POSEIDON System Research Articles

Digitalization of control and supervisory activities as a tool for combating corruption

The subject of the study is the process of combating corruption, which, due to its changing forms and methods, should be permanent and comprehensive. Moreover, all levels of society are affected by corruption. Digitalization of administrative procedures makes it possible to increase the efficiency of public administration and ensure transparency of decisions. At the same time, it is necessary to assess how the goals and the reality of their implementation coincide. Russia has adopted yet another anti-corruption plan, which is "reinforced" by the introduction of a new Poseidon system that ensures compliance with anti-corruption requirements by various officials. However, the constant bias towards digitalization of administrative procedures and control and supervisory activities cannot automatically lead to the eradication of corruption. It only creates prerequisites. In addition, policy documents in Russia do not set such goals, including even existing international legal acts. Digitalization has many advantages – it is the ease, simplicity and speed of decisions. In fact, the electronic form of control is convenient: you do not need to wait long, prepare documents, the control body can check everything at once. Also, digitalization has already shown effectiveness in reducing "everyday" corruption. However, there is no detailed statistics on the results of appealing control measures in open data. It is impossible to assess what was appealed, what decisions were made and what problems arose. At the same time, the ubiquitous electronic form will not get rid of negative phenomena – there is no single standard of interaction between an administrative body and a non-governmental entity. Regulatory legal acts do not take into account one important aspect: not all individuals have access to the Internet.

Anti-corruption potential of the Poseidon system

Anti-corruption includes, first of all, prevention, which implies the use of controlling mechanisms in the most corrupt areas. One of them is public administration. An additional means of combating corruption should be the state information system (hereinafter – GIS) “Poseidon”. However, at present, the actions of this system do not apply to the municipal level, which, according to the author, violates the principle of unity of public authority and requires correction.

A carbonate system time series in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. Two years of high-frequency in-situ observations and remote sensing

The rate of ocean uptake of anthropogenic CO2 has declined over the past decade, so a critical question for science and policy is whether the ocean will continue to act as a sink. Large areas of the ocean remain without observations for carbonate system variables, and oceanic CO2 observations have declined since 2017. The Mediterranean Sea is one such an area, especially its eastern part, where there is a paucity of carbonate system data, with large areas not sampled or only sampled by ship-based discrete measurements as opposed to high frequency, sensor-equipped time-series fixed stations. The aim of this study was to analyze a multi-year time-series of high-frequency (hourly) partial pressure CO2 (pCO2) and pH measurements in the Eastern Mediterranean, along with low-frequency (monthly) measurements of total dissolved inorganic carbon and total alkalinity. The pCO2 time-series was the first obtained in the Eastern Mediterranean. The study was conducted at a fixed platform of the POSEIDON system (Heraklion Coastal Buoy) located near Crete Island. Temperature was the dominant factor controlling the temporal variability of pCO2 and pH, while the remaining non-thermal variability appeared to be related to evaporation, water mixing, and biological remineralization-production. The air-sea CO2 fluxes indicated a transition from a winter-spring sink period to a summer-autumn source period. The annual air-sea CO2 flux was too low (-0.16 ± 0.02 mol m-2 yr-1) and variable to conclusively characterize the area as a net source or sink of CO2, highlighting the need for additional high frequency observation sites. Algorithms were developed using temperature, chlorophyll and salinity data to estimate pCO2 and total alkalinity, in an effort to provide tools for estimates in poorly observed areas/periods from remotely sensed products. The applicability of the algorithms was tested using Surface Ocean CO2 Atlas (SOCAT) data from the Eastern Mediterranean Sea (1999 to 2020) which showed that the algorithm pCO2 estimates were generally within ±20 μatm of the pCO2 values reported by SOCAT. Finally, the integration and analysis of the data provided directions on how to optimize the observing strategy, by readapting sensor location and using estimation algorithms with remote sensing data.

