources (RESs) in distribution grids is a major driver for achieving green energy goals worldwide. However, RES power inverters affect power quality, increase power losses, and, in certain cases, may cause power interruptions due to harmonics, deterioration of the rate of change of frequency, and inability to rapidly react in grid faults. Today, phasor measurement units (PMUs) are the ultimate tools for real-time monitoring of distribution grids' health, and they enable several data-driven added-value services such as fast and automated fault detection, isolation, and recovery; state estimation; power quality monitoring; dynamic events analysis, etc. The present paper proposes an open hardware and software PMU platform, which is low cost, high performance, expandable, and, in general, suitable for research and innovation activities. The system is based on two processor modules (a digital signal processor from Texas Instruments TMS320c5517, and a microprocessor System-in-Package from Octavo Systems OSD3358), two local databases of 64 Gbytes each, GPS module, 5G modem interface, as well as analog and signal conditioning circuits to interface three-phase power voltage and current signals. The entire hardware design, schematics, and instrumentation components, as well as all firmware and software functions are completely open source. Pilot operation of the prototype design has been installed in three medium-/low-voltage substations in Cyprus, as well as twelve substations in Spain and Italy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extraction and dissemination of historical geospatial data from early maps are major goals of historical geographic information systems (HGISs) in the context of the spatial humanities. This paper illustrates the process of interpreting, georeferencing, organizing, and visualizing the content of a historical map of Cyprus in the context of GISs and highlights the development of a national-scale spatial database of the island in the 19th century. This method was applied to Lord Kitchener's historical map of Cyprus (published in 1885), which is considered the product of the first scientific topographic survey of Cyprus, is rich in geographic information about the area, and covers the entire island at a scale of 1:63,360. Previous attempts to create historical geodatabases have either focused on small areas or, when conducted on a national scale, have been thematically focused. The positional accuracy of the map was found to be 1.08 mm in map units, which was equivalent to 68.76 m on the ground. Accordingly, the main categories of geographic content (land cover, administrative units, settlements, transportation/communication networks, stream networks/water bodies, points of interest, annotations) were digitized from the georeferenced historical map. The Web-based application developed in this study supported the visualization of the historical geographic content of the map and its comparison with modern basemaps. The creation of the geodatabase presented in the study provides a template for similar studies and a basis for further development of the historical geodatabase of Cyprus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Modern protocols for light sedation in combination with the increased number of COVID-19 infected patients hospitalized in Intensive Care Units (ICUs) have increased the number of patients who are mechanically ventilated and awake. Nurses require specific skills to care for this vulnerable group of patients. At the same time, nurses report feeling inadequate and frustrated when they attempt to establish communication with mechanically ventilated, conscious patients. Study objectives: The purpose of this study was to explore the strategies nurses use when taking care of conscious, intubated patients in the intensive care unit and the barriers they encounter in their effort to communicate. Methods: For this study, a qualitative design was employed. Data were collected using in-depth semi-structured interviews with 14 intensive care nurses working at ICUs in four different hospitals of Cyprus. The data were analyzed by applying thematic analysis. Results: We identified several strategies of unaided (movements—lips, hands, legs—facial expressions, gestures, touching) and aided forms of communication (pen and paper, boards, tablets, mobiles) used by nurses to communicate with patients. However, barriers to communication were reported by the participating nurses mainly pertaining to patients and nurses' characteristics as well as the ICU environment. The health protocols imposed by the pandemic added more obstacles to the communication between nurses and patients mostly related to the use of protective health equipment. Conclusions: The results of this study point to the difficulties nurses in Cyprus face when trying to communicate with conscious patients during mechanical ventilation. It appears that the lack of nurses' training and of appropriate equipment to facilitate augmentative and alternative communication leave the complex communication needs of critically ill patients unaddressed. However, further research including patients' opinions, after they recover, would bring more clarity on this topic. Our study adds evidence to the communication crisis created by the protective health protocols imposed by the pandemic. As such, it highlights the need to educate nurses in augmentative and alternative ways of communication to address communication with mechanically ventilated, conscious patients during their ICU stay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to analyze the significant changes in atmospheric aerosol characteristics during the extreme aerosol outbreak event in April 2019 in the atmosphere over Cyprus in the Eastern Mediterranean. We study the aerosol optical depth (AOD), Ångström exponent (AE), single-scattering albedo, refractive index, size, and vertical distribution of aerosol particles during the event of intense aerosol advection in detail. For this purpose, we used the ground-based observations of the sun-photometer AERONET Nicosia station, lidar measurements, and back trajectories of air movements calculated using the Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory Model (HYSPLIT). To compare with background aerosol load conditions during the year, the available data of AOD and AE were used from the observations at the Nicosia AERONET site in the 2015–2022 period. On 23–25 April 2019, strong aerosol advection over Nicosia was detected according to lidar and sun-photometer observations. On 25 April 2019, the day with the largest aerosol contamination, the AOD value exceeded 0.9 at λ = 500 nm. Analysis of the optical and microphysical characteristics during the extreme event supported that the aerosol advection consists of mainly Saharan dust particles. This assumption was confirmed by the AOD versus AE variations, single-scattering albedo, refractive index, and size distribution retrievals, as well as lidar data and HYSPLIT backward trajectories, where air masses containing dust particles came mostly from North Africa. The analysis shows that the April 2019 event was one of the strongest