Search

Featured Application: The present paper evaluates 10 alternative shoreline pond electrode station designs using frames in a linear arrangement of electrodes for HVDC interconnections, against the typical design, according to CIGRE B4.61/2017 (parallel arrangement of electrode frames, with respect to the longitudinal axis of the breakwater), studying it from the point of view of electric field analysis (with emphasis on the near-field). During the design of a shoreline electrode station for High-Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) interconnections, the location of the electrodes plays a critical part, especially in the development of the near-electric field. The basic structure is their linear placement, in the form of successive frames, parallel to the longitudinal axis of the breakwater, as proposed by CIGRE and implemented in existing projects. However, this arrangement requires a considerable breakwater length, which may not be permissible, as in the case of Stachtoroi, one of the two electrode stations being built for the 1 GW, ±500 kV HVDC interconnection between Crete and mainland Greece. This troubled the preliminary study team of the electrode stations, which investigated other possible configurations. In this paper, configurations of linear placements of electrode frames are studied and compared at the preliminary study level in terms of electric field effects (especially the near-field), using an analytical simplified model and the superposition method, to determine the most appropriate arrangement of electrodes that will cover the respective requirements of CIGRE directives B4.61/2017. These arrangements are practically evaluated for two different electrode station locations at Korakia in Crete and at Stachtoroi in Aegina for the Crete–mainland-Greece interconnection, resulting in interesting alternative solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The EU energy and climate policy has set quantitative goals for decarbonization based on the energy efficiency and the evolution of energy systems. The utilization of demand side flexibility can help towards this direction and achieve the target of higher levels of penetration in regard to intermittent renewable energy production and carbon emission reduction. This paper presents a simulation-based assessment of thermal flexibility in a typical office building in Greece, which is a representative Mediterranean country. The use of variable speed heat pumps coupled with hydronic terminal units was evaluated. The research focused mainly on the evaluation of energy flexibility offered by energy stored in the form of thermal energy by utilizing the building's thermal mass. The demand response potential under hourly CO2eq intensity and energy prices was investigated. The flexibility potential was evaluated under different demand response strategies, and the effect of demand response on energy consumption, operational costs, CO2eq emissions and thermal comfort was analyzed and discussed. The results showed that both control strategies based on both the CO2eqintensity signal and spot price signal have, in some cases, the potential for cost and emission savings, and in other cases, the potential to depreciate in terms of emissions and cost the increase of energy consumption due to load shifting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Greek lignite reserves are mainly located in the northwestern part of the country (Region of Western Macedonia, Greece), reaching a total of 5 billion tons. Considering that Greece is planning to stop burning lignite for electricity production, the recovery of the CH4 trapped in lignite coalbed reservoirs can be a valuable alternative for power generation and may help to reduce the direct emissions of methane during mining activities. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the LCBM in the Region of Western Macedonia, Greece (Ptolemaida basin). In order to assess the LCBM that could be extracted, three samples were collected from an active mine and were subjected to desorption experiments at different temperatures (25 °C, 50 °C, 100 °C, and 150 °C) by channeling high purity Ar gas at 1 atm of pressure. According to the results, the highest amount of CH4 was extracted during the desorption process at 50 °C, while the total amount of CH4 from all three samples was 0.82 m3/kg, confirming the presence of CH4 in the lignite deposits. Finally, a SWOT analysis was carried out that shows the strengths and opportunities against the weaknesses and threats of a potential LCBM exploitation in Greece, while also taking into account the social, economic, and environmental nexus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present work attention is focused on the friction-yielding damper CAR1 (first prototype of Control-Absorb-Retain damper), which belongs to passive energy dissipation systems. This damper consists of very simple materials; it does not need to be accomplished in heavy industry so enables its use in both developing and undeveloped countries. This paper presents and compares two alternative solutions with the use of the CAR1 to seismic retrofit an existing two-story reinforced-concrete (RC) structure with a moment-resisting frame located in Greece and constructed in 1979 and no longer meets the requirements of current anti-seismic regulations. A nonlinear static pushover analysis is performed to assess the performance of the framed building under different levels of shaking ("Life Safety" and "Collapse"). The pushover analysis is carried out in both the x and y directions. The use of damper CAR1 in seismic retrofitting not only provides a base shear load of up to 149.2% and 135.6% for the first and second redesign solutions but also protects steel diagonal braces from buckling. The appropriate characteristics of the dampers CAR1 has been selected from a wide variety of choices and the strengthening level can be easily adjusted or modified during the years based to the appropriate selection or modification of the number, the dimensions, and the elastoplastic properties of the blades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using advanced artificial intelligence (AI) technology in learning environments is one of the latest challenges for educators and education policymakers. Conversational AI brings new possibilities for alternative and innovative Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) tools, such as AI chatbots. This paper reports on field experiments with an AI chatbot and provides insights into its contribution to Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL). More specifically, this paper presents an experimental use case of an educational AI chatbot called AsasaraBot, designed to teach high school students cultural content in a foreign language, i.e., English or French. The content is related to the Minoan Civilization, emphasizing the characteristic figurine of the Minoan Snake Goddess. The related chatbot-based educational program has been evaluated at public and private language schools in Greece. The findings from these experiments show that the use of AI chatbot technology for interactive ICT-based learning is suitable for learning foreign languages and cultural content at the same time. The AsasaraBot AI chatbot has been designed and implemented in the context of a postgraduate project using open-source and free software. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper explores the potentials of shape memory alloys (SMAs) for the design of autoreactive façade systems without using additional external energy. The exploration is conducted and assessed through the design of a façade concept for the city of Athens in Greece, aiming to improve both the indoor and outdoor environment by means of a kinetic autoreactive system featuring a dual-seasonal function, with a focus on the building's direct and indirect impact on the urban heat island (UHI) effect. The paper covers a demonstration of the methodology followed, using a feedback-loop logic informed by environmental and energy performance evaluation studies in Grasshopper to optimize the geometry and movement of the shading component. During the façade design process, a comprehensive and systematic computational toolset is being developed, targeted on the abovementioned performance evaluation studies. Through the development and assessment of the façade concept, the objective is to explore the potentials and limitations for the application of autoreactive envelopes in the façade design. At the same time, the aim is to exploit the possibilities and optimization potentials offered through the developed iterative computational workflows, by showcasing the methodology and interoperability logic of the digital tools used for the data interchange. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Myocardial Perfusion Imaging (MPI) has played a central role in the non-invasive identification of patients with Coronary Artery Disease (CAD). Clinical factors, such as recurrent diseases, predisposing factors, and diagnostic tests, also play a vital role. However, none of these factors offer a straightforward and reliable indication, making the diagnosis of CAD a non-trivial task for nuclear medicine experts. While Machine Learning (ML) and Deep Learning (DL) techniques have shown promise in this domain, their "black-box" nature remains a significant barrier to clinical adoption, a challenge that the existing literature has not yet fully addressed. This study introduces the Deep Fuzzy Cognitive Map (DeepFCM), a novel, transparent, and explainable model designed to diagnose CAD using imaging and clinical data. DeepFCM employs an inner Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) to classify MPI polar map images. The CNN's prediction is combined with clinical data by the FCM-based classifier to reach an outcome regarding the presence of CAD. For the initialization of interconnections among DeepFCM concepts, expert knowledge is provided. Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) is utilized to adjust the weight values to the correlated dataset and expert knowledge. The model's key advantage lies in its explainability, provided through three main functionalities. First, DeepFCM integrates a Gradient Class Activation Mapping (Grad-CAM) algorithm to highlight significant regions on the polar maps. Second, DeepFCM discloses its internal weights and their impact on the diagnostic outcome. Third, the model employs the Generative Pre-trained Transformer (GPT) version 3.5 model to generate meaningful explanations for medical staff. Our dataset comprises 594 patients, who underwent invasive coronary angiography (ICA) at the department of Nuclear Medicine of the University Hospital of Patras in Greece. As far as the classification results are concerned, DeepFCM achieved an accuracy of 83.07%, a sensitivity of 86.21%, and a specificity of 79.99%. The explainability-enhancing methods were assessed by the medical experts on the authors' team and are presented within. The proposed framework can have immediate application in daily routines and can also serve educational purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work focused on prescribing, designing, implementing, and evaluating a pilot project conducted in the Greek power system that addressed balancing and congestion management issues that system operators (SOs) face within the clean energy era. The considered pilot project fully focused on the development of the F-channel platform, including the idea behind this application, the steps that were taken in the process, and the outcomes of the performed activities fitting into the overall picture of the OneNet project. The specified F-channel platform is a web-based, client-server application that uses artificial intelligence (AI) techniques and cloud computation engines to improve the management of the active power for the TSO-DSO coordination. The flexibility of the grid's resources was identified, and an integrated monitoring system based on the precise forecasting of variable generation and demand was implemented. The focus areas were congestion management, frequency control, and voltage control services, for which corresponding network models were created in close cooperation with system operators. The obtained results are essential for the remaining demonstration results because they offer an incredibly accurate basis for further research into their use in congestion management and other weather-related enhanced transmission and distribution system planning and operation practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Satellite geodesy, an indispensable modern tool for determining upper-crust deformation, can be used to assess tectonically active structures and improve our understanding of the geotectonic evolution in tectonically active regions. A region fulfilling these criteria is the North Aegean, part of the Eastern Mediterranean. It is one of the most tectonically, and hence, seismically, active regions worldwide, which makes it ideal for applying a satellite geodesy investigation. Although many regional studies have been carried out across the entire Aegean region, there are three more focused case studies that provide better resolution for different parts of the North Aegean. The synthesis of these case studies can lead to an overall geodynamic assessment of the North Aegean. The North Aegean Sea case study is characterized by the North Aegean Trough (NAT), which is directly associated with the westward prolongation of the North Anatolian Fault (NAF). Both NE–SW normal and strike-slip faulting have been documented in this offshore region. Geodetic analysis considers geodetic data, derived from 32 permanent GPS/GNSS stations (recorded for the 2008–2014 time period). This results in the estimation of the Maximum (MaHE) and Minimum (MiHE) Horizontal Extension, Maximum Shear Strain (MSS) and Area Strain (AS) parameters, based on triangular methodology implementation; the same strain parameters have similarly been estimated for the Strymon and Thessalian basins, respectively. The Strymon basin (first case study) is located in the central part of the northern Greek mainland, and it is dominated by NW–SE (up to E–W) dip-slip normal faults; this area has been monitored by 16 permanent GPS/GNSS stations for seven consecutive years. Regarding the Thessalian basin case study, E–W, dip-slip and normal faults are noted at the basin boundaries and within the Thessalian plain. This region has also been monitored for seven consecutive years by 27 permanent GPS/GNSS stations. However, this case study is characterized by a strong seismic event (Mw6.3; 3 March 2021), and thus all strain parameters depicted the pre-seismic deformation. Analysis of these three different case studies confirmed the current tectonic setting of the North Aegean region, while revealing new aspects about the geodynamic evolution of the wider region, such as highlighting areas with significant tectonic activity and the crucial role of strike-slip faulting in the broader Aegean region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural disasters, when and where they occur, often cause serious social and economic consequences, which require an urgent solution to the problem. In particular, Greece, which is characterized by a complex geological structure and intense tectonic stress, has suffered and continues to suffer the consequences of such catastrophic phenomena. Among the various destructive phenomena recorded on the Earth's surface, two of the most important problems are landslides and land subsidence. The above phenomena may cause, in addition to the serious case of loss of human life, a threat to the social and economic fabric affecting sustainability in general, i.e., the quality of life of an area (destruction of property, filling of reservoirs, blockage of streams and rivers, etc.). In fact, landslides are a phenomenon with enormous social and economic consequences, since apart from the financial burden due to the collapse of a technical project or the interruption of transportation, they are accompanied by the loss of human life. This research examines the stochastic characteristics of a slopes' stability to investigate the variation range of permanent earthquake movements. More specifically, the influence of inclination as well as the lengths of the spatial correlation of ground are investigated. The method in the present study follows the development of arbitrary fields of soil properties, which follow the Gaussian distribution characterized by autocorrelation lengths lx and ly in the horizontal and vertical directions, respectively, mean value μ, standard deviation σ, and cross-correlation coefficients ρij. The estimation of permanent displacements is performed by the combination of the Local Average Subdivision algorithm and the FLAC software (Fast Lagrangian Analysis of Continua) used in the parametric investigation of this work. The results of this research showed that the spatial correlation of the properties has an important impact on the permanent displacements of slopes caused by strong earthquake excitations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Featured Application: Early diagnosis and warning mechanisms are essential in every health condition. The research described in this paper can provide the means for the development of medical assistance applications. The correlation between the kind of cesarean section and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in Greek women after a traumatic birth experience has been recognized in previous studies along with other risk factors, such as perinatal conditions and traumatic life events. Data from early studies have suggested some possible links between some vulnerable factors and the potential development of postpartum PTSD. The classification of each case in three possible states (PTSD, profile PTSD, and free of symptoms) is typically performed using the guidelines and the metrics of the version V of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V) which requires the completion of several questionnaires during the postpartum period. The motivation in the present work is the need for a model that can detect possible PTSD cases using a minimum amount of information and produce an early diagnosis. The early PTSD diagnosis is critical since it allows the medical personnel to take the proper measures as soon as possible. Our sample consists of 469 women who underwent emergent or elective cesarean delivery in a university hospital in Greece. The methodology which is followed is the application of random decision forests (RDF) to detect the most suitable and easily accessible information which is then used by an artificial neural network (ANN) for the classification. As is demonstrated from the results, the derived decision model can reach high levels of accuracy even when only partial and quickly available information is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Featured Application: The proposed method has been applied in the autonomous system of Rhodes Island, Greece. In this paper, a method for sizing the reactive power compensation in a non-interconnected island power system is presented and applied to determine the necessary inductive reactive power compensation for the autonomous power system of Rhodes Island, Greece. The Rhodes power system is often confronted with an excess of reactive