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Amid growing academic discourse on teenagers' political rights, this paper argues that the inclusion of teenagers in the decision-making process at the municipal level has positive effects. Based on qualitative and quantitative research on three municipalities in Greece and Sweden, this paper concludes that a level of awareness of the critical issue of climate change leads to a greater propensity for action from municipal councils aimed at restoring the environment. The findings demonstrate that including teenagers in the decision-making process at the local and regional level could lead to a greater focus on forward-thinking policies, particularly in areas concerning young people, such as environmental preservation efforts and democratic rights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2022 Greece became the fifth country in the world to ban harmful interventions and treatments on intersex infants and children. Previously, Malta, Portugal, Germany and Iceland also legally banned harmful interventions on intersex persons. A crucial difference between Greece and the rest of the aforementioned countries is that it is a Christian Orthodox country located in Southeastern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Drawing from a contextual approach to law, in this comparative analysis the authors will use „contextuality“ to explore the meaning behind legal developments that took place in Greece regarding intersex rights and how they could potentially impact the overall situation of intersex rights in the Balkans. In addition, with this paper the authors seek to relocate the dominant focus of intersex rights from Western and Northern Europe with the aim to boost awareness of intersex issues in the Western Balkan region, especially Serbia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The aim of the study was twofold: to estimate smoking prevalence among nurses and to compare their knowledge, perceptions and attitudes towards smoking. Background: Given the critical role nurses have in the process of patients' smoking cessation both as counsellors and behavioural models, data are needed on their smoking rates and behaviour. Design: A cross sectional, comparative study was conducted. Methods: A convenience sample of 847 nurses working in various psychiatric and public hospitals in Northern Greece participated in the study. Data were collected between April and June 2020 using a battery of questionnaires. Results: Mental health nurses were less likely to consider quitting smoking within the next 6 months (P < 0.001), despite the fact that they reported higher levels of the importance of stop smoking compared to ward nurses (P < 0.05). However, ward nurses were more likely to quit smoking because of the cost of cigarettes (P = 0.024) and for personal reasons (P = 0.040). Conclusion: Prevalence of smoking in nurses is high. Training and educational programmes are needed to develop the appropriate culture of health promotion among nurses, thus provide a more active support to patients who smoke. Summary statements: What is already known about this topic? Smoking prevalence among nursing staff is high.Cultural variances may determine nursing staff's variability in their behaviour.Nurses can play a pivotal role in influencing their patients' smoking attitudes. What this paper adds? Mental health nurses are less likely to quit smoking compared with ward nurses.Specialized strategies that emphasize mental health nurses' perceptions and attitudes towards smoking are considered essential. The implications of this paper: It is imperative that educational institutes of nurses include in their bachelor programmes, courses that emphasize the importance of preventing smoking initiation along with smoking cessation strategies.Nurses who smoke should be supported by public health organizations in practice through tobacco cessation centres and several specialists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper aims to identify how economic evolutions related to health conditions during the Covid-19 pandemic. The research includes an analysis on the evolutions of the health and economic conditions during the Covid-19 health crisis and also on they way they are linked to each other. The investigation is conducted at country level and is exemplified on two European countries, namely Italy and Greece. The methodology employed was based on three types of analyses: descriptive, correlation and comparative analyses that used secondary data from international organizations. Results illustrate that the economic life was affected by the Covid-19 conditions (Covid-19 incidence and the associated restrictions), with inflation being the most affected in both countries. At the same time, international trade was affected differently in the two countries, with Italy being negatively and more intensively affected than Greece, for which the association was positive and rather weak. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Diadochokinetic rates tasks are frequently used for the assessment of diadochokinesia (DKK) in young and elderly adults. However, there is scarce research on healthy elderly adults over 65 years old, and little is known about the effect of different types of stimuli (non‐words/real words) in this specific population. Furthermore, the current research supports significant language variations, highlighting the need for language‐specific norms. Aims: To investigate the effect of age, gender and type of stimuli (non‐words versus real words) in DDK rates in healthy elderly adults of over 65 years of age, and to provide normative data for the Greek language. Methods & Procedures: The participants were 791 healthy monolingual Greek‐speaking adults (531 adults, aged 20–39 years; 157 participants aged 65–74 years; and 103 participants aged over 75 years). All participants were monolingual speakers of Greek and had normal hearing acuity, which allowed them to understand and follow instructions. Participants with a medical condition, which would affect DDK rates' performance, were excluded from the study. The time‐by‐count method was used, and all participants had to repeat as accurately and fast as possible: (1) four disyllabic non‐words (/′gaba/, /′taka/, /′kata/, /′baga/); (2) four disyllabic real words (/′kapa/, /′tapa/, /ka′la/, /′paka/); and (3) two trisyllabic non‐words (/′pataka/, /′badaga/). All responses were recorded and the speech samples that did not include at least 5 s of correct repetitions were excluded from the analysis. Outcomes & Results: Age affected DDK rates significantly, with older adults achieving slower DDK rates for all speech stimuli (non‐words/real words). Gender did not have an effect on the performance of DDK rates. The type of speech stimuli affected DDK rates significantly for all age groups. Analytically, trisyllabic non‐word stimuli were articulated more slowly than disyllabic non‐word stimuli, and real words were produced faster than non‐words. A linear regression analysis revealed that only the repetition of non‐words predicted 68.4% of the performance on the repetition of trisyllabic non‐words. Conclusions & Implications: The above results complement prior research, which supports that real word stimuli yield faster performance than non‐word stimuli. Clinicians should keep in mind that age, language and type of stimuli (non‐words/real words) affect significantly the performance of DDK rates, as well as the fact that different types of stimuli tap distinct underlying levels of speech. The current research highlights the need for language‐specific norms for different populations. What this paper adds: What is already known on the subject: DDK rates are significantly affected by the types of stimuli and language used. Moreover, the normal ageing process decreases performance in terms of DDK rates, but scarce evidence exists for healthy elderly adults over 65 years old. What this paper adds to existing knowledge: Most studies have examined DDK rates in healthy elderly people with restricted samples and using non‐word stimuli. The current study administered different types of stimuli (non‐words/words) in a large sample of healthy elderly participants. This is also the first study to attempt to provide DDK normative data for this population in the Greek language. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work?: The results of this study strongly suggest that clinicians should bear in mind the significant impact age and language have on performance in terms of DDK rates, especially when normative data are not available for a certain language or age group. Furthermore, non‐word and real‐word stimuli cannot be used interchangeably since they tap into distinct underlying levels of speech, thus providing clinicians with useful information about the level of breakdown and the proper treatment plan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Down syndrome is the most common genetic syndrome of intellectual disabilities with a distinct linguistic profile. Language research so far has come mainly from the English language, a language with different syntax and morphology from many other languages, including Greek, indicating a paucity of research findings in the Greek language. Given the rich morphology and distinct syntactic characteristics of the Greek language, the present study evaluated the performance of children with Down syndrome (N = 45) who are native Greek speakers in syntax and morphology and compared it with the performance of children with typical development (N = 45) matched for chronological age. The paper also analysed the items of each task in terms of the performance of the two groups in subject–verb agreement, noun conversion from singular to plural, and verb conversion from present to past and future tenses. All children were tested in four subscales of a standardized test, including morphosyntactic comprehension, morphosyntactic completion and articulation (parts 1 and 2). The results showed that children with Down syndrome lag behind in syntax and morphology compared with children of typical development and present difficulties in specific aspects of morphology and syntax inherent in the Greek language. What this paper adds: What is already known on this subject: Morphosyntactic skills are severely impaired in Down syndrome, and research so far has come mainly from the English language, a language with different syntax and morphology from many other languages. What this paper adds to existing knowledge: This research adds more information about morphosyntactic skills in children with Down syndrome compared with typically developing children in the Greek language, a language with rich morphology and syntax. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work?: Children with Down syndrome face difficulties in morphosyntactic skills in the Greek language, especially in subject–verb agreement and in converting nouns from singular to plural. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Modern Turkish History Studies / Çagdas Türkiye Tarihi Arastirmalari Dergisi is the property of Journal of Modern Turkish History Studies and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper describes the digitalization process of an originally school-based educational programme to an online version and confirms its efficacy on teaching young children as well as their parents about stroke symptoms and the necessary actions needed to be taken in the event of a stroke. Forty children (20 children with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) and 20 without NDDs), aged 4–9 years, as well as 35 of these children's parents (30–50 years old) participated in the study in Greece. All individuals watched 5 educational videos, designed and produced by the Super Grand League Team. Each video had a mean duration of 15 minutes. Most children had no prior knowledge neither in stroke symptoms nor to the appropriate actions after a stroke. Children's knowledge of stroke symptoms (except the symptom of speech disturbance) and the appropriate actions following stroke improved significantly immediately post training (p < 0.05). Children with NDDs demonstrated no significant differences when compared to their peers without NDDs in regards to the knowledge gains. In the same line, parents showed a significant increase in their knowledge as regards the stroke symptoms (p < 0.001). Only 2 parents (5.7%) knew the correct emergency number before participating in the online programme, while all of them (100%) responded correctly after the programme. The current work using multimodal remote education demonstrates significant improvement in learning about stroke symptomatology and the necessary steps that need to follow. Future work should evaluate the impact of digital interventions in respect of onset-to-door times and stroke outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a comparative analysis of various capacity mechanisms that are either in force or under approval in key countries/regions in Europe and the US. A detailed analysis on the necessities that led to the establishment of the capacity mechanisms, along with various fundamental technical and operational features associated with the design and operation of different capacity mechanisms, mainly in Europe (Italy, France, Germany, Belgium, Poland, Great Britain, Ireland, Cyprus) and complementarily in the US (PJM, New England), are presented. This analysis is complemented by a real-life application regarding the long-term capacity remuneration mechanism that is expected to be established in Greece in the near future. A detailed simulation of the envisaged capacity mechanism auctions under differentiated scenarios has been performed, regarding the future Greek power system operating conditions during the forthcoming decade (2022–2031). Test results illustrate that the outcome of the auctions is heavily dependent on the future energy generation mix and the market participants' bidding strategy. Whereas, the total cost that will have to be undertaken by the electricity supply companies and, ultimately, by the end-consumers for the financing of the proposed capacity mechanism lies in the range of 5.5–8.7 €/MWh for the entire study period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The aim of this paper is to compare the evolution of health risk behaviours between undergraduate nursing and social work students. Background: Nursing includes the promotion of health and the shaping of healthy behaviours. An important determinant for providing lifestyle advice is the lifestyle of nurses themselves. Design Longitudinal comparative study. Measurements We compared lifestyle risk behaviours (binge drinking, cannabis/hashish/marijuana use, smoking, oral hygiene/toothbrushing, breakfast/fruit/vegetable consumption, physical activity and screen time/sedentary behaviours) using a self‐administered standardized questionnaire in nursing (n = 121) and social work (n = 140) students at the beginning (2012) and the end of their studies (2015). Adjusted multivariable logistic/Poisson regression models were performed. Results: There were no statistically significant differences between the departments in most risk factors in both assessments. However, in relation to their first year, both nursing and social work students displayed higher relative risk of engaging in more behavioural risk factors at the end of their studies (in delivery/junk food consumption, sunburns, hashish/marijuana use and multiple sexual partners). Social work students displayed better behaviours in physical activity and breakfast intake. Conclusion: Nursing students share the patterns of their nonnursing peers in behavioural risk factors compromising their future health and health‐promoting role. We need strategies to safeguard the professional nursing practice. SUMMARY STATEMENT: What is already known about this topic? Nursing includes the promotion of health, the prevention of illness and the shaping of healthy behaviours.Nurses are in a unique position to help individuals and communities modify their health risk behaviours.An important determinant for providing lifestyle advice is the lifestyle of nurses themselves. What this paper adds? Using a longitudinal comparative study design, we recorded no major differences in behavioural health risk factors between nursing students and nonnursing peers at the beginning and the end of their studies.In relation to their first year of studies, both nursing students and nonnursing peers engaged in more health risk behaviours during their final year in delivery/junk food consumption, sunburns, hashish/marijuana use and number of sexual partners. The implications of this paper: Multiple strategies are needed to target norms regarding the scope of professional practice of nursing and advance undergraduate nursing curricula to explicitly provide the required knowledge for health promotion, lifestyle counselling and behaviour change interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social Economy (SE) has been praised for contributing to a humane and sustainable economic growth, whilst effectively tackling the detrimental effects of economic, ecological, and other types of crises. With many of its member states experiencing a heap of such problems, the EU has actively facilitated the setting up and operation of social enterprises. The paper at hand offers a theoretically-grounded empirical analysis of SE in four South EU countries (Spain, Italy, Greece, and Cyprus), and specifically, it examines the pertinent policies and their post-implementation impact. To do so, it employs a mixed-methods approach comprising a critical scrutiny of national policy frameworks, a quantitative analysis of secondary regional data on SE workforce and enterprises, and an interview-based fieldwork focused on SE stakeholders and experts. Highlighting the crucial differences among national policy frameworks lays the groundwork for deciphering the uneven dynamics in SE development across the study regions. Our analysis underlines that, albeit SE is often presented as a viable alternative to neoliberalism, it is bound by the latter's intrinsic characteristics. Specifically, not only SE fails to limit (youth) unemployment and inactivity drastically, but on the contrary, it often becomes a fertile ground for labor practices that are exceedingly precarious. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main aim of this paper is to illustrate human–nature relations from a comparative study of the contexts of later Merleau-Ponty and the Zhuangzi. I argue that the Zhuangzi has its own phenomenology of the natural world, which is worth comparing to Merleau-Pontian later phenomenology. To compare the arguments on human–nature relations in the contexts of later Merleau-Ponty and the Zhuangzi in detail, first, I briefly compare the cultural philosophies of nature in ancient Greece and China and their possible influences on our contemporary understanding of nature. Second, I compare the concept of "flesh" of Merleau-Ponty with the concept of "vital energy" in the Zhuangzi and point out the main roles of these concepts in their respective theories of the natural world. Third, I use the "reversibility thesis" created by Merleau-Ponty to analyze the ontological significance of illness in the arguments of Merleau-Ponty and the Zhuangzi. Fourth, inspired by Merleau-Pontian and Zhuangzian ideas about language and expression, I expound on a view of illness as a primordial language of nature and its possible role in mediating human–nature relations. Ultimately, I conclude that the comparative study of thoughts on human–nature relations in the literatures of later Merleau-Ponty and the Zhuangzi can help us reconsider and readjust our main attitudes toward nature, illness and nonhuman beings in the contemporary postpandemic era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper aims to provide insights into the use of semiotic modes used in the shop signs of culinary businesses in Greece and Cyprus. In this context, we examine, comparatively, culinary shop signs collected from the commercial centre of Thessaloniki and Limassol, two European, Mediterranean cities with a significant gastronomic traditin and a lively city centre. These semiotic modes are represented in a sample composed of shop signs whose verbal message constitutes verbo-cultural palimpsest or is written in a local dialect, as well as of shop signs that focus on their iconic visual message using intersemiotic translation or visual rhetoric to make their message appealing to consumers. The main conclusion is that the shop signs under scrutiny seem to be addressed mainly to the native people of the two countries who are considered in the common cultural practice much better consumers than tourists as concerns their culinary habits. The study also provides evidence of creative use of culinary shop signs in both cities. Intracultural interpretation, as well as the design of the verbal element, seem to make shop signs more appealing for the consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With China's continuous rise and growing external commercial, strategic, and political endeavours, questions have arisen about the motivation, timing, and locale of China's outreaching strategies. This research analyzes China's overseas port investments through a comparative study of Greece and Pakistan, two important partners of China's Belt and Road Initiative. Adopting the neoclassical realist framework and drawing on expert interviews, official statistics, and policy documents, this paper reveals how China's economic security objectives in combination with changing geopolitical structures led to its external port investments. This research contributes to the studies on rising powers and geopolitics by showing how China as a rising power capitalizes on geopolitical opportunities created by the changing interests of dominant powers to expand its presence in strategically important regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper critically negotiates the concept of the tourist landscape and proceeds, through a comparative cross-cultural empirical study, to test its basic conceptual premises in one upland and one seaside tourist destination, in Central Europe and in the Mediterranean. The conceptualization and employment of the term 'tourist landscape', in the social sciences and beyond, has been mostly intuitive and lacking a rigorous and broad-based conceptualization and empirical verification, incorporating its viewers'/users' perceptions. On the basis of a conceptual model of the tourist landscape, the paper assesses conceptions and perceptions of the 'tourist landscape' and its constituent elements by tourists, locals, and tourism stakeholders in Zwierzyniec, Poland and Chios Island, Greece. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper responds to the call for more comparative research across online social media platforms (Graham and Hardaker 2017, 808) and examines discourse across two such platforms, YouTube and Reddit. More specifically, it attempts to investigate whether the affordances of these platforms have an impact on the amount and form of impoliteness employed by their users. Data on a highly contested topic (the July 2018 wildfires in Attica, Greece) is studied both qualitatively and quantitatively. First, small but representative samples are qualitatively analyzed on the basis of the two major impoliteness types: implicational and conventionalized and their subcategories. In addition, swearword keywords extracted by means of corpus analysis tools are analyzed. It is shown that YouTube involves a great deal of (conventionalized) impoliteness (Culpeper 2011a) which could be due to factors such as the total absence of moderation, of post length limit and of detailed personal profiles as well as the presence of videos as stimuli for interaction. Considerably less impoliteness appears on Reddit, whose forum-like nature makes it a place that mostly invites civil interaction. Implicationally impolite (Culpeper 2011a) posts outnumber conventionally impolite ones, perhaps owing to the heavy moderation, the existence of public profiles and the size and coherence of the user community. It is concluded that, due to their characteristics, platforms seem to attract a certain userbase with its own motives and mindset, which in turn shape the impoliteness found within them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: It is important to consider the concept of compassionate care within a cultural context in terms of how it might be perceived and demonstrated in practice. People may vary in what constitutes suffering due to variations in their values, culture, needs and understanding. In this paper we report on the findings from data collected from Greek and Greek-Cypriot Nurses during a study which sought to explore similarities and differences between the two countries with regard to perceptions of compassion. Methods: This is an exploratory, cross-sectional descriptive study. The data discussed within this paper have been extracted from a large scale on-line survey involving 15 countries. Greek-Cypriot participants were recruited through local professional organizations and university/college student associations. In Greece, participants were recruited through university associations and social networks. Participants were emailed a link to the survey which was completed on-line. The research tool consisted of 10 open and closed questions. Results: Many similarities were identified between the two groups following their response to the survey, although some small differences were also identified. From the findings of the qualitative data, 3 main themes emerged for both groups of nurses: compassionate communication; awareness of needs; and kindness, whilst a fourth theme was also identified applying mostly to the Greek nurses with regard to factors which might hinder compassion and referring mainly to the effects of economic crisis. Discussion: A number of similarities were identified between the two countries and both countries reported feeling that compassion in nursing is very important, and also stating that they themselves received little compassion from management. However, despite similarities in the perceptions of Greek and Greek-Cypriot nurses, some differences were also identified. Furthermore, our study revealed a greater number of Greek nurses reporting effects of austerity. Conclusion: Greek and Greek Cypriot nurses may differ on how they define compassion but their practical expressions on compassion are very similar. Both countries felt that their own experiences of compassion were most likely to come from colleagues or patients, and most unlikely to come from their managers. There is an urgent need for compassionate leaders within their public health care systems, who will develop organizational cultures which nurture and sustain compassion. This is particularly evident in the case of Greece where we identified a larger number of nurses reporting restraints due to financial crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION Low-level knowledge of problematic substance use during the perinatal period may lead to numerous adverse outcomes. We sought to determine maternal tobacco, alcohol and caffeine consumption during the perinatal period during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS This prospective cohort study recruited women from five Greek maternity hospitals between January and May 2020. Data were collected with a structured questionnaire initially completed by postpartum women during their hospitalization and re-administered via telephone