Blockchain-Enabled Cybersecurity Provision for Scalable Heterogeneous Network:A Comprehensive Survey

Blockchain-enabled cybersecurity system to ensure and strengthen decentralized digital transaction is gradually gaining popularity in the digital era for various areas like finance,transportation,healthcare,education,and supply chain management.Blockchain interactions in the heterogeneous network have fascinated more attention due to the authentication of their digital application exchanges.However,the exponential development of storage space capabilities across the blockchain-based heterogeneous network has become an important issue in preventing blockchain distribution and the extension of blockchain nodes.There is the biggest challenge of data integrity and scalability,including significant computing complexity and inapplicable latency on regional network diversity,operating system diversity,bandwidth diversity,node diversity,etc.,for decision-making of data transactions across blockchain-based heterogeneous networks.Data security and privacy have also become the main concerns across the heterogeneous network to build smart IoT ecosystems.To address these issues,today’s researchers have explored the potential solutions of the capability of heterogeneous network devices to perform data transactions where the system stimulates their integration reliably and securely with blockchain.The key goal of this paper is to conduct a state-of-the-art and comprehensive survey on cybersecurity enhancement using blockchain in the heterogeneous network.This paper proposes a full-fledged taxonomy to identify the main obstacles,research gaps,future research directions,effective solutions,andmost relevant blockchain-enabled cybersecurity systems.In addition,Blockchain based heterogeneous network framework with cybersecurity is proposed in this paper tomeet the goal of maintaining optimal performance data transactions among organizations.Overall,this paper provides an in-depth description based on the critical analysis to overcome the existing work gaps for future research where it presents a potential cybersecurity design with key requirements of blockchain across a heterogeneous network.

Surface Morphology and Thermo-Electrical Energy Analysis of Polyaniline (PANI) Incorporated Cotton Fabric

With the exponential development in wearable electronics,a significant paradigm shift is observed from rigid electronics to flexible wearable devices.Polyaniline(PANI)is considered as a dominant material in this sector,as it is endowed with the optical properties of both metal and semiconductors.However,its widespread application got delineated because of its irregular rigid form,level of conductivity,and precise choice of solvents.Incorporating PANI in textile materials can generate promising functionality for wearable applications.This research work employed a straightforward in-situ chemical oxidative polymerization to synthesize PANI on Cotton fabric surfaces with varying dopant(HCl)concentrations.Pre-treatment using NaOH is implemented to improve the conductivity of the fabric surface by increasing the monomer absorption.This research explores the morphological and structural analysis employing SEM,FTIR and EDX.The surface resistivity was measured using a digital multimeter,and thermal stability is measured using TGA.Upon successful polymerization,a homogenous coating layer is observed.It is revealed that the simple pre-treatment technique significantly reduces the surface resistivity of Cotton fabric to 1.27 kΩ/cm with increasing acid concentration and thermal stability.The electro-thermal energy can also reach up to 38.2°C within 50 s with a deployed voltage of 15 V.The modified fabric is anticipated to be used in thermal regulation,supercapacitor,sensor,UV shielding,antimicrobial and other prospective functional applications.

Overview of Jute Fibre as Thermoplastic Matrix Polymer Reinforcement

Recent decades have seen a substantial increase in interest in research on natural fibres that is aligned with sustainable development goals(SDGs).Due to their renewable resources and biodegradability,natural fiberreinforced composites have been investigated as a sustainable alternative to synthetic materials to reduce the usage of hazardous waste and environmental pollution.Among the natural fibre,jute fibre obtained from a bast plant has an increasing trend in the application,especially as a reinforcement material.Numerous research works have been performed on jute fibre with regard to reinforced thermoset and thermoplastic composites.Nevertheless,current demands on sustainable materials have required new developments in thermoplastic composites.In this paper,the author reviews jute plants as reinforcement materials for thermoplastic matrix polymers.This review provides an overview of the sustainability of jute plants as reinforcement material for thermoplastic matrix polymers.The overview on jute based thermoplastic composites focused on the thermal behavior and mechanical properties.Apart from physical,chemical,and mechanical properties,the study also covers the current and perspectives for future research challenges faced by the researchers on jute fibre reinforced thermoplastic composites.

