There is no abstract available for this dissertation.

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Την 8η Ιουνίου 2008, στις 15:25 τοπική ώρα (12:25 GMT) ένας σεισμός μεγέθους Mw 6.4 εκδηλώθηκε στη ΒΔ Πελοπόννησο, στη Δυτική Ελλάδα. Το επίκεντρο προσδιορίστηκε κοντά στο χωριό Μιχόι, στη Δημοτική Ενότητα Μόβρης, περίπου 35 km ΝΔ της Πάτρας. Στην παρούσα εργασία, έγινε μία μελέτη ανισοτροπίας στην επικεντρική περιοχή του σεισμού της 8ης Ιουνίου. Συγκεκριμένα, έγινε μία μελέτη για την ανίχνευση του φαινομένου διαχωρισμού των εγκαρσίων κυμάτων και της εξέλιξής του σε σχέση με την εκδήλωση του σεισμού της 8ης Ιουνίου. Χρησιμοποιήθηκαν οι καταγραφές από τον σεισμολογικό σταθμό του Ριόλου (RLS), καθώς είναι ο μόνος κοντινός σταθμός στο επίκεντρο του σεισμού της 8ης Ιουνίου που βρισκόταν σε συνεχή λειτουργία κατά τα χρονικά διαστήματα πριν και μετά την εκδήλωση του σεισμού. Για τη μελέτη του φαινομένου του διαχωρισμού των εγκαρσίων κυμάτων χρησιμοποιήθηκε η μέθοδος cross-correlation (Ando et al., 1983; Fukao, 1984). Μετά την επεξεργασία των δεδομένων, προσδιορίστηκαν οι παράμετροι του φαινομένου, φ (διεύθυνση ταλάντωσης της ταχύτερης συνιστώσας των εγκαρσίων κυμάτων) και dt (χρόνος καθυστέρησης μεταξύ των δύο συνιστωσών) για κάθε ένα σεισμικό γεγονός. Ο διαχωρισμός των εγκαρσίων κυμάτων (shear-wave splitting) είναι ένα φαινόμενο κατά το οποίο, τα εγκάρσια κύματα διαχωρίζονται σε δύο συνιστώσες, με διαφορετικές διευθύνσεις πόλωσης και διαφορετικές ταχύτητες διάδοσης. Ο διαχωρισμός αυτός πραγματοποιείται κατά την διάδοση των εγκαρσίων κυμάτων μέσα από ένα ανισοτροπικό μέσο (Crampin and Chastin, 2003; Crampin and Peacock, 2005). Σύμφωνα με τη θεωρία, ο διαχωρισμός των εγκαρσίων κυμάτων στον φλοιό, προκαλείται εξαιτίας της ύπαρξης μικρο-ρωγμών, μικρο-διαρρήξεων κορεσμένων με ρευστά. Οι μικρο-διαρήξεις αυτές έχουν συνήθως διευθύνσεις παράλληλες ή υπό-παράλληλες με αυτή της μέγιστης οριζόντιας συμπιεστικής τάσης σε μία περιοχή (Crampin, 1993). Η ανάλυση των δεδομένων κατέδειξε την ύπαρξη του φαινομένου διαχωρισμού των εγκαρσίων κυμάτων στην υπό μελέτη περιοχή. Τόσο πριν, όσο και μετά την εκδήλωση του σεισμού της 8ης Ιουνίου, οι διευθύνσεις πόλωσης της ταχύτερης συνιστώσας των εγκαρσίων κυμάτων ακολουθούν μία μέση διεύθυνση ΒΒΔ-ΝΝΑ. Η μέση διεύθυνση της ταχύτερης συνιστώσας δεν είναι σύμφωνη με τα χαρακτηριστικά του πεδίου των τάσεων στην περιοχή, όπως προσδιορίστηκαν από τους Konstantinou et al. (2011) και Hollenstein et al. (2008), με μία μέση διεύθυνση οριζόντιας συμπιεστικής τάσης Α-Δ. Η ΒΒΔ-ΝΝΑ διεύθυνση πόλωσης της ταχύτερης συνιστώσας οφείλεται πιθανόν στη δράση ενός πεδίου τάσεων γύρω και κάτω από τη θέση καταγραφής με τοπικά χαρακτηριστικά. Τέλος, παρατηρήθηκε μία αύξηση στις τιμές των χρόνων καθυστέρησης μετά την εκδήλωση του σεισμού της 8ης Ιουνίου. Η μέση τιμή των χρόνων καθυστέρησης πριν την εκδήλωση του σεισμού ήταν περίπου 27.3 ms, ενώ μετά την εκδήλωσή του 41.7 ms. H αύξηση των χρόνων καθυστέρησης, υποδηλώνει μία μεταβολή των ιδιοτήτων του μέσου στον ανώτερο φλοιό εξαιτίας της εκδήλωσης του σεισμού. Η