Time-series forecasting is extensively used in the actual world. Recent research has shown that Transformers with a self-attention mechanism at their core exhibit better performance when dealing with such problems. However, most of the existing Transformer models used for time series prediction use the traditional encoder-decoder architecture, which is complex and leads to low model processing efficiency, thus limiting the ability to mine deep time dependencies by increasing model depth. Secondly, the secondary computational complexity of the self-attention mechanism also increases computational overhead and reduces processing efficiency. To address these issues, the paper designs an efficient multi-layer attention-based time-series forecasting model. This model has the following characteristics: (i) It abandons the traditional encoder-decoder based Transformer architecture and constructs a time series prediction model based on multi-layer attention mechanism, improving the model's ability to mine deep time dependencies. (ii) A cross attention module based on cross attention mechanism was designed to enhance information exchange between historical and predictive sequences. (iii) Applying a recently proposed sparse attention mechanism to our model reduces computational overhead and improves processing efficiency. Experiments on multiple datasets have shown that our model can significantly increase the performance of current advanced Transformer methods in time series forecasting, including LogTrans, Reformer, and Informer.

A fetoscope is an optical endoscope, which is often applied in fetoscopic laser photocoagulation to treat twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome. In an operation, the clinician needs to observe the abnormal placental vessels through the endoscope, so as to guide the operation. However, low-quality imaging and narrow field of view of the fetoscope increase the difficulty of the operation. Introducing an accurate placental vessel segmentation of fetoscopic images can assist the fetoscopic laser photocoagulation and help identify the abnormal vessels. This study proposes a method to solve the above problems. A novel encoder-decoder network with a dual-path structure is proposed to segment the placental vessels in fetoscopic images. In particular, we introduce a channel attention mechanism and a continuous convolution structure to obtain multi-scale features with their weights. Moreover, a switching connection is inserted between the corresponding blocks of the two paths to strengthen their relationship. According to the results of a set of blood vessel segmentation experiments conducted on a public fetoscopic image dataset, our method has achieved higher scores than the current mainstream segmentation methods, raising the dice similarity coefficient, intersection over union, and pixel accuracy by 5.80%, 8.39% and 0.62%, respectively.

This study introduces an effective method for predicting individual local tax delinquencies using prevalent machine learning and deep learning algorithms. The evaluation of credit risk holds great significance in the financial realm, impacting both companies and individuals. While credit risk prediction has been explored using statistical and machine learning techniques, their application to tax arrears prediction remains underexplored. We forecast individual local tax defaults in Republic of Korea using machine and deep learning algorithms, including convolutional neural networks (CNN), long short-term memory (LSTM), and sequence-to-sequence (seq2seq). Our model incorporates diverse credit and public information like loan history, delinquency records, credit card usage, and public taxation data, offering richer insights than prior studies. The results highlight the superior predictive accuracy of the CNN model. Anticipating local tax arrears more effectively could lead to efficient allocation of administrative resources. By leveraging advanced machine learning, this research offers a promising avenue for refining tax collection strategies and resource management.

One of the biggest dangers in the globe is water contamination. Water is a necessity for human survival. In most cities, the digging of borewells is restricted. In some cities, the borewell is allowed for only drinking water. Hence, the scarcity of drinking water is a vital issue for industries and villas. Most of the water sources in and around the cities are also polluted, and it will cause significant health issues. Real-time quality observation is necessary to guarantee a secure supply of drinking water. We offer a model of a low-cost system of monitoring real-time water quality using IoT to address this issue. The potential for supporting the real world has expanded with the introduction of IoT and other sensors. Multiple sensors make up the suggested system, which is utilized to identify the physical and chemical features of the water. Various sensors can measure the parameters such as temperature, pH, and turbidity. The core controller can process the values measured by sensors. An Arduino model is implemented in the core controller. The sensor data is forwarded to the cloud database using a WI-FI setup. The observed data will be transferred and stored in a cloud-based database for further processing. It wasn't easy to analyze the water quality every time. Hence, an Optimized Neural Network-based automation system identifies water quality from remote locations. The performance of the feed-forward neural network classifier is further enhanced with a hybrid GA- PSO algorithm. The optimized neural network outperforms water quality prediction applications and yields 91% accuracy. The accuracy of the developed model is increased by 20% because of optimizing network parameters compared to the traditional feed-forward neural network. Significant improvement in precision and recall is also evidenced in the proposed work.

