549 research outputs found
Environmental ethics: values in and duties to the natural world (summarized with commentary by Panagiotis Perros)
No full textSummarized with commentary in Greek by Panagiotis Perros.Environmental ethics stands on a frontier, as radically theoretical as it is applied. Alone, it asks whether there can be nonhuman objects of duty. Animals, plants, endangered species, ecosystems, and even Earth are progressively unfamiliar as objects of duty, and puzzles arise both for theory and practice. Answers to such questions are as urgent as any humans face, and intimately related to the four principal issues on the world agenda: peace, population, development, and environment
R-CAUSTIC: Rippling CAUSTICs underwater Image dataset
No full text<p><strong>Description</strong></p><p>Rippling caustics seem to be the main factor degrading the underwater RGB image quality and affecting the image- based 3D reconstruction process in very shallow waters. These effects are adversely affecting image matching algorithms by throwing off most of them, leading to less accurate matches and causing issues in the Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) based navigation of the Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV) and Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV) on shallow waters. Also, they are the main cause for dissimilarities in the generated textures and orthoimages. In order to fill the gap in the literature regading underwater rippling caustics imagery with real ground truth and reference images, the first real-world underwater caustics benchmark dataset which contains 1465 underwater images is presented. Together with the RGB imagery, the corresponding generated ground truth images are delivered for facilitating the training and testing of machine learning and deep learning methods for image classification. R-CAUSTIC dataset also provides the necessary data to evaluate, at least to some extent, the performance of 3D reconstruction approaches. Data were acquired using a GoPro Hero 4 Black action camera with image dimensions of 4000 x 3000 pixels, focal length of 2.77mm and pixel size of 1.55μm and a tripod. Action cameras are widely used for underwater image acquisition. The dataset was captured in near-shore underwater sites at depths varying from 0.5 to 2m. No artificial light sources were used. Due to the wind, the turbulent surface of the water created dynamic rippling caustics on the seabed. In total 1465 RGB images were collected, separated in 7 different datasets; five of them containing stereo images, one of them tri-stereo images and one consists of multi-stereo imagery acquired in 7 different camera poses.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Publication</strong></p><p>The paper is availbale in Open Access here: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10172291</p><p><strong>If you use this dataset please cite it as R-CAUSTIC</strong> [Reference].<br>[Reference]: <strong>P. Agrafiotis, K. Karantzalos and A. Georgopoulos, "Seafloor-Invariant Caustics Removal From Underwater Imagery," in </strong><i><strong>IEEE Journal of Oceanic Engineering</strong></i><strong>, vol. 48, no. 4, pp. 1300-1321, Oct. 2023, doi: 10.1109/JOE.2023.3277168.</strong></p><p>BibTeX:</p><p>@ARTICLE{10172291,
author={Agrafiotis, Panagiotis and Karantzalos, Konstantinos and Georgopoulos, Andreas},
journal={IEEE Journal of Oceanic Engineering},
title={Seafloor-Invariant Caustics Removal From Underwater Imagery},
year={2023},
volume={48},
number={4},
pages={1300-1321},
doi={10.1109/JOE.2023.3277168}}</p><p> </p>
R-CAUSTIC: Rippling CAUSTICs underwater Image dataset
No full text<p> </p>
<h3><strong>Version 2 available! Please make sure to download the latest version of the dataset! <br></strong></h3>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Description</strong></p>
<p>Rippling caustics seem to be the main factor degrading the underwater RGB image quality and affecting the image- based 3D reconstruction process in very shallow waters. These effects are adversely affecting image matching algorithms by throwing off most of them, leading to less accurate matches and causing issues in the Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) based navigation of the Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV) and Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV) on shallow waters. Also, they are the main cause for dissimilarities in the generated textures and orthoimages. In order to fill the gap in the literature regading underwater rippling caustics imagery with real ground truth and reference images, the first real-world underwater caustics benchmark dataset which contains 1465 underwater images is presented. Together with the RGB imagery, the corresponding generated ground truth images are delivered for facilitating the training and testing of machine learning and deep learning methods for image classification. R-CAUSTIC dataset also provides the necessary data to evaluate, at least to some extent, the performance of 3D reconstruction approaches. Data were acquired using a GoPro Hero 4 Black action camera with image dimensions of 4000 x 3000 pixels, focal length of 2.77mm and pixel size of 1.55μm and a tripod. Action cameras are widely used for underwater image acquisition. The dataset was captured in near-shore underwater sites at depths varying from 0.5 to 2m. No artificial light sources were used. Due to the wind, the turbulent surface of the water created dynamic rippling caustics on the seabed. In total 1465 RGB images were collected, separated in 7 different datasets; five of them containing stereo images, one of them tri-stereo images and one consists of multi-stereo imagery acquired in 7 different camera poses.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Publication</strong></p>
<p>The paper is availbale in Open Access here: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10172291</p>
<p><strong>If you use this dataset please cite it as R-CAUSTIC</strong> [Reference].<br>[Reference]: <strong>P. Agrafiotis, K. Karantzalos and A. Georgopoulos, "Seafloor-Invariant Caustics Removal From Underwater Imagery," in </strong><em><strong>IEEE Journal of Oceanic Engineering</strong></em><strong>, vol. 48, no. 4, pp. 1300-1321, Oct. 2023, doi: 10.1109/JOE.2023.3277168.</strong></p>
<p>BibTeX:</p>
<p>@ARTICLE{10172291, author={Agrafiotis, Panagiotis and Karantzalos, Konstantinos and Georgopoulos, Andreas}, journal={IEEE Journal of Oceanic Engineering}, title={Seafloor-Invariant Caustics Removal From Underwater Imagery}, year={2023}, volume={48}, number={4}, pages={1300-1321}, doi={10.1109/JOE.2023.3277168}}</p>
<p> </p>
Does genetic diversity on corporate boards lead to improved environmental performance?
