Constandinos Mavromoustakis | University of Nicosia (original) (raw)

Papers by Constandinos Mavromoustakis

Electronics

This paper focuses on the security challenges of network slice implementation in 5G networks. We ... more This paper focuses on the security challenges of network slice implementation in 5G networks. We propose that network slice controllers support security by enabling security controls at different network layers. The slice controller orchestrates multilevel domains with resources at a very high level but needs to understand how to define the resources at lower levels. In this context, the main outstanding security challenge is the compromise of several resources in the presence of an attack due to weak resource isolation at different levels. We analysed the current standards and trends directed to mitigate the vulnerabilities mentioned above, and we propose security controls and classify them by efficiency and applicability (easiness to develop). Security controls are a common way to secure networks, but they enforce security policies only in respective areas. Therefore, the security domains allow for structuring the orchestration principles by considering the necessary security cont...

Wireless traffic that is destined for a certain device in a network, can be exploited in order to... more Wireless traffic that is destined for a certain device in a network, can be exploited in order to minimize the availability and delay trade-offs, and mitigate the Energy consumption. The Energy Conservation (EC) mechanism can be node-centric by considering the traversed nodal traffic in order to prolong the network lifetime. This work describes a quantitative traffic-based approach where a clustered Sleep-Proxy mechanism takes place in order to enable each node to sleep according to the time duration of the active traffic that each node expects and experiences. Sleep-proxies within the clusters are created according to pairwise active-time comparison, where each node expects during the active periods, a requested traffic. For resource availability and recovery purposes, the caching mechanism takes place in case where the node for which the traffic is destined is not available. The proposed scheme uses Role-based nodes which are assigned to manipulate the traffic in a cluster, throug...

Traffic and channel-data rate combined with the stream oriented methodology can provide a scheme ... more Traffic and channel-data rate combined with the stream oriented methodology can provide a scheme for offering optimized and guaranteed QoS. In this work a stream oriented modeled scheme is proposed based on each node's self-scheduling energy management. This scheme is taking into account the overall packet loss in order to form the optimal effective -for the end-to-end connection- throughput response. The scheme also -quantitatively- takes into account the asymmetrical nature of wireless links and the caching activity that is used for data revocation in the ad-hoc based connectivity scenario. Through the designed middleware and the architectural layering and through experimental simulation, the proposed energy-aware management scheme is thoroughly evaluated in order to meet the parameters' values where the optimal throughput response for each device/user is achieved.

While sharing resources the efficiency is substantially degraded as a result of the scarceness of... more While sharing resources the efficiency is substantially degraded as a result of the scarceness of availability of the requested resources in a multiclient support manner. These resources are often aggravated by many factors like the temporal constraints for availability or node flooding by the requested replicated file chunks. Thus replicated file chunks should be efficiently disseminated in order to enable resource availability on-demand by the mobile users. This work considers a cross layered middleware support system for efficient delay-sensitive streaming by using each device's connectivity and social interactions in a cross layered manner. The collaborative streaming is achieved through the epidemically replicated file chunk policy which uses a transition-based approach of a chained model of an infectious disease with susceptible, infected, recovered and death states. The Gossip-based stateful model enforces the mobile nodes whether to host a file chunk or not or, when no l...

This work elaborates on the real-time implementation and comparative evaluation of an Energy-effi... more This work elaborates on the real-time implementation and comparative evaluation of an Energy-efficient scheme for sharing resources using the MICA2dot wireless nodes/motes. The proposed scheme allows the nodes to sleep adaptively according to the volume of incoming traffic, offering Energy Conservation (EC) to the moving nodes. Nodes that are exchanging delay sensitive/constrained resources apply the one-level Backward Traffic Difference (BTD) scheme or the two-level BTD, according to delay transmission and capacity criteria, in order to enable nodes to sleep, based on their activity and their admitted traffic. The incoming traffic impacts the Sleep-time duration of the node by using traffic's backward difference in order to define an adaptive Sleep-time duration for each node. The proposed scheme is being evaluated through real-time implementation by using MICA2dot wireless motes, which are exchanging resources in a Mobile Peer-to-Peer manner using certain motion pattern. Perfo...

