Evaluation of operational programme “competitiveness” in the frames of the 3rd Community Support Framework (CSF) : action 2.11.2

This study is aiming to outline the entrepreneurs’ opinions regarding to the effect of the Intermediary Management Agencies (IMAs) and the subsidy Operational Programmes (OPs) in the concretisation of their investments. More specific, the study aims into the acquisition of knowledge and information about important subjects of the Operational Programme “Competitiveness” - Action 2.11.2 that concern the modernisation and development of enterprises that belong to the Tertiary Sector of the Central Macedonia Region, such as: Programme’s contribution in the development of enterprises and the Greek economy, the entrepreneurs’ opinion about the Intermediary Management Agencies in the process of their investments’ completion and finally, the exploration of other interesting elements that had significantly contributed in the investments’ completion. This research constitutes a first effort to evaluate Operational Programmes of the 3rd Community Support Framework (CSF) that its results will be published, in opposition of the forecasted ex-ante or ex-post evaluations that are produced in the frames of each Intermediary Management Agency’s obligations on behalf of the empowered National and Community Committee. In other words, the results of this research will contribute in the activation of an essential dialogue and most important will contribute in the pursued more effective exploitation of the available resources. Taking into consideration the occasional reports of the empowered Community Authorities about Greek Intermediary Management Agencies’ weaknesses, among other countries, in the field of rational management and exploitation of the Community resources, we mainly consider particularly useful and topical the discoveries of this research facing the imminent launch of the 4th CSF Operational Programmes.peer-reviewe

Second Order Statistics and Discrete-Time Detection Modeling for Partially Saturated Processes

The basic problem in underwater detection is formulated under the general assumptions of partially saturated propagation of narrow‐band and acoustic signals. Expressions for the joint probability density function (PDF) of ρ, the short‐time average root‐mean‐square pressure at the receiver are obtained. This joint PDF is a general result reducing to the PDF’s for the fully saturated and the unsaturated cases for limiting values of the appropriate variables. Subsequently, defining detection as occurring whenever ρ exceeds a specified threshold level ρ0 and, using the above results, the upcrossing and downcrossing statistics of the envelope process are studied. Closed form expressions for the probability mass functions (PMF’s) of the interarrival time (time between two successive detections) and holding time (time between an upcrossing and the first subsequent downcrossing) are obtained. Results using our partially saturated detection model reduce, in limiting cases, to results already obtained in the literature for fully saturated and unsaturated propagation.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/86233/1/Perakis15.pd

Closed-form Approximations and Series Representations for Partially Saturated Ocean Acoustic Processes

An approximate, closed‐form expression for the value of the integral encountered in the calculation of the probability density function (PDF) of the envelope of a partially saturated ocean acoustic process is obtained. Furthermore, an expression of this PDF as a series of modified Bessel functions is presented. The results may also be directly applied to the evaluation of the PDF encountered in the structural reliability analysis of rotating machinery components. Numerical applications show that the closed‐form expression is always within 1%2% of the exact result. The required computational effort is substantially lower than that required by direct numerical integration.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/86232/1/Perakis14.pd

The basic chemistry of exercise-induced DNA oxidation:oxidative damage, redox signalling and their interplay

Acute exercise increases reactive oxygen and nitrogen species generation. This phenomenon is associated with two major outcomes: (1) redox signalling and (2) macromolecule damage. Mechanistic knowledge of how exercise-induced redox signalling and macromolecule damage are interlinked is limited. This review focuses on the interplay between exercise-induced redox signalling and DNA damage, using hydroxyl radical (·OH) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) as exemplars. It is postulated that the biological fate of H2O2 links the two processes and thus represents a bifurcation point between redox signalling and damage. Indeed, H2O2 can participate in two electron signalling reactions but its diffusion and chemical properties permit DNA oxidation following reaction with transition metals and ·OH generation. It is also considered that the sensing of DNA oxidation by repair proteins constitutes a non-canonical redox signalling mechanism. Further layers of interaction are provided by the redox regulation of DNA repair proteins and their capacity to modulate intracellular H2O2 levels. Overall, exercise-induced redox signalling and DNA damage may be interlinked to a greater extent than was previously thought but this requires further investigation

Evaluation of a strengthening approach for existing RC buildings in terms of resilience and cost efficiency

The aim of the present study is to assess the performance of a reinforced concrete (RC) building been retrofitted with a new precast insulated steel and concrete composite sandwich wall. The applied retrofitting method, as well as the selection of the performance level for design have been studied with reference to their impact on the retrofit cost and the estimated cost due to possible earthquake losses. As a case study an existing 8-story RC building has been selected that is strengthened with inverted-V steel bracings as well as with the application of the proposed insulated composite walls, respectively. By applying inelastic dynamic analyses with artificial accelerograms scaled to represent earthquake scenarios with specific probabilities of recurrence, the seismic response of the strengthened structure is defined for each scenario. The results of the aforementioned analyses are being correlated with the earthquake losses based on an established methodology. Eventually, the performance of each retrofit method is determined and then compared with the respective performance of the existing building. The most efficient method is defined by considering both the construction cost and the earthquake losses cost of each earthquake scenario

Influence of fault-ride-through requirements for distributed generators on the protection coordination of an actual distribution system with reclosers

This paper analyses the existing protection scheme of a real distribution system with distributed generators, in Greece. Network protection utilizes three successive reclosers at the main trunk and fuses at the laterals. The generating units are protected by overcurrent and voltage/frequency relays. The analysis focuses on the fault-ride-through capability of the generating units and proposes the resetting of the generators and network protection relays so as to conform to the requirements imposed by distribution system operators and international standards. The proposed protection system guarantees selectivity for any short-circuits occurring inside or outside the distribution system, irrelative if the generating units are connected to the network or not. Meaningful conclusions are derived from the application of the proposed protection coordination principle