No full textElsevier
Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money
Volume 84, April 2023, 101756
Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money
Does genetic diversity on corporate boards lead to improved environmental performance?
Author links open overlay panelRenatas Kizys a, Emmanuel C. Mamatzakis b, Panagiotis Tzouvanas c
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https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intfin.2023.101756
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Highlights
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We examine the effect of boards’ genetic diversity (GENETICD) on corporate ESG performance.
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ESG performance and disclosures are higher in more genetically diverse firms.
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The positive GENETICD effect on ESG performance is driven by the environmental pillar.
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Corporate carbon performance significantly improves with increases in GENETICD.
We study the effects of boards’ genetic diversity on corporate environmental performance. Using a multidimensional information set for 3690 US firms during the period from 2005 to 2019, and three different measures of genetic diversity, we find that, pursuant to the diversity theory, which posits that diversity improves the quality of management decisions and business ethics, genetic diversity leads to improved environmental performance. We also find that genetic diversity improves carbon and governance performance, and ESG disclosure. Particularly, a one percentage point increase in boards’ genetic diversity will increase the carbon performance, measured by the inverse of the carbon emissions to total assets ratio, and environmental performance by 3.54% and 5.57%, respectively. Our results remain robust to different model specifications, while also controlling for endogeneity. In terms of policy implications, results suggest that the key to tackling climate challenges is to promote boards’ genetic diversity
Dataset in support of the Southampton doctoral thesis 'The boatbuilding tradition of the Aegean during the Late Neolithic – Early Bronze Age periods. Typological classification, digital reconstruction and seakeeping assessment'
No full textDataset in support of the Southampton doctoral thesis 'The boatbuilding tradition of the Aegean during the Late Neolithic – Early Bronze Age periods. Typological classification, digital reconstruction and seakeeping assessment' Appendix D - Resistance data and Appendix C - Stability data.
This dataset is focused on two appendices:
Appendix D - Resistance data. D.1 Resistance data produced by the author via MAXSURF Resistance for this thesis.
Appendix C - Stability data
C1. Stability data – STIX and ISO criteria, produced by the author via MAXSURF Stability software for his thesis
This research was funded by Southampton Marine and Maritime Institute (SMMI), Vice-Chancellor's Scholarship, Greek Archaeological Committee UK (GACUK)
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Ideas in trenches: Power and polemics in Panagiotis Kondylis
No full textThe author of the article attempts to examine the positions of Panagiotis Kondylis on the intellectual history and ideas’ polemical nature that is the basic feature for understanding the configuration and development of an idea-theory in history. In order to achieve a full understanding of the specific concept of the intellectual history, first of all we have to analyze the Greek thinker's positions on the power and the way in which the search for power as a basic and irrevocable anthropological condition leads to a polemic condition within the social field. This polemic condition is also evident in the field of ideas, as ideas can be seen as the attempt to form worldviews by the respective subject or group of subjects that have the purpose of self-preservation and expanding their power. Therefore, in this article the emphasis is placed on two different areas of Kondylis' thought, the philosophy of man and then on the description of the ideas’ formulation. 