IEEE Commun. Mag., 2017

Among all the propositions for the future Internet, the fi fth generation (5G) seems to be very w... more Among all the propositions for the future Internet, the fi fth generation (5G) seems to be very well positioned for becoming a reality in the near future. The 5G network aims to converge mobile and fixed networks for supporting end-to-end applications and services. 5G will be resilient, secure, and available at all times. It is unthinkable to build such a convergent network without slicing at all levels: from the physical (slicing is enforced by the integration of several radio access technologies) to application levels. Slicing will be achieved thanks to service chaining: data processing will become a sequence of services, potentially managed by different stakeholders. This will require more collaboration between stakeholders and/or greater openness of the off ered services.

2018 IEEE 16th International Conference on Embedded and Ubiquitous Computing (EUC), 2018

Internet of Things (IoT) is a set of massively emerging technologies that aim to make our lives b... more Internet of Things (IoT) is a set of massively emerging technologies that aim to make our lives better. One of the most suitable application domains is healthcare and wellbeing, where IoT technologies can enhance living environments (ELE). IoT applications are deployed into an IoT ecosystem, which is supported by a specific architecture. The usual IoT architecture model has three different layers (Acquisition, Network and Application), where all the different IoT elements are organized. This architecture has been designed for general purposes, but the deployment of IoT healthcare applications supported by this architecture model exhibits important drawbacks. In particular, this architecture model does not consider IoT devices coexisting with wearables devices, which hinders the design of smart habitats. In this paper we present an IoT-aware architectural model for smart habitats with special emphasis on healthcare domain. The new architecture adds a fourth layer to the traditional I...

The advances in Internet of Everything (IoE) and the market-oriented cloud computing have provide... more The advances in Internet of Everything (IoE) and the market-oriented cloud computing have provided opportunities to resolve the challenges caused by the Internet of Things (IoT) infrastructure virtualization, capacity planning, data storage or complexity. The volume and types of IoT data motivate the need for a data storage framework towards the integration of both structured and unstructured data. In this paper, we propose a novel game theoretic technique for efficient and dynamic storage allocation in cloud-centric IoT systems. The benefit maximization problem is formulated as a cost-benefit analysis game investigating the storage capacity currently used in the cloud. In view of each player's strategy to lease additional storage capacity, the game property is analyzed and we prove that the game always admits a pure strategy Nash equilibrium. Since the player's decision affects the level of benefit maximization, we elaborate on a cost-optimal storage allocation incentive me...

Recent research in opportunistic networks address the diffusion policy and the practicality consi... more Recent research in opportunistic networks address the diffusion policy and the practicality considerations in utilizing device-specific applications. Intermittent connectivity between mobile nodes and the random behavioral patterns of the users, make modeling and measuring the performance of opportunistic networks very challenging particularly in the case of file/object sharing among these devices. As the cache-andforward replication policy plays a major role targeting the availability of requested resources, there should be a mechanism for controlling the minimization of the redundant replicas and the uncontrolled diffusion effects onto the communicating nodes. In this work the diffusion policy of requested replicated objects is examined with regards to the probabilistic synchronized movement of the devices, quantifying the parameters that affect the reliable transmission and the availability of requested resources by any node. The assigned scheme takes into consideration the movem...

It is challenging to detect burn severity due to the long-time period needed to capture the ecosy... more It is challenging to detect burn severity due to the long-time period needed to capture the ecosystem characteristics. Whether there is a warning from the IoT devices, multitemporal remote sensing data is being received via satellites to contribute to multitemporal observations before, during and after a bushfire, and enhance the difference on detection accuracy. In this study, we strive to design an infrastructure to fire detection, to perform a qualitative assessment of the condition as quickly as possible in order to avoid a major disaster. Studying the multitemporal spectral indicators such as Normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), Enhanced vegetation index (EVI), Normalized burn ratio (NBR), Soil-adjusted vegetation index (SAVI), Normalized Difference Moisture (Water) Index (NDMI or NDWI) and Normalized wildfire ash index (NWAI), we can draw reliable conclusions about the seriousness of an area. The scope of this project is to examine the correlation between multitempor...

