Historical issues of hydrotherapy in thermal-mineral springs of the Hellenic world.

Many springs have been recorded in Greece; some of them are characterized as thermo-mineral springs and are associated with their position between Eurasia and Africa, the volcanic activity, and the presence of tectonic faults. The therapeutic use of water (hydrotherapy) has been recorded in ancient Greece since at least 1000 BC. Asclepius was the god of medicine in ancient Greek religion and priests operated his worship centers () offering medical services in areas with proper climatic conditions.

Direct Human-AI Comparison in the Animal-AI Environment.

Artificial Intelligence is making rapid and remarkable progress in the development of more sophisticated and powerful systems. However, the acknowledgement of several problems with modern machine learning approaches has prompted a shift in AI benchmarking away from task-oriented testing (such as Chess and Go) towards -oriented testing, in which AI systems are tested on their capacity to solve certain of novel problems. The Animal-AI Environment is one such benchmark which aims to apply the ability-oriented testing used in comparative psychology to AI systems.

The origin of Uranium in groundwater of the eastern Halkidiki region, northern Greece.

Uranium (U) pollution in groundwater has become a serious problem worldwide. Even in low concentrations, U has both radiological and toxicological impacts on human health. In this study an integrated hydrogeological approach was applied to conceptualize an aquifer system, and determine the origin of U detected in the aquifer of the eastern Halkidiki region in northern Greece.

Replications, Comparisons, Sampling and the Problem of Representativeness in Animal Cognition Research.

Animal cognition research often involves small and idiosyncratic samples. This can constrain the generalizability and replicability of a study's results and prevent meaningful comparisons between samples. However, there is little consensus about what makes a strong replication or comparison in animal research.

Origin, implications and management strategies for nitrate pollution in surface and ground waters of Anthemountas basin based on a δN-NO and δO-NO isotope approach.

Nitrate pollution of surface and groundwater resources is a major worldwide environmental problem. In this study nitrogen isotopes of water, soil, fertilizer and manure were analyzed to determine the pollution sources of nitrate in the groundwater and surface waters of Anthemountas basin. The SIAR model and multivariate statistical analysis were used to determine and quantify the contribution of different NŌ sources in groundwater and surface water.

A novel hybrid method of specific vulnerability to anthropogenic pollution using multivariate statistical and regression analyses.

Groundwater resources are the main supply of freshwater for human activities. However, in the last fifty years aquifers have become more susceptible to chemical pollution due to human activities. The concept of groundwater vulnerability constitutes a worldwide accepted tool for water protection and planning.

Water allocation and governance in multi-stakeholder environments: Insight from Axios Delta, Greece.

This article deals with stakeholders' interactions and institutional capacity influencing water resource management where competitive demands co-exist. For the case study area of Axios Delta, Northern Greece, a water deficit in the agricultural sector, an unmet environmental flow and a reduced capacity for urban supply during drought conditions are observed. An egocentric network analysis based on desk-study and a series of semi-structured stakeholder interviews reveals how weak stakeholder ties lead to ineffective multilevel governance and, as a result, low water efficiency practices.

GALDIT-SUSI a modified method to account for surface water bodies in the assessment of aquifer vulnerability to seawater intrusion.

The salinization of coastal aquifers is one of the major environmental issue worldwide. Overexploitation is the most common reason of salinization, since it generates a piezometric inversion, which in turn leads to groundwater flow from the coast towards inland. This also occurs in water bodies connected to the sea like lagoons, rivers, torrents and wetlands.

Management and research strategies of karst aquifers in Greece: Literature overview and exemplification based on hydrodynamic modelling and vulnerability assessment of a strategic karst aquifer.

Karst aquifers are valuable water resources in terms of quantity and quality, hence, their protection and rational management is of utmost importance to sustain water supply. An overview of research articles regarding Karst aquifers in Greece was obtained revealing that progressively the initial simple statistical analysis was replaced from advanced tools but rarely coupled. Additionally, a combined approach including the concept of groundwater vulnerability and pollution risk in conjunction with statistical and hydrodynamic analysis was performed in the complex karst aquifer of Damasi-Titanos in Thessaly Central Greece.

A fuzzy multicriteria categorization of the GALDIT method to assess seawater intrusion vulnerability of coastal aquifers.

Groundwater constitutes the primary source of fresh water for >1.2 billion people living in coastal zones. However, the threat of seawater intrusion is widespread in coastal aquifers mainly due to overexploitation of groundwater.

Multivariate statistical analysis to characterize/discriminate between anthropogenic and geogenic trace elements occurrence in the Campania Plain, Southern Italy.

Shallow aquifers are the most accessible reservoirs of potable groundwater; nevertheless, they are also prone to various sources of pollution and it is usually difficult to distinguish between human and natural sources at the watershed scale. The area chosen for this study (the Campania Plain) is characterized by high spatial heterogeneities both in geochemical features and in hydraulic properties. Groundwater mineralization is driven by many processes such as, geothermal activity, weathering of volcanic products and intense human activities.

A modified SINTACS method for groundwater vulnerability and pollution risk assessment in highly anthropized regions based on NO and SO concentrations.

