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This article deals with the education policy in Greece during the period 1976 to 1997, with special focus on the policy that is in practice since 1997. During the early 1990s, the important changes at international and local levels had established the foundations for this policy, which is significantly different from the ones implemented during the twenty five years before that and has effected a total transformation of the Greek educational system. The analysis of this policy, including a comparison with those that preceded it (through the study of the relevant reforms and major regulations), as well as with the "restructuring" education policies implemented in several other countries during the last 15 years, is followed by an assessment of its results up to now. (Contains 5 notes.)

We report for the first time the occurrence of the alien ant Cardiocondyla obscurior Wheeler, 1929 on the Greek island of Crete. Cardiocondyla obscurior is one of many congeneric taxa with worldwide success as tramp species, having attained a cosmopolitan distribution while having Indomalayan origins. It was first detected in Europe in 1999, and since 2015 it has started to be found outdoors in Southern European countries. Our record is the first in Europe in which the species is observed to be established outdoors in an agricultural area instead of an urban environment. Introduced Cardiocondyla ants are generally thought to have little ecological impact, although targeted studies have been lacking. Cardiocondyla obscurior is the third species of its genus to be found on the island of Crete, which is characterized by a remarkable ant diversity.

This paper first outlines briefly the present status and position of the Roma/Gypsies in the Greek context while it gives a review of education policy and provision. Secondly, it indicates that Greek primary teachers lack adequate preparedness for the challenges accompanying contemporary educational multiculturalism and social justice issues. The following part is focused on the training of teachers and the need to educate and prepare them further on specific intercultural issues as well as methodologies for teaching in multicultural classes. Finally, the paper indicates the importance of teacher training to combat racism and promote social justice in classrooms and schools through critical education and empowerment/emancipation processes of Roma children, and how those two pedagogical philosophies (intercultural and critical) may converge within teacher training praxis.

The purpose of this article is the analysis of higher education policy in Greece during the last decade, which is tied in with the ascendancy of market orientation and the complete restructuring of the university. The formation of this policy and its main axes are studied in the context of the pertinent developments at international and European levels, and its implementation is, therefore, assessed in relation to and comparison with the effects of similar policies in other EU member states. The article shows that, for Greek society, the complete restructuring of the university is a matter of prime importance, while concurrently representing a terrain of social and ideological clashes; and although significant steps in the road to the marketization of the university have already taken place, in conditions that are especially favourable for the forces that promote it, this road seems to be still long and winding. (Contains 9 notes.)

In a great number of countries religion plays an important role in public life. As far as Greece is concerned, it has always been a key element in public life including education. Religious education is a compulsory subject taught in a confessional and catechist way, while Orthodoxy saturates school culture, making the Greek educational system intolerant towards students of different religious backgrounds. In this paper, the Greek case is examined against two different perspectives--the globalist perspective and that of the sceptics. [Abstract presented in both English and Greek.]

Background: Gradual elevation of body weight leads numerous individuals to dieting and weight loss behaviours. Nevertheless, the prevalence of obesity continues to rise in industrialised countries. The examination of the motivational determinants of dietary modification ("dieting") in order to identify clusters of individuals in the first 6 months of their effort to control body weight was the aim of the current study. The theories of self-determination and self-esteem formation guided our analysis. Methods: A longitudinal study was conducted with three data collection points (N1=256; N2=135; N3=75). Data were responses on the Treatment Self Regulation Questionnaire, Social Physique Anxiety Scale, Physical Self-Description Questionnaire, Kaiser Physical Activity Survey Questionnaire, and items assessing expectations of achievement and self-confidence. Results: Cluster analyses provided stable and validated cluster profiles for all data sets. In the 1st and 2nd data sets, results revealed three groups of dieters labelled as "media victims", "try to feel nice" and "older and experienced". For the 3rd data set, results supported a 4-group solution ("less adaptive profile", "second successful dieters", "successful dieters", and "unsuccessful dieters"). The need for autonomous versus controlling dieting reasons based on Self-Determination Theory, along with the need for an alternative paradigm in weight management, are proposed. Conclusions: Psychological theories of self-determination and self-esteem provide important ways of understanding and identifying adaptive and less adaptive weight control strategies. (Contains 2 tables and 7 figures.)

