Detecting covert communication channels in raster images

Digital image steganography is a method for hiding secret messages within everyday Internet communication channels. Such covert communications provide protection for communications and exploit the opportunities available in digital media. Digital image steganography makes the nature and content of a message invisible to other users by taking ordinary internet artefacts and using them as cover objects for the messages. In this paper we demonstrate the capability with raster image files and discuss the challenges of detecting such covert communications. The contribution of the research is community awareness of covert communication capability in digital media and the motivation for including such checks in any investigatory analysis

Digital currency forensics

The banknote manufacturing industry is shrouded in secrecy, the fundamental mechanics of security components are closely guarded trade secrets. Currency forensics is the application of systematic methods to determine authenticity of questioned currency. However, forensic analysis is a difficult task requiring specially trained examiners, the most important challenge is systematically and methodologically repeating the analysis process to reduce human error and time. In this thesis, an empirical approach for automated currency forensics is formulated and a prototype is developed. A two-part feature vector is defined comprised of colour features and texture features. Finally the note in question is classified by a Feedforward Neural Network (FNN) and a measurement of similarity between template and suspect note is output. Colorspace performance have been compared namely the: RGB, HSI, and Lab colorspaces. It is found that the combined average between the RGB channels known as the Intensity channel provides the highest discriminability, and is selected as the candidate colorspace. By its definition the word currency refers to an agreed medium for exchange, a nation’s currency is the formal medium enforced by the elected governing entity. Forensic science is the application of scientific methods to answer questions of a legal nature. Throughout history, issuers have faced one common threat, the threat of counterfeit. Despite technological advancements, overcoming counterfeit production remains a distant reality. Scientific determination of authenticity requires a deep understanding of the raw materials, and manufacturing processes involved. This thesis serves as a synthesis of the current literature to understand the technology and the mechanics involved in currency manufacture and security, whilst identifying gaps in the current literature. Ultimately, a robust currency is desired, a robust currency is one which withstands security breaches, and is durable surpassing the lifetime of the current currency. It has been identified that the current currency forensic investigation process is a manual ad-hoc process requiring specialist sought after questioned document examiners (QDEs), clearly this process is subject to human error. In a forensic setting, the analysis process must be systematic, methodological and repeatable. The digital currency forensics system addresses the issue of currency analysis by implementing a specific repeatable process through an automated examination using a combination of image processing, and classification techniques. This is achieved by implementing machine learning and pattern recognition

Pathways through the criminal justice system for prisoners with acute and serious mental illness

Purpose: To evaluate pathways through the criminal justice system for 63 prisoners under the care of prison mental health services. Results: Only a small number (3%) were acutely mentally ill on reception to prison, and this may reflect the successful operation of liaison and diversion services at earlier stages in the pathway. However, a third (33%) went onto display acute symptoms at later stages. Cases displaying suicide risk at arrest, with a history of in-patient care, were at increased risk of acute deterioration in the first weeks of imprisonment, with a general lack of health assessments for these cases prior to their imprisonment. Inconsistencies in the transfer of mental health information to health files may result in at-risk cases being overlooked, and a lack of standardisation at the court stage resulted in difficulties determining onward service provision and outcomes. Foreign national prisoners were under-represented in the sample. Conclusions: Greater consistency in access to pre-prison health services in the criminal justice system is needed, especially for those with pre-existing vulnerabilities, and it may have a role in preventing subsequent deterioration. A single system for health information flow across the whole pathway would be beneficial. Summary points: 1. Only 3% of cases were acutely mentally ill at prison reception. 2. Cases identified at arrest as presenting a high risk of suicide, with a history of in-patient care, may be at increased risk of acute deterioration in the first weeks of imprisonment; but they were over-looked for assessment prior to prison. 3. Inconsistencies in the transfer of mental health information into prison health files may result in overlooked at-risk cases

Differences in Spontaneously Avoiding or Approaching Mice Reflect Differences in CB1-Mediated Signaling of Dorsal Striatal Transmission

Approach or avoidance behaviors are accompanied by perceptual vigilance for, affective reactivity to and behavioral predisposition towards rewarding or punitive stimuli, respectively. We detected three subpopulations of C57BL/6J mice that responded with avoiding, balancing or approaching behaviors not induced by any experimental manipulation but spontaneously displayed in an approach/avoidance conflict task. Although the detailed neuronal mechanisms underlying the balancing between approach and avoidance are not fully clarified, there is growing evidence that endocannabinoid system (ECS) plays a critical role in the control of these balancing actions. The sensitivity of dorsal striatal synapses to the activation of cannabinoid CB1 receptors was investigated in the subpopulations of spontaneously avoiding, balancing or approaching mice. Avoiding animals displayed decreased control of CB1 receptors on GABAergic striatal transmission and in parallel increase of behavioral inhibition. Conversely, approaching animals exhibited increased control of CB1 receptors and in parallel increase of explorative behavior. Balancing animals reacted with balanced responses between approach and avoidance patterns. Treating avoiding animals with URB597 (fatty acid amide hydrolase inhibitor) or approaching animals with AM251 (CB1 receptor inverse agonist) reverted their respective behavioral and electrophysiological patterns. Therefore, enhanced or reduced CB1-mediated control on dorsal striatal transmission represents the synaptic hallmark of the approach or avoidance behavior, respectively. Thus, the opposite spontaneous responses to conflicting stimuli are modulated by a different involvement of endocannabinoid signaling of dorsal striatal neurons in the range of temperamental traits related to individual differences

