VA + Embeddings STAR: A State-of-the-Art Report on the Use of Embeddings in Visual Analytics

Over the past years, an increasing number of publications in information visualization, especially within the field of visual analytics, have mentioned the term “embedding” when describing the computational approach. Within this context, embeddings are usually (relatively) low-dimensional, distributed representations of various data types (such as texts or graphs), and since they have proven to be extremely useful for a variety of data analysis tasks across various disciplines and fields, they have become widely used. Existing visualization approaches aim to either support exploration and interpretation of the embedding space through visual representation and interaction, or aim to use embeddings as part of the computational pipeline for addressing downstream analytical tasks. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first survey that takes a detailed look at embedding methods through the lens of visual analytics, and the purpose of our survey article is to provide a systematic overview of the state of the art within the emerging field of embedding visualization. We design a categorization scheme for our approach, analyze the current research frontier based on peer-reviewed publications, and discuss existing trends, challenges, and potential research directions for using embeddings in the context of visual analytics. Furthermore, we provide an interactive survey browser for the collected and categorized survey data, which currently includes 122 entries that appeared between 2007 and 2023.     

Feature-Preserving Offset Mesh Generation from Topology-Adapted Octrees

We introduce a reliable method to generate offset meshes from input triangle meshes or triangle soups. Our method proceeds in two steps. The first step performs a Dual Contouring method on the offset surface, operating on an adaptive octree that is refined in areas where the offset topology is complex. Our approach substantially reduces memory consumption and runtime compared to isosurfacing methods operating on uniform grids. The second step improves the output Dual Contouring mesh with an offset-aware remeshing algorithm to reduce the normal deviation between the mesh facets and the exact offset. This remeshing process reconstructs concave sharp features and approximates smooth shapes in convex areas up to a user-defined precision. We show the effectiveness and versatility of our method by applying it to a wide range of input meshes. We also benchmark our method on the Thingi10k dataset: watertight and topologically 2-manifold offset meshes are obtained for 100% of the cases.     

Face Editing Using Part-Based Optimization of the Latent Space

We propose an approach for interactive 3D face editing based on deep generative models. Most of the current face modeling methods rely on linear methods and cannot express complex and non-linear deformations. In contrast to 3D morphable face models based on Principal Component Analysis (PCA), we introduce a novel architecture based on variational autoencoders. Our architecture has multiple encoders (one for each part of the face, such as the nose and mouth) which feed a single decoder. As a result, each sub-vector of the latent vector represents one part. We train our model with a novel loss function that further disentangles the space based on different parts of the face. The output of the network is a whole 3D face. Hence, unlike part-based PCA methods, our model learns to merge the parts intrinsically and does not require an additional merging process. To achieve interactive face modeling, we optimize for the latent variables given vertex positional constraints provided by a user. To avoid unwanted global changes elsewhere on the face, we only optimize the subset of the latent vector that corresponds to the part of the face being modified. Our editing optimization converges in less than a second. Our results show that the proposed approach supports a broader range of editing constraints and generates more realistic 3D faces.     

Proofs of retrievability with tag outsourcing based on Goppa codes

In cloud storage, because the data owner loses the physical control of the data, the data may be tampered with or deleted. Although, it has been proposed to adopt provable data possession (PDP) or proofs of retrievability (POR) mechanism to ensure the integrity of cloud storage data. However, at present, most PDP/POR schemes are based on traditional cryptographic mechanisms and cannot resist quantum computer attacks. For this reason, the first POR scheme based on coding mechanism (BC-POR) is proposed in this paper. The scheme is constructed based on the difficulty assumptions of 2-regular word syndrome decoding (2-RWSD) problem and Goppa code distinguishing problem. Moreover, considering the low computing power of lightweight users, this paper adopts an audit scheme that supports the outsourcing of data tag calculation on the client side, that is, the calculation of data tag generation is outsourced to a third-party institution for execution. First of all, this scheme can prevent third-party institution from obtaining the real content of the data in the process of calculation tags and realize the privacy protection of user data. Secondly, the scheme uses a FSB hash function to generate a decodable syndrome, and this algorithm does not require iterative operations during the tagging process, thereby reducing the computational overhead of the tag. Finally, the provable security method is used to prove the security of the proposed scheme, and the performance of the proposed audit scheme is evaluated to prove the effectiveness of the scheme.     

A survey on privacy inference attacks and defenses in cloud-based Deep Neural Network

Deep Neural Network (DNN), one of the most powerful machine learning algorithms, is increasingly leveraged to overcome the bottleneck of effectively exploring and analyzing massive data to boost advanced scientific development. It is not a surprise that cloud computing providers offer the cloud-based DNN as an out-of-the-box service. Though there are some benefits from the cloud-based DNN, the interaction mechanism among two or multiple entities in the cloud inevitably induces new privacy risks. This survey presents the most recent findings of privacy attacks and defenses appeared in cloud-based neural network services. We systematically and thoroughly review privacy attacks and defenses in the pipeline of cloud-based DNN service, i.e., data manipulation, training, and prediction. In particular, a new theory, called cloud-based ML privacy game, is extracted from the recently published literature to provide a deep understanding of state-of-the-art research. Finally, the challenges and future work are presented to help researchers to continue to push forward the competitions between privacy attackers and defenders.     