Intelligent Wireless Communications

2020 IEEE 25th International Workshop on Computer Aided Modeling and Design of Communication Links and Networks (CAMAD)

COrona VIrus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a disease caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Cor... more COrona VIrus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a disease caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Corona Virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and was first diagnosed in China in December, 2019. Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, World Health Organization (WHO) director-general on March 11th declared the COVID-19 pandemic. The cumulative cases of infected individuals and deaths due to COVID-19 develop a graph that could be interpreted by an exponential function. Mathematical models are therefore fundamental to understanding the evolution of the pandemic. Applying machine learning prediction methods in conjunction with cloud computing to such models will be beneficial in designing effective control strategies for the current or future spread of infectious diseases. Initially, we compare the trendlines of the following three models: linear, exponential and polynomial using R-squared, to determine which model best interprets the prevailing data sets of cumulative infectious cases and cumulative deaths due to COVID-19 disease. We propose the development of an improved mathematical forecasting framework based on machine learning and the cloud computing system with data from a real-time cloud data repository. Our goal is to predict the progress of the curve as accurately as possible in order to understand the spread of the virus from an early stage so that strategies and policies can be implemented.

Multimedia Tools and Applications

Reliable data exchange and efficient image transfer are currently significant research challenges... more Reliable data exchange and efficient image transfer are currently significant research challenges in health care systems. To incentivize data exchange within the Internet of Things (IoT) framework, we need to ensure data sovereignty by facilitating secure data exchange between trusted parties. The security and reliability of data-sharing infrastructure require a community of trust. Therefore, this paper introduces an encryption frame based on data fragmentation. It also presents a novel, deterministic grey-scale optical encryption scheme based on fundamental mathematics. The objective is to use encryption as the underlying measure to make the data unintelligible while exploiting fragmentation to break down sensitive relationships between attributes. Thus, sensitive data distributed in separate data repositories for decryption and reconstruction using interpolation by knowing polynomial coefficients and personal values from the DBMS Database Management System. Aims also to ensure the secure acquisition of diagnostic images, micrography, and all types of medical imagery based on probabilistic approaches. Visual sharing of confidential medical imageries based on implementing a novel method, where transparencies ≤k − 1 out of n cannot reveal the original image.

Electronics

The open radio access network (O-RAN) concept is changing the landscape of mobile networks (5G de... more The open radio access network (O-RAN) concept is changing the landscape of mobile networks (5G deployment and 6G research). O-RAN Alliance’s suggestions that O-RAN can offer openness and intelligence to the traditional RAN vendors will enable the capability for multi-vendors to re-shape the RAN structure and optimize the network. This paper positions the main research challenges of the O-RAN approach in regards to the implementation of beamforming. We investigate the O-RAN architecture and the configurations of the interfaces between O-RAN units and present the split options between the radio and distributing units in terms of O-RAN specification and 3GPP standards. From this point, we discuss the beamforming methods in O-RAN, addressing challenges and potential solutions, and suggest the introduction of the zero-forcing equalizer as a precoding vector in the channel-information-based beamforming method. This may be one of the solutions for achieving flexibility in a high-traffic co...

Journal of Ambient Intelligence and Humanized Computing

One of the most important lifestyle risk factors for many chronic conditions in the older age, lo... more One of the most important lifestyle risk factors for many chronic conditions in the older age, low physical activity has shown to have significant impact on the sustainability of national welfare in many developed countries. Technology-based assisted living solutions can effectively be used to enable older adults to optimise their health-related quality of life, as well as to promote an active and healthy longevity. This paper describes vINCI—an interdisciplinary research project to actively support assisted living for older adults via state-of-the-art assistive technologies—which seamlessly deploys an ambient intelligence environment to integrate wearable devices, networking, software, and personalised services. It entails clinical validation and feedback at home and residential care facilities via a cloud microservices platform. Underpinned by blockchain technologies, multiple wearable devices, apps, and cameras securely capture the anonymised facets of different life events, whil...

