Ruins: the past in the present

79 σ.Στην διάλεξη αυτή μελετώνται τα ερείπια ως υποδειγματικές περιπτώσεις του τρόπου με τον οποίο η αρχιτεκτονική βοηθά τον άνθρωπο να κατανοήσει τον κόσμο και τον εαυτό του. Αφού πρώτα εξεταστεί η αξία των ερειπίων μέσα από ένα θεωρητικό, φιλοσοφικό και κοινωνιολογικό πρίσμα, μελετάται στη συνέχεια το ζήτημα της “τύχης” τους: «Πρέπει, ή όχι, να παρεμβαίνουμε και να προσπαθούμε να “σώσουμε” το αποσυντιθέμενο κτίσμα; Και αν ναι, με ποιον τρόπο;» Μέσα από τις ιδέες, τις έννοιες και τις θεωρίες για τα ερείπια, με τη βοήθεια ιστορικών γεγονότων και προσώπων, επιχειρούμε να κατανοήσουμε τη σημασία που έχουν τα ερείπια στις κοινωνίες μας και να πάρουμε θέση στο πώς πρέπει να αντιμετωπίζονται από τους αρχιτέκτονες, αλλά και την κοινωνία γενικότερα, ώστε όχι μόνο να διατηρείται η αξία τους, αλλά και να αναδεικνύεται στο έπακρο.In “Ruins: The Past in the Present” I will study ruins as exemplary cases of the way architecture helps the man understand the world and himself. After first examining the value of ruins through a theoretical, philosophical and sociological standpoint, I will then deal with the question of their "destiny": should we, or should we not, intervene and try to "save” the decaying structure? And if so, in what way? Through a “journey” in ideas, notions and theories on ruins, associated with historic events and personalities, I will attempt to gain understanding of the significance of ruins and take a stand on how they should be treated (by architects, and society in general), so that their significance is not only preserved, but also manifested to the fullest

Συστήματα ξύλινων φορέων στήριξης στεγών και επίπεδες οροφές στην Ελλάδα και τη Μικρά Ασία της ρωμαϊκής περιόδου

Αντικείμενο της παρούσας διπλωματικής εργασίας είναι οι στέγες με ξύλινο φέροντα οργανισμό και οι προσαρτημένες ή ανεξάρτητες, λίθινες και ξύλινες επίπεδες οροφές οικοδομημάτων της ρωμαϊκής εποχής στην Ελλάδα και τη Μικρά Ασία. Από τους σκελετούς των αρχαίων στεγών σήμερα δε σώζεται σχεδόν τίποτα, εξαιτίας της φθαρτής φύσης του ξύλου από το οποίο αυτές συνίσταντο κατά κύριο λόγο, ενώ οι σχετικές επιγραφικές και φιλολογικές μαρτυρίες είναι σπάνιες και ελάχιστα διαφωτιστικές για τα γενικά, μορφολογικά και τα εσωτερικά, δομικά χαρακτηριστικά τους. Σημαντικές πληροφορίες για τις χαμένες ξυλώσεις έχουν πολλές φορές ανακτηθεί πάραυτα από τα υπόλοιπα αρχιτεκτονικά κατάλοιπα των μνημείων, επιτρέποντας στους μελετητές να υποθέσουν -με λιγότερη ή περισσότερη ασφάλεια- χαρακτηριστικά των κατασκευών. Μέχρι σήμερα, η γνώση αυτή είναι διάσπαρτη σε ανασκαφικές εκθέσεις και αρχιτεκτονικές μελέτες μεμονωμένων κτιρίων ή συγκροτημάτων, και παραμένει σκανδαλωδώς ασύνδετη με τις γενικές περιγραφές και αναλύσεις του “ελληνικού” συστήματος της δοκού επί στύλων και του “ρωμαϊκού” ζευκτού, που αναπαράγονται ακόμη σε εγχειρίδια της αρχαίας αρχιτεκτονικής. Στην πλούσια βιβλιογραφία που έχει συγκεντρωθεί γύρω από τις στέγες της ελληνικής, της ετρουσκικής και της ρωμαϊκής οικοδομικής παράδοσης, η απουσία μιας μελέτης αφιερωμένης στις ρωμαϊκές στέγες με ξύλινο φέροντα οργανισμό είναι εκκωφαντική. Η εργασία αυτή επιδιώκει να καλύψει το κενό της βιβλιογραφίας προσφέροντας μια ολοκληρωμένη μελέτη των ξυλοστήρικτων στεγών στη ρωμαϊκή Ελλάδα και Μικρά Ασία μέσω του ελέγχου και της συμπλήρωσης της υπάρχουσας σχετικής γνώσης και της παραγωγής πρωτότυπων ειδικών και γενικών συμπερασμάτων.This study seeks to examine the timber framed roofs and the attached or independent, stone or wooden flat ceilings of Roman Greece and Asia Minor. Today, almost nothing survives from the ancient structures, due to the perishable nature of wood of which they mainly consisted, while any relevant epigraphic and philological evidence is scarce and not very helpful for understanding their morphological and structural features. However, important information about the lost frameworks has often been gained directly from other surviving architectural members, allowing scholars to make assumptions about their forms. To this day, this knowledge is scattered in excavation diaries, archaeological reports and architectural studies of individual buildings or complexes, and remains scandalously unconnected with the general descriptions and analyses of the "Greek" post-and-lintel system and the "Roman" truss, which are still reproduced in handbooks of ancient architecture. In the rich literature around Greek, Etruscan and Roman roofs and building traditions, the absence of a study focused on Roman timber roofs is deafening. This thesis seeks to fill this gap by providing a comprehensive analysis of timber roofs in Roman Greece and Asia Minor, and make an original contribution to knowledge through the critical evaluation of previous studies and derivation of new conclusions

