Changes in flood mortality during the last 50 years in Greece.

Η παρούσα μελέτη εξετάζει την θνησιμότητα που συνδέεται με πλημμυρικά φαινόμενα στον Ελληνικό χώρο. Στο πλαίσιο αυτό αναπτύσσεται μια βάση δεδομένων 189 θανάτων, της περιόδου 1960-2010, με λεπτομερή στοιχεία για κάθε θανατηφόρο συμβάν. Με βάση το συστηματικό αυτό αρχείο εξετάζονται οι μεταβολές στον αριθμό, τη χωρική κατανομή, τις συνθήκες κάθε περιστατικού και τα δημογραφικά στοιχεία των θυμάτων. Από τα αποτελέσματα προκύπτει η υπερεκπροσώπηση των ανδρών, των νέων και των ηλικιωμένων ατόμων μεταξύ των θυμάτων, μολονότι τα άτομα μεταξύ 20 και 65 ετών καταγράφουν σημαντική αύξηση. Παρότι οι θάνατοι παρουσιάζονται μοιρασμένα σε αστικά και μη αστικά περιβάλλοντα, τα τελευταία χρόνια η πλειοψηφία των θανάτων καταγράφεται εκτός αστικού χώρου. Από την ανάλυση προκύπτει επίσης ότι οι θάνατοι που σχετίζονται με τη χρήση οχημάτων παρουσιάζουν αυξητική τάση αντίθετα με τους θανάτους πεζών και τους θανάτους εντός οικημάτων. Τα πολύνεκρα πλημμυρικά συμβάντα παρουσιάζουν σταδιακά εξαφανίζονται, μολονότι ο αριθμός των νεκρών δεν παρουσιάζει σημαντική μείωση. Τέλος, προκύπτει ότι μεταξύ των διαφόρων αιτιών θανάτου ο πνιγμός παρουσιάζει τα μεγαλύτερα ποσοστά.This work focuses on the changes that occur in the circumstances under which flood fatalities occur in Greece. To this aim, this paper develops and studies a database of 189 flood-related deaths, between 1960 and 2010, consisting of variables describing the conditions during the time of each incident. Changes in the number and the spatial distribution of fatalities, together with changes in the conditions, the surrounding  environment  and  the  demographics  of  the  victims  are  investigated.  Results showed that males, youngsters and elderly people presented an overrepresentation among the decedents, although individuals between 20 and 65 showed a significant increase among the victims, especially during the last decades of the study period. Fatal flood events were found to be approximately equally divided between urban and rural environments. However, fatal incidents appear to gradually migrate from urban centers to rural environments. Vehicle-related fatalities showed a gradual increase, whereas pedestrian victims and indoors incidents show an opposite trend. Fatalities per flood event presented a significant decline, although in absolute numbers, flood deaths did not show a respectively important decreasing trend. Among different causes of death drowning was found to be the most common throughout the study period

Fault specific GIS based seismic hazard maps for the Attica Region, Greece

Traditional seismic hazard assessment methods are based on the historical seismic records for the calculation of an annual probability of exceedance for a particular ground motion level. A new fault specific seismic hazard assessment method is presented, in order to address problems related to the incompleteness and the inhomogeneity of the historical records and to obtain higher spatial resolution of hazard. This method is applied to the region of Attica, which is the most densely populated area in Greece, as nearly half of the country’s population lives in Athens and its surrounding suburbs, in Greater Athens Area. The methodology is based on a database of 22 active faults that could cause damage to Attica in case of seismic rupture. This database provides information about the faults slip rates, lengths and expected magnitudes. The final output of this method are four fault specific seismic hazard maps, showing the recurrence of expected intensities that each locality in the map has been shaken at. These maps offer a high spatial resolution, as they consider the surface geology. Despite the fact that almost half of the Attica region lies on the lowest seismic risk zone according to the official seismic hazard zonation of Greece, different localities have repeatedly experienced strong ground motions during the last 15 kyrs. Moreover, the maximum recurrence for each intensity occurs in different localities across Attica. Highest recurrence for intensity VII (151-156 times over 15 kyrs, or up to 96 year return period) is observed in the central part of the Athens basin. The maximum intensity VIII recurrence (114 times over 15 kyrs, or up to 131 year return period) is observed in the western part of Attica, while the maximum intensity IX (73-77/15kyrs, or 195 year return period) and X (25-29/15kyrs, or 517 year return period) recurrences are observed near the South Alkyonides fault system, which dominates the strong ground motions hazard in the western part of the Attica mainland

Comparing flood mortality in Portugal and Greece under a gender and age perspective

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Coping with floods: impacts, preparedness and resilience capacity of Greek micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises in flood-affected areas

