Visual Interestingness Prediction: A Benchmark Framework and Literature Review

International Journal of Computer Vision - In this paper, we report on the creation of a publicly available, common evaluation framework for image and video visual interestingness prediction. We...     

Development and in vivo response of hydroxyapatite/whitlockite from chicken bones as bone substitute using a chitosan membrane for guided bone regeneration

Biomaterials that meet the requirements to stimulate bone tissue formation play a vital role in orthopedics and dentistry. In this work, chitosan and a biphasic, non-cytotoxic material hydroxyapatite/whitlockite were obtained from natural sources, which are available as organic waste. The osteogenic activity was assessed using a rabbit model animal with a chitosan barrier membrane in combination with a bone-filling graft substitute composed of hydroxyapatite/whitlockite. FT-IR results showed the typical absorption bands of the chitosan and hydroxyapatite. Moreover, the X-ray diffraction pattern revealed a typical hexagonal phase of hydroxyapatite and rhombohedral structures related to whitlockite. Masson's trichrome stain showed an early formation of extracellular matrix mineralized, in accord with the surface morphology of a cortical mature bond observed by Scanning Electron Microscopy. The immunocytochemistry results showed a significant increase of positive immunoreactive cells to osteonectin in the treated defects in comparison with the control defects 6 and 8 weeks postoperatively. Overall, the results confirm that the use of this low-cost and versatile biomaterial as a barrier membrane and a bone substitute graft are useful for bone tissue engineering.     

Removal of estrogenicity in Swedish municipal sewage treatment plants

The human estrogen receptor alpha-test, hosted in a yeast strain, was used to quantify estrogenicity in three-week composite samples of untreated and treated effluents from 20 Swedish municipal sewage treatment plants. The treatment plants were selected to represent different treatment processes regarding chemical precipitation and microbial procedures. The discharge from Swedish domestic sewage treatment plants contained estrogenic compounds corresponding to <0.1-15 ng estradiol equivalents/L. Low levels of estrogenic activity were also found in a river receiving municipal effluents, 3.5-35 km downstream the outlet from a sewage treatment works. The range of estrogenicity in untreated, raw sewage effluents was found to be 1-30 ng estradiol equivalents/L. Generally, wastewater treatment reduced the estrogenicity and extended biological treatment was most effective in its removal. Activated sludge treatment tended to be more effective than trickling filters, whereas chemical precipitation using iron or aluminium salts without biological treatment showed little effectivity. The study showed that treatment methods in current use are able to eliminate or largely reduce estrogenicity in domestic wastewater.     

Distribution of rare earth elements in anionic,cationic and particulate fractions in boreal humus-rich streams affected by acid sulphate soils

The abundance, fractionation and physicochemical forms of rare earth elements (REEs) were determined in five boreal humus-rich streams (dissolved organic carbon, DOC = 14-40 mg/l) affected by acid sulphate soils. The sampling was carried out during high-water flow in autumn when the acid sulphate soils are extensively flushed. The analytical procedures included ion-exchange experiments in field and ICP-MS determination. There was a general decrease in pH (range 4.5-6.2) and increase in the REE concentrations (La range 0.82-23 microg/l) as the proportion of the catchment cover of acid sulphate soils increased, explained by high amounts of REEs in the acidic runoff from such soils. In each stream, four different REE fractions were identified: (1) A cationic fraction, which is dominant in the REE-rich runoff from the acid sulphate soils and which is depleted in HREEs due to hydrochemical and/or geochemical processes, (2) an anionic fraction identified as humus-REE complexes, which in general is more abundant the higher the DOC concentrations and which also becomes increasingly abundant across the lanthanide series, (3) a fraction having a well-developed MREE enrichment, presumably consisting of colloidal REEs, and (4) a minor uncharacterised particle-associated fraction. The REE pool in the streams thus consists of several coexisting and contrasting REE species. The identification and quantification of such species is a prerequisite for the precise and accurate characterisation of the REE hydrochemistry of the streams.     

