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Internet of Things (IoT) devices supporting intelligent cloud applications such as healthcare for hospitals rely on connecting with local base stations and access points to provide rich data analysis and real-time services to users. Devices authenticate with local base stations and perform handover operations to connect with access points with higher signal strength. Attackers disguise as valid base stations and access points using publicly accessible SSID information connect with local IoT devices during the handover process and give rise to data integrity and privacy concerns. This paper proposes a lightweight authentication scheme for private blockchain-based networks for securing devices from rogue base stations during the handover process. An authentication certificate is designed for base stations and machines in local clusters using SHA256 and modulo operations for enabling quick handover operations. The keys assigned to each device and base station joining the network are hashed, and their sizes are reduced using modulo operations. Furthermore, the compressed key size forms a certificate, which is used by the machines and the base stations to authenticate mutually. In comparison with existing studies, the performance analysis of the proposed scheme is based on the transmission of three messages required for completing the authentication process. Evaluation based on the Communication Overhead demonstrates a minimum improvement of 99.30% fewer bytes exchanged during the handover process and 89.58% reduced Storage Overhead compared with existing studies.

With the ICT technology making great progress in the smart home environment, the ubiquitous environment is rapidly emerging all over the world, but problems are also increasing proportionally to the rapid growth of the smart home market such as multiplatform heterogeneity and new security threats. In addition, the smart home sensors have so low computing resources that they cannot process complicated computation tasks, which is required to create a proper security environment. A service provider also faces overhead in processing data from a rapidly increasing number of sensors. This paper aimed to propose a scheme to build infrastructure in which communication entities can securely authenticate and design security channel with physically unclonable PUFs and the TTP that smart home communication entities can rely on. In addition, we analyze and evaluate the proposed scheme for security and performance and prove that it can build secure channels with low resources. Finally, we expect that the proposed scheme can be helpful for secure communication with low resources in future smart home multiplatforms.

In modern society, user privacy is emerging as an important issue as closed-circuit television (CCTV) systems increase rapidly in various public and private spaces. If CCTV cameras monitor sensitive areas or personal spaces, they can infringe on personal privacy. Someone's behavior patterns, sensitive information, residence, etc. can be exposed, and if the image data collected from CCTV is not properly protected, there can be a risk of data leakage by hackers or illegal accessors. This paper presents an innovative approach to "machine learning based reversible chaotic masking method for user privacy protection in CCTV environment." The proposed method was developed to protect an individual's identity within CCTV images while maintaining the usefulness of the data for surveillance and analysis purposes. This method utilizes a two-step process for user privacy. First, machine learning models are trained to accurately detect and locate human subjects within the CCTV frame. This model is designed to identify individuals accurately and robustly by leveraging state-of-the-art object detection techniques. When an individual is detected, reversible chaos masking technology is applied. This masking technique uses chaos maps to create complex patterns to hide individual facial features and identifiable characteristics. Above all, the generated mask can be reversibly applied and removed, allowing authorized users to access the original unmasking image. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantum information has passed the theoretical research period and has entered the realization step for its application to the information and communications technology (ICT) sector. Currently, quantum information has the advantage of being safer and faster than conventional digital computers. Thus, a lot of research is being done. The amount of big data that one needs to deal with is expected to grow exponentially. It is also a new business model that can change the landscape of the existing computing. Just as the IT sector has faced many challenges in the past, we need to be prepared for change brought about by Quantum. We would like to look at studies on quantum communication, quantum sensing, and quantum computing based on quantum information and see the technology levels of each country and company. Based on this, we present the vision and challenge for quantum information in the future. Our work is significant since the time for first-time study challengers is reduced by discussing the fundamentals of quantum information and summarizing the current situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The discrete existence of graphite epoxides is evidenced by using the epoxidation-deepoxidation method. Atomic resolution is obtained on many terraces of the epoxidized highly ordered pyrolytic graphite (HOPG), suggesting that any chemical reaction is carried out at the step edges.