Improved Cloud Storage Encryption Using Block Cipher-Based DNA Anti-Codify Model

When it comes to data storage, cloud computing and cloud storage providers play a critical role. The cloud data can be accessed from any location with an internet connection. Additionally, the risk of losing privacy when data is stored in a cloud environment is also increased. A variety of security techniques are employed in the cloud to enhance security. In this paper, we aim at maintaining the privacy of stored data in cloud environment by implementing block-based modelling to boost the privacy level with Anti-Codify Technique (ACoT) and block cipher-based algorithms. Initially, the cipher text is generated using Deoxyribo Nucleic Acid (DNA) model. Block-cipher-based encryption is used by ACoT, but the original encrypted file and its extension are broken up into separate blocks. When the original file is broken up into two separate blocks, it raises the security level and makes it more difficult for outsiders to cloud data access. ACoT improves the security and privacy of cloud storage data. Finally, the fuzzy-based classification is used that stores various access types in servers. The simulation results shows that the ACoT-DNA method achieves higher entropy against various block size with reduced computational cost than existing methods.     

Hash-Indexing Block-Based Deduplication Algorithm for Reducing Storage in the Cloud

Cloud storage is essential for managing user data to store and retrieve from the distributed data centre. The storage service is distributed as pay a service for accessing the size to collect the data. Due to the massive amount of data stored in the data centre containing similar information and file structures remaining in multi-copy, duplication leads to increase storage space. The potential deduplication system doesn’t make efficient data reduction because of inaccuracy in finding similar data analysis. It creates a complex nature to increase the storage consumption under cost. To resolve this problem, this paper proposes an efficient storage reduction called Hash-Indexing Block-based Deduplication (HIBD) based on Segmented Bind Linkage (SBL) Methods for reducing storage in a cloud environment. Initially, preprocessing is done using the sparse augmentation technique. Further, the preprocessed files are segmented into blocks to make Hash-Index. The block of the contents is compared with other files through Semantic Content Source Deduplication (SCSD), which identifies the similar content presence between the file. Based on the content presence count, the Distance Vector Weightage Correlation (DVWC) estimates the document similarity weight, and related files are grouped into a cluster. Finally, the segmented bind linkage compares the document to find duplicate content in the cluster using similarity weight based on the coefficient match case. This implementation helps identify the data redundancy efficiently and reduces the service cost in distributed cloud storage.     

A survey of the European Open Science Cloud services for expanding the capacity and capabilities of multidisciplinary scientific applications

Open Science is a paradigm in which scientific data, procedures, tools and results are shared transparently and reused by society. The European Open Science Cloud (EOSC) initiative is an effort in Europe to provide an open, trusted, virtual and federated computing environment to execute scientific applications and store, share and reuse research data across borders and scientific disciplines. Additionally, scientific services are becoming increasingly data-intensive, not only in terms of computationally intensive tasks but also in terms of storage resources. To meet those resource demands, computing paradigms such as High-Performance Computing (HPC) and Cloud Computing are applied to e-science applications. However, adapting applications and services to these paradigms is a challenging task, commonly requiring a deep knowledge of the underlying technologies, which often constitutes a general barrier to its uptake by scientists. In this context, EOSC-Synergy, a collaborative project involving more than 20 institutions from eight European countries pooling their knowledge and experience to enhance EOSC’s capabilities and capacities, aims to bring EOSC closer to the scientific communities. This article provides a summary analysis of the adaptations made in the ten thematic services of EOSC-Synergy to embrace this paradigm. These services are grouped into four categories: Earth Observation, Environment, Biomedicine, and Astrophysics. The analysis will lead to the identification of commonalities, best practices and common requirements, regardless of the thematic area of the service. Experience gained from the thematic services can be transferred to new services for the adoption of the EOSC ecosystem framework. The article made several recommendations for the integration of thematic services in the EOSC ecosystem regarding Authentication and Authorization (federated regional or thematic solutions based on EduGAIN mainly), FAIR data and metadata preservation solutions (both at cataloguing and data preservation—such as EUDAT’s B2SHARE), cloud platform-agnostic resource management services (such as Infrastructure Manager) and workload management solutions.     

Intrusion detection and prevention system for an IoT environment

Internet of Things (IoT) security is the act of securing IoT devices and networks. IoT devices, including industrial machines, smart energy grids, and building automation, are extremely vulnerable. With the goal of shielding network systems from illegal access in cloud servers and IoT systems, Intrusion Detection Systems (IDSs) and Network-based Intrusion Prevention Systems (NBIPSs) are proposed in this study. An intrusion prevention system is proposed to realize NBIPS to safeguard top to bottom engineering. The proposed NBIPS inspects network activity streams to identify and counteract misuse instances. The NBIPS is usually located specifically behind a firewall, and it provides a reciprocal layer of investigation that adversely chooses unsafe substances. Network-based IPS sensors can be installed either in an inline or a passive model. An inline sensor is installed to monitor the traffic passing through it. The sensors are installed to stop attacks by blocking the traffic using an IoT signature-based protocol.     

Research advances on blockchain-as-a-service: architectures,applications and challenges

Due to the complexity of blockchain technology, it usually costs too much effort to build, maintain and monitor a blockchain system that supports a targeted application. To this end, the emerging “Blockchain as a Service” (BaaS) makes the blockchain and distributed ledgers more accessible, particularly for businesses, by reducing costs and overheads. BaaS combines the high computing power of cloud computing, the pervasiveness of IoT and the decentralization of blockchain, allowing people to build their own applications while ensuring the transparency and openness of the system. This paper surveys the research outputs of both academia and industry. First, it introduces the representative architectures of BaaS systems and then summarizes the research contributions of BaaS from the technologies for service provision, roles, container and virtualization, interfaces, customization and evaluation. The typical applications of BaaS in both academic and practical domains are also introduced. At present, the research on the blockchain is abundant, but research on BaaS is still in its infancy. Six challenges of BaaS are concluded in this paper for further study directions.