Audio steganalysis using deep belief networks

This paper presents a new steganalysis method that uses a deep belief network (DBN) as a classifier for audio files. It has been tested on three steganographic techniques: StegHide, Hide4PGP and FreqSteg. The results were compared to two other existing robust steganalysis methods based on support vector machines (SVMs) and Gaussian mixture models (GMMs). Afterwards, another classification task aiming at identifying the type of steganographic applied or not to the speech signal was carried out. The results of this four-way classification show that in most cases, the proposed DBN-based steganalysis method gives higher classification rates than the two other steganalysis methods based on SVMs and GMMs.     

Global Illumination Shadow Layers

Computer graphics artists often resort to compositing to rework light effects in a synthetic image without requiring a new render. Shadows are primary subjects of artistic manipulation as they carry important stylistic information while our perception is tolerant with their editing. In this paper we formalize the notion of global shadow, generalizing direct shadow found in previous work to a global illumination context. We define an object's shadow layer as the difference between two altered renders of the scene. A shadow layer contains the radiance lost on the camera film because of a given object. We translate this definition in the theoretical framework of Monte‐Carlo integration, obtaining a concise expression of the shadow layer. Building on it, we propose a path tracing algorithm that renders both the original image and any number of shadow layers in a single pass: the user may choose to separate shadows on a per‐object and per‐light basis, enabling intuitive and decoupled edits.     

Accurate Shadows by Depth Complexity Sampling

The accurate generation of soft shadows is a particularly computationally intensive task. In order to reduce rendering time, most real‐time and offline applications decorrelate the generation of shadows from the computation of lighting. In addition to such approximations, they generate shadows using some restrictive assumptions only correct in very specific cases, leading to penumbra over‐estimation or light‐leaking artifacts. In this paper we present an algorithm that produces soft shadows without exhibiting the previous drawbacks. Using a new efficient evaluation of the number of occluders between two points (i.e. the depth complexity) we either modulate direct lighting or numerically solve the rendering equation for direct illumination. Our approach approximates shadows cast by semi‐opaque occluders and naturally handles area lights with spatially varying luminance. Furthermore, depending on the desired performance and quality, the resulting shadows are either very close to, or as accurate as, a ray‐traced reference. As a result, the presented method is well suited to many domains, ranging from quality‐sensitive to performance‐critical applications.     

Gene silencing by DNA methylation and dual inheritance in Chinese hamster ovary cells

Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells strain D422, which has one copy of the adenine phosphoribosyl transferase (APRT) gene, were permeabilized by electroporation and treated with 5-methyl deoxycytidine triphosphate. Cells with a silenced APRT gene were selected on 2, 6-diaminopurine. Colonies were isolated and shown to be reactivated to APRT+ by 5-aza-cytidine and by selection in medium containing adenine, aminopterin and thymidine. Genomic DNA was prepared from eight isolates of independent origin and subjected to bisulphite treatment. This deaminates cytosine to uracil in single-stranded DNA but does not deaminate 5-methyl cytosine. PCR, cloning and sequencing revealed the methylation pattern of CpG doublets in the promoter region of the APRT- gene, whereas the active APRT gene had nonmethylated DNA. CHO strain K1, which has two copies of the APRT+ gene, could also be silenced by the same procedure but at a lower frequency. The availability of the 5-methyl dCTP-induced silencing, 5-aza-CR and a standard mutagen, ethyl methane sulphonate, makes it possible to follow concomitantly the inheritance of active, mutant or silenced gene copies. This analysis demonstrates "dual inheritance" at the APRT locus in CHO cells.     

Simplified weighted least squares design of 2-D FIR digital filters

A simple easy to use and very flexible approach is presented for the design of 2-D fir digital filters. It is illustrated by two examples, a rectangular filter and a diamond filter. Appropriate selection of the weighting function which is used in the weighted least squares method can yield very diverse characteristics, like the possibility to meet specifications on both frequency response and step response.     

Crack‐free rendering of dynamically tesselated B‐rep models

We propose a versatile pipeline to render B‐Rep models interactively, precisely and without rendering‐related artifacts such as cracks. Our rendering method is based on dynamic surface evaluation using both tesselation and ray‐casting, and direct GPU surface trimming. An initial rendering of the scene is performed using dynamic tesselation. The algorithm we propose reliably detects then fills up cracks in the rendered image. Crack detection works in image space, using depth information, while crack‐filling is either achieved in image space using a simple classification process, or performed in object space through selective ray‐casting. The crack filling method can be dynamically changed at runtime. Our image space crack filling approach has a limited runtime cost and enables high quality, real‐time navigation. Our higher quality, object space approach results in a rendering of similar quality than full‐scene ray‐casting, but is 2 to 6 times faster, can be used during navigation and provides accurate, reliable rendering. Integration of our work with existing tesselation‐based rendering engines is straightforward.     

An axisymmetric meniscus converges particles for microscopy

Capillary rise on a tapered cylindrical rod creates a static axisymmetric meniscus that quantitatively attracts buoyant particles into a single microscopic field of view, providing a new method for small particle microscopy. This approach simplifies the visualization of micrometre-sized particles, such as pollen and parasite eggs, and has potential utility in remote location monitoring and clinical diagnosis.