aerosol surges that regularly take place in springtime in the atmosphere over Cyprus. The noticeable reduction in the effective radiative forcing caused by increasing aerosol amount during the aerosol dust outbreak was revealed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the long distance propagation characteristics of the HF spectrum, noise and interference are significant and challenging factors that have to be addressed in the context of HF system performance. Both aspects exhibit systematic diurnal, seasonal, and solar cycle variability that result in a number of corresponding measurement campaigns all over the globe, in an effort to characterise HF noise. Noise at HF consists of man-made and naturally occurring HF noise with atmospheric and galactic components. An understanding of HF noise variation in terms of time, azimuth, and filter bandwidth is crucial for a specific location, as it can provide a background knowledge based on which appropriate values of HF system parameters may be selected. This paper deals with the temporal, azimuthal, and bandwidth characteristics of HF noise based on a one-month dataset of electric field strength measurements recorded by a directional antenna in Cyprus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Bronze Age village of Politiko-Troullia, located in the foothills of the copper-bearing Troodos mountains of central Cyprus, was occupied ~2050–1850 cal BCE. Excavated evidence shows that community activities included copper metallurgy (ore processing, smelting and casting), crop cultivation, and rearing of livestock. Faunal analysis reveals day-to-day subsistence practices that included consumption of sheep, goat, cattle, and pig, as well as community-scale ritual feasting focused on fallow deer, Dama dama mesopotamica. In this paper, we present bone collagen stable isotope data from these taxa to infer how these animals were managed. We incorporate stable isotope baselines calculated from modern cereal grains and compare these to archaeological seeds from Politiko-Troullia. Mean values of δ13C and δ15N cluster for livestock consistent with a diet of C3 plants, with a wider range in goats that suggests free-browsing herds. Higher δ15N values in cattle may reflect supplemental feeding or grazing in manured fields. Plant isotope values suggest livestock diets were predominantly composed of cultivated taxa. In contrast, deer and pig bones produce more negative mean δ13C and δ15N values suggesting that the villagers of Politiko-Troullia complemented their management of domesticated animals with hunting of wild deer and feral pigs in the woodlands surrounding their village. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article attempts to bridge various forms of arts and social work interventions through an exploration of how arts can fit within the social work context and have a positive impact on clients' lives. The focus of the article is on the older adults, a population group that is considered as a vulnerable, from the social and health perspectives. The objective of the study was to examine whether arts have a positive impact on older adults or not. By examining the impact of various kinds of arts on the quality of life of older adults, this article aims to strengthen the idea of using alternative approaches in social work interventions with older adults. It also suggests the idea of introducing social work courses within the curriculum that combine social work and arts. Through a pen-and-paper, closed-ended questionnaire, 179 Greek Cypriots over the age of 65 were surveyed in order to measure the power that participation in art activities may have on their lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Businesses affected by the pandemic have realized the importance of incorporating digital transformation into their operations. However, as a result of the market lockdown, they realized that they needed to digitalize their firms immediately and make greater attempts to enhance their economic situation by integrating a greater number of technological components. While there have been numerous studies conducted on the adoption of digital transformation in small–medium enterprises, there has been no research carried out on the implementation of digital transformation in the specific industry of driving schools. This paper investigates the significance of digital transformation, as well as the potential for its application in this industry's business setting and the ways in which it can be utilized to improve innovation capabilities and performance. The data for this study came from 300 driving instructors in Greece and Cyprus. Multivariate regression analysis was used to analyze the data. The outcomes suggest that driving schools have a generally positive reaction to and acknowledgement of the increasing speed of digital transformation. The results also give driving school owners useful information that helps them show how important digital transformation is to their businesses. Using the findings of this study, driving schools will be able to improve their operational capabilities and accelerate their development in the post-COVID era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the framework of the IH-AT (Invisible Heritage Analysis and Technology) project, a cluster of churches ranging from the 11th to the 16th centuries, located in the Troodos Mountain range of Cyprus, designated by UNESCO as World Heritage monuments, were investigated using Non-Destructive-Techniques (NDT) (geophysical and topographic survey), 3D modelling and visualisation methods, contextualised and interpreted by art-historical and archaeological research. A geophysical survey, performed using a Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), specifically aimed to confirm the presence or absence of buried features of archaeological interest at each of these sites, in particular, evidence of monastic complexes and buildings that used to surround preserved churches. This paper describes the preliminary results of this survey and some initial interpretations concerning what new information can be discerned about the now lost monastery complexes, in advance of future excavation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aggregates constitute the largest proportion of the raw materials used for the production of mortars. Therefore, their quality significantly influences the in-use performance of the aforementioned composite building materials. This paper investigates the influence of ophiolitic crushed fine aggregate, quarried in Cyprus, on the performance of cement mortars. The experimental results vividly show that the mineralogical composition and physicomechanical properties of the fine aggregate materials under study highly affect the properties of the hardened cement mortars. More specifically, cement mortars prepared with "poor quality" aggregates, exhibiting high methylene blue and Micro-Deval loss values, showed inferior physicomechanical properties, compared to composites prepared with "better quality" aggregates. Sound correlations were also found between the mineralogy of aggregates and the physicomechanical