Pharmacy

People generally need more support as they grow older to maintain healthy and active lifestyles. ... more People generally need more support as they grow older to maintain healthy and active lifestyles. Older people living with chronic conditions are particularly dependent on healthcare services. Yet, in an increasingly digital society, there is a danger that efforts to drive innovations in eHealth will neglect the needs of those who depend on healthcare the most—our ageing population. The SHAPES (Smart and Healthy Ageing through People Engaging in Supportive Systems) Innovation Action aims to create an open European digital platform that facilitates the provision of meaningful, holistic support to older people living independently. A pan-European pilot campaign will evaluate a catalogue of digital solutions hosted on the platform that have been specifically adapted for older people. ‘Medicines control and optimisation’ is one of seven themes being explored in the campaign and will investigate the impact of digital solutions that aim to optimise medicines use by way of fostering effecti...

Sensors

This paper proposes a two-phase algorithm for multi-criteria selection of packet forwarding in un... more This paper proposes a two-phase algorithm for multi-criteria selection of packet forwarding in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), which communicate with the control station through commercial mobile network. The selection of proper data forwarding in the two radio link: From UAV to the antenna and from the antenna to the control station, are independent but subject to constrains. The proposed approach is independent of the intra-domain forwarding, so it may be useful for a number of different scenarios of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles connectivity (e.g., a swarm of drones). In the implementation developed in this paper, the connection is served by three different mobile network operators in order to ensure reliable connectivity. The proposed algorithm makes use of Machine Learning tools that are properly trained for predicting the behavior of the link connectivity during the flight duration. The results presented in the last section validate the algorithm and the training process of the mac...

IEEE Internet of Things Journal

IEEE Access

The authors would also like to acknowledge networking support by the COST Action CA16226 SHELD-ON... more The authors would also like to acknowledge networking support by the COST Action CA16226 SHELD-ON. We would like to thank the reviewers for their time and expertise, constructive comments and valuable insight. ABSTRACT Drop Computing is a network paradigm that aims to address the issues of the mobile cloud computing model, which has started to show limitations especially since the advent of the Internet of Things and the increase in the number of connected devices. In Drop Computing, nodes are able to offload data and computations to the cloud, to edge devices, or to the social-based opportunistic network composed of other nodes located nearby. In this work, we focus on the lowest layer of Drop Computing, where mobile nodes offload tasks and data to and from each other through close-range protocols, based on their social connections. In such a scenario, where data can circulate in the mobile network on multiple paths (and through multiple other devices), consistency issues may appear due to data corruption or malicious intent. Since there is no central entity that can control the way information is spread and its correctness, alternative methods need to be employed. In this paper, we propose several mechanisms for ensuring data consistency in Drop Computing, ranging from a rating system to careful analysis of the data received. Through thorough experimentation, we show that our proposed solution is able to maximize the amount of correct (i.e., uncorrupted) data exchanged in the network, with percentages as high as 100%.

IEEE Access

Aiming at the problem of D2D communication mode selection and resource optimization under the joi... more Aiming at the problem of D2D communication mode selection and resource optimization under the joint resource allocation mode in 5G communication network, a probabilistic integrated resource allocation strategy and quasi-convex optimization algorithm based on channel probability statistical characteristics are proposed. This strategy and algorithm guarantee D2D. Communication maximizes total system throughput while maximizing access. The analysis results show that this algorithm can significantly optimize the total throughput of the system and reduce the communication interference between users, which proves the rationality and efficiency of the communication model. The research results obtained in Muwen can provide a theoretical basis for analyzing more complex D2D communication systems and provide numerical basis for designing heuristic algorithms.

