Heritage and Memory of the First World War in Greece during the Interwar Period: A Historical Perspective

The memory of the First World War in Greece has suffered throughout the years a gradual decline, which is comparable to the case of many other countries, mostly in areas of Eastern and Southeastern Europe. The Great War mattered somehow for politicians, the press and public opinion in Greece only in the interwar years. During that period, discourse about the First World War included the echo of traumatic events related to Greek involvement in the war (such as the surrender of Fort Roupel to Central Powers forces and the bloody clashes of December 1916 in Athens after the landing of Entente troops) and the efforts to erect war memorials as a tribute to the sacrifice of fallen soldiers, both Greeks and foreigners. At the same time, the Greek people had the opportunity to learn a lot about the international dimension of the war through newspapers, where translated memoirs of leading wartime figures (of both alliances) were published. After the outbreak of the Second World War, interest in the previous major conflict (including the Greek role in the hostilities) significantly diminished in the country. Taking into consideration the ongoing experience of the centenary manifestations, the author proposes a codification of the main types (existing or potential) of WWI memory in Greece and suggests new ways of approaching this major historical event. The final chapter addresses some possible causes of the troublesome relation of Greeks with the First World War, which is mainly due to the very particular circumstances of Greek involvement in the war and the determining role of later historical events that overshadowed memories of the earlier conflict

Review of Christopher Clark's Οι Υπνοβάτες: Πώς η Ευρώπη πήγε στον πόλεμο το 1914 [The Sleepwalkers: How Europe went to War in 1914]

There is hardly an issue in the entire history of the 20th century that has caught so much the interest of the historians and has seen the production of such a huge number of books and articles as the one regarding the origins of the First World War. It is no surprise that the explosion of interest in the First World War on the occasion of the centenary year was marked, among else, by new discussions and many publications on this subject.The book that has caught mostly the attention of public and academic debate is no other than Sleepwalkers by Christopher Clark, Professor of Modern History at the University of Cambridge. Through an exhaustive study of the main actors and the motives behind their decisions, characterized by thorough knowledge of the subject and a thrilling narrative style, the author tries to answer the crucial question of how Europe went to war in 1914

Elucidation of metal and support effects during ethanol steam reforming over Ni and Rh based catalysts supported on (CeO2)-ZrO2-La2O3

We thank Dr Alan McCue from the Department of Chemistry, University of Aberdeen, for assisting in carrying out the TPO measurements. CRediT authorship contribution statement Marinela D. Zhurka: Investigation, Writing - original draft. Angeliki A. Lemonidou: Resources, Writing - review & editing. Panagiotis N. Kechagiopoulos: Conceptualization, Methodology, Writing - review & editing, Supervision.Peer reviewedPostprin

Les relations gréco-allemandes au cours de l’année 1917

1917 a été une année cruciale non seulement pour l’histoire de la Première Guerre mondiale dans son ensemble (et pour le rôle spécifique de la Grèce dans le conflit), mais aussi pour le développement des relations gréco-allemandes dans ce contexte plus large. En termes diplomatiques, cette année a été marquée par l’adhésion de la Grèce au camp de l’Entente, mais aussi par d’autres efforts grecs pour approcher l’Allemagne, menés par le camp pro-allemand autour du roi exilé Constantin. Au niveau militaire, le débat sur un plan éventuel d’une attaque par les puissances centrales contre les forces de l’Entente à Thessalonique a continué à exister, même si cette idée avait été exclue par le leadership militaire allemand au début de l’année ; en même temps, les premiers signes de fatigue apparaissaient parmi les Bulgares, un allié clé de l’Allemagne dans la région. Enfin, la présence d’une grande unité militaire grecque dans la ville allemande de Görlitz a donné une nouvelle dimension aux relations germano-grecques, servant de noyau de contacts et de tensions, mais aussi comme un facteur important dans les relations diplomatiques de cette époque.1917 war ein entscheidendes Jahr nicht nur für die Geschichte des Ersten Weltkriegs als Ganzes (und für die konkrete Rolle Griechenlands im Konflikt), sondern auch für die Entwicklung der griechisch-deutschen Beziehungen in diesem breiteren Kontext. In diplomatischer Hinsicht war dieses Jahr nicht nur durch den Beitritt Griechenlands zum Entente-Lager geprägt, aber auch von anderen Bemühungen, insbesondere die um dem prodeutschen Lager des verbannten König Konstantin, sich Deutschland zu nähern. Auf militärischer Ebene setzte sich die Debatte über einen eventuellen Angriffsplan der Mittelmächte gegen die Entente-Kräfte in Thessaloniki fort, auch wenn diese Idee zu Beginn des Jahres von der deutschen Militärführung ausgeschlossen worden war; gleichzeitig erschienen erste Müdigkeitsanzeichen unter den Bulgaren, eines der Schlüsselalliierten Deutschlands in der Region. Schließlich gab die Präsenz einer großen griechischen Militäreinheit in der deutschen Stadt Görlitz den griechisch-deutschen Beziehungen eine neue Dimension, zugleich Kern von Kontakten und Spannungen, aber auch wichtiger Faktor der diplomatischen Beziehungen dieser Zeit.1917 was a crucial year not only for the history of World War I as a whole (and for Greece’s specific role in the conflict), but also for the development of Greek-German relations within this broader context. In diplomatic terms, this year was marked by the accession of Greece to the Entente camp, but also by further Greek efforts to approach Germany, carried out by the pro-German camp around the exiled King Constantine. At the military level, the debate on an eventual plan of an attack by the Central Powers against the Entente forces in Thessaloniki continued, even if this idea had been ruled out by the German military leadership at the beginning of the year; at the same time, the first signs of fatigue appeared among the Bulgarians, a key ally of Germany in the region. Finally, the presence of a large Greek military unit in the German city of Görlitz gave a new dimension to Greek-German relations, serving as a nucleus of contacts and tensions, but also as an important factor in the diplomatic dealings of that time

