Modeling landslide susceptibility in Greece: a weighted linear combination approach using analytic hierarchical process, validated with spatial and statistical analysis

A new model for Greece depicting, at a national scale, the spatial distribution of areas prone to landslide phenomena, taking into account preparatory and triggering criteria, is presented. This is a baseline study for prioritizing research in hazardous areas with more detail. Landslide occurrence is very high in certain areas of the Greek territory, such as Western Greece. Analysis is performed by applying two models, both based on slopes and geotechnical data, earthquake occurrence and precipitation. The first, which yields better results, also takes into account land use data. Since there was no access to landslide inventories, landslide susceptibility was performed on empirical estimates of the aforementioned criteria, using the analytic hierarchy process in order to derive the proper weights for each criterion. The final outcome is calculated based on the weighted linear combination of the above-mentioned criteria. The present study covers the area of Greece with an accuracy of 500 m × 500 m grid cell size. Results have been validated with observed events, landsliding urban areas and other studies, thus identifying landslide prone areas in a satisfying manner. © 2016, Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

A feasibility study of cellulosic isobutanol production-process simulation and economic analysis

Renewable liquid biofuels for transportation have recently attracted enormous global attention due to their potential to provide a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels. In recent years, the attention has shifted from first-generation bioethanol to the production of higher molecular weight alcohols, such as biobutanol, from cellulosic feedstocks. The economic feasibility of such processes depends on several parameters such as the cost of raw materials, the fermentation performance and the energy demand for the pretreatment of biomass and downstream processing. In this work, two conceptual process scenarios for isobutanol production, one with and one without integrated product removal from the fermentor by vacuum stripping, were developed and evaluated using SuperPro Designer®. In agreement with previous publications, it was concluded that the fermentation titer is a crucial parameter for the economic competitiveness of the process as it is closely related to the energy requirements for product purification. In the first scenario where the product titer was 22 g/L, the energy demand for downstream processing was 15.8 MJ/L isobutanol and the unit production cost of isobutanol was $2.24/L. The integrated product removal by vacuum stripping implemented in the second scenario was assumed to improve the isobutanol titer to 50 g/L. In this case, the energy demand for the product removal (electricity) and downstream processing were 1.8 MJ/L isobutanol and 10 MJ/L isobutanol, respectively, and the unit production cost was reduced to$1.42/L. The uncertainty associated with the choice of modeling and economic parameters was investigated by Monte Carlo simulation sensitivity analysis

Argon plasma coagulation has a long-lastingtherapeutic effect in patients with chronic radiation proctitis

Background and study aims: The optimal treatment of bleeding due to radiation proctitis is still controversial. Although argon plasma coagulation (APC) has been recently reported as an effectivetreatment, its efficacy in relation to disease severity is unknown. The study aims were to prospectively evaluate (i) the efficacy of APC in endoscopically mild and severe radiation proctitis, and (ii) the recurrence rate following successful treatment. Patients and methods: 56 patients (mean age 68.4 years) with radiation proctitis after radiotherapy for prostate cancer were studied. All presented with rectal bleeding, occurring a median 21.5 months after radiotherapy. Using an established scoring system, patients were classified into two groups, with mild or severe disease. We also examined the correlation between endoscopic severity and hemoglobin level as a more objective measure of bleeding activity. Success was defined either as cessation of bleeding or a significant reduction so that further treatment was not required. Results: Proctitis was classified as mild in 27 patients (48 %) and severe in 29 (52 %). Endoscopically judged severity and hemoglobin level showed good correlation (r = 0.58). All patients with mild proctitis and 23/29 (79 %) with severe disease were successfully treated (P <0.05). During a follow- up of a mean of 17.9 months (range 6-33), 34/38 patients (89.5 %) remained in clinical remission. Recurrence was higher in those using anticoagulant or aspirin (P = 0.02). Conclusions: APC is highly effective in all patients with mild radiation proctitis and in the majority of those with severe disease, providing long-lasting clinical remission. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart New York