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Editorial on the Research TopicEnhanced human modeling in robotics for socially-aware place navigation

Cultural heritage (CH) sites are frequently exposed to natural elements, and their exposure becomes particularly precarious with the onset of climate change. This increased vulnerability places these sites at risk of deterioration or complete destruction. Risks such as land deformation, floods, acid rain, and erosion significantly threaten historic monuments, while water-related hazards, significantly influenced by both climate change and human activities, present a particularly grave risk to these invaluable sites. Considerable research efforts have focused on safeguarding CH sites. However, there remains a deficiency in systemic approaches towards identifying and mitigating risks for CH sites. The TRIQUETRA project proposes a technological toolbox and a methodological framework for tackling climate change risks and natural hazards threatening CH in the most efficient way possible. It aims at creating an evidence-based assessment platform allowing precise risk stratification as well as a database of available mitigation measures and strategies, acting as a Decision Support System (DSS) towards efficient risk mitigation and site remediation. TRIQUETRA is a European project that brings together a diverse group of researchers with varied expertise, encompassing university research groups, research institutes, public entities, as well as small and medium-sized enterprises. In this article, TRIQUETRAs overall methodology is presented, and preliminary results concerning risk identification, TRIQUETRAs knowledge base, as well as novel sensors and coatings, are discussed.

Welcome to the SecOPERA 1st Info Day Presentation! Hosted by the SecOPERA project, this Info Day is designed to provide participants with a thorough insight into the project's objectives, functionalities, and the significant milestones achieved so far. For those who could not attend or wish to revisit the valuable content, the video of the Info Day is accessible on the SecOPERA YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/jEqHAkOaTh4?si=Gq0dzF-u-rXh_43s 

Η παρούσα διπλωματική διατριβή, ερευνά τη σημασία των Συστημάτων Διαχείρισης Αποθηκών (WMS) για τις μικρομεσαίες επιχειρήσεις στο σύγχρονο επιχειρηματικό περιβάλλον. Μελετά την ιστορική εξέλιξη των συστημάτων διαχείρισης, τον σκοπό, τις λειτουργίες τους, τους τύπους και τις τεχνολογικές τάσεις που επηρεάζουν τον συγκεκριμένο τομέα. Ιδιαίτερη έμφαση δίνεται στις προκλήσεις που αντιμετωπίζουν οι μικρομεσαίες επιχειρήσεις στην υλοποίηση ενός συστήματος WMS, συμπεριλαμβανομένων του κόστους, των τεχνολογικών περιορισμών και των επιπτώσεων που επέρχονται για την επιχείρηση εάν δεν καταφέρει να υιοθετήσει επιτυχώς τα συγκεκριμένα συστήματα. Επιπλέον, διερευνάται η επίδραση της 4ης βιομηχανικής επανάστασης ( Industry 4.0 ) στην διαχείριση και στην λειτουργία των σύγχρονων αποθηκών. Τέλος, παρέχεται μια μελέτη περίπτωσης που αφορά τη δημιουργία ενός προσιτού για τις μικρομεσαίες επιχειρήσεις WMS, περιγράφοντας τη βάση δεδομένων που αναπτύχθηκε, τις κύριες λειτουργίες της εφαρμογής και γίνεται αναφορά στα μελλοντικά βήματα για την περαιτέρω ανάπτυξη της εφαρμογής. This dissertation thesis undertakes an examination of the pivotal role played by Warehouse Management Systems (WMS), within the context of small and medium-sized (SMEs) operating in the contemporary business landscape. It examines the history of Warehouse Management Systems, explaining their fundamental purpose, functions, the types of WMS and provide the technological trends exerting influence upon this domain. Particular emphasis is given to the manifold challenges confronting SMEs in the adoption and implementation of Warehouse Management Systems. Furthermore, a thorough research is undertaken regarding the impact of the 4th Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0) on the management and operation of modern warehouses. Concluding this dissertation is a case study describing the development of an economical viable WMS tailored specifically for SMEs.

Wildfires are an escalating global threat, jeopardizing ecosystems and human activities. Among the repercussions in the ecosystem services of burnt areas, there are altered hydrological processes, which increase the risks of flash floods. There is limited research addressing this issue in a comprehensive way, considering pre- and post-fire conditions to accurately represent flood events. To address this gap, we present a novel approach combining multiple methods and tools for an accurate representation of post-fire floods. The 2019 post-fire flood in Kineta, Central Greece is used as a study example to present our framework. We simulated the meteorological conditions that caused this flood using the atmospheric model WRF-ARW. The burn extent and severity and the flood extent were assessed through remote sensing techniques. The 2D HEC-RAS hydraulic–hydrodynamic model was then applied to represent the flood event, using the rain-on-grid technique. The findings underscore the influence of wildfires on flooding dynamics, highlighting the need for proactive measures to address the increasing risks. The integrated multidisciplinary approach used offers an improved understanding on post-fire flood responses, and also establishes a robust framework, transferable to other similar cases, contributing thus to enhanced flood protection actions in the face of escalating fire-related disasters.