Βελτιστοποίηση διαγνωστικών, θεραπευτικών και δοσιμετρικών πρωτοκόλλων στην πυρηνική ιατρική με την ανάπτυξη υπολογιστικών μοντέλων και τη χρήση Monte Carlo προσομοιώσεων
No full textIn the present thesis entitled “Evaluation of Diagnostic, Therapeutic and Dosimetric Applications in Nuclear Medicine, with the Development of Computational Models and the Use of Monte Carlo Simulations” the state of art techniques applied in Nuclear Medicine field are investigated. By exploiting modern tools such as Monte Carlo simulations anthropomorphic computational models and high performance computing clusters, as well as using clinical data, we are assessing several parameters for the optimization and the evaluation of the applied clinical protocols in Nuclear Medicine. Initially, we have performed an extensive literature research for all the topics which are investigated in this thesis. More specifically, the bibliographic investigation includes the history and the description of the emission based imaging techniques (single photon and positron emission - SPECT and PET), as well as the state of the art on the most recent approaches for the creation of realistic Monte Carlo imaging databases. The methods used in modeling clinical and preclinical detection systems are also reviewed. Alongside, the evolution of anthropomorphic computational models development, used in Nuclear Medicine field, is presented. The literature investigation is completed with the study of the dosimetric protocols that are used in clinical practice. There is a detailed analysis and historical review on the calculation of dose point kernels (DPKs) that are commonly used in the diagnostic and therapeutic dosimetry. The theoretical background on dosimetry is completed with the study of the personalized dosimetric factors, such as the calculation of S-values. In the present thesis, the evaluation of the clinical protocols is performed in two main directions. Based on the Monte Carlo simulations “ground truth” we try to optimize: diagnostic / imaging techniques and dosimetric / therapeutic protocols. Analytically, these two main axis are described in Chapters 2 and 3, respectively. In Chapter 2 the description and the results of the modeled imaging systems are presented. Moreover, a comparison study of the realistic intra-tumor heterogeneity PET modeling is performed, based on real clinical data. Finally, a full description of the created simulated imaging database is given, including clinical and preclinical PET and SPECT data. In Chapter 3, we provide for the first time the entire calculation procedure of the DPKs, for three different materials (soft tissue/water, lung and bone) for a set of 13 commonly used radioisotopes. The DPKs were extracted using the GATE Monte Carlo toolkit, which was initially validated for the dosimetry calculation using monoenergetic i) photon (γ), ii) electron (e-) and iii) betta (b-) particles. We continue our internal dose assessment study by calculating the S-values in preclinical applications. The S-values were calculated using whole body bioditributions as a source, while the procedure was validated with previously published data. Accordingly, the whole-body (heterogeneous source) S-values were extracted for the optimization of pediatric nuclear medical applications, so as to accurate calculate the absorbed dose per critical organ of interest. The biodistributions used in the pediatric studies were based on clinical data. The thesis is completed with the discussion and the analysis of the results obtained in each separate section. Future steps are suggested, so as to better exploit the presented results towards their application in clinical practice.