© Author(s) 2009. This work is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. Natural Hazards

Relationship between lightning and model simulated microphysical parameters over the central and eastern Mediterranea

Relationship between lightning and model simulated microphysical parameters over the central and eastern Mediterranean

Aubert Marcel. Lejeaux (Jeanne). Sculpture religieuse (Bibliothèque catholique des sciences religieuses), 1934. In: Bulletin Monumental, tome 93, n°2, année 1934. pp. 267-268

Development of Grid e-Infrastructure in South-Eastern Europe

Over the period of 6 years and three phases, the SEE-GRID programme has established a strong regional human network in the area of distributed scientific computing and has set up a powerful regional Grid infrastructure. It attracted a number of user communities and applications from diverse fields from countries throughout the South-Eastern Europe. From the infrastructure point view, the first project phase has established a pilot Grid infrastructure with more than 20 resource centers in 11 countries. During the subsequent two phases of the project, the infrastructure has grown to currently 55 resource centers with more than 6600 CPUs and 750 TBs of disk storage, distributed in 16 participating countries. Inclusion of new resource centers to the existing infrastructure, as well as a support to new user communities, has demanded setup of regionally distributed core services, development of new monitoring and operational tools, and close collaboration of all partner institution in managing such a complex infrastructure. In this paper we give an overview of the development and current status of SEE-GRID regional infrastructure and describe its transition to the NGI-based Grid model in EGI, with the strong SEE regional collaboration.Comment: 22 pages, 12 figures, 4 table

The FLASH project: using lightning data to better understand and predict flash floods

The FLASH project was implemented from 2006 to 2010 underthe EU FP6 framework. The project focused on using lightning observations to better understand and predict convective storms that result in flash floods. As part of the project 23 case studies of flash floods in the Mediterranean region were examined. For the analysis of these storms lightning data from the ZEUS network were used together with satellite derived rainfall estimates in orderto understand the storm development and electrification. In addition, these case studies were simulated using mesoscale meteorological models to better understand the meteorological and synoptic conditions leading up to these intense storms. As part of this project tools for short term predictions (nowcasts) of intenseconvection across the Mediterranean and Europe, and long term forecasts (a few days) of the likelihood of intense convection were developed. The project also focused on educationaloutreach through our website http://flashproject.orgsupplying real time lightning observations, real time experimental nowcasts, forecasts and educational materials. While flash floods and intense thunderstorms cannot be preventedas the climate changes, long-range regional lightning networks can supply valuable data, in realtime, for warningend-users and stakeholders of imminent intense rainfall and possible flash floods

The RISKMED project : philosophy, methods and products

This paper presents RISKMED, a project targeted to create an Early Warning System (EWS) in case of severe or extreme weather events in the central and eastern Mediterranean and specifically in southern Italy, northwestern Greece, Malta and Cyprus. As severe or extreme weather events are considered, cases when the values of some meteorological parameters (temperature, wind, precipitation) exceed certain thresholds, and/or a severe weather phenomenon (thunderstorm, snowfall) occurs. For an accurate weather forecast, selected meteorological models have been operated daily, based on a nesting strategy using two or three domains, providing detailed forecasts over the above mentioned areas. The forecast results are further exploited for the evaluation and prediction of human discomfort and fire weather indices. Finally, sea wave models have also been operating daily over the central and eastern Mediterranean Sea. In case a severe or extreme weather event is forecasted within the next 48 or 72 h for selected target areas (sub-regions defined by their morphological and population characteristics), the local authorities and the public are informed via a user-friendly graphic system, the so-called RISK MAP. On the web page of the Project (http://www.riskmed.net), additional information is provided about the real-time values of some meteorological parameters, the latest satellite picture and the time and space distribution of lightning during the last 24 h. The RISKMED project was financed by the EU and the Ministries of National Economy of Greece, Italy, Malta and Cyprus, in the frame of INTERREG IIIB/ARCHIMED programme.peer-reviewe

