Purpose -The aim of this paper is to study the technical and scale efficiency of a set of tax offices (Inland Revenue) in Greece during the period 2001-2006. Design/methodology/approach -The methodology used to estimate efficiency scores and Greek tax office ranking was the data envelopment analysis. In addition window analysis was used to detect efficiency trends and stability over time. Tobit analysis was applied to explain whether nondiscretionary factors play a role in tax office's performance. Findings -The results underline that ''scale size'' and the structure of regional economy where tax offices operate are important factors affecting their efficiency. Research limitations/implications -Despite the limitations related to the data set, the empirical work suggests that future research may need to concentrate on the dynamic factors i.e. characteristics of the regional where the tax office is situated which could play a significant role in a tax office performance. Practical implications -The analysis provides information on tailor-made political and administrative measures that can lead to improvements in the general infrastructure behind the tax office system in Greece. Originality/value -Considering that the emerging results needed to be evaluated and considered with a sceptical eye, the present study simply highlights the importance of the information (without sensationalizing it) from the policymakers' perspective and in so doing perhaps provide an additional information resource on which they can base their decisions and policies.

Global financial and economic crisis has brought to the fore the need for assessing public sector performance. Improving the functioning of public sector and enhancing the efficiency of public administration constitute measures taken by governments to cushion the effect of the crisis on their country economies. Equal distribution of public expenditure and taxation countrywide is essentially important for social cohesion

Objectives. The aim of this study was to describe the aerobiological characteristics of NE Greece, identify the most prevalent taxa, define the duration of the main pollen season and correlate allergen records with meteorological parameters. Materials and method. A 7-day volumetric trap, running continuously throughout the year, was used to collect circulating pollen. Pollen taxa were characterized by standard protocols and counted as grains/m 3 . The main pollen season was deduced from these data and running means (10-day averages) were plotted against time. Correlations with climatic factors (temperature, rain, humidity, wind velocity) were assessed by single linear regression analysis. Results. In total, 11 pollen families were identified, including 6 arboreal and 5 non-arboreal taxa. The 5 most prevalent taxa were Oleaceae, Fagaceae, Poaceae, Cupressaceae and Pinaceae. Peak pollen concentrations were detected in April and May, with daily averages exceeding 410 grains/m 3 . Compositeae had the longest pollen season of 135 days and Oleaceae the shortest, extending to only 27 days. Correlations with meteorological parameters showed variable associations among different taxa, with mean temperature (p<0.001), relative humidity (p=0.015), and wind speed (p=0.042) emerging as the most significant determinants as regards total pollen counts. Conclusions. Describing the aerobiological characteristics of NE Greece enabled the identification of allergenic risks that are specific for this region. Records generated in this study can be used to alert sensitized individuals of prevailing seasonal patterns, in order to take necessary precautions against imminent exposures. The monitoring system established here can serve as a reference guide for future epidemiological research focusing on allergic asthma and rhinitis.

No abstract

In recent decades the air quality in Athens city has been extremely poor. Scientific interest has focused on health effects caused by indoor air pollution, due to the fact that most people in the developed world spend most of their time indoors, especially in office settings. Carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, volatile organic compounds and benzene are important pollutants that can affect indoor air quality. Measurements conducted inside the Control Tower of Athens International Airport have shown that despite the fact that concentrations never exceeded the established limits for indoor environments, all pollutant concentrations determined were significantly higher than those outdoors. This indicates contributions from indoor sources such as smoking, carpets, furniture and human emanations including breathing and body odour. Benzene levels found in the employees’ exposure experiments were particularly noticeable and proved that smoking was a major indoor pollution source.