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This paper reviews the first NTIRE challenge on video super-resolution (restoration of rich details in low-resolution video frames) with focus on proposed solutions and results. A new REalistic and Diverse Scenes dataset (REDS) was employed. The challenge was divided into 2 tracks. Track 1 employed standard bicubic downscaling setup while Track 2 had realistic dynamic motion blurs. Each competition had 124 and 104 registered participants. There were total 14 teams in the final testing phase. They gauge the state-of-the-art in video super-resolution., NA

Generation of new axonal sprouts plays an important role in neural repair. In the current study, we examined the appearance, composition and effects of gene deletions on intrabrainstem sprouts following peripheral facial nerve axotomy. Axotomy was followed by the appearance of galanin(+) and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)(+) sprouts peaking at day 14, matching both large, neuropeptide(+) subpopulations of axotomized facial motoneurons, but with CGRP(+) sprouts considerably rarer. Strong immunoreactivity for vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT) and retrogradely transported MiniRuby following its application on freshly cut proximal facial nerve stump confirmed their axotomized motoneuron origin; the sprouts expressed CD44 and alpha7beta1 integrin adhesion molecules and grew apparently unhindered along neighboring central white matter tracts. Quantification of the galanin(+) sprouts revealed a stronger response following cut compared with crush (day 7-14) as well as enhanced sprouting after recut (day 8 + 6 vs. 14; 14 + 8 vs. 22), arguing against delayed appearance of sprouting being the result of the initial phase of reinnervation. Sprouting was strongly diminished in brain Jun-deficient mice but enhanced in alpha7 null animals that showed apparently compensatory up-regulation in beta1, suggesting important regulatory roles for transcription factors and the sprout-associated adhesion molecules. Analysis of inflammatory stimuli revealed a 50% reduction 12-48 hours following systemic endotoxin associated with neural inflammation and a tendency toward more sprouts in TNFR1/2 null mutants (P = 10%) with a reduced inflammatory response, indicating detrimental effects of excessive inflammation. Moreover, the study points to the usefulness of the facial axotomy model in exploring physiological and molecular stimuli regulating central sprouting.

Nerve injury triggers numerous changes in the injured neurons and surrounding nonneuronal cells that ultimately result in successful target reinnervation or cell death. c-Jun is a component of the heterodimeric AP-1 transcription factor, and c-Jun is highly expressed in response to neuronal trauma. Here we have investigated the role of c-jun during axonal regeneration using mice lacking c-jun in the central nervous system. After transection of the facial nerve, the absence of c-Jun caused severe defects in several aspects of the axonal response, including perineuronal sprouting, lymphocyte recruitment, and microglial activation. c-Jun-deficient motorneurons were atrophic, resistant to axotomy-induced cell death, and showed reduced target muscle reinnervation. Expression of CD44, galanin, and alpha7beta1 integrin, molecules known to be involved in regeneration, was greatly impaired, suggesting a mechanism for c-Jun-mediated axonal growth. Taken together, our results identify c-Jun as an important regulator of axonal regeneration in the injured central nervous system.

The 3rd commercial application of the Sherritt Zinc Pressure leach process commenced operation at the Ruhr Zink refinery in March 1991. Integration of pressure leaching with the existing roast-leach-electrowinning facility has increased the production capacity by at least 50 000 tonnes/y slab zinc. The process was selected to achieve high zinc recovery from a wide range of zinc concentrates while meeting the stringent environmental regulations governing the refinery. The project was initiated in mid 1988 and detailed design and construction activities started in 1989. Highlights of the flowsheet development programme and the design engineering phase are described and results for the first three years of commercial operation are presented., The 3rd commercial application of the Sherritt Zinc Pressure leach process commenced operation at the Ruhr Zink refinery in March 1991. Integration of pressure leaching with the existing roast-leach-electrowinning facility has increased the production capacity by at least 50 000 tonnes/y slab zinc. The process was selected to achieve high zinc recovery from a wide range of zinc concentrates while meeting the stringent environmental regulations governing the refinery. The project was initiated in mid 1988 and detailed design and construction activities started in 1989. Highlights of the flowsheet development programme and the design engineering phase are described and results for the first three years of commercial operation are presented.

Stillwater's base metals refinery in Columbus, Montana, treats Ni-Cu-PGM mattes from the adjacent smelter. The mattes contain around 42% Ni, 27% Cu, 22.5% S and 2.1% PGM. The plant was commissioned in April 1996 and design conditions achieved in May. The matte undergoes grinding, atmospheric leaching in acidic recycled solution using oxygen, thickening and further leaching at elevated temperature under oxygen pressure. PGM concentrate is upgraded and shipped to an outside refiner and the pressure leach solution recycled. Fe is precipitated from the atmospheric leach solution and recycled to the smelter and the leach solution transported to a Ni-Cu refinery. Average extractions during commissioning were 97.6% of Ni, 92.8% of Cu and 99.2% of Fe with a PGM upgrade factor of 15.8%. Only around 550 t/a of Ni-Cu matte is produced from the smelter, so the refinery is run on a one shift/day, five days/week basis., Stillwater's base metals refinery in Columbus, Montana, treats Ni-Cu-PGM mattes from the adjacent smelter. The mattes contain around 42% Ni, 27% Cu, 22.5% S and 2.1% PGM. The plant was commissioned in April 1996 and design conditions achieved in May. The matte undergoes grinding, atmospheric leaching in acidic recycled solution using oxygen, thickening and further leaching at elevated temperature under oxygen pressure. PGM concentrate is upgraded and shipped to an outside refiner and the pressure leach solution recycled. Fe is precipitated from the atmospheric leach solution and recycled to the smelter and the leach solution transported to a Ni-Cu refinery. Average extractions during commissioning were 97.6% of Ni, 92.8% of Cu and 99.2% of Fe with a PGM upgrade factor of 15.8%. Only around 550 t/a of Ni-Cu matte is produced from the smelter, so the refinery is run on a one shift/day, five days/week basis.

