The Most Common Characteristics of Fragile Video Watermarking: A Review

The progress of network and multimedia technologies has been phenomenal during the previous two decades. Unauthorized users will be able to copy, retransmit, modify reproduction, and upload the contents more easily as a result of this innovation. Malicious attackers are quite concerned about the development and widespread use of digital video. Digital watermarking technology gives solutions to the aforementioned problems. Watermarking methods can alleviate these issues by embedding a secret watermark in the original host data, allowing the genuine user or file owner to identify any manipulation. In this study, lots of papers have been analyzed and studied carefully, in the period 2011–2022. The historical basis of the subject should not be forgotten so studying old research will give a clear idea of the topic. To aid future researchers in this subject, we give a review of fragile watermarking approaches and some related papers presented in recent years. This paper presents a comparison of many relevant works in this field based on some of the outcomes and improvements gained in these studies, which focuses on the common characteristics that increase the effect of watermarking techniques such as invisibility, tamper detection, recovery, and security &nbsp

Accuracy of procalcitonin levels for diagnosis of culture-positive sepsis in critically ill trauma patients: A retrospective analysis

Background: Abdominal trauma and intra-abdominal sepsis are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Microcirculation in the gut is disrupted in hemorrhagic and septic shock leading to tissue hypoxia, and the damaged gut acts as a reservoir rich in inflammatory mediators and provides a continual source of inflammation to the systemic circulation leading to sepsis. Sepsis is defined as the presence (probable or documented) of infection together with a systemic inflammatory response to infection. Blood culture is commonly considered to be the preferred approach for diagnosing sepsis, although it is time-consuming, that is, reports are normally available only after 12-48 hours. Procalcitonin levels (PCT) have recently emerged as a promising biomarker in the diagnosis of sepsis. The aim of the present study is to determine the diagnostic accuracy of PCT levels in predicting sepsis in critically ill trauma patients.Methodology: This was designed as a validation study conducted in the Indoor Department of General Surgery, Liaquat National Hospital, Karachi. The sample size was calculated by taking the estimated frequency of sepsis in suspected patients at 62.13%, expected sensitivity of PCT at 70.83%, and specificity at 84.21% and the desired precision level of 12% for sensitivity; the calculated sample size was 96. The non-probability consecutive sampling method was used to recruit participants who were diagnosed with sepsis on clinical assessment. Blood culture samples were sent for the enrolled patients and a final diagnosis was made on the blood culture report. PCT levels were measured in these suspected patients on the same day of sending blood culture. Diagnostic accuracy of PCT size was measured using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. ROC curve was formulated for PCT levels against culture-proven sepsis to determine the ideal cut-off value of PCT levels. Two different cut-offs were determined to obtain the highest sensitivity and highest specificity accordingly.Results: A total of 97 individuals met the inclusion criteria with a mean age of 34.89 ± 10.52 years. Mean PCT levels were 0.96 ± 0.59, with a gender predilection towards females (p \u3c 0.001). No age difference was documented among gender (p = 0.655). The mean duration of intensive care unit stay was 11.73 ± 3.56 days. Culture-proven sepsis was identified in 67.0% of the study participants with a higher PCT level (p \u3c 0.001). Among the 52.6% males included in the study, half were reported to have culture-positive sepsis, but among the 47.4% females culture was positive in 87% (p \u3c 0.001). ROC revealed PCT was predictive for culture-positive sepsis at a cut-off value 0.47 ng/mL (p \u3c 0.001), with a sensitivity of 92.3%, specificity of 68.7%, positive predictive value (PPV) of 85.7%, and negative predictive value (NPV) of 81.5%. By increasing the cut-off value to 0.90 ng/mL at area under the curve of 0.816, the specificity increased to 81.3% and sensitivity became 66.2%, with a PPV of 87.8% and NPV of 54.2%.Conclusion: Our study determined two cut-values for PCT to predict sepsis, one with the highest sensitivity and the other with better specificity. Other than that, higher PCT levels were significant in female trauma patients. We conclude that PCT is a reliable marker for culture-proven diagnosis of sepsis and may aid physicians/surgeons to promptly manage patients accordingly

Molecular and serological detection of occult hepatitis B virus among healthy hepatitis B surface antigen-negative blood donors in Malaysia.

Background: Occult hepatitis B infections are becoming a major global threat, but the available data on its prevalence in various parts of the world are often divergent. Objective: This study aimed to detect occult hepatitis B virus in hepatitis B surface antigen-negative serum using anti-HBc as a marker of previous infection. Patient and Methods: A total of 1000 randomly selected hepatitis B surface antigen-negative sera from blood donors were tested for hepatitis B core antibody and hepatitis B surface antibody using an ELISA and nested polymerase chain reaction was done using primers specific to the surface gene (S-gene). Results: Of the 1000 samples 55 (5.5%) were found to be reactive, of which 87.3% (48/55) were positive for hepatitis B surface antibody, indicating immunity as a result of previous infection however, that does not exclude active infection with escaped mutant HBV. Nested PCR results showed the presence of hepatitis B viral DNA in all the 55 samples that were positive for core protein, which is in agreement with the hepatitis B surface antibody result. Conclusion: This study reveals the 5.5% prevalence of occult hepatitis B among Malaysian blood donors as well as the reliability of using hepatitis B core antibody in screening for occult hepatitis B infection in low endemic, low socioeconomic settings

