Intelligent reversible watermarking technique in medical images using GA and PSO

The advances in recording, editing, and broadcasting multimedia contents in digital form motivate to protect these digital contents from illegal use, such as duplication, manipulation, and redistribution. However, watermarking algorithms are designed to satisfy requirements of applications, as different applications have different concerns. We intend to design a watermarking algorithm for applications which require high embedding capacity and imperceptibility, to maintain the integrity of the host signal as well as embedded information. Reversible watermarking is a promising technique which satisfies our requirements. In this paper, we concentrate on improving the watermark capacity and reducing the perceptual degradation of an image. We investigated the Luo's [1] additive interpolation-error expansion algorithm and enhanced it by incorporating with two intelligent techniques: genetic algorithm (GA), and particle swarm optimization (PSO). Genetic algorithm is applied to exploit the correlation of image pixel values to obtain better estimation of neighboring pixel values, which results in optimal balance between information storage capacity and imperceptibility. Particle swarm optimization (intelligent technique) is also applied for the same purpose. Experimental results show that PSO and GA nearly give the same results, but GA outperforms the PSO. Experimental results also reveal that the proposed strategy outperforms the state of art works in terms of perceptual quality and watermarking payload.     

Dynamic quantum revivals in phase space

We explain quantum revivals and fractional revivals in phase space of the Fermi?CUlam accelerator. We derive analytic expressions of the Wigner distribution function for the driven system describing quantum interferences in position and momentum space. We assume that the fractional revival times are nonrecurrent under certain conditions and display randomness in the occurrence of the phenomenon at these times.     

Curcumin and Its Derivatives Induce Apoptosis in Human Cancer Cells by Mobilizing and Redox Cycling Genomic Copper Ions

Turmeric spice contains curcuminoids, which are polyphenolic compounds found in the Curcuma longa plant’s rhizome. This class of molecules includes curcumin, demethoxycurcumin, and bisdemethoxycurcumin. Using prostate cancer cell lines PC3, LNCaP, DU145, and C42B, we show that curcuminoids inhibit cell proliferation (measured by MTT assay) and induce apoptosis-like cell death (measured by DNA/histone ELISA). A copper chelator (neocuproine) and reactive oxygen species scavengers (thiourea for hydroxyl radical, superoxide dismutase for superoxide anion, and catalase for hydrogen peroxide) significantly inhibit this reaction, thus demonstrating that intracellular copper reacts with curcuminoids in cancer cells to cause DNA damage via ROS generation. We further show that copper-supplemented media sensitize normal breast epithelial cells (MCF-10A) to curcumin-mediated growth inhibition, as determined by decreased cell proliferation. Copper supplementation results in increased expression of copper transporters CTR1 and ATP7A in MCF-10A cells, which is attenuated by the addition of curcumin in the medium. We propose that the copper-mediated, ROS-induced mechanism of selective cell death of cancer cells may in part explain the anticancer effects of curcuminoids.     

214Po: A γ-γ and γγ(θ) Coincidence study

Extensive γ-γ coincidence measurements have been made on γ rays accompanying theβ ^? decay of²¹⁴Bi using a conventional GeGe coincidence spectrometer. A total of 33 new γ transitions among levels of²¹⁴Po have been established. Twenty-three previously reported but unplaced transitions have now been assigned in the level scheme. In addition to confirming 56 previously proposed levels, four new levels are established at 1015.05, 1712.98, 3003.5 and 3160.5 keV. Directional correlation measurements have been made on six weak cascades which have the first excited state in common. Mixing ratios have been deduced for the transitions concerned.     

Dosage spectrographique du gallium dans l'aluminium

Résumé L'auteur a préparé des alliages-types à partir d'aluminium et de gallium purs, puis, les a analysés par la méthode de l'arc intermittent comme contrôle. Application à l'analyse d'un échantillon d'aluminium renfermant 0,01% de gallium.

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Summary The author has prepared standard alloys, starting with aluminum and pure gallium, and then analyzed them by the intermittent arc method as control. Application to the analysis of a sample of aluminum containing 0,01% gallium.

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Zusammenfassung Es wurden Legierungstypen aus reinem Aluminium und Gallium hergestellt und zur Kontrolle spektralanalytisch mit dem Abreißbogen untersucht. Die Anwendung dieses Verfahrens auf eine Aluminiumprobe mit 0,01% Gallium ergab befriedigende Resultate.

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Résumé d'une Thèse soutenue devant la Faculté des Sciences de Paris, le 22 juin 1950.

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Avec 2 figures.     

Engineering CNOT gate in cavity QED scenario

We present a quantum CNOT logic gate based on interaction of a three-level cesium atom with a two-mode electromagnetic field in a high-Q superconducting cavity. The three-level atom acts as a control qubit and the two-mode electromagnetic field serves as a target qubit. Presently available QED experiments make it feasible to realize the theoretical suggestion in the laboratory. We determine the feasibility of our proposal by calculating the fidelity.     