properties of the hardened composites. This suggests that the combination of standardized aggregate characterization tests and mineralogical analyses may prove useful in assessing the quality of aggregates, prior to their use in mortar production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Predictive models have become an integral part of archaeological research, particularly in the discovery of new archaeological sites. In this paper, we apply predictive modeling to map high potential Pleistocene archaeological locales on the island of Cyprus in the Eastern Mediterranean. The model delineates landscape characteristics that denote areas with high potential to unearth Pleistocene archaeology while at the same time highlighting localities that should be excluded. The predictive model was employed in surface surveys to systematically access high probability locales on Cyprus. A number of newly identified localities suggests that the true density of mobile hunter-gatherer sites on Cyprus is seriously underestimated in current narratives. By adding new data to this modest corpus of early insular sites, we are able to contribute to debates regarding island colonisation and the role of coastal environments in human dispersals to new territories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On August 4, 2020, an explosion at the port of Beirut, later considered one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in history, struck the city of Beirut and was heard several kilometres away, as far away as Cyprus. It destructed thousands of structures and left more than 200 people killed and 7500 injured. Following this explosion, "the school of engineering ESIB" at Saint Joseph University of Beirut in collaboration with the swiss silos' company "Amann" Engineering conducted 3D laser scan measurements to study and monitor the Beirut port silos' structural health response using two equipment: the LEICA BLK360 and the Z+F Imager. Thus, the objective of the work presented in this paper is to evaluate the stability of the remaining standing silos. If the decision is to demolish them, this study assesses the reuse of the pile foundation for constructing new silos at the same place. The 3D scans, performed in three phases: September 2020, November 2020 and late March and mid-April 2021, show that the remaining standing port silos (third row) are not stable. The displacement of the south block third row of silos is not significant since September 2020, while the north block third row of silos is tilting away from the direction of the explosion crater and its movement and inclination got significantly increased since November 2020, noting that the first and second rows of silos were destroyed by the blast, while the third row of silos tilted towards the explosion crater (to the west) at the day of the blast. The obtained results propose not to reuse the pile foundation due to the significant damage that the structure and the foundation experienced by the blast. Consequently, further monitoring of the silos is recommended to assess the movement and inclination of the remaining standing silos that are affected by the interaction between the structure, foundation and soil medium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The island of Cyprus constitutes a fragment of southern Anatolia separated from the mainland by left-oblique transtension in late Cenozoic time. However, a geological framework of offset features of south-central Anatolia, for comparison of Cyprus with a source region within and west of the southeastern Anatolian suture zone, has not yet been developed. In this paper, I enumerate, describe, and compare a full suite of potentially correlative spatial and temporal elements exposed in both regions. Northern Cyprus and south-central Anatolia have identical tectonostratigraphic units. At the base of both belts, crop out ophiolitic mélange – accretionary complex generated during the northward subduction of the Neo-Tethyan Oceanic lithosphere from the Late Cretaceous until the end of middle Eocene. The nappes of the Taurus carbonate platform were thrust above this internally chaotic unit during late Eocene. They began to move as a coherent nappe pile from that time onward. An asymmetrical flysch basin was formed in front of this southward-moving nappe pile during the early Miocene. The nappes were then thrust over the flysch basin fill and caused its tight folding. Cyprus separated from Anatolia in the Pleistocene–Holocene when transtensional oblique faults with dip-slip components caused the development of the Adana and Iskenderun basins and the separation of Cyprus from Anatolia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The island of Cyprus has been occupied by various powers, during which time the historical and cultural contexts of the main cities of the island have changed and left behind material traces. One of these cities is the main port city of the island Famagusta, where the various ruling powers affected its fabric and the different historic structures of the city combine with modern in the contemporary city. These multicultural structures and historical layers can be followed on the maps. The aim of this paper is to follow the changing urban fabric of Famagusta by examining the selected maps from the 16th century to modern times. How much the city undergoes spatial alteration and how much of the historical structure and developments can be followed on the cartographic records? The paper will question the perspective of the cartographers towards Famagusta and their priorities in depicting this multicultural city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) is still the routinely used test for the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19). However, according to several reports, RT-PCR showed a low sensitivity and multiple tests may be required to rule out false negative results. Recently, chest computed tomography (CT) has been an efficient tool to diagnose COVID-19 as it is directly affecting the lungs. In this paper, we investigate the application of pre-trained models in diagnosing patients who are positive for COVID-19 and differentiating it from normal patients, who tested negative for coronavirus. The study aims to compare the generalization capabilities of deep learning models with two thoracic radiologists in diagnosing COVID-19 chest CT images. A dataset of 3000 images was obtained from the Near East Hospital, Cyprus, and used to train and to test the three employed pre-trained models. In a test set of 250 images used to evaluate the deep neural networks and the radiologists, it was found that deep networks (ResNet-18, ResNet-50, and DenseNet-201) can outperform the radiologists in terms of higher accuracy (97.8%), sensitivity (98.1%), specificity (97.3%), precision (98.4%), and F1-score (198.25%), in classifying COVID-19 images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper aimed at examining the influence of consumer's environmental awareness on their intention to visit green hotels in north Cyprus, the mediation role of consumption values. Research on eco-friendly hotels stressed that conventional hotels