A Survey of Digital Watermarking Techniques and its Applications

Digital media is the need of a people now a day as the alternate of paper media.As the technology grown up digital media required protection while transferring through internet or others mediums.Watermarking techniques have been developed to fulfill this requirement.This paper aims to provide a detailed survey of all watermarking techniques specially focuses on image watermarking types and its applications in today world.Comment: 4 Page

DEVELOPMENT OF NOVEL CHEMICAL TOOLS FOR PROTEASOME BIOLOGY & A NEW APPROACH TO 1-AZASPIROCYCLIC RING SYSTEM

The proteasome, a multiprotease complex, is clinically validated as an anticancer target by the FDA approval of bortezomib and carfilzomib for the treatment of multiple myeloma. The emergence of resistance to proteasome inhibitors however remains a major clinical challenge. Recently, distinct types of proteasomes termed ‘intermediate proteasomes’, which contain unconventional mixtures of catalytic subunits, have been implicated with drug resistance of tumor cells. In elucidating the role of intermediate proteasomes in drug resistance, a crucial step is to unequivocally determine the subunit composition of intermediate proteasomes in cells. With this in mind, the goal of the studies reported in this dissertation is to develop novel chemical tools which can facilitate the investigation of intermediate proteasomes via two complementary approaches: a FRET-based approach and a bifunctional cross-linking approach. Chapter 2 describes the structure-based design, synthesis, and characterization of a peptide epoxyketone-based fluorescent probe, named as LKS01-B650, which selectively targets the immunoproteasome subunit β5i/LMP7. In addition to its utility in determining the identity of intermediate proteasomes as FRET-based probe, this imaging agent may also serve as a valuable tool in visualizing the immunoproteasome in living cells. Chapter 3 describes the design and synthesis of various epoxyketone-based bifunctional agents. The ability of these bifunctional agents to cross-link different catalytic subunits within a proteasome complex is shown by mobility shift assays.These bifunctional agents may provide important information in determining the subunit composition of proteasomes. Chapter 4 describes a systematic study of the relationship between the proteasome inhibitor structure and the inhibitory activity against critical subunits of the proteasome. Given the reported role of β5i/LMP7 in autoimmune diseases, this study may provide useful insights in developing therapeutic agents for autoimmune diseases as well as other diseases. Chapter 5 describes a separate study which is not related to proteasome biology. A concise approach to synthesize 1-azaspirocyclic ring systems is developed by utilizing a novel semi-pinacol/Beckmann rearrangement. Additionally, an environmentally benign, microwave-assisted, and solvent-free self-condensation of carbonyl compounds is reported

An algebraic thixotropic elasto-viscoplastic constitutive equation describing pre-yielding solid and post-yielding liquid behaviours

Formulating an appropriate elasto-viscoplastic constitutive equation is challenging, especially for a model describing pre-yielding solid and post-yielding liquid behaviours. Oldroyds 1946 formulation was one of the first models explaining it, however, assumptions of a simple linear elastic and quasi-static deformation before yielding made his model idealistic. At the same time, the quasi-static pre-yielding deformation assumption open-up the possibility for pre-yielding viscous and plastic deformation in the absence of quasi-static conditions. Most early models followed Oldroyds pre-yielding linear elastic assumption. Here, we discuss the structural parameters based thixotropic non-linear elasto-viscoplastic constitutive model valid for reversible and irreversible thixotropic materials. In this work, we have considered non-linear elastic and plastic behaviours before yielding. Despite being a simple algebraic equation, our model explains both the viscosity plateau at low shear rates and the diverging zero shear rate viscosity, using the same parameters but different shear histories. Our model also predicts experimentally observable transient and steady-state shear banding. Furthermore, our model effectively predicts waiting-time-dependent stress overshoot during startup flow, stress hysteresis in shear ramps, sudden stepdown shear rate test results, and viscosity bifurcation phenomena. At the steady state, it reduces to either Bingham, Herschel Bulkley type, or Newtonian fluids model, depending on shear histories. Our model requires only four and five for the irreversible and reversible model, respectively, compared to six or seven parameters required by the existing model. With fewer parameters, our model favourably predicts recent experimental results. The current framework has the potential to provide a possible physical interpretation of the Bingham model.Comment: 49 pages, 15 figure

Investigating the utility of EndoFLIP, a novel diagnostic modality for assessing anal canal function

