Implementation of Adaptive Unsharp Masking as a pre-filtering method for watermark detection and extraction

Digital watermarking has been one of the focal points of research interests in order to provide multimedia security in the last decade. Watermark data, belonging to the user, are embedded on an original work such as text, audio, image, and video and thus, product ownership can be proved. Various robust watermarking algorithms have been developed in order to extract/detect the watermark against such attacks. Although watermarking algorithms in the transform domain differ from others by different combinations of transform techniques, it is difficult to decide on an algorithm for a specific application. Therefore, instead of developing a new watermarking algorithm with different combinations of transform techniques, we propose a novel and effective watermark extraction and detection method by pre-filtering, namely Adaptive Unsharp Masking (AUM). In spite of the fact that Unsharp Masking (UM) based pre-filtering is used for watermark extraction/detection in the literature by causing the details of the watermarked image become more manifest, effectiveness of UM may decrease in some cases of attacks. In this study, AUM has been proposed for pre-filtering as a solution to the disadvantages of UM. Experimental results show that AUM performs better up to 11\% in objective quality metrics than that of the results when pre-filtering is not used. Moreover; AUM proposed for pre-filtering in the transform domain image watermarking is as effective as that of used in image enhancement and can be applied in an algorithm-independent way for pre-filtering in transform domain image watermarking

Genomic, Pathway Network, and Immunologic Features Distinguishing Squamous Carcinomas

This integrated, multiplatform PanCancer Atlas study co-mapped and identified distinguishing molecular features of squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) from five sites associated with smokin

Sex difference and intra-operative tidal volume: Insights from the LAS VEGAS study

BACKGROUND: One key element of lung-protective ventilation is the use of a low tidal volume (VT). A sex difference in use of low tidal volume ventilation (LTVV) has been described in critically ill ICU patients.OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine whether a sex difference in use of LTVV also exists in operating room patients, and if present what factors drive this difference.DESIGN, PATIENTS AND SETTING: This is a posthoc analysis of LAS VEGAS, a 1-week worldwide observational study in adults requiring intra-operative ventilation during general anaesthesia for surgery in 146 hospitals in 29 countries.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Women and men were compared with respect to use of LTVV, defined as VT of 8 ml kg-1 or less predicted bodyweight (PBW). A VT was deemed 'default' if the set VT was a round number. A mediation analysis assessed which factors may explain the sex difference in use of LTVV during intra-operative ventilation.RESULTS: This analysis includes 9864 patients, of whom 5425 (55%) were women. A default VT was often set, both in women and men; mode VT was 500 ml. Median [IQR] VT was higher in women than in men (8.6 [7.7 to 9.6] vs. 7.6 [6.8 to 8.4] ml kg-1 PBW, P < 0.001). Compared with men, women were twice as likely not to receive LTVV [68.8 vs. 36.0%; relative risk ratio 2.1 (95% CI 1.9 to 2.1), P < 0.001]. In the mediation analysis, patients' height and actual body weight (ABW) explained 81 and 18% of the sex difference in use of LTVV, respectively; it was not explained by the use of a default VT.CONCLUSION: In this worldwide cohort of patients receiving intra-operative ventilation during general anaesthesia for surgery, women received a higher VT than men during intra-operative ventilation. The risk for a female not to receive LTVV during surgery was double that of males. Height and ABW were the two mediators of the sex difference in use of LTVV.TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was registered at Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT01601223

The effect of Laplacian filter in adaptive unsharp masking for infrared image enhancement

Image processing, in particular image enhancement techniques have been the focal point of considerable research activity in the last decade. With the aid of an existing image enhancement technique, adaptive unsharp masking (AUM), we propose a novel kernel to be used in AUM filtering in order to enhance discontinuities which occur on the edges of targets of interest in infrared (IR) images. The proposed method uses an adaptive filter approach where an objective function is minimized by using descent algorithms. The output IR image has better sharpness and contrast adjustment for the detection of targets in terms of objective quality metrics. Hence, the proposed method ensures that the edges of the targets in IR images are sharper and that the quality of contrast adjustment has its optimum level in terms of peak signal-to-noise ratios