The POSEIDON Ocean Observing System: Technological Development and Challenges

Advanced marine observation infrastructures are the most significant scientific tool for the study of marine ecosystem trends and shifts. Ocean monitoring technologies, though highly demanding and expensive, are essential for the monitoring and long-term study of oceanic systems. The POSEIDON system for monitoring and forecasting the marine environment is an augmented research infrastructure, unique in the Eastern Mediterranean basin, contributing to the European Ocean Observing System implementation, focusing—among others—on biogeochemical observations and deep-sea ecosystem and geological processes. The technological evolution of the POSEIDON system through a science-coupled strategy supported by engineers and scientists, resulted in a state-of-the-art ocean observing system. There has been a continuous expansion of the infrastructure with new scientific platforms and supporting facilities. Innovative sensing technologies were introduced in the operational data acquisition and new methodologies and tools were developed to improve the system operations and efficiency. As a part of the scientific community of ocean observatories, POSEIDON contributes actively to the improving of the ocean observing. International access to engineering and field demonstrating services, data products and technology testing facilities has been offered to scientists and industry partners. POSEIDON is a widely recognizable international technology testing/demonstrating node specializing in marine technology providing high-level services.

Principles of open source bioinstrumentation applied to the poseidon syringe pump system

The poseidon syringe pump and microscope system is an open source alternative to commercial systems. It costs less than $400 and can be assembled in under an hour using the instructions and source files available at https://pachterlab.github.io/poseidon. We describe the poseidon system and use it to illustrate design principles that can facilitate the adoption and development of open source bioinstruments. The principles are functionality, robustness, safety, simplicity, modularity, benchmarking, and documentation.

An integrated open-coastal biogeochemistry, ecosystem and biodiversity observatory of the eastern Mediterranean – the Cretan Sea component of the POSEIDON system

Abstract. There is a general scarcity of oceanic observations that concurrently examine air–sea interactions, coastal–open-ocean processes and physical–biogeochemical processes, in appropriate spatiotemporal scales and under continuous, long-term data acquisition schemes. In the Mediterranean Sea, the resulting knowledge gaps and observing challenges increase due to its oligotrophic character, especially in the eastern part of the basin. The oligotrophic open Cretan Sea's biogeochemistry is considered to be representative of a greater Mediterranean area up to 106 km2, and understanding its features may be useful on even larger oceanic scales, since the Mediterranean Sea has been considered a miniature model of the global ocean. The spatiotemporal coverage of biogeochemical (BGC) observations in the Cretan Sea has progressively increased over the last decades, especially since the creation of the POSEIDON observing system, which has adopted a multiplatform, multivariable approach, supporting BGC data acquisition. The current POSEIDON system's status includes open and coastal sea fixed platforms, a Ferrybox (FB) system and Bio-Argo autonomous floats that remotely deliver fluorescence as a proxy of chlorophyll-a (Chl-a), O2, pH and pCO2 data, as well as BGC-related physical variables. Since 2010, the list has been further expanded to other BGC (nutrients, vertical particulate matter fluxes), ecosystem and biodiversity (from viruses up to zooplankton) variables, thanks to the addition of sediment traps, frequent research vessel (R/V) visits for seawater–plankton sampling and an acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) delivering information on macrozooplankton–micronekton vertical migration (in the epipelagic to mesopelagic layer). Gliders and drifters are the new (currently under integration to the existing system) platforms, supporting BGC monitoring. Land-based facilities, such as data centres, technical support infrastructure, calibration laboratory and mesocosms, support and give added value to the observatory. The data gathered from these platforms are used to improve the quality of the BGC-ecosystem model predictions, which have recently incorporated atmospheric nutrient deposition processes and assimilation of satellite Chl-a data. Besides addressing open scientific questions at regional and international levels, examples of which are presented, the observatory provides user-oriented services to marine policy makers and the society, and is a technological test bed for new and/or cost-efficient BGC sensor technology and marine equipment. It is part of European and international observing programs, playing a key role in regional data handling and participating in harmonization and best practices procedures. Future expansion plans consider the evolving scientific and society priorities, balanced with sustainable management.

