Προσωποποιήσεις ποταμών στα ψηφιδωτά των ρωμαϊκών αυτοκρατορικών χρόνων

Η εικονογραφία των ποταμών στη ρωμαϊκή τέχνη και ιδιαίτερα στα ψηφιδωτά έρχεται ξανά στο προσκήνιο, ειδικά μετά την πρόσφατη ανακάλυψη του ψηφιδωτού με την παράσταση ενός νεαρού ποταμού στην Πλωτινόπολη της Θράκης (Διδυμότειχο). Στο άρθρο αυτό συγκεντρώνονται οι παραστάσεις προσωποποιημένων ποταμών στα ψηφιδωτά της ρωμαϊκής αυτοκρατορικής περιόδου, τα περισσότερα από τα οποία προέρχονται από τη Μεσόγειο. Αρχικά, στο άρθρο γίνεται προσπάθεια παρουσίασης της εικονογραφίας των ποταμών και των μεθόδων ταύτισης, ενώ επιχειρείται και η ένταξη της υπάρχουσας εικονογραφίας σε μια πιο λεπτομερή τυπολογία. Ακόμα, το άρθρο επιχειρεί να απαντήσει  στο ερώτημα γιατί επιλέχθηκαν οι συγκεκριμένοι ποταμοί για τη διακόσμηση συγκεκριμένων κτηρίων και δωματίων, όπως και σε ποιο βαθμό η γεωγραφία επηρεάζει αυτή την επιλογή. Τέλος, γίνεται μια προσπάθεια να ανιχνευθούν οι τοπικές προτιμήσεις, ειδικά στις ανατολικές επαρχίες της Ρωμαϊκής Αυτοκρατορίας, ενώ επισημαίνεται η χαμηλή απήχηση των προσωποποιημένων ποταμών στον ελλαδικό χώρο.The iconography of rivers in Roman Art, and particularly on mosaics, comes on the forefront, especially after the recent discovery of a mosaic with the personification of a young river in Plotinipolis of Thrace (Didymoteicho). This article gathers the representations of personified rivers on mosaics dated from the Roman imperial period, most of which are located across the Mediterranean given the universal character of this Art. In the first place, the article deals with the presentation of the typical iconography of the represented rivers and the methods of identification. Moreover, it is attempted to refine the existing iconography to a more detailed typology. Furthermore, the article aims to answer to the question why these rivers were chosen for the decoration of certain buildings and rooms, as well as in which degree the geography affects their selection. Finally, an effort is made to retrace regional preferences, especially at the eastern provinces of the Roman Empire and the low popularity of the personified rivers in Roman Greece

HF Radar observations of the Dardanelles outflow current in North Eastern Aegean using validated WERA HF radar data

A two-site WERA HF radar station was installed in November 2009 at the eastern coast of Lemnos Island in North Aegean Sea, aiming to monitor the surface inflow of Black Sea waters exiting from the Dardanelles Strait, as well as to constitute a coastal management tool for incidents of oil-pollution or save-and-rescue operations. Strong interference by foreign transmissions is a source of noise deteriorating the quality of the backscattered signal, thus significantly reducing the HF radar’s effective data return rate. In order to ameliorate this problem, further quality-control and data gap interpolating procedures have been developed and applied, to be used in addition to the procedures incorporated and used by the manufacturer’s signal processing software. The second-level processing involves traditional despiking in the temporal domain, preceding Empirical Orthogonal Function analysis. The latter is used not only to filter high-frequency noise but also to fill data gaps in time and space. The data reconstruction procedure has been assessed via comparison of (a) HF radial with CODE-type drifter radial velocities as well as (b) HF-derived virtual drifter tracks with actual drifter tracks. The main circulation features and their variability, as revealed by the reconstructed fields, are presented

Euripidean men revisited: four case studies

While Euripides’ women have attracted a great deal of attention in recent decades, it is now half a century since the last substantial monograph devoted to his male characters. The present thesis examines representations of manliness and male behaviour in Euripidean tragedy. It aims to revisit Euripidean men as characters in their own right, not simply as foils to powerful women, and in relation with ideals of manliness as expressed and experienced in fifth-century Athens. The Introduction is divided thematically into two parts. The first part deals with the emergence of Gender and Men’s Studies from the same theoretical thinking that shaped Feminist thought, and demonstrates how their rhetoric and ideas can be used in literary criticism. The second part uses the idea of masculinity as a cultural construct and focuses on the concept of ‚ideal masculinity‛ as promoted in ancient Greek sources. Four case studies constitute the four main chapters of the thesis, each one of them placing emphasis on different aspects of masculinity and male identity. Chapter 1 focuses on Herakles in Herakles, and deals with questions regarding his relation with femininity, gender balance of roles within the oikos, male domesticity and the existence of multiple definitions of manly courage. The second case study is Admetos; Chapter 2 demonstrates that in Alkestis courage is not necessarily synonymous with the male sex, while other positive elements of male identity such as propriety and hospitality are given prominence as equally important and praiseworthy. Chapter 3 focuses on Hippolytos and explores the implications of a narrow and distorted understanding of positive qualities such as sophrosyne and piety, which can place a man at odds with his familial and public role. Finally, Chapter 4 uses Jason in Medeia to highlight the ramifications of a failure to fulfill the male obligations to his oikos and its members

Η μελέτη των μαθηματικών ικανοτήτων σε παιδιά προσχολικής και πρώτης σχολικής ηλικίας και η επίδραση του φύλου.

