Σύνθεση, τροποποιήση κα χαρακτηρισμός υποψήφιων καινοτόμων πρώτων υλών και βελτιστοποίηση διεργασιών για παραγωγή ινών άνθρακα

Εθνικό Μετσόβιο Πολυτεχνείο--Μεταπτυχιακή Εργασία. Διεπιστημονικό-Διατμηματικό Πρόγραμμα Μεταπτυχιακών Σπουδών (Δ.Π.Μ.Σ.) “Επιστήμη και Τεχνολογία Υλικών

The Effect of Noise on the Emergence of Continuous Norms and its Evolutionary Dynamics

We examine the effect of noise on societies of agents using an agent-based model of evolutionary norm emergence. Generally, we see that noisy societies are more selfish, smaller and discontent, and are caught in rounds of perpetual punishment preventing them from flourishing. Surprisingly, despite the effect of noise on the population, it does not seem to evolve away. We carry out further analysis and provide reasons for why this may be the case. Furthermore, we claim that our framework that evolves the noise/ambiguity of norms may be a new way to model the tight/loose framework of norms, suggesting that despite ambiguous norms detrimental effect on society, evolution does not favour clarity.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Proceedings of the Artificial Life Conference 2023 (ALIFE 2023), MIT Pres

The Effect of Noise on the Emergence of Continuous Norms and its Evolutionary Dynamics

© 2023 The MIT Press. This is an open access conference proceeding distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY), https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/We examine the effect of noise on societies of agents using an agent based model of evolutionary norm emergence. Generally we see that noisy societies are more selfish, smaller and discontent, with noisy societies caught in rounds of perpetual punishment preventing them from flourishing. Surprisingly, despite the detrimental effect of noise on the population, it doesn’t seem to evolve away, in fact, in some cases it seems the level of noise increases. We carry out further analysis and provide reasons for why this might be the case. Furthermore, we claim that our framework evolving the noise/ambiguity of norms is a new way to model the tight/loose framework of norms, suggesting that despite ambiguous norms’ detrimental effect on society, evolution doesn’t favour clarity

Amniotic Fluid and Amniotic Membrane Stem Cells: Marker Discovery

Amniotic fluid (AF) and amniotic membrane (AM) have been recently characterized as promising sources of stem or progenitor cells. Both not only contain subpopulations with stem cell characteristics resembling to adult stem cells, such as mesenchymal stem cells, but also exhibit some embryonic stem cell properties like (i) expression of pluripotency markers, (ii) high expansion in vitro, or (iii) multilineage differentiation capacity. Recent efforts have been focused on the isolation and the detailed characterization of these stem cell types. However, variations in their phenotype, their heterogeneity described by different groups, and the absence of a single marker expressed only in these cells may prevent the isolation of a pure homogeneous stem cell population from these sources and their potential use of these cells in therapeutic applications. In this paper, we aim to summarize the recent progress in marker discovery for stem cells derived from fetal sources such as AF and AM, using novel methodologies based on transcriptomics, proteomics, or secretome analyses

The Ongoing Challenge of Hematopoietic Stem Cell-Based Gene Therapy for β-Thalassemia

β-thalassemia is characterized by reduced or absence of β-globin production, resulting in anemia. Current therapies include blood transfusion combined with iron chelation. BM transplantation, although curative, is restricted by the matched donor limitation. Gene therapy, on the other hand, is promising, and its success lies primarily on designing efficient globin vectors that can effectively and stably transduce HSCs. The major breakthrough in β-thalassemia gene therapy occurred a decade ago with the development of globin LVs. Since then, researchers focused on designing efficient and safe vectors, which can successfully deliver the therapeutic transgene, demonstrating no insertional mutagenesis. Furthermore, as human HSCs have intrinsic barriers to HIV-1 infection, attention is drawn towards their ex vivo manipulation, aiming to achieve higher yield of genetically modified HSCs. This paper presents the current status of gene therapy for β-thalassemia, its success and limitations, and the novel promising strategies available involving the therapeutic role of HSCs

