{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,16]],"date-time":"2026-01-16T09:23:56Z","timestamp":1768555436304,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":26,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"9","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,14]],"date-time":"2025-09-14T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1757808000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Computers"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The rapid digitalisation of the medical field has heightened concerns over protecting patients\u2019 personal information during the transmission of medical images. This study introduces a method for securely transmitting X-ray images that contain embedded patient data. The proposed steganographic approach ensures that the original image remains intact while the embedded data is securely hidden, a critical requirement in medical contexts. To guarantee reversibility, the Interpolation Near Pixels method was utilised, recognised as one of the most effective techniques within reversible data hiding (RDH) frameworks. Additionally, the method integrates a statistical property preservation technique, enhancing the scheme\u2019s alignment with ideal steganographic characteristics. Specifically, the \u201cforest fire\u201d algorithm partitions the image into interconnected regions, where statistical analyses of low-order bits are performed, followed by arithmetic decoding to achieve a desired distribution. This process successfully maintains the original statistical features of the image. The effectiveness of the proposed method was validated through stegoanalysis on real-world medical images from previous studies. The results revealed high robustness, with minimal distortion of stegocontainers, as evidenced by high PSNR values ranging between 52 and 81 dB.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/computers14090386","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,15]],"date-time":"2025-09-15T10:51:33Z","timestamp":1757933493000},"page":"386","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["An Adaptive Steganographic Method for Reversible Information Embedding in X-Ray Images"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4255-5456","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Elmira","family":"Daiyrbayeva","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Information and Computational Technologies of the Committee of Science of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Almaty 050010, Kazakhstan"},{"name":"Department of Software Engineering, Satbayev University, Almaty 050013, Kazakhstan"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2013-1513","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Aigerim","family":"Yerimbetova","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Information and Computational Technologies of the Committee of Science of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Almaty 050010, Kazakhstan"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6847-5588","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ekaterina","family":"Merzlyakova","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Information Science and Computer Engineering, Siberian State University of Telecommunications and Information Science, Novosibirsk 630102, Russia"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2674-1611","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ualikhan","family":"Sadyk","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Computer Science, School of Information Technology and Applied Mathematics, SDU University, Kaskelen 040900, Kazakhstan"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0003-6157-5959","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Aizada","family":"Sarina","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medicine, Marat Ospanov West Kazakhstan Medical University, Aktobe 030000, Kazakhstan"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2689-2081","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Zhamilya","family":"Taichik","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Higher School of Natural Sciences, Margulan University, Pavlodar 140000, Kazakhstan"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0005-7039-2876","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Irina","family":"Ismailova","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medicine, Marat Ospanov West Kazakhstan Medical University, Aktobe 030000, Kazakhstan"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5303-8593","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Yerbolat","family":"Iztleuov","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medicine, Marat Ospanov West Kazakhstan Medical University, Aktobe 030000, Kazakhstan"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0009-7570-8306","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Asset","family":"Nurmangaliyev","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Information Technologies, \u201cQ\u201d University, Almaty 050026, Kazakhstan"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,14]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Daiyrbayeva, E., Yerimbetova, A., Nechta, I., Merzlyakova, E., Toigozhinova, A., and Turganbayev, A. (2022). A Study of the Information Embedding Method into Raster Image Based on Interpolation. J. Imaging, 8.","DOI":"10.3390\/jimaging8100288"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Yerimbetova, A., Daiyrbayeva, E., Merzlyakova, E., Fionov, A., Baisholan, N., Turdalyuly, M., Mukazhanov, N., and Turganbayev, A. (2023). Creating Digital Watermarks in Bitmap Images Using Lagrange Interpolation and Bezier Curves. J. Imaging, 9.","DOI":"10.3390\/jimaging9100206"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Daiyrbayeva, E., Yerimbetova, A., Maratov, Z., and Sakenov, B. (2023, January 13\u201315). Information Hiding in Images Using Neural Network. Proceedings of the 2023 8th International Conference on Computer Science and Engineering (UBMK), Burdur, T\u00fcrkiye.","DOI":"10.1109\/UBMK59864.2023.10286608"},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"43577","DOI":"10.1007\/s11042-023-15434-6","article-title":"Hiding EPR and Watermark in Medical Images Using Repeated Pixel Differencing","volume":"83","author":"Aftab","year":"2023","journal-title":"Multimed. Tools Appl."