power, as a result—inter alia—of underground high-voltage (HV) cable lines and distributed generation penetration. Reactive power compensation is typically a local issue in power systems, usually aiming at maintaining an acceptable voltage profile on specific transmission segments, e.g., long underground or submarine cables. In autonomous systems, however, where network lengths are relatively short, reactive power compensation is meant to address the overall reactive power equilibrium of the system. The proposed method follows a three-step approach. First, power flow analysis is conducted to determine the size of the maximum compensation that may be necessary, i.e., the compensation size that practically allows unit commitment to be conducted without being constrained by reactive power considerations. Then, a unit commitment and economic dispatch model is executed over the course of a year to determine the optimal compensation size, using the output of the power flow analysis to formulate reactive power balance constraints. Finally, the results of the economic optimization are assessed in terms of dynamic security to verify the feasibility of the optimal solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper seeks to underline the driving factors of farmers' engagement in Participatory Research Projects (PRPs). This is a critical issue for formulating efficient and effective technology transfer channels, essential for improving the operational status of agricultural holdings. A survey was conducted on a sample of 326 Greek arable crops farmers. An explanatory framework consisting of three major factor categories and 11 variables was developed. A logistic regression analysis empirically tests the effect of the variables on the participation of farmers in PRP. Furthermore, the relative importance of variables and factors is extracted with the Shapley–Owen decomposition analysis. The results show that Farmers' Willingness and Social Influences are the factors that mostly affect their decision to engage in a PRP. The farmers' ability consisting of socioeconomic and demographic variables has a small effect on their decision-making process. The estimated effects can help decision-makers to shape and prioritize more targeted policies for farmers' engagement in research. Additionally, this paper sets the basis for shifting research from simple estimations of the effect of variables on farmers' decision-making, to a more comprehensive estimation that also accounts for the strength of these relationships. The paper fills a gap in the literature of studies on farmers' decisions for participating in PRPs, by developing and testing an explanatory framework which also accounts for the relative importance of each factor/variable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces a climatic multi-hazard risk assessment for Greece, as the first-ever attempt to enhance scientific knowledge for the identification and definition of hazards, a critical element of risk-informed decision making. Building on an extensively validated climate database with a very high spatial resolution (5 × 5 km2), a detailed assessment of key climatic hazards is performed that allows for: (a) the analysis of hazard dynamics and their evolution due to climate change and (b) direct comparisons and spatial prioritization across Greece. The high geographical complexity of Greece requires that a large number of diverse hazards (heatwaves—TX, cold spells—TN, torrential rainfall—RR, snowstorms, and windstorms), need to be considered in order to correctly capture the country's susceptibility to climate extremes. The current key findings include the dominance of cold-temperature extremes in mountainous regions and warm extremes over the coasts and plains. Extreme rainfall has been observed in the eastern mainland coasts and windstorms over Crete and the Aegean and Ionian Seas. Projections of the near future reveal more warm extremes in northern areas becoming more dominant all over the country by the end of the century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose—The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of Information Systems (ISs) implementation in Greek industry. The main issues that are explored through this survey in regards to IS adoption are the financial and nonfinancial benefits that are derived due to IS adoption. The study also investigates the effect that IS adoption had in several business areas in regards to the factor of financial performance. Design/methodology/approach—The survey that was conducted was questionnaire based. Of the 96 valid responses that were received, 83 of them implemented at least one IS. Those 83 responses were analyzed statistically. Several statistical tools were used for that, such as: nonparametric χ 2 tests for homogeneity, Cronbach Alpha method for the reliability of the questionnaire, and Mann–Whitney U tests. Findings—The results suggest that the majority of industry in Greece has implemented—at least—the ERP to conduct their business. In addition, most of them use a combination of not more than three ISs. The respondents are also satisfied by the financial impact of IS adoption. Inventory and warehouse management, along with customer service, were most positively affected by IS implementation. On the other hand, returned products reduction and the relationship with the suppliers were less positively affected by IS adoption. Research limitation/implications—The study has a limitation of being conducted in North Greece and not in the whole country. Originality/value—The paper constitutes an empirical research in regarding the financial and nonfinancial contribution of IS adoption in Greek industry. There are rather limited studies that have been conducted in Greece regarding IS implementation and the impact it poses in business affairs. The financial crisis along with the political instability that Greece has faced in the last decade makes it interesting to explore the influence of IS adoption in manufacturing enterprises. Usually, those studies are conducted in more developed countries where the financial and political environment is more stable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Greece is among the European Union members topping the list of deaths related to coronary artery disease. Myocardial Perfusion Imaging (MPI) with Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) is a non-invasive test used to detect abnormalities in CAD screening. The study proposes an explainable deep learning (DL) method for characterising MPI SPECT Polar Map images in patients with suspected CAD. Patient data were recorded at the Department of Nuclear Medicine of the University Hospital of Patras from 16 February 2018 to 28 February 2022. The final study population included 486 patients. An attention-based feature-fusion network (AFF-VGG19) was proposed to perform the diagnosis, and the Grad-CAM++ algorithm was employed to reveal potentially significant regions. AFF-VGG19's agreement with the medical experts was found to be 89.92%. When training and assessing using the ICA findings as a reference, AFF-VGG19 achieved good diagnostic strength (accuracy of 0.789) similar to that of the human expert (0.784) and with more balanced sensitivity and specificity rates (0.873 and 0.722, respectively) compared to the human expert (0.958 and 0.648, respectively). The visual inspection of the Grad-CAM++ regions showed that the model produced 77 meaningful explanations over the 100 selected samples, resulting in a slight accuracy decrease (0.77). In conclusion, this research introduced a novel and interpretable DL approach for characterising MPI SPECT Polar Map images in patients with suspected CAD. The high agreement with medical experts, robust diagnostic performance, and meaningful interpretability of the model support the notion that attention-based networks hold significant promise in CAD screening and may revolutionise medical decision-making in the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper was to study the influence of cartographic scale and flight design on data acquisition using unmanned aerial systems (UASs) to create augmented reality 3D geovisualization of geosites. The relationship between geographical and cartographic scales, the spatial resolution of UAS-acquired images, along with their relationship with the produced 3D models of geosites, were investigated. Additionally, the lighting of the produced 3D models was examined as a key visual variable in the 3D space. Furthermore, the adaptation of the 360° panoramas as environmental lighting parameters was considered. The geosite selected as a case study was the gorge of the river Voulgaris in the western part of the island of Lesvos, which is located in the northeastern part of the Aegean Sea in Greece. The methodology applied consisted of four pillars: (i) scale-variant flight planning, (ii) data acquisition, (iii) data processing, (iv) AR, 3D geovisualization. Based on the geographic and cartographic scales, the flight design calculates the most appropriate flight parameters (height, speed, and image overlaps) to achieve the desired spatial resolution (3 cm) capable of illustrating all the scale-variant details of the geosite when mapped in 3D. High-resolution oblique aerial images and 360° panoramic aerial images were acquired using scale-variant flight plans. The data were processed using image processing algorithms to produce 3D models and create mosaic panoramas. The 3D geovisualization of the geosite selected was created using the textured 3D model produced from the aerial images. The panoramic images were converted to high-dynamic-range image (HDRI) panoramas and used as a background to the 3D model. The geovisualization