WAVELET-BASED STEGANOGRAPHY

Wavelets, which are used to separate data into different components, have many applications. Steganography, one such application, is a form of secret communication where the existence of a message is concealed. Methods for applying univariate and bivariate wavelets to steganography include embedding messages into the insignificant wavelet coefficients of decomposed signals and images. Recomposing then creates stego-objects that appear unaltered from the original cover-objects. First demonstrated is a technique for hiding messages in strings of data with linear trends using the univariate Daubechies D ₄ wavelets. Then, after developing the bivariate Haar wavelets and filters, a unique process of decomposing and recomposing an image in greyscale in order to implement steganography will be illustrated.     

From the Editors.

We could not imagine a more appropriate inauguration of the Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts (PACA) going to four issues per year than with a special issue honoring the life and work of the great aesthetician and psychologist, Rudolf Arnheim. PACA is off to a great start. With this move to four issues per year, we are restarting our numbering system, so this special issue is Volume 1, Issue 1. As you read the articles in this issue, we hope that you enjoy reflecting on how much Rudolf Arnheim has contributed to the field of psychology of aesthetics. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sorption of Aniline by Montmorillonite

Sorption of aniline by montmorillonite was studied by infra-red, X-ray diffraction and differential thermal analysis methods. The amount of aniline sorbed and the type of bonding depend upon the interlayer cations: anilinium, H⁺- and Al³⁺- give anilinium aniline ions, NH₄⁴-ammonium aniline ions, alkalis and alkaline earths except Cs are bonded to aniline through water bridges and transition metal cations are coordinated to aniline partly directly and partly through water bridges. Sorption does not occur in the complete absence of water.     

Impact of Ethanol on Benzene Plume Lengths: Microbial and Modeling Studies

Recent legislation in several states has called for the removal of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) from gasoline. In order to comply with Federal Clean Air Act requirements for carbon monoxide and ozone attainment, ethanol is being considered as a replacement for MTBE. The objective of this study is to evaluate the potential impact of ethanol on benzene plume lengths in subsurface environments following accidental spills of ethanol-blended gasoline. Two types of studies were conducted here. First, laboratory studies were performed using a pure culture indigenous to a gasoline-contaminated aquifer to evaluate the effect of ethanol on the rate of benzene biodegradation under aerobic conditions. Results from microbial studies showed that the biodegradation of 25 mg/L benzene was severely inhibited in the presence of 25 mg/L ethanol. While the enzymes responsible for benzene biodegradation by the culture were inducible, ethanol degradation appeared to be constitutive. Second, a two-dimensional model was developed to quantify the impact of ethanol on benzene plume lengths using weighted-average aerobic and anaerobic biodegradation rates for benzene in the presence and absence of ethanol. Model simulations indicated that benzene plume lengths are likely to increase by 16–34% in the presence of ethanol.     

Demands on Attention and the Role of Response Priming in Visual Discrimination of Feature Conjunctions.

This study examined how response mapping of features within single- and multiple-feature targets affects decision-based processing and attentional capacity demands. Observers judged the presence or absence of 1 or 2 target features within an object either presented alone or with distractors. Judging the presence of 2 features relative to the less discriminable of these features alone was faster (conjunction benefits) when the task-relevant features differed in discriminability and were consistently mapped to responses. Conjunction benefits were attributed to asynchronous decision priming across attended, task-relevant dimensions. A failure to find conjunction benefits for disjunctive conjunctions was attributed to increased memory demands and variable feature-response mapping for 2- versus single-feature targets. Further, attentional demands were similar between single- and 2-feature targets when response mapping, memory demands, and discriminability of the task-relevant features were equated between targets. Implications of the findings for recent attention models are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

利益相关者对辐射防护的看法

辐射照射许可标准及其制定方法必须体现维护健康和民主的原则。当辐射危害的科学是不确定的时候,举证没有构成危险的责任在于危险源的一方,而不在可能受影响的公众的或工作人员一方。科学论证的进程必须对公众透明,必须考虑所有的相关危险问题和疾病终点(不仅是癌),必须考虑受到辐射危险的人们的实际经验和意见。科学家们往往太轻视公众的经验和权益,尽管常常证明公众和工作人员的意见对于制定辐射防护原则是有价值的。既要礼貌地体现工作人员和公众的关注、观点和经验,又要维护高标准的科学工作,必须是标准制定过程的基础部分。ICRP阐明的“强加的危险必须伴有明确的利益”的原则应当是标准制定过程中一个更加明确的部分,必须保证所有已知的危险是被揭示出来了,所怀疑的危险如某些放射性核素与紊乱荷尔蒙的化学品之间可能的协同作用是得到了认真的考虑。最后,鉴于许多放射性核素的长寿命特性和未来自然的、社会的、经济的以及其它条件的巨大不确定度,在制定标准的过程中如何体现子孙后代的权益是一个困难的但是至关重要的的问题。     

An intelligent decision theoretic approach to producibility optimization in conceptual design

Product optimization involves selecting design, manufacturing, and support attributes that can produce the best system. Producibility or manufacturability is the term often used to describe the relative ease of manufacturing a product. In complex systems, productibility optimization is a very difficult process, particularly when the values of many attributes are restricted by constraints. One challenge is to develop more universal producibility metrics for the conceptual design phase when design information is limited and drawings are nondimensional. This paper develops a new method for producibility optimization in conceptual design based on a combination of both decision theoretic and expert system techniques. Decision theoretic techniques provide the means to model the design for producibility problem in a manner that can deal with risk, uncertainty, and user (or corporate) preferences, and can effectively integrate diverse factors to provide a measure of the overall worth of a design. The particular decision theoretic approach employed is based on multi-attribute utility theory. An illustrative example of the methodology is applied to the conceptual design of a structural composite part.     

Strong buffering characteristics and swelling behavior of cationic copolymers

The swelling behavior of crosslinked cationic copolymers of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate with (3-methacryloylamino propyl) trimethylammonium chloride was investigated in various buffered solutions as a function of ionic strength and pH. The equilibrium degree of swelling increased as the pH decreased or as the cationic group-containing comonomer in the polymer increased. The water transport in such copolymers was controlled by a non-Fickian mechanism. These results can be used in the development of physiologically sensitive controlled drug delivery systems. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.