Scene-based imperceptible-visible watermarking for HDR video content

This paper presents the High Dynamic Range - Imperceptible Visible Watermarking for HDR video content (HDR-IVW-V) based on scene detection for robust copyright protection of HDR videos using a visually imperceptible watermarking methodology. HDR-IVW-V employs scene detection to reduce both computational complexity and undesired visual attention to watermarked regions. Visual imperceptibility is achieved by finding the region of a frame with the highest hiding capacities on which the Human Visual System (HVS) cannot recognize the embedded watermark. The embedded watermark remains visually imperceptible as long as the normal color calibration parameters are held. HDR-IVW-V is evaluated on PQ-encoded HDR video content successfully attaining visual imperceptibility, robustness to tone mapping operations and image quality preservation

Influence of Ultraviolet Radiation Exposure Time on Styrene-Ethylene-Butadiene-Styrene (SEBS) Copolymer

[EN] The effect of ultraviolet radiation on styrene-ethylene-butadiene-styrene (SEBS) has been studied at different exposures times in order to obtain a better understanding of the mechanism of ageing. The polymer materials were mechanically tested and then their surfaces were analyzed using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Moreover, the optical analysis of contact angle (OCA) was used to evaluate the surface energy (gamma(s)) and the yellowing index (YI) and attenuated total reflectance infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) were used to observe structural and physical changes in aging SEBS. The results obtained for the SEBS, in relation to the duration of exposure, showed superficial changes that cause a decrease in the surface energy (gamma(s)) and, therefore, a decrease in surface roughness. This led to a reduction in mechanical performance, decreasing the tensile strength by about 50% for exposure times of around 200 hours.This work was supported by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) grant number MAT2017-84909-C2-2-R). Daniel Garcia-Garcia acknowledges Generalitat Valenciana (GVA) for financial support through a postdoctoral contract (APOSTD/2019/201).Garcia-Garcia, D.; Crespo, J.; Parres, F.; Samper, M. (2020). Influence of Ultraviolet Radiation Exposure Time on Styrene-Ethylene-Butadiene-Styrene (SEBS) Copolymer. Polymers. 12(4):1-14. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym12040862S114124Picchioni, F., Giorgi, I., Passaglia, E., Ruggeri, G., & Aglietto, M. (2001). Blending of styrene-block-butadiene-block-styrene copolymer with sulfonated vinyl aromatic polymers. Polymer International, 50(6), 714-721. doi:10.1002/pi.692Zhu, J., Birgisson, B., & Kringos, N. (2014). Polymer modification of bitumen: Advances and challenges. 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Noise control by sonic crystal barriers made of recycled materials

A systematic study of noise barriers based on sonic crystals made of cylinders that use recycled materials like absorbing component is here reported. The barriers consist of only three rows of perforated metal shells filled with rubber crumb. Measurements of reflectance and transmittance by these barriers are reported. Their attenuation properties result from a combination of sound absorption by the rubber crumb and reflection by the periodic distribution of scatterers. It is concluded that porous cylinders can be used as building blocks whose physical parameters can be optimized in order to design efficient barriers adapted to different noisy environments

Meta-analysis of Arabidopsis KANADI1 direct target genes identifies basic growth-promoting module acting upstream of hormonal signaling pathways

An intricate network of antagonistically acting transcription factors mediates the formation of a flat leaf lamina of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) plants. In this context, members of the class III homeodomain leucine zipper (HD-ZIPIII) transcription factor family specify the adaxial domain (future upper side) of the leaf, while antagonistically acting KANADI transcription factors determine the abaxial domain (future lower side). Here, we used a messenger RNA sequencing approach to identify genes regulated by KANADI1 (KAN1) and subsequently performed a meta-analysis combining our data sets with published genome-wide data sets. Our analysis revealed that KAN1 acts upstream of several genes encoding auxin biosynthetic enzymes. When exposed to shade, we found three YUCCA genes, YUC2, YUC5, and YUC8, to be transcriptionally up-regulated, which correlates with an increase in the levels of free auxin. When ectopically expressed, KAN1 is able to transcriptionally repress these three YUC genes and thereby block shade-induced auxin biosynthesis. Consequently, KAN1 is able to strongly suppress shade-avoidance responses. Taken together, we hypothesize that HD-ZIPIII/KAN form the basis of a basic growth-promoting module. Hypocotyl extension in the shade and outgrowth of new leaves both involve auxin synthesis and signaling, which are under the direct control of HD-ZIPIII/KAN.This work was supported by the European Union (Marie-Curie International Reintegration grant no. 256502 to S.W.), the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft Collaborative Research Centre (grant no. SFB1101 to S.W.), the European Research Council (grant no. 336295 to S.W.), and the Spanish MINECO (grant no. BIO2011–23489 to J.F.M.-G.).Peer reviewe

Microwave and Millimeter Wave Techniques

Contains reports on two research project.Joint Services Electronics Program (Contract DAABO7-76-C-1400

The Soft-Excess in Mrk 509: Warm Corona or Relativistic Reflection?

We present the analysis of the first NuSTAR observations ($\sim 220$ ks), simultaneous with the last SUZAKU observations ($\sim 50$ ks), of the active galactic nucleus of the bright Seyfert 1 galaxy Mrk 509. The time-averaged spectrum in the $1-79$ keV X-ray band is dominated by a power-law continuum ($\Gamma\sim 1.8-1.9$), a strong soft excess around 1 keV, and signatures of X-ray reflection in the form of Fe K emission ($\sim 6.4$ keV), an Fe K absorption edge ($\sim 7.1$ keV), and a Compton hump due to electron scattering ($\sim 20-30$ keV). We show that these data can be described by two very different prescriptions for the soft excess: a warm ($kT\sim 0.5-1$ keV) and optically thick ($\tau\sim10-20$) Comptonizing corona, or a relativistically blurred ionized reflection spectrum from the inner regions of the accretion disk. While these two scenarios cannot be distinguished based on their fit statistics, we argue that the parameters required by the warm corona model are physically incompatible with the conditions of standard coronae. Detailed photoionization calculations show that even in the most favorable conditions, the warm corona should produce strong absorption in the observed spectrum. On the other hand, while the relativistic reflection model provides a satisfactory description of the data, it also requires extreme parameters, such as maximum black hole spin, a very low and compact hot corona, and a very high density for the inner accretion disk. Deeper observations of this source are thus necessary to confirm the presence of relativistic reflection, and to further understand the nature of its soft excess.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ, 18 pages, 7 figure