Ανάδειξη αιτιών αποτυχίας έργων πληροφορικής σε ελληνικές επιχειρήσεις παροχής υπηρεσιών

Η παρούσα διπλωματική πραγματεύεται το ζήτημα της αποτυχίας της Διαχείρισης Έργων Πληροφορικής (ΔΕΠ) . Παρουσιάζονται δεδομένα και αποτελέσματα σε σχέση με την πορεία την έκβαση και τα θέματα που προκύπτουν κατά την διεξαγωγή τους, έτσι όπως καταγράφονται στη διεθνή βιβλιογραφία. Παράλληλα, μέσω πρωτογενούς έρευνας σε επιχειρήσεις παροχής υπηρεσιών που δραστηριοποιούνται στην Ελλάδα, καταγράφονται ποιοτικά και ποσοτικά χαρακτηριστικά έργων πληροφορικής και στη συνέχεια αξιολογείται η σημαντικότητα των παραγόντων που επηρεάζουν την έκβαση τους. Από τα αποτελέσματα της έρευνας προέκυψε ότι ο βαθμός ικανοποίησης των συμμετεχόντων ως προς την εκπλήρωση των αρχικών στόχων του έργου, είναι χαμηλός και ότι ο σημαντικότερος παράγοντας κατά την εκτίμηση τους για την επιτυχή ολοκλήρωση των έργων είναι ο κατάλληλος σχεδιασμός τους. Τα ευρήματα αυτά ήταν ανάλογα με εκείνα που καταγράφηκαν στη έρευνα της CHAOS report 2015. Τα έργα της τελευταίας τριετίας χαρακτηρίστηκαν από τους ερωτηθέντες κυρίως ως επιτυχημένα γεγονός που έρχεται σε ασυμφωνία με τον βαθμό ικανοποίησης των στόχων, ανοίγοντας παράλληλα νέα ερευνητικά ερωτήματα θέτοντας ως αναγκαία την περαιτέρω διερεύνηση των αιτιών αυτών .This thesis addresses the issue of IT project management failure. Data and results are provided in respect to the progress, the outcome, and challenges that arise during their implementation as documented in international literature. Furthermore, through primary research in service companies operating in Greece, qualitative and quantitative characteristics of IT projects are recorded while is evaluated the importance of the factors that influence their outcome. The research findings revealed that the degree of satisfaction of the respondents in relation to the fulfillment of the initial goals and demands is low and the most crucial factor in their assessment for the projects effective completion is their appropriate design. These findings were in line with those of the CHAOS 2015 report. The projects of the last three years were characterized by the respondents mainly as successful, a fact that conflicts with the degree of satisfaction of their goals and targets, while opening new research questions and necessitating the further investigation of these cause

Fumigant Toxicity of Essential Oils of Nine Plant Species from Asteraceae and Clusiaceae against Sitophilus granarius (L.) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

Essential oils obtained from nine different plant species (Achillea coarctata Poir., Achillea gypsicola Hub.-Mor., Artemisia dracunculus L., Artemisia vulgaris L., Helichrysum plicatum Dc., Tanacetum agrophyllum (L.), Taraxacum officinale (L.) (Asteraceae), Hypericum scabrum L. and Hypericum perforatum L. (Clusiaceae)) were tested against adults of Sitophilus granarius (L.) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). Results clarified that essential oils of A. coarctata, A. gypsicola, T. agrophyllum, H. scabrum and H. perforatum had highest insecticidal effects on S. granarius adults, compared with the control. Mortality rate of S. granarius adults increased significantly (p<0.01), as the dosage level and/or exposure time increased. Treatments with the essential oils of A. coarctata, A. gypsicola, A. dracunculus, T. agrophyllum, H. scabrum and H. perforatum showed high levels of mortalities in S. granarius adults, when they were applied at the higher tested concentrations (10 & 20 µl) at all post treatment periods or at a moderate concentration (5µl) with a long exposure period (48 or 96 h). The essential oils of A. vulgaris, H. plicatum and T. officinale had either very low or no effects. Mortality percentages of S. granarius adults, after 96 h of exposure at the maximum dose (20 µl essential oil) of A. coarctata, A. gypsicola, A. dracunculus, H. scabrum, H. perforatum, T. agrophyllum, H. plicatum A. vulgaris and T. officinale attained 100, 100, 100, 100, 100, 98.99, 83.84, 23.23, and 18.18%, respectively. No mortality was recorded in the control. After 96 h of treatment, highest levels of mortalities (95.96 %) were recorded at the dose of 1 µl essential oil of H. perforatum. They were (84-100 %) at the dose of 5µl of the essential oils of A. coarctata, A. gypsicola, A. dracunculus, T. agrophyllum and H. perforatum, (93.94 %) at the dose of 10 µl for H. scabrum and (83.84 %) at the dose of 20 µl for H. plicatum