εκδήλωση του σεισμού της 8ης Ιουνίου προκάλεσε πιθανόν την διεύρυνση και την επιμήκυνση των προϋπαρχόντων μικρο-διαρρήξεων του φλοιού, τη δημιουργία νέων και την επιπλέον πλήρωσή τους με ρευστά. / On June 8, 2008, at 15:25 local time (12:25 GMT) an Mw 6.4 earthquake occurred in the area of northwest Peloponnesus, Western Greece. The epicenter was located near Mihoi village, in the municipality of Movri, about 35 km southwest of Patras. In this paper, a crustal anisotropy analysis was performed in the epicentral area of Movri Mountain earthquake. Specifically, there was a study to detect shear-wave splitting phenomenon and its temporal evolution in relation to the occurrence of Movri Mountain earthquake. For the needs of the study, we used seismic records from the seismological station of Riolos (RLS). Riolos station is the nearest station from the epicenter of Movri Mountain earthquake which was in continuous operation during the periods before and after the occurrence of the earthquake. The method that was used to study shear-wave splitting phenomenon was the cross-correlation method (Ando et al., 1983; Fukao, 1984; Kuo et al., 1994). Through the data processing, splitting parameters φ (polarization direction of the fastest component of shear waves) and dt (time delay between the two components) were measured for each seismic event. Shear-wave splitting is a phenomenon in which shear-waves are separated into two components with different polarization directions and velocities. The phenomenon in the upper crust is caused by the existence of stress-aligned, fluid-filled micro-cracks/micro-fractures. The polarization directions of the fast components are usually parallel or sub-parallel to the direction of the maximum horizontal compressive stress (Crampin, 1993). Data analysis revealed the existence of shear-wave splitting phenomenon in the study area. Both before and after the occurrence of Movri Mountain earthquake, the polarization directions of the fast component of shear waves follow a general NNW-SSE direction. The observed mean fast polarization direction is not consistent with the estimated characteristics of the regional stress field of the broader area, as identified by Kontsantinou et al. (2011) and Hollenstein et al. (2008), who report a general E-W direction of the maximum horizontal compressive stress. The difference between the estimated fast polarization directions and the properties of the regional stress field shows the presence of a local stress field in the study area. Finally, an increase in time delays was observed after the occurrence of Movri Mountain earthquake. The average value of delay times before the occurrence of the earthquake was about 27.3ms, while after the occurrence was about 41.7ms. The increase in delay times which was observed after the occurrence of Movri Mountain earthquake possibly indicates changes in the properties of the medium in the upper crust. The occurrence of Movri Mountain earthquake caused the expansion/ lengthening of micro-cracks and its further filling with fluids.

