Lossless data hiding using bit-depth embedding for JPEG2000 compressed bit-stream

We have proposed a reversible information hiding for binary images. In this paper, we present a Iossless data hiding method for JPEG2000 compressed data based on the reversible information hiding. In JPEG2000 compression, wavelet coefficients of an image are quantized, therefore, the least significant bit plane （LSB） can be extracted. The proposed method recovers the quantized wavelet coefficients of cover images from Stego images. To realize this, we embed not only secret data and the JBIG2 bit-stream of a part of the LSB plane but also the bit-depth of the quantized coefficients on some code-blocks. Experimental results demonstrate the feasibility of application of the proposed method to image alteration detection for JPEG2000 compressed data.     

Performance improvement of JPEG2000 steganography using QIM

This paper presents a modified QIM-JPEG2000 steganography which improves the previous JPEG2000 steganography using quantization index modulation （QIM）. Since after-embedding changes on file size and PSNR by the modified QIM-JPEG2000 are smaller than those by the previous QIM-JPEG2000, the modified QIM-JPEG2000 should be more secure than the previous QIM-JPEG2000.     

A case of chronic necrotizing pulmonary aspergillosis successfully treated with combination therapy of antifungal drugs and ulinastatin

A 64-year-old woman with a history of old tuberculosis, had a fungus ball shadow with meniscus sign in the upper right lung field on a chest X-ray film in 1991. Based on the chest X-ray findings, pulmonary aspergilloma was suspected. Because the size of the intracavitary fungus ball increased, the patient was treated with itraconazole over one year in 1995, but there was no improvement. One month later, she was admitted because of fever, hemoptysis and productive cough, and chest X-ray showed an enlargement of intracavitary mass and infiltrative shadow in the right lung. Chronic necrotizing aspergillosis was diagnosed on the basis of her clinical and radiographic features, and positive serological test. Although itraconazol and amphotericin B were given, cavity and intracavitary fungus ball shadow kept growing. Combination therapy of antifungal drugs and ulinastatin markedly improved symptoms and resulted in complete disappearance of the fungus ball on chest CT scan.     

Coating Materials Containing Gold Nanoparticles

Highly concentrated pastes of gold nanoparticles were successfully produced by using a special type of protective polymer and a mild reductant. The solid part of these pastes comprises up to 85wt% of gold nanoparticles, 10≈30 nm in diameter and a residual protective polymer. This component can be diluted at arbitrary rates with any type of solvent by selecting the polarity of the protective polymer. Electronics, optics, catalysis, colourants and surface metal coatings are the possible fields of application of these pastes.     

Thermosonic flip-chip bonding for SAW filter

A flip-chip bonding (FCB) method suitable for the surface acoustic wave (SAW) filter was developed. In this method, the gold-ball bumps formed on the chip are directly bonded onto the ceramic substrate by thermosonic bonding. After FCB, they are sealed with a cap without using underfill resin. To obtain high bond strength, characteristic properties of the substrate electrode and the ball bump, were optimized. Furthermore, bondability has been improved by adopting a ramp-up loading profile. The reliability test was carried out with 6-pin SAW chips, and we confirmed the sufficient reliability of bonds.     

Thermal diffusivity measurement of 2.25Cr-1Mo steel with internal friction

In this work, the internal friction of 2.25Cr-1Mo steel measured on a dynamic mechanical analyzer (DMA) was used to evaluate its thermal diffusivity at elevated temperatures. With the dual cantilever clamp, the internal friction of 2.25Cr-1Mo steel at high temperatures was obtained, which was mainly composed of the thermoelastic relaxation with a peak of 15 Hz and the broad spectrum of relaxation processes especially at low frequencies. According to the deconvolution of these results, the thermoelastic internal friction of 2.25Cr-1Mo steel at high temperatures was achieved. Then, the thermal diffusivity of 2.25Cr-1Mo steel at high temperatures was quantitatively estimated, which confirmed the validity of present method.     

Approach to highly efficient dechlorination of PCDDs, PCDFs, and coplanar PCBs using metallic calcium in ethanol under atmospheric pressure at room temperature

Detoxification of highly toxic polychlorinated aromatic compounds such as polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), dibenzofurans (PCDFs), and dioxin-like compounds such as coplanar polychlorinated biphenyls (co-PCBs) under mild conditions (atmospheric pressure and room temperature) was achieved by a simple stirring operation for 24 h using metallic calcium in ethanol, without any tedious decomposition procedures and harsh conditions such as high temperature and/or high pressure. Metallic calcium can be kept stable under atmospheric conditions for a long period as compared to metallic sodium since the surface is coated with CaCO3, which is formed in the contact with air. Moreover, ethanol, which is one of the safest solvents for humans, acts not only as a solvent but also as an accelerator due to its ablility to remove the carbonated coating. This decomposition method for PCDDs, PCDFs, and co-PCBs therefore is one of the most economical and environmentally friendly detoxification methods with respect to the input energy and safety of reagents used. Concentration for each isomer of PCDDs, PCDFs, and co-PCBs was reduced in 98.32-100% conversions by treatment in ethanol at room temperature. The toxicity equivalency quantity (TEQ), which was measured by the HRGC-HRMS analysis, for the total residues of isomers was reduced from 22,000 to 210 pg TEQ/mL of hexane (conversion: 99.05%) at room temperature. By refluxing over 24 h, the conversion increased up to 99.45%.     

One-pot conversion of levan prepared from Serratia levanicum NN to difructose anhydride IV by Arthrobacter nicotinovorans levan fructotransferase

The newly established difructose anhydride IV (DFA IV) production system is comprised of the effective production of levan from sucrose by Serratia levanicum NN, the conversion of the levan into DFA IV by levan fructotransferase from Arthrobacter nicotinovorans GS-9, which is highly expressed in an Escherichiacoli transformant, and a practical purification step. The chemical properties of DFA IV were also investigated.     

LMS calibration of sampling timing for time-interleaved A/D converters

Novel sampling-timing calibration for time-interleaved A/D converters is proposed and verified by simulation. An FIR-filter structure exploiting the sampling theorem provides a simple but accurate time derivative of the converted signal and hence enables reliable estimation and compensation of sampling-time deviation of each unit ADC assisted by a reference converter and an LMS algorithm.