do not make available to consumers the environmental awareness and consumption values, whereas, there is possibility that these benefits might not sit well with the hotel potential consumers. Aside highlighting the features of green hotels, it is imperative to examine how consumers perceive consumption values. A questionnaire-based survey was used to examine the study's objectives. A total of 400 customers at 20 five-stars hotels that were randomly selected across the 3 big cities in north Cyprus (Girne, Lefkosa, and Magusa) were approached and invited to participate. The structural model was tested using structural equation modeling (SEM). The configuration model was analyzed using the partial least square (PLS) method. The finding from the SEM results shows that environmental concern directly and positively influenced the guests' intentions to visit hotels in north Cyprus. Moreover, functional and emotional values were found to mediate the relationship between environmental concern and knowledge on the guests' intention to visit north Cyprus hotels. Finally, the study suggest that the research will be of benefit to the managers of hotels in north Cyprus to know the significance of developing consumer's green awareness and to market it to the customers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides a compendium of the utilisation potential of aquatic invasive plants found in the Owabi Dam in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. In total, seven aquatic invasive plants were identified in the Owabi Dam, which included Ceratophyllum demersum, Nymphaea odorata, Polygonum lanigerum, Arthropteris orientalis, Typha domingensis, Pistia stratiotes, and Cyprus papyrus. Some of the identified invasive plants were found to be highly nutritious and suitable for human consumption or use as feed for livestock, fish, and poultry. Other plants had high medicinal potential and aesthetic value. Several of the invasive plants were suitable for bio-industrial usages as feedstock to produce biofuels, insecticides, and biofertilizer, among other products. Therefore, if an effective utilization method of these currently unutilized aquatic invasive plants is established, it can provide a source of livelihood and income generation for individuals and households and contribute to controlling the impact of invasive plants on the Owabi Dam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper seeks to report how Greek-Cypriots view migrants, asylum seekers, and refugees in Cyprus, compared with their views on the first migratory wave in the late 1940s, taking into account the influence of the media. More specifically, the paper investigates the lack of integration and local acceptance of asylum seekers and migrants in the host countries both in Europe and in Cyprus, giving special emphasis on the role of the media and the language used and how this affects the perception of civil society on refugees. The paper led us to the conclusion that this group of people faced in Cyprus, both previously in the 1940s as well as today, racism, exploitation, and marginalization from Greek-Cypriots due to the language used by the media and the lack of policies towards integration of refugees and asylum seekers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy resources since the industrial revolution have been paramount for both developing and developed countries. Therefore, the urgent need for and control over energy resources in order to have an advantage against rivalries have become a significant part of national security. From the late 18th century to early 20th century, coal and gasoline were major energy resources to make machines operational but they have been gradually replaced by the fossil fuels, oil and gas. While transformation is happening, dependency on energy resources in the fields ranging from housewarming to jet fuels dramatically increased. Having adequate energy resources, in this sense, provides industrially and economically strategic advantages for a country, so military or political struggles over energy resources have been a salient issue in international relations. This paper seeks to examine the struggle over energy resources under the light of Alsace-Lorraine case and to compare the results with the Cyprus case. In doing so, securitization studies facilitate theoretical ground on how energy resources are securitized, which leads to a country to take extreme cautions, including armed conflict and on how energy resources are de-securitized, which leads to changes in foreign policies from conflict to cooperation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy resources since the industrial revolution have been paramount for both developing and developed countries. Therefore, the urgent need for and control over energy resources in order to have an advantage against rivalries have become a significant part of national security. From the late 18th century to early 20th century, coal and gasoline were major energy resources to make machines operational but they have been gradually replaced by the fossil fuels, oil and gas. While transformation is happening, dependency on energy resources in the fields ranging from housewarming to jet fuels dramatically increased. Having adequate energy resources, in this sense, provides industrially and economically strategic advantages for a country, so military or political struggles over energy resources have been a salient issue in international relations. This paper seeks to examine the struggle over energy resources under the light of Alsace-Lorraine case and to compare the results with the Cyprus case. In doing so, securitization studies facilitate theoretical ground on how energy resources are securitized, which leads to a country to take extreme cautions, including armed conflict and on how energy resources are de-securitized, which leads to changes in foreign policies from conflict to cooperation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cyprus, the third largest island in the Mediterranean, constitutes a biodiversity hotspot with high rates of plant endemism. The wild bees of the island were studied extensively by the native George Mavromoustakis, a world-renowned bee taxonomist, who collected extensively on the island from 1916 to 1957 and summarised his results in a series of eight Cyprus-specific papers published from 1949 ["1948"] to 1957. The current work represents the first modern checklist of the wild bees of Cyprus, based on a compilation of previous publications, museum specimens and authors' recent collections. Overall, 369 verified wild bee species have been recorded on the island, with eleven species reported from Cyprus for the first time. The island hosts all six of the globally widespread bee families, with Apidae represented by 110 species, Megachilidae with 91, Andrenidae with 76, Halictidae with 72, Colletidae with 19, and Melittidae with 1. Twenty-one of the recorded bee species are endemic (i.e., 5.7% endemism rate) and Cyprus ranks third after Lesvos and Sicily in known bee species richness among the Mediterranean islands. Previously unpublished records from various locations on Cyprus for 