University of the Aegean

About: University of the Aegean is a education organization based out in Mytilene, Greece. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Tourism. The organization has 2818 authors who have published 8100 publications receiving 179275 citations. The organization is also known as: UAEG.

Hypotheses, mechanisms and trade-offs of tolerance and adaptation to serpentine soils : from species to ecosystem level

Abstract: Understanding the relative importance of the abiotic environment and species interactions in determining the distribution and abundance of organisms has been a challenge in ecological research. Serpentine substrata are stressful environments for plant growth due to multiple limitations, collectively called the "serpentine syndrome". In the present review, our aim is not only to describe recent work in serpentine ecology, but also to highlight specific mechanisms of species tolerance and adaptation to serpentine soils and their effects on community structure and ecosystem functioning. We present hypotheses of the development of serpentine endemism and a description of functional traits of serpentine plants together with a synthesis of species interactions in serpentine soils and their effects on community structure and ecosystem productivity. In addition, we propose hypotheses about the effects of the 'serpentine syndrome' on ecosystem processes including productivity and decomposition.

Selecting an Appropriate Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis Technique for Renewable Energy Planning

Abstract: This article develops a methodological framework to provide insights regarding the suitability of multi-criteria techniques in the context of renewable energy planning. The second section presents main characteristics of the particular decision-making process. The third section presents the main multi-criteria analysis methods, and the fourth section reveals the requirements of the techniques for renewable energy planning and the main attributes under which these methods should be evaluated. Subsequently, in the fifth section, a comparative matrix is created with the various appropriate multi-criteria techniques and their performance. Finally in the sixth sec tion, we present our conclusions.

Addressing privacy requirements in system design: the PriS method

Abstract: A major challenge in the field of software engineering is to make users trust the software that they use in their every day activities for professional or recreational reasons. Trusting software depends on various elements, one of which is the protection of user privacy. Protecting privacy is about complying with user’s desires when it comes to handling personal information. Users’ privacy can also be defined as the right to determine when, how and to what extend information about them is communicated to others. Current research stresses the need for addressing privacy issues during the system design rather than during the system implementation phase. To this end, this paper describes PriS, a security requirements engineering method, which incorporates privacy requirements early in the system development process. PriS considers privacy requirements as organisational goals that need to be satisfied and adopts the use of privacy-process patterns as a way to: (1) describe the effect of privacy requirements on business processes; and (2) facilitate the identification of the system architecture that best supports the privacy-related business processes. In this way, PriS provides a holistic approach from ‘high-level’ goals to ‘privacy-compliant’ IT systems. The PriS way-of-working is formally defined thus, enabling the development of automated tools for assisting its application.

A survey on algorithmic approaches for solving tourist trip design problems

Abstract: The tourist trip design problem (TTDP) refers to a route-planning problem for tourists interested in visiting multiple points of interest (POIs). TTDP solvers derive daily tourist tours, i.e., ordered visits to POIs, which respect tourist constraints and POIs attributes. The main objective of the problem discussed is to select POIs that match tourist preferences, thereby maximizing tourist satisfaction, while taking into account a multitude of parameters and constraints (e.g., distances among POIs, visiting time required for each POI, POIs visiting days/hours, entrance fees, weather conditions) and respecting the time available for sightseeing on a daily basis. The aim of this work is to survey models, algorithmic approaches and methodologies concerning tourist trip design problems. Recent approaches are examined, focusing on problem models that best capture a multitude of realistic POIs attributes and user constraints; further, several interesting TTDP variants are investigated. Open issues and promising prospects in tourist trip planning research are also discussed.

Intra- and inter-species interactions within biofilms of important foodborne bacterial pathogens.

Abstract: A community-based sessile life style is the normal mode of growth and survival for many bacterial species. Under such conditions, cell-to-cell interactions are inevitable and ultimately lead to the establishment of dense, complex and highly structured biofilm populations encapsulated in a self-produced extracellular matrix and capable of coordinated and collective behavior. Remarkably, in food processing environments, a variety of different bacteria may attach to surfaces, survive, grow, and form biofilms. Salmonella enterica, Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus are important bacterial pathogens commonly implicated in outbreaks of foodborne diseases, while all are known to be able to create biofilms on both abiotic and biotic surfaces. Particularly challenging is the attempt to understand the complexity of inter-bacterial interactions that can be encountered in such unwanted consortia, such as competitive and cooperative ones, together with their impact on the final outcome of these communities (e.g., maturation, physiology, antimicrobial resistance, virulence, dispersal). In this review, up-to-date data on both the intra- and inter-species interactions encountered in biofilms of these pathogens are presented. A better understanding of these interactions, both at molecular and biophysical levels, could lead to novel intervention strategies for controlling pathogenic biofilm formation in food processing environments and thus improve food safety.