},{"key":"ref_5","first-page":"409","article-title":"A Secure Authentication Algorithm for Medical IoT Using Steganography and Cryptography","volume":"5","author":"Bellam","year":"2025","journal-title":"J. Mach. Comput."},{"key":"ref_6","first-page":"4011615","article-title":"Restoration-Enhanced Reversible Information Steganography Network for CT Images in the Internet of Medical Things","volume":"74","author":"Chen","year":"2025","journal-title":"IEEE Trans. Instrum. Meas."},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1555","DOI":"10.5958\/0976-5506.2018.00751.9","article-title":"A Review on Reversible Steganographic Schemes","volume":"9","author":"Jose","year":"2018","journal-title":"Indian J. Public Health Res. Dev."},{"key":"ref_8","first-page":"621","article-title":"Interpolation-Based Reversible Data Hiding Using Pixel Intensity Classes","volume":"14","author":"Tripathi","year":"2023","journal-title":"Int. J. Next-Gener. Comput."},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"7181","DOI":"10.1007\/s11042-018-6465-8","article-title":"An Improved Capacity Data Hiding Technique Based on Image Interpolation","volume":"78","author":"Mohammad","year":"2018","journal-title":"Multimed. Tools Appl."},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"465","DOI":"10.1016\/j.csi.2008.06.001","article-title":"Data Hiding Method Using Image Interpolation","volume":"31","author":"Jung","year":"2009","journal-title":"Comput. Stand. Interfaces"},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Ryabko, B., and Ryabko, D. (2007, January 24\u201329). Information-Theoretic Approach to Steganographic Systems. Proceedings of the IEEE International Symposium on Information Theory, Nice, France.","DOI":"10.1109\/ISIT.2007.4557588"},{"key":"ref_12","unstructured":"Vizil\u2019ter, Y.V., Zheltov, S.Y., Bondarenko, A.V., Ososkov, M.V., and Morzhin, A.V. (2010). Obrabotka i Analiz Izobrazheniy v Zadachakh Mashinnogo Zreniya: Kurs Lektsiy i Prakticheskikh Zanyatiy, Fizmatkniga."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Fridrich, J., Goljan, M., and Du, R. (2001, January 5). Reliable Detection of LSB Steganography in Grayscale and Color Images. Proceedings of the Special Session on Multimedia Security and Watermarking, Ottawa, ON, Canada.","DOI":"10.1145\/1232454.1232466"},{"key":"ref_14","first-page":"192539","article-title":"Adaptive Reversible Data Hiding Scheme Based on Novel Cascading Prediction Error Histogram Shifting Using Decimal Floating Stream","volume":"19","author":"Ghorbandost","year":"2025","journal-title":"Majlesi J. Electr. Eng."},{"key":"ref_15","first-page":"644","article-title":"Reversible Data Hiding Based on Histogram Modification of Difference Images","volume":"16","author":"Ni","year":"2006","journal-title":"IEEE Trans. Circuits Syst. Video Technol."},{"key":"ref_16","unstructured":"Tian, J. (2003, January 14\u201317). Reversible Image Data Hiding Based on Difference Expansion. Proceedings of the IEEE International Conference on Image Processing (ICIP), Barcelona, Spain."},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"4157","DOI":"10.11591\/ijece.v11i5.pp4157-4164","article-title":"Efficiency of LSB Steganography on Medical Information","volume":"11","author":"Abikoye","year":"2021","journal-title":"Int. J. Electr. Comput. Eng. (IJECE)"},{"key":"ref_18","first-page":"136","article-title":"Image Steganography Using HBC and RDH Technique","volume":"3","author":"Hemalatha","year":"2014","journal-title":"Int. J. Comput. Appl. Technol. Res."},{"key":"ref_19","unstructured":"(2025, January 08). BOSS Image Database for Steganography Research. Available online: http:\/\/agents.fel.cvut.cz\/boss\/index.php?mode=VIEW&tmpl=about."},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"6712","DOI":"10.1016\/j.eswa.2011.12.019","article-title":"An Efficient Image Interpolation Increasing Payload in Reversible Data Hiding","volume":"39","author":"Lee","year":"2012","journal-title":"Expert Syst. Appl."},{"key":"ref_21","unstructured":"Eltysheva, K., and Fionov, A. (2009, January 26\u201330). Stegosystem Construction on the Basis of Statistical Structure of Covertext. Proceedings of the XII International Symposium on Problems of Redundancy, St.-Petersburg, Russia."},{"key":"ref_22","first-page":"1","article-title":"An Efficient Adaptive Arithmetic Coding Method for Sources with Large Alphabets","volume":"35","author":"Ryabko","year":"1999","journal-title":"Probl. Peredachi Informatsii"},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"155","DOI":"10.15514\/ISPRAS-2020-32(4)-11","article-title":"Using Convolutional Neural Networks for Stegoanalysis of Digital Images","volume":"32","author":"Polunin","year":"2020","journal-title":"Proc. Inst. Syst. Program. RAS"},{"key":"ref_24","first-page":"2068813","article-title":"High Payload Lossless Steganography Using Image Interpolation","volume":"2023","author":"Sharma","year":"2023","journal-title":"Int. J. Comput. Appl."},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"143434","DOI":"10.1109\/ACCESS.2024.3468988","article-title":"Advancing Reversible LSB Steganography: Addressing Imperfections and Embracing Pioneering Techniques for Enhanced Security","volume":"12","author":"Farhan","year":"2024","journal-title":"IEEE Access"},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3494","DOI":"10.1109\/ACCESS.2023.3233976","article-title":"Deep Learning for Predictive Analytics in Reversible Steganography","volume":"11","author":"Chang","year":"2023","journal-title":"IEEE Access"}],"container-title":["Computers"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2073-431X\/14\/9\/386\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,9]],"date-time":"2025-10-09T18:45:31Z","timestamp":1760035531000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2073-431X\/14\/9\/386"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,14]]},"references-count":26,"journal-issue":{"issue":"9","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,9]]}},"alternative-id":["computers14090386"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/computers14090386","relation":{},"ISSN":["2073-431X"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2073-431X","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,14]]}}}