Unfolding the Intra-organisational Perception Gap in Decision Making

This chapter explores the dyadic relationship between headquarters and in terms of their perceptions of decision-making loci and associated organisational structure. By comparing the responses of parents of Greek Multinational Enterprises (MNEs) and their subsidiaries, we find evidence in favour of a perception gap in terms of decision-making between headquarters and subsidiaries. We argue that future research needs to carefully consider and account for the perception gap and point out the importance of the role of MNE managers in removing such barriers in order to achieve effective decision-making

VARIATION OF U-MICRODISTRIBUTION IN FOSSIL HIPPARION TEETH AS A COMPLICATING FACTOR IN DATING STUDIES

Five Upper Miocene fossil Hipparion molars were studied for U-distribution by Fission Track. U-uptake has reached the whoie mass of the teeth and no saturation fronts seem to occiir in the interior layers. Mean U-concentration in dentine, cement and enamel was 157, 139 and 78 ppm, respectively. Uenamel/Uderltinr -0.5 is considerably higher than 0.1 reported in the past for Upper-Quaternary mammoth teeth. These features are disadvantageous for ESR-dafing in Hipparion enamel, although a long-lived signal (g=2.0018) is apparent. Leaching phenomena occur in the outer regions of these teeth. Inner enamel folding seems to have hindered a more uniform U-distribution in the teeth

Geoarchaeological studies at the cemetery of ancient Kamara, assisted by optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating: Insights in the post-Roman hydrological record of Eastern Crete

The Late Hellenistic-Roman cemetery of Kamara is considered as one of the largest burial sites of Crete. A large part of the ancient cemetery is currently buried by thick gravelly fluvial sediments, deposited by the activity of the nearby Xeropotamos stream. Specifically, the presence of more than twenty graves in the modern streambed strongly indicates a shift of the stream flow, possibly due to major alluviation events occurred in different periods. With the intention of working out a chronological framework at the Cretan cemetery, this study employed Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) dating. Seven OSL ages suggest that Xeropotamos has been active since the 3rd Millennium BC. The streambed migrated to the north-east at the onset of the Medieval Warm Period (MWP), before it acquired its present position during the third quarter of the 2nd Millennium AD. The results add new information to the paleoenvironmental record and the earth surface processes that took place in eastern Crete from the Roman period till the end of the Venetian occupancy. © 201

Characteristic function-based inference for GARCH models with heavy-tailed innovations

We consider estimation and goodness-of-fit tests in GARCH models with innovations following a heavy-tailed and possibly asymmetric distribution. Although the method is fairly general and applies to GARCH models with arbitrary innovation distribution, we consider as special instances the stable Paretian, the variance gamma, and the normal inverse Gaussian distribution. Exploiting the simple structure of the characteristic function of these distributions, we propose minimum distance estimation based on the empirical characteristic function of properly standardized GARCH-residuals. The finite-sample results presented facilitate comparison with existing methods, while the new procedures are also applied to real data from the financial market. © 2017 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC

Provenance of archaeological limestone with EPR spectroscopy: The case of the Cypriote-type statuettes

The present work demonstrates the potential of EPR spectroscopy as a useful technique in provenance investigation of archaeological finds of limestone. The case of the small, Cypriote-type limestone statuettes found in most major Archaic sanctuaries of the Eastern Mediterranean is used as an illustrative application. Ancient and modern limestone quarries of Cyprus, Samos, Rhodes and Egypt were sampled in order to form a reference data bank for the likely places of origin. Samples were also taken from statuettes exhibited in the archaeological museums of Nicosia (2 samples), Samos (14 samples) and Copenhagen (National Archaeological Museum, 19 samples). All quarry and archaeological samples were analysed with EPR spectroscopy. The quarry samples from Rhodes were easily distinguished from the other quarry samples and were not treated further because they produce material of low quality and compactness. A detailed study of the EPR spectroscopy results leads to the determination of a number of parameters, which separate the reference group of Samos from those of Cyprus and Egypt. The structure of the EPR spectra in the region around g=2.0000 is characteristic for these different quarrying areas. Diagrams where each quarry area is represented by a field were drawn and the archaeological samples were plotted on them. All the analysed statuettes (except for one, which is most probably of Samian limestone) appear to be carved in Cypriote limestone. Consequently, the results of this research offer a decisive argument in favour of the Cypriote origin for statuettes of this type found in the Aegean. © 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Variation of U-microdistribution in fossil Hipparion teeth as a complicating factor in dating studies