was transferred and displayed in the virtual space where the panoramas were used as a light source, thus enlightening the model. Data acquisition and flight planning were crucial scale-variant steps in the 3D geovisualization. These two processes comprised the most important factors in 3D geovisualization creation embedded in the virtual space as they designated the geometry of the 3D model. The use of panoramas as the illumination parameter of an outdoor 3D scene of a geosite contributed significantly to its photorealistic performance into the 3D augmented reality and virtual space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the application of three non-destructive techniques in the study of an agricultural area on the west coast of Peloponnese, Greece. The applied methods include (a) electromagnetic geophysical research using a handheld EM profiler (EMP-400 GSSI), (b) computed tomography (CT) with coring data, and (c) X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) scanning. As electrical conductivity is mainly influenced by the bulk soil, including water content, clay content and mineralogy, organic matter, and bulk density, a comparison of the three applied techniques indicates the same soil stratification and same soil properties with depth. Moreover, the ground-truthing by the undisturbed soil and sediments core retrieved in the centre of the site as well as the laboratory analyses of soil and sediment properties confirm the reliability of the geophysical research and the revealed soil/sediment stratification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pollen analysis and the classification of several pollen species is an important task in melissopalynology. The development of machine learning or deep learning based classification models depends on available datasets of pollen grains from various plant species from around the globe. In this paper, Cretan Pollen Dataset v1 (CPD-1) is presented, which is a novel dataset of grains from 20 pollen species from plants gathered in Crete, Greece. The pollen grains were prepared and stained with fuchsin, in order to be captured by a camera attached to a microscope under a × 400 magnification. In addition, a pollen grain segmentation method is presented, which segments and crops each unique pollen grain and achieved an overall detection accuracy of 92%. The final dataset comprises 4034 segmented pollen grains of 20 different pollen species, as well as the raw data and ground truth, as annotated by an expert. The developed dataset is publicly accessible, which we hope will accelerate research in melissopalynology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an effort to reduce the operational cost of their dwellings, occupants may even have to sacrifice their indoor thermal comfort conditions. Following the economic recession in Greece over recent years, homeowners have been forced to adapt their practices by shortening heating hours, lowering the indoor thermostat settings, isolating spaces that are not heated or even turning off their central heating system and using alternative local heating systems. This paper presents the results from over 100 occupant surveys using questionnaires and walk-through energy audits in Hellenic households that documented how occupants operated the heating systems in their dwellings and the resulting indoor thermal comfort conditions and actual energy use. The results indicate that the perceived winter thermal comfort conditions were satisfactory in only half of the dwellings, since the actual operating space heating periods averaged only 5 h (compared with the assumed 18 h in standard conditions), while less than half heated their entire dwellings and only a fifth maintained an indoor setpoint temperature of 20 °C, corresponding to standard comfort conditions. Mainstream energy conservation measures include system maintenance, switching to more efficient systems, reducing heat losses and installing controls. This information is then used to derive empirical adaptation factors for bridging the gap between the calculated and actual energy use, making more realistic estimates of the expected energy savings following building renovations, setting prudent targets for energy efficiency and developing effective plans toward a decarbonized building stock. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims at tackling how the bilateral contracts affect wholesale electricity markets. It examines different levels of bilateral contracts among producers and demand aggregators, aiming to quantify their effect. In addition, it focuses on markets where bilateral contracts could be used as a tool by market participants with a dominant position. Further, the paper examined a case with asymmetrical portfolios, namely where a market participant has a dominant position as in case of Greece, aiming to investigate if bilateral contracts can be used as a tool to manipulate the market. The simulations have been done by an optimization model that provides the economic dispatch and clearing of the day-ahead electricity market. The model incorporated bilateral contracts with committed generating capacity from producers, as well as dynamic bidding strategy per market participant. Results provide useful insights on the design of electricity markets, especially in case of designing voluntary energy exchanges where a market participant has a dominant position. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Campylobacter species is considered as an emerging zoonotic threat to public health. C. jejuni and C. coli are the most studied species, yet a variety of other species of the same genus were found to be the causative agents of other diseases. Chicken meat has been described as an excellent vehicle for the transmission of some Campylobacter species but most of the relevant research has been conducted in urban populations and concerned meat of industrial-grade birds. To investigate the abundance and prevalence of the Campylobacter genus in rural free-grazing chicken, quantitative and qualitative methods at 37 and at 42 °C were employed. The possible correlation of the prevalence with certain epidemiological factors (size of the flock, presence of other poultry species, presence of small ruminants, feeding concentrates, or leftovers) has been also investigated. In total, 242–249 strains (depending on the method) belonging to the following 18 different Campylobacter species have been isolated: C. coli, C. rectus, C. hominis, C. helveticus, C. upsaliensis, C. jejuni, C. avium, C. fetus, C. hepaticus., C. lari, C. sputorum, C. mucosalis, C. gracilis, C. showae, C. hyointestinalis, C. concisus, C. cuniculorum, and C. ureolyticus. The size of the flock and the presence of small ruminants in the same household were the most influential factors affecting the prevalence of most species. Campylobacter species biodiversity can be attributed to environmental, zoonotic, or anthropogenic contamination. Rural populations should be educated about the importance of self-protection measures during their contact with their poultry and the necessity to cook sufficiently the meat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural residues are intensively evaluated as potential feedstocks for biogas plants. Vegetable crops generate massive residues during and at the end of their growing seasons. A greenhouse facility in Greece, Thrace Greenhouses S.A., generates 7000–8000 t per year of residual green biomass, resulting from the hydroponic cultivation of tomatoes and cucumbers on 170,000 m2 of land from February to November. The crop residues included leaves, suckers, and stalks. The biochemical methane potential (BMP) estimation was realized on samples taken in March, May, and August, as well as at the end of cultivation (November). Suckers, leaves, and stalks of both plants yielded a range of 221–357, 210–296, and 225–250 NL kg−1 VS, respectively. t-test statistical analysis showed that the BMP of the leaves and suckers were statistically different for tomato and cucumber plants. The BMP of stalks was lower than the other residue types except for the tomato leaves. The diauxic behavior of the specifi'1c methane production curves indicated that the two-phase Gompertz model (TGM) was the most suitable. The model fitting showed that leaves and suckers, in spite of having a higher BMP than the stalks, exhibited a lower maximum specific methane production rate constant than the stalks during the first phase, which may indicate the presence of inhibitory or slowly biodegradable compounds in leaves and suckers in comparison to the stalks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Featured Application: Recently, plant extracts have attracted scientific and industrial attention as growth stimulators of desired microbes (probiotics), although their antimicrobial properties are well-known. In our study, Aloysia citrodora extracts stimulated the growth of a wild-type and a commercial Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus strain, while growth inhibitory activity against common food-spoilage and pathogenic microbes was documented. Thus, they may be considered potential candidates for functional regulation of food microbiota, provided that they are used at the optimum concentration in food systems. Plant extracts contain valuable sources of biologically active molecules and, lately, have attracted scientific and industrial interest as inhibitors of food-borne pathogens and growth stimulators of beneficial microbes. In this vein, the aim of this study was to explore and exploit the effect of Aloysia citrodora extracts as potent functional regulators of food microbiota by stimulating the growth of probiotic strains and by