This thesis has two overarching aims. The first aim is to understand the origins and development of temperance and abstinence in British Methodism, particularly through the theology that informed what may broadly be called the Methodist teetotal movement in its period of greatest popularity from 1830 until 1919. The second is to consider the downfall of this movement in the period from 1945 until 1974, when the Methodist Connexion adopted the view that each Methodist “must consider his personal attitude to all drugs in relation to his Christian vocation”. The need for the study arises from the relative dearth of historical investigation regarding Methodism and abstinence. Representations of Methodism and abstinence tend either to be partisan or to lack wider understanding of the abstinence movement, or the theology of Methodism. Methodologically, this thesis attempts to hold together historical and theological considerations; it is important to consider both the socio-economic contexts in which diverse abstinence and teetotal movements arose and the theological motivations that drove British Methodist belief and practice. Regarding the origins and development of temperance and abstinence in British Methodism, it is proposed in this thesis that the Bible Christians were the first organised Methodist abstainers, and that their practice was likely to have been influenced by John Wesley's theologies of sanctification, holiness and Christian perfection. The thesis is an attempt to counter the Bible Christian’s diminished historical significance, as well as to investigate the likely impact of the theological underpinnings for their abstinence. Regarding the downfall of temperance and abstinence in British Methodism in the period from 1945 until 1974, this thesis will propose that a loss of focus upon holiness as a catalyst for abstinence was detrimental to the growth and continuation of the teetotal movement throughout Methodism after World War Two. It will highlight the general rejection of this focus on encouraged abstinence in the second half of the twentieth century, acknowledging the changes and disagreement within British Methodism to which this dismissal led. Concluding comments allude to the need for a renewed witness within British Methodism to societal and theological imperatives for both temperance and abstinence.

This thesis proposes the development of a narrative methodology in the British Methodist Church. Such a methodology embraces and communicates both felt experience and critical theological thinking, thus producing and presenting a theology that might have a constructive transformative impact on wider society. In chapter one I explore the ways in which the Church speaks in public, identify some of the challenges it faces, and consider four models of engagement. If the Church is to engage in public discourses then I argue that its words need to be relevant and connect with people’s experiences. To ground the thinking I focus on the context of the British Methodist Church and explore how the Church engages in theological reflection through the lens of its thinking on issues of human sexuality. Chapter two reviews how theological reflection is undertaken in the British Methodist Church. I describe how the Methodist Quadrilateral of Scripture, tradition, reason and experience remains a foundational framework for theological reflection within the Methodist Church and consider the impact of institutional processes and the ways in which the Methodist people actually engage with theological thinking. The third and fourth chapters focus on how the British Methodist Church has produced its theology of human sexuality, giving particular attention to the use of personal and sexual stories in this process. I find that whilst there has been a desire to listen to the stories of the Methodist people, there has not been a corresponding interrogation or analysis of their stories so as to enable robust and constructive theological reflection on these experiences. Using resources from Foucauldian approaches to discourse analysis, I critique key statements and the processes involved in their production, offering an analysis of this body of theological thinking and indicating where possibilities for alternative ways of thinking and acting arise. The proposed methodology draws upon resources from social science methodologies, and in chapter five I look at the use of personal experience and relevant strategies of inquiry that prompt reflection on the hermeneutical process and employ narrative approaches in undertaking, analysing and presenting research. The exploration shows that qualitative research methodologies offer resources and methods of inquiry that could help the Church to engage with personal stories in its theological thinking in a robust, interrogative and imaginative way. In chapter six an examination of story and narrative is undertaken, to show how they have been understood as ways of knowing and how they relate to theological inquiry. Whilst acknowledging some of the limitations of narrative, I indicate how it offers constructive possibilities for theological reflection and could be a means for the British Methodist Church to engage in public discourse. This is explored further in chapter seven, which looks in more detail at how the British Methodist Church has used narrative in its theological thinking, and outlines areas requiring further attention in order for a narrative theological methodology to be developed, namely: attention to the question ‘whose experience?’; investigation of issues of power and the dynamics involved in the process of the production of theological thought; how personal stories and experiences are interrogated and how narrative is constructed; and how narrative might be employed within the Methodist Quadrilateral. The final chapter considers the advantages and limitations of such an approach, whether the development of such a method is possible in the Methodist Church today and its potential for helping the Church to engage in public discourse more effectively. I argue that this methodology can provoke new theological insights and enable new ways of being in the world.