Purpose: This paper aims to investigate aspects of flood experience, attitudes and responses of micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Greece and to indicate a typology of strategies associated with their relative effort to build flood resilience capacity. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative study protocol was used, based on pertinent literature that considers how business entities withstand, adapt and/or recover from non-linear climate change impacts, natural hazards and extreme weather. Data was obtained by conducting semi-structured interviews with 82 MSMEs’ owners-managers who had recently experienced flooding. Findings: The study reports limited activities of MSMEs towards flood resilience capacity despite the threat of relevant disasters. Findings suggest that most owners-managers of these enterprises are not adequately preparing their businesses for the impacts of flooding. Research limitations/implications: The findings call for multi-level and dynamic perspectives to be examined in assessing MSME resilience capacity to floods. It is attitudinal, managerial, organisational, behavioural and regulatory (as well as other institutional) factors that merit further investigation. Such an investigation would allow a better understanding as to whether these factors hinder or enable conditions for microeconomic flood preparedness and resilience as well as how they may interact with each other or create feedback loops. Practical implications: The study carries managerial implications and policy recommendations in terms of nurturing opportunities towards awareness-raising campaigns for reducing deficits in managerial knowledge and competencies. It also encapsulates practical implications in terms of emphasising supporting mechanisms from key institutional stakeholders to allow MSMEs scan available options they have in effectively reinforcing the business premises from the forces of rising waters. Originality/value: Most of the related studies have examined flood impacts, responses and/or resilience capacity at the household- or community-level. Empirical work that is conducted to ascertain how MSMEs cope with flooding remains thin on the ground. In response to this, the current study and the typology of MSMEs’ strategic postures that are suggested seek to contribute to this under-researched topic

Pythagoras project: Development of an innovative training package on Indoor Environment Quality

The aim of the Pythagoras project is the development and assessment of Greek national training material in the sector of indoor environmental quality. The need for education in this specific sector is dictated by the significant indoor environment deterioration and associated health hazards, which are caused by low ventilation levels, combined with the use of many modern building materials that aggravate pollutants emissions. Early in the project, a review is undertaken of the international literature and the syllabuses of foreign research and educational institutions active in indoor environment quality issues. At the same time, the requirements of the Greek educational and broader society, related to issues of indoor pollution and health, are determined. A training methodology is consequently developed, with the objective to optimally cover all the parameters associated with the indoor environment quality, for trainees of various disciplines. The training material is produced both in printed (book) and integrated electronic (e-learning) format. Additionally, four seminars are organized covering the respective sections of the training package. The training package is being assessed both by the trainees but also by international experts in the sector of indoor environment quality

The polymer phase of the TDAE-C60_{60} organic ferromagnet

The high-pressure Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) measurements were preformed on TDAE-C$_{60}$ single crystals and stability of the polymeric phase was established in the $P - T$ parameter space. At 7 kbar the system undergoes a ferromagnetic to paramagnetic phase transition due to the pressure-induced polymerization. The polymeric phase remains stable after the pressure release. The depolymerization of the pressure-induced phase was observed at the temperature of 520 K. Below room temperature, the polymeric phase behaves as a simple Curie-type insulator with one unpaired electron spin per chemical formula. The TDAE$^+$ donor-related unpaired electron spins, formerly ESR-silent, become active above the temperature of 320 K and the Curie-Weiss behavior is re-established.Comment: Submitted to Phys. Rev.

Last Men Standing: Chlamydatus Portraits and Public Life in Late Antique Corinth

Notable among the marble sculptures excavated at Corinth are seven portraits of men wearing the long chlamys of Late Antique imperial office. This unusual costume, contemporary portrait heads, and inscribed statue bases all help confirm that new public statuary was created and erected at Corinth during the 4th and 5th centuries. These chlamydatus portraits, published together here for the first time, are likely to represent the Governor of Achaia in his capital city, in the company of local benefactors. Among the last works of the ancient sculptural tradition, they form a valuable source of information on public life in Late Antique Corinth

Alzheimer's Aβ Peptides with Disease-Associated N-Terminal Modifications: Influence of Isomerisation, Truncation and Mutation on Cu2+ Coordination

coordination of various Aβ peptides has been widely studied. A number of disease-associated modifications involving the first 3 residues are known, including isomerisation, mutation, truncation and cyclisation, but are yet to be characterised in detail. In particular, Aβ in plaques contain a significant amount of truncated pyroglutamate species, which appear to correlate with disease progression. coordination modes between pH 6–9 with nominally the same first coordination sphere, but with a dramatically different pH dependence arising from differences in H-bonding interactions at the N-terminus. coordination of Aβ, which may be critical for alterations in aggregation propensity, redox-activity, resistance to degradation and the generation of the Aβ3–× (× = 40/42) precursor of disease-associated Aβ3[pE]–x species