Interventional oncology (IO) is the field of Interventional Radiology that provides minimally invasive procedures under imaging guidance for the diagnosis and treatment of malignant tumors. Sophisticated devices can be utilized to increase standardization, accuracy, outcomes, and “repeatability” in performing percutaneous Interventional Oncology techniques. These technologies can reduce variability, reduce human error, and outperform human hand-to-eye coordination and spatial relations, thus potentially normalizing an otherwise broad diversity of IO techniques, impacting simulation, training, navigation, outcomes, and performance, as well as verification of desired minimum ablation margin or other measures of successful procedures. Stereotactic navigation and robotic systems may yield specific advantages, such as the potential to reduce procedure duration and ionizing radiation exposure during the procedure and, at the same time, increase accuracy. Enhanced accuracy, in turn, is linked to improved outcomes in many clinical scenarios. The present review focuses on the current role of percutaneous navigation systems and robotics in diagnostic and therapeutic Interventional Oncology procedures. The currently available alternatives are presented, including their potential impact on clinical practice as reflected in the peer-reviewed medical literature. A review of such data may inform wiser investment of time and resources toward the most impactful IR/IO applications of robotics and navigation to both standardize and address unmet clinical needs.

Aside from plant breeding and agricultural inputs, understanding and interpreting the Genotype × Environment (G × E) interaction has contributed significantly to the increase in wheat yield. In Central Macedonia, Greece, fifteen commercially important durum wheat cultivars and one landrace were tested in six cultivation environments classified into high- and low- productivity environments. This study aimed to identify the most productive and stable durum wheat genotypes across Mediterranean farming systems through a comparative examination of genotype plus genotype by environment (GGE) biplot alongside fifteen parametric and non-parametric stability models. In the organic (low productivity) environment, cultivar Zoi and the landrace Lemnos showed remarkable results, indicating a potential solution for biological agriculture. For the late-sowing (low productivity) environment, some widespread varieties such as Mexicali-81, Meridiano, and Maestrale had excellent performance, showing potential to overcome more adverse conditions during critical grain filling periods such as higher air temperature and deficient soil moisture, i.e., conditions that correlate with climate change. Evaluation of genotypes in all environments for a combination of high yield and stable production, showed that the best genotypes were G8 (Simeto), G2 (Canavaro), and G12 (Elpida). In the subgroup with the three high-productivity environments, G12 (Elpida), G8 (Simeto), and G6 (Mexicali-81) were the best genotypes, followed by G2 (Canavaro), while in the low-productivity subgroup, the G2 (Canavaro), G13 (Zoi) and G8 (Simeto) genotypes were the best.

The term intercropping is used to describe agricultural systems where at least two or more species are cultivated in the same field for a portion of their biological cycle. It is an ancient agricultural practice that, with the evolution of agriculture, the prevalence of intensive cultivation systems, and the use of multiple inputs became mostly restricted to developing countries. However, due to climate instability and uncertainty about weather conditions, interest in intercropping has been revived in recent years. The objective of the present study was to determine which faba bean cultivar can be used with wheat cultivars to achieve higher yields and to examine the interaction between the cultivars in intercropping systems. It was found that the combination of Flamenko with Polycarpi gave the highest yield and showed complementarity in the interaction between these cultivars that also have the highest yield; also, the other indices that were used showed a good response on the intercropping system and the LER was 1.30 and 1.19 for the first and the second year of the study, respectively. Therefore, there are faba bean and wheat cultivars that are better adapted to intercropping conditions and can be utilized by farmers to enhance productivity.

Inappropriate fertilisation results in the pollution of groundwater with nitrates and phosphates, eutrophication in surface water, emission of greenhouse gasses, and unwanted N deposition in natural environments, thereby harming the whole ecosystem. In greenhouses, the cultivation in closed-loop soilless culture systems (CLSs) allows for the collection and recycling of the drainage solution, thus minimising contamination of water resources by nutrient emissions originating from the fertigation effluents. Recycling of the DS represents an ecologically sound technology as it can reduce water consumption by 20–35% and fertiliser use by 40–50% in greenhouse crops, while minimising or even eliminating losses of nutrients, thereby preventing environmental pollution by NO3− and P. The nutrient supply in CLSs is largely based on the anticipated ratio between the mass of a nutrient absorbed by the crop and the volume of water, expressed as mmol L−1, commonly referenced to as “uptake concentration” (UC). However, although the UCs exhibit stability over time under optimal climatic conditions, some deviations at different locations and different cropping stages can occur, leading to the accumulation or depletion of nutrients in the root zone. Although these may be small in the short term, they can reach harmful levels when summed up over longer periods, resulting in serious nutrient imbalances and crop damage. To prevent large nutrient imbalances in the root zone, the composition of the supplied nutrient solution must be frequently readjusted, taking into consideration the current nutrient status in the root zone of the crop. The standard practice to estimate the current nutrient status in the root zone is to regularly collect samples of drainage solution and determine the nutrient concentrations through chemical analyses. However, as results from a chemical laboratory are available several days after sample selection, there is currently intensive research activity aiming to develop ion-selective electrodes (ISEs) for online measurement of the DS composition in real-time. Furthermore, innovative decision support systems (DSSs) fed with the analytical results transmitted either offline or online can substantially contribute to timely and appropriate readjustments of the nutrient supply using as feedback information the current nutrient status in the root zone. The purpose of the present paper is to review the currently applied technologies for nutrient and water recycling in CLSs, as well as the new trends based on ISEs and novel DSSs. Furthermore, a specialised DSS named NUTRISENSE, which can contribute to more efficient management of nutrient supply and salt accumulation in closed-loop soilless cultivations, is presented.