156 previously reported bee species are also provided in the study. The current work provides a baseline for future studies of wild bee diversity on the island of Cyprus and neighbouring regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This research focuses on the comparison of the handling and management of disinfectants, by nursing staff working in hospitals of Greece and Cyprus. In addition, the level of staff training by the hospitals' infection control committee, as well as the various mistakes that are made during the use of disinfectants in the emergency departments, are also investigated. Material-Methods: The sample consisted of a total of 80 nurses, 40 from the Intermediate Care Unit (IMCU) of Cyprus and 40 from the IMCU of Greece, 18 of which were men and 62 were women, while the educational level of the 46.3% of the sample, were university graduates. An anonymous, written questionnaire with 12 closed-ended questions, was distributed to these participants. The data was processed, using the Microsoft Office Excel program, as well as the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Results: All the nurses (100%) in Cyprus, do not mix disinfectants, in contrast to Greece, where disinfectants' mixing is observed at a rate of 10%. As for the temperature used, in Cyprus, during the dissolution of disinfectants, 55% of the participants use lukewarm water, while in Greece, this percentage is formed at 60%. Similar percentages are present in both countries, where the 77% of the nursing staff in Cyprus and the 70% in Greece, during the removal of patients' body fluids, they first wipe them with paper and then they apply a disinfectant. Finally, in Cyprus, 40% of the nursing staff store the excess disinfectant solution and use it as a cleanser, while in Greece this happens at a rate of 25%. Conclusions: This research, highlights various malfunctions in both countries, in terms of the implementation of the proposed guidelines-procedures by the hospitals' infection control committee, as well as the compliance in the rules about good hygiene practice. A lack of information on the use of disinfectants was observed in both countries. Also, wrong practices are adopted by workers in both countries, in terms of the amount of expired or left-over detergents. However, there is a major difference between the two countries in mixing the disinfectants with each other, as it is encouraging that in Cyprus no worker mixes disinfectants with each other, in contrast to Greece, where a 10% of the workers do so. Lastly, another difference between the two countries, is about the storage of expired disinfectants, since in Cyprus the 57.5% of the nursing staff store them, while in Greece, this happens at a much lower rate of 32.5%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (MAPs) are broadly cultivated in the Mediterranean but their environmental footprint is not very well studied. In this paper, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was applied to determine the energy balance, carbon and water footprints (CF and WF, respectively) in 50 farms, organic and conventional, where four MAP species were cultivated; spearmint (Mentha spicata), oregano (Oreganum vulgare), rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) and Damask rose (Rosa damascena). The lowest value for energy intensity (EI) was observed for organic spearmint (0.18 MJ/kg fresh weight; f.w.) while the highest for conventional Damask rose (5.80 MJ/kg f.w.). Statistically significant differences were observed in EI between organic and conventional farms for spearmint and Damask rose while no differences were found for oregano and rosemary. The lowest CF was observed for organic rosemary (0.051 kg CO 2 -eq/kg f.w.) while the highest for conventional Damask rose (0.463 kg CO 2 -eq/kg f.w.). Statistical differences in the CF between organic and conventional farms for the four species followed the same pattern as for EI. Conventional spearmint had the lowest WF (61.5 L of water/kg f.w.) and organic Damask rose the highest (1522 L of water/kg f.w.). Statistical differences between the two management systems were observed only for Damask rose. The 50 farms were grouped according to the values of three indicators (EI, CF and WF) using cluster analysis. Four clusters were identified with 68% of the farms (34) belonging to the low footprint cluster which contained organic and conventional spearmint, oregano and rosemary farms. The other three clusters contained the (16) Damask rose farms, where the inputs were higher in comparison to the other three species and the highest footprint clusters contained conventional rose farms. Our work suggests that MAPs are viable candidates for the implementation of sustainable agriculture in the Mediterranean. Image 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the influence of natural ventilation on the indoor thermal environment in the residential vernacular architecture of Cyprus. The research was performed through a field study investigation during the hot summer period. The investigation included different ventilation strategies, i.e. daytime, full-day and night-time ventilation. Furthermore, in the case of night ventilation, different window opening patterns, i.e. single sided and cross ventilation, were examined. The results show that night ventilation is the most effective strategy for passive cooling in vernacular dwellings during the hot summer period, compared to the two other ventilation strategies. This strategy reduces peak indoor air temperatures and also improves indoor thermal conditions during the following day. Furthermore, cross ventilation, during night-time takes full advantage of the relatively low outdoor air temperatures and cools down the building envelope in the best possible way. The findings are presented in a comparative manner and evaluated in a quantitative way, offering valuable information in the relevant field. The paper presented herein confirms the positive contribution of natural ventilation for cooling in the vernacular architecture in Cyprus as well as in other areas of the eastern Mediterranean region, where similar climatic conditions, building typologies, construction materials and techniques can be found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a rare, progressive neurodegenerative disease. There is heterogeneity of clinical phenotypes while a clinical characterization of ALS in Cyprus is still lacking. The aim of this 30-year retrospective study of ALS in Cyprus is to determine the demographic characteristics of patients, the clinical features of the disease, the uptake of supportive therapies and factors influencing survival. Methods: All ALS patients seen at the Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics from January 1985 until July 2015 were included. Medical records of eligible patients were used for data extraction and compilation of an ALS database. Clinical features were compared between gender categories using univariate tests, while survival was assessed using Kaplan-Meier curves. Cox proportional hazards models were used to identify prognostic factors for survival. Results: One hundred and