Unexpected Variation of the Codeine/Morphine Ratio Following Fatal Heroin Overdose

Postmortem samples from 14 cases of suspected heroin overdose were subjected to a preliminary systematic toxicological analysis in order to highlight the presence of unknown exogenous compounds (e.g., drugs of abuse, alcohol) that may have played a role in the mechanism of death. This analysis unveiled histories of poly-drug use in seven of the cases under investigation. Moreover, the concentrations of morphine and codeine in the brain were also investigated, and the results were compared with the data obtained from the blood specimens. The concentration of morphine in blood ranged from 33 to 688 ng/mL, while the concentration of codeine ranged from 0 to 193 ng/mL. However, in the brain, the concentration of morphine was found to be between 85 and 396 ng/g, while the levels of codeine ranged from 11 to 160 ng/g. The codeine/morphine ratio in the blood ranged from 0.043 to 0.619; however, in the brain, the same ratio was found to be between 0.129 and 0.552. In most cases, a significantly higher codeine/morphine ratio was found in the brain, suggesting the accumulation of codeine in brain tissue due its high lipophilicity as compared with morphine

A proposal for Video Signature Tool and Video Fingerprinting

In this document we present and evaluate a video signature system, proposed by Signals and Communications Laboratory – Department of Electronic for Automation, University of Brescia (Italy)

High Dynamic Range Image Watermarking Robust Against Tone-Mapping Operators

High dynamic range (HDR) images represent the future format for digital images since they allow accurate rendering of a wider range of luminance values. However, today special types of preprocessing, collectively known as tone-mapping (TM) operators, are needed to adapt HDR images to currently existing displays. Tone-mapped images, although of reduced dynamic range, have nonetheless high quality and hence retain some commercial value. In this paper, we propose a solution to the problem of HDR image watermarking, e.g., for copyright embedding, that should survive TM. Therefore, the requirements imposed on the watermark encompass imperceptibility, a certain degree of security, and robustness to TM operators. The proposed watermarking system belongs to the blind, detectable category; it is based on the quantization index modulation (QIM) paradigm and employs higher order statistics as a feature. Experimental analysis shows positive results and demonstrates the system effectiveness with current state-of-art TM algorithms

Experimental determination of the frequency and field dependence of Specific Loss Power in Magnetic Fluid Hyperthermia

Magnetic nanoparticles are promising systems for biomedical applications and in particular for Magnetic Fluid Hyperthermia, a promising therapy that utilizes the heat released by such systems to damage tumor cells. We present an experimental study of the physical properties that influences the capability of heat release, i.e. the Specific Loss Power, SLP, of three biocompatible ferrofluid samples having a magnetic core of maghemite with different core diameter d= 10.2, 14.6 and 19.7 nm. The SLP was measured as a function of frequency f and intensity of the applied alternating magnetic field H, and it turned out to depend on the core diameter, as expected. The results allowed us to highlight experimentally that the physical mechanism responsible for the heating is size-dependent and to establish, at applied constant frequency, the phenomenological functional relationship SLP=cH^x, with 2<x<3 for all samples. The x-value depends on sample size and field frequency/ intensity, here chosen in the typical range of operating magnetic hyperthermia devices. For the smallest sample, the effective relaxation time Teff=19.5 ns obtained from SLP data is in agreement with the value estimated from magnetization data, thus confirming the validity of the Linear Response Theory model for this system at properly chosen field intensity and frequency

The Highly Miniaturised Radiation Monitor

We present the design and preliminary calibration results of a novel highly miniaturised particle radiation monitor (HMRM) for spacecraft use. The HMRM device comprises a telescopic configuration of active pixel sensors enclosed in a titanium shield, with an estimated total mass of 52 g and volume of 15 cm$^3$. The monitor is intended to provide real-time dosimetry and identification of energetic charged particles in fluxes of up to 10$^8$ cm$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$ (omnidirectional). Achieving this capability with such a small instrument could open new prospects for radiation detection in space.Comment: 17 pages, 15 figure

Identification versus CBCD: a comparison of different evaluation techniques

Fingerprint techniques have a significant advantage in respect of watermarking: a fingerprint can be extracted in each moment of the lifetime of a multimedia content. This aspect is fundamental to solve the problem of copy detection mainly because many copies can be available in huge amount of data in circulation and because each copy can be attacked in several ways (compression, re-encoding, text-overlay, etc.). In this paper the problem of copy detection is studied and tested from two different point of views: content based and identification approaches. The results show that the proposed system is quite robust to some copy modifications and most of all show that the overall results depend on the evaluation method used for testing

Evaluation of Core Experiment for MPEG-7 Video Signature Tool

The present document evaluates and discusses the experiment conditions proposed in the VCE-7 CE on Video Signature, discussed in the previous MPEG meetings [MPEG-VS-09-01] [MPEG-VS-09-02]. In particular we present some simulation results that show the weaknesses of the evaluation procedure, proposed in the VCE-7 CE on Video Signature, and that highlight some aspects that could impair the performance evaluation of the here considered technology in a realistic environment. Therefore, we propose a new Core Experiment which will consider this issues

A proposal for Video Signature Tool and Video Fingerprinting

In this document we present and evaluate a video signature system, proposed by Signals and Communications Laboratory – Department of Electronic for Automation, University of Brescia (Italy). The proposed Video Signature is MPEG-7 compliant. The technology is based on the use of many different features (color, motion, etc.). The preliminary studies show that these features have relevant characteristics in their development in time. The testing results prove that the features act differently with respect of the type and modification the query suffered

Did belowground N transfer in mixed plantations of Acacia mangium and Eucalyptus meet the Stress Gradient Hypothesis?

Belowground interactions in mixed forest plantations remain poorly understood as that of short-tenn nitrogen (N) transfer from N-fixing trees to non-N-fixing trees (Non-NFT) depending on nutrient availability. We investigated in this facilitation process met the Stress Gradient Hypothesis. which predicts that under stressful environmental conditions competition decreases and facilitation increases. A 15N pulse-labelling study was conducted in a five-year-old mixture of 50% Eucalyptus grandis x E. urophylla and 50% Acacia mangium with the hypothesis of higher transfer from acacia when no fertilization was applied. A complete randomized block design was set up with three replicates of fertilized and non-fertilized mixture. In each treatment of each block, a labeled solution of potassium nitrate (98 atom% 15N-N03) was injected into the stem of an Acacia tree with the same basal area as the average of the stand. The x (15N) was monitored over two months in each labeled acacia and four neighboring eucalypts. For both species, young leaves and tine roots were sampled at 7.14 and 30 days after injection. After 60 days. the x (15N) was determined in the wood, bark, branches, total foliage and fine roots of the 6 labeled acacias and 12 eucalypts trees The preliminary results showed that complete absorption of the labeled solution occurred between 28 and 60 days after labeling depending on Acacia trees and treatments. The dynamics in the proportion of Eucalyptus N derived from transfer will give insights into how this process may promote N nutrition of non-NFTs growing in unfertile tropical soils