Phytosociological study of Hirschfeldia incana (L.) Lagraze-Fossat (Cruciferae) communities in mainland Greece

Using numerical analysis, the phytosociological study of Hirschfeldia incana communities in mainland Greece allowed their classification into the Rapistro rugosi-Hirschfeldietum incanae ass. nov., a new subnitrophilous association of the Hordeion leporini alliance. Three subassociations were distinguished (anthemidetosum incrassatae, hedypnoidetosum creticae and cardarietosum drabae), the distribution of which seems to depend on latitudinal alteration of rainfall. The new association has its optimum growth in habitats with moderate human influence, specifically in abandoned cultivations and wastelands. With respect to its floristic composition, the Rapistro rugosi-Hirschfeldietum incanae is close to anthropogenic vegetation with a high degree of naturalness, particularly to the therophytic, subnitrophilous vegetation of the Thero-Brometalia (Stellarietea mediae) and the perennial, subnitrophilous vegetation of Carthametalia lanati (Artemisietea vulgaris)

Impacts of soil erosion

Lorren, Luuk et al.-- 11 páginas, 1 tabla, 42 referencias.-- Volumen II: Taskgroups on Soil Erosion.-- La serie completa consta de seis volúmenes, en total 872 páginas.-- [email protected] Definition of soil functions, soil quality and quality targets The identification of soil functions, properties and processes which are affected by soil erosion is needed to evaluate the impacts of erosion on the soil system. Definition of soil loss tolerance according to soil types and environmental characteristics. 3.2 Development of criteria and indicators to assess soil sustainable use and soil protection measures What are the impacts of soil erosion on soil functioning and soil quality? How does soil erosion affect environment health and security? The efficiency of soil protection and conservation measures must be evaluated by measuring the reduction of the soil erosion impacts. 3.3 Development of criteria and indicators to assess off-site impacts What are the impacts of soil erosion in down slope or downstream areas, i.e. the off-site effects? 3.4 Development of studies of the economic impact of soil erosion. Review and extract conclusion of existing studies. Development of specific studies on the social, health and economic impact of erosion.Peer reviewe

Systems and Causal Loop Thinking in Medicine: From Healthcare Delivery to Healthcare Policy Making

The human body is regarded as a system of high complexity, not only because it is consisted of millions of interrelated and interdependent functional units -the cells-, but because it is also an evolving system. It changes over time, initially to achieve the full growth of organs and bones but subsequently as a response to environmental factors to retain its vital internal indexes stable, to achieve homeostasis. In this context, the in depth understanding of the connections between these indexes that drive the dynamics of the system is crucial. Yet, malfunctions occur and their accumulation causes diseases, which are regarded as internal crises that due to tight relations between the different organ systems, affect various body parts. The application of systems and causal loop thinking while combating diseases is examined and the need to treat not the body part that is ailing, but the patient as a system is underscored through examples of diseases. The importance of examining the risk and trigger factors of diseases from a systemic perspective is also highlighted through examples from the medical literature. The patient itself is viewed in the context of the Swiss Cheese Model and the causal agents that lead to a system failure and patient harm are examined, as well as ways of strengthening the healthcare system in order to minimize the vulnerabilities and the possibility of failures, with particular regard at modelling doctor-patient relations as Paskian Conversations. The Triumvirate of Public Health concept is discussed as a valuable practice in the healthcare policy making sector, regarding both top-down and bottom-up modes

Use of 137 Cs isotopic technique in soil erosion studies in Central Greece

The 137Cs technique was used to study soil erosion and deposition rates in soils in the Viotia prefecture, central Greece. Three sites with different soil types were selected and studied. Soils were sampled along transects and analyzed for 137Cs. The main goal of this field investigation was to study the 137Cs 3-D distribution pattern within key sites and to apply this information for the assessment of soil redistribution. The erosion and deposition rates were estimated using the proportional and the simplified mass balance models (Walling and He, 1997). Erosion and deposition rates predicted through the spatial distribution of 137Cs depended on the location of the profile studied in the landscape and were determined by the soil plough depth, the soil structure (bulk density), and the calibration model used to conve rt soil 137Cs measurements to estimates of soil redistribution rates. Estimated erosion rates for the Mouriki area site, varied from 16.62 to 102.56 t ha-1 y-1 for the top of the slope soil profile and from 5.37 to 25.68 t ha-1 y-1 for the middle of the slope soil profile. The deposition rates varied from 7.26 to 42.95 t ha-1 y-1 for the bottom of the slope soil profile

The contribution of the European Society for Soil Conservation (ESSC) to scientific knowledge, education and sustainability