Remote entanglement for quantum networks

Quantum networks are distributed many-body quantum systems with tailored topology and controlled information exchange. We present two schemes to generate remote entanglement, in atomic external degrees of freedom and between cavities. In the first scheme, we entangle two atoms with their cavities in momentum space through Bragg diffraction. Thereafter, in order to trace out the cavities, we let resonantly interact an auxiliary atom with each cavity. In the last, we perform quantum measurement on two auxiliary atoms and get remote entangled state in atomic external degrees of freedom. In the second scheme, we have a three cavities system. The other two cavities, A and B, are entangled with indistinguishable modes of cavity, C. Performing quantum measurement on third cavity, C, we disentangle it from the system and the cavities, A and B, become entangled.     

Determination of Alendronate Sodium by Box-Behnken Statistical Design

Spectrophotometric and LC methods have been developed and validated for the analysis of alendronate sodium in tablet dosage forms. Methods were based on reaction of the primary amino group of alendronate with ninhydrin reagent in methanolic solution of sodium bicarbonate. The condensed product exhibited UV absorption maximum at 569 nm whereas neither the reagents nor the analyte had any UV absorption. A Box-Behnken statistical design was employed to study the effect of independent variables, ninhydrin (X ₁ ), NaHCO₃ (X ₂ ) and drug concentration (X ₃ ) on dependent variable, absorption via spectrophotometer. From the point prediction tool of design software, it was observed that ninhydrin (0.26%) and NaHCO₃ (0.048 mol L^?1) produced maximum absorption. These optimized parameters were then selected for method validation. The methods obeyed Beer’s law over a selected concentration range with good correlation co-efficient (>0.99). The limit of detection and limit of quantification were 4.5 and 13.75 μg mL^?1 by spectroscopy, and 87 and 263 ng mL^?1 by LC, respectively. Accuracy, precision and % recovery were satisfactory for the proposed method. The method was highly feasible and reproducible for determination of alendronate sodium in bulk powder and pharmaceutical dosage form.     

Stability indicating high-performance thin-layer chromatographic determination of gatifloxacin as bulk drug and from polymeric nanoparticles

A simple, sensitive, selective, precise and stability indicating high-performance thin-layer chromatographic method for determination of gatifloxacin both as a bulk drug and from polymeric nanoparticles was developed and validated as per the International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) guidelines. The method employed thin-layer chromatography (TLC) aluminium plates precoated with silica gel 60F-254 as the stationary phase and the mobile phase consisted of n-propanol-methanol-concentrated ammonia solution (25%) (5:1:0.9, v/v/v). This solvent system was found to give compact spots for gatifloxacin (R_f value of 0.60 ± 0.02). Densitometric analysis of gatifloxacin was carried out in the absorbance mode at 292 nm. The linear regression analysis data for the calibration plots showed good linear relationship with r = 0.9953 with respect to peak area in the concentration range of 400-1200 ng spot⁻¹. The mean value (±S.D.) of slope and intercept were 9.66 ± 0.05 and 956.33 ± 27.67, respectively. The method was validated for precision, accuracy, ruggedness and recovery. The limits of detection and quantitation were 2.73 and 8.27 ng spot⁻¹, respectively. Gatifloxacin was subjected to acid and alkali hydrolysis, oxidation, photodegradation and dry heat treatment. The drug undergoes degradation under acidic and basic conditions and upon wet and dry heat treatment. The degraded products were well separated from the pure drug. The statistical analysis proves that the developed method for quantification of gatifloxacin as bulk drug and from polymeric nanoparticles is reproducible and selective. As the method could effectively separate the drug from its degradation products, it can be employed as stability-indicating one.     

Simultaneous Determination of Paracetamol and Orphenadrine Citrate in Dosage Formulations and in Human Serum by RP‐HPLC

Rapid liquid chromatographic procedures are proposed for analysis of paracetamol and orphenadrine citrate in pharmaceutical preparations and human serum using acetonitrile: water (50:50) as a mobile phase, adjusting pH to 2.6, UV detection at 215 nm and propylparaben sodium as internal standard. The advantages of this method include good and rapid separation, well resolved peaks, and only a small amount of sample is required for assay and adequate precision. The method showed good linearity in the range of 6 to 10000 ng/mL for paracetamol serum concentrations with a correlation coefficient 0.9999 (inter and intra day CV < 3.15) and in the range 3–10000 ng/mL for orphenadrine citrate serum concentrations with a correlation coefficient of 0.9999 (inter and intra day CV < 3.58). The recovery of paracetamol and orphenadrine citrate was > 96.9% and > 96.7%, respectively. The proposed method may be used for the quantitative analysis of paracetamol and orphenadrine citrate alone or in combination from raw materials, in bulk drugs, dosage formulations and in serum.