A Novel High-Capacity Information Hiding Scheme Based on Improved U-Net

With the gradual introduction of deep learning into the field of information hiding, the capacity of information hiding has been greatly improved. Therefore, a solution with a higher capacity and a good visual effect had become the current research goal. A novel high-capacity information hiding scheme based on improved U-Net was proposed in this paper, which combined improved U-Net network and multiscale image analysis to carry out high-capacity information hiding. The proposed improved U-Net structure had a smaller network scale and could be used in both information hiding and information extraction. In the information hiding network, the secret image was decomposed into wavelet components through wavelet transform, and the wavelet components were hidden into image. In the extraction network, the features of the hidden image were extracted into four components, and the extracted secret image was obtained. Both the hiding network and the extraction network of this scheme used the improved U-Net structure, which preserved the details of the carrier image and the secret image to the greatest extent. The simulation experiment had shown that the capacity of this scheme was greatly improved than that of the traditional scheme, and the visual effect was good. And compared with the existing similar solution, the network size has been reduced by nearly 60%, and the processing speed has been increased by 20%. The image effect after hiding the information was improved, and the PSNR between the secret image and the extracted image was improved by 6.3 dB.

Budgetary impact of using BPaL for treating extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis

IntroductionBedaquiline, pretomanid and linezolid (BPaL) is a new all oral, 6-month regimen comprised of bedaquiline, the new drug pretomanid and linezolid, endorsed by the WHO for use under operational research conditions in patients with extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB). We quantified per-patient treatment costs and the 5-year budgetary impact of introducing BPaL in Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan and Nigeria.MethodsPer-patient treatment cost of BPaL regimen was compared head-to-head with the conventional XDR-TB treatment regimen for respective countries based on cost estimates primarily assessed using microcosting method and expected frequency of each TB service. The 5-year budget impact of gradual introduction of BPaL against the status quo was assessed using a Markov model that represented patient’s treatment management and outcome pathways.ResultsThe cost per patient completing treatment with BPaL was US$7142 in Indonesia, US$4782 in Kyrgyzstan and US$7152 in Nigeria – 57%, 78% and 68% lower than the conventional regimens in the respective countries. A gradual adoption of the BPaL regimen over 5 years would result in an 5-year average national TB service budget reduction of 17% (US$128 780) in XDR-TB treatment-related expenditure in Indonesia, 15% (US$700 247) in Kyrgyzstan and 32% (US$1 543 047) in Nigeria.ConclusionOur study demonstrates that the BPaL regimen can be highly cost-saving compared with the conventional regimens to treat patients with XDR-TB in high drug-resistant TB burden settings. This supports the rapid adoption of the BPaL regimen to address the significant programmatic and clinical challenges in managing patients with XDR-TB in high DR-TB burden countries.

MEDIEVAL COINS ON THE TERRITORY OF UKRAINE. “BRUSH STROKES” TO THE MONETARY CIRCULATION (I)

During the past two decades, with the development of private search using a special equipment, the number of known coins has increased dramatically, opening up the new opportunities for researchers. The aim of the study. Some of these finds, mainly treasures, have been the subject of the specialized research or have been the part of various numismatic publications, which cannot be said of isolated finds that have only been partially covered in the scientific literature. At the same time, the individual finds are not inferior to informative treasures, allowing a reconstructing the monetary circulation of a single settlement or city, its economic potential, interregional trade relations and many other aspects that contribute together to the restoration of the historical past. Over the last 10-15 years, the authors of this article have been systematically collecting information about the medieval coins found in Ukraine, some of which have an exact location. Thus, the purpose of this article is the gradual introduction into scientific circulation of the numismatic material originating from the territory of modern Ukraine with its full description, illustrations and outlines, references to current works and catalogues. It opens a series of articles on issues of the XV and XVII centuries, namely the Moldavian coins of Alexander I the Good, Stephen III the Great and one piece of the crown solidus of Sigismund III, found with them. Within the 22 coins described in the article, about 10 were found: 6 coins originate from Chernivtsi region, 1 piece of Moldovan coins were founded in Vinnytsia, Poltava, Volyn and Lviv regions. Other coins were also found on the territory of modern Ukraine, the authors do not know the exact places of their discovery. The Conclusions. The topographic distribution of the finds indicates that the main zone of concentration of Moldavian coins falls on the Chernivtsi region, which is quite natural, given that these lands, mentioned in written sources under the name of Shipinska land (terra Sepenicensis), were was included the part of the Moldavian principality since the end of XIV century. The distribution of Moldovan coin finds in Ukraine corresponds to the same international trade routes that connected Central Europe with the Crimean Peninsula, passing through the territory of modern Ukraine and Moldova, known as «Tatar» and «Moldovan» trade routes; and the mediating the role played by the lands of the Principality of Moldavia in this trade.