Διερεύνηση κλινικών και δερματοσκοπικών χαρακτηριστικών σε Βασικοκυτταρικά Καρκινώματα ασθενών ηλικίας κάτω των 45 ετών

Το Βασικοκυτταρικό Καρκίνωμα (BCC) αποτελεί την συχνότερη κακοήθεια του δέρματος αντιστοιχώντας στο 80% του συνόλου αλλά και τη συχνότερη κακοήθεια του ανθρώπου γενικότερα. Τις τελευταίες δεκαετίες παρατηρείται συνεχής αύξηση της επίπτωσης του Βασικοκυτταρικού Καρκινώματος παγκοσμίως. Η αύξηση αυτή εντοπίζεται ιδίως σε νεαρότερες ηλικίες (κάτω των 45 ετών) και μάλιστα στο γυναικείο φύλο με αποτέλεσμα την αντιστροφή της συχνότητας (γυναίκες&gt;άντρες) σε αυτές τις ηλικιακές ομάδες. Σκοπός της παρούσας εργασίας είναι να περιγράψει και να αναλύσει τα κλινικά και δερματοσκοπικά χαρακτηριστικά του ΒΚΚ σε ασθενείς ηλικίας κάτω των 45 ετών ώστε να διαπιστωθεί αν προκύπτουν σημαντικές διαφορές σε σχέση με τις μεγαλύτερες ηλικίες εμφάνισης καθώς και να διερευνήσει πιθανές αιτίες για αυτήν την αύξηση της επίπτωσης που παρατηρείται. Η εργασία αποτελείται από ένα γενικό και ένα ειδικό μέρος. Στο γενικό μέρος της μελέτης θα γίνει περιγραφή των χαρακτηριστικών της πάθησης, της επιδημιολογικής εικόνας που παρουσιάζει, και εκτενής ανάλυση των αιτίων, περιβαλλοντικών, βιοχημικών και γενετικών, σύμφωνα με την διεθνή βιβλιογραφία. Καταγράφονται επίσης η κλινική και δερματοσκοπική εικόνα, ανάλογα με τις υποκατηγορίες του όγκου, η πρόγνωση και η θεραπευτική αντιμετώπιση σύμφωνα με όλα τα τελευταία δεδομένα. Στο ειδικό μέρος γίνεται μια διχότομη ανάλυση περιστατικών του όγκου σε ασθενείς ηλικίας άνω και κάτω των 45 ετών (&lt; 45 vs &gt;45) εξετάζοντας συγκεκριμένες κλινικές και δερματοσκοπικές παραμέτρους. Διερευνούνται έτσι τυχόν διαφορές ως προς το φύλο, την ανατομική εντόπιση, τα δερματοσκοπικά χαρακτηριστικά, τον ιστολογικό τύπο, τον φωτότυπο και το ατομικό/οικογενειακό ιστορικό σε ασθενείς που νόσησαν μέχρι το 45ο έτος της ηλικίας τους σε σχέση με αυτούς που εμφάνισαν μεταγενέστερα την νόσο. Γίνεται επίσης προσπάθεια να διαπιστωθούν αιτίες (περιβαλλοντικές μεταβολές, νέες συνήθειες ζωής κ.α.) για την όλο και αυξανόμενη επίπτωση του BCC που παρατηρείται παγκοσμίως τις τελευταίες δεκαετίες. Στην εργασία δεν θα συμπεριληφθούν περιπτώσεις του όγκου στα πλαίσια γενετικών συνδρόμων (όπως το σύνδρομο βασικοκυτταρικού σπίλου) καθώς και στα πλαίσια ανοσοκαταστολής.Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC) is the most common type of skin cancer (80% of total cases) but also the most common type of malignancy in humans. Over the last decades a continuous rise in the incidence of BCC is reported worldwide. This rise is mostly prevalent in younger age groups (under the age of 45 y.o.) and especially in women which results in the tumor being more common in females than in males in these age groups. The aim of this thesis is to describe and analyze the clinical and dermoscopic features of BCC in patients under the age of 45 years old in order to investigate if there are any significant differences comparing to those in older patients and also to observe probable causes for this rise of incidence. The thesis consists of two chapters, the general and the specific. The general part entails the characteristics of the disease, the epidemiology and pathogenesis, analyzing all potential risk factors, environmental, phenotypic, genetic according to international literature. Clinical and dermoscopic features of all subtypes of BCC are also observed, along with the prognosis and treatment based on the very latest data. The specific part includes a dichotomous variable of BCC cases in patients older and younger than 45 years of age (&lt;45 vs &gt;45) examining certain clinical and dermoscopic features. With this method, an effort is being made to find out potential differences in gender, anatomic location, dermoscopic features, histologic type, phototype, personal/family history in patients who developed BCC before the age of 45 comparing to those of older age. Potetial causes (environmental changes, new lifestyle patterns etc.) are also observed in order to explain the continuous rise of incidence of BCC. This thesis does not include cases of the tumor developing in patients with Gorlin syndrome or other genetic syndromes predisposing to BBC and also cases in immunosuppressed patients