Electronics

This paper focuses on the security challenges of network slice implementation in 5G networks. We ... more This paper focuses on the security challenges of network slice implementation in 5G networks. We propose that network slice controllers support security by enabling security controls at different network layers. The slice controller orchestrates multilevel domains with resources at a very high level but needs to understand how to define the resources at lower levels. In this context, the main outstanding security challenge is the compromise of several resources in the presence of an attack due to weak resource isolation at different levels. We analysed the current standards and trends directed to mitigate the vulnerabilities mentioned above, and we propose security controls and classify them by efficiency and applicability (easiness to develop). Security controls are a common way to secure networks, but they enforce security policies only in respective areas. Therefore, the security domains allow for structuring the orchestration principles by considering the necessary security cont...

Wireless traffic that is destined for a certain device in a network, can be exploited in order to... more Wireless traffic that is destined for a certain device in a network, can be exploited in order to minimize the availability and delay trade-offs, and mitigate the Energy consumption. The Energy Conservation (EC) mechanism can be node-centric by considering the traversed nodal traffic in order to prolong the network lifetime. This work describes a quantitative traffic-based approach where a clustered Sleep-Proxy mechanism takes place in order to enable each node to sleep according to the time duration of the active traffic that each node expects and experiences. Sleep-proxies within the clusters are created according to pairwise active-time comparison, where each node expects during the active periods, a requested traffic. For resource availability and recovery purposes, the caching mechanism takes place in case where the node for which the traffic is destined is not available. The proposed scheme uses Role-based nodes which are assigned to manipulate the traffic in a cluster, throug...

Traffic and channel-data rate combined with the stream oriented methodology can provide a scheme ... more Traffic and channel-data rate combined with the stream oriented methodology can provide a scheme for offering optimized and guaranteed QoS. In this work a stream oriented modeled scheme is proposed based on each node's self-scheduling energy management. This scheme is taking into account the overall packet loss in order to form the optimal effective -for the end-to-end connection- throughput response. The scheme also -quantitatively- takes into account the asymmetrical nature of wireless links and the caching activity that is used for data revocation in the ad-hoc based connectivity scenario. Through the designed middleware and the architectural layering and through experimental simulation, the proposed energy-aware management scheme is thoroughly evaluated in order to meet the parameters' values where the optimal throughput response for each device/user is achieved.

While sharing resources the efficiency is substantially degraded as a result of the scarceness of... more While sharing resources the efficiency is substantially degraded as a result of the scarceness of availability of the requested resources in a multiclient support manner. These resources are often aggravated by many factors like the temporal constraints for availability or node flooding by the requested replicated file chunks. Thus replicated file chunks should be efficiently disseminated in order to enable resource availability on-demand by the mobile users. This work considers a cross layered middleware support system for efficient delay-sensitive streaming by using each device's connectivity and social interactions in a cross layered manner. The collaborative streaming is achieved through the epidemically replicated file chunk policy which uses a transition-based approach of a chained model of an infectious disease with susceptible, infected, recovered and death states. The Gossip-based stateful model enforces the mobile nodes whether to host a file chunk or not or, when no l...

This work elaborates on the real-time implementation and comparative evaluation of an Energy-effi... more This work elaborates on the real-time implementation and comparative evaluation of an Energy-efficient scheme for sharing resources using the MICA2dot wireless nodes/motes. The proposed scheme allows the nodes to sleep adaptively according to the volume of incoming traffic, offering Energy Conservation (EC) to the moving nodes. Nodes that are exchanging delay sensitive/constrained resources apply the one-level Backward Traffic Difference (BTD) scheme or the two-level BTD, according to delay transmission and capacity criteria, in order to enable nodes to sleep, based on their activity and their admitted traffic. The incoming traffic impacts the Sleep-time duration of the node by using traffic's backward difference in order to define an adaptive Sleep-time duration for each node. The proposed scheme is being evaluated through real-time implementation by using MICA2dot wireless motes, which are exchanging resources in a Mobile Peer-to-Peer manner using certain motion pattern. Perfo...