Medical Applications of Artificial Intelligence (Legal Aspects and Future Prospects)

Background: Cutting-edge digital technologies are being actively introduced into healthcare. The recent successful efforts of artificial intelligence in diagnosing, predicting and studying diseases, as well as in surgical assisting demonstrate its high efficiency. The AI’s ability to promptly take decisions and learn independently has motivated large corporations to focus on its development and gradual introduction into everyday life. Legal aspects of medical activities are of particular importance, yet the legal regulation of AI’s performance in healthcare is still in its infancy. The state is to a considerable extent responsible for the formation of a legal regime that would meet the needs of modern society (digital society). Objective: This study aims to determine the possible modes of AI’s functioning, to identify the participants in medical-legal relations, to define the legal personality of AI and circumscribe the scope of its competencies. Of importance is the issue of determining the grounds for imposing legal liability on persons responsible for the performance of an AI system. Results: The present study identifies the prospects for a legal assessment of AI applications in medicine. The article reviews the sources of legal regulation of AI, including the unique sources of law sanctioned by the state. Particular focus is placed on medical-legal customs and medical practices. Conclusions: The presented analysis has allowed formulating the approaches to the legal regulation of AI in healthcare.

DEVELOPMENT OF A MODEL FOR ASSESSMENT OF THE CONDITION OF PATIENTS WITH DISEASES OF THE SPINE BASED ON THE METHOD OF MULTI-CRITERIAL SELECTION OF ALTERNATIVES

Современная медицина имеет два приоритетных направления развития. Первое направление - это создание новейших лекарственных препаратов, а также разработка вакцин против новых вирусов. Второе направление - повсеместное и поэтапное внедрение в медицину информационных технологий. С болью в спине могут столкнуться люди не только пожилого возраста, но и подростки и даже грудные дети. Боль эта может быть вызвана многими причинами: как усталостью, так и всевозможными заболеваниями, которые могли развиться со временем или быть от рождения. По данным статистики ВОЗ, 80% населения страдает клиническими проявлениями остеохондроза позвоночника. В Российской Федерации большая часть амбулаторного приема неврологов и ортопедов занимают болезни позвоночника. Зачастую эксперту сложно однозначно оценить объект по некоторому критерию, возникают сомнения и поиски усредненной оценки. Но нередко затруднения в точном определении значения возникают не из-за недостатка опыта, а как раз, наоборот, из-за интуитивного понимания размытости оценки. Излишняя точность понятия может привести к потере части наилучших альтернатив или неправильному их ранжированию, если таковое применяется. Поэтому возникает необходимость разработки все более гибких по отношению к человеческому восприятию информации методов, позволяющих учитывать неопределенность все в большем количестве измерений. Целью данной работы является изучение методов, позволяющих с большой точностью определить заболевание позвоночника по некоторым жалобам пациента. Задачами работы являются выбор методов для просчета альтернатив, выбор критериев для альтернатив, и собственно, сами расчеты по выбранным методам Modern medicine has two priority areas of development. The first direction is the creation of the latest drugs, as well as the development of vaccines against new viruses. The second direction is the widespread and gradual introduction of information technologies into medicine. Back pain can be experienced not only by the elderly, but also by adolescents and even infants. This pain can be caused by many reasons: both fatigue and all kinds of diseases that could develop over time or be from birth. According to WHO statistics, 80% of the population suffers from clinical manifestations of osteochondrosis of the spine. In the Russian Federation, most of the outpatient visits to neurologists and orthopedists are spinal diseases. It is often difficult for an expert to unambiguously evaluate an object according to some criterion; doubts arise and searches for an average assessment. But often difficulties in accurately determining the meaning arise not because of a lack of experience, but, on the contrary, because of the intuitive understanding of the fuzziness of the assessment. Excessive precision of the concept can lead to the loss of some of the best alternatives or their incorrect ranking, if applicable. Therefore, there is a need to develop more and more flexible methods in relation to human perception of information, allowing to take into account the uncertainty in more and more dimensions. The aim of this work is to study methods that allow to determine with great accuracy the disease of the spine based on some of the patient's complaints. The tasks of the work are the choice of methods for calculating alternatives, the choice of criteria for alternatives, and, in fact, the calculations themselves according to the selected methods

Socio-cultural and political sources of ethnocultural split in Ukraine

The article examines the socio-cultural and political sources of the modern ethnocultural division of Ukraine and shows that the historically formed cultural division of Ukrainian society due to geographical and political factors was significantly leveled in the Soviet assimilation policy, but was not completely overcome due to slight industrialization of Ukrainian villages and west. As a result, the Ukrainian population was divided into several separate strips, which contributed to the deepening of the cultural divide with other, industrially developed, but de-ethnicized Ukrainian regions. The lack of ethnic unity of Ukrainians and the active position of national minorities in regions with a large number of ethnically related groups, in the absence of a balanced national policy, have become the main causes of ethnocultural division in Ukraine. Overcoming the latter is possible in the process of gradual introduction of general civilizational principles of civil society and the formation of economic, social and spiritual conditions for the development of both the individual and the community. Only when the permanent economic crisis is overcome and science, education and culture broadcast by the national language are raised to the level of state values, without marginalizing the nation-building significance of the languages of interethnic communication, Ukrainian society will become a nation.