Publisher Correction: A community-based transcriptomics classification and nomenclature of neocortical cell types (Nature Neuroscience, (2020), 23, 12, (1456-1468), 10.1038/s41593-020-0685-8)

© 2020, The Author(s). In the version of this article initially published, author Thomas V. Wuttke’s affiliation was shown incorrectly. Dr. Wuttke is affiliated with University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany. The error has been corrected in the PDF and HTML versions of this article

A community-based transcriptomics classification and nomenclature of neocortical cell types

© 2020, The Author(s). To understand the function of cortical circuits, it is necessary to catalog their cellular diversity. Past attempts to do so using anatomical, physiological or molecular features of cortical cells have not resulted in a unified taxonomy of neuronal or glial cell types, partly due to limited data. Single-cell transcriptomics is enabling, for the first time, systematic high-throughput measurements of cortical cells and generation of datasets that hold the promise of being complete, accurate and permanent. Statistical analyses of these data reveal clusters that often correspond to cell types previously defined by morphological or physiological criteria and that appear conserved across cortical areas and species. To capitalize on these new methods, we propose the adoption of a transcriptome-based taxonomy of cell types for mammalian neocortex. This classification should be hierarchical and use a standardized nomenclature. It should be based on a probabilistic definition of a cell type and incorporate data from different approaches, developmental stages and species. A community-based classification and data aggregation model, such as a knowledge graph, could provide a common foundation for the study of cortical circuits. This community-based classification, nomenclature and data aggregation could serve as an example for cell type atlases in other parts of the body

PREGO (presentation of Graves' orbitopathy) study: changes in referral patterns to European Group On Graves' Orbitopathy (EUGOGO) centres over the period from 2000 to 2012.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The epidemiology of Graves' orbitopathy (GO) may be changing. The aim of the study was to identify trends in presentation of GO to tertiary centres and initial management over time. METHODS: Prospective observational study of European Group On Graves' Orbitopathy (EUGOGO) centres. All new referrals with a diagnosis of GO over a 4-month period in 2012 were included. Clinical and demographic characteristics, referral timelines and initial decisions about management were recorded. The data were compared with a similar EUGOGO survey performed in 2000. RESULTS: The demographic characteristics of 269 patients studied in 2012 were similar to those collected in the year 2000, including smoking rates (40.0% vs 40.2%). Mild (60.5% vs 41.2%, p<0.01) and inactive GO (63.2% vs 39.9%, p<0.01) were more prevalent in 2012. The times from diagnosis of thyroid disease to being seen in EUGOGO centres (6 vs 16 months) and from first symptoms of GO (9 vs 16 months) or from diagnosis of GO (6 vs 12 months) to first consultation in EUGOGO centres were shorter in 2012 (p<0.01). The initial management plans for GO were no different except surgical treatments for patients with mild inactive disease were more frequently offered in the 2012 cohort than in 2000 (27.3% vs 17%, p<0.05), and selenium supplements were offered only in the 2012 cohort (21.2% vs 0%, p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that the clinical manifestations of patients with GO may be changing over time in Europe

Mycophenolate plus methylprednisolone versus methylprednisolone alone in active, moderate-to-severe Graves' orbitopathy (MINGO): a randomised, observer-masked, multicentre trial.