IEEE Commun. Mag., 2017

Among all the propositions for the future Internet, the fi fth generation (5G) seems to be very w... more Among all the propositions for the future Internet, the fi fth generation (5G) seems to be very well positioned for becoming a reality in the near future. The 5G network aims to converge mobile and fixed networks for supporting end-to-end applications and services. 5G will be resilient, secure, and available at all times. It is unthinkable to build such a convergent network without slicing at all levels: from the physical (slicing is enforced by the integration of several radio access technologies) to application levels. Slicing will be achieved thanks to service chaining: data processing will become a sequence of services, potentially managed by different stakeholders. This will require more collaboration between stakeholders and/or greater openness of the off ered services.

2018 IEEE 16th International Conference on Embedded and Ubiquitous Computing (EUC), 2018

Internet of Things (IoT) is a set of massively emerging technologies that aim to make our lives b... more Internet of Things (IoT) is a set of massively emerging technologies that aim to make our lives better. One of the most suitable application domains is healthcare and wellbeing, where IoT technologies can enhance living environments (ELE). IoT applications are deployed into an IoT ecosystem, which is supported by a specific architecture. The usual IoT architecture model has three different layers (Acquisition, Network and Application), where all the different IoT elements are organized. This architecture has been designed for general purposes, but the deployment of IoT healthcare applications supported by this architecture model exhibits important drawbacks. In particular, this architecture model does not consider IoT devices coexisting with wearables devices, which hinders the design of smart habitats. In this paper we present an IoT-aware architectural model for smart habitats with special emphasis on healthcare domain. The new architecture adds a fourth layer to the traditional I...

The advances in Internet of Everything (IoE) and the market-oriented cloud computing have provide... more The advances in Internet of Everything (IoE) and the market-oriented cloud computing have provided opportunities to resolve the challenges caused by the Internet of Things (IoT) infrastructure virtualization, capacity planning, data storage or complexity. The volume and types of IoT data motivate the need for a data storage framework towards the integration of both structured and unstructured data. In this paper, we propose a novel game theoretic technique for efficient and dynamic storage allocation in cloud-centric IoT systems. The benefit maximization problem is formulated as a cost-benefit analysis game investigating the storage capacity currently used in the cloud. In view of each player's strategy to lease additional storage capacity, the game property is analyzed and we prove that the game always admits a pure strategy Nash equilibrium. Since the player's decision affects the level of benefit maximization, we elaborate on a cost-optimal storage allocation incentive me...

Recent research in opportunistic networks address the diffusion policy and the practicality consi... more Recent research in opportunistic networks address the diffusion policy and the practicality considerations in utilizing device-specific applications. Intermittent connectivity between mobile nodes and the random behavioral patterns of the users, make modeling and measuring the performance of opportunistic networks very challenging particularly in the case of file/object sharing among these devices. As the cache-andforward replication policy plays a major role targeting the availability of requested resources, there should be a mechanism for controlling the minimization of the redundant replicas and the uncontrolled diffusion effects onto the communicating nodes. In this work the diffusion policy of requested replicated objects is examined with regards to the probabilistic synchronized movement of the devices, quantifying the parameters that affect the reliable transmission and the availability of requested resources by any node. The assigned scheme takes into consideration the movem...

It is challenging to detect burn severity due to the long-time period needed to capture the ecosy... more It is challenging to detect burn severity due to the long-time period needed to capture the ecosystem characteristics. Whether there is a warning from the IoT devices, multitemporal remote sensing data is being received via satellites to contribute to multitemporal observations before, during and after a bushfire, and enhance the difference on detection accuracy. In this study, we strive to design an infrastructure to fire detection, to perform a qualitative assessment of the condition as quickly as possible in order to avoid a major disaster. Studying the multitemporal spectral indicators such as Normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), Enhanced vegetation index (EVI), Normalized burn ratio (NBR), Soil-adjusted vegetation index (SAVI), Normalized Difference Moisture (Water) Index (NDMI or NDWI) and Normalized wildfire ash index (NWAI), we can draw reliable conclusions about the seriousness of an area. The scope of this project is to examine the correlation between multitempor...