Security and reliability are the utmost importance facts in intelligent networked vehicles. Stochastic Petri Net and Z (SPZN) as an excellent formal verification tool for modeling concurrent systems, can effectively handles concurrent operations within a system, establishes relationships among components, and conducts verification and reasoning to ensure the system's safety and reliability in practical applications. However, the application of a system with numerous nodes to Petri Net often leads to the issue of state explosion. To tackle these challenges, a refinement and abstraction method based on SPZN is proposed in this paper. This approach can not only refine and abstract the Stochastic Petri Net but also establish a corresponding relationship with the Z language. In determining the implementation rate of transitions in Stochastic Petri Net, we employ the interval average and weighted average method, which significantly reduces the time and space complexity compared to alternative techniques and is suitable for expert systems at various levels. This reduction facilitates subsequent comprehensive system analysis and module analysis. Furthermore, by analyzing the properties of Markov Chain isomorphism in the case study, recommendations for minimizing system risks in the application of intelligent parking within the intelligent networked vehicle system can be put forward.

Cloud-based e-learning (CBEL) represents a promising technological frontier. Existing literature has presented a diverse array of findings regarding the determinants that influence the adoption of CBEL. The primary objective of this study is to conduct an exhaustive examination of the available literature, aiming to determine the key predictors of CBEL utilization by employing the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) methodology. A comprehensive review of 35 articles was undertaken, shedding light on the status of CBEL as an evolving field. Notably, there has been a discernible downturn in related research output during the COVID-19 pandemic, underscoring the temporal dynamics of this subject. It is noteworthy that a significant portion of this research has emanated from the Asian continent. Furthermore, the dominance of the technology acceptance model (TAM) in research frameworks is affirmed by our findings. Through a rigorous thematic analysis, our study identified five overarching themes, each encompassing a diverse range of sub-themes. These themes encompass 1) technological factors, 2) individual factors, 3) organizational factors, 4) environmental factors, and 5) security factors. This categorization provides a structured framework for understanding the multifaceted nature of CBEL adoption determinants. Our study serves as a compass, guiding future research endeavours in this domain. It underscores the imperative for further investigations utilizing diverse theoretical frameworks, contextual settings, research methodologies, and variables. This call for diversity and expansion in research efforts reflects the dynamic nature of CBEL and the evolving landscape of e-learning technologies.

Gliomas are the most common malignant brain tumor and cause the most deaths. Manual brain tumor segmentation is expensive, time-consuming, error-prone, and dependent on the radiologist's expertise and experience. Manual brain tumor segmentation outcomes by different radiologists for the same patient may differ. Thus, more robust, and dependable methods are needed. Medical imaging researchers produced numerous semi-automatic and fully automatic brain tumor segmentation algorithms using ML pipelines and accurate (handcrafted feature-based, etc.) or data-driven strategies. Current methods use CNN or handmade features such symmetry analysis, alignment-based features analysis, or textural qualities. CNN approaches provide unsupervised features, while manual features model domain knowledge. Cascaded algorithms may outperform feature-based or data-driven like CNN methods. A revolutionary cascaded strategy is presented that intelligently supplies CNN with past information from handmade feature-based ML algorithms. Each patient receives manual ground truth and four MRI modalities (T1, T1c, T2, and FLAIR). Handcrafted characteristics and deep learning are used to segment brain tumors in a Global Convolutional Neural Network (GCNN). The proposed GCNN architecture with two parallel CNNs, CSPathways CNN (CSPCNN) and MRI Pathways CNN (MRIPCNN), segmented BraTS brain tumors with high accuracy. The proposed model achieved a Dice score of 87% higher than the state of the art. This research could improve brain tumor segmentation, helping clinicians diagnose and treat patients.

Caladium bicolor is one of the most popular plants in Thailand. The original species of Caladium bicolor was found a hundred years ago. Until now, there are more than 500 species through multiplication. The classification of Caladium bicolor can be done by using its color and shape. This study aims to develop a model to classify Caladium bicolor using a transfer learning technique. This work also presents a proof of concept, GUI design, and web application deployment using the user-design-center method. We also evaluated the performance of the following pre-trained models in this work, and the results are as follow: 87.29% for AlexNet, 90.68% for GoogleNet, 93.59% for XceptionNet, 93.22% for MobileNetV2, 89.83% for RestNet18, 88.98% for RestNet50, 97.46% for RestNet101, and 94.92% for InceptionResNetV2. This work was implemented using MATLAB R2023a.

In pace with the development of network technology at lightning speed, social networks have been extensively applied in our lives. However, as social networks retain a large number of users' sensitive information, the openness of this information makes social networks vulnerable to attacks by malicious attackers. To preserve the link privacy of individuals in social networks, an uncertain graph method based on node random response is devised, which satisfies differential privacy while maintaining expected data utility. In this method, to achieve privacy preserving, the random response is applied on nodes to achieve edge modification on an original graph and node differential privacy is introduced to inject uncertainty on the edges. Simultaneously, to keep data utility, a divide and conquer strategy is adopted to decompose the original graph into many sub-graphs and each sub-graph is dealt with separately. In particular, only some larger sub-graphs selected by the exponent mechanism are modified, which further reduces the perturbation to the original graph. The presented method is proven to satisfy differential privacy. The performances of experiments demonstrate that this uncertain graph method can effectively provide a strict privacy guarantee and maintain data utility.

