Ο χιονοδρομικός τουρισμός είναι μία σημαντική μορφή εναλλακτικού εγχώριου τουρισμού στην Ελλάδα που ελκύει αρκετούς επισκέπτες. Παρόλα αυτά χαρακτηρίζεται από ήπια ανάπτυξη και προβολή και για αυτό το λόγο απαιτούνται τόσο η ανάπτυξη νέων αγορών και στρατηγικών, όσο και μεγάλες επενδύσεις στον συγκεκριμένο κλάδο. Ο κυριότερος στόχος της παρούσας μελέτης είναι η διερεύνηση της ανταγωνιστικότητας με τη χρήση της μεθοδολογίας Importance-Performance και των ανταγωνιστικών πλεονεκτημάτων δύο ελληνικών χιονοδρομικών κέντρων, αυτό του Καρπενησίου και αυτό των Καλαβρύτων. Για το σκοπό αυτό διερευνήθηκε το καταναλωτικό και δημογραφικό προφίλ των επισκεπτών των δύο χιονοδρομικών, η σημαντικότητα των χαρακτηριστικών ποιότητας και η απόδοση αυτών στο κάθε κέντρο, η συνολική ικανοποίηση των επισκεπτών από τα κέντρα και τον προορισμό συνολικά, η εικόνα τους και η πιστότητα των επισκεπτών σε αυτά. Η έρευνα πραγματοποιήθηκε με τη χρήση ερωτηματολογίων. Διανεμήθηκαν συνολικά 300 ερωτηματολόγια στους επισκέπτες των δύο χιονοδρομικών κέντρων, από τα οποία επεστράφησαν πλήρως συμπληρωμένα 296. Από τα αποτελέσματα προέκυψε πως οι επισκέπτες του χιονοδρομικού κέντρου Καλαβρύτων είναι περισσότερο ενεργοί χρήστες σε σχέση με αυτούς του Καρπενησίου και τα σημαντικότερα χαρακτηριστικά ποιότητας είναι οι τιμές των εισιτηρίων των αναβατήρων, η ασφάλεια και υγιεινή του κέντρου και ο χρόνος αναμονής στους αναβατήρες. Ακόμη, παρατηρείται πως το χιονοδρομικό κέντρο Καρπενησίου αποδίδει καλύτερα σε περισσότερα χαρακτηριστικά ποιότητας σε σχέση με αυτό των Καλαβρύτων, διαθέτει περισσότερα ανταγωνιστικά πλεονεκτήματα και οι επισκέπτες του αντλούν μεγαλύτερη ικανοποίηση από τη χρήση του και την ευρύτερη περιοχή. Τέλος, συζητούνται πρακτικές εφαρμογές των αποτελεσμάτων και προτάσεις για μελλοντική έρευνα σε όλα τα χιονοδρομικά κέντρα της χώρας. / Skiing tourism is an important form of alternative domestic tourism in Greece, which attracts many visitors. Nevertheless, it is characterized by a mild growth and promotion and, therefore, both the development of new markets and strategies, as well as large investments in this specific sector, is needed. The main objective of the present study is to investigate competitiveness, using the Importance-Performance methodology and the competitive advantages of two Greek ski resorts, namely those of Karpenissi and Kalavryta. For this purpose, we have investigated the consumer and demographic profile of visitors in these two skiing centres, the importance of quality characteristics and their performance in each centre, visitors’ overall satisfaction from these centres and the destination in total, their image and the loyalty of visitors to them. The survey was conducted through the use of questionnaires. 300 questionnaires were distributed in total to the visitors of the two skiing centres, 296 of which were returned fully completed. Results showed that the visitors of Kalavryta skiing centre are more active users than those of Karpenissi and the most important quality characteristics are the ticket prices of the lifts, the safety and hygiene of the centre and the waiting time for lifts. Still, it is observed that Karpenissi ski resort performs better in more quality characteristics compared to that of Kalavryta, it has more competitive advantages and its visitors derive more satisfaction from using it and the surrounding area. Finally, we discuss practical applications of the results and recommendations for future research in all ski resorts of the country.

No description available.