Effect of surfactants and their blend with silica nanoparticles on wax deposition in a Malaysian crude oil

The present study investigated the wax deposition tendencies of a light Malaysian crude oil（42.4° API）, and the wax inhibiting potential of some surfactants and their blends with nanoparticles. With the knowledge that the majority of the wax inhibition research revolved around polymeric wax inhibitors, which cause environmental issues, we highlighted the potential of surfactants and their blend with SiO2 nanoparticles as wax deposition inhibitors. Different surfactants including oil-based, silane-based, Gemini and bio-surfactants were considered as primary surfactants. The primary surfactants and their respective blends at a concentration of 400 ppm were screened as wax inhibitor candidates using cold finger apparatus. The screening results showed a significant influence on the paraffin inhibition efficiency on wax deposition by using 400 ppm of silane-based surfactant, which decreased the wax deposition up to 53.9% as compared to that of the untreated crude oil. The inhibition efficiency among the silane-based surfactant（highest） and bio-surfactant（lowest）revealed an appreciable difference up to 36.5%. Furthermore, the wax from the treated sample was found to deposit in a thin gel-like form, which adhered inadequately to the surface of the cold finger. A further investigation by blending the 400 ppm silane-based surfactant with a 400 ppm SiO2 nanoparticle suspension in a load ratio of 3：1 found that the wax inhibition decreased up to 81% as compared to the scenario when they were not added. However, we have shown that the synergy between the silane-based surfactant and the nanoparticles is influenced by the concentration and load ratio of surfactant and nanoparticles, residence time, differential temperature and rotation rate.

Prediction of salinity intrusion in the sheltered estuary of Terengganu River in Malaysia using 1-D empirical intrusion model

Generally one dimensional （l-D） empirical salinity intrusion model is limited to natural alluvial estuary. However, this study attempts to investigate its ability to model a sheltered alluvial estuary of the Terengganu River in Malaysia. The constructed breakwater at the mouth of the river shelters the estuary from direct influence of the open sea. The salinity density along the estuary was collected during the wet and dry seasons for scenarios before and after the constructed breakwater. Moreover, the freshwater discharges, tidal elevations and bathymetry data were also measured as model inputs. A good fit was demonstrated between simulated and observed variables, namely salinity distribution and intrusion length for both scenarios. Thus, the results show that 1-D empirical salinity model can be utilized for sheltered estuarine condition at the Terengganu Estuary, but with an appropriate determination of an initial point. Furthermore, it was observed that the salinity intrusion in the study area is largely dependent on the freshwater discharge rather than tidal elevation fluctuations. The scale of the salinity intrusion length in the study area is proportional to the river discharge of the -1/2 power. It was appeared that the two lines of the 1-D empirical salinity model and discharge power based equation fitted well to each other, with the average predicted minimum freshwater discharge of 150 m^3/s is going to be required to maintain acceptable salinity levels during high water slack （HWS） near the water intake station, which is located at 10.63 km from river mouth.

含Mxene新型纳米流体太阳能托盘的数值研究

本研究通过计算研究了Mxene-大豆油纳米流体在单个太阳能托盘中的热学和流体行为。太阳能托盘具有输入口和输出口。在稳定的热通量下,将Mxene纳米流体以不同的体积浓度泵送通过太阳能板。采用计算流体动力学(CFD)流体流动辐射模型,利用太阳能板模拟Mxene纳米流体的热物理实验数据。研究了温度、内能、努塞尔数、传热速率、表面传热系数和表面摩擦因数等热力学和流体力学参数的影响。对于Mxene纳米流体,出口温度、内能和表面摩擦因数的最大增幅分别为3.46%、1.2%和11%。太阳能板的效率提高了30%~32%。此外,新开发的Mxene纳米流体具有很好的热应用前景,热物性能也经过方差分析得到证实。

Antibacterial mechanism with consequent cytotoxicity of different reinforcements in biodegradable magnesium and zinc alloys: A review