European guidelines recommend intravenous methylprednisolone as first-line treatment for active and severe Graves' orbitopathy; however, it is common for patients to have no response or have relapse after discontinuation of treatment. We aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of add-on mycophenolate to methylprednisolone in comparison with methylprednisolone alone in patients with moderate-to-severe Graves' orbitopathy. MINGO was an observer-masked, multicentre, block-randomised, centre-stratified trial done in two centres in Germany and two in Italy. Patients with active moderate-to-severe Graves' orbitopathy were randomly assigned to receive intravenous methylprednisolone (500 mg once per week for 6 weeks followed by 250 mg per week for 6 weeks) either alone or with mycophenolate (one 360 mg tablet twice per day for 24 weeks). The prespecified primary endpoints were rate of response (reduction of at least two parameters of a composite ophthalmic index [eyelid swelling, clinical activity score, proptosis, lid width, diplopia, and eye muscle motility] without deterioration in any other parameter) at 12 weeks and rate of relapse (a worsening of symptoms that occurred after a response) at 24 and 36 weeks. Rates of response at week 24 and sustained response at week 36 were added as post-hoc outcomes. Prespecified primary outcomes and post-hoc outcomes were assessed in the modified intention-to-treat population (defined as all patients assigned to treatment who received at least one infusion of methylprednisolone, when outcome data were available), and safety was assessed in all patients who received at least one dose of study drug. This trial is registered with the EU Clinical Trials Register, EUDRACT number 2008-002123-93. 164 patients were enrolled and randomised between Nov 29, 2009, and July 31, 2015. 81 were randomly assigned to receive methylprednisolone alone and 83 to receive methylprednisolone with mycophenolate. In the intention-to-treat population at 12 weeks, responses were observed in 36 (49%) of 73 patients in the monotherapy group and 48 (63%) of 76 patients in the combination group, giving an odds ratio (OR) of 1·76 (95% CI 0·92-3·39, p=0·089). At week 24, 38 (53%) of 72 patients remaining in the monotherapy group and 53 (71%) of 75 patients remaining in the combination therapy group had responded to treatment (2·16, 1·09-4·25, p=0·026). At week 24, relapse occurred in four (11%) of 38 patients in the monotherapy group and four (8%) of 53 patients in the combination group (OR 0·71, 0·17-3·03, p=0·72). At week 36, relapse occurred in an additional three (8%) patients in the monotherapy group and two (4%) patients in the combination group (0·65, 0·12-3·44, p=0·61). At week 36, 31 (46%) of 68 patients in the monotherapy group and 49 (67%) of 73 patients in the combination group had a sustained response (OR 2·44, 1·23-4·82, p=0·011). 23 patients had 24 serious adverse events, with 11 events in ten patients in the combination group and 13 events in 13 patients in the monotherapy group. Mild and moderate (grade 1-2) drug-related adverse events occurred in 16 (20%) of 81 patients receiving monotherapy and 21 (25%) of 83 patients receiving combination therapy (p=0·48). Although no significant difference was seen in the rate of response at 12 weeks or rate of relapse at 24 and 36 weeks, post-hoc analysis suggested that addition of mycophenolate to treatment with methylprednisolone improved rate of response to therapy by 24 weeks in patients with active and moderate-to-severe Graves' orbitopathy. Novartis, Germany

Schimke immunoosseous dysplasia: Suggestions of genetic diversity

Schimke immunoosseous dysplasia (SIOD), which is characterized by prominent spondyloepiplayseal dysplasia, T-cell deficiency, and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, is a panethnic autosomal recessive multisystem disorder with variable expressivity. Biallelic mutations in switch/sucrose nonfermenting (swi/snf) related, matrix-associated, actin-dependent regulator of chromatin, subfamily a-like 1 (SMARCAL1) are the only identified cause of SIOD. However, among 72 patients from different families, we identified only 38 patients with biallelic mutations in the coding exons and splice junctions of the SMARCAL1 gene. This observation, the variable expressivity, and poor genotype-phenotype correlation led us to test several hypotheses including modifying haplotypes, oligogenic inheritance, or locus heterogeneity in SIOD. Haplotypes associated with the two more common mutations, R820H and E848X, did not correlate with phenotype. Also, contrary to monoallelic SMARCAL1 coding mutations indicating oligogenic inheritance, we found that all these patients did not express RNA and/or protein from the other allele and thus have biallelic SMARCAL1 mutations. We hypothesize therefore that the variable expressivity among patients with biallelic SMARCAL1 mutations arises from environmental, genetic, or epigenetic modifiers. Among patients without detectable SMARCAL1 coding mutations, our analyses of cell lines from four of these patients showed that they expressed normal levels of SMARCAL1 mRNA and protein. This is the first evidence for nonallelic heterogeneity in SIOD. From analysis of the postmortem histopathology from two patients and the clinical data from most patients, we propose the existence of endophenotypes of SIOD