interview in the first, third and sixth month postpartum. RESULTS The study sample consisted of 283 women. Smoking rates decreased during pregnancy (12.4%) compared to the pre-pregnancy period (32.9%, p<0.001) and during lactation (5.6%) compared to the antenatal period (p<0.001). The smoking rate increased again after breastfeeding cessation (16.9%) compared to the rate during lactation (p<0.001), but remained lower than the pre-pregnancy rate (p=0.008). Only 1.4% of the women reported breastfeeding cessation due to smoking, whereas those who smoked more during pregnancy were more likely to cease breastfeeding (OR=1.24; 95% CI: 1.05--1.48, p=0.012). Regarding alcohol consumption, it was significantly lower during pregnancy (5.7%), lactation (5.5%) and after breastfeeding cessation (5.2%) compared to the pre-pregnancy period (21.9%, p<0.001 for all correlations). Women who consumed alcohol during lactation were less likely to wean (OR=0.21; 95% CI: 0.05--0.83, p=0.027). Caffeine intake decreased during pregnancy compared to preconception period (p<0.001), while in lactating women it remained at low rates until the 3rd month of follow-up. Caffeine consumption at one month postpartum (β=0.09; SE=0.04, p=0.045) was positively associated with longer duration of breastfeeding. CONCLUSIONS Tobacco, alcohol and caffeine consumption decreased in the perinatal period compared to the preconception period. The pandemic may have contributed to the downtrend in smoking and alcohol consumption due to COVID-related restrictions and fear of potential illness. Nevertheless, smoking was associated with reduced duration of breastfeeding and breastfeeding cessation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Marmara: Journal of European Studies / Avrupa Araştırmaları Dergisi is the property of Marmara University, European Union Institute and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The following paper deals with the mythological story about Apollo's fight against a she-snake at Pytho, where he eventually builds a sanctuary - the Delphic Oracle. First, it is attempted to decipher the terms Pytho, Delphi and Omphalos. A symbolism revolving around an underlying theme of birth is considered. Then, the stories about Apollo and about Kadmos, as well as a motif in Pherecydes' theogony, and the Anatolian Illuyanka Myth are being presented as subjects of a comparative analysis. This leads to the proposal that all four narratives have a common origin in Western Anatolia or Pre-Greek Hellas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Literature supports the use of serious games and virtual environments to assess cognitive functions and detect cognitive decline. This promising assessment method, however, has not yet been translated into self-administered screening instruments for pre-clinical dementia.Objective: The aim of this study is to assess the performance of a novel self-administered serious game-based test, namely the Virtual Supermarket Test (VST), in detecting mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in a sample of older adults with subjective memory complaints (SMC), in comparison with two well-established screening instruments, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE).Methods: Two groups, one of healthy older adults with SMC (N = 48) and one of MCI patients (N = 47) were recruited from day centers for cognitive disorders and administered the VST, the MoCA, the MMSE, and an extended pencil and paper neuropsychological test battery.Results: The VST displayed a correct classification rate (CCR) of 81.91% when differentiating between MCI patients and older adults with SMC, while the MoCA displayed of CCR of 72.04% and the MMSE displayed a CCR of 64.89%.Conclusion: The three instruments assessed in this study displayed significantly different performances in differentiating between healthy older adults with SMC and MCI patients. The VST displayed a good CCR, while the MoCA displayed an average CCR and the MMSE displayed a poor CCR. The VST appears to be a robust tool for detecting MCI in a population of older adults with SMC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on the findings of a quantitative study conducted among the learners of the sixth grade in the Greek and the Armenian primary educational contexts. This comparative study aimed to unravel the young learners' attitude and motivation to learn English in two different foreign language contexts in order to construe the impact that the socio-educational context plays in their quest for learning English. The data gathering procedure was carried out with the help of a questionnaire that delved into the learners' attitudes and motivation to learn English in general and to establish whether the learners still feel adherent to native speaker norms or whether they show awareness and openness to English as an international language, in particular. The results reflect learners' highly diverse motivational orientation in the educational contexts of the two countries. On the one hand, Greek learners, in general, have more positive attitudes and a higher level of motivation, but, at the same time, exhibit more instrumental orientation, while, on the other hand, Armenian learners' attitudes are less positive, but, at the same time, these learners show a higher disposition to learn English for international communication and opportunities for knowledge growth, experience and job pursuit worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kalantaridis C., Vassilev I. and Fallon G. Enterprise strategies, governance structure and performance: a comparative study of global integration, Regional Studies. This paper is positioned within a voluminous body of literature exploring the processes of global integration. The research presented here broadens the scope of scholarly inquiry through a process of constructive and critical engagement with the Global Commodity and Value Chain approaches. This is achieved by focusing on the enterprise as a purposive agent that is contextualized in chains and localities; and exploring the broad spectrum of strategies that can result to robust performance. This argument is supported with the findings of a survey of 755 firms in the United Kingdom, Greece, Poland, Estonia, and Bulgaria. [image omitted] Kalantaridis C., Vassilev I. et Fallon G. Les strategies d'entreprise, la structure de gouvernance et la performance: une etude comparative de l'integration mondialisee, Regional Studies. Cet article est partie integrante d'un corpus de documentation important qui examine le processus d'integration mondialisee. La recherche ci-presentee elargit la portee des etudes academiques par moyen d'un processus d'engagement constructif et critique avec les approches qui portent sur les produits mondialises et les chaines de valeur. On le realise en se concentrant sur l'entreprise comme agent empirique qui est relativise en termes de chaines et d'emplacements, et en examinant la gamme large de strategies qui pourrait en resulter pour consolider la performance. Les resultats d'une enquete aupres de 755 entreprises situees au R-U, en Grece, en Pologne, en Estonie et en Bulgarie soutiennent cet argument. Mondialisation Strategie d'entreprise Developpement economique Kalantaridis C., Vassilev I. und Fallon G. Unternehmensstrategien, Regierungsstruktur und Leistung: eine vergleichende Studie der globalen Integration, Regional Studies. Dieser Aufsatz versteht sich als Beitrag zur umfassenden Literatur uber die Prozesse der globalen Integration. Die hier vorgestellte Studie erweitert das Feld der akademischen Forschung durch einen Prozess des konstruktiven und kritischen Engagements mit den Ansatzen der globalen Waren- und Wertschopfungsketten. Hierfur konzentrieren wir uns auf das Unternehmen als zielgerichteten Akteur, der in Ketten und Lokalitaten kontextualisiert wird, und untersuchen das breite Spektrum der Strategien, die zu robuster Leistung fuhren konnen. Unterstutzt wird dieses Argument durch die Ergebnisse einer Umfrage unter 755 Firmen in Grossbritannien, Griechenland, Polen, Estland und Bulgarien. Globalisierung Unternehmensstrategie Wirtschaftsentwicklung Kalantaridis C., Vassilev I. y Fallon G. Estrategias empresariales, estructura gubernamental y rendimiento: un estudio comparativo de la integracion global, Regional Studies. Este articulo se concibe como una aportacion a la extensa literatura sobre los procesos de la integracion global. El estudio que aqui presentamos amplia el campo de la investigacion academica mediante un proceso de participacion constructiva y critica en cuanto a los planteamientos sobre la cadena global de valores y mercancias. Para ello prestamos atencion a la empresa como agente intencionado que se contextualiza en cadenas y localidades y exploramos el amplio espectro de estrategias que pueden llevar a un rendimiento solido. Este argumento esta respaldado por los resultados de un estudio de 755 empresas en el Reino Unido, Grecia, Polonia, Estonia y Bulgaria. Globalizacion Estrategia empresarial Desarrollo economico [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In the world of elderly people and people with chronic diseases, caregivers give a solution to caring at home. This study aimed to evaluate the burden of caregivers of patients with chronic diseases in primary health care and identify possible demographic and other determinants of it. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study with a convenience sample, which was conducted in two health centers. The sample comprised 291 caregivers who visited the aforementioned health centers in Patra, Greece. A composite questionnaire was utilized: the first part included demographic data and care-related information and the second included the Zarit Burden Interview and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21). Results: The highest mean score in the DASS was recorded in the depression subscale and the lowest in the stress subscale. Concerning the Zarit Burden Interview, the highest mean score was recorded in the personal strain subscale and the lowest in the management of care subscale. The highest correlation was recorded between role strain and anxiety and the lowest was between management of care and stress. Similarly, the total score in the Zarit Burden Interview correlated significantly (in a positive direction) with depression, anxiety, and stress. Conclusions: Most of the caregivers of patients with chronic diseases in primary health care experienced a moderate to severe burden (especially in the dimension of personal strain) and moderate depression. The experienced burden was positively associated with depression, anxiety, and stress. There were significant differences in the caregivers' burden according to several demographic and care-related characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Type-2 diabetes (T2D) and hypertension (HTN) are two of the most prevalent non-communicable diseases (NCDs): they both cause a relevant number of premature deaths worldwide and heavily impact the national health systems. This study illustrates the impact of HTN and T2D in four European countries (Albania, Bulgaria, Greece and Spain) and compares their policies towards the monitoring and management of HTN and T2D and the prevention of NCDs as a whole. This analysis is conducted throughout the DigiCare4You Project (H2020)—which implements an innovative solution involving digital tools for the prevention and management of T2D and HTN. Methods The analysis is implemented through desk research, and it is enriched with additional information directly provided by the local coordinators in the four countries, by filling specific semi-structured forms. Results The countries exhibit significant differences in the prevalence of HTN and T2D and available policies and programs targeted to these two chronic conditions. Each country has implemented strategies for HTN and T2D, including prevention initiatives, therapeutic guidelines, educational programs and children's growth monitoring programs. However, patient education on proper disease management needs improvement in all countries, registries about patients affected by HTN and T2D are not always available, and not all countries promoted acts to contain the increasing rates of risk factors related to NCDs. Conclusions While political awareness of the risks associated with HTN, T2D and NCDs in general is growing, there is a collective need for countries to strengthen their policies for preventing and managing these chronic diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a comparative sensitivity analysis of six of the widely used human thermal comfort indices. The analysis consists of the evaluation of the effect of indices 'input parameters' variation and change rate on the output of human energy balance and simple thermohygrometric indices. For the implementation of the sensitivity analysis, the generalized additive model's methodology is applied on a long period and high temporal resolution dataset from Athens, Greece. The results indicate that the proposed methodology of generalized additive models is adequate for such an analysis. Moreover, this research revealed the differences in index behaviour. The thermohygrometric indices (i.e. Thermohygrometric Index and HUMIDEX) exhibit a clearly deferent sensitivity pattern in comparison to the human energy balance indices (i.e. physiologically equivalent temperature (PET), perceived temperature (PT), modified physiologically equivalent temperature (mPET) and Universal Thermal Comfort Index (UTCI)), and they are incapable to handle the complexity of the atmospheric stimuli on human thermal perception. On the other hand, human energy balance indices can follow the input parameters fluctuations but with different grades of sensitivity. PET and mPET present a moderate and gradual sensitivity both in terms of the input variation and input change rate. PT is the less sensitive index among the human energy balance investigated, but it is able to follow efficiently the input parameters variation during the measurements period. Moreover, UTCI is the most sensitive among all the selected indices for low values (and low change rate) of the input parameters but for high input parameter values (except the wind speed), UTCI exhibits a low sensitivity in comparison to the other human energy balance indices. In terms of sensitivity, the most influential input parameter is global radiation, and the less influential is vapour pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The most important piece of legislation towards integrated water management in Europe is the Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC (WFD) based on the river basin. During its implementation each Member State (MS) should prepare a River Basin Management Plan (RBMP) accompanied with the Programme of Measures (PoMs) aiming at achieving good quality for all water bodies. The paper aims at presenting a summary of the progress regarding the RBMPs developed by each EU27 MS and special focus is given in Greece. The paper attempts a comparative analysis of the 12 Greek RBMPs highlighting the problems occurred and the drawbacks identified. Special focus is given in the economic analysis assessment where different methodologies are used to estimate the full water cost. Finally suggestions are given that can be taken into consideration during the second WFD implementation cycle in Greece. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The past Greek crisis experience is more or less terra incognita. In all historical empirical studies Greece is systematically neglected or included only sporadically in their cross-country samples. In the national literature too there is little on this topic. In this paper we use the 1930s crisis as a useful testing ground to compare the two crises episodes, 'then' and 'now'; to detect differences and similarities and discuss the policy facts with the ultimate aim to draw some 'policy lessons' from history. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first attempt to study the Greek crisis experience across the two historical episodes. Comparisons with the interwar period show that the recent economic downturn was faster, larger and more severe than during the early 1930s. More importantly, analysing the determinants of the two crises, we conclude that Greece's problems arose from its inability to credibly adhere to a nominal anchor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we attempt to conduct a comparative study of two different groups. The first group consists of Greek student teachers (1009) while the second comprises Greek in-service teachers (432) of primary education, namely current teachers with several years of experience. These teachers do not have training in theological studies, but they do have some knowledge of religious education (RE; With the term RE, we refer to the ‘subject of RE’ and not an everyday lesson of RE. In Greece, there is a debate on the teaching methodology of the course, i.e. utilising catechistic manners of teaching or teaching Christianity and different religions under historical/cultural criteria) after attending the Greek pedagogical faculties and receiving other forms of special training in the teaching of RE, especially the teaching of different religions from a historical/cultural point of view. Our aim in this paper is to offer a better understanding of how teachers aim to reproduce and change religious capital and examine if religious capital is tailored to the needs of schools or whether it operates independently. The paper will also examine how teachers themselves assess the effectiveness of their practices when teaching RE. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Purpose: The study aims to have adults discuss experiences, practices needs and feelings related to health management, diet and food security. Design/methodology/approach: A total of 22 immigrants were recruited from the Open School of Immigrants in Piraeus, Attica, Greece, to participate in focus group discussions. The discussions were audio recorded and thematically analyzed. Three major themes were developed: pathways to health care, nutrition management and experiences related to food shortages. Findings: Most of the participants identified internet as the most commonly used way to obtain health advice; they also stated that unexpected ill-health is usually accompanied by feelings of fear, anxiety and loneliness. Immigrants, who had visited a public hospital in Greece, identified the language barrier as the most challenging issue, followed by the long waiting lists. Fear and anxiety of hospital visits was an important factor in their decision to vaccinate against COVID-19. Lack of time, high cost of healthy food and lack of knowledge were the most common obstacles to a healthy diet. One in two immigrants reported that they have faced food insecurity issues in the past. Stress, psychological distress and irritation were reported, due to food shortages, especially during the first few years of arriving in Greece. The exclusion of some foods, reduced portion sizes and buying cheaper foods were among the coping strategies to address food shortages. Originality/value: The study offers an insight into immigrant's experiences, practices and feelings about managing health issues and could be useful for health-care practitioners, researchers and policymakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Diversity considerations are of paramount significance in the clinical assessment and treatment of speech disorders in bilingual children and adults who speak a less common language (and/or its dialects). While comprehensive assessment is essential for culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) populations, this is clinically challenging due to the indeterminacy entailed in the process and incumbrances in access to resources. This clinical tutorial outlines key considerations necessary for holistic, ecological, and dynamic assessments of speech disorders internationally, focusing on Greek. Method: Pertinent literature is reviewed to provide the relevant theoretical backdrop for the ecosystemic protocol, both conceptually and schematically. Greek is utilized as an example language, aiming to underscore knowledge, tools, and other resources on clinically relevant aspects of dialectal, interlanguage (adult second language [L2]), and child multilingual (L2/third language) variation in Greek-dominant speakers. Results: The tutorial highlights facets of Greek speech and scripts a primary assessment model for clinical use mostly targeting clinicians that are not speakers or cognizant of the language, also viewing speech in linguistic diversity as a sociolinguistic construct. Recommendations for clinical practices are outlined proposing a specific action plan, exemplified by a case scenario. Conclusions: The demonstrated ecosystemic paradigm in holistic, ecological protocols for clinical assessment of speech disorder in CLD speakers addresses the need for nonlinear, multilevel assessment of variable language exposure and use; being sensitive to individual speaker specificities; the sociolinguistic environment; and employing people-first, culturally sensitive, and dynamic strategies in clinical assessment. The stance also simplifies disambiguation tasks regarding the difference disorder dichotomy, enhancing existing clinical procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While Western societies are striving to become more honest about gender inequality, terms such as 'violence against women' have started to appear in policy debates in Asia and worldwide. The response is largely punitive. The option of restorative justice has been considered, but evidence on actual practice with these cases is scarce. Following international attempts to block restorative justice for violence against women cases, this paper argues that a better understanding needs to be developed before further steps are taken in any direction. The authors examined cases from their respective countries, Greece and the UK, to identify common elements, differences and minimum standards when applying restorative justice in cases of violence against women. An abstract implementation mode for further research is constructed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to define the meaning of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the context of the European framework and examine three different European countries. The main elements which encompass the meaning of CSR focus on activities with social and environmental sensitiveness, on a voluntary basis. The paper analyses the dimensions of CSR and presents its benefits. Furthermore, the paper provides a brief description of the recent CSR activities in the European Union, and attempts a comparative analysis of CSR activities and their respective impacts on three European countries: Greece; Denmark; and Hungary. Finally, the paper concludes that the effective implementation of CSR strategy cannot follow strict rules and should be adjusted to the culture, needs and particularities of each country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we investigate finite-frequency effects in crustal tomography. We developed an inversion procedure based on an exact numerical computation of the sensitivity kernels. In this approach we compute the 3D travel-time sensitivity kernels by using (1) graph theory and an additional bending to estimate accurately both rays and travel-times between source/receiver and diffraction points and (2) paraxial ray theory to estimate the amplitude along theses rays. We invert both the velocity and the hypocentre parameters, using these so-called banana-doughnut kernels and the LSQR iterative solver. We compare the ray-theoretical and the finite-frequency tomography to image the intermediate structures beneath the Gulf of Corinth (Greece), which has long been recognized as the most active continental rifting zone in the Mediterranean region. Our dataset consists of 451 local events with 9233 P- first-arrival times recorded in the western part of the Gulf (Aigion area) in the framework of the 3F-Corinth European project. Previous tomographic images showed a complex velocity crustal model and a low-dip surface that may accommodate the deformation. Accurate velocity models will help to better constrain the rifting process, which is still a subject of debate. The main results of this study show that finite-frequency tomography improves crustal tomographic images by providing better resolved images of the 3D complicated velocity structure. Because the kernels spread the information over a volume, finite-frequency tomography results in a sharpening of layer boundaries as we observed for the shallower part of the crust (down to 5 km depth) beneath the Gulf of Corinth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article provides a comparative analysis of core executive adaptation to engagement with the European Union in three states: Ireland, Greece and Finland. To date, the substantive focus of the literature on executive adaptation has been on the question of convergence or continuing divergence of national responses. The dominant conclusion points to the continuing divergence of national responses. The analytical framework that guided the empirical work in this paper was divided into two inter-related institutional components: structures and processes, and the agents who actively engage with the EU's governance structures. The comparative analysis provides evidence of both convergence and continuing diversity. In managing Europe from home, states appear to choose from a menu of possible models, prime ministerial-led or foreign ministry-led systems. Two variables stand out in explaining variation across the three states, the level of institutionalisation and the relationship between formal and informal processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to explore factors that influence nurses' beliefs about offering spiritual care. Study Design: A mixed-method study design, incorporating both quantitative (questionnaire) and qualitative research, was used for this study (focus group discussion). Methods: The questionnaires were completed by a convenience sample of nurses and their assistants working in two public hospitals. These questionnaires included the Greek versions of the FACIT-Sp-12, SCIPS, NEO-FFI, and the Spiritual Climate Scale, as well as a specially designed questionnaire to gather demographic, socioeconomic, and professional information about the study population (SCS). Three nurses and two nursing assistants who worked in public hospitals and were chosen through purposive sampling made up the sample for the qualitative study. In utilizing inductive content analysis methodology, a qualitative analysis was carried out. Results: Greek nurses frequently offer spiritual care to their patients, primarily existential spiritual care. It was discovered that the spiritual climate, the nurses' positive coherence, and their educational level all exert a favorable effect on total spiritual care. Three categories and seven subcategories were used to describe the participants' prior experiences with spiritual care. Conclusions: Greek nurses frequently offer spiritual care to their patients, and both internal and external factors influence their attitudes in this regard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is recognized as one of the most prevalent malignancies worldwide, presenting a substantial healthcare challenge. Myosteatosis, known as the accumulation of fat in the muscles, has raised an escalating interest among patients with several malignancies. The aim of our systematic