An educational package based on the Messolongi wetland area and designed to develop environmental awareness amongst Greek secondary students is described. The package includes a book and a pedagogical guide for the teacher, as well as a hypermedia application/CD-ROM and worksheets for the student. The entire educational package combines recent scientific knowledge about wetlands with new technologies. It introduces students to wetland ecosystems and specifically to the Messolongi wetlands as, due to their complexity, they can provide a starting point for understanding these ecosystems. (Contains 8 figures and 2 tables.)

This study utilises pottery as a proxy to identify patterns of use and consumption, as well as depositional strategies at Agriomernos, a recently discovered cave site on Samos Island (Greece). This discovery challenges our understanding of human–landscape interaction within a marginal region across two distinct prehistoric chronological episodes. As part of a broader research project, this paper presents the results from an integrated, multiscale analysis of pottery through morpho-stylistic and macroscopic examination, thin section petrography, and wavelength dispersive X–ray fluorescence spectroscopy (WD-XRF). The analysis has revealed a compositionally diverse ceramic assemblage that represents a range of different raw material sources on the island and, by extension, different groups of people. The identification of off-island imports adds new evidence to the reconstruction of Aegean connectivity patterns. Agriomernos Cave constitutes a key archaeological site within an area previously unexplored, offering a unique opportunity to investigate ancient mobility, landscape sacrality, and ritual performances manifested through periodical and repeated acts of deposition.

Abstract Background COVID-19 pandemic is a challenge that the world had never encountered in the last 100 years. In order to mitigate its negative effects, governments worldwide took action by prohibiting at first certain activities and in some cases by a countrywide lockdown. Greece was among the countries that were struck by the pandemic. Governmental authorities took action in limiting the spread of the pandemic through a series of countermeasures, which built up to a countrywide lockdown that lasted 42 days. Methodology This research aims at identifying the effect of certain socioeconomic factors on the travel behaviour of Greek citizens and at investigating whether any social groups were comparatively less privileged or suffered more from the lockdown. To this end, a dynamic online questionnaire survey on mobility characteristics was designed and distributed to Greek citizens during the lockdown period, which resulted in 1,259 valid responses. Collected data were analysed through descriptive and inferential statistical tests, in order to identify mobility patterns and correlations with certain socioeconomic characteristics. Additionally, a Generalised Linear Model (GLM) was developed in order to examine the potential influence of socioeconomic characteristics to trip frequency before and during the lockdown period. Results Outcomes indicate a decisive decrease in trip frequencies due to the lockdown. Furthermore, the model’s results indicate significant correlations between gender, income and trip frequencies during the lockdown, something that is not evident in the pre-pandemic era.

Thirty seven floor sediment samples of Upper Pleistocene age from the Loutra Almopias Cave were collected from different beds and stratigraphic columns on the basis of their induration grade, grain distribution, and paleontological findings. Channel facies make up the bulk of the clastic sediments found in the cave passages. Slackwater facies compose the final layer of all the stratigraphic sections of the examined cave. The floor sediments are mineralogically immature, since they contain many ferromagnesian minerals, feldspars (especially plagioclase) and quartz. The extensive presence of silicate minerals means that the phyllites, gneisses, schists, ophiolitic rocks and the clastic Mariam Formation of the Almopia Zone are the main detrital load source, along with the flysch of the neighboring Pelagonian Zone. The presence of sand-sized grains, pebbles and cobbles of dolomitic or calcitic composition also designates the carbonate rocks of the Almopia and Pelagonian Zones as primary sources. The dolomite and calcite content of secondary chemical origin in the cave sediments is very limited. Kutnohorite, isomorphous with dolomite, was found for first time in a Greek cave. The provenance of the sediments is mixed; they are composed mainly of the weathering materials of the Alpine metamorphic basement and the carbonate rocks outcropping adjacent to the cave. The sediments were transported and deposited inside the cave, after rapid weathering and erosion of the surrounding rocks, under a tectonically active regime. The mineralogical variation in the stratigraphic columns demonstrates variations in the clastic load, due to the different weathering intensity periods. Most of the sediments are fluvial deposits, and one is considered a glacial deposit. Fossils of Lepus timidus (mountain hare) found within the cave represent the southernmost record of this species in Europe. Its presence signifies a cool phase at the end of the last glacial period before the onset of the warm Holocene Epoch.