Building artificial neural networks to predict direction and magnitude of wind, current and wave for sailing vessels

Current, wind, wave direction and magnitude are important factors affecting the course of ships. These factors may act positively or negatively depending on the course of a vessel. In both cases, optimisation of the route according to these conditions will improve the factors such as labour, fuel and time. In order to estimate the wind, wave, current direction and magnitude for the region to be navigated, it is necessary to develop a system that can make predictions by using historical information. Our study uses historical information from the E1M3A float—a part of the POSEIDON system. With this information being used, artificial neural networks were trained and three separate artificial neural networks were created, which can predict wind direction and speed, direction and speed of sea current, wave direction and height. For different regions, it is necessary to use artificial neural networks trained using the historical information of those regions. This study is an example of prospective studies. Keywords: Current, neural network, prediction, sailing vessels, sea, wave, wind

Instrumental assessment of cervical spine mobility in patients with whiplash injury for forensic application

Introduction: Residuals of whiplash injury (W.I.) represent one of most common causes of compensation claims in forensic medicine. Until 2012, clinical assessment was deemed sufficient to ascertain the reduction of neck mobility. A new law (n. 27 year 2012/3-ter;3-quarter) has established that in order to assess adamage it is now necessary to demonstrate it both with clinical and instrumental methods. As a consequence, the mere clinical assessment ofW.I. is not anymore accepted by the insurance companies. Sowe need an instrumental evaluationmethod, that should be non invasive, easy to perform, and guarantees a high reproducibility [2]. In forensic medicine there is also another problem: since the assessment of neck mobility has an effect on the economic compensation, the patients may be inclined to demonstrate a deeper damage. So the test should not rely on voluntary actions and should provide some indication of reliability. In our intention this can be achieved by quantifying the passive range of motion (PROM) and by analyzing its variability. Methods: An opto-electronic stereo-photogrammetric system (POSEIDON system BTS, Italy) was employed for obtaining the relative motion between head and upper trunk. Three retroreflective markers were applied to the temples and nasion respectively, and three on acromions and apex of sternum (six markers in total). Only 3-TV camera was sufficient to obtain a reliable acquisition of kinematics at 60 frames/s. While specific physical maneuvers were performed on the subject, the system computed the markers trajectories, the main rotation angles of the head in relation to the trunk (flexion–extension, lateral bending, axial rotation), speed and acceleration. The automatic output was a clinical report that integrates all data related to the morphology and kinematics of the analyzed body segment. Our preliminary study was carried out on 6 healthy, non symptomatic subjects and 6 subjects with history of W.I., whose evaluation was finalized to the insurance assessment. The test was performed in two steps: (1) pure clinical assessment; (2) instrumental assessment. In this second step the subjects were seated on a armchair, in front of the TV-cameras, while the examiner performed the maneuvers to test their PROM inflexion–extension, lateral bending and rotation of the head/neck. Each movement was repeated at least 6 times. The results were compared to age matched control data. Results: Our preliminary data collected on the healthy, asymptomatic subjectsmatched verywellwith data provided in literature [1,3]. Subjects who had residuals ofW.I., exhibited a lower range of motion and some asymmetries that well correlated to the reported symptoms. More interestingly, the standard deviation (SD) of the measured PROM ranged from 1.6◦ to 2.6◦ in the subjects that had no interest in the insurance compensation, and ranged from 3.5◦ to 4.0◦ in symptomatic subjects that were assessed for insurance purposes. In one of them, whose attempt to overstate his reduced mobility was evident clinically, the SD was 8.1. Another interesting observation was that left/right asymmetry for lateral bending and axial rotationwas in the range 0–3◦ in the healthy subjects and 6–21◦ in the W.I. subjects. Discussion: The analysis system adopted allows us to perform an instrumental non invasive, high reliability, easy to use assessment, does not require a large space around the subject and needs only few minutes to produce the written report. When comparing the results of the pure clinical method with results of the instrumental method, the higher resolution of the instrumental method proved to be a clear advantage and allowed us to better understand the clinical condition. It is our impression that this instrumental method offers a major possibility to recognize the simulation. Our aims isnowtocollect a largedatabaseof control subjects, in relation to age and sex, in order to obtain a reference formotion assessment in subjects with history of W.I.

