Terrorism Shocks and Public Spending: Panel VAR Evidence from Europe

Based on a trivariate panel VAR and utilizing Generalized Impulse Responses, we explored the dynamic impacts of terrorism and crime risks on public order and safety spending across European countries during the period 1994-2006. Our findings suggest that both a shock in terrorism risk or in crime, significantly increase the subsequent trajectory of public order and safety spending. As a by-product we find that public spending is ineffective in reducing observed crime or terrorism risks.Panel VAR, Public Order and Safety Spending, Terrorism Activity

Terrorism Shocks and Public Spending: Panel VAR Evidence from Europe

Based on a trivariate panel VAR and utilizing Generalized Impulse Responses, we explored the dynamic impacts of terrorism and crime risks on public order and safety spending across European countries during the period 1994-2006. Our findings suggest that both a shock in terrorism risk or in crime, significantly increase the subsequent trajectory of public order and safety spending. As a by-product we find that public spending is ineffective in reducing observed crime or terrorism risks

Investigating Persistence in the US Mutual Fund Market: A Mobility Approach

Performance persistence in the US mutual fund market is investigated, modeling risk-adjusted performance as a Markov Chain. This allows us to explore whether there is a higher probability for funds to remain in their initial ranking, compared to the probability that funds exhibit some kind of movement. We find some degree of inertia due to non-uniformity of transition probabilities across states. Our analysis allows also assesses the proximity of empirical transition matrices to two benchmark matrices, identifying the no-persistence/perfect immobility cases. We find that the observed transition matrices are closer to the no-persistence benchmark and also that performance persistence has decreased over time

Benetration of natural gas in the power stations of Cyprus

93 σ.Η ενέργεια είναι ο μοχλός ανάπτυξης της οικονομίας και της κοινωνίας σε όλες τις χώρες του κόσμου. Η ηλεκτρική ενέργεια πρέπει να χαρακτηρίζεται από οικονομικότητα, μεγάλη ασφάλεια, υψηλή ποιότητα και ήπια συμπεριφορά στο περιβάλλον κατά την παραγωγή και την κατανάλωσή της. Η αύξηση της κατανάλωσης ενέργειας λόγω της αύξησης του πληθυσμού, η ταυτόχρονη μείωση των πετρελαϊκών αποθεμάτων και τέλος η ολοένα μεγαλύτερη ανάγκη μείωσης της ατμοσφαιρικής ρύπανσης, έχουν καταστήσει αναγκαία τη βελτίωση των τεχνολογιών για παραγωγή «καθαρής» ηλεκτρικής ενέργειας. Πάνω σε αυτές τις ανάγκες που διαμορφώνονται, η εξόρυξη και χρήση φυσικού αερίου είναι μια αρκετά αξιόπιστη λύση, και ειδικότερα για την Κύπρο, χώρα πλούσια σε κοιτάσματα υδρογονανθράκων, όπου το φυσικό αέριο δύναται να την καταστήσει αυτάρκη ενεργειακά. Αναλυτικότερα, ως προς τη διάρθρωση της εργασίας, στο κεφάλαιο 1 γίνεται μια γενική αναφορά για την παραγωγή, χρήση του φυσικού αερίου καθώς και τις γεωπολιτικές προεκτάσεις που προκύπτουν από την διακίνησή του. Στο δεύτερο κεφάλαιο γίνεται περιγραφή της ενεργειακή κατάσταση της Κύπρου όπου περιγράφονται αναλυτικά οι υφιστάμενοι σταθμοί ηλεκτρικής ενεργείας. Στο κεφάλαιο 3 περιγράφονται η συνεισφορά στο ενεργειακό μείγμα της χώρας από αιολική και ηλιακή ενέργεια, καθώς και τα πλεονεκτήματα, μειονεκτήματα και τα μελλοντικά υπό κατασκευή έργα. Στη συνέχεια, στο κεφάλαιο 4 ακολουθεί η περιγραφή των εκπομπών αερίων ρύπων κατά είδος καυσίμου, περιγράφεται η μεθοδολογία υπολογισμού των ατμοσφαιρικών εκπομπών από τους ηλεκτροπαραγωγικούς σταθμούς της Κύπρου και παρατίθενται τα αποτελέσματα των υπολογισμών εκπομπών για σενάρια διείσδυσης ΑΠΕ στο σύστημα της Κύπρου. Στο κεφάλαιο 5 παρουσιάζεται μια καταρχήν οικονομική ανάλυση των τριών σταθμών που λειτουργούν αυτή την στιγμή στην Κύπρο με παράμετρο το είδος του καυσίμου (πετρέλαιο που χρησιμοποιείται σήμερα ή φυσικό αέριο που θα εφαρμοσθεί στο μέλλον), και εξετάζεται η επίδραση της ποιότητας της καυσίμου στις αέριες εκπομπές των σταθμών. Τέλος στο κεφάλαιο 6 γίνεται σύνοψη των συμπερασμάτων της διπλωματικής εργασίας.Energy is thegrowth engineof the economyand societyin all countriesof the world.Theelectricity mustbe characterized byeconomy,high safety, high quality andmildbehaviorin the environment duringproduction andconsumption.Theincrease in energy consumptiondue topopulation growth,the simultaneousdwindling oil reservesand finally thegrowingneed to reduceair polutionhave made theimprovement ofproductiontechnologies for"clean"electricity.On theseneedsformedthemining andnaturalgasis a fairlyreliable solution, especially for Cyprus, a country rich inoildeposits, where natural gasmaymaketheself-energy.Specifically, in the structureof work,in Chapter1isa general referencefor the production,use of naturalgasandgeopoliticalramificationsresulting from themovement.The second chaptercontains a descriptionof theenergysituation of Cyprusdescribingin detail theexistingpower stations. Chapter3 describesthe contribution to thecountry's energy contributionfrom windand solarenergy,and the advantages, disadvantages and futureprojectsunder construction. Then, in Section 4 the description of thegreenhouse gasemissionsbyfuel type,describedthe methodologyfor calculatingair emissionsfrompower stationsin Cyprus andgives the resultsof emissionsscenariosforRESpenetrationin the systemof Cyprus.Chapter5presents aneconomic analysis of thefirstthreestationsoperatingat the momentin Cyprus withtheparametertype of fuel(oilusedtoday orgasthat will beimplementedin the future), and examinedthe effectof the quality offuelto air emissionsthe stations.Finallyin Chapter6isa summaryof the conclusionsof the thesis.Παναγιώτης-Κυριάκος Χ. Δρακο