Multiyear Raman lidar observations of free-tropospheric aerosol layers over Athens: Geometrical and optical properties

Η παρούσα διπλωματική εργασία πραγματεύεται τον χαρακτηρισμό και την μελέτη των αιωρούμενων σωματιδίων πάνω από το Αττικό λεκανοπέδιο με την μέθοδο τηλεπισκόπησης laser. Για τον σκοπό αυτό χρησιμοποιηθήκαν δεδομένα από το σύστημα lidar [=light detection and ranging] της Μονάδας Τηλεπισκόπησης Laser (Laser Remote Sensing Unit – LRSU) που στεγάζεται στην Σχολή Εφαρμοσμένων Μαθηματικών και Φυσικών Εφαρμογών- ΣΕΜΦΕ του Εθνικού Μετσόβιου Πολυτεχνείου – ΕΜΠ. Στην εργασία αυτή χρησιμοποιήθηκαν τα δεδομένα της περιόδου 2017-2022. Στόχος της εργασίας είναι ο χαρακτηρισμός κάθε αέριου στρώματος που εντοπίζεται από το σύστημα lidar στην περίοδο αυτή, καθώς και η ανάλυση των γεωμετρικών αλλά και οπτικών ιδιοτήτων των στρωμάτων σωματιδίων. Οι γεωμετρικές ιδιότητες που μελετήθηκαν είναι: η κορυφή, η βάση, το πάχος και το κεντρικό ύψος του κάθε στρώματος σωματιδίων. Οι οπτικές ιδιότητες που μελετήθηκαν είναι: οι συντελεστές οπισθοσκέδασης, οι εκθέτες Ångström, οι συντελεστές εξασθένισης, ο λόγος lidar και τέλος ο λόγος αποπόλωσης των αιωρούμενων σωματιδίων. Συνολικά εντοπίστηκαν 213 στρώματα αιρούμενων σωματιδίων στην ελεύθερη τροπόσφαιρα κατά την περίοδο της μελέτης.This master’s thesis examines the characterization and properties of aerosol particles suspended over the Athens basin using the laser remote sensing method. The data for this study were provided by the lidar [=light detection and ranging] system of the Laser Remote Sensing Unit (LRSU) which is located in the School of Applied Mathematical and Physical Sciences (SEMFE) of the National Technical University of Athens-NTUA. The dataset covers the time period 2017-2022. The aim of this project is the characterization of every aerosol layer detected by the lidar system during the aforementioned period, as well as the analysis of the geometrical and optical properties of each particle layer. The geometrical properties analyzed are the following: top, base, thickness, and central height of each layer. The optical properties analyzed are: backscatter, Ångström and extinction coefficients, lidar ratios and finally depolarization ratio of suspended particles. A total of 213 free-tropospheric aerosol layers were detected throughout the period under study. This thesis contains a brief introduction to the subject and the purpose of this study, followed by the 1st Chapter that explains the theory behind aerosols and the basic principles of lidar systems and lidar measurements. In Chapter 2 the methodology that was used in this study and all the steps are analytically explained. In Chapter 3, we present and discuss in detail the results that came up throughout this project. Finally, in Chapter 4, we summarize the most important conclusions

The Profile of the Inmates' Adult Educator: A Greek Case Study

The inmates’ adult educator implements the principles of adult education in the enclosed prison environment and makes efforts to reintegrate them socially. In Greece, inmates’ adult educators mainly work in Second Chance Schools (SCS) operating in prisons. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of the inmates’ adult educator at the Second Chance School of Chania Prison. The qualitative method was used in this research. According to the results of the survey, the inmates’ adult educators of the SCS of Chania Prison believe they need to have knowledge of the principles of adult education as well as of the prison system. In addition, they perceive the skills to delimit their relationship with prisoners, empathic and problem-solving skills as decisive. Finally, the attitudes of accepting and respecting prisoners are fundamental for the inmates’ adult educators of the SCS of Chania Prison

Current insights in to the pathophysiology of Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) represents a functional disorder of gastrointestinal tract without the presence of an anatomic defect, in which abdominal pain is relieved with defecation and is associated with altered bowel habits