Watermarked 3-D Mesh Quality Assessment

This paper addresses the problem of assessing distortions produced by watermarking 3D meshes. In particular, a new methodology for subjective evaluation of the quality of 3D objects is proposed and implemented. Two objective metrics derived from measures of surface roughness are then proposed and their efficiency to predict the perceptual impact of 3D watermarking is assessed and compared with the state of the art. Results obtained show good correlations between the proposed objective metrics and subjective assessments by human observers     

Managing copyright in open networks

The need for an electronic copyright management system (ECMS) that protects intellectual property rights (IPR) in open network environments continues to grow. Network security issues are classically handled through cryptography; however, cryptography ensures confidentiality, authenticity, and integrity only when a message is transmitted through a public channel, such as an open network. It does not protect against unauthorized copying after the message has been successfully transmitted. Digital watermarking is an effective way to protect copyright of multimedia data even after its transmission. A watermark, embedded in the data, can uniquely identify the document's owner or authorized user. The main problem with using watermark technology, for IPR protection, however, is its reversibility. Anyone who can read or detect the watermark can also remove it by inverting the watermark process. Our open network ECMS combines watermarking with cryptography to achieve reliable copyright protection while satisfying two contrasting requirements: actors in ECMS transactions must be able to verify that the watermark granting their rights is truly embedded in the multimedia document; and actors (other than the author) must not be able to remove the watermark     

Optical tests of nanoengineered liquid mirrors

We describe a new technology for the fabrication of inexpensive high-quality mirrors. We begin by chemically producing a large number of metallic nanoparticles coated with organic ligands. The partides are then spread on a liquid substrate where they self-assemble to give optical quality reflective surfaces. Since liquid surface can be modified by a variety of means (e.g., rotation, electromagnetic fields), this opens the possibility of making a new class of versatile and inexpensive optical elements that can have complex shapes and that can be modified within short time scales. Interferommetric measurements show optical quality surfaces. We have obtained reflectivity curves that show 80% peak reflectivities. We are confident that we can improve the reflectivity curves because theoretical models predict higher values. We expect nanoengineered liquid mirrors to be useful for scientific and engineering applications. The technology is interesting for large optics, such as large rotating parabolic mirrors, because of its low cost. Furthermore, because the surfaces of of ferrofluids can be shaped with magnetic fields, one can generate complex, time-varying surfaces that are difficult to make with conventional techniques.     

Intensive weekly chemotherapy for advanced gastric cancer using fluorouracil, cisplatin, epi-doxorubicin, 6S-leucovorin, glutathione, and filgrastim: a report from the Italian Group for the Study of Digestive Tract Cancer

PURPOSE: A multiinstitutional trial was performed to confirm the clinical activity, in terms of response rate and toxicity (primary objectives) and duration of responses and survival (secondary objectives), of an intensive weekly regimen in advanced gastric cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with measurable unresectable and/or metastatic gastric carcinoma received 1-day per week administration of cisplatin (CDDP) 40 mg/m2, fluorouracil (5FU) 500 mg/m2, epi-doxorubicin (epi-ADR) 35 mg/m2, 6S-stereoisomer of leucovorin 250 mg/m2, and glutathione 1.5 g/m2. On the other days, filgrastim was administered by subcutaneous injection at a dose of 5 mg/kg. One cycle of therapy consisted of eight 1-week treatments. Patients who showed a response or stable disease received a further 6 weeks of therapy. RESULTS: Of 105 enrolled patients, 11 had locally advanced unresectable disease only; 33 had primary nonresected and metastatic disease; 48 had metastatic disease and primary tumor resected; 10 had locoregional recurrence and metastatic disease; and three had locoregional recurrence only. After one cycle, 18 complete responses (CRs) and 47 partial responses (PRs) were achieved, for an overall response rate of 62% (95% confidence interval [CI], 53% to 71%). Twenty patients had stable disease and 20 progressed on therapy. The median survival duration of all 105 patients was 11 months, with 1- and 2-year survival rates of 42% and 5%, respectively. World Health Organization (WHO) grade III to IV toxicity, in terms of anemia, neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, and mucositis, was experienced by 40 patients (38%). There were no treatment-related deaths. CONCLUSION: These data support the results of the pilot study and confirmed the high activity of the regimen, with acceptable toxicity. This schedule deserves evaluation in the adjuvant setting.     