Hydrodynamic control of nitrogen and phosphorus turnover in an eutrophicated estuary in the Baltic

The turnover of phosphorus and nitrogen have been studied in a low salinity estuary in the Bothnian Sea. The estuary, G?rdsfj?rden, has a high loading of nutrients from a pulp and paper mill which supplies the estuary with three times the annual natural input of phosphorus and nitrogen, respectively. The turnover of nutrients was to a great extent determined by hydrodynamic variations. During periods of intense resuspension there was a net export of particulate bound nutrients from the estuary to the sea but since these periods were short there was an overall net retention of particulate nutrients. The estuary was a source for dissolved phosphorus to the sea. The major source of phosphorus export was release of dissolved P from anoxic sediments. G?rdsfj?rden was a sink for dissolved nitrogen which most likely escaped the estuary by denitrification. Nitrate was supplied by degradation of particulate organic nitroge'n but the main source was import from the sea.     

A comparison of the carbon balances of a natural lake (L. Orträsket) and a hydroelectric reservoir (L. Skinnmuddselet) in northern Sweden

Carbon balances were calculated for the summer stratification period of 2001 for the hydroelectric reservoir L. Skinnmuddselet (created in 1989) and the natural L. Ortr?sket, and estimated on annual basis for both lakes. The reservoir and the lake have similar chemical characteristics and are located in adjacent catchments in the northern part of Sweden. Our main hypothesis was that the CO(2) production and emissions from the reservoir, L. Skinnmuddselet, would be greater than in the natural L. Ortr?sket, due to the decomposition of flooded vegetation and peat. The carbon balances showed that the total production of CO(2) per unit lake surface area during the summer was very similar in the natural lake and the reservoir (31.3 g Cm(-2) in L. Ortr?sket and 25.3 g Cm(-2) in L. Skinnmuddselet). The sediments were the major CO(2) source in the reservoir, while most of the mineralization in the natural lake occurred in the water column. On annual basis the natural L. Ortr?sket produced and emitted more CO(2) per unit of lake surface area than the reservoir L. Skinnmuddselet since mineralization proceeded during winter when L. Skinnmuddselet was emptied for electricity production. Therefore, the potential for CO(2) emission was not greater in the reservoir than in the natural lake.     

Impact of forest ditching on nutrient loadings of a small stream--a paired catchment study in Kronoby,W. Finland

The effect of ditching of boreal forest land (W. Finland) on P and N dynamics and export was assessed using a paired catchment approach (response stream + control stream) for a 4-year study period. After the ditching operations, there was a small but significant increase in the NH4+ export, but no significant changes in the concentrations and loads of total reactive P, total non-reactive P, total organic N and NO3-. In both streams, the reactive P fraction largely followed the Fe concentrations. High input to output ratios, and thus, high retention was a typical feature of the inorganic N compounds. Total organic N and the TOC/TON ratio were positively correlated with the total organic carbon.     

Maxsim2—Real-time interactive simulations for computer-assisted teaching of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics

We developed a computer program for use in undergraduate and graduate courses in pharmacology, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. This program can also be used in environmental and toxicological studies and preclinical simulation, to facilitate communication between modeling pharmacokineticists and project leaders or other decision-makers in the pharmaceutical industry. The program simulates the drug delivery and transport by means of (I) a six-compartment physiological pharmacokinetic flow model, (II) a system of traditional compartment models, or (III) a target-mediated drug disposition system. The program also can be used to simulate instantaneous equilibria between concentration and pharmacodynamic response, or as temporal delays between concentration and response. The latter is done by means of turnover models (indirect response models). Drug absorption, distribution, and elimination are represented by differential equations, which are described by organ and tissue volumes or other volumes of distribution, blood flows, clearance terms, and tissue-to-blood partition coefficients. The user can control and adjust these parameters by means of a slider in real time. By interactively changing the parameter values and simultaneously displaying the resulting concentration–time and/or response–time profiles, users can understand the major mechanisms that govern the disposition or the pharmacological response of the drug in the organism in real time. Schedule dependence is typically seen in clinical practice with a non-linear concentration–response relationship, and is difficult to communicate except via simulations. Here, we sought to illustrate the potential advantages of this approach in teaching pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics to undergraduate pharmacy-, veterinary-, and medical students or to project teams in drug discovery/development.