Multilayered immigration enforcement regimes comprising state and federal statutes and local police practices demand research on their social and health-related consequences. This dissertation explores the multiple impacts of immigrant policing: sets of laws and police activities that make undocumented immigrants more visible to authorities and increase their risk of deportation. Examining immigrant policing through a multi-sited framework and drawing from principles of engaged anthropology, findings from this dissertation suggest how immigrant policing impacts undocumented immigrants' overall wellbeing, health providers' professional practice, and reveals troubles with safety net medical care. Interviews and participant observation experiences suggest how immigrant policing perpetuates a type of fear-based governance that shapes where undocumented immigrants seek health services, the types of services they seek, and exacerbates intimate partner violence. Moreover, research findings point to how immigrant rights organizations and health providers resist biopolitical efforts to control undocumented immigrants, especially in situations of life or death when institutional authority may limit how undocumented immigrants receive life-sustaining care. Findings from this research respond to calls to examine state immigration laws and their impact on health, and demonstrate the lived experiences of undocumented immigrants in Atlanta who confront an increasingly hostile immigration system.

Στην παρούσα εργασία γίνεται μελέτη της χρήσης διηλεκτρικών υλικών για τη βελτίωση των απεικονιστικών ιδιοτήτων της εστιασμένης μικροκυματικής ραδιομετρίας, όπωςείναι η χωρική διακριτική ικανότητα και το βάθος διείσδυσης της ακτινοβολίας. Με τη βοήθεια του λογισμικού HFSS (High Frequency Structure Simulation) το οποίο βασίζεται στη μέθοδο των πεπερασμένων στοιχείων, μελετώνται διάφορες υλοποιήσεις με τη χρήση των διηλεκτρικών. Τοποθετούνται διηλεκτρικά στρώματα βηματικού δείκτη διάθλασης γύρω από το κεφάλι και διηλεκτρικά στρώματα γύρω από την κεραία. Επίσης σε μια άλλη προσέγγιση του προβλήματος, το κεφάλι τοποθετείται σε ομοιογενή σφαίρα διηλεκτρικού ώστε να επιτευχθεί ευκολότερη και πιο αξιόπιστη εστίαση. Τέλος εξετάζεται η περίπτωση λειτουργίας του MiRaIS με τη χρήση κατευθυντήριας κεραίας τεχνολογίας microstrip, αντί για παγκατευθυντικό δίπολο. Σε κάθε προσέγγιση αξιολογούνται και συγκρίνονται τα αριθμητικά αποτελέσματα όλων των συχνοτήτων που δοκιμάζονται (500MHz-2GHz). / -

The specific nature of work in nuclear medicine departments involves the use of isotopes and handling procedures, which contribute to the considerable value of the equivalent dose received, in particular, by the fingertips. Workers of nuclear medicine units who label radiopharmaceuticals are exposed to ionizing radiation. The doses of nuclear medicine workers determined by individual dosimeters, which supply data on the magnitude of personal dose equivalent. The dosimetry pointing to a considerable optimization of the radiological protection among that professional group. However, the problem of the excessive hand exposure had been noted already in the early 1980s. Systematic studies were undertaken in West Scotland. The difficulties associated with automation of radiopharmaceutical preparation process are responsible for the continuing growth of exposure to the hands of the workers. Similar studies have also been undertaken, e.g. in Chile, Norway, Australia, Italy, USA, Belgium(1). In each case, special attention has been paid to the exposure of nuclear medicine worker hands. The radiopharmacists who label various ligands can be exposed to high radiation doses to their fingertips (primarily of the thumb, index finger and middle finger). Quite frequently, the Hp(0.07) to the fingertips of those three fingers may exceed the dose limit, i.e. value of 500 mSv/y for the skin of human fingers, this dose limit refers to the maximum dose recorded(2). Specific difficulty in assessing the exposures of the most affected finger parts is aggravated by the fact that the universally employed method for the determination of the radiation doses received by the hands using a ring with attached thermoluminescence detectors is not adequate in this particular case. This measurement method is inadequate because distribution of the doses received by the skin of the hands and fingers is extremely non uniform. The main aim of the study was to measure the absorbed dose at the hands of the personnel by using thermoluminescent detectors / -

