200 Years since the Greek Revolution: HUMANISTIC PHILHELLENISM and Its Main Characteristics in the Visual Arts (1821-2021)

Philhellenism was a movement, its origins dating back to ancient times, that played a key role in the 19th century and the outbreak of the Greek Revolution in 1821. The contribution of military philhellenism to the liberation struggle of the Greeks is well known, but equally important was the humanitarian philhellenism, manifested in the arts, literature and science and influenced the public opinion of Europe and America, preparing the ground for the perception of this Struggle as a Sacred Struggle against oppression and barbarism. The images painted by famous and anonymous artists back then reflect the atmosphere of that time and the feeling that this uneven battle of the Greeks against the Ottoman Turks was a symbol of the fight against all barbaric behavior, such as oppression, lack of freedom, the rise of the slaveholders, and questioning religious faith. These are images that generally express the desire of European public opinion, in accordance with the teachings of the Enlightenment, to defend human rights with the necessary respect for secularism and ethnic origin. At the same time, the dominant spirit of the time highlights the connection between Greece and Antiquity, as classical culture had a great influence on the artists and intellectuals of the time. As a result, the images with reference to the Greek Revolution and its protagonists have many characteristics that take the form of symbols either of the conflict between different cultures with reference to religious differences or the connection of modern and classical Greece. Undoubtedly, the artistic movement of Romanticism played a key role to all this and Eugene Delacroix emerged as the embodiment of this perception

Φασματική ανάλυση των δεδομένων των μετρητών νετρονίων σε σύγκριση με ηλιακούς και γεωμαγνητικούς δείκτες για το χρονικό διάστημα 1965-2018

Στην εργασία αυτή αναλύονται και συγκρίνονται τα φάσματα της έντασης της κοσμικής ακτινοβολίας με τα αντίστοιχα των ηλιακών και γεωμαγνητικών δεικτών με σκοπό να προσδιοριστούν καινούργιες περιοδικότητες και να επαληθευτούν οι ήδη γνωστές. Συγκεκριμένα παρουσιάζονται μικρής, μεσαίας και μεγάλης κλίμακας περιοδικότητες των παραμέτρων ένταση κοσμικής ακτινοβολίας, ηλιακές κηλίδες, Bz συνιστώσα του διαπλανητικού μαγνητικού πεδίου και γεωμαγνητικός δείκτης Αp στο χρονικό διάστημα 1965-2018, το οποίο καλύπτει τους ηλιακούς κύκλους 20 με 24. Για το σκοπό αυτό χρησιμοποιήθηκαν δύο τεχνικές φασματικής ανάλυσης, η fastFouriertransformationκαι η waveletανάλυση για να επιτευχθεί ακρίβεια στον προσδιορισμό των συχνοτήτων αλλά και εντοπισμό τους στη χρονοσειρά. Οι περιοδικότητες που προκείπτουν είναι ο ήδη γνωστός 11ετής κύκλος και η 27-ημερη ηλιακή περιστροφή μαζί με τις αρμονικές τους, 5.5-χρόνων και 6-, 9-, και 13.9-ημερών περιοδικότητες. Μαζί με τις περιοδικότητες αυτές εμφανίζονται επίσης και οι 1.3-, και 1.7-χρόνων σε όλες τις παραμέτρους εκτός από την Bz συνιστώσα του διαπλανητικού μαγνητικού πεδίου. Προσδιορίστηκαν επίσης καινούργιες περιοδικότητες, όπως η 10-μηνών στις ηλιακές κηλίδες και στην ένταση της κοσμικής ακτινοβολίας και η 3-χρόνων στις ηλιακές κηλίδες, τον γεωμαγνητικό δείκτη Αpκαι την ένταση της κοσμικής ακτινοβολίας. Επιπλέον επιβεβαιώθηκε ο διχασμός της 27-ημερης κορυφής στο φάσμα της Bzσυνιστώσας του διαπλανητικού μαγνητικού πεδίου και του γεωμαγνητικού δείκτη Ap. Το συμπέρασμα είναι ότι βρέθηκαν πολλές κοινές περιοδικότητες στην ένταση της κοσμικής ακτινοβολίας, στις ηλιακές κηλίδες και στον γεωμαγνητικό δείκτη Ap. Το γεγονός αυτό σε συνδυασμό με το γεγονός ότι η φασματική συμπεριφορά των δεικτών γεωμαγνητικής δραστηριότητας παρέχει πολύτιμες πληροφορίες που αφορούν τις φυσικές διαδικασίες που συμβαίνουν στην μαγνητόσφαιρα καθιστά τον γεωμαγνητικό δείκτη Ap κατάλληλο για την πρόγνωση διαστημικού καιρού.Spectral analysis of cosmic-ray intensity as well as solar and geomagnetic parameters was performed aiming to identify possible new periodicities and affirm the well-known ones. Specifically, short-, mid-, and long-term periodicities of the parameters cosmic-ray intensity, sunspot number, Bz-component of the interplanetary magnetic field and geomagnetic Ap index over the time period 1965 –2018, covering five solar cycles from 20 to 24, are demonstrated. For this purpose, two different techniques, fast Fourier transformation and wavelet analysis, have been used in order to ensure accuracy in the frequency values and also their localization in the time series. The periodicities resulting from this comprehensive study, including the well-known 11-year and 27-day periods alongside their harmonics of 5.5-year and 6-, 9-, and 13.9-day periods respectively, the 1.3-year and 1.7-year periods, were found in all of the above parameters except for the Bz-component of the interplanetary magnetic field. New periodicities such as the 10-month period for sunspot number and cosmic-ray intensity and the 3-year period for sunspot number, Ap index, and cosmic-ray intensity, were also determined.Furthermore, the newly introduced splitting of the 27-day periodicity into two adjacent peaks was confirmed in the Fourier spectra of the interplanetary magnetic field and the geomagnetic Ap index.It was concluded that there are several common periodicities appearing in cosmic-ray intensity, solar activity and Ap index. This result, in association with the fact that the spectral behavior of geomagnetic-activity parameters provides invaluable information about physical processes involved, indicates that the Ap index might be used as a suitable index for space-weather forecasting