Exposure to active and passive smoking among Greek pregnant women

Introduction Active smoking and exposure to passive smoke are responsible for numerous adverse pregnancy outcomes for women and their infants. The aim of this study was to explore the perceptions, attitudes, patterns of personal tobacco use and exposure to environmental smoke among a sample of pregnant women in Greece. Material and Methods A cross sectional survey was undertaken of 300 women identified from the perinatal care records of the Maternity Departments of two hospitals in Athens between February 2013 and May 2013. Data on active and passive maternal smoking status in the first, second, and third trimesters of pregnancy, fetal and neonatal tobacco related complications, exposure to environmental tobacco smoke during pregnancy, quit attempts, behaviors towards avoiding passive smoking and beliefs towards smoking cessation during pregnancy were collected using self-administered questionnaires on the 3rd postnatal day. Women also completed the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). Results Of 300 women recruited to the study 48 % reported tobacco use during the first trimester of pregnancy. Amongst participants who were tobacco users, 83.3 % reported making an attempt to quit but less than half (45.1 %) were successful. Among women who continued to smoke during pregnancy the majority (55.8 %) reported that they felt unable to quit, and 9.3 % reported that they considered smoking cessation was not an important health issue for them. Participants who continued to smoke during pregnancy were more likely to report fetal (χ2 = 11.41; df = 5; p < 0.05) and newborn complications (χ2 = 6.41; df = 2; p < 0.05), including preterm birth and low birth weight. Participants who reported that their partners were smokers were more likely to smoke throughout their pregnancy (χ2 = 14.62; df = 1; p < 0.001). High rates of second-hand smoke exposure were reported among both smoking and non-smoking women. Pregnant smokers had significantly higher levels of postnatal depressive and anxiety symptomatology, as measured using the EPDS, than non-smokers. Conclusions Of 300 women recruited to the study 48 % reported tobacco use during the first trimester of pregnancy. Amongst participants who were tobacco users, 83.3 % reported making an attempt to quit but less than half (45.1 %) were successful. Among women who continued to smoke during pregnancy the majority (55.8 %) reported that they felt unable to quit, and 9.3 % reported that they considered smoking cessation was not an important health issue for them. Participants who continued to smoke during pregnancy were more likely to report fetal (χ2 = 11.41; df = 5; p < 0.05) and newborn complications (χ2 = 6.41; df = 2; p < 0.05), including preterm birth and low birth weight. Participants who reported that their partners were smokers were more likely to smoke throughout their pregnancy (χ2 = 14.62; df = 1; p < 0.001). High rates of second-hand smoke exposure were reported among both smoking and non-smoking women. Pregnant smokers had significantly higher levels of postnatal depressive and anxiety symptomatology, as measured using the EPDS, than non-smokers

Reactivity and Mechanism of Photo- and Electrocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution by a Diimine Copper(I) Complex

The tetrahedral copper(I) diimine complex [Cu(pq)2]BF4 displays high photocatalytic activity for the H2 evolution reaction with a turnover number of 3564, thus representing the first type of a Cu(I) quinoxaline complex capable of catalyzing proton reduction. Electrochemical experiments indicate that molecular mechanisms prevail and DFT calculations provide in-depth insight into the catalytic pathway, suggesting that the coordinating nitrogens play crucial roles in proton exchange and hydrogen formation

Genetic Polymorphisms in the UGT1A1 gene and breast cancer risk in Greek women

Uridine diphospho-glucuronosyltransferase 1 (UGT1A1) is involved in estradiol glucuronidation, which may play a central role in the etiology of breast cancer. A common insertion/ deletion polymorphism in the TATAA-box of the promoter region of UGT1A1 results in decreased initiation of transcription, and has been associated with breast cancer risk in different ethnic groups. In the present study, the role of the above genetic variation at the UGT1A1 locus in breast cancer susceptibility was investigated in a homogeneous population. Our case-control study included 136 women with breast cancer and 186 healthy female controls of Greek origin. The polymorphism A(TA) nTAA in the promoter region of UGT1A1 gene was studied using the Fragment Analysis Software of an automated DNA sequencer and three genotypes (homozygous 7/ 7, heterozygous 6/ 7, and normal homozygous 6/ 6) were identified. No significant associations were observed between the 7/ 7 genotype and breast cancer risk, indicating that further studies in Caucasian women are needed to elucidate the role of UGT1A1 polymorphism in breast cancer risk