Mine site village carbon emissions & engineering offset solutions

This report aims to investigate solutions for carbon neutrality in mine site village developments by assisting David Goodfield (DG) in undertaking several essential tasks associated with his PhD, using Mount Magnet Gold (MMG) village as a case study. In order to assess the potential of Renewable Energy (RE) as a carbon offset solution in the current power system, software called REMAX was specially developed. HOMER was used to assess the potential of RE in standalone power systems. A standalone study was undertaken, as major capital cost savings were identified if the transmission line between the mine power system and the village was removed (≈$250,000 per kilometre). The sensitivity of MMG village’s power system, being the mine’s power system was found to be somewhere between 50 and 100 kW. Due to these sensitivities and the small ratio of the village within the load (2.46$250,000 per kilometre). Findings also show that a wind diesel hybrid power system is more economically viable than the diesel, only if the project life is more than 7, 5, 4 and 3 years for a project starting in January 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2018 respectively. However, in the situation where the standalone system is powered by only diesel generators, the carbon emission was found to be higher and was not suitable for this project. Given the high energy usage of mining villages’ air conditioning (AC) systems, the potential of using a Ground Source Heat Pump (GSHP) system instead of currently used standard reverse cycle AC systems was also investigated. GSHPs were found to have a high potential as a carbon offset solution in mine site villages, with payback period under six years possible. Nevertheless, the system needs to be sized appropriately and used in high demand locations (≈20 hours a day). Another task associated with this project was to undertake the village’s energy audit and monitoring system commissioning which were successfully undertaken during a site visit in the third week of October 2011. Also, the calculation of the embodied energy of two buildings (donga and kitchen) from the village was undertaken using a life cycle assessment software (eTool), that was previously investigated

A New Way Forward: Rebalancing the U.S. Security Cooperation with Greece in a Fast Changing Geostrategic Environment

The Hellenic National Defense Forces (HNDF) modernization is at a crossroads because of the current and persistent Greek economic and fiscal crisis. After WW II until today, Greece benefitted from the U.S. security assistance and cooperation programs. Meanwhile, the Balkans and the Eastern Mediterranean regions geostrategic environment is changing fast to an unpredictable future. That said, Greece, and the U.S.A. under rebalanced approaches, should consider the U.S. security assistance and defense cooperation programs to meet HNDF modernization requirements and current security challenges for both countries in the region. A new framework of cooperation would serve common national security interest of both Greece and the United States in the Balkans and the Eastern Mediterranean regions

Polyetheretherketone Cages Alone with Allograft for Three-Level Anterior Cervical Fusion

A total of 25 consecutive patients suffering from degenerative cervical disc disease who underwent three-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) including polyetheretherketone (PEEK) cages packed with allograft were followed up for at least two years. The fusion rate reached 72% (18/25), and asymptomatic pseudarthrosis was seen in 6 patients but without mobility on flexion-extension radiographs, and revision surgery was not needed. Cage subsidence occurred at one level (C67), but it was not progressive, and reoperation was not necessary. A significant increase (P < 0.001) in fused segment angle (FSA) and fused segment height (FSH) was observed postoperatively. Similarly, a significant clinical improvement (P < 0.001) was demonstrated postoperatively in terms of Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) score and visual analog scales (VASs) score. PEEK cages alone with allograft proved to be a safe and effective surgical option in the treatment of three-level degenerative cervical disc disease. Although the fusion rate was not high, this technique may offer improvement of symptomatology and maintenance of cervical spine's sagittal profile

Κοχλιακά εμφυτεύματα στην Ελλάδα - Ιστορία και σημερινή κοινωνικο-οικονομική κατάσταση