Knowledge and attitudes of medical students about clinical aspects of congenital cytomegalovirus infection in newborns: A nationwide cross-sectional study in Greece

IntroductionCytomegalovirus (CMV) is the most frequent cause of congenital infection worldwide causing severe morbidity in newborns, infants, and children. Despite the clinical importance of congenital CMV (cCMV) infection, studies conducted so far indicate that there is limited awareness in the medical community in the field. The aim of this study was to assess Greek medical students’ knowledge on cCMV infection.MethodsWe performed a questionnaire-based nationwide cross-sectional study. A convenience sample of medical students from seven medical schools was enrolled.ResultsOf the 562 respondents, 54,8% considered themselves undereducated on cCMV infection. However, almost half of the participants could correctly recognize some basic principles of cCMV infection including ways of transmission, diagnosis and treatment, while there were aspects of cCMV infection with knowledge deficit. The year of study had a positive impact on the level of knowledge with students of higher years of study being of more sufficient education on the specific topic.ConclusionOverall, our study indicates a discrepancy between self-reported awareness and the level of knowledge among medical students in Greece. Further educational opportunities about cCMV should be offered, particularly in areas of the curriculum involving the care of women and children. Establishing medical students’ solid background on the disease burden and educating them about preventative strategies for at-risk populations, should be the main pillars of such efforts in order to promote confidence in managing these cases in their future professional careers

The effect of web advertising visual design on online purchase intention: An examination across gender

With web advertising growing to be a huge industry, it is important to understand the effectiveness of web advertisement. In this study we investigate the effects of web advertising visual design (WAVD) purchasing intention within the framework of an integrated model. Nine hypotheses were developed and tested on a dataset of 316 observations collected via a questionnaire survey. The results of structural equation modeling (SEM) indicate that while web advertising visual cues influence consumers' purchasing intention through advertising attitudes and brand attitudes, they do not have direct effects on purchasing intention. Further results on the moderating role of gender suggest that web advertising visual cues have direct effect on consumers' purchasing intention for male groups but not for female groups. This study contributes to the understanding the role of visual dimensions in forming online purchase intentions

Greek Revolution and Art. The protagonists on Marble. Illustrative and Typological Specimens

The Greek Revolution of 1821 was one of the most important issues in Europe of the early 19th century on a political and military level. The outbreak of the Greek Revolution was not supported by the Great Powers of the time, since as a liberation struggle it violated the terms of the Holy Alliance (1815), however it managed to prevail thanks to the support of the people of Europe as they regarded this an effort of a small nation to claim its freedom and oppose to slavery and authoritarianism. After all, we are in the time of Romanticism and this kind of struggle enjoyed the support of intellectuals, collectives, and different groups of citizens. Philhellenism was on the rise, and painters like Delacroix made a huge impact with works that made a strong impression on Europe. After the success of the Revolution, many foreign artists came to Greece, some on their own initiative as travelers and others carrying out their King’s orders. Some of them were painters (both amateur and professional) that painted live portraits of the leading figures of the Revolution, leaving behind a remarkable oeuvre when seen from a historical, factual, and artistic point of view. And since at that point in Greece there could be no room for domestic artistic creation, the work of these artists is considered particularly important in terms of portraiture, history, facts, and artistic value. The most important out of the painters that were in Greece at that critical time are the Bavarians Karl Krazeisen and Peter von Hess, who painted portraits of Greek fighters and these portraits have since become the blueprints that other artists, painters, and sculptors based their work on resulting in the perpetuation of the historical memory.It is worth mentioning that in the 200 years of independence these works remain of enduring value when paying tribute and respect to the first martyrs of the Greek Struggle

Direct Line with the Monuments of the City. Case Study: Casa Bianca-Municipal Gallery of Thessaloniki. A Museum Pedagogy Approach