suppressing the evolution of common food-spoilage and pathogenic bacteria. Aqueous and ethanolic extracts of A. citrodora, rich in polyphenols, were prepared and their phytochemical composition was unveiled by LC-triple quadruple and LC-QToF mass spectrometry. The growth stimulatory activity of a wild-type Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus strain, along with L. rhamnosus GG, used as a control, was assessed by monitoring cell growth in the presence of sodium chloride, bile salts, thermal stress, and alcohol. We found that the aqueous extract stimulated the growth of probiotic strains at 0.5 mg/mL. At the same concentration, stimulatory activity was observed for the wild-type L. rhamnosus in the presence of bile salts and alcohol and for L. rhamnosus GG in the presence of NaCl and under thermal stress. The ethanolic extract of A. citrodora exhibited prebiotic activity at 0.25 mg/mL, but did not promote the growth of the strains under the stress conditions tested. In addition, minimum inhibitory (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBC) against food-spoilage and pathogenic microbes were determined. The strongest growth inhibitory activity of foodborne pathogens was noted by the A. citrodora ethanolic extract, while the aqueous A. citrodora extract had no effect against Escherichia coli. Importantly, the spoilage and pathogenic microbes tested were more sensitive to the extracts than the probiotic strains, indicating a significant contribution to the functional regulation of food microbiota, provided that they are used at the optimum concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we aimed to develop a sampling method that could be used in geographical discrimination studies of Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) dry beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) by considering the geoclimatic variability within the cultivation zone of the analyzed product. The Regional Unit of Kastoria in Greece, a major area of protected designation origin of pulse crops, was selected for detailed investigation. Meteorological data were collected from five weather stations in different subregions of Kastoria (Argos Orestiko, Kalochori, Lakkomata, Lithia, and Polykarpi), over a period of six years (2015 to 2020), along with data of soil texture. The collected data were analyzed in order to determine statistically significant differences among the subregions with regard to the aforementioned parameters. A seasonality pattern was observed for all subregions concerning the microclimate, which splits the data into two clusters. Moreover, a significant variation of the soil textures was revealed, frequently affecting farmers' decision regarding agronomic practices, leading to the unique stable-isotope ratios and multi-elemental composition. This study guides the dry bean sample collection and will enable the designation of the boundaries of protected origin regions and enable future sampling schemes for stable-isotope and multi-elemental analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional foods (TFs) have a significant impact on the society and the economy of the areas where they are produced. The COVID-19 crisis, with the restrictions on daily living, is expected to cause a long-term influence on peoples' lives worldwide. This paper investigates the consumers' attitude and perception of TFs of northwest Greece in order to assess the possible impact of the pandemic toward the consumption of this kind of food. A questionnaire survey of self-response was carried out in fall 2020 on a sample of 510 participants through the Google platform. To analyze the data, basic descriptive statistical tools were used, combined with crosstabs and chi-square tests. The results revealed that the participants know the regional TFs well, continue to choose them due to a number of reasons, which include: the quality to price ratio, being local products with local raw materials, the nutritional properties, the social impact, as well as their positive impact to the regional economy and promotion. They buy them primarily from the supermarkets. They would recommend them to others, and they have increased their consumption during the pandemic, even though they consider their marketing inadequate, and they do not purchase them through the Internet yet. They believe that consumers in other regions of Greece would buy them if they had access to them. The foods of choice are traditional cheese and other dairy products, followed by wines, and aromatic herbs, which are the main regional TFs. These results indicate that the COVID-19 crisis has not interfered in consumers' attitudes and perceptions regarding TFs; therefore, they have the potential to expand and grow further in the future. In fact, they can play a vital role as major economic drivers in the post-COVID-19 era for the regional and local economies of Europe and elsewhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Featured Application: The life cycle inventory of a composting facility is expected to predict the fate of individual waste fragments and compost quality. Mechanical composting is a popular treatment method for the mechanically separated organic fraction of municipal solid wastes to stabilize the waste material and reduce its environmental impacts. The model and life cycle inventory database are created based on the existing centralized mechanical composting facility located in Chania (Crete, Greece). This study aims to assess all stages of the composting process, wherein input-output flows are comprehensively analyzed based on specific waste fragments. The transfer coefficients are calculated for each waste fragment throughout the processes. The degradation rate is measured as kg of C and N released per Mg of the treated material. The results show that process degradation rates are independent of the initial fragmental composition. This is the first study that accurately models the fate of distinctive waste fragments in a composting plant, while the developed life cycle inventory (with regard to mass and energy balances) can be applied to estimate the environmental impacts regarding mechanical composting the organic fraction of municipal solid wastes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The need for environmentally friendly construction materials is growing more and more these days. This paper investigates byproducts from Greece, such as magnesite tailings from Evoia and fly ash from Kardia (Ptolemais), in order to evaluate their suitability as cement additives. For this purpose, the raw materials were tested and studied regarding their mineralogical and chemical components for their morphological characteristics. Different cement specimens of various mixtures of raw materials were produced and tested. These raw materials are considered suitable for cement additives. The effect of nano MgO content seems to have played a more critical role in the physicomechanical performance of produced cement compared to that of the fly ash content. Furthermore, more satisfactory results in the physicomechanical properties of the produced cement gave samples of group II containing 3–4% of nano MgO. Nano MgO content up to 4% seems to have negative influence on the compressive strength of the produced cement, simultaneously reducing its durability. The increase of nano MgO content leads to the increase of the expansion of the produced cement specimens. In the early stage, the expansion rate was intensively larger. With the consumption of nano MgO, the expansion in the later stage gradually slowed down and tended to stabilize. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Featured Application: The paper combined the exploitation of multimodal digital techniques, focusing a novel methodological approach aimed at integrating Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR) for visualization and data collection, followed GIS analysis, in the geological application field. In the present work we highlight the effectiveness of integrating different techniques and tools for better surveying, mapping and collecting data in volcanic areas. We use an Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR) approach for data collection, integrated with Geographic Information System (GIS) analysis in a well-known volcanological site in Santorini (Metaxa mine), a site where volcanic processes influenced the island's industrial development, especially with regard to pumice mining. Specifically, we have focused on: (i) three-dimensional (3D) high-resolution IVR scenario building, based on Structure from Motion photogrammetry (SfM) modeling; (ii) subsequent geological survey, mapping and data collection using IVR; (iii) data analysis, e.g., calculation of extracted volumes, as well as production of new maps in a GIS environment using input data directly from the IVR survey; and finally, (iv) presentation of new outcomes that highlight the importance of the Metaxa Mine as a key geological and volcanological geosite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The links between cybersecurity and civil protection in the last decades became strong due to the rapid increase in the use of Informatics Technologies (IT) worldwide and the need to increase citizens' protection from various disasters and uncertainties. The objective of the present study is to explore the role of cyber security in enhancing civil protection in Greek reality. Methodologically, the study has been based on a survey with a sample of 345 executives of IT companies in Greece by using a structured questionnaire. The basic results of the research study showed that cyber security technologies positively affect civil protection, cybercrime reduction practices have a positive influence on civil protection, and there is a significant relationship between the government's role in cyber security and civil protection. Cybersecurity also may have a significant influence on the principles of emergency operations: prevention, mitigation, preparation, response, or emergency evacuation and recovery. The main conclusion from the study is that it is very important for public and private agencies in Greece, as well as in the rest of Europe, to embrace new emerging cybersecurity technologies to help enhance cyber security and civil protection. Potential vulnerabilities in cybersecurity pose substantial risks to the effectiveness and efficiency of such critical infrastructure and directly impact the functioning of states, economies, and societies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the effects of climate change on Greek agriculture, by evaluating and refining the current policy measures and interventions to address them through the lens and funding opportunities of the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) 2023–2027. To this end, we conducted a diagnostic analysis of the current strategic framework in Greece and provided policy recommendations around five key areas: education, consulting services, agri-food cooperation, coupling of innovation, and digitalization, as well as risk management on climate change. Overall, we found that the national strategic framework is consistent with the objectives and priorities of European policies regarding the environment and the climate, but targeted actions are needed to enable the management of the Greek agricultural sector while addressing the risks of climate change, environmental degradation, and the excessive use of natural resources. The findings highlight the importance of much-needed revisions in national strategic planning. We have suggested key interventions and actions for dealing with climate change with regards to Greek agriculture and the overarching goals of the new CAP to promote sustainability, knowledge, and innovation in the agri-food sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Greece is one of Europe's most seismically active areas. Seismic activity in Greece has been characterized by a series of strong earthquakes with magnitudes up to Mw = 7.0 over the last five years. In this article we focus on these strong events, namely the Mw6.0 Arkalochori (27 September 2021), the Mw6.3 Elassona (3 March 2021), the Mw7.0 Samos (30 October 2020), the Mw5.1 Parnitha (19 July 2019), the Mw6.6 Zakynthos (25 October 2018), the Mw6.5 Kos (20 July 2017) and the Mw6.1 Mytilene (12 June 2017) earthquakes. Based on the probability distributions of interevent times between the successive aftershock events, we investigate the temporal evolution of their aftershock sequences. We use a statistical mechanics model developed in the framework of Non-Extensive Statistical Physics (NESP) to approach the observed distributions. NESP provides a strictly necessary generalization of Boltzmann–Gibbs statistical mechanics for complex systems with memory effects, (multi)fractal geometries, and long-range interactions. We show how the NESP applicable to the temporal evolution of recent aftershock sequences in Greece, as well as the existence of a crossover behavior from power-law (q ≠ 1) to exponential (q = 1) scaling for longer interevent times. The observed behavior is further discussed in terms of superstatistics. In this way a stochastic mechanism with memory effects that can produce the observed scaling behavior is demonstrated. To conclude, seismic activity in Greece presents a series of significant earthquakes over the last five years. We focus on strong earthquakes, and we study the temporal evolution of aftershock sequences of them using a statistical mechanics model. The non-extensive parameter q related with the interevent times distribution varies between 1.62 and 1.71, which suggests a system with about one degree of freedom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During antiquity, it is known that glass was produced in specialized primary workshops in Levant and Egypt, and this glass was melted and formed into objects in secondary workshops, and distributed in most cities and towns of the Roman Empire. Great efforts, although it is difficult, have been made to distinguish where it was produced. In this study, we perform chemical analysis on 48 glass samples (22 moils and 26 glass artefacts) dated to the 6th century CE from Vasileos Irakleiou Street, 45, Thessaloniki in northern Greece by using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) with Energy–Dispersive X-ray microanalysis (EDX). All glasses were produced with natron as a flux and based on the sodium oxide content we divided them into two groups. Most of the glasses' chemical analysis indicates that they originated from Egypt, and can be categorized as HIMT and others as Roman Mn or Roman Mn-Sb. MnO is the main decolorizer, while in some samples MnO coexists with Sb2O3. Finally, recycling processes are evident in most of the samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A sustainable use of active heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems is crucial for minimum energy consumption. Currently, research studies are increasingly applying adaptive setpoint temperatures, thus reducing considerably the energy consumption without influencing comfort levels excessively. Most of them, however, are focused on the limit values of adaptive comfort standards without considering the tolerance in users' adaptation capacity. This research study analyzed various tolerance ranges in the recent adaptive thermal comfort model from EN 16798-1:2019 used in setpoint temperatures. The study focused on the south of Europe, considering 47 cities in Spain, 18 cities in Portugal, 13 cities in Greece, and 20 cities in Italy. In addition, such cities were analyzed in three climate scenarios: present time, 2050, and 2100. The results showed that values prefixed by EN 16798-1:2019 for new buildings (tolerance of 0.00 °C) produced significant savings with respect to the static model and that each progressive improvement in users' thermal expectations in 0.25 °C increased the energy consumption between 6.57 and 9.31% in all scenarios analyzed. Even applying a thermal tolerance of 1.50 °C, energy savings are currently produced with respect to the static model. This tendency increases in future scenarios until a thermal tolerance of 1.75 °C. The results of this paper provide greater knowledge about the possible energy increase that the improvement in users' expectations would produce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Samaria Gorge is a dominant geomorphological and geological structure on Crete Island and it is one of the national parks established in Greece. Due to the complex tectonics and the stratigraphic ambiguities imprinted in the geological formations of the area, a comprehensive review of the geological models referring to the geological evolution of the area is essential in order to clarify its geomorphological evolution. In particular, the study area is geologically structured by the Gigilos formation, the Plattenkalk series and the Trypali unit. Regarding lithology, the Gigilos formation predominantly includes phyllites and slates, while the Plattenkalk series and the Trypali unit are mainly structured by metacarbonate rocks; the Plattenkalk series metacarbonate rocks include cherts, while the corresponding ones of the Trypali unit do not. Furthermore, the wider region was subjected to compressional tectonics, resulting in folding occurrences and intense faulting, accompanied by high dip angles of the formations, causing similar differentiations in the relief. Significant lithological differentiations are documented among them, which are further analyzed in relation to stratigraphy, the tectonics, and the erosion rate that changes, due to differentiations of the lithological composition. In addition, the existing hydrological conditions are decisive for further geomorphological evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction sector is of strategic importance for the European Commission. This is the reason why there is a special interest in the development of this sector which is attempting to transform into a more sustainable one in order to face various challenges. In this context, European Directive 2014/24/EU brings to the foreground of the European institutional framework the term building information modelling (BIM), that it is widely used in many countries across Europe. In Greece, the situation seems to be different, not only because it has not been applied in practice but also because of some special features of the way the construction sector functions. This paper presents the BIM use-level in Greece and the way with which it could be better integrated in the construction sector. Through this review we make a brief assessment of the strategy developed in order for the BIM to be integrated in Greek building procedures. Furthermore, we focus on specific issues, like the extended informal housing phenomenon, and on factors that cannot easily be standardized that create problems in BIM use. Finally, through an initial market analysis we underline the role of academic institutions for integrating BIM across Greece. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mushrooms are considered to be functional foods with high nutritional, culinary, and pharmacological values, and there has been an increase in their consumption, both through the diet and in the form of dietary supplements. The present study aimed to briefly review the nutritional composition and biological properties of sixteen mushroom species, as well as to compare the mushrooms' proximate composition to the analyses conducted at the University of Thessaly, Greece, in cooperation with the Natural History Museum of Meteora and Mushroom Museum. The macronutrient profile of each mushroom was analyzed according to the methods described in the Association of Official Analytical Chemists International, at the School of Agricultural Sciences of the University of Thessaly. The protein content of the mushrooms was found to range between 13.8 g/100 g and 38.5 g/100 g, carbohydrate content ranged between 32 g/100 g and 61.4 g/100 g, and fat content ranged between 0.4 g/100 g and 5.9 g/100 g. Additionally, a serving of 100 g of most species of mushrooms covers 15 to 30% of the daily recommendation of vitamins and trace elements. Based on their compositions, mushrooms were shown to constitute excellent food sources from a nutritional point of view, containing high amounts of dietary fiber and protein, low fat, and reasonable sources of phosphorus, although they were shown to be poor in vitamin C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Featured Application: The present work examines the distribution of the three types of sky conditions (clear, intermediate, and overcast) over Greece by applying the diffuse-fraction methodology developed by the same author and two other co-workers. The aim of this work is the study of the sky conditions climatology over Greece based on the diffuse-fraction (kd) limits, for clear, kd ∈ [0, 0.26]; intermediate, kd ∈ (0.26, 0.78); and overcast, kd ∈ (0.78, 1) skies. kd is, therefore, used here to characterise the sky conditions over a site. Its values are estimated from diffuse and global horizontal solar irradiances the typical meteorological years of 43 selected Greek sites. The kd values in each specific range are equivalent to sunshine durations (SSDs) under the particular sky conditions. Annual, seasonal, and intra-annual variations in SSDs are estimated with regression equations to fit their means. Clear skies comprise 33%, intermediate 40%, and overcast 27% of the time in a year. kd, as an atmospheric scattering index (ASI), shows dependence on the sites' geographical latitude: best-fit lines mean ASIs are derived showing no trend, while overcast skies show a slight negative trend. A comparison of the clear-sky SSDs for four Greek sites from the Global Climate Data and one site from the Academy of Sciences of Moldova with those derived from kd shows a remarkable difference. A new methodology is developed that results in much smaller differences. Finally, maps of the annual SSDs and ASIs are derived for Greece. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On 3 March 2021 (10:16, UTC), a strong earthquake, Mw 6.3, occurred in Elassona, Central Greece. The epicenter was reported 10 km west of Tyrnavos. Another major earthquake followed this event on the same day at Mw 5.8 (3 March 2021, 11:45, UTC). The next day, 4 March 2021 (18:38, UTC), there was a second event with a similar magnitude as the first, Mw 6.2. Both events were 8.5 km apart. The following analysis shows that the previous events and the most significant aftershocks were superficial. However, historical and modern seismicity has been sparse in this area. Spatially, the region represents a transitional zone between different tectonic domains; the right-lateral slip along the western end of the North Anatolian Fault Zone (NAFZ) in the north Aegean Sea plate-boundary structure ends, and crustal extension prevails in mainland Greece. These earthquakes were followed by rich seismic activity recorded by peripheral seismographs and accelerometers. The installation of a dense, portable network from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki team also helped this effort, installed three days after the seismic excitation, as seismological stations did not azimuthally enclose the area. In the present work, a detailed analysis was performed using seismological data. A seismological catalogue of 3.787 events was used, which was processed with modern methods to calculate 34 focal mechanisms (Mw > 4.0) and to recalculate the parameters of the largest earthquakes that occurred in the first two days. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increase in the complexity of the topology of transmission and distribution systems, associated with the predictability in the management of the dispatch of prosumers, new techniques for state estimation, and application of metaheuristics are necessary. In the current work a pilot project in Greece that addresses the difficulties of congestion and balancing management that system operators face in the renewable energy sources era, in accordance with the OneNet's architecture is described. Available resources of grid's flexibility are identified, and the implementation of an integrated monitoring system based on weather conditions with an energy control and dispatch system in the Greek electricity grid is addressed. The document suggests that flexibility resources will derive through predictions that have been improved and efficient forecasts from increased spatial resolution Numerical Weather Predictions and integration of Artificial Intelligence preventing the power system of entering dangerous topological or operational states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The environmental effects of wildfires are a hot issue in current research. This study examines the effects of the 2021 wildfires in the Attica region in Greece based on Earth observation and GIS-based techniques for the development of a web app that includes the derived knowledge. The effects of wildfires were estimated with the use of Sentinel-2 satellite imagery concerning burned area extent and burn severity using a NBR-based method. In addition, the erosion risk was modeled on a pre-fire and post-fire basis with the RUSLE. This study highlights the importance of assessing the effects of wildfires with a holistic approach to produce useful knowledge tools in post-fire impact assessment and restoration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Absenteeism and early school leaving (ESL) constitute two main problems in education with a significant impact on adolescents' life. Early leavers from education and training may face considerable difficulties in the labor market later as adults. Motivated by the necessity of minimizing this phenomenon, we developed a novel application that uses big data, generated from a student attendance management system in a vocational senior high school in Greece. This application first automatically conducts data preprocessing and data transformation and saves the processed data on a cloud data warehouse. Then, an online analytical processing (OLAP) analysis is performed, resulting in a real-time visualization that provides a variety of different graphs. In this study, we demonstrate the need for real-time visualization of the analyzed data. Such a type of presentation provides information on the spot regarding potential early leavers' behavior, helping school administrators gain time for prompt and effective actions. Through the data processing and analysis, the application provides instructors with constant information, in addition to those acquired by the formal student attendance management systems. Our research provides indicative evidence in favor of the use of such applications, as by adequately reacting to the observed patterns in real-time, we observed a significant decrease in students' unnecessary absences and a reduction of the ELS phenomenon in a three-year school period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to induce malolactic fermentation (MLF) after alcoholic fermentation (AF) of must of the Moschofilero cultivar, the only 'gris' native grape variety that is cultivated in Greece. For this purpose, Oenococcus oeni strains Viniflora® CH16, Viniflora® Oenos and Viniflora® CiNe were inoculated after the completion of AF driven by the Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain UCLM S325. Growth of the aforementioned starter cultures was assessed during fermentation by classical microbiological techniques, and verification of their dominance was performed by (GTG)5 fingerprinting. Assessment of standard enological parameters and colorimetric analysis were performed by established approaches. Identification and quantification of organic acids, ethanol and glycerol was performed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), while the solid-phase microextraction method (SPME), coupled with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS), was employed for the identification and quantification of volatile compounds. Finally, sensory analysis took place according to ISO 13299:2016. The suitability of the starter cultures employed to drive AF and MLF was exhibited; AF and MLF of the white and rosé wines were completed after 15 days. Upon completion of AF, substantial differences were observed in the chemical characteristics of the white and rosé wines, which were also reflected in the balance descriptor. MLF also resulted in significant changes. In all cases total acidity decreased and volatile acidity and pH value increased, while the vanilla and butter descriptors increased. Interestingly, the color intensity of the rosé wines also increased. A series of strain-dependent changes in the chemical composition and sensory analysis of both white and rosé wines was also observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transition to a carbon-reduced future for one of the most energy-intensive actors, the building sector, requires the development of appropriate tools and methods. One such approach is local energy communities (LECs), especially thermal LECs (TLECs), which provide a promising vector towards that transition. LECs exploit energy users as key actors in the energy production process. However, their formation, creation, and continuation are still an ongoing endeavor. Many research efforts focus on creating and continuing LECs in an economic, legal, and incentivized manner, sparsely addressing the formation process. In this Part A, a collective tool for decision-making for potential TLECs is presented. The current study proposes a unified approach to classify the prosumers of energy (consumers who both produce and consume energy) using conventional methodologies (RenewIslands, Kaya Identity). A case study is presented in a fully operating LEC in Kimmeria, Greece, in which both the traditional methods of classifying users are applied as well as the proposed methodology, in comparison. The results indicate a significant improvement to the conventional solutions, which tend to overestimate the needed equipment, leading to extensive installation and operational costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the last restoration campaign of the Baptistery of San Giovanni in Florence (Italy), the assessment of the state of conservation of external surfaces was performed, with a multi-analytical approach, in order to support the conservation and restoration treatments. Black crusts, red staining, sulphation, and organic patinas were identified. Moreover, a complete characterization of marble cladding, bricks, and mortars was carried out. A geochemical and minero-petrographic approach was used in order to classify and assess the provenance of marbles, and define raw materials and technologies of the production for bricks and mortars. Provenances from Italy (Carrara and Lasa marbles) and from Greece (Hymettus and Pentelicum marbles) were identified and attributed to different construction phases, restoration interventions, and re-use of ancient materials. For mortars, the obtained data suggested the use of local materials and traditional technologies for the production. Overall, two different minero-petrographic typologies were identified for the analyzed bricks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fire risk will increase in the upcoming years due to climate change. In this context, GIS analysis for fire risk mapping is an important tool to identify high risk areas and allocate resources. In the present study, we aimed to create a fire risk estimation model that incorporates recent land cover changes, along with other important risk factors. As a study area, we selected Dadia-Lefkimi-Soufli National Forest Park and the surrounding area since it is one of the most important protected areas in Greece. The area selected for the case study is a typical Mediterranean landscape. As a result, the outcome model is generic and can be applied to other areas. In order to incorporate land cover changes in our model, we used a support vector machine (SVM) algorithm to classify a satellite image captured in September 2021 and an image of the same period two years ago to obtain comparable results. Next, two fire risk maps were created with a combination of land cover and six other factors, using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) on a GIS platform. The results of our model revealed noticeable clusters of extreme high risk areas, while the overall fire risk in the National Park Forest of Dadia-Lefkimi-Soufli was classified as high. The wildfires of 1st October 2020 and 9th July 2021 confirmed our model and contributed to quantification of their impact on fire risk due to land cover change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The efficiency of earthquake clustering investigation is improved as we gain access to larger datasets due to the increase of earthquake detectability. We aim to demonstrate the robustness of a new clustering method, MAP-DBSCAN, and to present a comprehensive analysis of the clustering properties in three major seismic zones of Greece during 2012–2019. A time-dependent stochastic point model, the Markovian Arrival Process (MAP), is implemented for the detection of change-points in the seismicity rate and subsequently, a density-based clustering algorithm, DBSCAN, is used for grouping the events into spatiotemporal clusters. The two-step clustering procedure, MAP-DBSCAN, is compared with other existing methods (Gardner-Knopoff, Reasenberg, Nearest-Neighbor) on a simulated earthquake catalog and is proven highly competitive as in most cases outperforms the tested algorithms. Next, the earthquake clusters in the three areas are detected and the regional variability of their productivity rates is investigated based on the generic estimates of the Epidemic Type Aftershock Sequence (ETAS) model. The seismicity in the seismic zone of Corinth Gulf is characterized by low aftershock productivity and high background rates, indicating the dominance of swarm activity, whereas in Central Ionian Islands seismic zone where main shock-aftershock sequences dominate, the aftershock productivity rates are higher. The productivity in the seismic zone of North Aegean Sea vary significantly among clusters probably due to the co-existence of swarm activity and aftershock sequences. We believe that incorporating regional variations of the productivity into forecasting models, such as the ETAS model, it might improve operational earthquake forecasting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Milk samples of ewes' and goats' unprocessed milk were collected from milk tanks from various farms in Epirus, Greece and classified in two groups according to the type of farming. Analyses of the samples included microbial inhibition assays to detect the presence of antibiotic residues, isolation of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli strains as microbiological indicators for susceptibility to antimicrobial medicines, Somatic Cells and Coagulase Negative Staphylococci (CNS) counts. These findings were correlated with each other as well as to the stage of the lactation period and to the type of the farming practices. Monitoring of bulk tank milk for residues of antibiotics should be performed after heating of the milk, on a regular basis, and should include at least two different tests. The results point out that the type of farming affects the CNS counts as well as the prevalence of residues in the milk. Furthermore, the inverse correlation between CNS counts and prevalence of residues of antibiotics suggests a possible protective role of CNS. Resistance of the bacterial indicators to antibiotics was random and relatively rare, perhaps acquired in past due to misuse of antibiotics, turning the indicator microorganisms to reservoir of resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Gerakario Cu-Au porphyry deposit in the Kilkis ore district, northern Greece, contains epithermal quartz-stibnite veins on the eastern side of the deposit, which crosscut a two-mica gneiss. Metallic mineralization in these veins consists of stibnite + berthierite + native antimony + pyrite + arsenopyrite, and minor marcasite, pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite, löllingite, and native gold. Bulk geochemical analyses of the ore reveal an enrichment in critical and rare metals, including Ag, Au, Bi, Ce, Co, Ga, La, and Sb. Analysis of stibnite with LA-ICP-MS showed an enrichment in base metals (As, Cu, Pb), as well as weak to moderate contents of critical and rare metals (Ag, Bi, Ce, La, Re, Sm, Th, Ti, Tl). A statistical analysis of the trace elements show a positive correlation for the elemental pairs Ce-La, Ce-Sb, and La-Sb, and a negative correlation for the pair Bi-Sb. Fluid inclusions in the A-type veins of the porphyry-style mineralization show the presence of fluid boiling, resulting in a highly saline aqueous fluid phase (35.7 to 45.6 wt.% NaCl equiv.) and a moderately saline gas phase (14 to 22 wt.% NaCl equiv.) in the system H2O-NaCl-KCl at temperatures varying between 380° and 460 °C and pressures from 100 to 580 bar. Mixing of the moderate saline fluid with meteoric water produced less saline fluids (8 to 10 wt.% NaCl equiv.), which are associated with the epithermal quartz-stibnite vein mineralization. This process took place under hydrostatic pressures ranging from 65 to 116 bar at a depth between 600 and 1000 m, and at temperatures mainly from 280° to 320 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using mobile augmented reality games in education combines situated and active learning with pleasure. The aim of this research is to analyze the responses expressed by young, middle-aged, and elderly adults about the location-based mobile augmented reality (MAR) games using methods of content analysis, concept maps, and social network analysis (SNA). The responses to questions related to MAR game Ingress were collected from 36 adult players, aged 20–60, from Greece, and subsequently analyzed by means of content analysis, concept maps, and social network analysis. Our findings show that for question 1 (How do you feel when you endow the geographical space with personal preferences?), there was a differentiation of the answers between age groups with age groups agreeing in pairs, the first two and the last two, while for question 2 (Do you think that the game offers opportunities for learning and teaching geography, building on your previous geographical knowledge?), there was an overlap in responses of participants among age groups. It was also revealed that the MAR games foster a constructivism approach of learning, as their use learning becomes an active, socially supported process of knowledge construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]