Benefits achieved by the biodegradable magnesium(Mg) and zinc(Zn) implants could be suppressed due to the invasion of infectious microbial, common bacteria, and fungi. Postoperative medications and the antibacterial properties of pure Mg and Zn are insufficient against biofilm and antibiotic-resistant bacteria, bringing osteomyelitis, necrosis, and even death. This study evaluates the antibacterial performance of biodegradable Mg and Zn alloys of different reinforcements, including silver(Ag), copper(Cu), lithium(Li), and gallium(Ga). Copper ions(Cu^(2+)) can eradicate biofilms and antibiotic-resistant bacteria by extracting electrons from the cellular structure. Silver ion(Ag^(+)) kills bacteria by creating bonds with the thiol group. Gallium ion(Ga^(3+)) inhibits ferric ion(Fe^(3+)) absorption, leading to nutrient deficiency and bacterial death. Nanoparticles and reactive oxygen species(ROS) can penetrate bacteria cell walls directly, develop bonds with receptors, and damage nucleotides. Antibacterial action depends on the alkali nature of metal ions and their degradation rate, which often causes cytotoxicity in living cells. Therefore, this review emphasizes the insight into degradation rate, antibacterial mechanism, and their consequent cytotoxicity and observes the correlation between antibacterial performance and oxidation number of metal ions.

Application of Intuitionistic Z-Numbers in Supplier Selection

Intuitionistic fuzzy numbers incorporate the membership and non-membership degrees.In contrast,Z-numbers consist of restriction components,with the existence of a reliability component describing the degree of certainty for the restriction.The combination of intuitionistic fuzzy numbers and Z-numbers produce a new type of fuzzy numbers,namely intuitionistic Z-numbers(IZN).The strength of IZN is their capability of better handling the uncertainty compared to Zadeh's Z-numbers since both components of Z-numbers are charac-terized by the membership and non-membership functions,exhibiting the degree of the hesitancy of decision-makers.This paper presents the application of such numbers in fuzzy multi-criteria decision-making problems.A decision-making model is proposed using the trapezoidal intuitionistic fuzzy power ordered weighted average as the aggregation function and the ranking function to rank the alternatives.The proposed model is then implemented in a supplier selection problem.The obtained ranking is compared to the existing models based on Z-numbers.The results show that the ranking order is slightly different from the existing models.Sensitivity analysis is performed to validate the obtained ranking.The sensitivity analysis result shows that the best supplier is obtained using the proposed model with 80%to 100%consistency despite the drastic change of criteria weights.Intuitionistic Z-numbers play a very important role in describing the uncertainty in the decision makers’opinions in solving decision-making problems.

Dynamic channel estimation-aware routing protocol in mobile cognitive radio networks for smart IIoT applications

Cognitive Radio Networks(CRNs)have become a successful platform in recent years for a diverse range of future systems,in particularly,industrial internet of things(IIoT)applications.In order to provide an efficient connection among IIoT devices,CRNs enhance spectrum utilization by using licensed spectrum.However,the routing protocol in these networks is considered one of the main problems due to node mobility and time-variant channel selection.Specifically,the channel selection for routing protocol is indispensable in CRNs to provide an adequate adaptation to the Primary User(PU)activity and create a robust routing path.This study aims to construct a robust routing path by minimizing PU interference and routing delay to maximize throughput within the IIoT domain.Thus,a generic routing framework from a cross-layer perspective is investigated that intends to share the information resources by exploiting a recently proposed method,namely,Channel Availability Probability.Moreover,a novel cross-layer-oriented routing protocol is proposed by using a time-variant channel estimation technique.This protocol combines lower layer(Physical layer and Data Link layer)sensing that is derived from the channel estimation model.Also,it periodically updates and stores the routing table for optimal route decision-making.Moreover,in order to achieve higher throughput and lower delay,a new routing metric is presented.To evaluate the performance of the proposed protocol,network simulations have been conducted and also compared to the widely used routing protocols,as a benchmark.The simulation results of different routing scenarios demonstrate that our proposed solution outperforms the existing protocols in terms of the standard network performance metrics involving packet delivery ratio(with an improved margin of around 5–20%approximately)under varying numbers of PUs and cognitive users in Mobile Cognitive Radio Networks(MCRNs).Moreover,the cross-layer routing protocol successfully achieves high routing performance in finding a robust route,selecting the high channel stability,and reducing the probability of PU interference for continued communication.

