A Robust Image Hashing Algorithm Resistant Against Geometrical Attacks

This paper proposes a robust image hashing method which is robust against common image processing attacks and geometric distortion attacks. In order to resist against geometric attacks, the log-polar mapping (LPM) and contourlet transform are employed to obtain the low frequency sub-band image. Then the sub-band image is divided into some non-overlapping blocks, and low and middle frequency coefficients are selected from each block after discrete cosine transform. The singular value decomposition (SVD) is applied in each block to obtain the first digit of the maximum singular value. Finally, the features are scrambled and quantized as the safe hash bits. Experimental results show that the algorithm is not only resistant against common image processing attacks and geometric distortion attacks, but also discriminative to content changes

An extended Kalman filtering approach to modeling nonlinear dynamic gene regulatory networks via short gene expression time series

Copyright [2009] IEEE. This material is posted here with permission of the IEEE. Such permission of the IEEE does not in any way imply IEEE endorsement of any of Brunel University's products or services. Internal or personal use of this material is permitted. However, permission to reprint/republish this material for advertising or promotional purposes or for creating new collective works for resale or redistribution must be obtained from the IEEE by writing to [email protected]. By choosing to view this document, you agree to all provisions of the copyright laws protecting it.In this paper, the extended Kalman filter (EKF) algorithm is applied to model the gene regulatory network from gene time series data. The gene regulatory network is considered as a nonlinear dynamic stochastic model that consists of the gene measurement equation and the gene regulation equation. After specifying the model structure, we apply the EKF algorithm for identifying both the model parameters and the actual value of gene expression levels. It is shown that the EKF algorithm is an online estimation algorithm that can identify a large number of parameters (including parameters of nonlinear functions) through iterative procedure by using a small number of observations. Four real-world gene expression data sets are employed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the EKF algorithm, and the obtained models are evaluated from the viewpoint of bioinformatics

Exponential stabilization of a class of stochastic system with Markovian jump parameters and mode-dependent mixed time-delays

Copyright [2010] IEEE. This material is posted here with permission of the IEEE. Such permission of the IEEE does not in any way imply IEEE endorsement of any of Brunel University's products or services. Internal or personal use of this material is permitted. However, permission to reprint/republish this material for advertising or promotional purposes or for creating new collective works for resale or redistribution must be obtained from the IEEE by writing to [email protected]. By choosing to view this document, you agree to all provisions of the copyright laws protecting it.In this technical note, the globally exponential stabilization problem is investigated for a general class of stochastic systems with both Markovian jumping parameters and mixed time-delays. The mixed mode-dependent time-delays consist of both discrete and distributed delays. We aim to design a memoryless state feedback controller such that the closed-loop system is stochastically exponentially stable in the mean square sense. First, by introducing a new Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional that accounts for the mode-dependent mixed delays, stochastic analysis is conducted in order to derive a criterion for the exponential stabilizability problem. Then, a variation of such a criterion is developed to facilitate the controller design by using the linear matrix inequality (LMI) approach. Finally, it is shown that the desired state feedback controller can be characterized explicitly in terms of the solution to a set of LMIs. Numerical simulation is carried out to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed methods.This work was supported in part by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) of the U.K. under Grant GR/S27658/01, the Royal Society of the U.K., the National 973 Program of China under Grant 2009CB320600, and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation of Germany. Recommended by Associate Editor G. Chesi

Openness and efficiency of India and China relative to the world economy: a comparative study.

This paper adopts a dynamic approach to investigate the impact of openness on efficiency improvement of the world economy and compares the linkages between openness and performance in India and China. Based on a panel of data set of 126 countries over the period 1970-98, the world production frontier is established using stochastic frontier techniques. The economic efficiency of an economy relative to the world production frontier is identified and its determinants are examined. The results indicate that international trade, foreign direct investment (FDI) and its interaction with labour quality improvement play a significant role in improving efficiency, respectively, although the trade growth in our test is not as robust as FDI. Contrary to the conventional perception, India performed better than China in raising productivity until the mid-1990s. However, China has experienced a higher degree of openness and therefore a faster rate of catching-up with the world's best practice

Robust H∞ filtering for discrete nonlinear stochastic systems with time-varying delay

This is the postprint version of the article. The official published version can be accessed from the link below - © 2007 Elsevier IncIn this paper, we are concerned with the robust H∞ filtering problem for a class of nonlinear discrete time-delay stochastic systems. The system under study involves parameter uncertainties, stochastic disturbances, time-varying delays and sector-like nonlinearities. The problem addressed is the design of a full-order filter such that, for all admissible uncertainties, nonlinearities and time delays, the dynamics of the filtering error is constrained to be robustly asymptotically stable in the mean square, and a prescribed H∞ disturbance rejection attenuation level is also guaranteed. By using the Lyapunov stability theory and some new techniques, sufficient conditions are first established to ensure the existence of the desired filtering parameters. These conditions are dependent on the lower and upper bounds of the time-varying delays. Then, the explicit expression of the desired filter gains is described in terms of the solution to a linear matrix inequality (LMI). Finally, a numerical example is exploited to show the usefulness of the results derived.This work was supported in part by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) of the UK under Grant GR/S27658/01, the Nuffield Foundation of the UK under Grant NAL/00630/G, the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation of Germany, the National Natural Science Foundation of China (60774073 and 10471119), the NSF of Jiangsu Province of China (BK2007075 and BK2006064), the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Education Committee of China under Grant 06KJD110206, and the Scientific Innovation Fund of Yangzhou University of China under Grant 2006CXJ002

Union and Union Threat Premiums Among Graduate Student Stipends

To inform the ongoing debate over graduate student unionization, the author tests for the presence of union-related premiums among teaching and research assistant stipends using data from The Chronicle of Higher Education’s survey of departments in six fields in 2000, 2001, and 2003. Ordinary least squares and instrumental variables methods reveal union and union threat premiums among teaching assistant stipends. There is little evidence of union-related premiums among research assistant stipends. Specifications controlling for union composition or using employment weights reveal that the teaching assistant only union premium is positive for teaching assistant stipends and negative for research assistant stipends. This suggests that collectively bargained contracts may yield benefits for teaching assistants at the expense of research assistants when the latter are excluded from the bargaining unit. There is a positive premium to joint teaching and research assistant unions for teaching assistant stipends and no effect for research assistant stipends