Evaluation of anal sphincter function is of critical importance in the investigation and management of faecal incontinence, a problem which affects 2% of the general population. Structural assessment by ultrasound is of proven value in defining aetiology and treatment of faecal incontinence, but the currently available physiological assessments are of little value. This is in part because existing physiological techniques assess static properties, whilst faecal incontinence is a dynamic event. Additionally, the heterogeneous structures of the muscle complex surrounding the anal canal require evaluation of the biomechanical properties at multiple locations along the anal canal, not the single measurement of pressure currently available to us with existing techniques. The EndoFLIP technique is a novel methodology that has been used to assess physiology of the upper gut. It allows determination of serial cross-sectional areas (CSAs) during distension thereby providing a detailed segmental geometric and mechanical properties. Custom made probes better suited for anorectum were made as a part of this study to evaluate the biomechanical properties of the anal canal in healthy volunteers. This was followed by study of patients with anorectal dysfunction, specifically dysfunction of the internal anal sphincter and those suffering from scleroderma. The hypothesis for the study was that the dynamic mechanical properties vary at different locations in the anal canal, in response to the anal distension. The study proved a good in-vitro repeatability of the custom-made anorectal probes. This was followed by validation of EndoFLIP in the healthy subjects by confirmation of the pre-existing knowledge of the anorectum besides demonstration of the sampling reflex in real life. A comparison of healthy cohort with morphologically intact faecal incontinence patients and scleroderma patients highlighted a number of significant differences amongst these groups during resting, squeeze and RAIR phase. The clinical utility of EndoFLIP was proven by the new knowledge that was gained during this study

Chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML): an update

The management of chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML) has undergone a major change over the past 5 years. All newly diagnosedpatients of CMLarecandidatesforimatinibmesylate therapy. Almost 95% of patients with early chronic phase CML achieve complete haematological remission (CHR) and nearly 80% achieve complete cytogenetic response (CGR; 0% Philadelphia [Ph] chromosome-positive metaphases). These responses are stable in most patients with a risk of relapse of 4%-6% per year. For patients with advanced CML (accelerated phase and blast crisis), achievement of CHR and major (complete and partial) CGR occurs in 25%-37% and 10%-30% of patients, respectively. Most investigators agree that patients who fail to achieve CHR by 12 weeks, have partial cytogenetic response (<35% Ph-positive metaphases) at 12 months, have CGR by 18 months, who relapse after initial response to imatinib, and those with a high Sokal score or in an advanced phase of CML should be considered for allogeneic stem cell transplantation(SCT). DespitePhnegativity with imatinib treatment, most patients continue to remain BCR-ABL positive on molecular studies, and require treatment indefinitely. Identification of patients at high risk for relapse and understanding the mechanisms to unravel resistance to imatinib are current areas of active research

Spin-0±0^\pm portal induced Dark Matter

Standard model (SM) spin-zero singlets are constrained through their di-Bosonic decay channels via an effective coupling induced by a vector-like quark (VLQ) loop at the LHC for $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV. These spin-zero resonances are then considered as portals for scalar, vector or fermionic dark matter particle interactions with SM gauge bosons. We find that the model is validated with respect to the observations from LHC data and from cosmology, indirect and direct detection experiments for an appreciable range of scalar, vector and fermionic DM masses greater than 300 GeV and VLQ masses $\ge$ 400 GeV, corresponding to the three choice of portal masses 270 GeV, 500 GeV and 750 GeV respectively.Comment: 28 pages, 13 figures, and 2 table

Cost variation analysis of antimalarial drugs available in India

Background: Malaria has been a problem in India for centuries. There are innumerable brands of antimalarial present in the market. Malaria can be extremely fatal if not treated promptly. Costly drugs can lead to economic burden which results in decreased compliance or even non-compliance. Non-compliance leads to incomplete treatment which tends to increase morbidity. Increase in the patient medication cost was found to be associated with decreased adherence to prescription medication. Hence this study was done to assess the cost variation of malaria therapy.Methods: The maximum and minimum price of each brand of the drug in INR was noted by using CIMS January to April 2017 edition and Drug Today January to March 2017, Vol 2. The cost ratio and the percentage cost variation for individual drug brands was calculated. The cost of 10 tablets was calculated in case of oral drug and the cost of 1 ampoule or vial was noted in case of injectable drug. At last the cost ratio and % cost variation of various brands was compared.Results: The analysis of data reflected a considerable cost variation among antimalarial drugs. Artemether injection showed the highest cost ratio and cost variation (cost ratio = 16.96 and % cost variation = 1596). Overall injectable antimalarials showed considerable cost variation as compared to oral antimalarial agents. Chloroquine which is one of the most used antimalarial showed very low values for cost variation and cost ratio.Conclusions: The analysis showed that there is not much significant price variation among oral antimalarial drugs. The maximum variation shown by oral antimalarial was found to be for fixed dose combination of Artemether and Lumefantrine [cost ratio>2 (2.03) and % price variation >100 (103.7)]. But there was significant price variation among injectable antimalarial. Injectable antimalarials are often the choice of drug when dealing with critically ill malaria patients specially when suffering from complicated malaria. So, such significant price variation creates burden on poor patients economically which leads to non-compliance and hence increased morbidity and mortality due to incomplete treatment