Η τεχνολογία σήμερα έχει επιτρέψει στον άνθρωπο να προσπεράσει αναπηρίες οι οποίες εμφανίζονται στην κοινωνία από τα αρχαία χρόνια. Συγκεκριμένα με τη βοήθεια του κοχλιακού εμφυτεύματος έχει δοθεί λύση στους ανθρώπους που έχουν χάσει σε μεγάλο βαθμό ή πλήρως την ακοή τους. Υπήρξε εξέλιξη μέσα στα χρόνια για να φτάσουν σήμερα τα κοχλιακά εμφυτεύματα να είναι η πιο σωστή λύση, κυρίως για παιδιά τα οποία είναι εκ γενετής κωφά ή με πολύ λίγη ακοή. Το κοχλιακό εμφύτευμα είναι μία ηλεκτρονική συσκευή η οποία τοποθετείται με εγχείρηση και μετατρέπει ουσιαστικά τα ηχητικά και τα μηχανικά κύματα σε ηλεκτρικά, προσπερνώντας τη μόνιμη βλάβη πού υπάρχει στο έσω αυτί. Στην Ελλάδα είναι μία λύση η οποία ουσιαστικά εμφανίστηκε από τη δεκαετία του &apos;90 και έπειτα, και σίγουρα πρόκειται για μία λύση δαπανηρή, αλλά ουσιαστικά πιο φθηνή, εάν συγκριθεί με το κόστος που χρειάζεται ένα παιδί με κώφωση στη ζωή του, που ίσως να μην καταφέρει ποτέ να προσπεράσει την κοινωνική στοχοποίηση και τον εργασιακό παραγκωνισμό του, λόγω της μη σωστής και χαμηλότερου επιπέδου εκπαίδευσής του σε σχέση με τα ακούοντα παιδιά. Οι υποψήφιοι σίγουρα δεν είναι όλοι οι πάσχοντες με βαρηκοΐα και υπάρχουν προϋποθέσεις ώστε να διαλέγονται οι πιο κατάλληλοι. Η εγχείρηση όμως δεν είναι και το μοναδικό κομμάτι για την επιτυχία. Η οικογένεια αλλά και ένα σύνολο επιστημόνων παίζουν ζωτικής σημασίας ρόλο, για κάποιον ο οποίος κάνει την εμφύτευση και έχει τη διάθεση να επαναπροσδιορίσει τη θέση του στην κοινωνία ή απλά να την κατακτήσει. Για τα παιδιά όμως τα οποία είναι εκ γενετής κωφά το κοχλιακό εμφύτευμα μπορεί να δώσει μία σχεδόν πλήρως φυσιολογική ζωή, καθώς η ελαστικότητα του εγκεφάλου τους σε συνδυασμό με την κατάλληλη χρονική στιγμή εμφύτευσης έχουν τέτοια αποτελέσματα τα οποία φαίνονται και στην ακαδημαϊκή πρόοδο και στην κοινωνική συμμετοχή του αλλά και στην εύρεση εργασίας τα μετέπειτα χρόνια, όπως φαίνεται από διάφορες μελέτες. Με αυτό τον τρόπο και η κοινωνία έχει σταδιακώς αλλάξει τη στάση της απέναντι στους πάσχοντες και υπάρχει σιγά-σιγά μεγαλύτερη αποδοχή για τέτοιες περιπτώσεις, ακόμα και στην Ελλάδα. Φυσικά δεν πρέπει να υπάρχει απαίτηση για παράλογα αποτελέσματα και πλήρη αποκατάσταση της ακοής και αυτό πρέπει να επιτευχθεί με την σωστή ενημέρωση όλων. Τέλος, ακόμα και η κοινότητα των Κωφών, η οποία αντιτίθεται εξαρχής στην εγχείρηση του κοχλιακού εμφυτεύματος θεωρώντας το ως έναν τύπο εχθρού για την κοινωνία τους και την κουλτούρα τους, έχει αρχίσει να αποδέχεται την σημασία της εγχείρησης, από τη στιγμή που έχει αποδειχθεί ότι μετεγχειρητικά ένας ασθενής μπορεί να συνυπάρξει και στις δύο κοινωνίες. Η τεχνολογία εξελίσσεται όπως και η έρευνα και ήδη υπάρχουν πειραματικές προσπάθειες για την εξέλιξη όχι μόνο των κοχλιακών εμφυτευμάτων αλλά και για την θεραπεία της ακοής, εκ των έσω.The technology today has allowed man to overcome certain disabilities that have been around in the society since the ancient years. Particularly the cochlear implant has given a vital solution to people that have great hearing loss or were born with deafness. The cochlear implant is an electronic device that is surgically implanted and it converts sounds and mechanical waves to electrical waves, passing by any permanent dysfunction in the inner ear. This is a solution that has been brought to Greece during the ‘90s, and while it is considered costly, it is rather cost efficient and cheaper, if it is compared with the total cost that a deaf child will eventually need throughout his life, while the social targeting and the work marginalization due to low level of education in correlation with the hearing children, must also be taken under great consideration. Not all people with hearing disabilities are appropriate candidates for cochlear implantation since there are certain conditions that apply, so the most eligible will be chosen. Certainly the surgery itself is not the only piece needed for the success of the cochlear implant. The family itself, as also a group of suitable scientists, play a vital role for a suitable patient, who also has the attitude to find or conquer his place in society. Various studies show that children born with deafness, the cochlear implant can give them almost a normal life and that&apos;s due to the elasticity of their brain, combined with the correct choice of time for the surgery to take place, as results show through their social participation and their job hunting. Due to this outcome, the society has changed the way they are treating people with hearing disabilities and their acceptance is considerably greater even in Greece. It is important not to have great expectations about the outcome ofthiw surgery, as far as the hearing restitution, and the only way for that to be achieved is with proper education on the matter. Lastly, even the deaf society, that has been against cochlear implantation since the beginning, as they consider it one of their premier enemies to their society and culture, have been slowly accepting the importance of the surgery, since it has been proven from various studies, that a patient can coexist in both societies after the surgery takes place. Technology is and will always develop and there have been already researches for developing cochlear implants, as also for curing deafness from within

