High Capacity Data Embedding using joint Intermediate Significant Bit (ISB) and Least Significant Bit (LSB) Technique

The success of the Internet, coupled with availability of relatively inexpensive digital devices has created an environment in which it has become very easy to obtain, replicate and distribute digital content without any loss in quality. In such a scenario, data hiding has received significant attention from the research community round the globe, as it has been found useful in various areas like copyright protection, copy control, fingerprinting, content authentication and information security. Least Significant Bit based data hiding techniques have been used as effective means to hide the data to be secured, but they are less robust in nature. This paper presents a high capacity data hiding technique in which the data to be secured is embedded in Intermediate Significant Bits in addition to Least Significant Bits of cover image. The data to be embedded is broken down in data blocks of variable length and each block is embedded in the cover media in such a way that highest length data vector is embedded in lower order bit plane and vice-versa. This work shows attractive results with respect to imperceptibility and capacity when compared with a few reported techniques. Key Words: Intermediate Significant Bit, Embedding, Imperceptibility, Least Significant Bit.

Evaluation of functional and clinical outcome of open reduction and internal fixation of Barton’s fracture of the wrist in a central hospital of Kashmir

Background: Fractures of the distal end of radius continue to pose a management challenge. Defective alignment of extra articular as well as intra articular fractures result in a variety of complications like post traumatic arthritis, decreased in grip strength and endurance as well as limited range of motion and instability of carpus. The main aim of this study is to assess the functional results of open reduction and internal fixation in the treatment of volar Barton’s fracture.Methods: From December 2006 to December 2019, forty cases of volar Barton’s fracture were operated in Skims Medical College Hospital, Srinagar, Kashmir, however only 32 cases were included in the study group and 8 cases were lost to follow up. In the majority of our cases the injury was sustained as a result of road traffic accident followed by fall. Majority (24) of the cases were operated within one week of trauma, followed by six in two weeks and two in 3 weeks of time since injury.Results: Functional evaluation was done after a mean follow-up of 28.7 months. Fracture union was achieved within 8 to 12 weeks and excellent results were obtained in 18 cases and 10 cases were categorized as good followed by fair result in 4 cases. Median nerve compression was not observed in any case.Conclusions: Good to excellent result can be achieved after open reduction and internal fixation which restores joint congruity

Data Hiding in Color Images: A High Capacity Data Hiding Technique for Covert Communication

A high capacity data hiding technique using color images as cover medium and referred to as 4R-4G-4B technique has been investigated and presented in this paper. The color image is firstly divided into its constituent bit planes followed by data embedding. To thwart the adversary different embedding algorithms have been used for embedding data in Red, Green and Blue planes. Additional layer of security to the embedded data is added by embedding secret data at the pseudorandom locations determined by Main Address Vector (MAV) and Complementary Address Vector (CAV). The comparison of our method with an existing technique shows that proposed technique is capable of providing better quality stego-images even if the embedded data is slightly more. A 2.7dB increase in PSNR in case of proposed technique substantiates the argument

On the Realization of Non-Linear Pseudo-Noise Generator for various Signal Processing and Communication Applications

In digital communication systems and digital signal processing, the design of pseudo-noise (PN) sequences having good correlation properties has been one of the most important development steps. Its well-known application areas include spread spectrum communications, Multiuser Communications, Digital Signal Processing for reduction of power spectral density, mitigation of Multiple Access Interference (MAI) and improvement of signal to noise ratio (SNR) respectively. In this paper a performance of non- linear PN code generator for interference rejection improvement of signal to noise ratio in signal processing applications have been studied.  The signal of interest can be considered to be a digitally controlled wide band digital chaotic signal, which has been implemented by conventional PN code generators.  The proposed technique can be used as an alternative code for improvement in signal to noise ratio, interference rejection, spreading code for various signal processing and communication applications.  The proposed scheme has been implemented using matlab as a simulation tool.  Power spectral density, auto-correlation and cross-correlation property have been thoroughly studied and has been compared with conventional scheme and are presented in the paper. Keywords: PN Code Generator, Spread Spectrum Modulation, Auto-correlation, Cross-correlation, Power Spectral Density

Assessment of functional outcome of operative management of displaced acetabular fractures and complications

