Long run asymmetric relationships between Islamic and conventional equity indices

Despite the substantial growth in the Islamic finance sector in the recent years, there has been limited empirical research on Islamic equity indices. In our paper we explore the interconnectedness between Islamic and conventional equity indices during the period spanning from 2006 to 2010. The Dow Jones Islamic Market is representative of the Islamic equity market, while the Dow Jones Global and Dow Jones Industrial Average are well perceived equity benchmark indices. We adopt hidden co-integration and granger causality analysis, while we examine the impact of market conditions. We find that the negative index components are significant between the Islamic equity index and the conventional benchmarks, yet the two conventional indices do not support this contention. Moreover, there is evidence that an increasing in magnitude driving force emanates from the Islamic to the conventional index in the crisis and post-crisis periods. A portfolio optimisation case study reveals that there are diversification benefits to be reaped by the inclusion of an Islamic equity index. The finding is tied to the Islamic index’s performance and diversification benefits, particularly during the financial crisis. It may be further linked to investors’ embracing of Islamic finance principles on lower leverage and speculation practices

Medical and Legal Aspects of Child Sexual Abuse: a Population-Based Study in a Hungarian County

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Pétrographie characterization of rocks from the Mirabello bay region, Crete, and its application to Minoan archaeology: the provenance of stone implements from Minoan sites

Οι άνθρωποι της Μινωικής Εποχής, στην Ανατολική Κρήτη, χρησιμοποιούσαν μαγματικά και μεταμορφωμένα πετρώματα για την κατασκευή διαφόρων λίθινων σκευών. Αυτά τα συνέλλεγαν από τις κοίτες των ποταμών και την ακτή στην περιοχή κατά μήκος του κόλπου του Μιραμπέλλο ή από ένα κροκαλοπαγές επίκλυσης, το οποίο κυριαρχεί γεωλογικά στην περιοχή αυτή και περιέχει κροκάλες από μαγματικά, μεταμορφωμένα και ιζηματογενή πετρώματα. Η λεπτομερής πετρογραφική περιγραφή φυσικών δειγμάτων, που συλλέχθηκαν από αυτούς τους σχηματισμούς και η σύγκριση τους με λίθινα σκεύη από ανασκαφές, αφενός καθιστά γνωστούς τους λιθολογικούς τύπους που χρησιμοποιήθηκαν και αφετέρου επιβεβαιώνει την πηγή προέ?χυσής τους. Με τη έρευνα αυτή καθίσταται προφανές ότι οι άνθρωποι της Μινωικής Εποχής μπορούσαν μα εκτιμήσουν τη σκληρότητα των λίθων που συνέλλεγαν, σύμφωνα με την επιθυμητή χρήση, καθώς και την αναμενόμενη κόπωση των υλικών, ανάλογα με τη χρήση για την οποία τα προόριζαν, αποφεύγοντας παράλληλα την ανεπιθύμητα χρονοβόρα κατεργασία τους. Με την επιβεβαίωση της λιθολογίας και της πηγής προέλευσης των λίθινων πρώτων υλών γίνεται επίσης αντιληπτό το γεγονός ότι οι άνθρωποι της Μινωικής Εποχής ήταν γνώστες του φυσικού περιβάλλοντος, στον ευρύτερο χώρο των οικισμών τους. Επίσης, μπορεί να εκτιμηθεί και ο χρόνος τον οποίο διέθεταν προκειμένου να βρουν και να συλλέξουν την πρώτη ύλη αλλά και να αξιολογηθεί ο χρόνος κατεργασίας των υλικών, προκειμένου να διαμορφωθούν σε κατάλληλα σκεύη, ανάλογα με τη σκληρότητα τους.The Minoans of East Crete used a variety of igneous and metamorphic rocks as stone implements. These were probably procured in dry riverbeds and beaches located in a region along the Bay of Mirabello or from an onlap conglomerate, which geologically dominates that region and contains rock types of igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary origin. Several rock samples were collected for pétrographie investigation to examine and confirm the source for the igneous rocks. Detailed pétrographie description of natural samples provides the identification of the rocks employed by Minoans and confirms the source of their origin. Apparently the Minoans were able to evaluate the hardness of the stones procured according to the desirable usage and their expected fatigue, thus avoiding unnecessary timeconsuming treatment. The identification of the variable lithotypes used for these implements and the verification of their source regions reveal the time it took to procure the raw materials as well as the time period during which the rocks were employed

Contribution to the evolution of the Perama Cave (Ioannina, NW Greece).