In the years between 2012 and 2014, Burma has been shaken by waves of violence against Muslims which has resulted in destroyed mosques and shops, at least 140 000 displaced and 200 killed persons. The person who is said to lay behind this violence is the Burmese Theravada monk Ashin Wirathu. Being the founder and leader of the radical Buddhist movement 969, he has been accused of indirectly motivating violence against Muslims and has been portrayed with titles such as “The face of buddhist terror”. This essay investigates the relation between Wirathu and the anti-Muslim violence by applying the method of content analysis on a speech of him. Identifying an emphasis on subjects concerning politics, nationalism and anti-Muslim statements, these factors are contextualized to colonial and postcolonial Burma for the purpose of finding causes for the recent struggles. Recognizing the appearing of these factors in the context of Burma, which has undergone a tense 20th century comprising colonization and military dictatorship, offer some explanation of the rhetoric found in the analyzed speech. Using the context of the identified subjects and a theory which explains the rise of religious conflict in postmodern states, this study concludes that the content in Ashin Wirathu’s speech motivate for anti-Muslim violence through the use of political, ethnic nationalistic and islamophobic statements.

The violent uprisings in Myanmar between 2012-2014 sparked a big interest in the media around the world. The uprisings which resulted in many casualties and the destruction of muslim owned shops and mosques left around 140.000 IDPs. In an interview with Time Magazine’s Hannah Beech, the leader of the group claimed to be responsible for instigating the violence, Ashin Wirathu likened muslims to animals and encouraged burmese buddhists to shun muslims. Since the article was released an independent american organization which sympathizes with Wirathu and his ‘golden burmese’ 969 movement created a web page dedicated to portray a nuanced image of the movement and to clear up what they have claimed to be a number of false reports propagated by western media. This essay investigates the american support movement by analysing their english web page through the method of content analysis and by applying a propaganda theoretical framework to the final discussion. The aim of the essay is to identify what kind of image of Buddhism and Ashin Wirathus 969 movement the support group wants to portray and to explain this in the context of Myanmars colonial and postcolonial history.

La République de Maurice, un demi siècle après son Indépendance est souvent citée comme le modèle par excellence d’un État multiethnique démocratique, stable et ayant réussi économiquement le passage d’une économie coloniale de plantation axée sur la monoculture de la canne à sucre vers une société nouvellement industrialisée dépendant sur la zone franche industrielle, le tourisme et les services. Paradoxalement, plusieurs observateurs font un constat accablant des dysfonctionnements institutionnels indiqués par exemple lors des crises politiques récurrentes, les affaires politico-financières, le fait écrasant de l’ethnicité... La question principale au cœur de notre problématique interroge la construction de cette situation paradoxale d’une démocratie dite exemplaire d’un côté et des dysfonctionnements institutionnels et la désaffection d’une partie de l’électorat. Quelles en sont les causes et explications ? Cette thèse tient à faire ressortir les spécificités de la vie politique de Maurice afin de comprendre et d’examiner les causes de cette condition paradoxale à travers une approche néo-institutionnelle. / Half a century after its Independence, the Republic of Mauritius is often cited as the model par excellence of a multi-ethnic, stable and democratic state which has economically succeeded the passage from a colonial plantation economy based on the monoculture of sugar cane to a newly industrialized society dependent on the industrial free zone, tourism and services. Paradoxically, several observers make an overwhelming observation of institutional dysfunctions for example, recurrent political crises, politico-financial scandals, the strong perception of communalism, ... The main focus of this study is to analyse the causes of this paradoxical situation of a so-called exemplary democracy on one hand and institutional dysfunctions and the disaffection of part of the electorate. This thesis aims at examining the specificities of the political life of Mauritius in order to understand and elucidate the causes of this paradoxical condition through a neo-institutional approach.