In early 1995 the Bindura Nickel Corporation commissioned a pressure leach plant at its smelter and refinery in Zimbabwe. The novel pressure leach process was developed by Sherritt to treat the nickel-copper sulphide residue produced from the original atmospheric leach circuit. Current annual capacity of the smelter and refinery is 14 400 tonnes of high-grade electrowon nickel cathode and 4 800 t of electrorefined copper cathode. The pressure leach process extracts all the nickel from the residue under non-oxidising acid pressure leach conditions, thereby producing an upgraded copper sulphide residue suitable for smelting and refining to electrolytic copper. The commissioning of the plant was relatively smooth and design conditions were achieved within six weeks of operation., In early 1995 the Bindura Nickel Corporation commissioned a pressure leach plant at its smelter and refinery in Zimbabwe. The novel pressure leach process was developed by Sherritt to treat the nickel-copper sulphide residue produced from the original atmospheric leach circuit. Current annual capacity of the smelter and refinery is 14 400 tonnes of high-grade electrowon nickel cathode and 4 800 t of electrorefined copper cathode. The pressure leach process extracts all the nickel from the residue under non-oxidising acid pressure leach conditions, thereby producing an upgraded copper sulphide residue suitable for smelting and refining to electrolytic copper. The commissioning of the plant was relatively smooth and design conditions were achieved within six weeks of operation.

A hydrometallurgical process was developed for treating ore. The two-stage countercurrent leaching process, consisting of an atmospheric leach and a pressure leach, effectively leached copper from the Cu-bearing minerals from the Spanish massive sulphide deposit and generated a solution suitable for subsequent solvent extraction and electrowinning. In batch testing, extraction was typically greater than 90% of Cu with less than 5% of Fe under various combinations of process conditions. An integrated miniplant campaign, using ore ground to 90% finer than 105 micrometres and slurried to more than 70 wt% solids, gave overall recovery of Cu to cathode of 89.2% from ore blend K, representing more than 90% of the deposit, and 81.1% recovery from ore L. Recycling the pressure leaching thickener underflow slurry to the autoclave increased extraction from ore K by more than 3%. Acid consumption in the atmospheric leach was 15 kg/t for ore K and 12 kg/t for ore L., A hydrometallurgical process was developed for treating ore. The two-stage countercurrent leaching process, consisting of an atmospheric leach and a pressure leach, effectively leached copper from the Cu-bearing minerals from the Spanish massive sulphide deposit and generated a solution suitable for subsequent solvent extraction and electrowinning. In batch testing, extraction was typically greater than 90% of Cu with less than 5% of Fe under various combinations of process conditions. An integrated miniplant campaign, using ore ground to 90% finer than 105 micrometres and slurried to more than 70 wt% solids, gave overall recovery of Cu to cathode of 89.2% from ore blend K, representing more than 90% of the deposit, and 81.1% recovery from ore L. Recycling the pressure leaching thickener underflow slurry to the autoclave increased extraction from ore K by more than 3%. Acid consumption in the atmospheric leach was 15 kg/t for ore K and 12 kg/t for ore L.

The leach residue at Bindura contains about 12% of the nickel, 65% of the copper and all the sulphur, as well as significant values of platinum group metals. An evaluation of several treatment options led to selection of a process based on a Sherritt non-oxidising pressure leach of the residue in sulphuric acid solution. This produces a copper sulphide concentrate with 70% Cu, 20% S, less than 1% Ni and 0.5% As, which is suitable for smelting and fire refining to anode copper. High-grade cathode copper will be produced by electrorefining and the precious metals will be recovered from the anode slimes. The flowsheet developed after development testwork includes dissolution of copper in an agitated tank, pressure leaching to remove Ni, As and Fe from the dissolution residue while maximising the Cu and S content of the product solids, and precipitation of Fe and As from the pressure-leach discharge solution., The leach residue at Bindura contains about 12% of the nickel, 65% of the copper and all the sulphur, as well as significant values of platinum group metals. An evaluation of several treatment options led to selection of a process based on a Sherritt non-oxidising pressure leach of the residue in sulphuric acid solution. This produces a copper sulphide concentrate with 70% Cu, 20% S, less than 1% Ni and 0.5% As, which is suitable for smelting and fire refining to anode copper. High-grade cathode copper will be produced by electrorefining and the precious metals will be recovered from the anode slimes. The flowsheet developed after development testwork includes dissolution of copper in an agitated tank, pressure leaching to remove Ni, As and Fe from the dissolution residue while maximising the Cu and S content of the product solids, and precipitation of Fe and As from the pressure-leach discharge solution.