Ring-shaped variation of the coeliac trunk branches

Aberrant arterial variations in the branching pattern of the coeliac trunk are of great interest to surgeons and radiologists. We report on a rare arterial variation found in a 79-year-old cadaver during educational dissection. Specifically, the coeliac axis formed a unique incomplete trunk termed the hepato-hepatic trunk. The splenic artery arose separately from the anterior aspect of the abdominal aorta. On the right side, there was a right hepatic artery giving rise to a gastroduodenal but an absence of the left hepatic. On the left side, there was a branch coursing towards the porta hepatis; the left hepatic artery, dividing into the left gastric, an accessory left gastric, and a branch to the distal oesophagus. The hepato-hepatic trunk formed a ring-shaped vascular structure around the caudate lobe of the liver. Precise mapping and observation of the extrahepatic arteries and bile duct branches is essential in a variety of hepato-biliary laparoscopic procedures of the liver and gallbladder. Other operative procedures requiring, a comprehensive kno­wledge of the varied coeliac trunk patterns are liver transplantation and arterial embolism for hepatic tumour therapy

Insecticidal Effects of Monoterpenes on Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

Twenty eight monoterpenes including monoterpene hydrocarbons and oxygenated monoterpenes (borneol, borynl acetate, camphene, camphor, 3-carene, carvone, 1,8-cineole, citronellal, β-citronellene, β-citronellol, dihydrocarvone, fenchol, fenchone, geranyl acetate, isomenthol, limonene, limonene oxide, linalool, linalyl acetate, menthol, menthone, myrcene, nerol, neryl acetate, α-pinene, β-pinene, terpinen-4-ol, α-terpineol), the active compounds of essential oils obtained from different plant species were tested against adults of Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky under laboratory conditions. The monoterpenes were applied at contents of 10, 20 and 30 μl for liquid compounds and 10, 20 and 30 μg for solid compounds. The results show that most of the monoterpenes have significantly insecticidal effect on the tested insects. Insecticidal effects of monoterpene hydrocarbons were found to be lower than those of oxygenated monoterpenes. The ketone and aldehyde and epoxide derivatives of oxygenated monoterpenes were also found to be more toxic as compared with their other derivatives. Mortality percentage of S. zeamais adults, after 96th h of exposure at the maximum dose (30 μl/μg) of oxygenated monoterpenes including borneol, fenchol, linalool, menthol, terpinen-4-ol, α-terpineol (alcohols group); 1,8-cineole, limonene oxide (epoxides group); camphor, carvone, citronellal, dihydrocarvone, fenchone, menthone (ketones and aldehydes group) and neryl acetate (esters group) attained 100%. Concurrently, 3-carene from monoterpene hydrocarbons showed 100% mortality after 96th h of exposure at the maximum dose (30 μl). Carvone, dihydrocarvone, fenchone, limonene oxide, menthone and terpinen-4-ol from these compounds showed 100% insecticidal effect after 48th h of exposure. Among the monoterpenes tested, carvone, dihydrocarvone, menthone and terpinen-4-ol showed the strongest insecticidal activities with 100% of mortality at all doses (96 h after treatment) and then 1,8-cineole, fenchone, linalool and limonene oxide showed stronger insecticidal activities in comparison with other monoterpenes with lethal doses (LD50) values of 1.989, 2.445, 2.445 and 3.235 μl (96 h after treatment) against the test insects, respectively. Mortality rate of S. zeamais adults increased significantly (p < 0.01), as the dosage level and/or exposure time increased. Based on the present results, it can be concluded that the oxygenated monoterpenes may have a potential action for control of S. zeamais adults