Low temperature steam reforming of methane : A combined isotopic and microkinetic study

The authors would like to acknowledge Professors Joris W. Thybaut and Guy B. Marin, Laboratory for Chemical Technology of Ghent University, for providing the Micro-Kinetic Engine (MKE) code based on which the model presented in the current work has been developed.Peer reviewedPostprin

Kinetic analysis of the steam reforming of ethanol over Ni/SiO2 for the elucidation of metal dominated reaction pathways

Peer reviewedPostprin

Investigation of support effects during ethanol steam reforming over a Ni/Sepiolite catalyst

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Catalytic Biomass Gasification in Supercritical Water and Product Gas Upgrading

The gasification of biomass with supercritical water, also known as SCWG, is a sustainable method of hydrogen production. The process produces a mixture of hydrogen, carbon oxides, and hydrocarbons. Upgrading this mixture through steam or dry reforming of hydrocarbons to create synthesis gas and then extra hydrogen is a viable way to increase hydrogen production from biomass. This literature review discusses combining these two processes and recent experimental work on catalytic SCWG of biomass and its model compounds and steam/dry reforming of produced hydrocarbons. It focuses on catalysts used in these processes and their key criteria, such as activity, selectivity towards hydrogen and methane, and ability to inhibit carbon formation and deposition. A new criterion is proposed to evaluate catalyst performance in biomass SCWG and the need for further upgrading via reforming, based on the ratio of hydrogen bound in hydrocarbons to total hydrogen produced during SCWG. The review concludes that most catalysts used in biomass SCWG trap a large proportion of hydrogen in hydrocarbons, necessitating further processing of the product stream

IDIOPATHIC NORMAL PRESSURE HYDROCEPHALUS’ OUTCOME AFTER CEREBROSPINAL FLUID SHUNTING

The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinicaloutcome of patients diagnosed with Idiopathic Normal PressureHydrocephalus (INPH) after cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) shunting.Thirty patients diagnosed with INPH were treated with CSFshunting. The patients were evaluated preoperatively and 6months postoperatively, in terms of their clinical outcome of gait,cognitive function and urinary incontinence. Sixteen patients(53%) showed an average improvement of their clinicalsymptoms and 6 months after shunting were able to functionindependently. Ten patients (34%) were able to return to theirevery day functioning. In four patients (16%) there was noclinical improvement. Our data suggest that patients diagnosedwith INPH and subjected to CSF shunting had a significantclinical improvement in the 6-month postoperative follow-up.Positive outcome on patients with INPH after CSF shunting ishighly correlated with immediate and accurate diagnosis basedon the presence of the classic clinical “Adam-triad”, preoperativecerebrospinal fluid pressure monitoring and drainage response

Increasing the Dissolution Rate of Polystyrene Waste in Solvent-Based Recycling

Solvent-based recycling of plastic waste is a promising approach for cleaning polymer chains without breaking them. However, the time required to actually dissolve the polymer in a lab environment can take hours. Different factors play a role in polymer dissolution, including temperature, turbulence, and solvent properties. This work provides insights into bottlenecks and opportunities to increase the dissolution rate of polystyrene in solvents. The paper starts with a broad solvent screening in which the dissolution times are compared. Based on the experimental results, a multiple regression model is constructed, which shows that within several solvent properties, the viscosity of the solvent is the major contributor to the dissolution time, followed by the hydrogen, polar, and dispersion bonding (solubility) parameters. These results also indicate that cyclohexene, 2-pentanone, ethylbenzene, and methyl ethyl ketone are solvents that allow fast dissolution. Next, the dissolution kinetics of polystyrene in cyclohexene in a lab-scale reactor and a baffled reactor are investigated. The effects of temperature, particle size, impeller speed, and impeller type were studied. The results show that increased turbulence in a baffled reactor can decrease the dissolution time from 40 to 7 min compared to a lab-scale reactor, indicating the importance of a proper reactor design. The application of a first-order kinetic model confirms that dissolution in a baffled reactor is at least 5-fold faster than that in a lab-scale reactor. Finally, the dissolution kinetics of a real waste sample reveal that, in optimized conditions, full dissolution occurs after 5 min