Nowadays, cloud computing and big data analytics are at the center of many industries' concerns to take advantage of the potential benefits of building future smart cities. The integration of cloud computing and big data analytics is the main reason for massive adoption in many organizations, avoiding the potential complexities of on-premise big data systems. With these two technologies, the manufacturing industry, healthcare system, education, academe, etc. are developing rapidly, and they will offer various benefits to expand their domains. In this issue, we present a summary of 18 high-quality accepted articles following a rigorous review process in the field of cloud computing and big data analytics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, building the cloud based on wireless mesh networks as well as wired networks is rapidly increased for processing the big data. However, existing scheduling and routing protocols cannot support processing the big data efficiently in the cloud, because the each flow path is determined before the data are transmitted based on some routing strategies in the wireless mesh networks. Currently, an important factor that should be considered is that the link capacity between mesh routers can be changed based on the current interference of the flow of other mesh routers. In general, network availability is also influenced by the interference related to the other layers in the protocol stack. In this paper, we study wireless mesh networks and propose JRS-S and JRS-M algorithms,which utilize both route discovery and resource allocation at the same time, in order to maximize capacity of the wireless mesh network in the cloud computing. Our algorithms for each flow use a cross-layer design method based on numerical modeling in order to adaptively control data scheduling at the link layer and find a high data rate path with minimum interference at the network layer.We analyze the optimal capacity of the wireless mesh networks for maximizing network utilization using a numerical solution tool. Through analysis, we also verify that our algorithms can improve system capacity by efficiently distributing a gateway load and that it can enhance the system availability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of information and communication technology (ICT) has opened the era of the Internet of Things (IoT), in which many devices can connect to the Internet to communicate. Recently, various technologies, such as smart grids, connected cars, and smart farms, have emerged based on IoT, and there is also the smart home, which is the fastest growing market. The smart home is where devices installed for various purposes connect to each other through the Internet so that users can use the service anytime and anywhere. However, while the smart home provides convenience to users, recently the smart home has been exposed to various security threats, such as vulnerability of session/cookies and the use of vulnerable OAuth. In addition, attacks on smart homes by hackers using these vulnerabilities are also increasing. Therefore, in this paper, we propose a user authentication method using the JSON Web Token (JWT) and International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) in the smart home, and solved the problem of unauthorized smart home device registration of hackers by the application of IMEI and JWT technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the development of information technology (IT), it has been applied to various fields such as the smart home, medicine, healthcare, and the smart car. For these fields, IT has been providing continuous prevention and management, including health conditions beyond the mere prevention of disease, improving the quality of life. e-Healthcare is a health management and medical service to provide prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and the follow-up management of diseases at any time and place in connection with information communication technology, without requiring patients to visit hospitals. However, e-Healthcare has been exposed to eavesdropping, manipulation, and the forgery of information that is personal, biological, medical, etc., and is a security threat from malicious attackers. This study suggests a security service model to exchange personal health records (PHRs) for e-Healthcare environments. To be specific, this study suggests a scheme in which communicators are able to securely authorize and establish security channels by constituting the infrastructure each organization relies on. In addition, the possibility of establishing a security service model is indicated by suggesting an e-Healthcare system for a secure e-Healthcare environment as a secure personal health record system. This is anticipated to provide securer communication in e-Healthcare environments in the future through the scheme suggested in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long Term Evolution (LTE) and Long Term Evolution-Advanced (LTE-A) support a better data transmission service than 3G dose and are globally commercialized technologies in a cyber world that is essential for constructing a future mobile environment, since network traffics have exponentially increased as people have started to use more than just one mobile device. However, when User Equipment (UE) is executing initial attach processes to access LTE networks, there is a vulnerability in which identification parameters like International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) and Radio Network Temporary Identities (RNTI) are transmitted as plain texts. It can threat various services that are commercialized therewith in a cyber world. Therefore, a security scheme is proposed in this paper where identification parameters can be securely transmitted and hidden in four cases where initial attach occurs between UE and Mobility Management Entity (MME). The proposed security scheme not only supports encrypted transmission of identification parameters but also mutual authentication between Evolved Node B (eNB) and MME to make a secure cyber world. Additionally, performance analysis results using an OPNET simulator showed the satisfaction of the average delay rate that is specified in LTE standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The services provided to users in the environment associated with the Internet of Things (hereinafter referred to as IoT) begin with the information collected from sensors. It is imperative to transmit high-quality sensor data for providing better services. It is also required to collect data only from those authenticated sensors. Moreover, it is imperative to collect high-quality data on a sustainable and continuous basis in order to provide services anytime and anywhere in the IoT environment. Therefore, high-quality, authenticated sensor networks should be constructed. The most prominent routing protocol to enhance the energy consumption efficiency for the sustainable data collection in a sensor network is the LEACH routing protocol. The LEACH routing protocol transmits sensor data by measuring the energy of sensors and allocating sensor groups dynamically. However, these sensor networks have vulnerabilities such as key leakage, eavesdropping, replay attack and relay attack, given the nature of wireless network communication. A large number of security techniques have been studied in order to solve these vulnerabilities. Nonetheless, these studies still cannot support the dynamic sensor group allocation of the LEACH routing protocol. Furthermore, they are not suitable for the sensor nodes whose hardware computing ability and energy resources are limited. Therefore, this paper proposed a group sensor communication protocol that utilizes only the four fundamental arithmetic operations and logical operation for the sensor node authentication and secure data transmission. Through the security analysis, this paper verified that the proposed scheme was secure to the vulnerabilities resulting from the nature of wireless network communication. Moreover, this paper verified through the performance analysis that the proposed scheme could be utilized efficiently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing concern about Indoor Air-Quality has accelerated the development of small, low-cost air-quality monitoring systems. These systems are capable of monitoring various indoor air pollutants in real time, notifying users about the current air-quality status and gathering the information to the central server. However, most Internet of Things (IoT)-based air-quality monitoring systems numerically present the sensed value per pollutant, making it difficult for general users to identify how polluted the air is. Therefore, in this paper, we first introduce a tiny air-quality monitoring system that we developed and, based on the system, we also test the applicability of the comprehensive Air-Quality Index (AQI), which is widely used all over the world, in terms of its capacity for a comprehensive indoor air-quality indication. We also develop design considerations for an IoT-based air-quality monitoring system and propose a real-time comprehensive indoor air-quality level indication method, which effectively copes with dynamic changes and is efficient in terms of processing and memory overhead. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A facile route to water-soluble graphite nanoplatelets that uses graphite as the starting material is described. The method relies on the addition of phenyl radicals with subsequent sulfonation of the phenyl groups. Atomic force microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and scanning tunneling microscopy images show that a high degree of exfoliation occurs during the sulfonation step. The sheet resistance of the bulk films of the nanoplatelets prepared by vacuum filtration using an anodisc membrane was found to be 212 Ω/sq. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary goal of this study was to analyse the state of patient doses in the field of computed tomography (CT) examinations in the Republic of Korea. All survey data including the CT applications and patient dose details were obtained from general hospitals registered in the Korean Hospital Association. The systematic analysis of the patient dose survey gives target values of the weighted computed tomography dose index (CTDIw) and the dose–length product (DLP). The targeted CTDIw values were 69, 69, 31, 19, 44, 25, 24, 20, 2, 19 and 19 mGy for the brain non-contrast enhancement (BNCE), brain contrast enhancement (BCE), neck, chest, spine, liver, pancreas, stomach, kidneys, abdomen routine and abdomen trauma protocols, respectively. The targeted DLP values were 1056, 2112, 762, 1234, 1338, 2794, 2742, 2378, 2836, 1844 and 1939 mGy cm for the BNCE, BCE, neck, chest, spine, liver, pancreas, stomach, kidneys, abdomen routine and abdomen trauma protocols, respectively. Comparing with the EUR recommendation, especially in the DLP, the adjustment of the total scan phase frequency and the shortening of the scan phase in each scan phase are needed to reduce the patients radiation exposure to international standards. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The synthesis and imaging by scanning tunneling microscopy of a mixed wheeled nanovehicle composed of a p-carborane small-wheeled short front axle and a C60large-wheeled long rear axle that has been termed a nanodragster due to the structural relation to a dragster are reported. This nanodragster is expected to exhibit motion at a lower temperature than pure C60-wheeled nanocars and should allow the investigation of the role played by p-carborane wheels in directional motion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrogen-doped graphene synthesis with ∼g scale has been accomplished using the arc discharge method. The defects formed in the synthesis process were reduced by adding various metal catalysts, among which Bi2O3 was found to be the most effective. Adding dopants to the starting materials increased the electrical conductivity of the graphene product, and the doping concentration in graphene was tuned by adjusting the amount of nitrogen dopants. A step-wise technique to fabricate graphene thin films was developed, including dispersion, separation, and filtering processes. The arc graphene can also find its potential application in supercapacitors, taking advantage of its large surface area and improved conductivity by doping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]