Soil is an integral component of the global environmental system which supports the quality and diversity of terrestrial life on Earth. Therefore, it is vital to consider the processes and impacts of soil degradation on society, especially on the provision of environmental goods and services, including food security and climate change mitigation and adaptation. Scientific societies devoted to soil science play significant roles in reducing soil degradation and promoting soil conservation by advancing scientific knowledge, education and environmental sustainability. The ESSC was founded on 4 November 1988, with the aims to: 1. Support research on soil degradation, soil protection and soil and water conservation. 2. Provide a network for the exchange of knowledge about soil degradation processes and soil conservation research and practises. 3. Produce publications on major issues relating to soil degradation and soil and water conservation. 4. Advise regulators and policy-makers on soil issues, especially soil degradation, protection and conservation. The societal challenges that can be addressed through better soil protection, advancing knowledge and scientific approaches to soil protection and sustainable management, mean the ESSC embraces the on-going development, application, review and constructive criticism of highly innovative scientific soil conservation methods. In this context, the ESSC analyses and publicizes the roles and functions of soil in natural and human-modified systems and the functional optimization of soils to ensure sustainable environmental protection. “The thin layer of soil that forms a patchy covering over the continents controls our own existence and that of every other animal of the land” (Rachel Carson (1962) in ‘Silent Spring’).European Society for Soil Conservatio

Synthesis of low-wear and high strength nano-scale leucite glass-ceramics for dentistry

PhDLeucite glass-ceramics serve Restorative Dentistry needs for aesthetic replacement of lost or removed teeth or tooth substance. Their brittle fracture and the wear of the antagonistic enamel are however their main disadvantages. The aim of this thesis was to synthesize high strength, low-wear nano-sized leucite glass-ceramics for dental applications. Aluminosilicate glasses were experimentally synthesized using Appen models, characterised (DSC, CTE, XRD) and milled to powders using various milling routes. Leucite glass-ceramic materials were produced from the milled glass powders. Microstructural and physico-mechanical property control was pursued via compositional modifications, processing and heat treatment optimisation. All final materials where characterised using SEM and XRD. The experimental materials were tested using the biaxial flexural strength (BFS) test against commercial leucite glassceramic materials. A wear testing protocol was adapted on an MTS-Bionix 858 system. Human enamel pins were wear tested against disc samples of two experimental and one commercial material. Wear quantification was performed by superimposition of digitised test surfaces before and after wear testing by white light profilometry and the dedicated software using a novel protocol. All results were processed by applying appropriate statistics. Nanoscale tetragonal leucite median (Q1,Q3) crystal areas of up to 0.048 (0.030, 0.070) μm2 were achieved for the experimentally synthesized materials. Microstructural control was achieved with varying morphologies (sphere-shaped, fibres) and minimal or no microcracking in all glassceramics. The BFS results showed that the experimental groups tested were significantly (p < 0.05) stronger than the commercial materials. The mean (SD) BFS of the experimental materials ranged from 192.5 (44.0) to 255.0 (35.0) MPa compared to a range of values of 75.7 (6.8) - 165.5 (30.6) MPa for commercial leucite glassceramic products. The experimental glass-ceramic groups tested in wear produced significantly (p < 0.05) lower antagonistic enamel wear than the commercial material, quantified both as tooth volume and mean-height loss. Further development and optimisation of the high strength nanosized materials synthesized may therefore help to address problems with brittle fracture of dental all-ceramic restorations and support their use to achieve reduced rates of enamel loss

An automated parametric FE study of perforated steel beams acting in composite with reinforced concrete slabs utilising moment-resisting supports

This thesis examines the influence of moment-resisting supports on the behaviour of concrete-steel composite perforated beams using custom pre- and post-processing software through a parametric FE investigation. The use of moment-resisting supports is beneficial in decreasing the maximum midspan deflection and the bending moment carried by a beam. Currently, design guidance for composite perforated beams focuses on simple supports, leaving open the potential benefits of using fixed or partially-fixed supports for further investigation. For the investigation, due the number of parameters it encompasses, several software packages were developed. This software allowed extensive automation of the work-flow from the mesh generation to the data processing by minimising the required user input. Additionally, the pre-processor allows the customisation of the FE model beyond the capabilities available to the user via the FE program interface, while the post-processor enables a detailed investigation of the FE results. The software capabilities were validated against physical experiments available from the literature for non composite and composite cases. Following this, a series of parameters were examined in order to establish the influence of each on the beam capacity for various support conditions. In addition, transitional behavioural values for each of the investigated parameters are established, identifying when a failure mode change occurs for each support type. Finally, the FE results were processed further and compared directly against available literature by extracting the nodal forces and moments for each of the beams to establish the internal force distribution. This allowed the investigation of various failure modes in greater detail and bypassed the simplifying behavioural assumptions required when calculating the internal forces for these structural systems. It was shown that these algorithms can be used as a basis to extend the guidance to cover moment-resisting design and examine the various failure modes in greater detail