The intervertebral disc (IVD) is a complex structure responsible for distributing compressive loading to adjacent vertebrae and allowing the vertebral column to bend and twist. To study the mechanical behaviour of individual components of the IVD, it is common for specimens to be dissected away from their surrounding tissues for mechanical testing. However, disrupting the continuity of the IVD to obtain material properties of each component separately may result in erroneous values. In this study, an inverse finite element (FE) modelling optimisation algorithm has been used to obtain material properties of the IVD across strain rates, therefore bypassing the need to harvest individual samples of each component. Uniaxial compression was applied to ten fresh-frozen bovine intervertebral discs at strain rates of 10-1/s. The experimental data were fed into the inverse FE optimisation algorithm and each experiment was simulated using the subject specific FE model of the respective specimen. A sensitivity analysis revealed that the IVD's response was most dependent upon the Young's modulus (YM) of the fibre bundles and therefore this was chosen to be the parameter to optimise. Based on the obtained YM values for each test corresponding to a different strain rate (ε̇), the following relationship was derived:YM=35.5lnε̇+527.5. These properties can be used in finite element models of the IVD that aim to simulate spinal biomechanics across loading rates.

The complex structural and material behaviour of the human heel fat pad determines the transmission of plantar loading to the lower limb across a wide range of loading scenarios; from locomotion to injurious incidents. The aim of this study was to quantify the hyper-viscoelastic material properties of the human heel fat pad across strains and strain rates. An inverse finite element (FE) optimisation algorithm was developed and used, in conjunction with quasi-static and dynamic tests performed to five cadaveric heel specimens, to derive specimen-specific and mean hyper-viscoelastic material models able to predict accurately the response of the tissue at compressive loading of strain rates up to 150 s−1. The mean behaviour was expressed by the quasi-linear viscoelastic (QLV) material formulation, combining the Yeoh material model (C10=0.1MPa, C30=7MPa, K=2GPa) and Prony׳s terms (A1=0.06, A2=0.77, A3=0.02 for τ1=1ms, τ2=10ms, τ3=10normals). These new data help to understand better the functional anatomy and pathophysiology of the foot and ankle, develop biomimetic materials for tissue reconstruction, design of shoe, insole, and foot and ankle orthoses, and improve the predictive ability of computational models of the foot and ankle used to simulate daily activities or predict injuries at high rate injurious incidents such as road traffic accidents and underbody blast.

Purpose The paper aims to present the case study of Arillas, a small beach resort on Corfu, Greece, where the locals have taken their fate into their own hands in the middle of a crisis. It presents the historical background of the development of tourism in Arillas, the actions that have been undertaken by the local stakeholders to actively participate in the management of the village and to attract alternative, responsible and sustainable forms of tourism to Arillas, and the main players contributing to this process, as well as a look at three important themes contributing to the change. Design/methodology/approach The paper is based on an empirical study spanning many years by a local inhabitant who has an affinity with place management and marketing. It also includes some conclusions of a quantitative, questionnaire-based customer satisfaction survey carried out in 2011 and 2012 among 600 visitors. The analysis of the quantitative data was carried out by the Head of the Corfu Department of the National Tourism Organisation of Greece. Findings The paper demonstrates how a shared vision, combined with empowerment and communication among local stakeholders on improving the place, as well as many joint actions carried out on a volunteer basis have, first of all, dramatically increased the level of engagement of the locals in the present and future of Arillas, and second they have attracted and are attracting more individual travellers who are coming for the hospitality, local food and products, music and cultural festivals, walking, yoga and meditation rather than the outdated mass tourism model. Research limitations/implications It would be very interesting to perform another quantitative, questionnaire-based survey now to compare the results to those of 2012. Originality/value This paper demonstrates that a bottom-up, horizontal approach to placemaking and place marketing can yield substantial results even (or especially) in an adverse economical and social environment.

Abstract. The object of this study is the development of a structural precast system for a supermarket chain in order to have the same quality of product construction all over Greece regardless of its application INTRODUCTIONThe scope of this paper is the development of an earthquake-resistant [5] prefabriced structural system that may be implemented in all stores of a large food supermarket chain, maintaining the same structural quality regardless of the installation area and its seismic activity.Due to the particular nature of the structural system, the creation of an accurate calculation model that takes into consideration the method of connecting the different structural elements is a crucial factor in the investigation of an optimum solution. The results of the analysis, in combination with a good knowledge of the features and properties of connecting materials (quality, resistance, etc.) may then make the basis for the proper implementation of the construction.

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