An Experimental Study of Acute Radiation-Induced Cognitive Dysfunction in a Young Rat Model

Radiation-induced cognitive dysfunction is a common and serious clinical complication after radiation therapy for a brain tumor, but the knowledge of its mechanism is poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to establish a young rat model for acute radiation-induced cognitive dysfunction and associated BBB damage, as well as histopathologic changes. Young male rats were randomized into 4 groups to receive irradiation treatments at 300 cGy/min with doses of 0 (sham), 10, 20, and 40 Gy, respectively. Each treatment group was further randomized into 4 subgroups for following up cognitive tests and assessment of their BBB integrity and potential histopathologic changes at 0, 7, 20, and 60 days. We found that irradiation at 10 Gy failed to induce any significant effects. Irradiation at 20 Gy resulted in a transient impairment of the cognitive functions at 7 and 20 days and returned to normal at 60 days. Irradiation at 40 Gy caused the severest cognitive impairment, which peaked at 7 days, and lasted for at least 60 days. The impaired cognition in both the 20-Gy and 40-Gy-irradiated rats was more or less accompanied with increased brain water content and deteriorated BBB function, though mild histopathologic alternations were only noticed in the 40-Gy-irradiated rats at 20 days. A single-dose exposure at 20 to 40 Gy is sufficient to induce acute brain injury at both cognitive and pathologic levels in young male rats. In addition, morphologic outcomes may not be sensitive enough to reveal all of the pathologic changes, whereas BBB disruption may be an earlier and more sensitive index for acute RE. Therefore, the present model is useful for basic and therapeutic studies of acute RE.

Verification of operational weather forecasts from the POSEIDON system across the Eastern Mediterranean

Abstract. The POSEIDON weather forecasting system became operational at the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR) in October 1999. The system with its nesting capability provided 72-h forecasts in two different model domains, i.e. 25- and 10-km grid spacing. The lower-resolution domain covered an extended area that included most of Europe, Mediterranean Sea and N. Africa, while the higher resolution domain focused on the Eastern Mediterranean. A major upgrade of the system was recently implemented in the framework of the POSEIDON-II project (2005–2008). The aim was to enhance the forecasting skill of the system through improved model parameterization schemes and advanced numerical techniques for assimilating available observations to produce high resolution analysis fields. The configuration of the new system is applied on a horizontal resolution of 1/20°×1/20° (~5 km) covering the Mediterranean basin, Black Sea and part of North Atlantic providing up to 5-day forecasts. This paper reviews and compares the current with the previous weather forecasting systems at HCMR presenting quantitative verification statistics from the pre-operational period (from mid-November 2007 to October 2008). The statistics are based on verification against surface observations from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) network across the Eastern Mediterranean region. The results indicate that the use of the new system can significantly improve the weather forecasts.

Evaluating the impact of lightning data assimilation on mesoscale model simulations of a flash flood inducing storm

Flash floods are associated with highly localized convective storms producing heavy rainfall. Quantitative precipitation forecasting of such storms will potentially benefit from explicit representations of deep moist convection in numerical weather prediction models. However, explicit representation of moist convection is still not viable in operational mesoscale models, which rely on convective parameterizations for issuing short to medium-range forecasts. In this study we evaluate a technique that uses regional Cloud-to-Ground (CG) lightning observations to define areas of deep moist convection in thunderstorms and adjust the model-generated precipitation fields in those regions. The study focuses on a major flash flood inducing storm in central Europe (23 August 2005) that was simulated with the aid of an operational weather forecasting system (POSEIDON system based on Eta/NCEP model). The performance of the technique is assessed using as reference distributed rainfall estimates from a network of radar observations. The results indicate that CG lightning data can offer sufficient information to increase the mesoscale model skill in reproducing local convective precipitation that leads to flash floods. The model error correction is shown to be proportional to the density of lightning occurrence, making the technique potentially suitable for operational forecasting of flash flood inducing thunderstorms.