Background: Aim of the study was to assess the functional outcome of operative management of displaced acetabular fractures and complications.Methods: The study included sixty patients presenting within 2 weeks with displaced fractures of more than 2 mm. Elderly patients with osteoporotic bones and co-morbid conditions were excluded.Results: A total of sixty patients were operated on. Union was achieved in anatomical position in 51 patients (85%) and in malposition in 9 (15%) patients. Excellent results were obtained in 15 (25%) patients, good results in 32 (53%), fair results in 7 (11.6%) and poor results in 6 (10%) patients. Post operative complications included infection in 2 (3%), sciatic nerve injury in 2 (3%) and avascular necrosis (AVN) in 3 (5%) patients.Conclusions: In the present study, majority of the patients were operated within two weeks. The Harris hip score averaged 58

Helicobacter pylori Infection in Various ABO Blood Groups of Kashmiri Population

Aim: This study was carried out to assess the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection in various ABO blood groups of people of Kashmir

Understanding Aquaporin Transport System in Eelgrass (Zostera marina L.), an Aquatic Plant Species

Aquaporins (AQPs) are a class of integral membrane proteins involved in the transport of water and many other small solutes. The AQPs have been extensively studied in many land species obtaining water and nutrients from the soil, but their distribution and evolution have never been investigated in aquatic plant species, where solute assimilation is mostly through the leaves. In this regard, identification of AQPs in the genome of Zostera marina L. (eelgrass), an aquatic ecological model species could reveal important differences underlying solute uptake between land and aquatic species. In the present study, genome-wide analysis led to the identification of 25 AQPs belonging to four subfamilies, plasma membrane intrinsic proteins (PIPs), tonoplast intrinsic proteins (TIPs), nodulin 26-like intrinsic proteins (NIPs), small basic intrinsic proteins (SIPs) in eelgrass. As in other monocots, the XIP subfamily was found to be absent from the eelgrass genome. Further classification of subfamilies revealed a unique distribution pattern, namely the loss of the NIP2 (NIP-III) subgroup, which is known for silicon (Si) transport activity and ubiquitously present in monocot species. This finding has great importance, since the eelgrass population stability in natural niche is reported to be associated with Si concentrations in water. In addition, analysis of available RNA-seq data showed evidence of expression in 24 out of the 25 AQPs across four different tissues such as root, vegetative tissue, male flower and female flower. In contrast to land plants, higher expression of PIPs was observed in shoot compared to root tissues. This is likely explained by the unique plant architecture of eelgrass where most of the nutrients and water are absorbed by shoot rather than root tissues. Similarly, higher expression of the TIP1 and TIP5 families was observed specifically in male flowers suggesting a role in pollen maturation. This genome-wide analysis of AQP distribution, evolution and expression dynamics can find relevance in understanding the adaptation of aquatic and land species to their respective environments

Global economic burden of unmet surgical need for appendicitis

Background: There is a substantial gap in provision of adequate surgical care in many low-and middle-income countries. This study aimed to identify the economic burden of unmet surgical need for the common condition of appendicitis. Methods: Data on the incidence of appendicitis from 170 countries and two different approaches were used to estimate numbers of patients who do not receive surgery: as a fixed proportion of the total unmet surgical need per country (approach 1); and based on country income status (approach 2). Indirect costs with current levels of access and local quality, and those if quality were at the standards of high-income countries, were estimated. A human capital approach was applied, focusing on the economic burden resulting from premature death and absenteeism. Results: Excess mortality was 4185 per 100 000 cases of appendicitis using approach 1 and 3448 per 100 000 using approach 2. The economic burden of continuing current levels of access and local quality was US $92 492 million using approach 1 and$73 141 million using approach 2. The economic burden of not providing surgical care to the standards of high-income countries was $95 004 million using approach 1 and$75 666 million using approach 2. The largest share of these costs resulted from premature death (97.7 per cent) and lack of access (97.0 per cent) in contrast to lack of quality. Conclusion: For a comparatively non-complex emergency condition such as appendicitis, increasing access to care should be prioritized. Although improving quality of care should not be neglected, increasing provision of care at current standards could reduce societal costs substantially

Search for low-mass dilepton resonances in Higgs boson decays to four-lepton final states in proton–proton collisions at √s=13TeV

A search for low-mass dilepton resonances in Higgs boson decays is conducted in the four-lepton final state. The decay is assumed to proceed via a pair of beyond the standard model particles, or one such particle and a Z boson. The search uses proton–proton collision data collected with the CMS detector at the CERN LHC, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 137 fb−1, at a center-of-mass energy √s = 13 TeV. No significant deviation from the standard model expectation is observed. Upper limits at 95% confidence level are set on model-independent Higgs boson decay branching fractions. Additionally, limits on dark photon and axion-like particle production, based on two specific models, are reported