review/meta-analysis was to assess the prevalence of myosteatosis in individuals diagnosed with HCC. Our study revealed that myosteatosis is highly prevalent in HCC patients and is associated with more severe underlying liver disease and higher mortality rates. Our findings also suggest that the prevalence of myosteatosis in HCC patients varies depending on the etiology of the liver disease, while variations in myosteatosis prevalence were observed regardless of whether body mass index-based or gender-based criteria were used. Background: Limited data exist on the prevalence of myosteatosis (i.e., excess accumulation of fat in skeletal muscles) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients, and no systematic review or meta-analysis has been conducted in this context. Methods: We searched for articles published from inception until November 2023 to assess the prevalence of myosteatosis in patients with HCC. Results: Ten studies with 3316 patients focusing on myosteatosis and HCC were included. The overall prevalence of myosteatosis in HCC patients was 50% [95% Confidence Interval (CI): 35–65%]. Using the body mass index-based criteria (two studies), the prevalence was 34%, while gender-based criteria (eight studies) yielded 54% (p = 0.31). In Asian studies (n = 8), the prevalence was 45%, compared to 69% in non-Asian countries (two studies) (p = 0.02). For viral-associated HCC (eight studies), the prevalence was 49%, rising to 65% in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease-associated cases (three studies) and 86% in alcoholic liver disease-associated cases (three studies) (p < 0.01). The prevalence of myosteatosis was higher in Child–Pugh class C (3 studies, 91%) than in A (7 studies, 73%) or B (6 studies, 50%) (p = 0.02), but with no difference between Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage A (3 studies, 66%), B (4 studies, 44%) and C (3 studies, 62%) (p = 0.80). Patients with myosteatosis had a significantly higher mortality (six studies) (Relative Risk: 1.35 (95%CI: 1.13–1.62, p < 0.01). Conclusion: The prevalence of myosteatosis is high in HCC patients and is associated with more severe liver disease and higher mortality rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The assessment of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in thalassemia offers a holistic approach to the disease and facilitates better communication between physicians and patients. This study aimed to evaluate the HRQoL of transfusion-dependent thalassemia (TDT) patients in Greece. This was a multicentric, cross-sectional study conducted in 2017 involving 283 adult TDT patients. All participants completed a set of two QoL questionnaires, the generic SF-36v2 and the disease-specific TranQol. Demographic and clinical characteristics were used to predefine patient subgroups. Significant factors identified in the univariate analysis were entered into a multivariate analysis to assess their effect on HRQoL. The SF-36 scores of TDT patients were consistently lower compared to the general population in Greece. The mean summary score of TranQol was relatively high (71 ± 14%), exceeding levels observed in national surveys in other countries. Employment emerged as the most significant independent factor associated with better HRQoL, whereas age had the most significant negative effect. This study represents the first comprehensive QoL assessment of a representative sample of the TDT population in Greece. The implementation of TranQol allowed for the quantification of HRQoL in Greece, establishing a baseline for future follow-up, and identifying more vulnerable patient subgroups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Cancer-related fatigue is a common distressing complaint of breast cancer patients treated with chemotherapy. Nutritional quality plays a pivotal role in cancer-related fatigue, while increased interest towards new pharmacological agents has been observed. Melatonin, an endogenous hormone that regulates the human sleep–wake cycle, could alleviate cancer-related fatigue. In the present human trial, we investigated the effects of melatonin intake (i.e., 1 mg/day) vs. placebo on fatigue in women with active breast cancer over a period of 3 months. In both groups, nutritional advice regarding the Mediterranean diet was implemented. At the trial endpoint, the results showed that only patients receiving melatonin improved cancer-related fatigue compared to baseline. This implies that the oral supplementation of melatonin could ameliorate fatigue in breast cancer patients who undergo chemotherapy treatment. Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is a common distressing complaint of breast cancer (BC) patients treated with chemotherapy. Nutritional quality plays a pivotal role in CRF, while increased interest towards new pharmacological agents has been observed. Melatonin, an endogenous hormone that regulates the human sleep–wake cycle, could alleviate CRF. In the present randomized, placebo-controlled 3-month trial, we investigated the effects of melatonin intake (i.e., 1 mg/day) vs. placebo in BC patients on CRF. In both arms, the Mediterranean diet (MD) was implemented. Medical history, anthropometry and blood withdrawal were performed. CRF was evaluated by the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy—Fatigue questionnaire and MD adherence by the MedDietScore. In total, 49 BC women (median age 52 years) were recruited, namely N = 23 in the intervention arm and N = 26 in the placebo arm. At baseline, CRF was positively associated with body mass index (BMI), even when adjusted for age, waist circumference and blood indices related to disease prognosis (beta = −0.882, p = 0.003). At 3 months, both groups showed a BMI decrease (p < 0.05), but only the intervention group improved CRF compared to baseline (p = 0.003). No differences in CRF were observed between the groups. In conclusion, melatonin oral supplementation could ameliorate CRF in BC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC (WFD) sets an overall framework for water management in Europe. The main instrument for its implementation is the river basin management plan (RBMP) and the accompanying programme of measures. As we are almost in the end of the WFD implementation cycle (in 2015), the paper presents the progress regarding the RBMPs developed by each EU27 member state (MS). A review of the conformity checks regarding the obligation and the quality of the RBMPs is provided for all EU27 MS. Special focus is given to Greece attempting a comparative analysis of its RBMPs. Although they comply with the context requirements set by the WFD, there have been problems occurring as consequences intense disputes. Special focus is given in the economic assessment. Different methodologies used and the lack of data are the main problems identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is exploring the relationship of the small hotel sector with the principles of sustainable tourism development. Main objective is to highlight the benefits expected to accrue to the hotel industry and examine the degree of awareness among owners of small and medium hotel units on issues related to sustainable tourism development. A questionnaire was distributed in Greece and Taiwan and a logit model was used, to examine the impact of the dichotomous dependent variable of nationality between Taiwanese and Greek SME hoteliers. Greeks and Taiwanese have remarkable differences on how they perceive sustainable tourism development and what impact that kind of development will have on their enterprises. Greeks seems to be much more optimistic than Taiwanese when it comes to environmental issues. For Greeks high investment costs are the most important reason for not implementing the adoption of sustainable development. The biggest problem for Taiwanese hoteliers is the lack of trained staff. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on testing the efficiency of alternative bankruptcy prediction models (Altman, Ohlson, Zmijewski) and on assessing the possible reasons that led to the confirmation or not of the prevailing model. Data from financial statements of listed (Greek) construction companies before the economic crisis were utilized. The results showed that Altman's main predictive model as well as the revised models have low overall predictability for all three years before bankruptcy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The progressive population ageing observed in Western countries determines a growing need for long-term care for older people. At the same time, migrants and refugees often have integration difficulties in regards to the hosting country society and labour market, with one reason being the lack of EU recognition of the educational degrees obtained in their native country. Creating educational opportunities in elderly care for migrants may facilitate their social inclusion, increase their employability, and constitute a response to the growing labor demand. The HERO project moved in this direction by planning, designing, and carrying out an original training curriculum targeted to migrants and refugees from African and Middle Eastern countries, piloted in four Mediterranean countries (Cyprus, Greece, Italy, and Portugal). The impact of the training on migrants and refugees' quality of life was assessed through the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire, while social inclusion was assessed through semistructured interviews and participant observation carried out during the internship in elderly care facilities. Eighty-two migrants (70.7 percent women) were involved in the study. The results showed that despite the fact that the training did not have an impact on the trainees' quality of life, it was associated with social inclusion. Four ideal types of migrant learners were drawn: "ex-professional trainees," "fall-back trainees," "care-oriented trainees," and "nonprofessional care workers," based on which as many possible educational pathways were drawn to optimise the trainees' learning process. The study results shaped the formulation of suggestions on migrants' education in elderly care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To translate and culturally adapt IPOS to the Greek population. Methods: A four phases- sequential study, which included verification of conceptual equivalence, double forward- backward translations and conceptual cognitive debriefing. Focus group interviews used 'think aloud' and 'verbal probing' techniques. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and thematically analyzed using predefined categories. Purposely sampled from two oncology and palliative care units in Athens. Results: The Integrated Palliative Care Outcome Scale was well accepted by both patients and health professionals. Overall comprehension and acceptability of the scale were good. The comprehension and judgement challenges identified in the pre-final version were successfully resolved in the cognitive interviewing phase. Five out of the seventeen translated items of the scale were modified after cognitive debriefing. Comprehension difficulties were identified with specific terms (e.g., energy/feeling depressed) and with some answer options. Severity of symptoms and not their impact was a common difficulty. A judgement challenge was reported in relation to 7-days recall and fluctuation of symptoms. Layout concerns in relation to length of questions were also stated. All questions were considered important and none as inappropriate. Conclusion: This study demonstrated face and content validity and acceptability of the Integrated Palliative Care Outcome Scale in the Greek context. Cognitive Interviewing proved valuable in refining concepts within the specific cultural context. Clinical implications: The IPOS outcome measure tool is now being used routinely in a palliative care service in Athens and is currently used to evaluate service outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines differences in work restrictions of midlife family carers of older people in terms of prevalence, gender and explanatory variables, in six European countries: Germany, Greece, Italy, Poland, Sweden and the United Kingdom. A sample of 2,897 carers aged 45–64 was extracted from the EUROFAMCARE (Services for Supporting Family Carers of Older People in Europe: Characteristics, Coverage and Usage) European project database, in order to analyse four possible work restrictions experienced in connection with the activity of care-giving: the reduction of working hours; giving up working; difficulties in career developments and forced occasional work. The results show that work restrictions are experienced differently between countries especially by women: they are reported to a higher degree in the United Kingdom, Germany and Greece, less so in Italy, and seldom in Poland and Sweden. Gender differences within countries are not so marked. Country differences are explained in the light of the different welfare regimes characterising the countries under investigation, in order to elucidate how policy makers may act to improve working carers' conditions through appropriate policies. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Investigating children's language skills in their native variety is of paramount importance. Clinical practices cannot be based on findings from languages or varieties which have different properties. This paper, after demonstrating the importance of investigating Specific Language Impairment (SLI) in Cyprus, assesses the feasibility of existing language assessments in Standard Modern Greek for the diagnosis of SLI in the Greek Cypriot context, for the children's native variety of Cypriot Greek. In total, 16 children with SLI (5 to 9 years) and 22 age-matched typically language developing children participated in this study. However, given that not all stimuli in the Standard Greek versions were appropriate for Cypriot Greek-speaking children and because of cultural differences, the tools were adapted. Results showed that the assessment tools can accurately identify children with SLI from typically language developing peers with sensitivity and specificity when the comparison is between children that use the same variety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some social scientists have been tempted to make wide ranging comparisons of whole societies, or cultures, using key metaphors as the units of comparison. Carol Delaney in her monograph on a Turkish village and subsequent wide-ranging paper suggested that concepts of bio-social procreation could be generative of wider and deeper cosmological, theological and gender ideas, for the Abrahamic religions. This idea was 'tested' using data from older people in Greek Cypriot villages and in Greece who had been less exposed to medical and bio-scientific discourses during higher education. The findings were both suggestive, of similarities, but also did not support Delaney's wider and wilder imaginative constructions. This paper suggests we need to work closer to specific regions and identifiable social cohorts, and that we need to pay more attention to successive folkloric texts, rather than theology to understand these issues empirically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After surveying the disparate Old Testament material on tithing, this paper isolated 1 Corinthians 9 as the loudest echo of that practice. It then modelled 1Corinthians 9 and 10 as illustrative rather than regulative in its approach to the former testament. Utilizing the 'lesser-to-greater' (qal wāômer) argument inherent in 1 Corinthians 9, it developed an implied benchmark of tithing in 1 Corinthians 9 and 1 Tim. 5.17 to argue such as the base upon which NT giving is predicated. Noting the socio-economic disparity of Corinth, in comparison with the ideal distribution by which the Hebrew Scriptures regulated tithes, the paper then invoked the gift of giving from Rom. 12.8 to suggest proportional giving rather than the strict regulation of the Mosaic legislation. Finally, returning to the literary setting of 1 Corinthians 9, any conclusion, at least from the Pauline corpus, was shown to be contextually suggestive, not invariably regulative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

papastavrou e., efstathiou g., tsangari h., suhonen r., leino-kilpi h., patiraki e., karlou c., balogh z., palese a., tomietto m., jarosova d. & merkouris a. (2011) A cross-cultural study of the concept of caring through behaviours: patients' and nurses' perspectives in six different EU countries. Journal of Advanced Nursing 68(5), 1026-1037. Abstract Aim. This paper is a report of an international study of patients' and nurses' perceptions of nurse caring behaviours. Background. Current economic constraints on healthcare systems, demand to increase the quality of care and the incorporation of the consumers' perspective into care, have created a need to develop a clear understanding of nursing behaviours which convey caring. Patients in different areas of the world report different expectations of nurses' caring actions when compared to nurses' views. Method. A descriptive comparative survey design was used to analyse a sample of surgical patients ( n = 1659) and their nurses ( n = 1195) in 88 wards of 34 hospitals in Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Finland, Greece, Hungary and Italy. Data were collected in autumn 2009 using the Caring Behaviours Inventory-24. Nurses' and patients' responses were compared using both inferential and descriptive statistics. Results. Independent samples t-tests showed important differences between nurses' and patients' views. Although both groups perceived knowledge and skill as being the most important sub-scale, the nurses' responses were higher compared to patients ( P < 0·05) with important differences in the 'assurance of human presence' ( P < 0·001) and the 'respectful deference to others' ( P < 0·001) sub-scales. Cross-country comparisons showed important differences between the nurses' ( F = 24·199, P < 0·001) and patients' views on caring ( F = 26·945, P < 0·001). Conclusions. Important differences were observed between patient-nurse perceptions in the participating countries. The results form a foundation for future research into the development of a common international perspective about caring behaviours between patients and their nurses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]