Operational monitoring and forecasting for marine environmental applications in the Aegean Sea

Development of end-user products in the context of operational oceanography requires the combined use of multi-parametric real-time measurements and numerical models with forecasting capabilities. The implementation of such systems in the Aegean Sea has established a pre-operational monitoring and forecasting capacity able to support oil-drift prediction applications and ongoing developments in ecological modeling. The monitoring basis of the system is an operational network of oceanographic buoys complemented by experimental or pre-operational components such as Ferry-Box systems, multi-parametric deep sea buoys and XBT observations from a VOS program. The hydrodynamic modeling system follows a downscaling approach and is able to reproduce general circulation and mesoscale dynamics while its forecasting skill is increased at open sea sites. Coupling to global forecasting systems, assimilation of data from the extended observing system, as well as further downscaling to coastal areas are ongoing efforts to improve the overall system performance. The oil-spill forecasting model developed for the POSEIDON system is being used to demonstrate the need of reliable oceanic forecast, especially in cases of low wind conditions when the general and mesoscale circulation is the predominant forcing factor.

A Comparison of Model Predictions to Observations of Seasonal Variability and Circulation in the Eastern Mediterranean

Expendable Bathythermograph (XBT) observations collected along a transect across the Eastern Mediterranean are compared with the respective predictions of thermocline structure and variability produced by the POSEIDON system's ocean circulation model. The observations, obtained in the framework of the Mediterranean Forecasting System project, cover a complete annual cycle, at a repetition rate of 1-2 transects per month, thus providing an excellent data set for estimating the model's skill to forecast seasonal variability and mesoscale circulation in the upper 450 m of the ocean. The comparison has revealed that the model adequately predicts the seasonal cycle of the evolution of the thermocline but tends to generate less steep thermoclines than observed. Furthermore, the mesoscale circulation is not accurately predicted. For the latter, data assimilation is considered a necessary step towards the improvement of the system.

Towards an Ocean Forecasting System for the Aegean Sea

A first approach towards an ocean forecasting system for the Aegean Sea is presented in this paper. The ocean forecasting component is part of the POSEIDON system which includes high resolution atmospheric and wave modeling of the Aegean Sea together with an extended network of observational buoys for the continuous monitoring of physical, biological and chemical parameters. The ocean forecast model system consists of a high-resolution (1/20° times; 1/20°) implementation of the Princeton Ocean Model (POM) forced by forecast surface fluxes of momentum, heat and freshwater provided by the regional ETA atmospheric model. The climatological runs of the model reproduce the basic features of the general circulation in the Aegean Sea. In the forecasting mode the model shows skill in forecasting the sea surface temperature (SST) phenomenology when compared with satellite-derived SST. Sensitivity tests (such as the inclusion of sea surface atmospheric pressure) have been performed in order to improve the model's n...

Advancement of Operational Oceanography in Greece: The Case of the Poseidon System

Operational Oceanography in Greece has become today a necessity, since it can provide the means and the solutions on societal, economic, environmental and scientific problems related with the coastal environment. A rational approach to these problems can be based on integrated coastal zone management, which, in turn, is supported by the systematic and continuous operation of marine monitoring systems. A real-time monitoring and forecasting system (called the system) is currently in operation in the Aegean Sea. The three main components of the POSEIDON system are: (a) an integrated marine monitoring network consisting of oceanographic and wave buoys (POSEIDON network), (b) a telecommunication system for real-time data transmission and (c) the Aegean Operational Forecasting System (AOFOS) including a meteorological model, an offshore wave model, a general circulation ocean model, a surface pollutant dispersion model and a shallow water wave model. Three years of experience has shown that the POSE...

Operational Monitoring and Forecasting in the Aegean Sea: System Limitations and Forecasting Skill Evaluation

The POSEIDON system, based on a network of 11 oceanographic buoys and a system of atmospheric/oceanic models, provides real-time observations and forecasts of the marine environmental conditions in the Aegean Sea. The buoy network collects meteorological, sea state and upper-ocean physical and biochemical data. The efficiency and functionality of the various system components are being evaluated during the present pre-operational phase and discussed in this paper. The problem of bio-fouling on optical and chemical sensors is found to be a main limitation factor on the quality of data. Possible solutions to this problem as well as quality control methods that are being developed are also described. Finally, an evaluation of the numerical models is presented through the estimation of their forecasting skill for selected periods.

