Enhance interaction between HEIs and SMEs to stimulate research and innovation

To be more competitive and innovative, SMEs (Small and Medium-sized Enterprises) should benefit from access to more advanced research through an increased collaboration with HEIs (Higher Education Institutions). Based on the need to improve understanding of both the obstacles and opportunities regarding collaborations between SMEs and HEIs, the GIENAHS Erasmus Plus Project was established as a partnership between SMEs and HEIs from six EU countries. The study described in this paper aims to find ways for HEIs to improve their ability to interact with SMEs and vice versa, both through joint research and industry PhD students; as well as to propose strategies and methods for optimal long-term relationships and collaborations, including win-win situations for HEIs and SMEs.A questionnaire was developed and sent out to both HEIs and SMEs in each of the six partner countries. The results are based on the responses from 37 HEIs and 73 SMEs, which were analysed using the accepted model in decision theory, the Weighted Sum Model (WSM). The results were based mainly on the questionnaires, but also to some extent on complementary interviews.A great deal of the results are country specific, with some few exceptions. Besides the fact that the data differs between the countries, there is also a variation within the countries. There may be several reasons for these differences, for instance pre-existing SME/HEI relationships and collaborations, or if the university/department has a focus on applied or fundamental research. Both similarities and dissimilarities were found in the answers from both HEIs and SMEs. Both HEIs and SMEs share the viewpoint that they are open to collaborations for the purpose of a mutual transfer of knowledge. SMEs are generally interested in investing in staff competencies. The majority of the interviewed SMEs had not considered PhD programs before this study. The results show a willingness towards extending networks and contacts in order to create relationships and thus establish fruitful collaborations between HEIs and SMEs, thereby also enhancing research competence. This could potentially be done by establishing a common European standard for interaction between HEIs and SMEs.The conclusion of this study is in line with the project goal of increasing innovation capacity in the EU. It could broadly be summarised as: university-industry collaboration is a win-win experience for both parties as well as for society. It helps to close the gap between industry/SMEs and academia. A successful partnership involves strategies and goals for both HEIs and SMEs (industry) and for achieving impact

Evaluation of metabolic syndrome risk factors in female students

Many studies have shown that systolic and diastolic arterial blood pressure changes due to higher weight in both school-age children and in adolescents. Abnormalities of thyroid function might be no less important factor in relation to metabolic syndrome. The objective of the study was to determine the relationship of arterial blood pressure, glucose, adip onectin and thyroid function parameters to major risk factors of metabolic syndrome. The risk factors tested were body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference in female students aged 18 to 25 years. We studied 105 RSU Red Cross college students aged 18 to 25 years. We calculated their BMI, lung vital capacity (ml), thyroid changes by ultrasound (USG) (27 students) and ECG (79 students). In addition, we measured their waist and chest circumferences, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure in both arms. We determined concentration of glucose, adiponectin, thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and free thyroxine (FT4) in blood. Statistical analyses were performed using the SPSS 15.01 package software. There was a statistically significant positive correlation between the arterial blood pressure, BMI and increase of the waist circumference in students (average age 20.7 years). The average arterial blood pressure in students was normal. The age at the onset of menarche had a significant positive effect on diastolic arterial blood pressure (P = 0.009-0,017) An increase in blood glucose concentration was closely associated with BMI (P = 0.03) and waist circumference (P = 0.045). However, adiponectin concentration was correlated with systolic (P = 0.007-0.048) and diastolic (P = 0.002-0.003) blood pressure. Significant ECG changes were found in 10% of the subjects, indicating cardiovascular changes in these young women. The higher the FT4 and TSH concentrations, the more frequently were observed changes in the ECG ST-segment (P = 0.01-0,008). A significant relationship between diastolic blood pressure and the age at onset of menarche (P = 0.009-0.017) was found. Increased arterial blood pressure was associated with an increase in BMI, waist circumference and adiponectin concentration, while an increase in blood glucose concentration was associated with increased BMI and waist circumference, but not with the adiponectin level. Changes in ECG and increased diastolic arterial blood pressure in relation to menarche indicate a possible role of the endocrine system and genetic factors in regulation of the main parameters of metabolic syndrome.publishersversionPeer reviewe