Combined validity of DIAGNOdentTM and visual examination for in vitro detection of occlusal caries in primary molars

The purpose of this in vitro investigation was to compare in primary molars, the validity of DIAGNOdentTM 2095 on occlusal caries diagnosis used either separately or in combination with direct and/or indirect visual examinations, based on histological examination as the reference method. In 24 extracted primary molars, 111 occlusal pits were examined for caries by one trained operator (intraexaminer reliability k>0.80), using the following examination methods: direct visual (DV), indirect visual (IDV), radiographic (XR), and fluorescence (DD) with the DIAGNOdentTM. The extent of caries was then determined histologically. Sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and the area under the ROC curve (AUC) were calculated for each method separately as well as for the combination of DD with DV and/or IDV. The DD accuracy was found both for lesions into enamel and into dentin to be 0.70 while the accuracy of the DD combination with DV and IDV was found to be 0.89. The DD AUC for lesions into enamel and into dentin, 0.68, were not statistically significant different from the other methods (p>0.5), however the AUC of the combination of DD with DVand IDV, found to be 0.82, was higher than all the other methods, and this was statistically significant for enamel lesions. The validity of DIAGNOdentTM for occlusal caries diagnosis in primary molars was much higher when the DD was used in combination with direct and indirect visual examination, than when used by itself. © 2010 Springer-Verlag London Ltd

Flexible removable partial denture prosthesis: A survey of dentists' attitudes and knowledge in Greece and Croatia [Savitljiva mobilna djelomična zubna proteza: istraživanje o stajalištima i znanju doktora dentalne medicine u Grckoj i Hrvatskoj]

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate through a questionnaire the knowledge, attitudes and possible differences in the use of flexible RPDPs among dentists in Greece and Croatia. Material and Methods: A questionnaire of 16 questions was originally created in English, translated into Greek and Croatian language following a two way translation and tested for apprehension, precision, clarity and homogeneity by a number of native English speaking Greek and Croatian dentists. Following the necessary corrections, the questionnaires replicated in two online surveys and their addresses with an informed consent were sent by emails to nearly 4000 dentists in each country to participate. Collected data were analyzed by chi-square tests at a= .05 level of significance. Results: 378 dentists from Greece and 304 from Croatia participated in the study. 137(36.2%) dentists from Greece and 56(18.4%) from Croatia provided flexible RPDPs to their patients. Statistical analysis for all providers indicated no significant difference between genders (P>.05), significant differences between age groups (P<.01), years of practice (P<.05), specialization (P <.001), and instruction on flexible prostheses (P <.001). The analysis between the two countries showed differences for gender and age groups (P<.01) but no differences between experienced, specialized or instructed groups (P >.05). Conclusion: The survey indicated differences between the two countries in the percentages of dentists using, selecting and providing RPDPs for their patients. Practitioners' age, years in practice and instruction were associated with the provision of the prostheses, while comfort, esthetics and cost were the reasons for deciding to use the flexible RPDPs. Conclusion: Although dentists are not educated in their schools about flexible RPDPs, almost a third of them offer this treatment to their patients. Long term success of these devices depends on clinical education, more experience and definitely more research

Severe flooding over central and southern Greece associated with pre-cold frontal orographic lifting

An extreme rainfall event, associated with a cold front, which occurred on 11-12 January 1997 over Greece is investigated through observational analysis and numerical simulations. The analysed storm system produced large amounts of rainfall, with devastating impacts over central and southern Greece, where at some sites 24-hour accumulated precipitation exceeded 300 mm. The model analysis was performed with the three-dimensional non-hydrostatic Colorado State University Regional Atmospheric Modeling System. The model results caught the larger-scale features present in the observational analyses while developing more realistic finer-scale features. Sensitivity tests are also performed in order to investigate the role of the topography of the Greek peninsula on the enhancement of convection. Indeed, the orientation of the flow was optimal for advection of moist air with a maximized fetch over the sea, and at an angle of impact optimum for orographic lifting ahead of the main topographic axes of continental Greece