On robustness against JPEG2000: a performance evaluation of wavelet-based watermarking techniques

With the emergence of new scalable coding standards, such as JPEG2000, multimedia is stored as scalable coded bit streams that may be adapted to cater network, device and usage preferences in multimedia usage chains providing universal multimedia access. These adaptations include quality, resolution, frame rate and region of interest scalability and achieved by discarding least significant parts of the bit stream according to the scalability criteria. Such content adaptations may also affect the content protection data, such as watermarks, hidden in the original content. Many wavelet-based robust watermarking techniques robust to such JPEG2000 compression attacks are proposed in the literature. In this paper, we have categorized and evaluated the robustness of such wavelet-based image watermarking techniques against JPEG2000 compression, in terms of algorithmic choices, wavelet kernel selection, subband selection, or watermark selection using a new modular framework. As most of the algorithms use a different set of parametric combination, this analysis is particularly useful to understand the effect of various parameters on the robustness under a common platform and helpful to design any such new algorithm. The analysis also considers the imperceptibility performance of the watermark embedding, as robustness and imperceptibility are two main watermarking properties, complementary to each other

Direct Load Control Using a Programmable Logic Controller

This paper presents a fully automated programmable logic controller (PLC) based direct load control system. Unlike other existing systems, it gives the consumer the privilege to share in the load shedding policy. After receiving the warning alarm from the PC at the utility control center, the consumer has the chance to switch off any desired load. If he does not act within a predefined period, the PLC will take the required action based on the scenario decided by the utility. Having the consumer decide his own priorities release the utility company from blind decisions. This is one of the most important contributions of the proposed system. Also the load restoration process is scheduled to avoid the creation of a new peak during re-energization. This is done using 48 built-in timers with an accuracy of less than one cycle (10 ms). The hardware at the customer side may be integrated with a digital energy meter to form a complete energy management system

Direct Load Control Using a Programmable Logic Controller

This paper presents a fully automated programmable logic controller (PLC) based direct load control system. Unlike other existing systems, it gives the consumer the privilege to share in the load shedding policy. After receiving the warning alarm from the PC at the utility control center, the consumer has the chance to switch off any desired load. If he does not act within a predefined period, the PLC will take the required action based on the scenario decided by the utility. Having the consumer decide his own priorities release the utility company from blind decisions. This is one of the most important contributions of the proposed system. Also the load restoration process is scheduled to avoid the creation of a new peak during re-energization. This is done using 48 built-in timers with an accuracy of less than one cycle (10 ms). The hardware at the customer side may be integrated with a digital energy meter to form a complete energy management system

Direct Load Control Using a Programmable Logic Controller

This paper presents a fully automated programmable logic controller (PLC) based direct load control system. Unlike other existing systems, it gives the consumer the privilege to share in the load shedding policy. After receiving the warning alarm from the PC at the utility control center, the consumer has the chance to switch off any desired load. If he does not act within a predefined period, the PLC will take the required action based on the scenario decided by the utility. Having the consumer decide his own priorities release the utility company from blind decisions. This is one of the most important contributions of the proposed system. Also the load restoration process is scheduled to avoid the creation of a new peak during re-energization. This is done using 48 built-in timers with an accuracy of less than one cycle (10 ms). The hardware at the customer side may be integrated with a digital energy meter to form a complete energy management system

Duration of COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine Effectiveness against Severe Disease

Waning immunity following administration of mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines remains a concern for many health systems. We undertook a study to determine if recent reports of waning for severe disease could have been attributed to design-related bias by conducting a study only among those detected with a first SARS-CoV-2 infection. We used a matched case-control study design with the study base being all individuals with first infection with SARS-CoV-2 reported in the State of Qatar between 1 January 2021 and 20 February 2022. Cases were those detected with first SARS-CoV-2 infection requiring intensive care (hard outcome), while controls were those detected with first SARS-CoV-2 infection who recovered without the need for intensive care. Cases and controls were matched in a 1:30 ratio for the calendar month of infection and the comorbidity category. Duration and magnitude of conditional vaccine effectiveness against requiring intensive care and the number needed to vaccinate (NNV) to prevent one more case of COVID-19 requiring intensive care was estimated for the mRNA (BNT162b2/mRNA-1273) vaccines. Conditional vaccine effectiveness against requiring intensive care was 59% (95% confidence interval (CI), 50 to 76) between the first and second dose, and strengthened to 89% (95% CI, 85 to 92) between the second dose and 4 months post the second dose in persons who received a primary course of the vaccine. There was no waning of vaccine effectiveness in the period from 4 to 6, 6 to 9, and 9 to 12 months after the second dose. This study demonstrates that, contrary to mainstream reports using hierar-chical measures of effectiveness, conditional vaccine effectiveness against requiring intensive care remains robust till at least 12 months after the second dose of mRNA-based vaccines.Data collected as part of routine surveillance at the Ministry of Public Health was analyzed as part of this study. No separate funds were available for this study

Lipoprotein(a) and Benefit of PCSK9 Inhibition in Patients With Nominally Controlled LDL Cholesterol

International audienceBackground: Guidelines recommend nonstatin lipid-lowering agents in patients at very high risk for major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) if low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) remains ≥70 mg/dL on maximum tolerated statin treatment. It is uncertain if this approach benefits patients with LDL-C near 70 mg/dL. Lipoprotein(a) levels may influence residual risk.Objectives: In a post hoc analysis of the ODYSSEY Outcomes (Evaluation of Cardiovascular Outcomes After an Acute Coronary Syndrome During Treatment With Alirocumab) trial, the authors evaluated the benefit of adding the proprotein subtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibitor alirocumab to optimized statin treatment in patients with LDL-C levels near 70 mg/dL. Effects were evaluated according to concurrent lipoprotein(a) levels.Methods: ODYSSEY Outcomes compared alirocumab with placebo in 18,924 patients with recent acute coronary syndromes receiving optimized statin treatment. In 4,351 patients (23.0%), screening or randomization LDL-C was 13.7 mg/dL or ≤13.7 mg/dL; corresponding adjusted treatment hazard ratios were 0.82 (95% CI: 0.72-0.92) and 0.89 (95% CI: 0.75-1.06), with Pinteraction = 0.43.Conclusions: In patients with recent acute coronary syndromes and LDL-C near 70 mg/dL on optimized statin therapy, proprotein subtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibition provides incremental clinical benefit only when lipoprotein(a) concentration is at least mildly elevated. (ODYSSEY Outcomes: Evaluation of Cardiovascular Outcomes After an Acute Coronary Syndrome During Treatment With Alirocumab; NCT01663402)