Causes and management of small pupil in patients with cataract

BACKGROUND: The purpose of the study was to present the causes and management of small pupil (<6 mm) in Greek patients with cataract. METHODS: About 1144 consecutive patients with cataract comprised the study group. The pupil size was measured after maximal dilation by means of Rosenbaum cards and Colvard pupillometer. Dilation regimen included phenylephrine 10%, tropicamide 1%, cyclopentolate 1%, and ketorolac trometamol 0.5% administered 3 times at 5 min intervals starting 1 h before surgery. The presence of possible risk factors for small pupil was recorded. The need of additional maneuvers and devices to dilate the pupil during cataract surgery was examined, and the complication rate in cases with small pupils was recorded. RESULTS: Small pupil was observed in 78 out of 1144 eyes (6.8%, 95% confidence interval = 5.2%–8.8%). Nine eyes had pupil size <4 mm (0.78%) preoperatively. Six cases (0.52%) developed intraoperative pupillary miosis. The major cause of small pupil was pseudoexfoliation (PEX) in 47.4% (37/78) of patients. No significant associations were observed regarding age, gender, history of diabetes mellitus, the maturity of cataract, and phacodonesis. Techniques for small pupil management included pupil stretching in 14 cases (17.9%), use of iris hooks in 6 cases (7.7%), iris sphincter cuts in 2 cases (2.6%), and placement of a Malyugin Ring in 4 cases (5.1%). Seven eyes (9%) with small pupil had capsular rupture versus 16 eyes (1.5%) with normal dilation (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Small pupil is not very common in Greek population, is mostly caused by PEX, and it is associated with increased complication rate

Multicenter Randomized Trial of Facilitated Percutaneous Coronary Intervention With Low-Dose Tenecteplase in Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction: The ATHENS PCI Trial

Objectives: To examine the safety and efficacy of low-dose tenecteplase, administered before facilitated percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) to restore Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) grade 2 or 3 blood flow in the infarct related artery (IRA) in patients with ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) scheduled to undergo PCI with a shortest anticipated delay of 30 min. Background: PCI preceded by administration of glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors, full-dose thrombolytics, or both, is associated with no benefit or a higher incidence of adverse events than PCI alone. Methods: Patients with STEMI &lt; 6 hr in duration were randomly assigned to PCI preceded by tenecteplase, 10 mg (facilitated PCI group, n = 143) versus standard PCI (control group, n = 141). All patients received aspirin and unfractionated heparin (70 IU/kg bolus) at time of randomization. Both groups received IIb/IIIa inhibitors in the catheterization laboratory and for at least 20 hr after PCI. Results: The median door-to-balloon time was 122 min (91-175) in the facilitated PCI versus 120 min (89-175) in the control group. IRA patency on arrival in the catheterization laboratory was 59.5% in the facilitated PCI (24% TIMI-2, 35% TIMI-3), versus 37% in the control (8% TIMI-2, 29% TIMI-3) group (P = 0.0001). During hospitalization, 9 patients (6%) died in the facilitated PCI versus 5 patients (3.5%) in the control group (P = 0.572). A single patient in the facilitated PCI group suffered a non-fatal ischemic stroke. Conclusions: Facilitated PCI with low-dose tenecteplase in patients presenting with STEMI was associated with a high IRA patency rate before PCI. (C) 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc