32 research outputs found
Soil-Structure Interaction Effects on Seismically Isolated Nuclear Power Plants
Seismic isolation systems have been extensively used in a number of critical structures to protect important civil infrastructure from risks posed by earthquakes. Despite the maturity of this technology, the application of seismic isolation to Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) facilities is quite limited. The effectiveness of the isolation system on NPPs has been questioned due to the significant and well-documented soil-structure interaction (SSI) effects on the response of large structures. The tendency of SSI to significantly shorten the predominant frequencies of the excitations felt by the heavy structure could reduce the effectiveness of isolation. On the other hand, base isolation leads to considerably lower frequency and significantly smaller base shear. Thus, the effect of SSI on seismically isolated NNPs is of great interest, since base isolation offers the opportunity to use existing standard designs in regions with higher seismicity. In this paper, an isolated NPP model is used to study the effects of soil-structure interaction effects on the seismic response of the system. Different ground motions are used to estimate the dispersion of the NPP response. Similarly, different soil profiles are examined parametrically to assess the influence of soil properties on the system behavior. The response of the isolated structure is compared to that of the conventional structure to illustrate the effectiveness of the seismic isolation system. Issues related to the numerical simulation of the problem are discussed as well
Modeling climatic, terrain and soil factors using AHP in GIS for grapevines suitability assessment
The study carried out in Matera, Italy, used multi-criteria decision-making techniques and geographic information systems to identify optimal area management for sustainable grape production. Terrain parameters such as temperature, pH, humidity, soil texture, slope, altitude, nutrients and precipitation were considered. ArcGIS maps were created, and the northwest part of the field was identified as a favorable area. Fuzzy maps were generated, and measurements were taken in each area to determine optimal land management. The results revealed that 51% of the area was very highly suitable for agricultural activities, and 49% was considered high suitable. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis of the AHP results demonstrated a high level of accuracy, as indicated by the area under the curve (AUC). The produced maps indicated a similar trend of increasing zone management priorities for physico-chemicals as depth fluctuate. Additionally, results showed that remote sensing indices were the most important variables to predict physico-chemicals zone management. The study also highlighted that the majority of the area supported plant growth due to favorable temperature and humidity conditions, with only a small portion in the northwest showing less favorable results. By identifying management zones, the study aimed to protect crops, better use of irrigation water and improve yields. This study highlights the potential of integrating satellite remote sensing, GIS technology and AHP as a valuable tool for agricultural land use planners and policy makers in identifying optimal locations for managing grape production. © 2024 The Author(s). Sustainable Development published by ERP Environment and John Wiley & Sons Ltd
Well-typed programs can go wrong: A study of typing-related bugs in JVM compilers
Despite the substantial progress in compiler testing, research endeavors have mainly focused on detecting compiler crashes and subtle miscompilations caused by bugs in the implementation of compiler optimizations. Surprisingly, this growing body of work neglects other compiler components, most notably the front-end. In statically-typed programming languages with rich and expressive type systems and modern features, such as type inference or a mix of object-oriented with functional programming features, the process of static typing in compiler front-ends is complicated by a high-density of bugs. Such bugs can lead to the acceptance of incorrect programs (breaking code portability or the type system's soundness), the rejection of correct (e.g. well-typed) programs, and the reporting of misleading errors and warnings. We conduct, what is to the best of our knowledge, the first empirical study for understanding and characterizing typing-related compiler bugs. To do so, we manually study 320 typing-related bugs (along with their fixes and test cases) that are randomly sampled from four mainstream JVM languages, namely Java, Scala, Kotlin, and Groovy. We evaluate each bug in terms of several aspects, including their symptom, root cause, bug fix's size, and the characteristics of the bug-revealing test cases. Some representative observations indicate that: (1) more than half of the typing-related bugs manifest as unexpected compile-time errors: the buggy compiler wrongly rejects semantically correct programs, (2) the majority of typing-related bugs lie in the implementations of the underlying type systems and in other core components related to operations on types, (3) parametric polymorphism is the most pervasive feature in the corresponding test cases, (4) one third of typing-related bugs are triggered by non-compilable programs. We believe that our study opens up a new research direction by driving future researchers to build appropriate methods and techniques for a more holistic testing of compilers. Software Engineerin
Dynamic Prompt Middleware: Contextual Prompt Refinement Controls for Comprehension Tasks
Effective prompting of generative AI is challenging for many users, particularly in expressing context for comprehension tasks such as explaining spreadsheet formulas, Python code, and text passages. Prompt middleware aims to address this barrier by assisting in prompt construction, but barriers remain for users in expressing adequate control so that they can receive AI-responses that match their preferences.
We conduct a formative survey (n=38) investigating user needs for control over AI-generated explanations in comprehension tasks, which uncovers a trade-off between standardized but predictable support for prompting, and adaptive but unpredictable support tailored to the user and task. To explore this trade-off, we implement two prompt middleware approaches: Dynamic Prompt Refinement Control (Dynamic PRC) and Static Prompt Refinement Control (Static PRC). The Dynamic PRC approach generates context-specific UI elements that provide prompt refinements based on the user\u27s prompt and user needs from the AI, while the Static PRC approach offers a preset list of generally applicable refinements.
We evaluate these two approaches with a controlled user study (n=16) to assess the impact of these approaches on user control of AI responses for crafting better explanations. Results show a preference for the Dynamic PRC approach as it afforded more control, lowered barriers to providing context, and encouraged exploration and reflection of the tasks, but that reasoning about the effects of different generated controls on the final output remains challenging. Drawing on participant feedback, we discuss design implications for future Dynamic PRC systems that enhance user control of AI responses. Our findings suggest that dynamic prompt middleware can improve the user experience of generative AI workflows by affording greater control and guide users to a better AI response
Κατολισθητικά φαινόμενα σε νησιωτικές περιοχές: ν. Νάξος - Κυκλάδες
Η εκδήλωση κατολισθητικών φαινομένων στην Ελλάδα είναι συνηθισμένο φαινόμενο, ιδιαίτερα στις ορεινές περιοχές. Στις νησιωτικές περιοχές συχνές εκδηλώσεις κατολισθήσεων παρατηρούνται στα Ιόνια Νησιά (λόγω γεωτεκτονικής θέσης και υψηλής σεισμικότητας). Στη Κρήτη, το Βόρειο και το Νότιο Αιγαίο είναι γενικά περιορισμένο φαινόμενο όσον αφορά τη συχνότητα εμφάνισης (με βάση τις καταγεγραμμένες έως σήμερα κατολισθήσεις), όμως στο παρελθόν έχουν προκληθεί σημαντικές καταστροφές σε οικισμούς και υποδομές. Ειδικότερα στις Κυκλάδες, έχουμε συχνές εκδηλώσεις κατολισθητικών φαινομένων στη Νάξο, στη Θήρα, στην Τήνο, στην Άνδρο, στη Σίφνο, στη Σέριφο και στην Ανάφη. Ο σκοπός της παρούσας μεταπτυχιακής διατριβής ήταν η εξέταση των κατολισθητικών φαινομένων της νήσου Νάξου. Στο πλαίσιο της διατριβής αυτής έγινε η αποτύπωση των περιοχών εμφάνισης κατολισθητικών φαινομένων στη Νάξο, τόσο των ήδη καταγεγραμμένων σε παλαιότερες εργασίες, όσο και νεώτερων μη καταγεγραμμένων, τα μέτρα ανάσχεσης που έχουν παρθεί έως σήμερα και τα έργα που έχουν κατασκευαστεί. Επίσης επιχειρήθηκε η εκτίμηση του κατολισθητικού κινδύνου με βάση το σύνολο των καταγεγραμμένων κατολισθήσεων και παράλληλα η επαλήθευση των χαρτών κατολισθητικών επικινδυνότητας και των μοντέλων εκτίμησης που έχουν εκπονηθεί έως σήμερα. Στο Κεφάλαιο 1 γίνεται μια γενική αναφορά στην έννοια της καταστροφής, των φυσικών καταστροφών και των μεθόδων εξέτασης και ταξινόμησης. Ορίζεται η έννοια της κατολίσθησης, των αιτιών γέννεσης, των συστημάτων ταξινόμησης και γίνεται μια συνοπτική ανάλυση των μορφών κατολισθήσεων. Τέλος εξετάζονται συνοπτικά τα κατολισθητικά φαινόμενα στην Ελλάδα και στις Κυκλάδες και αναλύεται ο σκοπός της παρούσας διατριβής. Στο Κεφάλαιο 2 παρουσιάζονται γενικά στοιχεία για τις Κυκλάδες (Πληθυσμιακά, Κλιματικά, Σεισμολογικά, Γεωλογικά, Τεκτονικά). Ειδικότερα για τη Νάξο παρατίθενται γενικά στοιχεία (πληθυσμιακά, γεωγραφικά) αλλά και στοιχεία που αφορούν το κλίμα, τη γεωλογία-τεκτονική-λιθολογία, τη γεωμορφολογία, και την υδρολογία. Στο Κεφάλαιο 3 περιγράφονται οι καταγεγραμμένες κατολισθήσεις στις Κυκλάδες και τη Νάξο από έρευνα στα αρχεία της πρώην Νομαρχιακής Αυτοδιοίκησης Κυκλάδων, της Περιφέρειας Νοτίου Αιγαίου, του Ι.Γ.Μ.Ε., των Δήμων και από το προσωπικό αρχείο του συγγραφέα. Στο Κεφάλαιο 4 εξετάζεται η κατολισθητική επικινδυνότητα της Νάξου μέσα από σχετικές διατριβές και εργασίες, καθώς και η μεθοδολογία που χρησιμοποιήθηκε για την εκτίμηση της και τη σύνταξη χαρτών επικινδυνότητας εκδήλωσης κατολισθήσεων και επικινδυνότητας διάβρωσης. Εξετάζονται αναλυτικά οι θέσεις εκδήλωσης κατολισθητικών φαινομένων της νήσου Νάξου και γίνεται μία πρώτη προσέγγιση για την επαλήθευση της επικινδυνότητας με βάση και τις νέες καταγεγραμμένες κατολισθήσεις από την έρευνά μας. Στο Κεφάλαιο 5 γίνεται μια γενική ανασκόπηση των μεθόδων αντιμετώπισης των κατολισθητικών φαινομένων και των μέτρων ανάσχεσης. Εξετάζονται αναλυτικότερα οι χάρτες εκτίμησης κατολισθητικού κινδύνου για τη Νάξο και οι παράμετροι οι οποίοι ελήφθησαν υπόψη για την εκτίμηση αυτού. Τέλος περιγράφονται τα έργα ανάσχεσης βραχοπτώσεων που έχουν κατασκευαστεί στη Νάξο . Στο Κεφάλαιο 6 αναφέρονται οι θεσμικοί μηχανισμοί πολιτικής προστασίας πρόληψης, ετοιμότητας, αντιμετώπισης και διαχείρισης των συνεπειών που αφορούν την εκδήλωση κατολισθητικών φαινομένων. Αναδεικνύεται ο ρόλος της πολιτικής προστασίας και οι αρμοδιότητες των εμπλεκομένων φορέων. Στο Κεφάλαιο 7 καταγράφονται τα τελικά συμπεράσματα που προέκυψαν από την έρευνα για τον κατολισθητικό κίνδυνο στη Νάξο και διατυπώνονται ειδικότερες και γενικότερες προτάσεις δράσεων πρόληψης οι οποίες υπό προϋποθέσεις θα μείωναν και τον κίνδυνο εκδήλωσης των κατολισθητικών φαινομένων, αλλά και μέτρα μακροπρόθεσμης κλίμακας.Landslide phenomena are very common in Greece, especially in mountainous areas. In the islands, frequent landslides are observed in the Ionian Islands (due to their geotectonical location and high seismicity, they also appear as secondary phenomena after seismic events). In Crete, the North and South Aegean is generally a limited occurrence phenomenon (based on the recorded landslides), but in the past major disasters have been caused in settlements and infrastructures. Especially in the Cyclades, we have frequent events of landslide phenomena in Naxos, Thira, Tinos, Andros, Sifnos, Serifos and Anafi. The objective of this master thesis was the comparative study of the landslide phenomena that have occurred in the island of Naxos, Cyclades islands. In the context of this thesis, the landslide phenomena of Naxos [some of them are already recorded in earlier works and others, due to the fact that are recent events, not recorded so far to a public paper] have been captured. Also it contains the restraining measures taken so far and the projects that have been constructed. There is also an effort to estimate the landslide risk based on the total recorded landslides, as well as to verify the landslide risk maps and the estimation models that have been developed in older studies. In the Chapter 1 we have a general reference to the concept relates disaster, natural disasters and their methods of screening and classification. Then we examined the concept of landslide, the causes and the classification systems as well as an analyzed approach to the various types of landslides. We also examined the landslide phenomena in Greece and especially in the Cyclades islands and finally we analyze the purpose of this master thesis. In Chapter 2 we mentioned the general data for the Cyclades Islands (Population, Climate, Seismological, Geological and Tectonic). Especially all the data of the island of Naxos (general data, population, geography), as well as issues of geology-tectonic-lithology, geomorphology, and hydrology are given. In the tectonic evolution of Naxos that is characterized by a migmatite irruption, a granodiorite pluton exposed and four metamorphic phases, is due the recent relief of the island and the appearance of landslides phenomena. The role of the water in the stability of the slopes, especially the role of the intensity of the rainfall is particularly significant. The Chapter 3 deals with general data on the historical landslides in the Cyclades Islands and the island of Naxos in particular. They are collected data from the archives of the former Prefectural Administration of the Cyclades, the South Aegean Region, the IGM, the Municipalities, as well as from the author's personal record. It is very important to record all the historical landslides effects and the causes of them in order to estimate the hazard of new landslides phenomena. Chapter 4 examines the landslide hazard of the island of Naxos through relevant thesis and studies done in recent years, as well as the methodology used to assess and prepare landslide risk maps as well as maps of the corrosion risk. The locations of landslide phenomena on Naxos island is examined in detail and it is a first approach to verifying the risk based on the new recorded landslides from our research. We examined the variables parameters for estimate the landslide hazard, such as lithology, rainfall, slope gradient, altitude and density of the road network. We also mentioned the parameters that proposed for Greece and especially for Naxos Island. Finally we examined the landslides events in eight areas of the island and we compare with the three maps from the Evelpidou thesis (2001): a) Map of risk for corrosion, b) Map of vulnerability of hydrological basins and c) Map of morphological slopes. Chapter 5 provides a general overview of the methods to minimize landslide risk and the technical development. We examined the landslide risk maps for Naxos Island and the parameters taken to estimate the landslide risk in more detail. We examined the verification of the causes of landslides and the risk models in the case of Naxos. Finally, we described the measures that are taken to minimize the rockfall risk in two areas of Naxos Islands after major events of landslides (Koronis and Koronos-Skado). For this two landslides was developed geological studies to verify the causes and to propose specific protective measures. In Chapter 6 we have an approach of the current Civil Protection legislation as well as its management during the relief/response phase, at local and national level concerning landslides phenomena. We examined the role of civil protection in landslides events and the emergency plants of the South Aegean Region and all the actions and the measures to confront the landslides phenomena. Finally, a critical approach of these management results is attempted, also the role of Civil protection and the and the responsibilities on municipal and regional level of decentralized civil protection institutions. Finally in Chapter 7 we have the final conclusions, as well as more specific and general proposals for prevention actions that would reduce the risk of landslide phenomena as well as long-term measures. The majority of recent studies of landslide risk for Greece cannot be applied in the case of the Cyclades due to insularity. With this term we mean the geographical isolation of every island, that composed a specific environment. However, all these studies are an extremely useful tool in order to be able to have a basis for assessing and evaluating landslides, as evidenced by the update in the case of Naxos island. Our research proved that the hazard of landslides phenomena depends of the tectonic stress is due to the tectonic evolution of the Naxos island and the four metamorphic phases with the migmatite irruption and the granodiorite exposed. The areas of major landslides of Naxos island (K-1 to K-9) as well as the areas of new events (N-1 to N-5) are identified with the criterion of density of hydrographic network and the criterion of slope gradient and altitude. Human activity is also important as well the climate change. At last, prevention of landslides phenomena can be achieved with: construction of small scale anti-flooding works in high risk areas and ecological protecting areas continuously recording of the new phenomena for update of database• empowerment of the mechanism of civil protection, emphasized to urban planting and geological studies, as well the use of G.I.S. methods. Finally scientifically valid and timely research, in combination with the necessary adaptation from theory to practice, can be an extremely useful tool for Civil Protection. Finally is very important to improve the civil protection mechanism and create local plans, and empowered the local communities of each island to be enable to confront every disaster
Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the International Knee Documentation Committee Subjective Knee Form in Greek
Background: Patient-reported outcomes require validation in a particular language and culture before administration for clinical use. Materials and methods: A systematic translation of the IKDC Subjective Knee Form was initially tested in 30 patients with various knee pathologies to develop the first Greek version (IKDC/SKF-GR). It was then administered to another 80 patients. The test–retest reliability (n = 35) and internal consistency (n = 80) were examined. Construct validity was tested by correlating the IKDC/SKF-GR with the SF-36 subscales (n = 80) and content validity by measuring floor/ceiling effects. Responsiveness was measured in patients with meniscus pathology (n = 24). Results: Patients filled the form without omissions/questions regarding the phrasing of items. Internal consistency was good (Cronbach’s α = 0.87) and test–retest reliability very good (ICC2,1 = 0.95, SEM = 4.4 and SDC = 12.2). Correlations with the SF-36 subscales confirmed its construct validity. No floor/ceiling effects were recorded. The effect size was large (ES = 1.26). Conclusions: The IKDC/SKF-GR has comparable measurement properties to the original form. Level of evidence: Level II. © 2015, The Author(s)
Underperformance of clinical risk scores in identifying vascular ultrasound-based high cardiovascular risk in systemic lupus erythematosus
Aims: The aim of this study was to assess the performance of eight clinical risk prediction scores to identify individuals with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) at high cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, as defined by the presence of atherosclerotic plaques. Methods: CVD risk was estimated in 210 eligible SLE patients without prior CVD or diabetes mellitus (female: 93.3%, mean age: 44.8 ± 12 years) using five generic (Systematic Coronary Risk Evaluation (SCORE), Framingham Risk Score (FRS), Pooled Cohort Risk Equations (ASCVD), Globorisk, Prospective Cardiovascular Münster Study risk calculator (PROCAM)) and three 'SLE-adapted' (modified-SCORE, modified-FRS, QRESEARCH risk estimator, version 3 (QRISK3)) CVD risk scores, as well as ultrasound examination of the carotid and femoral arteries. Calibration, discrimination and classification measures to identify high CVD risk based on the presence of atherosclerotic plaques were assessed for all risk models. CVD risk reclassification was applied for all scores by incorporating ultrasound results. Results: Moderate calibration (p-value range from 0.38 to 0.63) and discrimination (area under the curve 0.73-0.84), and low-to-moderate sensitivity (8.3-71.4%) and classification ability (Matthews correlation coefficient (MCC) 0.25-0.47) were observed for all risk models to identify patients with plaques at any arterial site as high-risk. MCC was improved for modified-FRS versus FRS (0.43 vs 0.36), but not for modified-SCORE versus SCORE (0.25 vs 0.25). Based on plaque presence, CVD risk was upgraded to high-risk in 10%, 16.1%, 20.5%, 21.5%, 24%, 28.2% and 28.6% of cases classified as non-high-risk by QRISK3, modified-FRS, Globorisk, FRS/PROCAM, ASCVD, modified-SCORE and SCORE, respectively. Conclusions: Most of the five generic and three 'SLE-adapted' clinical risk scores underestimated high CVD risk defined by atherosclerotic plaque presence in patients with SLE. © 2020 The Author(s)
Generic and disease-adapted cardiovascular risk scores as predictors of atherosclerosis progression in SLE
Objective Studies show that generic cardiovascular risk (CVR) prediction tools may underestimate CVR in SLE. We examined, for the first time to our knowledge, whether generic and disease-adapted CVR scores may predict subclinical atherosclerosis progression in SLE. Methods We included all eligible patients with SLE without a history of cardiovascular events or diabetes mellitus, who had a 3-year carotid and femoral ultrasound follow-up examination. Five generic (Systematic Coronary Risk Evaluation (SCORE), Framingham Risk Score (FRS), Pooled Cohort Risk Equation, Globorisk, Prospective Cardiovascular Münster) and three â € SLE-adapted' CVR scores (modified Systematic Coronary Risk Evaluation (mSCORE), modified Framingham Risk Score (mFRS), QRESEARCH Risk Estimator V.3 (QRISK3)) were calculated at baseline. The performance of CVR scores to predict atherosclerosis progression (defined as new atherosclerotic plaque development) was tested with Brier Score (BS), area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) and Matthews correlation coefficient (MCC), while rank correlation was tested with Harrell's c-index. Binary logistic regression was also applied to examine determinants of subclinical atherosclerosis progression. Results Twenty-six (21%) of 124 included patients (90% female, mean age 44.4±11.7 years) developed new atherosclerotic plaques after a mean of 39.7±3.8 months' follow-up period. Performance analysis showed that plaque progression was better predicted by the mFRS (BS 0.14, AUROC 0.80, MCC 0.22) and QRISK3 (BS 0.16, AUROC 0.75, MCC 0.25). c-Index showed no superiority for discrimination between mFRS and QRISK3. In the multivariate analysis, QRISK3 (OR 4.24, 95% CI 1.30 to 13.78, p=0.016) among the CVR prediction scores and age (OR 1.13, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.21, p<0.001), cumulative glucocorticoid dose (OR 1.04, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.07, p=0.010) and antiphospholipid antibodies (OR 3.66, 95% CI 1.24 to 10.80, p=0.019) among disease-related CVR factors were independently associated with plaque progression. Conclusions Application of SLE-adapted CVR scores such as QRISK3 or mFRS, as well as monitoring for glucocorticoid exposure and the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies, can help to improve CVR assessment and management in SLE. © 2023 Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ
Lipid management in systemic lupus erythematosus according to risk classifiers suggested by the European Society of Cardiology and disease-related risk factors reported by the EULAR recommendations
Background The European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology recommended that lipid-lowering therapy (LLT) in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) should follow general population guidelines. We examined the eligibility for LLT in SLE according to Systematic Coronary Risk Evaluation (SCORE), with and without the addition of vascular ultrasound (VUS) and disease-related features. Methods 210 patients with SLE without prior cardiovascular events, diabetes or antiphospholipid syndrome underwent cardiovascular risk assessment with SCORE. LLT eligibility was evaluated in low-risk and moderate-risk patients following European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guidelines. Atherosclerotic plaques on carotid ultrasound (cUS)) and carotid and femoral ultrasound (cfUS), prolonged disease duration (PDD, ≥10 years), failure to achieve lupus low disease activity state (LLDAS no), cumulative glucocorticoid 'cardiovascular harm' dose (GC CVH, optimal cut-off to predict ultrasound-detected plaques) and antiphospholipid antibody positivity (aPL pos) were tested as SCORE risk enhancers for classification ability (phi coefficient) and agreement (Cohen's kappa) using SCORE plus cfUS as a reference modality for LLT eligibility. Results Plaques were detected in 9.9% of low-risk cases and 54.6% of moderate-risk cases. SCORE alone would indicate 0% of low-risk patients and 3% of moderate-risk patients for LLT eligibility. According to SCORE+cfUS, 9.9% of low-risk patients and 57.6% of moderate-risk patients, respectively, would be eligible for LLT based on ESC guidelines. Ι n low-risk/moderate-risk patients, phi values for SCORE+PDD, GC CVH (cut-off ≥11 g), LLDAS no and aPL pos in antiplatelet-naïve antiphospholipid antibody-positive (aPL pos / APT-) cases were 0.06/0.13, 0.23/0.20, 0.07/0.16 and 0.06/0.33, respectively. Agreement for LLT eligibility to SCORE+cfUS was better for SCORE+PDD in moderate-risk patients and for SCORE+cUS in both groups of patients. SCORE+GC CVH and SCORE+aPL pos showed at least fair agreement (kappa ≥0.20) to SCORE+cfUS in low-risk or moderate-risk and in aPL pos /APT- moderate-risk patients, respectively. Conclusion Disease-related and VUS features, in addition to SCORE, may help to improve LLT decision making in SLE. GC CVH and aPL pos improve LLT eligibility similarly and to a greater degree than PDD or LLDAS no. © 2023 Author(s)
