Developing a short-term comparative optimization forecasting model for operational units’ strategic planning

Data drain for peer active units operating in the same sector is a major factor that prevents policy makers from developing flawless strategic plans for their organisation. This study introduces a hybrid model that incorporates a purely deterministic method, Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), and a semi-parametric technique, Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs), to provide a strategic planning tool for efficiency optimization applicable to short-term lag of data availability. For consecutive time instances, t and t+1, the developed DEANN model returns optimum “regression-type” input and output levels for every sample operational unit, even for the fully efficient ones, that may decide to alter the levels of the efficiency determinants, respecting the t-time efficiency frontier.Forecasting, Optimization, Efficiency, Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), Artificial Neural Networks (ANN), Adaptive Techniques

A Coordinated Approach to Channel Estimation in Large-scale Multiple-antenna Systems

This paper addresses the problem of channel estimation in multi-cell interference-limited cellular networks. We consider systems employing multiple antennas and are interested in both the finite and large-scale antenna number regimes (so-called "massive MIMO"). Such systems deal with the multi-cell interference by way of per-cell beamforming applied at each base station. Channel estimation in such networks, which is known to be hampered by the pilot contamination effect, constitute a major bottleneck for overall performance. We present a novel approach which tackles this problem by enabling a low-rate coordination between cells during the channel estimation phase itself. The coordination makes use of the additional second-order statistical information about the user channels, which are shown to offer a powerful way of discriminating across interfering users with even strongly correlated pilot sequences. Importantly, we demonstrate analytically that in the large-number-of-antennas regime, the pilot contamination effect is made to vanish completely under certain conditions on the channel covariance. Gains over the conventional channel estimation framework are confirmed by our simulations for even small antenna array sizes.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figures, to appear in IEEE Journal on Selected Areas in Communication

Cypriot Archaelogy, Modern Numismatics and Social Engineering: The Iconography of the British Coinage of Cyprus

This article examines the use of numismatic iconography by the British colonial administration of Cyprus in order, initially, to legitimise its possession of the island and, subsequently, to promote an Eteocypriot, an "authentic Cypriot", identity as counter-poison against Greek nationalism. In this endeavour of social engineering, archaeological items and other symbols from Cyprus' past played a prominent part. The outbreak of the Cypriot guerrilla war for union with Greece in 1955 highlighted the bankruptcy of this operation. Nevertheless, British efforts to evade Cyprus' overwhelmingly Greek past - and present - continued unabated, even after the formal recognition of the island's independence

Congruence between Preferred and Perceived Coach Leadership behavior and Athlete Satisfaction: The Paradigm in Synchronized Swimming

Coach Leadership can be perceived as a behavioral process that under favorable conditions increases athlete performance and satisfaction According to the multidimensional model of leadership a basic prerequisite for the emergence of this effect is the congruence between preferred and perceived coach leadership behavior from the athletes vantage point This hypothesis was tested on a comprehensive sample of 165 Greek synchronized swimming athletes Athlete satisfaction was measured using the Athletes Satisfaction Scale while preferred and perceived leadership behavior was assessed with the Leadership Scale for Sports The present findings provide support for the hypothesis which states that the congruence between preferred and perceived coach leadership behavior leads to athletes satisfaction with leadership and partly with personal outcome At least three different constructs of leadership behavior training and instruction social support and positive feedback provide supplementary information for the formulation of the concept of satisfaction with leadershi

Cypriot Archaelogy, Modern Numismatics and Social Engineering: The Iconography of the British Coinage of Cyprus

This article examines the use of numismatic iconography by the British colonial administration of Cyprus in order, initially, to legitimise its possession of the island and, subsequently, to promote an Eteocypriot, an "authentic Cypriot", identity as counter-poison against Greek nationalism. In this endeavour of social engineering, archaeological items and other symbols from Cyprus' past played a prominent part. The outbreak of the Cypriot guerrilla war for union with Greece in 1955 highlighted the bankruptcy of this operation. Nevertheless, British efforts to evade Cyprus' overwhelmingly Greek past - and present - continued unabated, even after the formal recognition of the island's independence

The Athenian Standards Decree: The Aphytis Fragments

The discovery and publication in 2003 of a second fragment from Aphytis (Chalkidike) of the Athenian Standards Decree imposed a reconsideration of its date, scope and relations to the other copies of the same document respectively located in Siphnos, Smyrna, Cos, Odessa and Hamaxitos. The restored, thanks to the joining of its two fragments, Aphytis copy, now forty lines long, emerges as the most significant that we possess. It is the longest and most complete version. In combination with other new discoveries, such as the Hamaxitos fragment, or with recent work on other long-known relevant documents, it enables us to obtain throughout the text several improved readings. Its last portion in particular can now be entirely restored with almost absolute certainty. It gives the end of the Standards Decree text, at least in one of its versions. This can be extensively compared to the other extant versions, enabling us to attempt a comprehensive interpretation of the variations observed between them. Its spellings as well as its tone and content offer valuable clues concerning its date, the revision of which affects that of a number of other very important fifth-century Athenian inscriptions. Finally, it calls for a more general reflection on the relative weight that should be attributed to formal and historical arguments respectively in dating archaeological finds