The transmission of confidential data using cover media is called steganography. The three requirements of any effective steganography system are high embedding capacity, security, and imperceptibility. The text file's structure, which makes syntax and grammar more visually obvious than in other media, contributes to its poor imperceptibility. Text steganography is regarded as the most challenging carrier to hide secret data because of its insufficient redundant data compared to other digital objects. Unicode characters, especially non-printing or invisible, are employed for hiding data by mapping a specific amount of secret data bits in each character and inserting the character into cover text spaces. These characters are known with limited spaces to embed secret data. Current studies that used Unicode characters in text steganography focused on increasing the data hiding capacity with insufficient redundant data in a text file. A sequential embedding pattern is often selected and included in all available positions in the cover text. This embedding pattern negatively affects the text steganography system's imperceptibility and security. Thus, this study attempts to solve these limitations using the Part-of-speech (POS) tagging technique combined with the randomization concept in data hiding. Combining these two techniques allows inserting the Unicode characters in randomized patterns with specific positions in the cover text to increase data hiding capacity with minimum effects on imperceptibility and security. Format-preserving encryption (FPE) is also used to encrypt a secret message without changing its size before the embedding processes. By comparing the proposed technique to already existing ones, the results demonstrate that it fulfils the cover file's capacity, imperceptibility, and security requirements.

Most frequency-domain remote sensing image watermarking algorithms embed watermarks at random locations, which have negative impact on the watermark invisibility. In this study, we propose an adaptive watermarking scheme for remote sensing images that considers the information complexity to select where to embed watermarks to improve watermark invisibility without affecting algorithm robustness. The scheme converts remote sensing images from RGB to YCbCr color space, performs two-level DWT on luminance Y, and selects the high frequency coefficient of the low frequency component (HH^Y₂) as the watermark embedding domain. To achieve adaptive embedding, HH^Y₂ is divided into several 8*8 blocks, the entropy of each sub-block is calculated, and the block with the maximum entropy is chosen as the watermark embedding location. During embedding phase, the watermark image is also decomposed by two-level DWT, and the resulting high frequency coefficient (HH^W₂) is then embedded into the block with maximum entropy using α- blending. The experimental results show that the watermarked remote sensing images have high fidelity, indicating good invisibility. Under varying degrees of geometric, cropping, filtering, and noise attacks, the proposed watermarking can always extract high identifiable watermark images. Moreover, it is extremely stable and impervious to attack intensity interference.

In this paper, we consider the resource allocation and offloading decisions of device-to-device (D2D) cooperative UAV-assisted mobile edge computing (MEC) system, where the device with task request is served by unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) equipped with MEC server and D2D device with idle resources. On the one hand, to ensure the fairness of time-delay sensitive devices, when UAV computing resources are relatively sufficient, an optimization model is established to minimize the maximum delay of device computing tasks. The original non-convex objective problem is decomposed into two subproblems, and the suboptimal solution of the optimization problem is obtained by alternate iteration of two subproblems. On the other hand, when the device only needs to complete the task within a tolerable delay, we consider the offloading priorities of task to minimize UAV computing resources. Then we build the model of joint offloading decision and power allocation optimization. Through theoretical analysis based on KKT conditions, we elicit the relationship between the amount of computing task data and the optimal resource allocation. The simulation results show that the D2D cooperation scheme proposed in this paper is effective in reducing the completion delay of computing tasks and saving UAV computing resources.

Due to the rapid evolution of vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs), effective communication and security are now essential components in providing secure and reliable vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication. However, due to their dynamic nature and potential threats, VANETs need to have strong security mechanisms. This paper presents a novel approach to improve VANET security by combining the Vehicular Delay-Tolerant Network (VDTN) protocol with the Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) technique known as the Twin Delayed Deep Deterministic Policy Gradient (TD3) algorithm. A store-carry-forward method is used by the VDTN protocol to resolve the problems caused by inconsistent connectivity and disturbances in VANETs. The TD3 algorithm is employed for capturing and detecting Worm Hole Attack (WHA) behaviors in VANETs, thereby enhancing security measures. By combining these components, it is possible to create trustworthy and effective communication channels as well as successfully detect and stop rushing attacks inside the VANET. Extensive evaluations and simulations demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach, enhancing both security and communication efficiency.