Functional properties of coated by chemical vapour deposition sintered tool materials investigated with use of tribological tests

The purpose of the work is to present the results of investigations into the structure and properties of sintered carbides with deposited wear resistant coatings after a tribological test carried out with the method of combined examination of abrasion wear resistance and edge fracture resistance

The COST292 experimental framework for TRECVID 2007

In this paper, we give an overview of the four tasks submitted to TRECVID 2007 by COST292. In shot boundary (SB) detection task, four SB detectors have been developed and the results are merged using two merging algorithms. The framework developed for the high-level feature extraction task comprises four systems. The first system transforms a set of low-level descriptors into the semantic space using Latent Semantic Analysis and utilises neural networks for feature detection. The second system uses a Bayesian classifier trained with a "bag of subregions". The third system uses a multi-modal classifier based on SVMs and several descriptors. The fourth system uses two image classifiers based on ant colony optimisation and particle swarm optimisation respectively. The system submitted to the search task is an interactive retrieval application combining retrieval functionalities in various modalities with a user interface supporting automatic and interactive search over all queries submitted. Finally, the rushes task submission is based on a video summarisation and browsing system comprising two different interest curve algorithms and three features

International Consensus Statement on Rhinology and Allergy: Rhinosinusitis

Background: The 5 years since the publication of the first International Consensus Statement on Allergy and Rhinology: Rhinosinusitis (ICAR‐RS) has witnessed foundational progress in our understanding and treatment of rhinologic disease. These advances are reflected within the more than 40 new topics covered within the ICAR‐RS‐2021 as well as updates to the original 140 topics. This executive summary consolidates the evidence‐based findings of the document. Methods: ICAR‐RS presents over 180 topics in the forms of evidence‐based reviews with recommendations (EBRRs), evidence‐based reviews, and literature reviews. The highest grade structured recommendations of the EBRR sections are summarized in this executive summary. Results: ICAR‐RS‐2021 covers 22 topics regarding the medical management of RS, which are grade A/B and are presented in the executive summary. Additionally, 4 topics regarding the surgical management of RS are grade A/B and are presented in the executive summary. Finally, a comprehensive evidence‐based management algorithm is provided. Conclusion: This ICAR‐RS‐2021 executive summary provides a compilation of the evidence‐based recommendations for medical and surgical treatment of the most common forms of RS

Conventional and membrane techniques of fluoride removal from aqueous environment

Zanieczyszczenie wód powierzchniowych i podziemnych związkami fluoru jest problemem występującym w wielu regionach świata. Związki te mogą pochodzić zarówno ze źródeł antropogenicznych, jak i naturalnych. Niewielkie ilości fluorków działają korzystnie na rozwój kości i zębów, jednakże ich większe ilości w spożywanej wodzie wpływają szkodliwe na zdrowie człowieka. Zgodnie z wytycznymi WHO oraz polskimi przepisami, zawartość fluorków w wodzie przeznaczonej do spożycia nie może przekraczać 1,5 gF–/m3. Z tego powodu poszukuje się coraz skuteczniejszych i bardziej ekonomicznych metod defluoryzacji wody. Fluorki mogą być usunięte ze środowiska wodnego różnymi metodami fizyczno-chemicznymi, takimi jak adsorpcja, koagulacja, strącanie, wymiana jonowa, a także w procesach membranowych. W pracy omówiono przykłady procesów i technologii eliminacji flourków, z uwzględnieniem ich ograniczeń wpływających na skuteczność usuwania jonów fluorkowych z roztworów wodnych. Wykazano, że stopień usunięcia fluorków w różnych procesach technologicznych zależy przede wszystkim od takich czynników, jak pH roztworu, początkowa zawartość jonów F–, obecność jonów współtowarzyszących, rodzaj adsorbentu czy też właściwości membrany. Wyniki badań wskazują, że realizacja procesu defluoryzacji wody w optymalnych warunkach może zapewnić skuteczność usuwania fluorków przekraczającą 90%.Fluoride contamination of surface and groundwaters is frequently observed around the world. Fluorides may originate from both anthropogenic and the natural sources. In small amounts, they are beneficial for bone and teeth development. However, higher concentrations in drinking water are harmful to human health. According to WHO guidelines, the fluoride content in drinking water cannot exceed 1.5 gF–/m3. Therefore, more effective and economic defluoridation methods are sought. Fluorides can be removed from water environment by various physico-chemical methods such as adsorption, coagulation, precipitation, ion-exchange as well as the membrane processes. Examples of fluoride elimination processes and techniques are discussed, taking account of their limitations affecting the efficacy of fluoride removal from water solutions. It was demonstrated that the extent of fluoride removal in different technological processes primarily depends on solution pH, the initial F– ion concentration, presence of coexisting ions, adsorbent type and membrane properties. The study results indicate that under optimal operational conditions the fluoride removal efficacy may exceed 90%