seventy-nine ALS patients were included in the study, of whom 7 had a positive family history. Most clinical characteristics of ALS did not differ from what is observed in other European countries. However, some clinical characteristics were unique to our population, such as an increased acceptability and utilisation of supportive treatments such as gastrostomy. Conclusions: Overall, clinical characteristics of patients with ALS in the Republic of Cyprus do not differ from other European counties. Our study demonstrates a high acceptance and utilisation of supportive interventions enhancing survival, in the context of a multidisciplinary approach offered in the single tertiary centre that services the whole Cypriot ALS population. The findings of this paper are of value to the health professionals treating ALS in Cyprus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern world transformational transitions occur under the influence of exogenous and endogenous factors, which, on the one hand, serve as stimulators of these processes, and, on the other hand, deepen imbalances in the country. One of the most influential factors for low- and middle-income countries is the economy shadowing. These are illegal financial transactions that hold back the investment and innovation development of the country, decreasing the pace of its social and economic development. Building an effective policy of neutralization and minimization of the influence of these factors is possible only if there is evidence-based research of all channels of income concealment and determination of the volume of each of them. Taking into account the low effectiveness of traditional approaches to managing the economy shadowing, the application of innovative evaluation methods based on the determination of the volume of tax gaps in the economy can serve as a ground for increasing the efficiency of the existing tools of public administration in this area. This article summarizes the arguments and counter-arguments within the framework of scientific discussion on the estimation of the volume of tax gaps in the economy in the context of the foreign economic activity of the country as one of the tools for minimizing tax liabilities. Systematizing these scientific developments on the definite problem has shown that among scientists there is no consensus on the role of tax gaps in the economy and their interrelation with foreign economic activity of the country, which significantly updates the need for further empirical research in this area, aimed at determining the volume of tax gaps by the export-import activity and their influence on indicators of economic development of the country. The research is based on the use of the modified Grubel-Lloyd formula (which allows determining the index of asynchronous export-import activity in the retrospective dynamics) and indicators of the level of asynchronous export-import activity by the partner countries. The study subject is the countries with the highest (Georgia), medium (Turkey, Cyprus, Solomon Islands) and the lowest (Japan, Austria, United States) levels of economy shadowing, which allows taking a more thorough and objective decision on the effect of asynchronous export and import activity on the volume of tax gaps in the economy, and its dependence on the level of shadowing in the country for 2013- 2017. The paper presents the results of the empirical analysis of the volume gap of foreign economic activity on the example of Ukraine and its trading partners, which has shown that the highest index of asynchrony is peculiar to countries with average levels of shadowing - Cyprus, Solomon Islands, and the lowest - with the participation of countries with low level of shadowing. At the same time, it has been determined that one of the highest asynchronous indexes is observed with the participation of offshore countries. The study empirically confirms and theoretically proves that the foreign economic component plays a significant role in the processes of economic development of the country, and the number of hidden tax payments, due to these transactions, occupy about 1% of the country's GDP (gross domestic product). The results of the research may be useful for the relevant executive authorities in developing measures to prevent income shadowing in the context of export-import operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several important habitats have become threatened in the last few centuries in the Mediterranean Basin due to major changes adopted in land‐use practices. The consequent loss of natural and seminatural orchid habitats leads to the appreciation of small anthropogenic habitats, such as cemeteries and roadside verges. Colonization of cemeteries and roadside verges by orchids has long been known, but no study to date compared the suitability of these two anthropogenic habitats for orchids. Therefore, in this paper our aim was to survey cemeteries and roadside verges and to compare these two habitats regarding their role in conserving Mediterranean terrestrial orchids. We conducted field surveys in three Mediterranean islands, Cyprus, Crete, and Lesbos, where both cemeteries and roadside verges were sampled on a geographically representative scale. We found a total of almost 7,000 orchid individuals, belonging to 77 species in the two anthropogenic habitat types. Roadside verges hosted significantly more individuals than cemeteries in Crete and Lesbos, and significantly more species across all three islands. Our results suggest that although cemeteries have a great potential conservation value in other parts of the world, intensive maintenance practices that characterized cemeteries in these three islands renders them unable to sustain valuable plant communities. On the other hand, roadside verges play a prominent role in the conservation of Mediterranean orchids in Cyprus and Greece. The pioneer status of roadside verges facilitates their fast colonization, while roads serve as ecological corridors in fragmented landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper focuses on the methodology for modeling the thermal response of vertical Ground Heat Exchangers (GHEs), when imposing underground water flow and a temperature gradient on the numerical model to represent the temperature of the depth profile. Four underground layers with different properties were studied, in order to identify their contribution in the total response of the GHE. In more detail, vertical GHEs in water saturated and dry soils, with or without water flow, are modeled with the equations that govern the heat transfer being presented. The numerical solution of the equations is based on the Finite Element Method (FEM) with boundary values. The model is validated with actual data of a Thermal Response Test (TRT) carried out in Lakatameia, Cyprus. Using the validated model, the heat injection rate of a GHE is investigated by determining the effect of the (a) summer and winter mode of operation, (b) underground temperature variation in depths smaller than 7 m due to daily and seasonal changes, (c) borehole radius, (d) borehole grout properties, (e) U-tube diameter, (f) U-tube