Zero-Index Metamaterial Superstrates UWB Antenna for Microwave Imaging Detection

Metamaterials(MTM)can enhance the properties of microwaves and also exceed some limitations of devices used in technical practice.Note that the antenna is the element for realizing a microwave imaging(MWI)system since it is where signal transmission and absorption occur.Ultra-Wideband(UWB)antenna superstrates with MTM elements to ensure the signal transmitted from the antenna reaches the tumor and is absorbed by the same antenna.The lack of conventional head imaging techniques,for instance,Magnetic Resonance Imaging(MRI)and Computerized Tomography(CT)-scan,has been demonstrated in the paper focusing on the point of failure of these techniques for prompt diagnosis and portable systems.Furthermore,the importance ofMWIhas been addressed elaborately to portray its effectiveness and aptness for a primary tumor diagnosis.Other than that,MTM element designs have been discussed thoroughly based on their performances towards the contributions to the better image resolution of MWI with detailed reasonings.This paper proposes the novel design of a Zeroindex Split RingResonator(SRR)MTMelement superstrate with a UWB antenna implemented in MWI systems for detecting tumor.The novel design of the MTM enables the realization of a high gain of a superstrate UWB antenna with the highest gain of 5.70 dB.Besides that,the MTM imitates the conduct of the zeroreflection phase on the resonance frequency,which does not exist.An antenna with an MTM unit is of a 7×4 and 10×5 Zero-index SRR MTM element that acts as a superstrate plane to the antenna.Apart from that,Rogers(RT5880)substrate material is employed to fabricate the designed MTM unit cell,with the following characteristics:0.51mm thickness,the loss tangent of 0.02,as well as the relative permittivity of 2.2,with Computer Simulation Technology(CST)performing the simulation and design.Both MTM unit cells of 7×4 and 10×5 attained 0°with respect to the reflection phase at the 2.70 GHz frequency band.The first design,MTM Antenna Design 1,consists of a 7×4 MTM unit cell that observed a rise of 5.70 dB with a return loss(S11)−20.007 dB at 2.70 GHz frequency.The second design,MTM Antenna Design 2,consists of 10×5 MTM unit cells that recorded a gain of 5.66 dB,having the return loss(S11)−19.734 dB at 2.70 GHz frequency.Comparing these two MTM elements superstrates with the antenna,one can notice that the 7×4 MTM element shape has a low number of the unit cell with high gain and is a better choice than the 10×5 MTM element in realizing MTM element superstrates antenna for MWI.

High performance electrocoagulation process in treating palm oil mill effluent using high current intensity application

Electrocoagulation process using high current intensity to treat palm oil mill effluent(POME) was investigated in this study.Various operating parameters such as electrolysis time, inter-electrode distance and initial pH were carried out to determine the efficient process condition on the removal of chemical oxygen demand(COD),biological oxygen demand(BOD) and suspended solids(SS).The highest treatment was achieved at 50 min with the removal efficiencies for COD, BOD and SS obtained as 85%, 83%, and 84%, respectively.More than 50 min treatment showed the fluctuated trends of removal efficiencies which can be considered insignificant.The application of higher current resulted in higher removals of organics while the gas bubbles also assisted in removing the pollutant particles by floatation.In an inter-electrode distance study, the removal efficiency decreased when inter-electrode distance was either higher or lower than 10 mm due to the increase of solution resistance and the decrease of anode active surface area.In initial pH study, it was found that high removal efficiencies were achieved in slightly acidic POME sample rather than in neutral or basic condition.An electrocoagulation process by using the optimum operating parameters was able to remove COD, BOD and SS up to 95%, 94% and 96% respectively.The experimental results confirm that application of high current intensity in electrocoagulation provided high treatment efficiency at a reduced reaction time.

Wear and mechanical characterization of Mg-Gr self-lubricating composite fabricated by mechanical alloying

In this research,the wear and mechanical responses of pure magnesium-graphite(Mg-Gr)composite have been investigated aiming to get the optimum composition of reinforcement.The composite materials were fabricated by mechanical alloying.The percentage of graphite reinforcement was chosen as 3,5,7 and 10 wt.%to identify its potential for self-lubricating property under dry sliding conditions.The mechanical properties including hardness,tensile strength and flexural strength of the composites and the base material were tested.The wear tests were conducted by using a pin-on-disc tribometer.The results show that the mechanical properties decrease with increasing graphite content as compared to that of the base material.The wear rate and average coefficient of friction decrease with the addition of graphite and was found to be minimum at 5 wt.%graphite reinforcement.The addition of 5 wt.%graphite in the composite exhibits superior wear properties as compared to that of the matrix material and other compositions of the Mg-Gr composites.