An Aged Canid with Behavioral Deficits Exhibits Blood and Cerebrospinal Fluid Amyloid Beta Oligomers

Many of the molecular and pathological features associated with human Alzheimer disease (AD) are mirrored in the naturally occurring age-associated neuropathology in the canine species. In aged dogs with declining learned behaviour and memory the severity of cognitive dysfunction parallels the progressive build up and location of Aβ in the brain. The main aim of this work was to study the biological behaviour of soluble oligomers isolated from an aged dog with cognitive dysfunction through investigating their interaction with a human cell line and synthetic Aβ peptides. We report that soluble oligomers were specifically detected in the dog’s blood and cerebrospinal fluid via anti-oligomer- and anti-Aβ specific binders. Importantly, our results reveal the potent neurotoxic effects of the dog’s cerebrospinal fluid on cell viability and the seeding efficiency of the cerebrospinal fluid-borne soluble oligomers on the thermodynamic activity and the aggregation kinetics of synthetic human Aβ. The value of further characterising the naturally occurring Alzheimer-like neuropathology in dogs using genetic and molecular tools is discussed

The effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy compared with maintenance antidepressant treatment in the prevention of depressive relapse/recurrence: results of a randomised controlled trial (the PREVENT study)

Background: Individuals with a history of recurrent depression have a high risk of repeated depressive relapse/recurrence. Maintenance antidepressant medication (m-ADM) for at least 2 years is the current recommended treatment, but many individuals are interested in alternatives to m-ADM. Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) has been shown to reduce the risk of relapse/recurrence compared with usual care but has not yet been compared with m-ADM in a definitive trial. Objectives: To establish whether MBCT with support to taper and/or discontinue antidepressant medication (MBCT-TS) is superior to and more cost-effective than an approach of m-ADM in a primary care setting for patients with a history of recurrent depression followed up over a 2-year period in terms of preventing depressive relapse/recurrence. Secondary aims examined MBCT’s acceptability and mechanism of action. Design: Single-blind, parallel, individual randomised controlled trial. Setting: UK general practices. Participants: Adult patients with a diagnosis of recurrent depression and who were taking m-ADM. Interventions: Participants were randomised to MBCT-TS or m-ADM with stratification by centre and symptomatic status. Outcome data were collected blind to treatment allocation and the primary analysis was based on the principle of intention to treat. Process studies using quantitative and qualitative methods examined MBCT’s acceptability and mechanism of action. Main outcomes measures: The primary outcome measure was time to relapse/recurrence of depression. At each follow-up the following secondary outcomes were recorded: number of depression-free days, residual depressive symptoms, quality of life, health-related quality of life and psychiatric and medical comorbidities. Results: In total, 212 patients were randomised to MBCT-TS and 212 to m-ADM. The primary analysis did not find any evidence that MBCT-TS was superior to m-ADM in terms of the primary outcome of time to depressive relapse/recurrence over 24 months [hazard ratio (HR) 0.89, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.67 to 1.18] or for any of the secondary outcomes. Cost-effectiveness analysis did not support the hypothesis that MBCT-TS is more cost-effective than m-ADM in terms of either relapse/recurrence or quality-adjusted life-years. In planned subgroup analyses, a significant interaction was found between treatment group and reported childhood abuse (HR 1.89, 95% CI 1.06 to 3.38), with delayed time to relapse/recurrence for MBCT-TS participants with a more abusive childhood compared with those with a less abusive history. Although changes in mindfulness were specific to MBCT (and not m-ADM), they did not predict outcome in terms of relapse/recurrence at 24 months. In terms of acceptability, the qualitative analyses suggest that many people have views about (dis)/continuing their ADM, which can serve as a facilitator or a barrier to taking part in a trial that requires either continuation for 2 years or discontinuation. Conclusions: There is no support for the hypothesis that MBCT-TS is superior to m-ADM in preventing depressive relapse/recurrence among individuals at risk for depressive relapse/recurrence. Both treatments appear to confer protection against relapse/recurrence. There is an indication that MBCT may be most indicated for individuals at greatest risk of relapse/recurrence. It is important to characterise those most at risk and carefully establish if and why MBCT may be most indicated for this group. Trial registration: Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN26666654. Funding: This project was funded by the NIHR Health Technology Assessment programme and the National Institute for Health Research Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care South West Peninsula and will be published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 19, No. 73. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information

