Factors Affecting the Competitiveness of the Greek Wine Enterprises and Cooperatives

The present paper investigates the effect of certain economic factors on the competitiveness of Greek Wine Enterprises and Unions of Agricultural Cooperatives (UACs). Data on 41 wineries and 10 UACs of Greece was collected for a period of three years (2004-2006). Financial analysis results were used with the help of a fixed effect model-panel data technique- using profitability as dependent variable in order to measure the competitiveness of wineries. The results indicated that the size of the enterprise as well as the square of the capital intensity have a positive influence on the winery’s profit.competitiveness, profitability, wineries, agricultural cooperatives, Agribusiness,

¿Trabajadores o Inversores? Investigar los aspectos de reciprocidad entre los miembros de las Empresas Sociales Griegas

In Europe 160 million people are members of social economy enterprises and mutual societies. Members that work at social enterprises usually are bound with an employee relationship with their organization; on the other hand participating in a social enterprise could be their only chance to find a job, especially for economies that face a long-term recession such as the Greek economy. Social enterprises and entrepreneurs invest in reciprocity which represents that positive actions will inspire reciprocal positive actions. The main objective of this study is to examine the effect of reciprocity on members’ decision either to invest in social enterprises or to work for them acquiring in both cases the necessary shares. For this reason, a survey was conducted among Greek members of social enterprises listed in the Greek Social enterprises directory, to investigate their aspects about reciprocity and if these aspects affect their decision to work in a social enterprise or support financially them. The survey process returned 142 fully completed questionnaires. The analysis identified a sub group (5 over 27 items) of the questions used to measure reciprocity that can be used to classify participants into shareholders - members (investors) and shareholders - workers in social enterprises. It is worth mentioning that sex or other demographic characteristics of the respondents do not affect this classification while there are only aspects of positive reciprocity that have either positive or negative effect on the possibility to work in social enterprises. Social entrepreneurs and the Greek state could use these findings in order to direct and manage their expansion efforts.En Europa, 160 millones de personas son miembros de empresas de economía social, así como de mutuas. Los miembros que trabajan en empresas sociales generalmente están vinculados con una relación de empleados con su organización; por otro lado, participaren una empresa social podría ser su única oportunidad de encontrar un trabajo, especialmente para las economías que enfrentan una recesión a largo plazo, como la economía griega. Las empresas sociales y los empresarios invierten en reciprocidad que representa que las acciones positivas inspirarán acciones positivas recíprocas. El objetivo principal de este estudio es examinar el efecto de la reciprocidad en la decisión de los miembros de invertir en empresas sociales o trabajar para ellos, adquiriendo en ambos casos las acciones necesarias. Por este motivo, se realizó una encuesta entre los miembros griegos de las empresas sociales enumeradas en el directorio de empresas sociales griegas, para investigar sus aspectos sobre la reciprocidad y si estos aspectos afectan su decisión de trabajaren una empresa social o apoyarlos financieramente. El proceso de la encuesta arrojó 142 cuestionarios completos que se utilizaron para cumplir el objetivo de la encuesta. El análisis de regresión logística identificó un subgrupo (5 sobre 27 ítems) de las preguntas usadas para medir la reciprocidad que pueden usarse para clasificar a los participantes en accionistas: miembros (inversores) y accionistas – trabajadores en empresas sociales. Vale la pena mencionar que el sexo u otras características demográficas de los encuestados no afectan esta clasificación, mientras que solo hay aspectos de reciprocidad positiva que tienen un efecto positivo y negativo sobre la posibilidad de trabajar en empresas sociales.Escuela de Estudios CooperativosFac. de Ciencias Económicas y EmpresarialesTRUEpu

Research Note: Total Free Sulphydryls of Several White and Red Wines

Total free sulphydryl groups were assessed in several white and red wines. Ellman’s method was adaptedto wine samples for the determination of total –SH groups. Total –SH groups of white wines, as glutathione,were in the range of 315 to 734 and of red wines in the range of 163 to 467 mg/L. In most cases, white winesexhibited higher values than red wines. The high total sulphydryls of white and red wines indicate theirpotential contribution to wine antioxidant capacity

Space storm measurements of the July 2005 solar extreme events from the low corona to the Earth