Στα βήματα των Κυρίλλου και Μεθοδίου: Προσκυνηματική Περιήγηση και Πολιτιστικές Διαδρομές

Η παρούσα εργασία έχει τίτλο &apos;&apos;Στα βήματα των Κυρίλλου και Μεθοδίου: Προσκυνηματική Περιήγηση και Πολιτιστικές Διαδρομές&apos;&apos; και σχετίζεται με το θρησκευτικό τουρισμό .Εκφωνήθηκε στο πλαίσιο του Π.Μ.Σ. &lt;&lt; Η Θεολογία στο σύγχρονο κόσμο&gt;&gt; της Θεολογικής Σχολής του τμήματος Θεολογίας Ε.Κ.Π.Α. Αρχικά ,ακριβώς λόγω της θεματικής της δίνονται ορισμοί και περιγραφές σχετιζομένων φορέων και παραγόντων (Συμβούλιο της Ευρώπης , Ε.Π.Π.Δ.)Επιπλέον , παρατίθεται και ο τρόπος συνδρομής της εκκλησίας στο θρησκευτικό τουρισμό.Εξαιτίας της βαρύτητας του θέματος για τον ελληνικό τουρισμό και δη τον θρησκευτικό,θεωρήθηκε αναγκαία η παράθεση ιστορικών στοιχείων και γεγονότων όπως η σκιαγράφηση προσωπικοτήτων Αγίων , του βίου ,του έργου και της κληρονομιάς τους.Εν κατακλείδι , παρουσιάζονται και προτεινόμενες διαδρομές πολιτιστικού ενδιαφέροντος γύρω από τη θεματική αυτή (Κύριλλος και Μεθόδιος).The present paper is entitled &apos;&apos; In the footsteps of Cyrilus and Methodius : Pilgrimage Tour and Cultural Routes &apos;&apos; and is related to religious tourism.It was delivered during the MSc in Theology &lt;&lt;Theology in the modern world &gt;&gt; of the faculty of Theology of the Department of Theology of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.Initially , exactly because of its subject matter,definitions and descriptions of relevant organisations and factors( The Council of Europe,Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe) are given , as well as the way the church contributes to religious tourism.Because of the importance of the topic for Greek tourism and especially the religious one ,it was necessary to point out historical information and facts such as the outline of personalities of saints ,their life ,work and heritage.Finally,suggested routes of cultural interest around this subject(Cyrilus and Methodius) are being presented

Correlation of pre-existing radial artery macrocalcifications with late patency of primary radiocephalic fistulas in diabetic hemodialysis patients

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of pre-existing radial artery macrocalcification (Mönckeberg type of arteriosclerosis) on patency rates of radiocephalic fistulas (RCFs) in diabetic end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients undergoing hemodialysis.MethodsIn this observational prospective study, the long-term patency rates (primary outcome measures) of RCFs in ESRD diabetics who had Mönckeberg radial (±brachial) artery disease (calcified [C] group) were compared with those obtained in ESRD diabetics who had healthy, noncalcified vessels before RCF construction (healthy [H] group). Vessel calcification was assessed by plain two-dimensional radiography. For inclusion in the C-group, uniform linear railroad track-type macrocalcifications of at least 6 cm in length, in the medial wall of the radial artery ipsilateral to RCF creation, were required. Patients were included in the H-group if the radial artery ipsilateral to the RCF creation was free of any macrocalcification, of either intima or media type. Any intimal-like plaque with irregular and patchy distribution was an exclusion criterion for both groups. Patients in both groups also were required to have suitable upper limb vascular anatomy on the basis of ultrasound imaging before RCF creation (cephalic vein of minimum diameter of 1.6 mm, without stenosis or thrombosis in all outflow areas, and radial artery of minimum diameter of 1.5 mm, without proximal hemodynamically significant stenosis). Secondary outcome measures included all-cause mortality. Kaplan-Meier statistics were used for comparison between groups.ResultsThe arm radiograph at the site of possible fistula construction showed abnormality in 39 patients (C-group, 47 RCFs), whereas 33 patients had noncalcified (“healthy”) vascular anatomy (H-group, 40 RCFs). Mean duration of the diabetic disease at the time of RCF creation was 8.9 ± 5.6 years (range, 2-25 years) for the H-group and 14 ± 9.9 years (range, 1-40 years) for the C-group (P = .018). The mean follow-up period for H-group and C-group was 51.9 ± 35.9 months (range, 0.1-126 months) and 26.1 ± 31.6 months (range, 0.1-144 months), respectively (P = .0006). Forty-four patients died during the follow-up period. Primary patency rates at 12, 24, 36, and 48 months for C-group vs H-group were 50.2% vs 80%, 36.5% vs 72.3%, 32.4% vs 67.9%, and 29.1% vs 59.3% (P = .0019). Respective values for secondary patency rates were 52.4% vs 87.5%, 40.9% vs 82.4%, 36.6% vs 78.1%, and 33.2% vs 72.8% (P = .00064). Patient survival rates at 24 and 48 months were 56.1% and 46.4% for C-group and 92.4% and 67.4% for H-group, respectively (P = .05).ConclusionsESRD diabetics with radial artery Mönckeberg calcifications receiving RCFs had worse late clinical outcomes compared with ESRD diabetics with healthy distal arm vessels receiving the same access. The long-term benefit of RCFs may be lost in diabetics with extensively calcified vessels, and preferably the brachial artery should be used instead

