A blessing or a curse? An anatomy of the Republic of Cyprus energy program

After the Republic of Cyprus announced its intention to proceed to oil and gas exploration and exploitation research activities back in 2011, it entered a transition period during which it has been transformed from an almost exclusively energy consumer to both an energy producer and an energy hub. This transition has already brought (geo)political and economic benefits, but it has also caused the development of a new field of confrontation between the Republic of Cyprus and the Turkey/Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) axis. This latest confrontation has raised the question if the exploitation of hydrocarbons can be considered a blessing or a curse for the Republic of Cyprus, at least before the final settlement of the Cyprus issue. This thesis aims to contribute to the discussion related to the energy security of the Republic of Cyprus in the aftermath of the decision to proceed to exploration and exploitation researches and, more precisely, during the period between 2013 and 2018 and also, how it has impacted the state’s foreign policy crisis management mechanism. To do so, the researcher has based the theoretical context of the thesis on Neoclassical Realism and has used two methods of analysis. With reference to the two methods of analysis, this study has based the collection and analysis of the data required to analyze the thesis research question on Political Discourse Analysis (PDA) and Semi-Structured Elite Interviewing

Association between depression and cardiorespiratory fitness in general population and patients with heart disease

Depression symptom severity and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) are both predictors of mortality and disability in healthy individuals and patients with heart disease. However, the relationship between the two is unclear. We conducted two systematic reviews and meta-analyses in otherwise healthy individuals and patients with heart disease, respectively, in order to assess the relationship between depression symptom severity and CRF. The first study (Papasavvas et al., 2016b) included 16 studies (4039 participants) and revealed a negative correlation between depression symptom severity and CRF [correlation coefficient (CC -0.16, 95 % CI -0.21 to -0.10)] that appeared stronger in male (CC - 0.22, 95 % CI -0.26 to -0.18) than in female individuals (CC -0.12, 95 % CI -0.19 to -0.05; p = 0.01). The second study (Papasavvas et al., 2017) included 59 studies (25733 participants) and also revealed a negative correlation between depression symptom severity and CRF (CC − 0.15; 95% CI, − 0.17 to − 0.12) that was independent to sex. Within-study level moderator analysis was not possible because raw data were not available for every study. I also assessed the effects of potential moderators of the correlation between depression symptom severity and CRF in 1489 patients with heart disease using linear and logistic regression analysis. Sex (p = 0.007) and BMI (p < 0.001) moderated the correlation: Lower BMI enhanced the correlation, while higher BMI attenuated the correlation in male patients and rendered it statistically not significant in female patients (Papasavvas 2018 - unpublished). We also translated the Cardiac Depression Scale to Arabic and validated it in a representative sample of 260 Arab patients with heart disease (Papasavvas et al., 2016a), in order to assess depression symptom severity in the following study. The subsequent quasi-experimental study aimed to assess whether depression reduces CRF in patients with heart disease but this was eventually not feasible. The above findings have clinical and prognostic implications and should stimulate further research on the effects of improving depression symptom severity on CRF and vice versa. Potential causative relationships between depression symptom severity and CRF should also be investigated

Effects of a photoaging appeal on sun protection attitudes of female adolescents

Millions of people purposefully and dangerously expose themselves to the sun with the aim of attaining tan, especially female adolescents who perceive a tan as attractive. The primary consequence of such exposure is skin cancer as well as premature ageing of the skin which is known as photoaging. Empirical evidence indicates that photoaging photography, which explicitly illustrates the ageing of skin through the use of a UV -filter, as well as photoaging information, contributes to the efficacy of appearance-based health promotion interventions which aim to increase sun protection intentions and behaviours. The present literature review indicates that the effectiveness of using this novel approach has not yet been explored in the Australian female adolescent population. The present paper reviews findings from empirical research concerning sun exposure practices of the Australian populace, the high skin.cancer rates, motivators and intentions of deliberate sun exposure behaviours, age and gender differences, and the benefit of including photoaging information and photographs in health promotion campaigns, with particular focus on adolescent females. A consistent finding across many quantitative studies is that although many people show high levels of knowledge of the dangers of excessive sun exposure, this does not transfer into behaviour, with the desire for a tan far exceeding any concern for one\u27s health, particularly in Australian adolescents. Current research shows, however, that by using fear appeals and vivid health promotion material, these messages personalise the threat of skin cancer and are more persuasive in producing response to skin cancer prevention. The presentation of photoaging photography and information has been found to increase behaviours and intentions to sun protect which holds promise as a way to further increase the success of health messages. This review concludes with an exploration of the implications of these findings. Despite health promotion efforts, health-risk behaviour is still prevalent, especially in female adolescents who purposefully expose themselves to the sun with the aim of getting a tan. The primary motivator of tanning has been found to be appearance-related, as tanned skin is perceived as attractive. Contemporary skin cancer interventions have focused on making the negative appearance consequences of sun exposure more salient through photoaging photography and this approach has been found to be more effective at increasing the adoption of appropriate sun-protective behaviours. The present study examines the effectiveness of a photoaging intervention on attitudes toward sun protection of a female adolescent population. A sample of 66 females aged between 15 and 17 years were randomly assigned to either the photoaging intervention or the educational intervention. The photoaging intervention included photoaging images and information whereas the education intervention did not. The intervention produced significant differences in attitudes across conditions favouring photoaging as an effective strategy for motivating sun protection practices that may reduce skin cancer risk

Investigating the role of fast-spiking interneurons in neocortical dynamics

PhD ThesisFast-spiking interneurons are the largest interneuronal population in neocortex. It is well documented that this population is crucial in many functions of the neocortex by subserving all aspects of neural computation, like gain control, and by enabling dynamic phenomena, like the generation of high frequency oscillations. Fast-spiking interneurons, which represent mainly the parvalbumin-expressing, soma-targeting basket cells, are also implicated in pathological dynamics, like the propagation of seizures or the impaired coordination of activity in schizophrenia. In the present thesis, I investigate the role of fast-spiking interneurons in such dynamic phenomena by using computational and experimental techniques. First, I introduce a neural mass model of the neocortical microcircuit featuring divisive inhibition, a gain control mechanism, which is thought to be delivered mainly by the soma-targeting interneurons. Its dynamics were analysed at the onset of chaos and during the phenomena of entrainment and long-range synchronization. It is demonstrated that the mechanism of divisive inhibition reduces the sensitivity of the network to parameter changes and enhances the stability and exibility of oscillations. Next, in vitro electrophysiology was used to investigate the propagation of activity in the network of electrically coupled fast-spiking interneurons. Experimental evidence suggests that these interneurons and their gap junctions are involved in the propagation of seizures. Using multi-electrode array recordings and optogenetics, I investigated the possibility of such propagating activity under the conditions of raised extracellular K+ concentration which applies during seizures. Propagated activity was recorded and the involvement of gap junctions was con rmed by pharmacological manipulations. Finally, the interaction between two oscillations was investigated. Two oscillations with di erent frequencies were induced in cortical slices by directly activating the pyramidal cells using optogenetics. Their interaction suggested the possibility of a coincidence detection mechanism at the circuit level. Pharmacological manipulations were used to explore the role of the inhibitory interneurons during this phenomenon. The results, however, showed that the observed phenomenon was not a result of synaptic activity. Nevertheless, the experiments provided some insights about the excitability of the tissue through scattered light while using optogenetics. This investigation provides new insights into the role of fast-spiking interneurons in the neocortex. In particular, it is suggested that the gain control mechanism is important for the physiological oscillatory dynamics of the network and that the gap junctions between these interneurons can potentially contribute to the inhibitory restraint during a seizure.Wellcome Trust