CoordenaÃÃo de AperfeiÃoamento de Pessoal de NÃvel Superior / No presente trabalho foi realizada a investigaÃÃo numÃrica e experimental do desempenho aerodinÃmico de dois aerogeradores tripà de pequeno porte com 3 m de diÃmetro. Os perfis aerodinÃmicos utilizados, NACA 0012 (simÃtrico) e NACA 4412 (cambado), foram projetados para aplicaÃÃes em baixas velocidades, como à o caso de turbinas eÃlicas de eixo horizontal. Os aerogeradores foram construÃdos e testados no LaboratÃrio de Energia Solar e GÃs Natural - UFC. Isto permitiu a determinaÃÃo das curvas de desempenho dos mesmos, possibilitando a comparaÃÃo posterior com os resultados da anÃlise numÃrica. A fim de calibrar o modelo de turbulÃncia k-ω SST para aplicaÃÃo em turbinas eÃlicas de pequeno porte, foram realizadas simulaÃÃes numÃricas utilizando o pacote de CFD OpenFOAM, versÃo 1.7.1. Os resultados numÃricos e experimentais foram comparados, de tal forma que, a partir da variaÃÃo de parÃmetros como intensidade de turbulÃncia, comprimento caracterÃstico turbulento e β* (constante de calibraÃÃo do modelo), pode-se concluir que os resultados numÃricos foram pouco sensÃveis aos dois primeiros parÃmetros, enquanto a variaÃÃo de β* impactou de forma significativa os resultados numÃricos. A mudanÃa do aerofÃlio nÃo alterou o valor de β* que melhor ajustou o resultado. Isto, alÃm do sucesso do processo de calibraÃÃo, indica que a cambagem nÃo influenciou na calibraÃÃo do modelo de turbulÃncia, o que à muito positivo, pois permite uma avaliaÃÃo de cenÃrios diferentes, tal como pÃs projetadas com outros perfis aerodinÃmicos. / In this work it was performed a numerical and experimental investigation of the aerodynamic performance of two small three-bladed wind turbines with diameter of 3m. The airfoils used, NACA 0012 (symmetrical) e NACA 4412 (unsymmetrical), were designed for low speed applications, such as the horizontal axis wind turbines. The wind turbines were built and tested at the Solar Energy and Natural Gas Laboratory âUFC. This allowed the attainment of the performance curves, enabling the comparison between the results of the numerical analysis. In order to calibrate the turbulence model k-ω SST to applications in small wind turbines, it was performed numerical simulations using the open source package for CFD solutions OpenFOAM, version 1.7.1. The numerical and experimental results were compared, in a way that, from the variation of parameters such as turbulence intensity, characteristic length and β* (calibration constant), it can be concluded that the numerical results were little sensitive to the first two parameters, while the variation of β* impacted significantly the numerical results. The change of airfoil did not modify the value of β* that best adjusted the result. This, beyond the success of the calibration process, indicates that the camber did not affect the calibration of the turbulence model, which is very positive because it allows an evaluation of different scenarios, such as blades designed with other airfoils.

This study undertakes two major issues concerning the authenticity of Nahj al-Balaghah, namely, the compilation and composition of the book. Shii scholars, with almost no exception, have credited the compilation of Nahj al-Balaghah to al-Sharif al-Radi In contrast, Sunni scholars and Orientalists hold different opinions about the matter. The early scholars among Sunnis and their western counterparts mostly credited Murtada with Nahj al-Balaghah, while later scholars generally vacillate between the two brothers. This study attempts to resolve misconceptions concerning the compilation of the book. It also suggests that in all probability Radi is the compiler while there is hardly any evidence to credit Murtada. / The problem of the composition of Nahj al-Balaghah, namely, the attribution of its contents to Ali ibn Abi Talib is more problematic. Unlike the Sunni scholars, the Shiis believe that the contents of the book represent Alis discourses. This thesis examines the most important arguments of both opponents and proponents of the authenticity of Nahj al-Balaghah and suggests that since a large portion of the book is present in the earlier sources, the generalization of some Sunni scholars in doubting the entire book cannot be sustained. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

This thesis analyses the lightning protection concept. After a brief introduction to lightning, lightning discharge process and the consequences of a lightning stroke, the worldwide standards for the protection of structures against lightning are analysed and compared in the scope of requirement for the lightning protection. The lightning protection systems since Franklin are traced and the protection methods are re-arranged in the basis of rolling sphere method. after discussing the changing philosophy in lightning protection, cage method is examined and applications of cage method are done according to different protection levels. This thesis seek an answer to the question such that which the safest method for the protection of structures against lightning according to new requirements would be.

No description available.