Five Upper Miocene fossil Hipparion molars were studied for U-distribution by Fission Track. U uptake has reached the whole mass of the teeth and no saturation fronts seem to occur in the interior layers. Mean U-concentration in dentine, cement and enamel was 157, 139 and 78 ppm, respectively. Uenamel/Udentine ≈ 0.5 is considerably higher than 0.1 reported in the past for Upper-Quaternary mammoth teeth. These features are disadvantageous for ESR-dating in Hipparion enamel, although a long-lived signal (g=2.0018) is apparent. Leaching phenomena occur in the outer regions of these teeth. Inner enamel folding seems to have hindered a more uniform U-distribution in the teeth. © 1992 Akadémiai Kiadó

Innovation in Palestinian Industries: A Necessity for Surviving the Abnormal

Knowledge, research, and innovation are of crucial importance for the competitiveness of an economy and a recipe for economic development not only for developed and developing countries, but also for entities surviving a political abnormality, such as the Palestinian territories. As Palestinians are currently planning for their future viable state, the policy and decision makers should formulate relevant science, technology, and innovation policies that encourage the different national sectors to utilize the available innovation potentials and the experience and support of other countries, for developing a competitive economy. Conducting and analyzing a community innovation survey on two major Palestinian industrial sectors, namely quarrying and stone fabrication and the food and beverages sector, brought about very promising indicators and showed high innovative potentials in both sectors. Employment, export, and revenues are clearly improved in innovative enterprises. Lack of cooperation between the industrial sector and the higher education and research and development institutions is found to be a major problem that should be tackled in order to strengthen the enterprises' ability to innovate. © 2012 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC

The Use of CT Scans and 3D Modeling as a Powerful Tool to Assist Fossil Vertebrate Taxonomy

3D scans and 3D modeling are used to assist the taxonomy of a new unique fossil specimen of an elephant maxilla with molars heavily eroded by coastal sea waves, encrusted in extremely hard sediment, making the preparation and measurements with classical digital calipers impossible. The elephant fossil has been collected north of Poros on the coast at SE Kephallenia in consolidated fan- conglomerates and sands. The elephant maxilla is the first significant elephant fossil from Kephallenia and all the Ionian Islands. According to its dimensions and characteristics it is attributed to a new endemic island species, Elephas cephallonicus that lived isolated from the mainland 104.2 ± 18.5 ka ago. The existence of an island endemic specimen at this period in Kephallenia is in full accordance with the palaeogeographic evolution of the Ionian Islands, which is strongly indicated by the natural climatic changes during the last hundred thousand years. The Elephas cephallonicus became extinct possibly during the last ice age. © 2018, Springer Nature Switzerland AG

Aetiology of fever in patients with acute stroke

Objective. Fever in patients with acute stroke is usually related to infectious complications. In some cases, a focus of infection cannot be identified, fever does not respond to empirical antibiotic treatment: and is thought to be due to the central nervous system lesion. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency and origin of fever in patients with acute stroke and the characteristics associated with the presence of fever. Design. A retrospective study of 36 months’ duration. Setting. The study was carried out at ‘Alexandra’ Hospital, a tertiary care teaching centre in Athens, Greece. Subjects. A total of 330 patients hospitalized for acute stroke from June 1992 until July 1994. Results. In 37.6% of 330 patients, fever was noted; 22.7% had a documented infection and 14.8% had fever without a documented infection. In univariate analysis, older age was associated with the presence of fever (P = 0.001). The development of fever was associated with intracerebral haemorrhage versus ischaemic infarct (P < 0.001) and with the presence of mass effect (P < 0.001), transtentorial herniation (P < 0.001), intraventricular blood (P < 0.001), and larger size of ischaemic infarct (P = 0.0001) and of haemorrhage (P = 0.0002). Patients with fever had lower scores on admission on the Glasgow Coma Scale (P = 0.0001) and the Scandinavian Stroke Scale (P = 0.0001). The development of fever was associated with prior use of an invasive technique (P < 0.001) and more specifically with urinary catheterization (P < 0.001), but not with the presence of risk factors for infection. Patients with fever had a worse outcome assessed by the Modified Rankin Scale (P = 0.0001) and the Barthel Index (P = 0.0001). In multivariate analysis, age, Scandinavian Stroke Scale score and mass effect were found to be significantly associated with fever (P = 0.035, P = 0.0001 and P = 0.0004, respectively). Patients with fever without documented infection had an earlier onset of fever than those with infection (P = 0.0061). In a logistic regression analysis, tl-le only factor predictive of fever without documented infection versus infection was earlier onset of fever (P = 0.029). Conclusion. Patients with acute stroke who develop fever are older, suffer severe stroke, their fever is associated with the use of invasive techniques, and they have a poor outcome. In patients with fever without a focus of infection, the only characteristic that is different from patients with known infection is earlier onset of fever