Intelligent Wireless Communications

2020 IEEE 25th International Workshop on Computer Aided Modeling and Design of Communication Links and Networks (CAMAD)

COrona VIrus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a disease caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Cor... more COrona VIrus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a disease caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Corona Virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and was first diagnosed in China in December, 2019. Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, World Health Organization (WHO) director-general on March 11th declared the COVID-19 pandemic. The cumulative cases of infected individuals and deaths due to COVID-19 develop a graph that could be interpreted by an exponential function. Mathematical models are therefore fundamental to understanding the evolution of the pandemic. Applying machine learning prediction methods in conjunction with cloud computing to such models will be beneficial in designing effective control strategies for the current or future spread of infectious diseases. Initially, we compare the trendlines of the following three models: linear, exponential and polynomial using R-squared, to determine which model best interprets the prevailing data sets of cumulative infectious cases and cumulative deaths due to COVID-19 disease. We propose the development of an improved mathematical forecasting framework based on machine learning and the cloud computing system with data from a real-time cloud data repository. Our goal is to predict the progress of the curve as accurately as possible in order to understand the spread of the virus from an early stage so that strategies and policies can be implemented.

Multimedia Tools and Applications

Reliable data exchange and efficient image transfer are currently significant research challenges... more Reliable data exchange and efficient image transfer are currently significant research challenges in health care systems. To incentivize data exchange within the Internet of Things (IoT) framework, we need to ensure data sovereignty by facilitating secure data exchange between trusted parties. The security and reliability of data-sharing infrastructure require a community of trust. Therefore, this paper introduces an encryption frame based on data fragmentation. It also presents a novel, deterministic grey-scale optical encryption scheme based on fundamental mathematics. The objective is to use encryption as the underlying measure to make the data unintelligible while exploiting fragmentation to break down sensitive relationships between attributes. Thus, sensitive data distributed in separate data repositories for decryption and reconstruction using interpolation by knowing polynomial coefficients and personal values from the DBMS Database Management System. Aims also to ensure the secure acquisition of diagnostic images, micrography, and all types of medical imagery based on probabilistic approaches. Visual sharing of confidential medical imageries based on implementing a novel method, where transparencies ≤k − 1 out of n cannot reveal the original image.

Electronics

The open radio access network (O-RAN) concept is changing the landscape of mobile networks (5G de... more The open radio access network (O-RAN) concept is changing the landscape of mobile networks (5G deployment and 6G research). O-RAN Alliance’s suggestions that O-RAN can offer openness and intelligence to the traditional RAN vendors will enable the capability for multi-vendors to re-shape the RAN structure and optimize the network. This paper positions the main research challenges of the O-RAN approach in regards to the implementation of beamforming. We investigate the O-RAN architecture and the configurations of the interfaces between O-RAN units and present the split options between the radio and distributing units in terms of O-RAN specification and 3GPP standards. From this point, we discuss the beamforming methods in O-RAN, addressing challenges and potential solutions, and suggest the introduction of the zero-forcing equalizer as a precoding vector in the channel-information-based beamforming method. This may be one of the solutions for achieving flexibility in a high-traffic co...

Journal of Ambient Intelligence and Humanized Computing

One of the most important lifestyle risk factors for many chronic conditions in the older age, lo... more One of the most important lifestyle risk factors for many chronic conditions in the older age, low physical activity has shown to have significant impact on the sustainability of national welfare in many developed countries. Technology-based assisted living solutions can effectively be used to enable older adults to optimise their health-related quality of life, as well as to promote an active and healthy longevity. This paper describes vINCI—an interdisciplinary research project to actively support assisted living for older adults via state-of-the-art assistive technologies—which seamlessly deploys an ambient intelligence environment to integrate wearable devices, networking, software, and personalised services. It entails clinical validation and feedback at home and residential care facilities via a cloud microservices platform. Underpinned by blockchain technologies, multiple wearable devices, apps, and cameras securely capture the anonymised facets of different life events, whil...