Estimation des besoins d'aération des serres en Grèce

International audienc

Το θεσμικό πλαίσιο του ΝΑΤΟ στη διαχείριση κρίσεων και καταστροφών

Το ΝΑΤΟ στοχεύει στη διαφύλαξη της ελευθερίας και της ασφάλειας των μελών της με πολιτικά και στρατιωτικά μέσα. Ιδρύθηκε κυρίως για να διατηρήσει την Ευρώπη ασφαλή αποτρέποντας κάθε επίθεση. Το 1949 περιλάμβανε τη διακοπή της σοβιετικής επέκτασης, την αποτροπή της αναβίωσης του εθνικιστικού μιλιταρισμού στην Ευρώπη και την ενθάρρυνση της ευρωπαϊκής πολιτικής ολοκλήρωσης. Αλλά με την κατάρρευση της Σοβιετικής Ένωσης το 1991 και την κατάρρευση του Συμφώνου της Βαρσοβίας, το ΝΑΤΟ έμεινε χωρίς προφανή σκοπό. Με την πάροδο του χρόνου η οργάνωση άλλαξε και τα τελευταία χρόνια επικεντρώνεται όλο και περισσότερο στη διατήρηση της ειρήνης. Το ΝΑΤΟ είναι γνωστό για το άρθρο 5 της Συνθήκης για τον Βόρειο Ατλαντικό - στο οποίο τα μέλη δεσμεύονται να βοηθήσουν οποιοδήποτε κράτος μέλος δέχεται επίθεση. Στην παρούσα εργασία θα παρουσιαστεί όλη η δραστηριότητα του ΝΑΤΟ από την αρχή της σύστασής του, οι ειρηνευτικές του επιχειρήσεις στο πλαίσιο διαχείρισης κρίσεων και καταστροφών καθώς και το θεσμικό πλαίσιο το οποίο διέπει τις εν λόγω επιχειρήσεις. Στο πρώτο κεφάλαιο θα γίνει ανάλυση του οργανισμού και του φάσματος των επιχειρήσεων του. Στο δεύτερο κεφάλαιο θα αναλυθούν τα εργαλεία στον τομέα της αντιμετώπισης κρίσεων. Στο τρίτο κεφάλαιο θα αναφερθούν όλοι οι Μηχανισμοί πολιτικής αντιμετώπισης έκτακτης ανάγκης του ΝΑΤΟ Στο τέταρτο κεφάλαιο θα περιγραφεί πως λαμβάνουν χώρα οι Επιχειρήσεις ΝΑΤΟ αντιμετώπισης καταστροφών και της συμβολή τους στην αντιμετώπιση του COVID-19. Στο πέμπτο κεφάλαιο θα εξαχθούν τα συμπεράσματα και θα παρατεθούν προτάσεις γενικά για την πιο εύρυθμη λειτουργία και θα παρατεθεί η βιβλιογραφία.NATO’s role is to take care and provide freedom and security to its members through political and military interventions. It was founded predominantly to protect Europe by forestalling any assault. 1949 included stopping Soviet imperialism, forestalling the resurgence of patriot militarism in Europe, and empowering European political joining. Yet, with the breakdown of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the breakdown of the Warsaw Pact, NATO was left with no conspicuous reason. After some time, the organization differentiated his primary role and as of late has progressively centered on peacekeeping. NATO is known for Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty - in which state members embrace to help any member that is under attack. This paper will present all the activities of NATO since its inception, its peacekeeping operations in the context of crisis and disaster management and the institutional framework that governs these operations. The first chapter will analyze the organization and the range of its operations. The second chapter will analyze the tools in the field of crisis management. Chapter 3 will cover all NATO Emergency Response Mechanisms The fourth chapter will describe how NATO Disaster Response Operations are taking place and their contribution to COVID-19. In the fifth chapter the conclusions will be drawn and suggestions will be given in general for the most orderly operation and the bibliography will be quoted

Malicious Membership Queries and Exceptions

We consider two issues in polynomial-time exact learning of concepts using membership and equivalence queries: (1) errors in the answers to membership queries and (2) learning finite variants of concepts drawn from a learnable class. To study (1), we introduce a malicious membership query, in which errors are permitted on a set of strings in the domain, such that the number of strings plus the sum of their lengths is bounded by L. Equivalence queries are answered correctly, and algorithms are allowed time polynomial in the usual parameters and L. We present a new polynomial-time learning algorithm in this model for monotone DNF formulas. To study (2), we consider classes of concepts that are polynomially closed under finite exceptions and a natural operation to add exception tables to a class of concepts. Applying this operation, we obtain the class of monotone DNF formulas with finite exceptions. We give a new polynomial-time algorithm to learn the class of monotone DNF formulas with ..