Capacity of full frame DCT image watermarks

The evaluation of the number of bits that can be hidden within an image through digital watermarking is a crucial topic, which has been addressed only for additive watermarks. The evaluation of watermark capacity is very important because it allows to put a theoretical upper bound on the amount of information that can be hidden into an image by a given watermarking procedure, regardless of the watermark extraction technique. It is the purpose of this work to suggest a methodology for the evaluation of the watermark capacity in a nonadditive, non-Gaussian framework, and to discuss the results we obtained by applying it to a set of standard images.     

Writing and Functionalisation of Suspended DNA Nanowires on Superhydrophobic Pillar Arrays

Nanowire arrays and networks with precisely controlled patterns are very interesting for innovative device concepts in mesoscopic physics. In particular, DNA templates have proven to be versatile for the fabrication of complex structures that obtained functionality via combinations with other materials, for example by functionalisation with molecules or nanoparticles, or by coating with metals. Here, the controlled motion of the a three‐phase contact line (TCL) of DNA‐loaded drops on superhydrophobic substrates is used to fabricate suspended nanowire arrays. In particular, the deposition of DNA wires is imaged in situ, and different patterns are obtained on hexagonal pillar arrays by controlling the TCL velocity and direction. Robust conductive wires and networks are achieved by coating the wires with a thin layer of gold, and as proof of concept conductivity measurements are performed on single suspended wires. The plastic material of the superhydrophobic pillars ensures electrical isolation from the substrate. The more general versatility of these suspended nanowire networks as functional templates is outlined by fabricating hybrid organic–metal–semiconductor nanowires by growing ZnO nanocrystals onto the metal‐coated nanowires.     

DNA-protein cell content of lymphokine activated killer (LAK) and target cells in coculture

An extensive study of the interactions between LAK-target cells in cocultures was performed by means of cytometric (relative DNA and protein content) and morphological parameters. The aim was to obtain new information about the cell cycle stage of tumor target cells (Chang line) during the attack of LAK cells. Specimens obtained from cocultures at 0, 24, 48 hours were processed for electron microscopy, flow cytometry, immunocytochemistry (anti-BrdU reaction) and light microscopy (L.I., M.I., cell-cell interaction). The most intense activity of LAK cells against the target was found at 24 hours of coculture independently of the proliferative stage of the tumor cells. These results suggest that the high affinity between killer and target cells was not affected by the molecular changes of the Chang cell surface during the cell cycle.     

Clinical significance of erythrosedimentation rate in cancer in relation to cytokine production: correlation with high IL-6 and low IL-2 blood concentrations

Despite its well documented unfavourable prognostic significance in several human diseases, including cancer, the cytokinic mechanisms responsible for an increased erythrosedimentation rate (ESR) still remain to be better analyzed and defined. The recent possibility to measure cytokine concentrations in the blood of patients has allowed us to explore the possible relation between ESR values and endogenous cytokine secretions. This preliminary study was performed to evaluate the relationship between ESR values and serum levels of IL-2 and IL-6, which represent the most important cytokines responsible for the activation and the suppression, respectively, of host anticancer immune reaction. The study included 33 consecutive solid tumor patients, 22 of whom showed distant organ metastases. Abnormally high values of ESR were present in 21 patients, including 18/22 metastatic patients and 3/11 nonmetastatic patients. Patients with elevated values of ESR showed significantly higher mean levels of IL-6 and significantly lower mean concentrations of IL-2 with respect to those found in patients with normal ESR values. These results would show that cancer-related increase in ESR values is associated with low levels of IL-2 and high levels of IL-6. Since IL-2 plays an essential role in the anticancer immunity and IL-6 may suppress the antitumor immune defenses, the evidence of low levels of IL-2 and high values of IL-6 in cancer patients with increased ESR values would explain the unfavourable prognostic significance of high ESR values in human neoplasms.     

Dyeing properties of monoazo disperse dyes derived from 4-alkylamidosalicylic acids: equilibrium study

The dyeing equilibria of a set of monoazo dyes derived from 4-alkylamidosalicylic acids on nylon 6.6 have been studied. A Nemst distribution has been obtained indicating the prevailing mechanism of solution of the dye in the fibre Equilibrium depends on the length of the alkyl chain of the dye and on the concentration of dispersant. The latter affects the equilibrium differently according to the hydrophobicity of the dye. Linear relationships between the chain length and ΔHd? and ΔSd? have been found.