Adaptive removable visible watermarking technique using dual watermarking for digital color images

This paper proposes a removable visible watermarking system based on a dual watermark technique and blind removal. A visible watermark pattern is embedded in the cosine discrete transform (DCT) domain, taking into consideration the texture and luminance features of the watermark and host images to create a visible watermarked image. To prevent illegal visible watermark removal, the original watermark is embedded in an invisible manner in the visible watermarked image by employing the Quantization Index Modulation-Dither Modulation (QIM-DM) technique, thus ensuring that the original watermark cannot be obtained by malicious attacks. The visible watermark removal process is carried out using only the correct user’s keys, without the need for additional information, such as the original watermark or the original host image, which allows a high-quality image to be obtained; however, if the user’s keys used in the removal process are wrong, the visible watermarked image suffers higher distortion in its content, even in non-visible watermarked regions. The experimental results show that the proposed system outperforms previous related works in terms of blind removal, preservation of the quality of the unmarked recovered image, and higher visual degradation of the content in the recovered image if an illegal removal attempt is performed.     

Morphology of a melt crystallized iPP/HDPE/hydrogenated hydrocarbon resin blend

The structure, phase structure, morphology, crystallization and melting behavior of isotactic polypropylene (iPP) blended with a master batch (MB), formed by high density polyethylene and hydrogenated hydrocarbon resin (iPP/MB), have been in details investigated by using X-ray diffraction, optical microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. It was found that the structure and morphology depend on crystallization conditions. A new family of α spherulites of iPP (type I spherulites) can be activated using appropriate crystallization conditions. Nucleation of these spherulites has been explained by using the approach of nucleus migration in polymer blends. Type I spherulites present specific morphological, kinetic and thermal behaviors. In particular it was found that the growth rate of type I spherulites, at a given T_c, is higher than the growth rate of spherulites grown from plain iPP.     

Hydrodynamically Guided Hierarchical Self‐Assembly of Peptide–Protein Bioinks

Effective integration of molecular self‐assembly and additive manufacturing would provide a technological leap in bioprinting. This article reports on a biofabrication system based on the hydrodynamically guided co‐assembly of peptide amphiphiles (PAs) with naturally occurring biomolecules and proteins to generate hierarchical constructs with tuneable molecular composition and structural control. The system takes advantage of droplet‐on‐demand inkjet printing to exploit interfacial fluid forces and guide molecular self‐assembly into aligned or disordered nanofibers, hydrogel structures of different geometries and sizes, surface topographies, and higher‐ordered constructs bound by molecular diffusion. PAs are designed to co‐assemble during printing in cell diluent conditions with a range of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins and biomolecules including fibronectin, collagen, keratin, elastin‐like proteins, and hyaluronic acid. Using combinations of these molecules, NIH‐3T3 and adipose derived stem cells are bioprinted within complex structures while exhibiting high cell viability (>88%). By integrating self‐assembly with 3D‐bioprinting, the study introduces a novel biofabrication platform capable of encapsulating and spatially distributing multiple cell types within tuneable pericellular environments. In this way, the work demonstrates the potential of the approach to generate complex bioactive scaffolds for applications such as tissue engineering, in vitro models, and drug screening.     

The Timing of Household Events and Housing Events in the Netherlands: A Longitudinal Perspective

Research on the relationship between household events and housing events so far has largely ignored the role of timing. This study aims to uncover in what way the postponement of marriage and childbirth that took place in the second half of the 20th century in the Netherlands affected the timing of moving into 'long-stay housing' (single-family dwellings and owner occupied dwellings). This is done by analysing time lags between household events and housing events. Survival analysis shows that over cohorts, moving into long-stay housing happens consistently earlier, and increasingly frequently before first childbirth. This finding is most likely attributable to the increased economic prosperity and increased availability of long-stay housing. This allows young people to adjust their housing to the household situation they anticipate, rather than to wait until they actually experience the household event. However, this does not hold for single home leavers: they move into long-stay housing neither earlier, nor much more often over time. It is concluded that the level of commitment in the household situation is the fundamental explanation for housing choice, and that economic prosperity mainly facilitates advancement in the timing of adapting the housing situation to the (anticipated) household situation.     

Assessing methods for blood cell cytotoxic responses to inorganic nanoparticles and nanoparticle aggregates

Inorganic nanoparticles (NPs) show great potential for medicinal therapy. However, biocompatibility studies are essential to determine if they are safe. Here, five different NPs are compared for their cytotoxicity, internalization, aggregation in medium, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, using tumoral and normal human blood cells. Differences depending on the cell type are analyzed, and no direct correlation between ROS production and cell toxicity is found. Results are discussed with the aim of standardizing the procedures for the evaluation of the toxicity.     

Working with dreams in psychotherapy: What do psychoanalytic therapists report that they do?

Forty-seven psychoanalytic therapists completed a questionnaire about dream work. Overall, results indicated that therapists had very positive attitudes toward dreams, worked with their own dreams, sought out dream training, and felt competent working with dreams. Therapists estimated that they worked with dreams with about half of their clients about half of the time in psychotherapy. They were most willing to work with dreams when clients had recurrent or troubling dreams or nightmares, were psychologically minded, were seeking growth, were interested in dreams, and were willing to work with dreams. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Describing the face of transference: Psychodynamic therapists' recollections about transference in cases of successful long-term therapy.

This study used the consensual qualitative research method to address questions about therapists' perceptions of transference in long-term therapy: How does transference operate? How is transference dealt with and resolved? What problems do therapists encounter with transference? Eleven dynamically oriented therapists were interviewed by phone about a successful case in which transference was an important part of treatment. On the basis of therapists' recollections, findings suggested that transference operated in a complex manner in terms of source, valence, themes, and the events influencing it; therapists used a wide range of techniques (nonanalytic and analytic) to deal with transference; working alliance, real relationship, and client emotional insight importantly influenced the resolution of transference; and a variety of countertransference reactions and mistakes were encountered when dealing with transference. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Growth Kinetics and Characterization of Chromia Scales Formed on Ni–30Cr Alloy in Impure Argon at 700 °C

Oxidation of Metals - The oxidation of a Ni–30Cr alloy at 700 °C in impure argon was studied in order to provide new elements of understanding on chromia scale growth in low...