Investigating the Teaching Practice Framework in the Departments of Primary Education in Greece: A Sociological Approach

The aim of this research is to analyze and compare the Teaching Practice (TP) in the Departments of Primary Education (DPE) in Greece, in terms of objectives, structure and evaluation. The data for this research was drawn from the Study Guides of nine Departments that we examined in Greece, and they were analyzed using the technique of document analysis. The analysis utilized B. Bernstein’s theoretical framework. The analysis of the data revealed that the TP framework is differentiated across the Departments in terms of time demarcation and student evaluation. These differentiations illustrate the differences in the Departments’ philosophy and organization. Nevertheless, the chief aim of all the Departments is to familiarize future teachers with their duties and responsibilities, an aim which is achieved through the gradual introduction of the trainees into the school field.

Artificial intelligence in justice

The relevance of this study is condition upon the necessity of an in-depth investigation of the phenomenon of artificial intelligence, including its use in the judicial system of various legal states and its impact on the entire judicial system of the state. In this regard, the present paper aims to cover the main definitions of the concept of artificial intelligence, its origins, characteristics, grounds for application, as well as direct interaction and influence on the implementation of the main tasks of justice through the use and development of artificial intelligence in the judicial procedure. The leading method of this study is dialectical, although the authors also employ a combination of other different methods of scientific cognition. The dialectical method, which underlies the theoretical work and is directly listed as fundamental, allowed thoroughly analysing the nature of the concept of artificial intelligence, its key advantages and disadvantages, by analysing its use in the legal systems of the world's leading states. This paper investigates the emergence and transformation of artificial intelligence in modern technological and information relations, its gradual introduction in various spheres of life, namely the ways of implementation and the possibility of application in justice.

MUSEUM COMMUNICATION IN THE CONDITIONS OF DIGITALIZATION

The purpose of the article is to investigate the process of qualitative transformation of museum communication at the present stage, which takes place under the influence of digitalization factors. The methodology of the research consists of the application of analytical, system-functional, and culturological methods to identify features of technical and technological influence on changing the ways of museum representation in modern conditions and practical implementation of new forms of museum work mediated by new technological communications. The scientific novelty of the article is expanding and summarizing information on the updating of museums of communication strategies developed in connection with the gradual introduction of digital technologies in museums, and means as well as channels of communication designed to diversify forms of museum activities. Conclusions. As a result of the study, it was found that information and computer technologies occupy an important role within the formation of modern museum space, which can give new representativeness to the museum object and build multifaceted communication with visitors. Museum communication is increasingly mediated by digital technologies and means of communication, which directly affect both the way the museum is represented and the aspects of communicating with visitors, the positioning of museums in terms of the information space. In modern conditions, the visual communication of the museum communication occupies a significant place, which determines both the representation of the museum collection in digital format and the special communication channel that forms the field of museum semantics in the virtual information space. There is no doubt about the role of digital technologies in the process of musealization, which helps to choose the best ways to adapt the necessary objects for museum presentation. Keywords: museum communication, museums, exposition, information space, visual communication, virtual museum space, musealization.

The use of plant materials for the synthesis of superplasticizer

The paper presents data on the synthesis of phloroglucinol-furfural modifier (1,3,5-trihydroxybenzene-2-furaldehyde oligomer) based on 2-furaldehyde (furfural) and 1,3,5-trihydroxybenzene (phloroglucinol). The synthesis of a modifier with different molar ratios of phloroglucinol/furfural was carried out. It was found that an increase in the molar ratio leads to an increase in the plasticizing ability of the modifier. The optimal concentration of the catalyst was determined to be equal to 50% by weight of phloroglucinol. Two chemical forms of the modifier were obtained: H-form and Na-form. The structure of various forms of the modifier has been studied by scanning electron microscopy. It was found that the oligomers used in the work for the synthesis of the modifier, in addition to 2-furyl methyl alcohol, do not have plasticizing properties. Purified 2-furyl methyl alcohol has weak plasticizing properties. It is shown that to achieve the best plasticizing effect, it is necessary to gradually introduce a condensing agent into the reaction mixture. With gradual introduction, a complete condensation reaction occurs between the monomers, which affects the improvement of the plasticizing properties of the resulting product. The spread of the cement mixture when using 0.3% of the additive based on the mass of cement in terms of dry matter is 19 cm.