以对二甲苯氧化为对苯二甲酸为例简要综述一级C–H键活化(英文)

The oxidation of para‐xylene to terephthalic acid has been commercialised as the AMOCO process(Co/Mn/Br) that uses a homogeneous catalyst of cobalt and manganese together with a corrosive bromide compound as a promoter. This process is conducted in acidic medium at a high tempera‐ture(175–225 °C). Concerns over environmental and safety issues have driven studies to find mild‐er oxidation reactions of para‐xylene. This review discussed past and current progress in the oxida‐tion of para‐xylene process. The discussion concentrates on the approach of green chemistry in‐cluding(1) using heterogeneous catalysts with promising high selectivity and mild reaction condi‐tion,(2) application of carbon dioxide as a co‐oxidant, and(3) application of alternative promoters. The optimisation of para‐xylene oxidation was also outlined.

Catalytic performance of cement clinker supported nickel catalyst in glycerol dry reforming

The paper reports the development of cement clinker-supported nickel （with metal loadings of 5 wt%, 10 wt%, 15 wt% and 20 wt%） catalysts for glycerol dry （CO2） reforming reaction. XRF results showed that CaO constituted 62.0% of cement clinker. The physicochemical characterization of the catalysts revealed 32-folds increment of BET surface area （SBET） with the addition of nickel metal into the cement clinker, which was also corroborated by FESEM images. Significantly, XRD results suggested different types of Ni oxides formation with Ni loading, whilst Ca3SiO5 and Ca2Al0.67Mn0.33FeO5 were the main crystallite species for pure cement clinker. Temperature-programmed reduction analysis yielded three domains of H2 reduction peaks, viz. centered at approximately 750 K referred to as type-Ⅰ peaks, another peaks at 820 K denoted as type-Ⅱ peaks and the highest reduction peaks, type-Ⅲ recorded at above 1000 K. 20 wt% Ni was found to be the best loading with the highest XG and H2 yield, whilst the lowest methanation activity. Syngas with lower H2/CO ratios （0.6 to 1.5） were readily produced from glycerol dry reforming at CO2-to-Glycerol feed ratio （CGR） of unity. Nonetheless, carbon deposit comprised of whisker type （Cv） and graphitic-like type （Cc） species were found to be in majority on 20 wt%Ni/CC catalysts.

Low cost, high performance supercapacitor electrode using coconut wastes: eco-friendly approach

Low cost, high performance supercapacitor electrodes were fabricated using coconut waste as precursor. Simple one step pyrolysis is adopted to get the spherical shaped particle where lignocellulosic nature of carbon converts into porous carbon nanospheres. Three types of coconut wastes, namely, coconut fiber(CF), coconut leaves(CL) and coconut stick(CS) have been studied and compared for their application in supercapacitors. Uniform spherical shape with particle size ranging from 30 to 60 nm for leaves and sticks and20 nm for fibers was obtained. The electrochemical properties of the porous carbon nanospheres were studied using cyclic voltammetry(CV), chronopotentiometry(CP) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy(EIS). The porous carbon nanospheres derived from all the three biowaste samples show good electrochemical performance for supercapacitor application. Porous carbon nanospheres derived from coconut fiber exhibited maximum specific capacitance of 236 F/g followed by coconut stick and coconut leaves with 208 and 116 F/g respectively at a scan rate of 2 m V/s. Further impedance studies showed a charge transfer resistance of 4.9 for the porous carbon nanospheres derived from coconut fiber, while those from coconut leaves and coconut stick exhibited a slightly higher resistance of 6 and14.2, respectively. The simple eco-friendly approach we have demonstrated for synthesizing coconut waste based carbon nanospheres makes them excellent candidates for future, low-cost, energy storage devices.