Η σχέση των παιδιών με τα μαθηματικά αποτελεί ένα αντικείμενο μελέτης, το οποίο έχει απασχολήσει αρκετούς ψυχολόγους. Από τη προσχολική ηλικία τα παιδιά διαθέτουν μια άτυπη γνώση της έννοιας του αριθμού και εφαρμόζουν μαθηματικούς κανόνες στο παιχνίδι τους. Επίσης, ένας τομέας που έχει αποτελέσει αντικείμενο έρευνας για τη σύγχρονη ψυχολογία, είναι η επίδραση του φύλου στη μαθηματική ικανότητα. Οι διαφορές στις μαθηματικές επιδόσεις των κοριτσιών και των αγοριών εμφανίζονται κυρίως στο τέλος της Πρωτοβάθμιας εκπαίδευσης και παγιώνονται κατά τη φοίτηση τους στη Δευτεροβάθμια εκπαίδευση, όπου καλούνται να επιλέξουν το επάγγελμα που θα ακολουθήσουν. Εντούτοις, έχει παρατηρηθεί πως από την αρχή της σχολικής ζωής ελλοχεύουν κάποιες διαφοροποιήσεις στο τρόπο αντίληψης και επίλυσης των μαθηματικών. Τα αγόρια κάνουν πιο εύκολα τις μαθηματικές πράξεις και επιλύουν πιο γρήγορα τα προβλήματα στηριζόμενα στις προηγούμενες γνώσεις τους. Τα κορίτσια αντιλαμβάνονται καλυτέρα τα ζητούμενα ενός προβλήματος και είναι πιο προσεκτικά κατά την επίλυση του, ωστόσο καθυστερούν στην εκτέλεση των πράξεων. Σκοπός της παρούσας εργασίας είναι η μελέτη της επίδρασης του φύλου στη μαθηματική ικανότητα παιδιών προσχολικής και πρώτης σχολικής ηλικίας (α΄ και β΄ δημοτικού) που φοιτούν στον ελληνικό εκπαιδευτικό χώρο. Για τη μέτρηση της μαθηματικής ικανότητας χρησιμοποιήθηκε η 3η έκδοση του εργαλείου «Βρετανική Κλίμακα Ικανοτήτων» (BAS 3) και ειδικότερα επιλέχθηκαν οι κλίμακες: «Συνολική μαθηματική ικανότητα», «Πρώτες αριθμητικές έννοιες», «Αριθμητικές δεξιότητες», «Ταχύτητα επεξεργασίας πληροφοριών» και «Ποσοτική συλλογιστική ικανότητα». Τα αποτελέσματα της έρευνας έδειξαν ότι δεν υπάρχει διαφοροποίηση ανάμεσα στα δυο φύλα στη μαθηματική ικανότητα ωστόσο εμφανίστηκαν διαφοροποιήσεις υπέρ των αγοριών στις κλίμακες «αριθμητικές δεξιότητες» και «ποσοτική συλλογιστική ικανότητα». Τέλος, φαίνεται ότι η ηλικία επηρεάζει τη μαθηματική επίδοση, όπως και ήταν αναμενόμενο, καθώς η αύξηση του μαθηματικού υπόβαθρού έχει ως αποτέλεσμα την ελαχιστοποίηση των λαθών στις πράξεις και στην επίλυση προβλημάτων.The relationship of children with mathematics is a research topic, which has been addressed by several psychologists. From pre-school age, children have an informal understanding of the concept of number and they apply mathematical rules in their play. In addition, a field, which has been the research subject in modern psychology, is the effect of gender of the children on mathematical competence. Differences in the mathematical competence of girls and boys occur mainly at the end of Elementary school education and are consolidated in High school education, where they are called upon to choose the profession they will follow. However, it has been observed that there have been some variations from the beginning of school life in the way mathematics is perceived and solved. Boys perform mathematical operations easier and solve problems more quickly based on their previous knowledge. Girls understand better the problem and they are more careful when solving it but they delay in calculations. The goal of the present study is to study the effect of gender on the mathematical ability of pre-school and elementary-school children (A and B grade) who study in the Greek educational system. For the measurement of mathematical competence, the 3rd version of the British Skill Scale (BAS 3) tool was used, and in particular the scales were chosen: “Total mathematical competence”, “First Numerical Concepts”, “Numerical Skills”, “Processing Speed of Information” and “Quantitative reasoning”. The results of the study indicate that there is no difference between the two sexes in mathematical competence, while variations appeared in favor of boys in the ranges of “Numerical Skills” and “Quantitative reasoning”. Finally, it seems that age affects mathematical performance, as it was expected, as the mathematical background increases leads at the minimizing of mistakes in calculations and problem solving

Leadership, mobilization of risky behaviours and accountability: The Church of Greece leaders' public talk during the COVID-19 pandemic