Variations in Practice Patterns among Neurosurgeons and Orthopaedic Surgeons in the Management of Spinal Disorders

Study design: This is a case series.Purpose: We wanted to identify variations in the practice patterns among neurosurgeons and orthopedic surgeons for the management of spinal disorders.Overview of literature: Spinal disorders are common in the clinical practice of both neurosurgeons and orthopedic surgeons. It has been observed that despite the availability of various guidelines, there is lack of consensus among surgeons about the management of various disorders.Methods: A questionnaire was distributed, either directly or via e-mail, to the both the neurosurgeons and orthopedic surgeons who worked at 5 tertiary care centers within a single region of Korea. The surgeons were working either in private practice or in academic institutions. The details of the questionnaire included demographic details and the specialty (orthopedic/neurosurgeon). The surgeons were classified according to the level of experience as up to 5 years, 6-10 years and \u3e 10 years. Questions were asked about the approach to lumbar discectomy (fragmentectomy or aggressive disc removal), using steroids for treating discitis, the fusion preference for spondylolisthesis, the role of an orthosis after fusion, the preferred surgical approach for spinal stenosis, the operative approach for spinal trauma (early within 72 hours or late \u3e 72 hours) and the role of surgery in complete spinal cord injury. The data was analyzed using SPSS ver 16. p-values \u3c 0.05 were considered to be significant.Results: Of the 30 surgeons who completed the questionnaire, 20 were neurosurgeons and 10 were orthopedic surgeons. Statistically significant differences were observed for the management of spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis, using an orthosis after fusion, the type of lumbar discectomy and the value of surgical intervention after complete spinal cord injury.Conclusions: Our results suggest that there continues to exist a statistically significant lack of consensus among neurosurgeons and orthopedic spine surgeons when considering using an orthosis after fusion, the type of discectomy and the value of intervention after complete spinal injury

The Experience of Gender in Spousal Caregiving: A Phenomenological Psychological Study (Greece)

Purpose/Objective: To explore how spousal caregivers of older people undergoing rehabilitation experience gender within the Greek community. Research method/Design: A psychological phenomenological design and analysis were used to illuminate the unique meanings eleven spousal caregivers attribute to their experience of gender by gathering qualitative data via interviews. Results: The data provided an insight into the structure of the experience of gender for the spousal caregivers as a normative diachronic identity in a succession of phases: normative constitution, alienation, and reparation. Conclusions/ Implications: The findings highlight the influence of gender stereotypes on spousal caregivers' self-concept, agency, caregiving evaluations, and practices, emphasizing the importance of adopting an intersectional perspective in future research and interventions, considering various factors such as ethnicity, gender, sexuality, age, power dynamics, and cultural norms. Spousal caregivers experience alienation on entering the caregiving journey, with gender-related vulnerabilities affecting their psychological well-being. Addressing these vulnerabilities can improve caregivers' mental health and foster effective coping strategies. The study emphasizes the moral aspect of caregiving, highlighting the relationship between a sense of obligation, feelings of guilt, gender norms, and motivations calling for challenging self-sacrificial morals and societal norms associated with them to empower caregivers to prioritize their well-being while maintaining their caregiving motivations. This shift in perspective can lead to a more positive and fulfilling caregiving experience