Groundwater vulnerability and risk assessment are worldwide tools in supporting groundwater protection and land planning. In this study, we used three of these different methodologies applied to the Campanian Plain located in southern Italy: SINTACS, AVI and LOS. However, their capability to describe the observed chemical pollution of the area has resulted quite poor.

Estimation of hydraulic parameters in a complex porous aquifer system using geoelectrical methods.

Geoelectrical methods have been widely used for the estimation of aquifer hydraulic properties. In this study, geoelectrical methods were applied in a lithologically and hydrochemically complex porous aquifer to estimate its porosity, hydraulic conductivity and transmissivity. For this purpose, the electrical resistivity of the aquifer as well as the electrical conductivity of the groundwater was measured in 37 sites and wells.

Seawater intrusion mapping using electrical resistivity tomography and hydrochemical data. An application in the coastal area of eastern Thermaikos Gulf, Greece.

The aim of this study was to determine the extent and geometrical characteristics of seawater intrusion in the coastal aquifer of the eastern Thermaikos Gulf, Greece. Hydrochemical data and geoelectrical measurements were combined and supplemented to determine the hydrochemical regime of the study site in regard to seawater phenomena. Chemical analysis of groundwater was performed in 126 boreholes and fifteen electrical resistivity tomographies (ERT) were measured, whereas in two sites the ERT measurements were repeated following the wet season.

Geogenic Cr oxidation on the surface of mafic minerals and the hydrogeological conditions influencing hexavalent chromium concentrations in groundwater.

This study aims to specify the source minerals of geogenic chromium in soils and sediments and groundwater and to determine the favorable hydrogeological environment for high concentrations of Cr(VI) in groundwaters. For this reason, chromium origin and the relevant minerals were identified, the groundwater velocity was calculated and the concentrations of Cr(VI) in different aquifer types were determined. Geochemical and mineralogical analyses showed that chromium concentrations in soils and sediments range from 115 to 959 mg/kg and that serpentine prevails among the phyllosilicates.

A multicriteria model for planning agricultural regions within a context of groundwater rational management.

Current international research focuses on topics like sustainable development, regional planning, environmental decision making and implementation, biodiversity conservation plus a number of other relevant issues, especially at times of economic crisis as today. Economic growth and environmental protection can go hand in hand, provided that decision makers develop and use tools and insights targeting in the implementation of successful and robust long term policies. This paper was developed in the framework of a European research project and implements a Multicriteria Mathematical Programming model that optimises the sustainable management of agricultural regions taking in account the available resources (land, labour, capital) and environmental parameters (agrochemicals, water consumption).

A DSS for sustainable development and environmental protection of agricultural regions.

This paper presents a decision support system (DSS) for sustainable development and environmental protection of agricultural regions developed in the framework of the Interreg-Archimed project entitled WaterMap (development and utilization of vulnerability maps for the monitoring and management of groundwater resources in the ARCHIMED areas). Its aim is to optimize the production plan of an agricultural region taking in account the available resources, the environmental parameters, and the vulnerability map of the region. The DSS is based on an optimization multicriteria model.

Genetic variation among Mediterranean populations of Sesamia nonagrioides (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) as revealed by RFLP mtDNA analysis.

Restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of two segments of mitochondrial DNA (COI and 16S rRNA) was used to examine genetic variation in Sesamia nonagrioides (Lefèbvre) populations from the Mediterranean basin. Four populations were collected from central and southern Greece, and five from northern latitudes: Greece, Italy, France and Spain. No variation was observed in COI, while 16S rRNA segment proved highly polymorphic and 28 different haplotypes were found.

Low dose of infliximab is inadequate in most patients with spondylarthropathies.

Objectives: The recommended starting dose for infliximab for ankylosing spondylitis 5mg/kg is higher than that for rheumatoid arthritis. Because of the high expense of the drug lower doses may be considered. We report our experience with lower initial doses.

Enthesial fibrocartilage - bone interaction: a radiographic study of selected sites of nonsynovial peripheral enthesopathy.

Objectives: To assess radiological imaging and prevalence of pelvic (excluding sacroiliac joints), calcaneal, patellar and humeral enthesopathy (EN) in a cohort study.

Materials-methods: Outpatients attending a state hospital rheumatology clinic for a continuous 4-year period, were consecutively screened for radiographic evidence of peripheral nonsynovial EN in pelvis, ankle, knee and shoulder regions and in particular sites within these regions regardless of symptoms. Imaging and prevalence were assessed in patients suffering from a variety of myoskeletal disorders by applying either of the following two plain X-ray criteria: a) tendon and/or ligament and/or fascia ossification, b) reactive bone proliferation resulting in excrescences and/or sclerosis and/or erosions.

Infliximab treatment for rheumatoid arthritis, with dose titration based on the Disease Activity Score: dose adjustments are common but not always sufficient to assure sustained benefit.

Background: Randomised controlled trials have shown that treatment with anti-tumour necrosis factor (anti-TNF) agents is effective in refractory rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Objective: To determine the effectiveness of anti-TNF in a general unselected group of patients with refractory RA.

Methods: 68 patients with active RA despite treatment with disease modifying antirheumatic drugs were studied during 12 infliximab infusions.