Nitrogen transfer properties in tantalum nitride based materials

Ta3-xMxNy (M = Re, Fe, Co; x = 0, 0.25, 0.5, 1) materials with different microstructural features (e.g. surface area) were successfully prepared using different synthesis techniques. The dependence of nitrogen transfer properties upon tantalum nitride microstructure and its chemical composition was evaluated using the ammonia synthesis with a H2/Ar feedstream (a reaction involving lattice nitrogen transfer). It was shown that nitrogen reactivity for tantalum nitride is more dominated by lattice nitrogen stability rather than microstructural properties. In the case of non-doped tantalum nitride, only a limited improvement of reactivity with enhanced surface area was observed which demonstrates the limited impact of microstructure upon reactivity. However, the nature of the transition metal dopant as well as its content was observed to play a key role in the nitrogen transfer properties of tantalum nitride and to impact strongly upon its reactivity. In fact, doping tantalum nitride with low levels of Co resulted in enhanced reactivity at lower temperature

Antibacterial activity of Artemisia nilagirica leaf extracts against clinical and phytopathogenic bacteria

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The six organic solvent extracts of <it>Artemisia nilagirica </it>were screened for the potential antimicrobial activity against phytopathogens and clinically important standard reference bacterial strains.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The agar disk diffusion method was used to study the antibacterial activity of <it>A. nilagirica </it>extracts against 15 bacterial strains. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of the plant extracts were tested using two fold agar dilution method at concentrations ranging from 32 to 512 μg/ml. The phytochemical screening of extracts was carried out for major phytochemical derivatives in <it>A. nilagirica</it>.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>All the extracts showed inhibitory activity for gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria except for <it>Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterococcus faecalis </it>and <it>Staphylococcus aureus</it>. The hexane extract was found to be effective against all phytopathogens with low MIC of 32 μg/ml and the methanol extract exhibited a higher inhibition activity against <it>Escherichia coli, Yersinia enterocolitica, Salmonella typhi</it>, <it>Enterobacter aerogenes</it>, <it>Proteus vulgaris</it>, <it>Pseudomonas aeruginosa </it>(32 μg/ml), <it>Bacillus subtilis </it>(64 μg/ml) and <it>Shigella flaxneri </it>(128 μg/ml). The phytochemical screening of extracts answered for the major derivative of alkaloids, amino acids, flavonoids, phenol, quinines, tannins and terpenoids.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>All the extracts showed antibacterial activity against the tested strains. Of all, methanol and hexane extracts showed high inhibition against clinical and phytopathogens, respectively. The results also indicate the presence of major phytochemical derivatives in the <it>A. nilagirica </it>extracts. Hence, the isolation and purification of therapeutic potential compounds from <it>A. nilagirica </it>could be used as an effective source against bacterial diseases in human and plants.</p

In Vitro Control of Post-Harvest Fruit Rot Fungi by Some Plant Essential Oil Components

Eight substances that are main components of the essential oils from three Mediterranean aromatic plants (Verbena officinalis, Thymus vulgaris and Origanum vulgare), previously found active against some phytopathogenic Fungi and Stramenopila, have been tested in vitro against five etiological agents of post-harvest fruit decay, Botrytis cinerea, Penicillium italicum, P. expansum, Phytophthora citrophthora and Rhizopus stolonifer. The tested compounds were β-fellandrene, β-pinene, camphene, carvacrol, citral, o-cymene, γ-terpinene and thymol. Citral exhibited a fungicidal action against P. citrophthora; carvacrol and thymol showed a fungistatic activity against P. citrophthora and R. stolonifer. Citral and carvacrol at 250 ppm, and thymol at 150 and 250 ppm stopped the growth of B. cinerea. Moreover, thymol showed fungistatic and fungicidal action against P. italicum. Finally, the mycelium growth of P. expansum was inhibited in the presence of 250 ppm of thymol and carvacrol. These results represent an important step toward the goal to use some essential oils or their components as natural preservatives for fruits and foodstuffs, due to their safety for consumer healthy and positive effect on shelf life extension of agricultural fresh products