Tsunami hazard assessment in the Ionian Sea due to potential tsunamogenic sources – results from numerical simulations

In spite of the fact that the great majority of seismic tsunami is generated in ocean domains, smaller basins like the Ionian Sea sometimes experience this phenomenon. In this investigation, we study the tsunami hazard associated with the Ionian Sea fault system. <br><br> A scenario-based method is used to provide an estimation of the tsunami hazard in this region for the first time. Realistic faulting parameters related to four probable seismic sources, with tsunami potential, are used to model expected coseismic deformation, which is translated directly to the water surface and used as an initial condition for the tsunami propagation. <br><br> We calculate tsunami propagation snapshots and mareograms for the four seismic sources in order to estimate the expected values of tsunami maximum amplitudes and arrival times at eleven tourist resorts along the Ionian shorelines. <br><br> The results indicate that, from the four examined sources, only one possesses a seismic threat causing wave amplitudes up to 4 m at some tourist resorts along the Ionian shoreline

Fantasies of subjugation: a discourse theoretical account of British policy on the European Union

The decision by the UK government to hold a referendum on Britain’s membership of the European Union (EU) marks an important development in policy towards the EU. Policy changes of this kind must be understood in the historical and political context in which they occur. This includes the framing of the policy issues within public discourse. In the UK, policies are formed in a discursive environment which is overwhelmingly hostile towards the EU. Debates are structured by a predominantly Euroskeptic discourse which emphasizes the UK’s separation and heterogeneity from the rest of the EU. Drawing on the logics of critical explanation, this article examines the structure and affective power of Euroskeptic discourses which dictate the terms of the EU debate. It presents a case study of the recent EU treaty revision process, culminating in the Treaty of Lisbon. In so doing, it enables a deeper understanding of recent policy developments

Proučavanje seizmičkog zoniranja na području Grčke na osnovi magnitude najbolje opažljivog potresa

The Greek seismicity file developed by Makropoulos and Burton (1981) for earthquakes up to 1978 and extended up to 1983 (Makropoulos et al., 1986), is examined in terms of magnitude frequency using Gumbel’s third type asymptotic distribution of extreme values. The forecasting parameters are obtained by subdividing Greek seismicity in a cellular manner. Combination of the Gumbel III earthquake occurrence statistics for each cell with acceleration attenuation law leads to perceptibility curves which give the probability of perceiving specific acceleration levels from each earthquake magnitude up to local upper bound magnitude w. These curves show a peak probability which occurs at similar magnitudes defined as the “most perceptible” earthquake. The range of these “most perceptible” earthquake magnitudes is for an Ms of about 5.3 to 7.2. The results are presented as contouring maps for two average depths of 10 km and 20 km respectively. The features of the contoured perceptibility maps are compatible with existing hazard maps of Greece based on different approaches. This, coupled with the fact that these values may be used as a criterion for choosing engineering design time histories, shows the usefulness of the method for seismic zoning problems

Pythagoras project: Development of an innovative training package on Indoor Environment Quality

The aim of the Pythagoras project is the development and assessment of Greek national training material in the sector of indoor environmental quality. The need for education in this specific sector is dictated by the significant indoor environment deterioration and associated health hazards, which are caused by low ventilation levels, combined with the use of many modern building materials that aggravate pollutants emissions. Early in the project, a review is undertaken of the international literature and the syllabuses of foreign research and educational institutions active in indoor environment quality issues. At the same time, the requirements of the Greek educational and broader society, related to issues of indoor pollution and health, are determined. A training methodology is consequently developed, with the objective to optimally cover all the parameters associated with the indoor environment quality, for trainees of various disciplines. The training material is produced both in printed (book) and integrated electronic (e-learning) format. Additionally, four seminars are organized covering the respective sections of the training package. The training package is being assessed both by the trainees but also by international experts in the sector of indoor environment quality

Horses for courses: exploring the limits of leadership development through equine-assisted learning

YesThis essay draws on insights taken from Lacanian psychoanalysis to rethink and resituate notions of the self and subjectivity within the theory and practice of experiential leadership development. Adopting an auto-ethnographic approach, it describes the author’s own experience as a participant in a programme of equine assisted learning or ‘horse whispering’ and considers the consequences of human-animal interactions as a tool for self-development and improvement. Through an analysis of this human/animal interaction, the essay presents and applies three Lacanian concepts of subjectivity, desire and fantasy and considers their form and function in determining the often fractured relationship between self and other that characterises leader-follower relations

Clones Identification and Genetic Characterization of Garnacha Grapevine by Means of Different PCR-Derived Marker Systems

This study uses PCR-derived marker systems to investigate the extent and distribution of genetic variability of 53 Garnacha accessions coming from Italy, France and Spain. The samples studied include 28 Italian accessions (named Tocai rosso in Vicenza area; Alicante in Sicily and Elba island; Gamay perugino in Perugia province; Cannonau in Sardinia), 19 Spanish accessions of different types (named Garnacha tinta, Garnacha blanca, Garnacha peluda, Garnacha roja, Garnacha erguida, Garnacha roya) and 6 French accessions (named Grenache and Grenache noir). In order to verify the varietal identity of the samples, analyses based on 14 simple sequence repeat (SSR) loci were performed. The presence of an additional allele at ISV3 locus (151 bp) was found in four Tocai rosso accessions and in a Sardinian Cannonau clone, that are, incidentally, chimeras. In addition to microsatellite analysis, intravarietal variability study was performed using AFLP, SAMPL and M-AFLP molecular markers. AFLPs could discriminate among several Garnacha samples; SAMPLs allowed distinguishing few genotypes on the basis of their geographic origin, whereas M-AFLPs revealed plant-specific markers, differentiating all accessions. Italian samples showed the greatest variability among themselves, especially on the basis of their different provenance, while Spanish samples were the most similar, in spite of their morphological diversity

Populist communication in the new media environment: a cross-regional comparative perspective

The changing terms of mediation place new demands, opportunities and risks on the performance of the political persona. Visibility has become a double-edged sword, leaving representatives vulnerable to exposure while new tools provide opportunities for emerging entrepreneurial actors. This double risk to elites’ mediated personas—exposure and challenge from entrepreneurs—renders their armour of authenticity dangerously fragile, which nourishes a public sense of being inefficaciously represented. It is this climate in which populism currently flourishes around the globe. Three primary criteria of mediated self-representation by politicians—visibility, authenticity and efficacy—form the focus of this paper: how do populists negotiate such demands in different democratic contexts, and wherein lies the symbiosis between populism and the new media environment suggested by the literature? To answer this, the paper compares two populist cases responding to different democratic contexts: UKIP, a right-wing party from an established democracy (UK), and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), a left-wing party from a transitional democracy (South Africa). The objects of study are disruptive performances by these parties, which are considered emblematic manifestations of populist ideology as they establish a Manichaean relationship between the elite and populist actors who embody the people. The paper introduces disruption as a multi-faceted and significant analytical concept to explain the populist behaviour and strategies that underlie populist parties’ responses to the demands for visibility, authenticity and efficacy that the new media environment places upon political representatives. Using mixed methods with an interpretive focus, the paper paints a rich picture of the contexts, meanings and means of construction of populist performances