First report of decompression sickness (DCS) in a sei whale (Balaenoptera borealis) stranded in southern Peninsular Malaysia

Decompression sickness, a condition in whales caused by bubble formation in certain body tissues from dissolved inert gases. It occurs during transition from a high pressure environment to one of lower pressure, resulting in a range of conditions from itching to joint pain, convulsions, and death. A carcass of a stranded Sei Whale, Balaenoptera borealis, found on the shores of southern coast of Peninsular Malaysia was presented for postmortem. Investigation results showed that the male Sei Whale, named Si Corner showed pathologic lesions as seen from histology with the formation of fibrosis, emphysema and edema in the lungs and hepatic atrophy which indicated chronic starvation. It believed that he also suffering from “Barotrauma or decompression sickness” which affected the ear or lungs which lead to unbalanced movement due to changes in air pressure. This may have caused the whale to beach and consequent mortality. The pathologic lesions found give an insight into possible causes of death of beached whales in Malaysia

Antimicrobial resistance among migrants in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are rising globally and there is concern that increased migration is contributing to the burden of antibiotic resistance in Europe. However, the effect of migration on the burden of AMR in Europe has not yet been comprehensively examined. Therefore, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify and synthesise data for AMR carriage or infection in migrants to Europe to examine differences in patterns of AMR across migrant groups and in different settings. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus with no language restrictions from Jan 1, 2000, to Jan 18, 2017, for primary data from observational studies reporting antibacterial resistance in common bacterial pathogens among migrants to 21 European Union-15 and European Economic Area countries. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to report data on carriage or infection with laboratory-confirmed antibiotic-resistant organisms in migrant populations. We extracted data from eligible studies and assessed quality using piloted, standardised forms. We did not examine drug resistance in tuberculosis and excluded articles solely reporting on this parameter. We also excluded articles in which migrant status was determined by ethnicity, country of birth of participants' parents, or was not defined, and articles in which data were not disaggregated by migrant status. Outcomes were carriage of or infection with antibiotic-resistant organisms. We used random-effects models to calculate the pooled prevalence of each outcome. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42016043681. FINDINGS: We identified 2274 articles, of which 23 observational studies reporting on antibiotic resistance in 2319 migrants were included. The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or AMR infection in migrants was 25·4% (95% CI 19·1-31·8; I2 =98%), including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (7·8%, 4·8-10·7; I2 =92%) and antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (27·2%, 17·6-36·8; I2 =94%). The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or infection was higher in refugees and asylum seekers (33·0%, 18·3-47·6; I2 =98%) than in other migrant groups (6·6%, 1·8-11·3; I2 =92%). The pooled prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms was slightly higher in high-migrant community settings (33·1%, 11·1-55·1; I2 =96%) than in migrants in hospitals (24·3%, 16·1-32·6; I2 =98%). We did not find evidence of high rates of transmission of AMR from migrant to host populations. INTERPRETATION: Migrants are exposed to conditions favouring the emergence of drug resistance during transit and in host countries in Europe. Increased antibiotic resistance among refugees and asylum seekers and in high-migrant community settings (such as refugee camps and detention facilities) highlights the need for improved living conditions, access to health care, and initiatives to facilitate detection of and appropriate high-quality treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections during transit and in host countries. Protocols for the prevention and control of infection and for antibiotic surveillance need to be integrated in all aspects of health care, which should be accessible for all migrant groups, and should target determinants of AMR before, during, and after migration. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, Imperial College Healthcare Charity, the Wellcome Trust, and UK National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and Antimictobial Resistance at Imperial College London

Effects of antiplatelet therapy on stroke risk by brain imaging features of intracerebral haemorrhage and cerebral small vessel diseases: subgroup analyses of the RESTART randomised, open-label trial

Background Findings from the RESTART trial suggest that starting antiplatelet therapy might reduce the risk of recurrent symptomatic intracerebral haemorrhage compared with avoiding antiplatelet therapy. Brain imaging features of intracerebral haemorrhage and cerebral small vessel diseases (such as cerebral microbleeds) are associated with greater risks of recurrent intracerebral haemorrhage. We did subgroup analyses of the RESTART trial to explore whether these brain imaging features modify the effects of antiplatelet therapy

Consumer trust and confidence in the compliance of Islamic banks

Islamic banks compete with traditional (non-Islamic) banks for customers. This article aims to provide insight into why some Muslims choose to bank with Islamic banks in Pakistan, while others do not. Specifically, it addresses the questions: to what extent are trust and confidence active influencers in the decision-making process, are they differentiated or are they one of the same? Also how does the Pakistani collective cultural context further complicate the application of these concepts? For the purposes of this article trust refers to people and their interpersonal or social relations whereas confidence concerns institutions such as banks. Drawing on interviews with Muslim consumers in Pakistan, this study provides further insight into consumer behaviour within financial services and specifically Islamic banking and contributes to our theoretical understanding of the concepts of trust and confidence

Two prolonged viremic SARS-CoV-2 infections with conserved viral genome for two months.

We document two cases of viremic and prolonged active infection with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) where the viral genome was conserved for two months, but infection was with little or no symptoms. The first infection persisted for 80 days and the second for 62 days. Clearance of infection occurred 40 and 41 days, respectively, after development of detectable antibodies. Both cases were identified incidentally in an investigation of reinfection in a cohort of 133,266 laboratory-confirmed infected persons