leg and borehole centers distance, and (g) groundwater flow velocity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Poleward range shifts of species are among the most obvious effects of climate change on biodiversity. As a consequence of these range shifts, species communities are predicted to become increasingly composed of warm‐dwelling species, but this has only been studied for a limited number of taxa, mainly birds, butterflies and plants. As species groups may vary considerably in their adaptation to climate change, it is desirable to expand these studies to other groups, from different ecosystems. Freshwater macroinvertebrates, such as dragonflies (Odonata), have been ranked among the species groups with highest priority. In this paper, we investigate how the occurrence of dragonflies in Europe has changed in recent decades, and if these changes are in parallel with climate change. Location: Europe. Methods: We use data from 10 European geographical regions to calculate occupancy indices and trends for 99 (69%) of the European species. Next, we combine these regional indices to calculate European indices. To determine if changes in regional dragonfly communities in Europe reflect climatic warming, we calculate Species Temperature Indices (STI), Multi‐species Indicators (MSI) and Community Temperature Indices (CTI). Results: 55 of 99 considered species increased in occupancy at European level, 32 species remained stable, and none declined. Trends for 12 species are uncertain. MSI of cold‐dwelling and warm‐dwelling species differ in some of the regions, but increased at a similar rate at European level. CTI increased in all regions, except Cyprus. The European CTI increased slightly. Main conclusions: European dragonflies, in general, have expanded their distribution in response to climate change, even though their CTI lags behind the increase in temperature. Furthermore, dragonflies proved to be a suitable species group for monitoring changes in communities, both at regional and continental level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of the geochemical characterisation of complete obsidian assemblages dating to the Early Aceramic Neolithic (8200–6900 Cal BC) and located in Cyprus, eastern Mediterranean. Obsidian artefacts have over the years been recovered from a number of Early Holocene archaeological sites on the island of Cyprus. As there are no obsidian sources on Cyprus, the presence of obsidian island-wide indicates long-distance sea transport/distribution, central Anatolia usually considered as the main supplying region. Portable XRF technology (X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry) was applied to determine numbers of obsidian sources represented in complete archaeological assemblages and address research questions concerning the social landscape Cyprus was part of during the Early Holocene, a time of significant change in the broader eastern Mediterranean region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is the first in a series describing the previously unstudied cave spiders from Cyprus. Two new species, Dysderocrates kibrisensis sp. n. and Harpactea kalavachiana sp. n., are described. Detailed morphological descriptions and diagnostic characteristics are presented. This is the first report of the genus Dysderocrates Deeleman-Reinhold & Deeleman, 1988 from Cyprus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the perspectives of care professionals on the treament of eating disorders and the capacity of the existing settings in Cyprus, to treat eating disorders. Qualitative, semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven professionals, working in settings for treating patients with eating disorders. The investigation identified two themes: The first theme concerns the necessity to fulfill the complex needs of patients with eating disorders, as well as the needs of their families. In addition, it concerns the importance of adopting a holistic and multimodal approach towards treating eating disorders, in order to achieve successful treatment outcomes. The attitudes and feelings of care professionals working with patients with eating disorders, were also identified. The second theme that emerged is an acknowledgement of the necessity for a stronger collaboration between the existing settings, for coordinated monitoring of these settings, and for upgrading specialized training. These two themes are interrelated and create barriers, which may prevent effective service delivery, affect the attitudes of professionals, and hinder the process of treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The major tenet of this paper is that mortuary behavior is a vehicle of social and political change leading to a heightened awareness of identity at death. Through shifting portrayals of identity and changes in the mortuary record, it is possible to highlight developments in the sociopolitical landscape over time and between regions. Employing a rigorous methodological approach, new analytical techniques--specifically, spatial and temporal analysis using GIS--and applying carefully constructed theoretical perspectives, this approach can bring a much-needed nuance to age-old questions about the complexities of the island's sociopolitical development during the Iron Age, 1100-312 B.C. The focus of this paper lies on the extensive yet complex mortuary remains of the Iron Age. Questions of to whom the burial record speaks, and how, are central to our grasp of social complexity, power interactions, and regional development of the Iron Age political territories. Detailed studies of Amathus and Salamis explore these themes and offer nuanced insights into the sociopolitical trajectories of individual polities, their territories, and the island as a whole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is growing interest in bringing non-invasive laboratory-based analytical imaging tools to field sites to study wall paintings in order to collect molecular information on the macroscale. Analytical imaging tools, such as reflectance imaging spectrometry, have provided a wealth of information about artist materials and working methods, as well as painting conditions. Currently, scientific analyses of wall paintings have been limited to point-measurement techniques such as reflectance spectroscopy (near-ultraviolet, visible, near-infrared, and mid-infrared), X-ray fluorescence, and Raman spectroscopy. Macroscale data collection methods have been limited to multispectral imaging in reflectance and luminescence modes, which lacks sufficient spectral bands to allow for the mapping and identification of artist materials of interest. The development of laboratory-based reflectance and elemental imaging spectrometers and scanning systems has sparked interest in developing truly portable versions, which can be brought to field sites to study wall paintings where there is insufficient space or electrical power for laboratory instruments. This paper presents the design and testing of a simple hyperspectral system consisting of a 2D spatial spot scanning spectrometer, which provides high spectral resolution diffuse reflectance