Με την έρευνα αυτή δίδεται η συστηματική ταξινόμηση τριάντα τριών τύπων σπηλαιοθεμάτων από το σπήλαιο Περάματος Ιωαννίνων, μαζί με την ερμηνεία σχηματισμού τους, σύμφωνα με τη διεθνή βιβλιογραφία, για πρώτη φορά στην Ελλάδα. Η λεπτομερής μελέτη των σπηλαιοθεμάτων σε συνδυασμό με παρατηρήσεις αναφορικά με τον τρόπο και τη θέση σχηματισμού συγκεκριμένων ομάδων σπηλαιοθεμάτων μας οδήγησαν να προτείνουμε την εξέλιξη του σπηλαίου Περάματος μέσω μιας σειράς διαδοχικών επεισοδίων, τα οποία συμπεριλαμβάνουν τη διάλυση των Σενώνιων ασβεστόλιθων, την κατάρρευση της οροφής του σπηλαίου, καθώς και εναλλασσόμενα επεισόδια σχηματισμού σπηλαιοθεμάτων σταλακτιτικού και σταλαγμιτικού τύπου με εκτεταμένες ροές νερού ή/και πλημμύρες, οι οποίες οδήγησαν στην ανάπτυξη μορφών ροήςThis study includes the description of thirty three speleothem types, which were found in the Perama cave, Ioannina, NW Greece, according to the international literature, along with the interpretation of their formation, for the first time in Greece. The detailed study of these speleothems coupled with observations of the way of their formation and their spatial distribution enabled us to suggest that the Perama cave evolved through a sequence of episodes that include dissolution of the host Senonian limestone, collapse of its roof formations, as well as alternating events of formation of stalactitic- and stalagmitic-type speleothems with excess water flow and/or flooding, which resulted in the development of stream formation

PETROLOGICAL INVESTIGATION OF CARBONATE ROCKS FROM THE IONIAN ZONE (ETOLOAKARNANIA, WESTERN GREECE)

The petrographic features of the carbonate rocks from the Ionian Zone in the Etoloakarnania Prefecture are presented. They are represented by limestones with minor dolomite. The limestones include: (i) wackestones (or sparse micrites), with poor presence of allochems within a mud matrix; (ii) packstones (or packed micrites) with increasing levels of carbonate grains that are still surrounded by micrite matrix, and (iii) grainstones (or sparites) containing allochems that are cemented with sparry calcite crystals, while the mud matrix is absent. Bioclasts are the dominant carbonate components in most of the samples accompanied by infrequent pelloids, intraclasts, lithoclasts and ooids. Crystalline limestones were not identified. Quartz, apatite, barite, anhydrite, halite, clay minerals, magnetite and ilmenite have been determined as accessory phases. The results show that mineralogical and petrographic features of the analyzed carbonate rocks are related to their evolution during the development of the Ionian Zone from a shallow-marine platform to a deep water basin

Widespread abiotic methane in chromitites

Recurring discoveries of abiotic methane in gas seeps and springs in ophiolites and peridotite massifs worldwide raised the question of where, in which rocks, methane was generated. Answers will impact the theories on life origin related to serpentinization of ultramafic rocks, and the origin of methane on rocky planets. Here we document, through molecular and isotopic analyses of gas liberated by rock crushing, that among the several mafic and ultramafic rocks composing classic ophiolites in Greece, i.e., serpentinite, peridotite, chromitite, gabbro, rodingite and basalt, only chromitites, characterized by high concentrations of chromium and ruthenium, host considerable amounts of 13C-enriched methane, hydrogen and heavier hydrocarbons with inverse isotopic trend, which is typical of abiotic gas origin. Raman analyses are consistent with methane being occluded in widespread microfractures and porous serpentine- or chlorite-filled veins. Chromium and ruthenium may be key metal catalysts for methane production via Sabatier reaction. Chromitites may represent source rocks of abiotic methane on Earth and, potentially, on Mars