Στην παρούσα διδακτορική διατριβή με τίτλο «Βελτιστοποίηση διαγνωστικών, θεραπευτικών και δοσιμετρικών πρωτοκόλλων στην Πυρηνική Ιατρική με την ανάπτυξη υπολογιστικών μοντέλων και τη χρήση Monte Carlo προσομοιώσεων» επιχειρείται μία καινοτόμος προσέγγιση στις σύγχρονες διαγνωστικές και θεραπευτικές μεθόδους που της Πυρηνικής Ιατρικής. Με τη χρήση σύγχρονων εργαλείων όπως είναι οι προσομοιώσεις Monte Carlo, τα ανθρωπόμορφα υπολογιστικά ομοιώματα και συστοιχίες υπολογιστών (cluster), σεσυνδυασμό και με την αξιοποίηση κλινικών δεδομένων, πραγματοποιήθηκε μελέτη για την ανάπτυξη και πιστοποίηση μεθόδων και τεχνικών, οι οποίες βελτιστοποιούν τα εφαρμοζόμενα πρωτόκολλα Πυρηνικής Ιατρικής. Αρχικά πραγματοποιήθηκε εκτενής βιβλιογραφική αναζήτηση στα επιμέρους θέματα που διαπραγματεύονται στη διατριβή. Πιο συγκεκριμένα η βιβλιογραφική μελέτη περιλαμβάνει το ιστορικό και την περιγραφή των τεχνικών απεικόνισης Μονοφωτονικής και Ποζιτρονικής υπολογιστικής τομογραφίας (SPECT και PET), καθώς και την παράθεση των πιο σύγχρονων τεχνικών, που χρησιμοποιούνται για την υλοποίηση ρεαλιστικών προσομοιώσεων με σκοπό τη δημιουργία απεικονιστικών βάσεων δεδομένων, αλλά και τις μεθόδους που χρησιμοποιούνται για τη μοντελοποίηση κλινικών και προκλινικών συστημάτων ανίχνευσης ακτινοβολίας σε περιβάλλον προσομοίωσης. Παράλληλα μελετήθηκε η ιστορική εξέλιξη των διαφόρων ανθρωπόμορφων υπολογιστικών ομοιωμάτων που χρησιμοποιούνται σε εφαρμογές Πυρηνικής Ιατρικής. Η βιβλιογραφική αναζήτηση ολοκληρώνεται με τη μελέτη των δοσιμετρικών πρωτοκόλλων που χρησιμοποιούνται και εφαρμόζονται στην κλινική πράξη. Γίνεται λεπτομερής ανάλυση και ιστορική αναδρομή στον υπολογισμό “σημειακών πυρήνων δόσης” (Dose Point Kernels - DPKs), οι οποίοι εφαρμόζονται στη δοσιμετρία διαγνωστικών αλλά και θεραπευτικών πρωτοκόλλων. Το θεωρητικό υπόβαθρο της δοσιμετρίας συμπληρώνεται με την ανάλυση και την παράθεση προσωποποιημένων δοσιμετρικών παραμέτρων όπως είναι η μέθοδος υπολογισμού των S-values. Στην παρούσα μελέτη πραγματοποιείται διεξοδική ανάλυση για τη βελτιστοποίηση των κλινικών πρωτοκόλλων που εφαρμόζονται στην κλινική πράξη σε δυο βασικούς άξονες. Σε επίπεδο προσομοιώσεων γίνεται προσπάθεια για τη βελτιστοποίηση: διαγνωστικών / απεικονιστικών τεχνικών και δοσιμετρικών / θεραπευτικών προσεγγίσεων. Πιο αναλυτικά οι δυο άξονες που μελετήθηκαν παρατίθενται στα κεφάλαια 2 και 3 αντίστοιχα. Στο 2ο κεφάλαιο αρχικά παρατίθενται οι περιγραφές και τα αποτελέσματα της μοντελοποίησης των απεικονιστικών συστημάτων που χρησιμοποιήθηκαν στην παρούσα διατριβή. Στη συνέχεια γίνεται αναλυτική περιγραφή και συγκριτική μελέτη για τη ρεαλιστική μοντελοποίηση της ετερογένειας καρκινικών όγκων σε προσομοιώσεις PET, οι οποίες βασίζονται σε πραγματικά κλινικά δεδομένα. Τέλος, παρατίθεται η περιγραφή μιας συνολικής βάσης προσομοιωμένων δεδομένων που συμπεριλαμβάνει φυσιολογικά, καθώς και δεδομένα με ασθένειες απεικονίσεων PET/SPECT τόσο σε προκλινικό όσο και σε κλινικό επίπεδο. Στο 3ο κεφάλαιο αρχικά πραγματοποιείται, για πρώτη φορά, ο υπολογισμός των DPKs σε τρία διαφορετικά μέσα (μαλακός ιστός / νερό, πνεύμονας, οστό) για μία λίστα 13 ραδιοϊσοτόπων που χρησιμοποιούνται στην Πυρηνική Ιατρική. Ο υπολογισμός των DPKs πραγματοποιήθηκε με το πρόγραμμα προσομοιώσεων GATE, το οποίο και πιστοποιήθηκε σε επίπεδο δοσιμετρίας φάσματος καθώς και μονοενεργειακών i) φωτονίων (γ), ii) ηλεκτρονίων (e-) και iii) σωματιδίων β. Στη συνέχεια, έγινε μελέτη για την εξαγωγή των S-values σε προκλινικό επίπεδο, όπου και πραγματοποιήθηκε συγκριτική αξιολόγηση των αποτελεσμάτων μας με τη βιβλιογραφία. Παράλληλα εξήχθησαν S-values με συγκεκριμένες βιοκατανομές για τον ακριβή υπολογισμό της απορροφούμενης δόσης ανά όργανο κατά την απεικόνιση μυών με SPECT και ΡΕΤ. Το κεφάλαιο ολοκληρώνεται με το πέρασμα από το προκλινικό στο κλινικό επίπεδο, καθορίζοντας τη διαδικασία υπολογισμού των S-values για παιδιατρικές εφαρμογές κάνοντας χρήση κλινικών απεικονιστικών δεδομένων. Στη συγκεκριμένη παράγραφο γίνεται παράθεση των αρχικών αποτελεσμάτων που υπολογίστηκαν σε παιδιατρικά ομοιώματα. Η διδακτορική διατριβή ολοκληρώνεται με τη συζήτηση και την ανάλυση των αποτελεσμάτων στο 4ο και τελευταίο κεφάλαιο, όπου και παρατίθενται εφαρμογές και μελλοντικά βήματα που κρίνεται αναγκαίο να πραγματοποιηθούν για την περαιτέρω βελτιστοποίηση των πρωτοκόλλων Πυρηνικής Ιατρικής στην κλινική πράξη
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