Characterization of La-promoted Ni/Al_2O_3 catalysts for hydrogen production from glycerol dry reforming

In the current paper, dry(CO2)-reforming of glycerol, a new reforming route, was carried out over alumina(Al2O3)-supported, non-promoted and lanthanum-promoted nickel(Ni) catalysts. Both sets of catalysts were synthesized via a wet co-impregnation procedure. Physicochemical characterization of the catalysts showed that the promoted catalyst possessed smaller metal crystallite size, hence higher metal dispersion compared to the virgin Ni/Al2O3catalyst. This was also corroborated by the surface images captured by the FESEM analysis. From temperature-programmed calcination analysis, the derivative weight profiles revealed two peaks, which represent a water elimination peak at a temperature range of 373 to 473 K followed by nickel nitrate decomposition from 473 to 573 K. In addition, BET surface area measurements gave 85.0 m2 g-1for the non-promoted Ni catalyst, whilst the promoted catalysts showed an average of 1% to 6% improvement depending on the La loadings. Significantly, reaction studies at 873 K showed that glycerol dry reforming successfully produced H2. The 2%La-Ni/Al2O3catalyst, which possessed the largest BET surface area, gave an optimum H2generation(9.70%) at a glycerol conversion of 24.5%.

A Cyber Kill Chain Approach for Detecting Advanced Persistent Threats

The number of cybersecurity incidents is on the rise despite significant investment in security measures.The existing conventional security approaches have demonstrated limited success against some of the more complex cyber-attacks.This is primarily due to the sophistication of the attacks and the availability of powerful tools.Interconnected devices such as the Internet of Things(IoT)are also increasing attack exposures due to the increase in vulnerabilities.Over the last few years,we have seen a trend moving towards embracing edge technologies to harness the power of IoT devices and 5G networks.Edge technology brings processing power closer to the network and brings many advantages,including reduced latency,while it can also introduce vulnerabilities that could be exploited.Smart cities are also dependent on technologies where everything is interconnected.This interconnectivity makes them highly vulnerable to cyber-attacks,especially by the Advanced Persistent Threat(APT),as these vulnerabilities are amplified by the need to integrate new technologies with legacy systems.Cybercriminals behind APT attacks have recently been targeting the IoT ecosystems,prevalent in many of these cities.In this paper,we used a publicly available dataset on Advanced Persistent Threats(APT)and developed a data-driven approach for detecting APT stages using the Cyber Kill Chain.APTs are highly sophisticated and targeted forms of attacks that can evade intrusion detection systems,resulting in one of the greatest current challenges facing security professionals.In this experiment,we used multiple machine learning classifiers,such as Naïve Bayes,Bayes Net,KNN,Random Forest and Support Vector Machine(SVM).We used Weka performance metrics to show the numeric results.The best performance result of 91.1%was obtained with the Naïve Bayes classifier.We hope our proposed solution will help security professionals to deal with APTs in a timely and effective manner.

A review of conventional and renewable biodiesel production

The need for sustainable fuels has resulted in the production of renewables from a wide range of sources,in particular organic fats and oils.The use of biofuel is becoming more widespread as a result of environmental and economic considerations.Several efforts have been made to substitute fossil fuels with green fuels.Ester molecules extracted from processed animal fats and organic plant materials are considered alternatives for the use in modern engine technologies.Two different methods have been adopted for converting esters in vegetable oils/animal fats into compounds consistent with petroleum products,namely the transesterification and the hydro-processing of ester bonds for the production of biodiesel.This review paper primarily focuses on conventional and renewable biodiesel feedstocks,the catalyst used and reaction kinetics of the production process.

Effect of microwave treatment on tensile properties of sugar palm fibre reinforced thermoplastic polyurethane composites

The effect of microwave treatment on the tensile properties of treated sugar palm fibre with 6% NaOH reinforced thermoplastic polyurethane composites was investigated. Firstly, the sugar palm fibres were treated by 6% alkali solution. Then, microwave treatment was used to treat the alkali treated sugar palm fibres. Three types of temperatures(i.e. 70, 80 and 90℃) were applied in microwave treatment. The extruder and hot press machines were used to mixing the sugar palm fibres and polyurethane resin, and fabricate the composites. Tensile properties(i.e. tensile strength, tensile modulus and elongation at break) were studied by following the ASTM D-638 standard. The highest tensile strength was recorded 18.42 MPa with microwave temperature at 70℃ and 6% alkali pre-treatment. Therefore, the temperature 70℃ of microwave treatment may consider the best degree cent grate.