Abide With Me

We got jobs and moved to the Islands, away from the dim hollow of a Continent. Set ourselves up in a modest bungalow across the street from a beach park. We assembled a pallet of Scandinavian furniture, hung mirrors, piped in soft music. When we looked out the picture window we saw, in the upper left hand corner, the blue skin of the sea. We saw surfboards attached to mopeds, tour buses, ambulances three times a day. We saw, sometimes, huge encampments. Family reunions. Bounce houses. Bands playing. Spear fishers cleaning their catch at the showers

Detection of Tectonic and Crustal Deformation using GNSS Data Processing: The Case of PPGnet

Aitolo-Akarnania prefecture, western Greece, is an area with strong earthquakes and large active fault systems. The most prominent are the Katouna sinistral strike slip fault and the Trichonis Lake normal fault system. Their proximity to large cities, and the lack of detailed information on their seismogenic potential, calls for multiparametric research. Since 2013, the area’s crustal deformation has been monitored by a dense GNSS Network (PPGNet), consisting of five stations, equipped with Leica and Septentrio receivers. The objective of this network is to define the rate of deformation across these two main fault systems. Data is recorded using two sampling frequencies, 1 Hz and 10Hz, producing hourly and daily files. Daily data is processed using Bernese GNSS Processing Software using final orbits of International GNSS Service. Double-difference solution is computed using phase measurements from the PPGNet network complemented by four stations from Athens’ National Observatory GNSS network and six stations from METRICA network. First results show a NNE movement at PVOG station of 12 mm/y and a similar movement at RETS station of about 9 mm/y. This means that the Trichonis Lake normal fault system, located between these two stations, depicts a slip rate of 3 mm/y. KTCH and RGNI stations move eastwards at a velocity of about 5 mm/y due to the Katouna-Stamna fault system. Data from PPGNet has provided important results on crustal deformation in the area, i.e. slip rates have been attributed to specific fault systems. The comparison and links of these data with broader geodynamic models is now possible and we expect, in a later phase that will provide a more detailed image of the associated seismic hazard for Aitolo-Akarnania. Doi: 10.28991/cej-2021-03091633 Full Text: PD

The Patras earthquake (14 July 1993): relative roles of source, path and site effects

Abstract A damaging earthquake occurred on 14 July 1993 in Patras, Western Greece. The mainshock (local magnitude 5.1) was followed on the same day by two aftershocks of magnitudes 4.4 M L and 3.6 M L , respectively. The strong motion record of the mainshock is studied, based on the teleseismically determined seismic moment and focal mechanism. The Discrete Wavenumber (DW) and Empirical Green's Function (EGF) methods are used. The main conclusion is that the 1993 Patras mainshock had a complex S-wave group mainly due to structural (path and site) effect. However, some effects of the rupture stopping on the peak ground acceleration (0.2 g in the so-called S3 phase) cannot be ruled out. Two values of the source radius are suggested: R = 1.9 and 3.0 km. The strong motion record better agrees with R = 1.9 km. If the latter is true, the stress drop was of the order of 20 MPa, i.e., higher than often reported for comparable events in Western Greece. Regardless of the true source radius, the ratio of stress drops between the mainshock and aftershocks was about 1-2. The aftershock waveforms indicate significant lateral heterogeneities around Patras. Therefore, the ground-motion predictions of strong events in the area will remain highly non-unique until weak events from an immediate neighbourhood of the particular fault are recorded

Low-parametric modeling of Mw8.3 Illapel 2015, Chile earthquake

The Mw 8.3 (GCMT) Illapel megathrust earthquake is investigated. The objective is to find out which features of the previously published rupture scenarios can be resolved using a regional strong-motion network and source models with few parameters only. Low-frequency waveforms (<0.05 Hz), at nine stations (Centro Sismológico Nacional, Chile - CSN), are subjected to modeling. Various representations of the source are used: (i) Multiple-point-source models based either on iterative deconvolution or simultaneous inversion of source pairs, (ii) Models of circular and elliptical uniform-slip patches, employing synthetic and empirical Green’s functions, respectively. This variety of methods provides consistent results. The earthquake appears to be a segmented rupture progressing from an early (deep) moment release to a later (shallow) one, towards the NW. The source models of slip-uniform patches synchronously suggest a low rupture speed 1-2 km/s. Despite different data sets and methods, this estimate of rupture speed is consistent with independent publications. As for ambiguity in literature regarding depth and timing of the rupture, our paper clearly prefers the models including a ~20-30 s delay of the shallow moment release compared to the initial deep one. The strong-motion data set and low-parametric models proved to be competitive with more sophisticated approaches. This result implies a need to improve regional accelerometer networks in South America, which might eventually help in resolving source process of possible future large events, e.g. in Patagonia.Eje: Estudio del Interior Terrestre.Facultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísica

Preliminary validation of real-time PCR assays for the identification of Yersinia pestis

BACKGROUND: Yersinia pestis (Y. pestis) is a zoonotic bacterium mainly circulating among rodents and their fleas. Transmission to humans can cause bubonic, pneumonic or septicemic plague with a high case-fatality rate. Therefore, rapid and reliable diagnostic tools are crucial. The objective of this study was to assess the inter-laboratory reproducibility of in-house developed real-time PCR assays for the identification of Y. pestis. METHODS: A total of four samples of quantified Y. pestis DNA and two blank samples were sent blinded to 14 laboratories. To standardize the procedures, oligonucleotides were provided and the same instrument platform and a commercial mastermix were used. The participants were requested to report their results including cycle threshold and melting temperature values. RESULTS: All participating laboratories were able to perform the real-time PCR assays according to the protocols provided and identified the samples containing Y. pestis DNA correctly. Significant differences between the reference laboratory and participating laboratories were observed in cycle threshold values and melting temperatures. This, however, did not adversely affect the interpretation of results. CONCLUSIONS: Our real-time PCR system proved to be highly reproducible and has the potential of complementing the diagnostic tools for rapid identification of Y. pestis isolates. Further steps of validation are needed to determine diagnostic accuracy and predictive values with clinical sample

Supply logistics in the restaurant and hotel industry

The thesis deals with the analysis of supply logistics of specific restaurant and hotel operation. Currently, in times of high and hard competition, supply proces plays an increasingly important role. A suitably chosen procurement process and choice of suppliers is to a large extent a competitive advantage, for example in the form of higher ingredient freshness, flexible deliveries or cost savings. The aim of the thesis is to approach, analyze and subsequently evaluate the current supply process and find its possible optimization. The first part deals with the theoretical knowledge and methods of the given topic, processed on the basis of available literature and electronic resources. The second part focuses on practical knowledge of specific restaurant and hotel operations. This section will be mainly based on interviews with the owner and staff of the restaurant and the analysis of internal documents.Práce se zabývá analýzou zásobovací logistiky konkrétního restauračního a hotelového provozu. V současné době vysoké a tvrdé konkurence hraje v tomto odvětví zásobování čím dál tím důležitější roli. Vhodně zvolený proces zásobování a volby dodavatelů je do značné míry konkurenční výhodou například v podobě vyšší čerstvosti surovin, flexibilních dodávek či snižování nákladů. Cílem práce je přiblížit, analyzovat a následně zhodnotit dosavadní proces zásobování a najít jeho možnou optimalizaci. První část práce se věnuje teoretickým poznatkům a metodám daného tématu, zpracovaných na základě dostupné literatury a elektronických zdrojů. Část druhá je zaměřena na praktické poznatky z konkrétního restauračního a hotelového provozu. Tato část bude zpracována především na základě rozhovorů s majitelem a zaměstnanci restaurace a analýzy interních dokumentů