Invasive alien species have been increasingly acknowledged as a major threat to native biodiversity and ecosystem services, while their adverse impacts expand to human health, society and the economy on a global scale. Insects represent one of the most numerous alien organismic groups, accounting for about one fifth of their total number. In Greece, a large number of alien insects have been identified, currently reaching 469 species. In recent decades, the contribution of citizen science towards detecting and mapping the distribution of alien insects has been steeply increasing. Addressing the need for up-to-date information on alien species as well as encouraging public participation in scientific research, the Alientoma website—derived from “alien” and the Greek word “entoma”, meaning insects, is presented. The website aims towards providing updated information on alien species of insects to the public as well as the scientific community, raising awareness about biological invasions and addressing their distribution and impacts inter alia. By maintaining a dynamic online database alongside a strong social media presence since its launch, Alientoma has attracted individuals mainly from Greece and Cyprus, interacting with the website through a total of 1512 sessions. Alientoma intends to establish a constantly increasing network of citizen scientists and to supplement early detection, monitoring and management efforts to mitigate the adverse impacts of alien insects in Greece.

Fifteen invasive ant species from Greece and Cyprus are recorded. Their biology and habitat preferences in eastern Mediterranean Region are discussed. Historical and non-published records of all listed species are summarized. Tetramorium bicarinatum is recorded for the first time from Greece, while Paratrechina longicornis and Pheidole indica are new for Cypriot fauna. Uncertain data concerning Anoplolepis gracilipes, Pheidole megacephala and Monomorium destructor are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays the science of remote sensing and satellite data, constitute modern scientific tools, as they provide important information and make research easier in many scientific fields. This research article presents an integrated system for continuous monitoring of the vegetation and the human impact on the Natura 2000 protected areas of Strofilia Forest and Kotychi lagoon (Natura 2000 codes: GR 232001 and GR233006 respectively) with contemporary methods of remote Sensing and Telemetry. More specifically, aerial photographs and still images obtained from the Landsat satellite were used for visualization of spectral signatures and detection of changes in vegetation and land-uses. Water quality data was checked via sensors measuring hydrological parameters in order to detect temporal changes. Finally, an on-line database system, whose main structural characteristics are illustrated in this paper, was created to assist field work and help data collection and assessment. The efficiency and accuracy of this type of monitoring for the conservation of natural environment is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human granulocytic anaplasmosis (HGA) is a tick-borne disease caused by Anaplasma phagocytophilum that has the potential to spread in new geographical areas. The first fatal case of HGA in Greece is presented. Fever of unknown origin, renal and respiratory insufficiency and development of macrophage activation syndrome characterized the clinical presentation. Amplification and sequencing of a fragment of the groEL gene revealed the presence of A. phagocytophilum . The epidemiological and clinical features were collected during an epidemiological investigation. Public health measures were instituted by the Hellenic Centre for Disease Control and Prevention. The Public Health intervention required the collaboration of epidemiologists, veterinarians and microbiologists. Emphasis was given to communication activities and misconceptions concerning canines and their role in the disease. The emergence of human anaplasmosis in a new geographical area highlights the importance of disease awareness and of the need for continued support for tick and tick-borne disease surveillance networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visitor management is considered important for the sustainable development of protected areas as the presence of visitors may cause negative impacts on wildlife and vegetation. Within this framework, visitor impacts and perceptions are considered critical for decision-making and planning of future management regimes. This paper resumes opinions of visitors of the Valley of Butterflies in Rhodes Island, Greece, a very popular tourist destination in both national and international level, with more than 300,000 visitors per year. These opinions record perceptions on the environmental impacts of eco-tourism in the Valley and are necessary for the formulation and implementation of a visitor management strategy in the area. Descriptive statistics are estimated, as well as a probit model exploring factors affecting visitors' satisfaction. Results call for more information and education of the visitors about the Valley's conservation and ecological value, better facilities and services provided, site hardening and a better policy of prices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]