Social psychologists have typically examined leadership and risk-taking behaviours through a social identity lens. However, the rhetorical/ideological aspects of such processes as well as leaders' accountability management practices have not been adequately studied. We address this gap by focusing on leaders of the Church of Greece (CoG), who, at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, insisted that their congregation should keep receiving the Holy Communion, which typically involves the practice of spoon-sharing. We present a discursive analysis of 17 interviews with leaders of the CoG given in Greek media channels, exploring how they construct participation in the ritual. When Church leaders urged their audiences to engage in risky practices, they assumed various social identity positions (e.g. scientifically informed; civic minded), implicating competing ideological frameworks. They also managed their personal and institutional accountability for potential viral transmissions by placing responsibility for adverse effects on their followers. Implications for social psychological theory are discussed

Morphology of secretory structures and essential oil composition in Mentha cervina L. from Portugal

ABSTRACT: Mentha cervina L. is an aromatic plant that is traditionally used in the Alentejo region of Portugal to flavour food dishes and for the medicinal properties of the essential oil produced in its glandular trichomes. The morphology and distribution of the secretory structures of 20 populations was studied by light and scanning electron microscopy and revealed a great similarity in the type and distribution of glandular and non-glandular trichomes. In addition, two populations were surveyed at different stages of their life cycles. This showed that both maximum trichome density and maximum filling capacity of the glandular trichomes are attained early on. The GC and GC–MS chemical analyses showed that pulegone (62–80%), isomenthone (3–18%) and limonene (3–7%) are the main components of M. cervina essential oils. Cluster analysis of the identified essential oil components revealed a major chemical consistency between the 20 populations evaluate

Limited impact of colistin resistance on mortality of intensive care patients with carbapenem-resistant bacteraemia

Background Increasing incidence of carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacteraemia (CR-GNB) has triggered increased use of polymyxins, likely fuelling the emergence and spread of colistin resistance. Aim To estimate the excess clinical burden of colistin resistance in intensive care patients with CR-GNB. Methods A cohort was constructed of patients with CR-GNB during their stay in the intensive care unit (ICU) of a university hospital in Greece, over a 4-year period (2020-2023). Competing risks survival analysis was performed to estimate the burden associated with colistin resistance. Findings In 177 ICU patients with CR-GNB, 134 (76%) had colistin-resistant isolates, predominantly Acinetobacter baumannii (79%), identified by broth microdilution. Patients with colistin resistant infection were similar to those with colistin susceptible with respect to age, sex, APACHE II score, Charlson comorbidity index, Pitt bacteraemia score, prior surgery and the occurrence of polymicrobial cultures. However, patients in the colistin resistant group had lower mortality risk compared to the colistin susceptible (31% vs. 44%, P = 0.004 at 14 days; 46% vs. 56% at 28 days, P = 0.173; respectively). Multivariable regression analysis confirmed that colistin resistant CR-GNB was associated with significantly lower hazard of inpatient death compared to colistin susceptible infection at 14 days (cause-specific hazard ratio [csHR], 0.53; 95% CI 0.28 - 1.01) and 28 days (csHR, 0.55; 95% CI 0.31 - 0.95) of infection onset. Conclusion Limited impact of colistin resistance on mortality was demonstrated in a large contemporary cohort of ICU patients with CR-GNB, possibly reflecting the recent shift away from colistin-based treatment regimens

Clinical epidemiology, treatment and prognostic factors of extensively drug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii ventilator-associated pneumonia in critically ill patients

Limited data exist regarding prognostic factors and optimal antimicrobial treatment of infections caused by extensively drug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (XDR-AB). This retrospective cohort study included 93 adult patients who developed ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) due to XDR-AB in the ICU of the University Hospital of Heraklion, Greece, from October 2012 to April 2015. XDR-AB isolates were mainly susceptible to colistin (93.5%) and tigecycline (25.8%), whereas 6 (6.5%) were pandrug-resistant. Prior to infection, patients had long durations of mechanical ventilation and hospital stay and multiple exposures to antibiotics. Median Charlson co-morbidity and APACHE II scores were 2 and 17, respectively. Mortality at 28 days of infection onset was high (34.4%) despite high rates of in-vitro-active empirical (81.7%) and definitive (90.3%) treatment. Active colistin-based combination therapy (n = 55) and monotherapy (n = 29) groups had similar 28-day mortality (27.6% vs. 30.9%, respectively) and Kaplan–Meier survival estimates over time. In multivariable Cox regression, advanced age (aHR = 1.05 per year increase, 95% CI 1.02–1.09), rapidly fatal underlying disease (aHR = 2.64, 95% CI 0.98–9.17) and APACHE II score (aHR = 1.06 per unit increase, 95% CI 0.99–1.14) were identified as independent predictors of 28-day mortality, but no difference in mortality hazards between the active colistin-based combination therapy and monotherapy groups was produced (aHR = 0.88, 95% CI 0.35–2.38). These results support the use of colistin as a first-line agent against VAP in settings where XDR-AB is endemic, but oppose the introduction of colistin-based combination therapy as standard treatment