spectra from 350 to 2500 nm with high signal to noise and moderate spatial resolution (few mm). This spectral range at high spectral resolution was found to provide robust chemical specificity sufficient to identify and map many artists' materials, as well as the byproducts of weathering and conservation coatings across the surface of ancient and Byzantine Cypriot wall paintings. Here, we present a detailed description of the hyperspectral system, its performance, and examples of its use to study wall paintings from Roman tombs in Cyprus. The spectral/spatial image processing workflow to make maps of pigments and constituent painting materials is also discussed. This type of configurable hyperspectral system and the imaging processing workflow offer a new tool for the field study of wall paintings and other immovable heritage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of tourism activities on local water resources remains a largely understudied issue in environmental and sustainable tourism management. The aim of the paper is to present a simple methodology that allows an estimate of direct and indirect local water use associated with different holiday packages and to then discuss relevant management implications. This is explored through the creation of five illustrative examples of holidays to semi-arid eastern Mediterranean destinations: Cyprus (2), Turkey, Greece and Syria. Using available data on water use associated with different forms of travel, accommodation and tourist activities, indicative water footprints are calculated for each of the illustrative examples. Food consumption by tourists appears to have by far the most significant impact on the overall water footprint and this aspect of water use is explored in detail in the paper. The paper also suggests a way of employing the water footprint methodology along with import/export balance sheets of main food commodities to distinguish between the global and local pressure of tourism demand on water resources. Water resource use is likely to become an increasingly important issue in tourism management and must be considered alongside more established environmental concerns such as energy use, using methodologies that can capture direct as well as supply chain impacts. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Hotel units are responsible for a significant proportion of energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions in the tourist sector. This paper focuses on the energy and environmental performance of hot-water production systems utilized by high class hotels in Cyprus in order to formulate appropriate carbon emission mitigation strategies. The main systems used are boilers fired by Liquefied Petroleum Gas or Diesel oil, air-source heat pumps and flat plate solar collectors. The results show that the combination of air-source heat pumps with flat plate solar collectors leads to the lowest primary energy consumption. Therefore, improving the sustainability of the tourism sector in Cyprus requires to phase out the usage of boiler systems that are currently in use in almost all four star and five star hotels and promote the use of solar thermal systems in combination with air-source heat pumps. These findings are relevant for island states and other popular tourist destinations sharing similar characteristics with those of Cyprus and provide a framework for national authorities to plan an appropriate energy and environmental upgrade of the hotel stock. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy efficient renovation of the existing housing stock is imperative to reduce building energy consumption since the building sector in Europe accounts for an estimated 40% of the energy used from all sectors and more than 80% of the buildings today will still exist in 2020. Following Europe’s energy objectives, the paper investigates, based on the European Union Directives, the current energy refurbishment rates and examines the future energy performance of the Cyprus housing stock, in order to determine if they are adequate in achieving the Europe energy targets. The research focuses on pilot houses in Cyprus, which include dwellings from all typologies as classified, according to the IEE project EPISCOPE. The houses were monitored and based on the collected data and the performed simulations, their current and future energy performance are presented in the form of Energy Performance Indicators (EPIs). From the study, it is observed that with the current trends the national climate protection energy targets are unattainable. This is mainly due to the inadequate rate and depth of energy refurbishment of the existing housing stock and the ineptness of the Directives to address effectively the reduction of the cooling energy needs in the new constructions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing into a discussion of the politicisation of emotion, this paper develops a framework to analyse some of the processes and strategies by which educational policies and pedagogical practices 'emotionalise' the representation of refugees in conflict-ridden societies such as Cyprus and explores the implications for peace education. In particular, this paper aims to refine our understanding of how emotions affect the ways in which educational policies and practices reproduce self-other dichotomies through certain representations of the refugee experience. It is argued that these dichotomies are relevant to the emotional reactions against peace education initiatives. Second, this paper examines alternative possibilities of promoting peaceful coexistence, while taking into consideration the affective (re)production of refugee representations yet without undermining the refugee experience. Better understanding of how emotion is involved will help educational policymakers and teachers in divided societies to take into account the hitherto poorly developed aspects of the ways in which emotions, the refugee experience and peace education are inextricably intertwined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses the metaphor of diasporic hubs and hinterlands to document and analyse the various diasporic formations that overlap and encounter each other on the divided island of Cyprus. After a review of the various ways that islands interface with migration processes and some essential historical and statistical background on Cyprus and its population, the paper considers a number of migrations/diasporas that are based on or affect the island. They include the emigration from the diasporic hub of Cyprus during the 1950s-1970s; return migration, both of the original emigrants and their descendants; the British military/colonial settlement of Cyprus; retirees and 'lifestyle migrants'; and various categories of recent immigrants, for whom Cyprus is a diasporic hinterland. We draw both similarities and differences between migratory dynamics in the northern, Turkish Cypriot part of the island and the southern, Greek Cypriot part. In the final part of the paper we describe recent fieldwork on various spaces of inter-diasporic encounter in Cyprus [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]