A hybrid multiagent routing approach for wireless ad hoc networks

Wireless ad-hoc networks are infrastructureless networks that comprise wireless mobile nodes able to communicate each other outside wireless transmission range. Due to frequent network topology changes in one hand and the limited underlying bandwidth in the other hand, routing becomes a challenging task. In this paper we present a novel routing algorithm devoted for mobile ad hoc networks. It entails both reactive and proactive components. More precisely, the algorithm is based on ant general behavior, but differs from the classic ant methods inspired from Ant-Colony-Optimization algorithm [1]. We do not use, during the reactive phase, a broadcasting technique that exponentially increases the routing overhead, but we introduce a new reactive route discovery technique that considerably reduces the communication overhead. In the simulation results, we show that our protocol can outperform both Ad hoc On-demand Distance Vector (AODV) protocol [2], one of the most important current state-of-the-art algorithms, and AntHocNet protocol [5], one of the most important ant-based routing algorithms, in terms of end-to-end delay, packet delivery ratio and the communication overhead.     

The food preservative potential of essential oils: is lemongrass the answer?

Several essential oils of medicinal plants possess proven antimicrobial activity and are suitable for applications on the food industry. The oil from Cymbopogon citratus (lemongrass) has been reported to have a wide range of biological activities. However, there are few controlled studies confirming its antimicrobial activity. The aim of our study was to assess the antimicrobial potential of lemongrass oil against a wide spectrum of food spoilage and pathogenic bacteria and yeast in liquid and vapour phase. The chemical composition of the oil was analyzed by gas chromatography; 14 components were identified and geranial (28.93 %), neral (24.30 %) and myrcene (23.92 %) were the most abundant constituents. Lemongrass oil showed potent antimicrobial activity against Gram positive bacteria and exhibited the strongest antifungal effect against Candida albicans and C. parapsilosis. Minimum inhibitory concentration varied from 0.019 to 1.25 mg mL^?1 for Gram positive bacteria and yeasts, indicating Staphylococcus aureus, S. epidermidis and C. albicans as the most susceptible strains. Moreover, the diameter of inhibition zone (DIZ) increased with increasing essential oil (EO) volume. Considerably superior antimicrobial activity was observed in the vapour phase. The DIZ resulting from the exposure to EO vapour was significantly larger than that from the same volume in the liquid phase. The DIZ varied from 22 to 90 mm for Candida strains. There is growing evidence that EO in vapour phase are effective antimicrobial systems and that they do have advantages over the use of oil in liquid phase. Our results imply that lemongrass oil could be useful for the development of novel types of natural preservatives for food control.     

Internet of Things for the Future of Smart Agriculture: A Comprehensive Survey of Emerging Technologies

This paper presents a comprehensive review of emerging technologies for the internet of things(IoT)-based smart agriculture.We begin by summarizing the existing surveys and describing emergent technologies for the agricultural IoT,such as unmanned aerial vehicles,wireless technologies,open-source IoT platforms,software defined networking(SDN),network function virtualization(NFV)technologies,cloud/fog computing,and middleware platforms.We also provide a classification of IoT applications for smart agriculture into seven categories:including smart monitoring,smart water management,agrochemicals applications,disease management,smart harvesting,supply chain management,and smart agricultural practices.Moreover,we provide a taxonomy and a side-by-side comparison of the state-ofthe-art methods toward supply chain management based on the blockchain technology for agricultural IoTs.Furthermore,we present real projects that use most of the aforementioned technologies,which demonstrate their great performance in the field of smart agriculture.Finally,we highlight open research challenges and discuss possible future research directions for agricultural IoTs.     

Authentication schemes for smart mobile devices: threat models,countermeasures, and open research issues

Telecommunication Systems - This paper presents a comprehensive investigation of authentication schemes for smart mobile devices. We start by providing an overview of existing survey articles...     

On the modeling of the annual corrosion rate in main cables of suspension bridges using combined soft computing model and a novel nature-inspired algorithm

Neural Computing and Applications - Suspension bridges are critical components of transport infrastructure around the world. Therefore, their operating conditions should be effectively monitored to...     

On the effective conductivity and the apparent viscosity of a thin rough polymer interface using PGD-based separated representations

Composite manufacturing processes usually proceed from preimpregnated preforms that are consolidated by simultaneously applying heat and pressure, so as to ensure a perfect contact compulsory for making molecular diffusion possible. However, in practice, the contact is rarely perfect. This results in a rough interface where air could remain entrapped, thus affecting the effective thermal conductivity. Moreover, the interfacial melted polymer is squeezed flowing in the rough gap created by the fibers located on the prepreg surfaces. Because of the typical dimensions of a composite prepreg, with thickness orders of magnitude smaller than its other in-plane dimensions, and its surface roughness having a characteristic size orders of magnitude smaller than the prepreg thickness, high-fidelity numerical simulations for elucidating the impact of surface and interface roughness remain today, despite the impressive advances in computational availabilities, unattainable. This work aims at elucidating roughness impact on heat conduction and the effective viscosity of the interfacial polymer squeeze flow by using an advanced numerical strategy able to reach resolutions never attained until now, a sort of numerical microscope able to attain the scale of the smallest geometrical detail.     

Correction to: 2D and 3D image localization,compression and reconstruction using new hybrid moments

Multidimensional Systems and Signal Processing -     

In Situ Construction of Uniform and Robust Cathode–Electrolyte Interphase for Li-Rich Layered Oxides

High-energy-density Li-rich layered oxides (LLOs) as promising cathodes for Li-ion batteries suffer from the dissolution of transition metals (especially manganese) and severe side reactions in conventional electrolytes, which greatly deteriorate their electrochemical performance. Herein, an in situ “anchoring + pouring” synergistic cathode–electrolyte interphase (CEI) construction is realized by using 1,3,6-hexanetricarbonitrile (HTCN) and tris(trimethylsilyl) phosphate (TMSP) electrolyte additives to alleviate the challenges of an LLO (Li_1.13Mn_0.517Ni_0.256Co_0.097O₂). HTCN with three nitrile groups can tightly anchor transition metals by coordinative interaction to form the CEI framework, and TMSP will electrochemically decompose to reshape the CEI layer. The uniform and robust in situ constructed CEI layer can suppress the transition metal dissolution, shield the cathode against diverse side reactions, and significantly improve the overall electrochemical performance of the cathod with a discharge voltage decay of only 0.5 mV cycle⁻¹. Further investigations based on a series of experimental techniques and theoretical calculations have revealed the composition of in situ constructed CEI layers and their distribution, including the enhanced HTCN anchoring effect after lattice densification of LLOs. This study provides insights into the in situ CEI construction for enhancing the performance of high-energy and high-voltage cathode materials through effective, convenient, and economical electrolyte approaches.