The Athens Neutron Monitor Data Processing (ANMODAP) Center recorded an unusual Forbush decrease with a sharp enhancement of cosmic ray intensity right after the main phase of the Forbush decrease on 16 July 2005, followed by a second decrease within less than 12 h. This exceptional event is neither a ground level enhancement nor a geomagnetic effect in cosmic rays. It rather appears as the effect of a special structure of interplanetary disturbances originating from a group of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) in the 13-14 July 2005 period. The initiation of the CMEs was accompanied by type IV radio bursts and intense solar flares (SFs) on the west solar limb (AR 786); this group of energetic phenomena appears under the label of Solar Extreme Events of July 2005. We study the characteristics of these events using combined data from Earth (the ARTEMIS IV radioheliograph, the Athens Neutron Monitor (ANMODAP)), space (WIND/WAVES) and data archives. We propose an interpretation of the unusual Forbush profile in terms of a magnetic structure and a succession of interplanetary shocks interacting with the magnetosphere.Comment: Advances in Space Research, Volume 43, Issue 4, p. 600-60

Workers or Investors? Investigating the Reciprocity Aspects among Greek Social Enterprises Members

In Europe 160 million people are members of social economy enterprises and mutual societies. Members that work at social enterprises usually are bound with an employee relationship with their organization; on the other hand participating in a social enterprise could be their only chance to find a job, especially for economies that face a long-term recession such as the Greek economy. Social enterprises and entrepreneurs invest in reciprocity which represents that positive actions will inspire reciprocal positive actions. The main objective of this study is to examine the effect of reciprocity on members’ decision either to invest in social enterprises or to work for them acquiring in both cases the necessary shares. For this reason, a survey was conducted among Greek members of social enterprises listed in the Greek Social enterprises directory, to investigate their aspects about reciprocity and if these aspects affect their decision to work in a social enterprise or support financially them. The survey process returned 142 fully completed questionnaires. The analysis identified a sub group (5 over 27 items) of the questions used to measure reciprocity that can be used to classify participants into shareholders - members (investors) and shareholders - workers in social enterprises. It is worth mentioning that sex or other demographic characteristics of the respondents do not affect this classification while there are only aspects of positive reciprocity that have either positive or negative effect on the possibility to work in social enterprises. Social entrepreneurs and the Greek state could use these findings in order to direct and manage their expansion efforts

Optomechanical anisotropy in nanoengineered polymer photonic crystals

The original version of this thesis 'Optomechanical Anisotropy in Nanoengineered Polymer Photonic Crystals.pdf' was replaced on 2015-04-17 by 'Kontogeorgos - Optomechanical Anisotropy in Nanoengineered Polymer Photonic Crystals.pdf' as some of the graphs in the original version did not correspond to the examined thesis.Symmetry in photonic crystals is reflected in the structure of their photonic bands and symmetry breaking can result in the development of complete photonic band gaps, leading to enhanced optical properties. This can be difficult for self-assembled nanostructures, due to their restriction by fundamental principles to preferential geometries, but can be achieved through the application of external stimuli. In order to explore such an approach, elastomeric, nanoengineered, polymer photonic crystal structures have been fabricated on a large scale, through a method of shear induced self-assembly of 200nm monodisperse, polymer spheres with a core-shell structure. Determination of the assembly geometry through light diffraction experiments reveals a highly symmetric structure of close-packed, core-shell particles, with its orientation governed by the directionality imposed by the fabrication procedure. In these tuneable photonic crystals, application of external strain at directions of different crystallographic symmetry, accompanied by synchronised optomechanical measurements, reveals strong anisotropic optomechanical properties. It is shown that mechanical properties are primarily dominated by the viscoelastic nature of the shell material, while the strain-induced symmetry breaking reveals previously forbidden resonant peaks. Experiments involving uniaxial extension at principal and non-principal directions verify the underlying symmetry of the crystal lattice and consistently reproduce the anisotropic optical properties, providing information regarding the dual microstructure that controls the optomechanical response of these systems. Simulations based on a model of close-packed hard spheres predict the appearance of secondary resonances and suggest a structural transition from an fcc to a lower symmetry monoclinic crystal lattice. A more elaborate micromechanical model does not verify this transition but predicts the strain dependence of dominant spectroscopic peaks. Experiments involving different crosslinking densities reveal individual contributions from the elements comprising the material's dual microstructure. The inherently low refractive index contrast featured by these polymeric systems forbids the development of full photonic band gaps but symmetry based principles can be applicable to other structures with similar topological restrictions. Results provide a possible route for fabrication of active deformable nanostructures and aid our understanding of self-assembly in these complex systems, leading to optimised large-scale fabrication