Pixel rearrangement based statistical restoration scheme reducing embedding noise

In this paper, a block based steganographic algorithm has been proposed where a sequence of secret bits are embedded into a set of pixels by rearranging the pixel locations. This algorithm has been devised as an improvement over existing statistical restoration based algorithms in order to reduce the additive noise which occurs due to embedding. It is shown that the proposed scheme substantially reduces the additive noise compared to existing statistical restoration based schemes.     

The political economy of metering agricultural tube wells in West Bengal,India

Unmetered electricity supply to agriculture has given rise to a unique and invidious water–energy–food nexus in India. Metering of agricultural consumers has been suggested as a way to break the nexus, but most states have not been able to meter farmers due to their opposition . The only exception is the state of West Bengal. Using primary data from a household survey conducted in 2010 when the metering process was still underway, this paper argues that farmers’ support for metering in West Bengal can be explained in terms of the economics of groundwater use and politics surrounding agriculture and groundwater in the state.     

Orientation-Dependent Developments in Misorientation and Residual Stress in Rolled Aluminum: The Defining Role of Dislocation Interactions

Orientation-dependent developments in misorientation and residual stress, in rolled aluminum, were quantified experimentally and simulated numerically. The latter involved analysis using a crystal plasticity finite element model, accounting for anisotropies in slip system hardening but neglecting near-neighbor interactions, and discrete dislocation dynamics of the single crystals. Both were successful in capturing the experimental patterns of orientation dependence. Numerical simulations, without slip transfer across the neighboring grains, thus established the defining role of dislocation interactions in establishing orientation-sensitive microstructural evolution.     

High-resolution image de-raining using conditional GAN with sub-pixel upscaling

Multimedia Tools and Applications - High-quality image de-raining is a challenging task that has been given considerable importance in recent times. To begin with, this problem is modeled as an...     

Flow and temperature patterns in an inductively coupled plasma reactor: Experimental measurements and CFD simulations

Measurements of temperature patterns in an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) have been carried out experimentally. Plasma torch was operated at different RF powers in the range of 3–14 kW at near atmospheric pressure and over a wide range of sheath gas flow rate (3–25 lpm). Measurements were made at five different axial positions in ICP torch. The chordal intensities were converted into a radial intensity profile by Abel Inversion technique. Typical radial temperature profile shows an off‐axis temperature peak, which shifts toward the wall as the power increases. Temperatures in the range of 6000–14,000 K were recorded by this method. The temperature profiles in the plasma reactor were simulated using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). A good agreement was found between the CFD predictions of the flow and temperature pattern with those published in the literature as well as the temperature profiles measured in the present work. © 2014 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 60: 3647–3664, 2014     

Electromigration in width transition copper interconnect

Electromigration (EM) experiments are conducted for submicron dual damascene copper interconnects with width transition. The direction of electron flow (from narrow-to-wide segment and wide-to-narrow segment) and the ratio of lengths (e.g. ratio of narrow-to-wide segment lengths) are found to be significant factors in determining the life-time of such interconnects. About 69% shorter EM life-time is obtained for the case of electron flow from narrow-to-wide segment, and thus to avoid over estimation of EM life-time of such interconnect system, the direction of the electron flow should be chosen appropriately in the reliability assessment. On the other hand, it is found that the width transition location is not the failure site, and finite element model is presented to explain the experimental findings.     

Ductile-<Emphasis Type="Italic">to</Emphasis>-brittle transition in cenosphere-filled polypropylene composites

Cenosphere-filled polypropylene (PP) composites were fabricated and characterized for their structural/morphological and fracture mechanical behaviour. The fracture properties were studied following the essential work of fracture (EWF) approach based on post-yield fracture mechanics (PYFM) concept. The structural attributes and its consequent effects on the dynamic mechanical properties were characterized by wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), hot-stage polarized light optical microscopy (PLOM) and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). The WAXD studies have revealed a decrease in crystallinity of the composites with increase in cenosphere content. PLOM studies reveals a threefold reduction in the diameter of the spherulite in case of composite with 10 wt% of cenosphere compared to that of PP followed by an increase of ~50% in the composite with 20 wt% of cenosphere compared to that of the composite with 10 wt% cenosphere. DMA revealed an enhancement in the energy dissipation ability of the composite with 10 wt% of cenosphere and an increase in the storage modulus up to ~30% in the composites relative to the soft PP phase. The non-essential work of fracture (NEWF: βw _p) as the resistance to stable crack propagation has shown a maximum at 10 wt% of cenosphere followed by a sharp drop at higher cenosphere content indicating a cenosphere-induced ductile-to-brittle transition (DBT). Fractured surface morphology investigations revealed that the failure mode of the composites undergo a systematic transition from matrix-controlled shear deformation to filler-controlled quasi-brittle modes above a cenosphere loading of 10 wt% in the composites reiterating the possibility of filler-induced semiductile-to-DBT transition.     

Preparation and photocatalytic activity of nano-sized nickel molybdate (NiMoO4) doped bismuth titanate (Bi2Ti4O11) (NMBT) composite

Various compositions of nano-sized (NiMoO₄)_x-doped Bi₂Ti₄O₁₁ (x = 0.01, 0.05, 0.1) composites have been prepared by chemical solution decomposition (CSD) method using triethanolamine (TEA) as complexing agent. Ni(II) is one of reactive species on the catalyst surface and Mo(VI) ion helps to compensate the charge of the lattice. The photocatalysts based on the above compositions have been tested for photobleaching of methyl orange (MO) solution under Hg-lamp. The prepared nanopowders are characterized by XRD, EDAX, UV–vis spectra, specific surface area (BET), zeta potential, ESR and HRTEM analyses. The average particle size of nickel molybdate-doped bismuth titanate lies around 30 ± 2 nm measured from TEM. Result shows nickel molybdate-doped bismuth titanate (NiMoO₄)_x(Bi₂Ti₄O₁₁)_1−x (NM_xBT_1−x; x = 0.01) composite is found to be more photoactive compared all the compositions studied except degussa P25 titania.     

Fungal biotechnology in food and feed processing

Fungi are of excellent value nutritionally, and of great importance to vegetarians. Edible mushrooms are excellent sources of protein, have low-fat content and are free of cholesterol. They are easily cultivable and are consumed either in fresh or processed form. Yeasts and filamentous fungi secrete a plethora of important enzymes in the growth medium together with other secondary metabolites. Most of these are hydrolytic in nature being employed in different food processing industries as well as in refinement of fodder quality. Edible filamentous fungi producing these enzymes present an added advantage for their use in food and feed. In this article these aspects will be discussed along with the results from edible mushroom Termitomyces clypeatus, producing a wide variety of hydrolytic enzymes and products, from our laboratory. It is likely that the functional understanding of different enzyme classes will provide new applications within the food industry in the future.