Forging connections: anthologies, arts collectives, and the politics of inclusion

The changing social and political landscape of twentieth-century Britain catalysed a remarkable rise in collaborative activity by artists and activists of black and Asian heritage. Creative communities began to gather in both local and regional contexts, with the aim of sharing resources and securing an audience. This chapter records some of these many activities, tracing the groups’ genesis, manifest objectives, and key contributions. It argues that anthologising should be understood as a specifically motivated activity. Literary anthologies of poetry and fiction served to showcase the diversity of contemporary writing, while also suggesting its coherence. Drawing on the concept of “strategic essentialism” elucidated by Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, I show that the anthology acts to ensure the visibility of a group, bannered as a unified and singly-titled selection of texts, while also insisting on the differences within: the heterogeneous multiplicity of black and Asian British experiences and creative practices

'Vernacular Voices: Black British Poetry'

ABSTRACT Black British poetry is the province of experimenting with voice and recording rhythms beyond the iambic pentameter. Not only in performance poetry and through the spoken word, but also on the page, black British poetry constitutes and preserves a sound archive of distinct linguistic varieties. In Slave Song (1984) and Coolie Odyssey (1988), David Dabydeen employs a form of Guyanese Creole in order to linguistically render and thus commemorate the experience of slaves and indentured labourers, respectively, with the earlier collection providing annotated translations into Standard English. James Berry, Louise Bennett, and Valerie Bloom adapt Jamaican Patois to celebrate Jamaican folk culture and at times to represent and record experiences and linguistic interactions in the postcolonial metropolis. Grace Nichols and John Agard use modified forms of Guyanese Creole, with Nichols frequently constructing gendered voices whilst Agard often celebrates linguistic playfulness. The borders between linguistic varieties are by no means absolute or static, as the emergence and marked growth of ‘London Jamaican’ (Mark Sebba) indicates. Asian British writer Daljit Nagra takes liberties with English for different reasons. Rather than having recourse to established Creole languages, and blending them with Standard English, his heteroglot poems frequently emulate ‘Punglish’, the English of migrants whose first language is Punjabi. Whilst it is the language prestige of London Jamaican that has been significantly enhanced since the 1990s, a fact not only confirmed by linguistic research but also by its transethnic uses both in the streets and on the page, Nagra’s substantial success and the mainstream attention he receives also indicate the clout of vernacular voices in poetry. They have the potential to connect with oral traditions and cultural memories, to record linguistic varieties, and to endow ‘street cred’ to authors and texts. In this chapter, these double-voiced poetic languages are also read as signs of resistance against residual monologic ideologies of Englishness. © Book proposal (02/2016): The Cambridge History of Black and Asian British Writing p. 27 of 4

Digital currency forensics

The banknote manufacturing industry is shrouded in secrecy, the fundamental mechanics of security components are closely guarded trade secrets. Currency forensics is the application of systematic methods to determine authenticity of questioned currency. However, forensic analysis is a difficult task requiring specially trained examiners, the most important challenge is systematically and methodologically repeating the analysis process to reduce human error and time. In this thesis, an empirical approach for automated currency forensics is formulated and a prototype is developed. A two-part feature vector is defined comprised of colour features and texture features. Finally the note in question is classified by a Feedforward Neural Network (FNN) and a measurement of similarity between template and suspect note is output. Colorspace performance have been compared namely the: RGB, HSI, and Lab colorspaces. It is found that the combined average between the RGB channels known as the Intensity channel provides the highest discriminability, and is selected as the candidate colorspace. By its definition the word currency refers to an agreed medium for exchange, a nation’s currency is the formal medium enforced by the elected governing entity. Forensic science is the application of scientific methods to answer questions of a legal nature. Throughout history, issuers have faced one common threat, the threat of counterfeit. Despite technological advancements, overcoming counterfeit production remains a distant reality. Scientific determination of authenticity requires a deep understanding of the raw materials, and manufacturing processes involved. This thesis serves as a synthesis of the current literature to understand the technology and the mechanics involved in currency manufacture and security, whilst identifying gaps in the current literature. Ultimately, a robust currency is desired, a robust currency is one which withstands security breaches, and is durable surpassing the lifetime of the current currency. It has been identified that the current currency forensic investigation process is a manual ad-hoc process requiring specialist sought after questioned document examiners (QDEs), clearly this process is subject to human error. In a forensic setting, the analysis process must be systematic, methodological and repeatable. The digital currency forensics system addresses the issue of currency analysis by implementing a specific repeatable process through an automated examination using a combination of image processing, and classification techniques. This is achieved by implementing machine learning and pattern recognition