A robust and high capacity data hiding method for JPEG compressed images with SVD-based block selection and advanced error correcting techniques

In this paper, we propose a frequency domain data hiding method for the JPEG compressed images. The proposed method embeds data in the DCT coefficients of the selected 8 × 8 blocks. According to the theories of Human Visual Systems (HVS), human vision is less sensitive to perturbation of pixel values in the uneven areas of the image. In this paper we propose a Singular Value Decomposition based image roughness measure (SVD-IRM) using which we select the coarse 8 × 8 blocks as data embedding destinations. Moreover, to make the embedded data more robust against re-compression attack and error due to transmission over noisy channels, we employ Turbo error correcting codes. The actual data embedding is done using a proposed variant of matrix encoding that is capable of embedding three bits by modifying only one bit in block of seven carrier features. We have carried out experiments to validate the performance and it is found that the proposed method achieves better payload capacity and visual quality and is more robust than some of the recent state-of-the-art methods proposed in the literature.

The Inland Container Transportation Problem with Separation Mode Considering Carbon Dioxide Emissions

This paper investigates the Inland Container Transportation (ICT) problem with carbon dioxide emissions. The separation mode that the tractor and semi-trailer could be detached and it permits multitasking to reduce fuel and carbon emission costs. A mixed-integer programming model with Full-Empty container integration has been built. An improved ant colony optimization with two-dimensional variable matrix encoding and Infeasible-Arc filtration strategy has been proposed. Numerical experiments with different scales and characteristics are simulated and validated in order to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm. The comparison result indicates the excellent stability for our approach with different task characteristic distribution.

Genetic Mutations Associated with Hormone-Positive Breast Cancer in Ethiopian Women

In Ethiopia, a breast cancer diagnosis is associated with a prognosis significantly worse than that of Europe and the US. Further, patients presenting with breast cancer in Ethiopia are far younger, on average, and patients are typically diagnosed at very late stages, relative to breast cancer patients of European descent. Emerging data suggest that a large proportion of Ethiopian patients have hormone-positive (ER +) breast cancer. This is surprising given 1) the aggressive nature of the disease, 2) that African Americans with breast cancer frequently have triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), and 3) these patients typically receive chemotherapy, not hormone-targeting drugs. To further examine the similarity of Ethiopian breast tumors to those of African Americans or of those of European descent, we sequenced matched normal and tumor tissue from Ethiopian patients from a small pilot collection. We identified mutations in 615 genes across all three patients, unique to the tumor tissue. Across this analysis, we found far more mutations shared between Ethiopian patient tissue and White patients (103) than we did comparing to African Americans (3). Several mutations were found in extracellular matrix encoding genes with known roles in tumor cell growth and metastasis. We suggest future mechanistic studies on this disease focus on these genes first, toward finding new treatment strategies for breast cancer patients in Ethiopia.

Stego key recovery method for F5 steganography with matrix encoding

When embedding secret message into image by steganography with matrix encoding, there are still no effective methods to recover the stego key because it is difficult to statistically distinguish the stego coefficient sequences selected by true and false keys. Therefore, this paper proposes a method for recovering the stego key of a typical JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) image steganography—F5 which composes of the check matrix and shuffling key. Firstly, the check matrix is recovered based on the embedding ratio estimated by quantitative steganalysis. The shuffling key is then recovered based on the distribution difference between the bit sequences extracted by the true and false shuffling keys. Additionally, the cardinality of the shuffling key space is significantly reduced by examining the extracted encoding parameter and message length. Experimental results show that the proposed method can recover the stego key accurately and efficiently, even when the existing Xu’s method fails for the high or very low embedding ratio.

Decrypting the matrix: how interspecies interactions influence matrix in multispecies biofilm?

<p>The biofilm matrix contributes to the establishment of microbial cells on very diverse surfaces, stabilizing biofilms and providing cells with protection against multiple hostile conditions. Moreover, the biofilm matrix can also retain nutrients, enzymes or quorum sensing molecules, favoring the establishment of social interactions among biofilm cells. Functional bacterial amyloids are part of the biofilm structural components of various species, and they were previously proven to bind QS molecules and strengthen the matrix. Multiple studies have been conducted to characterize matrix determinants and their regulation in single species biofilms, while these remain scarcely understood in multispecies biofilms. We have previously isolated and characterized a soil-derived consortium composed of Xanthomonas retroflexus, Stenotrophomonas rhizophila, Microbacterium oxydans and Paenibacillus amylolyticus showing enhanced biofilm biomass and differential gene/protein expression specific of the four-species biofilm.</p> <p>This study aimed at exploring the effect of interspecies interactions on biofilm matrix production in the four-species biofilm. We hypothesize that interspecies interactions may result in differential expression of matrix-encoding genes responsible for biofilm emergent properties.</p> <p>We searched for matrix determinant homologues in X.retroflexus and combined different techniques for characterizing the matrix identity and expression in mono-, dual- and multispecies biofilms.</p> <p>The fap amyloid operon, described in Pseudomonas as a biofilm-scaffold contributing element, was deleted in X. retroflexus, replaced in the four-species model and compared to the parental community for biofilm structure and adhesion capability. The fap mutant displayed poor substrate colonization in flow cells in both mono- and multispecies biofilms with relative filamentous structure compared to the parental strain/ consortium. However, adhesion did not significantly change under static conditions. To characterize matrix composition, we tested 78 different lectins in multispecies biofilms and identified five that bound to our samples. Interestingly, some matrix glycoconjugates were only produced in the consortium.</p> <p>Our data suggest that loss of matrix components, such as the Fap amyloid, and the presence of other species, influences synergistic biofilm properties in the four-species consortium. Ongoing approaches involving localized expression of matrix-encoding genes and matrix proteomes will aid in identifying the mechanisms underlying emergent properties in the four-species biofilm.</p> <p> </p>

A Hybrid Data Hiding Method for Strict AMBTC Format Images with High-Fidelity

With the rapid development of smartphones, cloud storage, and wireless communications, protecting the security of compressed images through data transmission on the Internet has become a critical contemporary issue. A series of data hiding methods for AMBTC compressed images has been proposed to solve this problem. However, most of these methods either change the file size of the final compressed code or exchange the order of two quantization values in some blocks. To reverse this situation, this paper proposes a data hiding method for strict AMBTC format images using a hybrid strategy: replacement, matrix encoding, and symmetric quantization value embedding for three block types i.e., smooth blocks, less complex blocks and highly complex blocks. According to the hybrid strategy, an efficient data hiding order is designed to achieve higher-fidelity. Experimental results show that our proposed method provides an excellent balance between image quality and hiding capacity and has no error blocks in the final stego-compressed code.

High-Precision Authentication Scheme Based on Matrix Encoding for AMBTC-Compressed Images

In this paper, a high-precision image authentication scheme for absolute moment block truncation coding (AMBTC)-compressed images is presented. For each block, two sub-bitmaps are conducted using the symmetrical separation, and the six-bit authentication code is symmetrically assigned to two sub-codes, which is virtually embedded into sub-bitmaps using the matrix encoding later. To overcome distortion caused by modifications to the bitmap, the corresponding to-be-flipped bit-location information is recorded instead of flipping these bits of the bitmap directly. Then, the bit-location information is inserted into quantization levels based on adjusted quantization level matching. In contrast to previous studies, the proposed scheme offers a significantly improved tampering detection ability, especially in the first hierarchical tampering detection without remediation measures, with an average tampering detection rate of up to 98.55%. Experimental results show that our approach provides a more stable and reliable tampering detection performance and sustains an acceptable visual quality.