Renogram in Nuclear Medicine is the main examination for the diagnosis of several diseases in children such as kidney failure or obstructive uropathy. The dosimetry of this examination is based on the group-specific values presented by the ICRP publications. The need for person-specific dosimetry in the Nuclear Medicine urged in the creation of a new image-based dosimetric method, based on the outcome of the examination of the renogram of each patient. With the help of an experimental procedure, the percentage of self-absorption inside the “source” organs and the absorption from the surrounding tissues of the transmitted radiation of the radiopharmaceutical (99m-Tc-MAG3) is calculated, leading with the use of the MIRD method, to the measurement of the activity of Technetium inside the patient’s organs during the renogram’s duration. Afterwards with the help of theoretical models, conclusions and assumptions the total cumulated activity of the patient’s organs is calculated. The results show similar values with other projects published, which were more invasive and less cost-effective for the department. / Στην πυρηνική ιατρική, τα νεφρογράμματα είναι η κύρια εξέταση για την διάγνωση ασθενειών στα παιδιά, όπως η νεφρική ανεπάρκεια και η ουροφρακτική ανεπάρκεια. Η δοσιμετρία αυτών των εξετάσεων στηρίζεται πάνω στα group-specific όρια του ICRP. Η ανάγκη για person-specific δοσιμετρία και στην Πυρηνική Ιατρική ώθησε στη δημιουργία μιας δοσιμετρικής μελέτης που στηρίζεται στην εικόνα (image-based) από το αποτέλεσμα της εξέτασης του νεφρογράμματος του κάθε ασθενή. Με τη βοήθεια μιας πειραματικής διάταξης υπολογίζεται το ποσοστό αυτο-απορρόφησης στα όργανα «στόχους» και το ποσοστό απορρόφησης της εκπεμπόμενης ακτινοβολίας από τους περιβάλλοντες ιστούς, οδηγώντας μαζί με την μέθοδο του MIRD, στον υπολογισμό της ενεργότητας του ραδιοφαρμάκου (99m-Tc-MAG3) μέσα στα όργανα του ασθενή καθ’ όλη την διάρκεια της εξέτασης. Με την βοήθεια θεωρητικών μοντέλων, συμπερασμάτων και υποθέσεων υπολογίζεται η συνολική ακτινική επιβάρυνση του ασθενούς και τα αποτελέσματα δίνουν παραπλήσιες τιμές με άλλες δημοσιευμένες εργασίες, που ακολούθησαν πιο επεμβατικές ή πιο κοστοβόρες για το τμήμα, μεθόδους.

L’automesure tensionnelle (AMT) est recommandée par toutes les Sociétés Savantes pour le diagnostic et le suivi des patients hypertendus. Après une revue de la littérature en 2013, concernant les avantages diagnostiques, thérapeutiques et pronostiques de l’AMT, nous avons comparé les similitudes et les différences existant entre les différentes recommandations. Nous avons discuté les limites de l’AMT, en la comparant aux mesures cliniques et à la mesure ambulatoire de la pression artérielle sur 24h. L’implémentation de l’AMT par les Médecins Généralistes (MG) Français est médiocre. Si sa pratique est plus fréquente parmi les MG Grecs, ceux-ci sont très critiques envers la qualité des données. Les AMT doivent être réalisées en suivant une méthodologie comprenant un repos préalable avant de pratiquer les mesures. Nous avons montré que ce repos n’est en fait que rarement respecté par les patients, et qu’il est peut-être inutile. / Home Blood Pressure Measurement (HBPM) is recommended by all guidelines for the diagnosis and follow-up of hypertensive patients. After a 2013 literature review, concerning diagnostic, therapeutic and prognostic benefits, we compared similarities and differences between guidelines. We discussed HBPM limits, comparing HBPM with casual office measurements and 24h Ambulatory Blood Pressure Measurements. HBPM implementation among French General Practitioners (GP) is poor. In Greece, GPs more often practice HBPM but reported drawbacks were questionable about reliability of patients’ reports and devices inaccuracy. Guidelines recommend following a precise protocol including rest before HBPM. We showed that rest is not respected by the patients in the real life, and is perhaps unnecessary.