The Poseidon Operational Tool for the Prediction of Floating Pollutant Transport

In this work the development and the application of an operational management tool for the Greek Seas is described. This tool consists of a three-dimensional floating pollutant prediction model coupled with a weather, a hydrodynamic and a wave model in order to track the movements and the spreading of the pollutants and indicate those coastal areas which might be affected. The tool is part of the Poseidon system which has been designed to provide real time data and forecasts for marine environmental conditions in the Greek Seas. In this paper, we present four case studies based on realistic scenarios that show the value of the application for long-term strategic planning and short-term decision making in oil spill accidents.

Poseidon: A marine environmental monitoring, forecasting and information system for the Greek seas

The scope of this work is twofold: i) to discuss and analyze some principles, issues and problems related to the development and advancement of Operational Oceanography in Greece and ii) to present a real-time monitoring and forecasting system for the Aegean Sea, which is currently under implementation. Operational Oceanography in Greece has become a necessity today, since it can provide aid to find solutions on problems related to societal, economic, environmental and scientific issues. Most of the Greek coastal regions are under pressure, susceptible to damages due to the increasing tendency of the population to move from the inland to the coast, marine environmental pollution, competitive development of the coastal market sector, etc. Moreover, the complex geomorphology of the coastal areas and the interdependence between natural processes and human activities causes significant alterations in this delicate environment. A rational treatment of these problems can be based on integrated coastal zone management (ICZM). An absolutely necessary means for establishing ICZM is the operation of marine moni- toring systems. Such a system ("POSEIDON system") is under implementation by the National Centre for Marine Research. POSEIDON is a comprehensive marine monitoring and forecasting system, that aims to improve environmental surveillance and facilitate sea transport, rescue and safety of life at sea, fishing and aquaculture, protection of the marine ecosystem, etc. POSEIDON is expected to enhance considerably the capabilities to manage, protect and develop the marine resources of the Greek Seas and to promote Greek Operational Oceanography.

Knowledge acquisition for natural resource management

Decision support systems (DSSs) can play a powerful role in natural resource management (NRM), by allowing more effective and collective use of information in addressing complex and often poorly structured questions. CSIRO Tropical Agriculture, in Townsville, Australia, is developing a DSS generator that provides a flexible environment for the construction of decision support tools that assist in assessing the implications of proposed policies or management actions. In this context, the POSEIDON system was designed to help resource managers with the problem formulation phase of building a DSS, i.e. identifying specific issues that need to be analysed to provide an answer to a broad NRM question. This is achieved by a form of knowledge acquisition from free text, which performs intelligent analysis of NRM documents. This article describes the design of POSEIDON and its application in NRM problem formulation.

TOPEX/POSEIDON mission overview

TOPEX/POSEIDON is the first space mission specifically designed and conducted for studying the circulation of the world's oceans. The mission is jointly conducted by the United States and France. A state‐of‐the‐art radar altimetry system is used to measure the precise height of sea level, from which information on the ocean circulation is obtained. The satellite, launched on August 10, 1992, has been making observations of the global oceans with unprecedented accuracy since late September 1992. To meet the stringent measurement accuracy required for ocean circulation studies, a number of innovative improvements have been made to the mission design, including the first dual‐frequency space‐borne radar altimeter capable of retrieving the ionospheric delay of the radar signal, a three‐frequency microwave radiometer for retrieving the signal delay caused by the water vapor in the troposphere, an optimal model of the Earth's gravity field and multiple satellite tracking systems for precision orbit determination. Additionally, the satellite also carries two experimental instruments to demonstrate new technologies: a single‐frequency solid‐state altimeter for the technology of low‐power, low‐weight altimeter and a Global Positioning System receiver for continuous, precise satellite tracking. The performance of the mission's measurement system has been tested by numerous verification studies. The results indicate that the root‐sum‐square accuracy of a single‐pass sea level measurement is 4.7 cm for the TOPEX system and 5.1 cm for the POSEIDON system; both are more than a factor of 2 better than the requirement of 13.7 cm. This global data set is being analyzed by an international team of 200 scientists for improved understanding of the global ocean circulation as well as the ocean tides, geodesy, and geodynamics, and ocean wind and waves. The mission is designed to last for at least 3 years with a possible extension to 6 years. The multiyear global data set will go a long way toward understanding the ocean circulation and its variability in relation to climate change. A summary of the mission's systems and their performance as well as the mission's science team is presented in the paper.