Risk-based decision making and risk management of European Union regional programs

This paper presents a generalized method for management decision making incorporating risk assessment techniques. The risk based decision making methodology is applied to European Union expenditure programs used to implement its regional policy, such as the community support framework, community initiatives, special initiatives and other European policies. An example is presented for the development of an audit (inspection) program in the region of West Macedonia, Greece, during the implementation of the 3rd Community Structural Support Framework Operational Program. The generic nature of the method permits its use in the management of similar European regional programs in Greece and other European countries. It is also applicable to many other industries interested in applying risk-based management decisions to physical or process based systems.

Diffuse precordial ST-segment elevation in inferior-right myocardial infarction

A right ventricular (RV) myocardial infarction (MI) may yield precordial ST-segment elevation (STE). Accordingly, combined inferior and precordial STE may be produced during an inferior-RV MI. Such an electrocardiographic picture may be mistakenly regarded as showing wrapped left anterior descending artery (LADA) occlusion or double vessel occlusion. We present a patient with inferior-RV MI and STE in the inferior, all precordial and right chest leads, in whom the diffuse precordial STE was probably mistakenly regarded as showing anterior MI. However, the STE resolution in V1-V2 and late R’ wave in V1, which were combined with a recanalized RV branch, favored the RV origin of this STE. Furthermore, the LADA was patent when V3-V6 showed severe ischemia, while its lesion was angiographically stable. Thus its simultaneous occlusion was unlikely. The late R’ wave in V1 indicates RV transmural conduction delay;as highlighted herein, it is diagnostic of a RV myocardial infarction. (Cardiol J 2010; 17, 6: 628-631

Start-up plane Poiseuille flow of a Bingham fluid

© 2018 Elsevier B.V. This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ Supplementary Raw Research Data, is open data under the CC BY license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ This author accepted manuscript is made available following 24 month embargo from date of publication (October 2018) in accordance with the publisher’s archiving policyThe start-up flow of a Bingham plastic in a channel is considered and Safronchik’s solution [1] for the initial evolution of the yield surface and the core velocity is revisited. Stricter time bounds for the validity of the above solution are derived and the solution is extended to include the velocity profile in the evolving yielded zone. Comparisons are made with another approximate solution derived under the assumption that the velocity in the yielded zone is parabolic adjusting with the evolving yield surface. This approximation performs well for small values of the yield stress, or, equivalently, for large values of the imposed pressure gradient

From Trees to Loops and Back

We argue that generic one-loop scattering amplitudes in supersymmetric Yang-Mills theories can be computed equivalently with MHV diagrams or with Feynman diagrams. We first present a general proof of the covariance of one-loop non-MHV amplitudes obtained from MHV diagrams. This proof relies only on the local character in Minkowski space of MHV vertices and on an application of the Feynman Tree Theorem. We then show that the discontinuities of one-loop scattering amplitudes computed with MHV diagrams are precisely the same as those computed with standard methods. Furthermore, we analyse collinear limits and soft limits of generic non-MHV amplitudes in supersymmetric Yang-Mills theories with one-loop MHV diagrams. In particular, we find a simple explicit derivation of the universal one-loop splitting functions in supersymmetric Yang-Mills theories to all orders in the dimensional regularisation parameter, which is in complete agreement with known results. Finally, we present concrete and illustrative applications of Feynman's Tree Theorem to one-loop MHV diagrams as well as to one-loop Feynman diagrams.Comment: 52 pages, 17 figures. Some typos in Appendix A correcte

Scientific, societal and pedagogical approaches to tackle the impact of climate change on marine pollution

Marine pollution impacts coastal nations around the world, and more so: (a) in confined maritime areas with significant marine traffic, (b) where exploitation of natural and mineral resources is taking place, or (c) in regions witnessing pressure from tourism, local population growth, and industry. In this work, Digital Elevation Models, hydrographic, and climatic data are used together with computer simulations to understand the control of climate change on marine pollution. The results show that different climate change signals can potentially alter the flow and concentration of pollution in the European Seas, when compared to the present day. Ultimately, this work identifies the main sources of marine pollution as: (1) rivers and streams near cities and industrialised areas, (2) coastal areas experiencing sudden demographic pressures, (3) offshore shipping lanes in which oil and other marine debris are released, and (4) areas of rugged seafloor where industrial fishing takes place. This paper finishes by describing new educational material prepared to teach school children around the world. It explains why how a new training curriculum and e-game developed by Sea4All can be crucial in future Environmental Education and Education for a Sustainable Development

Evaluating higher education teaching performance using combined analytic hierarchy process and data envelopment analysis

Evaluating higher education teaching performance is complex as it involves consideration of both objective and subjective criteria. The student evaluation of teaching (SET) is used to improve higher education quality. However, the traditional approaches to considering students’ responses to SET questionnaires for improving teaching quality have several shortcomings. This study proposes an integrated approach to higher education teaching evaluation that combines the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and data envelopment analysis (DEA). The AHP allows consideration of the varying importance of each criterion of teaching performance, while DEA enables the comparison of tutors on teaching as perceived by students with a view to identifying the scope for improvement by each tutor. The proposed teaching evaluation method is illustrated using data from a higher education institution in Greece