Pharmacy

People generally need more support as they grow older to maintain healthy and active lifestyles. ... more People generally need more support as they grow older to maintain healthy and active lifestyles. Older people living with chronic conditions are particularly dependent on healthcare services. Yet, in an increasingly digital society, there is a danger that efforts to drive innovations in eHealth will neglect the needs of those who depend on healthcare the most—our ageing population. The SHAPES (Smart and Healthy Ageing through People Engaging in Supportive Systems) Innovation Action aims to create an open European digital platform that facilitates the provision of meaningful, holistic support to older people living independently. A pan-European pilot campaign will evaluate a catalogue of digital solutions hosted on the platform that have been specifically adapted for older people. ‘Medicines control and optimisation’ is one of seven themes being explored in the campaign and will investigate the impact of digital solutions that aim to optimise medicines use by way of fostering effecti...

Sensors

This paper proposes a two-phase algorithm for multi-criteria selection of packet forwarding in un... more This paper proposes a two-phase algorithm for multi-criteria selection of packet forwarding in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), which communicate with the control station through commercial mobile network. The selection of proper data forwarding in the two radio link: From UAV to the antenna and from the antenna to the control station, are independent but subject to constrains. The proposed approach is independent of the intra-domain forwarding, so it may be useful for a number of different scenarios of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles connectivity (e.g., a swarm of drones). In the implementation developed in this paper, the connection is served by three different mobile network operators in order to ensure reliable connectivity. The proposed algorithm makes use of Machine Learning tools that are properly trained for predicting the behavior of the link connectivity during the flight duration. The results presented in the last section validate the algorithm and the training process of the mac...

IEEE Internet of Things Journal

IEEE Access

The authors would also like to acknowledge networking support by the COST Action CA16226 SHELD-ON... more The authors would also like to acknowledge networking support by the COST Action CA16226 SHELD-ON. We would like to thank the reviewers for their time and expertise, constructive comments and valuable insight. ABSTRACT Drop Computing is a network paradigm that aims to address the issues of the mobile cloud computing model, which has started to show limitations especially since the advent of the Internet of Things and the increase in the number of connected devices. In Drop Computing, nodes are able to offload data and computations to the cloud, to edge devices, or to the social-based opportunistic network composed of other nodes located nearby. In this work, we focus on the lowest layer of Drop Computing, where mobile nodes offload tasks and data to and from each other through close-range protocols, based on their social connections. In such a scenario, where data can circulate in the mobile network on multiple paths (and through multiple other devices), consistency issues may appear due to data corruption or malicious intent. Since there is no central entity that can control the way information is spread and its correctness, alternative methods need to be employed. In this paper, we propose several mechanisms for ensuring data consistency in Drop Computing, ranging from a rating system to careful analysis of the data received. Through thorough experimentation, we show that our proposed solution is able to maximize the amount of correct (i.e., uncorrupted) data exchanged in the network, with percentages as high as 100%.

IEEE Access

Aiming at the problem of D2D communication mode selection and resource optimization under the joi... more Aiming at the problem of D2D communication mode selection and resource optimization under the joint resource allocation mode in 5G communication network, a probabilistic integrated resource allocation strategy and quasi-convex optimization algorithm based on channel probability statistical characteristics are proposed. This strategy and algorithm guarantee D2D. Communication maximizes total system throughput while maximizing access. The analysis results show that this algorithm can significantly optimize the total throughput of the system and reduce the communication interference between users, which proves the rationality and efficiency of the communication model. The research results obtained in Muwen can provide a theoretical basis for analyzing more complex D2D communication systems and provide numerical basis for designing heuristic algorithms.