The villas of Thessaloniki, examples of eclecticism, are architectural “wonders” situated in eastern Thessaloniki, in the district of “Exoches” or “Pyrgoi”, as it was called in the middle of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. Casa Bianca is well known to the people of Thessaloniki, not only for its unique architecture, which is impressive since it creates an aesthetically pleasing result, but also for the story of romance that unfolded inside it. Casa Bianca shifted between various owners and uses. Starting as a house that was given as a wedding present to the newlywed couple Diaz, it was later used as a school, while today it is occupied by the Municipal Gallery of Thessaloniki. The present study aims to approach Casa Bianca, from the point of museum pedagogy with references to the factual history and the history of Art. That can be accomplished by designing an educational program which aims to introduce the young and the elder to the building, to its architecture as well as the choice of its eclectic style by the architect Pietro Arrigoni, the importance of this style in Thessaloniki of that period, the multicultural characteristics and its connection to the composition of the population of that time, the story of romance that monopolized the press at the time, the choice of architect and the various uses of the building up to this day. The educational program designed for Casa Bianca is in sync with the requirements of our time and for this reason it was decided that it would be designed and implemented online (distance learning), i.e. via computer. The website, that was designed exclusively for the Casa Bianca educational program, with the use of various types of media such as text, image, video and interactive games, seeks to stimulate the imagination and curiosity of users and to offer the maximum possible information through an experiential teaching approach and also through active learning

An experimental assessment of model-based solvent selection for enhancing chemical reactions

Scientific advances in the field of chemistry have established that solvents have a critical impact on the rate of a wide array of chemical reactions. This has triggered the interest of academia and industry for the search of solvents that optimize reaction kinetics. Yet, there are only a few systematic approaches to guide solvent selection in this direction and to date, a systematic model-based approach that considers direct applicability to industrial reaction problems has not been reported. In this study, a hybrid experimental/model-based solvent selection methodology built around the solvatochromic equation is established for the prediction of the best solvent(s) for an industrial chemical process at minimum experimental effort. For the rapid data generation and quantification, a modular continuous reactor coupled with real-time analytics has been set up. The solvatochromic equation was used to model the solvent effects on the reaction rates. The solvents that were experimentally investigated were selected from a solvent database consisting of known organic solvents and structures generated with the aid of CAMD techniques which was further refined to meet the specific reaction requirements, environmental and health constraints and equipment limitations. The selection was diversity-oriented, aiming at the acquisition of the maximum possible information at the least experimental effort. The methodology was applied on the amination of ethyl trichloroacetate with liquefied ammonia, a reaction of industrial interest. Two of the predicted promising solvents were verified experimentally, demonstrating the predictive ability of the methodology. The established methodology can be used as a starting point for further improvement. Inclusion of ionic liquids, supercritical fluids and structures generated with the aid of Computer Aided Molecular Design (CAMD) techniques in the solvent database, may reveal new promising solvent candidates, opening new windows in chemical synthesis. Coupling with model identification and discrimination techniques can further minimize the experimental effort involved. The current approach deals with the enhancement of the rate of the reaction leading to the desired products and the reduction of the rate of the side reactions as two independent objectives. Future research could be dedicated into treating the two objectives as a unified one

Female stereotypes in print advertising: a retrospective analysis

The depiction of females in advertising has received considerable academic attention, fuelled by the feminist movement and the evolution of women’s roles in the society. Early studies revealed the prevalence of traditional portrayals such as housewives, women dependent on a man’s protection and depictions of sexual objectification. Even though a decrease in female stereotyping would be reasonable considering the contemporary structure of society that prescribes multiple gender roles, this does not seem to be the case: The literature is replete with studies documenting that female stereotyping is alive and well, even if it manifests itself with different types and patterns than it did some decades ago. This study strives to adopt a holistic outlook to the phenomenon of female stereotypes in print advertisements, tracing its origins, analyzing the interplay of stereotypes and advertising, undertaking an exhaustive perusal of the particular stream of literature, addressing methodological issues and proposing directions for further research

The Εvolution of Health and Safety Training Needs of the Mining Sector in Greece and EU

The aim of this article is to present priority themes covered by the Health and Safety training programs of the Greek and European mining industry during the last decade. Mining is considered as an industry presenting high occupational risks. The International Labor Organization (ILO) estimates that 1% of the world’s labor force is engaged in mining, yet mining accounts for 5% of occupational fatalities. Despite the use of advanced technologies in a safer working environment and “the zero harm-zero accidents target”, mining accident statistics indicate that despite the gradual decrease in fatality rate, safety performance has reached a safety plateau. In order to further improve this performance, training and promotion of a safety culture through implementation of mine safety plans and enhancement of technical and non-technical skills at all levels of management are prerequisite measures. Currently, training is increasingly relying on immersive virtual reality to simulate complex operations in potentially dangerous environments. Open-cut or underground mining simulators provide safe, replicable and cost effective environments for miners to be trained and for engineers and managers to test different conditions, new ideas, strategies and scenario outcomes, without exposing employees in real time hazards. High-end training programs have the potential not only to improve workplace safety conditions but also to contribute to more effective management and finally to a more sustainable mining industry