Removal of fluoride ions by batch electrodialysis

Suitability of conventional batch electrodialysis to fluoride removal from aqueous solutions has been investigated. The experiments were conducted with the use of laboratory installation PCCell BED-1 System at a constant current density (1.56 or 2.34 mA/cm2). The influence of initial fluoride and salt (NaCl) concentration, as well as the presence of organic matter on the process performance was studied. It was found that the separation efficiency increased upon decrease of initial fluoride content in model solutions. Permissible final concentration of fluorides in the product water (1.5 mg/dm3) was obtained for experiments with solutions of initial fluoride concentration equal to 5 mg F–/dm3 and 10 mg F–/dm3. The presence of humic acids in fluoride solutions subjected to electrodialysis treatment has no adverse effect on the defluorization and desalination efficiency. The calculated electrical energy demand depended on composition of fluoride solution and varied from 0.121 to 0.895 kWh/m3

Removal of fluoride ions by ultrafiltration in the presence of cationic surfactants

The usability of surfactant-aided ultrafiltration for removal of fluoride ions from aqueous solutions has been investigated. The experiments were conducted with the use of cellulose and polyethersulfone membranes. Fluoride solutions containing 10 and 100 mg F–/dm3 and cationic surfactants: octadecylamine acetate (ODA) and hexadecylpyridium chloride (CPC) were used in the experiments. The concentration of surfactants amounted to 320–960 mg/dm3. Ultrafiltration process was run under a trans-membrane pressure of 0.2 MPa. In the course of experiments, the effects of initial fluoride concentration, surfactant concentration and membrane type on the fluoride retention coefficient as well as the permeate flux were studied. It was found that the increase of the surfactant concentration effected in improvement of the separation efficiency. On contrary, the permeate flux decreased upon increase of the surfactant concentration. The process efficiency was also strongly influenced by the membrane and surfactant type. The permissible concentration of fluoride in the final product (below 1.5 mg F–/dm3) was obtained for the test with initial solutions containing 10 mg F–/dm3, polyethersulfone membrane and CPC con-centration equal to 644 and 966 mg/dm3

REPRESENTATION, PROCESSING, ANALYSIS, AND UNDERSTANDING OF IMAGES Fast Training for Object Recognition with Structure-from-Motion 1

Abstract—In this paper, we present a system for statistical object classification and localization, which applies a simplified image acquisition process for the learning phase. Instead of using complex setups to take training images in known poses, which is very time-consuming and not possible for some objects, we use a hand-held camera. The pose parameters of objects in all training frames, which are necessary for creating the object models, are determined using a structure-from-motion algorithm. The local feature vectors we use are derived from wavelet multiresolution analysis. We model the object region as a function of 3D transformations and introduce a background model. Experiments made on a real data set taken with a hand-held camera with more than 2500 images show that it is possible to obtain good classification and localization rates using this fast image acquisition method.