Notre thème de recherche est parti du constat que les entreprises individuelles de moins de cinq salariés constituent la quasi-totalité des créations d'entreprises à Madagascar et qu’elles sont instables et éphémères. Nous les avons baptisées « petites entreprises de proximité » ou PEP, et appelé « imperfections » leur instabilité dans la durée, du point de vue de leurs activités, de leur statut institutionnel et en termes de croissance. Nous avons observé que leur multiplication traduisait l’engouement des entrepreneurs à leur endroit lequel traduisait leur adaptation à l’environnement. Dans un pays où les ménages étaient confrontés de manière endémique au problème d’emplois et de revenus, le phénomène de la PEP à travers la problématique suivante représente un sujet d’actualité et un enjeu majeur : - Si nous présumons que les "petites entreprises de proximité" sont adaptées à leur environnement, pourquoi sont-elles inaptes à durer, à grandir et à perdurer dans leur statut et dans leurs activités? - Et pourquoi les entrepreneurs continuent-ils d’en créer en dépit de « leurs imperfections » ainsi décrites ? Pour y répondre, nous avons avancé la proposition d’explication suivante sur les imperfections de la PEP : 1) Elles traduisent que la proximité instable, variable et complexe est à la fois un raccourci et un contre-exemple d’environnement ; 2) Elles sont nées des fonctionnalités structurelles et des mécanismes organisationnels mis en œuvre pour équilibrer l’adaptation tronquée de la PEP à l’environnement ; 3) Elles sont les facteurs de la dynamique d'intégration transformant des proximités agies en foyers de survie collective. Nous avons retenu deux postulats théoriques dans notre travail : l’existence d’écosystèmes pour la survie de la PEP, et un référent théorique fait d’écrits scientifiques et de connaissances renvoyant à la construction logique de son processus de survie. Nous avons mené le travail en trois étapes: _ Dans un premier temps, l‘étude des écarts entre la construction sociale de la réalité de la PEP et le référent théorique de son processus de survie a permis en partie de comprendre le phénomène de son adaptation et d’expliquer ses imperfections (Partie 1: Le positionnement théorique de notre proposition). _ Ensuite nous avons observé lesdits écarts mis à l’œuvre dans des processus empiriques de PEP en action, pour conclure qu’ils constituaient à la fois des symptômes de singularité d’organisations et des signaux de phénomènes traduisant de nouvelle manière de survivre (Partie 2 : La corroboration empirique de notre proposition). Nous avons ainsi avancé l’hypothèse théorique sur le maintien individuel de la PEP par sa survie collective avec ses parties prenantes en ces termes : Les PEP se forment grâce à des opportunités nées des imperfections des environnements qu'elles exploitent sous la forme de sous marchés résiduels. Elles se maintiennent en intégrant des proximités agies qu'elles transforment en niches dans une perspective de survie collective avec leurs parties prenantes. Leur mode d'adaptation les oblige à rester petites, éphémères et variables dans leurs activités. _ Enfin nous avons étudié les leçons d’expériences tirées de nos travaux et les pistes de réflexions qu’elles nous ouvraient. (Partie 3 : Les apports théoriques de notre étude sur la PEP). Nous nous sommes concentré sur les nouvelles tendances dans les formes organisationnelles adaptées à un environnement perçu à travers sa transformation, et sur celles d’un entrepreneuriat surfant sur le relationnel, la marginalité et la rareté des ressources. Nous avons conclu notre travail sur la PEP sur l’intérêt d’appréhender l’aptitude à la survie en termes d’écosystèmes. / Our research theme is based on the observation that individual companies with fewer than fiveemployees constitute almost all the enterprises created in Madagascar and that they are unstable and ephemeral. We called them "small proximity businesses" or PEP in french, and called "imperfections" their instability over time, from the point of view of their activities, their institutional status and in terms of growth.We observed that their multiplication reflected an entrepreneur's enthusiasm for creating them, which reflected their skill in adapting to their environment.In a country where households were confronted to an endemic problem of joblessness and lack ofincomes, the phenomenon of PEP through the following issue is a topical and a major concern:- If we assume that "small proximity businesses" are adapted to their environment, why are they unfit to last, grow and prosper in their status and activities?- And why do entrepreneurs continue to create them in spite of "their imperfections" thus described? To answer this question, we have proposed the following explanation on the imperfections of PEP:1) They show that the unstable, variable and complex proximity is both a shortcut and acounterexample of environment 2) They stem from structural functionalities and organizational mechanisms implemented to balancethe truncated adaptation of PEP to the environment; 3) They are the factors of the dynamics of integration transforming the agitated proximities into foci of collective survival.We retained two theoretical postulates for our research: the existence of ecosystems for the survival of PEP, and a theoretical referent made of scientific writings and knowledge referring to the logicalconstruction of its survival process. We conducted the work in three stages:_In a first step, the study of the differences between the social construction of the reality of the PEP and the theoretical referent of its survival process allowed but partly to understand the phenomenon of its adaptation and to explain its imperfections (Part 1: The theoretical positioning of our proposal)._Then we observed the called deviations through the empirical processes of PEPs in action, and concluded that they constituted as well symptoms of singularity of organizations and phenomena in a new way of surviving (Part 2: Empirical corroboration of our proposal)We have thus advanced the theoretical hypothesis on the individual maintenance of PEP by itscollective survival with its stakeholders: PEPs are formed through opportunities arising from the imperfections of the environments they exploit in the form of residual sub-markets. They are maintained by integrating agitated proximities that they transform into niches in a perspective of collective survival with their stakeholders. Their mode of adaptation forces them to remain small, ephemeral and variable in their activities._ Finally, we studied the lessons of experiences drawn from our work and the avenues of reflectionthey opened up to us. (Part 3: The theoretical contributions of our study on PEP) We focused on new trends in organizational forms adapted to an environment perceived through itstransformation, and on those of an entrepreneurship running through networks of contacts, marginality and scarcity of resourcesWe concluded our work on PEP on the importance of understanding survivability in terms of ecosystems